star trek discovery season 1 episode 15 recap

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Star Trek: Discovery finale recap: 'Will You Take My Hand?'

The latest Trek iteration ends its first season on a mediocre note

After a meandering debut season that often thrilled, Star Trek: Discovery closed its initial run Sunday night — but didn’t quite stick the landing. High on resolution, but low on drama, “Will You Take My Hand?” took some convenient narrative liberties to wrap up the first season’s plot arc a little too tidily.

At the close of last week’s “The War Without, The War Within” — another meandering, inert episode — Starfleet and Adm. Cornwell installed Capt. Georgiou as Discovery’s captain ahead of a crucial mission to the Klingon homeworld of Qo’noS. But as some of the crew knew, Starfleet actually knowingly gave the ship’s command to the Terran emperor. She makes little effort to conceal her true allegiance; when a Discovery officer uses the word “homeworld” to describe Qo’noS, Georgiou spits that “Klingons are animals and they don’t have homes.”

Her comments to Burnham and Saru are even less concealed — and the resulting dialogue is forced. “Scared Kelpien makes for tough Kelpien,” Georgiou tells Saru, referencing his species’ use as Terran livestock. Playing along, Saru says he’s so tough he’s “simply unpalatable,” and Burnham refers to her “firsthand” experience with Kelpien tenderness.

When Burnham joins Georgiou in the bridge to solicit intelligence about Qo’noS from the captive L’Rell, the Terran interloper moves from rhetoric to action. L’Rell goads the “captain” — “I can tell you require seasoning,” another entry in the episode’s forced culinary entendres — so, to Burnham’s horror, Georgiou enters L’Rell’s sell and begins to brutally beat her. “There’s another way,” Burnham says, taking Georgiou to Tyler’s quarters.

Fiddling with a bowline knot — it “doesn’t run, doesn’t slip,” Tyler says during a hokey scene where he explains that the knot ties him to his past — the officer listens as Burnham questions whether he can access the purged Voq’s memories to assist in Starfleet’s mission. Conveniently, he can! Tyler instructs Georgiou and Burnham about where they can plant a drone for data collection on Qo’noS’ surface. In a whimsical turn, Georgiou enlists Tilly to join her, Burnham, and Tyler, and the foursome departs for an Orion outpost on Qo’noS.

Once they arrive at Qo’noS, the members of the landing party take different avenues to learn the location of the proper site to deploy their reconnaissance drone. That yields some entertaining moments, like when Tilly unwittingly munches on some gormagander meat from a street vendor. Tyler plays a game with Klingons named t’Sang, and when the Discovery delegation happens upon a burlesque, Georgiou remarks that she “knew your whole universe couldn’t be boring.” In her own attempt to glean intel, the Terran emperor engages in a threesome with the Orion dancers — and then holds them at gunpoint as she requests information.

With Burnham and Tyler off playing t’Sang and Georgiou getting intimate with two Orions, another Orion in the burlesque convinces Tilly to smoke a mysterious substance out of a hookah-like instrument, which knocks her out cold. When she comes to, Tilly inspects the briefcase she’s guarded and discovers that it contains a hydro bomb, not a drone as she, Burnham, and Tyler had believed. Returning from her sexual escapade, Georgiou punches Tilly as the cadet makes contact with Burnham, and she makes off with the bomb. (Recap continues on page 2)

Reconvening with Burnham and Tyler, Tilly alerts them of the stakes: The volcanic system on Qo’noS is active, not dormant as Starfleet’s outdated intelligence had suggested, so when Georgiou deploys the hydrogen bomb, it’ll initiate a cataclysmic episode that will devastate the Klingon planet. Burnham rightly suspects Adm. Cornwell has approved this violent plan, and she beams back aboard Discovery to convince her superiors to make take another route. “We do not have the luxury of principles,” Cornwell admonishes, to which Burnham replies, “That is all we have, admiral.” As Burnham threatens mutiny, Saru and the rest of the crew on Discovery’s bridge stand in solidarity with her, forcing Cornwell to reassess her plan.

The subsequent scene effectively concludes the Klingon-Federation conflict that Burnham played a key role in beginning in the series premiere . Burnham confronts Georgiou in an abandoned Klingon temple, where the Terran has already deployed the hydro bomb. “Why not join me,” Georgiou says, with flair that feels ripped straight from Star Wars , “Starfleet and Klingon alike will be at our mercy.” But when Burnham says Georgiou will have to kill her to carry out the bomb’s detonation, the Terran backs down with barely any resistance.

Burnham then calls on Tyler and L’Rell, the latter of whom she delivers a proposition: Now that the Federation has deployed a weapon that could defeat the Klingons, L’Rell should defuse the weapon and use the moment as a pretext to unite the feuding Klingon tribes. Tyler — speaking as Voq — tells L’Rell that as torchbearer he has lit the way for the race’s leader and that it is time for the Klingon “to leave the shadows.” L’Rell agrees and Georgiou leaves, as Burnham somewhat implausibly tells her to “be good.”

The rest of the episode is falling action from the already-limp climax. Tyler tells Burnham he’s decided to join L’Rell in her travels, the two share a final kiss, and he leaves her with a bowline knot by which to remember him. L’Rell and Tyler then transport to a Mo’Kai Klingon ship, where the Klingon begins the “reunification” of her race.

Back on Earth — in Paris — Burnham meets with her adopted parents, Sarek and Perrin, and discusses her humanity with them. Sarek atones for his approval of the plan that would’ve created Klingon genocide, and as a reward for her work reinstates Burnham’s rank of Starfleet commander. “The Federation is as grateful to you as I am to my daughter,” he solemnly declares.

The rest of Discovery’s crew receives similarly distinguished accolades. Tilly’s admitted to Starfleet officer training school, while Saru becomes the first Kelpien to receive the medal of honor. Discovery then sets out for Vulcan — and the episode concludes with a callback to the very first Trek episode, as Capt. Pike of the U.S.S. Enterprise hails the ship before the credits roll with the original Star Trek theme.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 1, episode 15 recap

By john dotson | feb 12, 2018.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 1 finale kicked off last night and finished with a pleasant surprise for fans!

Last week’s episode ended on the surprise note that Emperor Georgiou of the alternate universe would be taking charge of the U.S.S. Discovery. This week we see the team push ahead to the planet Qo’nos where the fleet hopes to strike into the heart of the Klingon Empire.

Here’s what went down in this week’s episode!

This episode begins with a vague foreshadowing introduction with a group of Klingon ships heading to their home planet. Michael Burnham interrupts the scene with voiceover.

"On the eve of battle, on a cold windless night, an old general turned to a young soldier… “Tomorrow” said the master, “You will know fear.” The young soldier who had not experienced the agony of war looked at the general with quizzical eyes, “How will I know fear if I do not know what it looks like? The general replied, “You will know fear because it speaks very fast, and it speaks very loud”"

All this is said as we have a slow tracking shot rest on Captain “Emperor” Georgiou.

Thus the season finale of Star Trek: Discovery begins.

After this small bit of foreshadowing, we begin to see the intensity of Captain Georgiou, she has no sympathy for the Klingon species, and corrects a fleet member immediately for acknowledging them as “having homes.” As she viciously puts it, “Klingons are animals, they do not have homes.”

After a few more unorthodox remarks from the new acting Captain, Saru pretends to inquire Michael’s assistance in private. Once she walks over, he expresses his concern that the Captain does not possess Federation ideals and principals. Michael mockingly responds saying, “The Federation put her here.”

Captain Georgiou sees the exchange between Saru and Michael, and coldly remarks about Michael leaving her station. Then takes a shot at Saru, by remarking on his fear being linked to his toughness. She says “where I’m from, scared Kelpien, means tough Kelpien.” This seems to imply how edible he is. To which he responds, “Yes Captain, some might even find me unpalatable.”

In defense of Saru, Michael begins subtly trying to expose Emperor Georgiou for who she is by asking her questions about the real Captain Georgiou in front of Starfleet. Georgiou then summons her away from the rest of the crew to scold her for doing so.

Michael says the fact that they made her Captain means sta fleet is desperate. Georgiou claps back with “When you asked how I defeated the Klingons, you were also desperate.” She then tells Michael her biggest weakness is “no follow through”, and that she should’ve killed the original Captain Georgiou and defeated the Klingons when she had a chance.

Michael then presses her to tell her what she actually has planned and grabs her arm. Emperor Georgiou looks at her coldly, and says, “Never do that again.” Additionally, she adds that her knowledge is the only thing giving them a fighting chance. “Are you with me or against me?” Michae responds sarcastically, “With you… Captain.”

All this wraps up a very confrontational cold open

When the show reopens, we see L’Rell being questioned by Michael and Emperor Georgiou. L’Rell is confused because she watched the old Georgiou die by the hands of her leader. Georgiou says it wasn’t her who died. Georgiou then demands she tell her where the best area to land on Qo’nos would be, and when she doesn’t tell her, Georgiou enters the prison barrier and begins beating her for answers. When the violence reaches a climax, Michael demands Georgiou stop. Michael explains to Georgiou there’s a different way they can get the answer they seek.

We then cut to Georgiou and Michael meeting with Tyler who is making something out of a rope. She starts off by expressing doubt in his abilities to help, and because he is weirdly playing with a “string.” He then explains that he made a knot that he learned as a child, which helps him remember who he is. He further adds that Voq’s memories are still inside of him. He wants to help, but the scene implies he is only helping because he loves Michael. Georgou then asks, “What do you know about the surface of Qo’nos?”

The next scene has Georgiou, Michael, and Tyler looking at a Starfleet map of Qo’nos. Michael explains to both of them that the map is somewhat unreliable due to flimsy sources of information. Tyler then points to a section of the planet that is the safest for a drone to make an entrance. He explains that the only issue is that someone will have to beam down to assist with the execution. Georgiou adds that she wants Tyler to help, due to his vast knowledge. Both Michael and Tyler seem uncomfortable, which makes Georgiou question whether Tyler’s involvement will be a problem. Both Michael and Tyler say “no” but their faces say different.

Georgiou then makes another surprise addition to the Qo’nos team, who turns out to be Tilly. Georgiou adds her to the team based on her vicious nature in the alternate realm, and Tilly tries to convey she is “nothing like her.” To which Georgiou replies, “don’t be so sure Killy.” Georgiou then tells an uncomfortable Tilly she will carry the drone herself to the surface.

After this, we see Georgiou, Tilly, Michael, and Tyler all dressed up as impoverished people to beam down to Qo’nos. Tyler asks Michael if she will be okay doing this mission. Michael responds sternly with, “You don’t need to worry about me.”

The team then executes a “Black Alert” down to Qo’nos. Once the ship is steady with the planet’s atmosphere, Georgiou, Tilly, Michael, and Tyler energize to the surface of the planet.

We then reopen to a village of Qo’nos where the team appears after beaming to the planet. Tilly comments on the lack of humans, implying how much they stick out. They walk around an area that appears to be a market for trading goods.

A trading person pulls a gun on them and says “keep walking federation, no one wants you here.” Tilly pulls a gun on her face and is able to make the alien trader back down. Georgiou tells the trader to relax because they only want to do business. Georgiou summons Tyler to show what they came to trade. Tyler pulls out Naussican and disruptor pistols and hands them to the trader. Tilly then describes the specs of the guns with exquisite detail. Georgiou gives the price and the trader scoffs. She then requests to see what else they brought to trade. As they show the alien more guns, Tilly motions to Michael that they should go find some “food.”

They go to a different section of the market, and find someone serving questionable meat. Michael wants to know what the meat is, and Tilly says she does not know and wasn’t hungry anyway. She actually just wanted to speak with Michael in private. She then asks Michael if she has any idea what Georgiou is up to. Michael states she has no idea but that everyone should watch her “like a hawk.” Tilly explains that she realizes this entire situation must be very hard for Michael, but that she has her back. Michael conveys her gratitude.

The team then heads to a place that looks like a Klingon version of a club. There are people dancing, and a bar area, with tons of other Klingons around drinking. Also, strange green human-like people dancing exotically on a stage. Georgiou hands Tyler some Klingon currency and says they should split up to find information. Tyler and Michael end up pairing up in this division. Georgiou then summons the dancers to her, and ask how much “a little me” time cost. Georgiou leaves an uncomfortable Tilly by herself as she heads behind a private area with the dancers.

We then cut to an area with Tyler and Michael who are watching Klingons gamble on a game called T’Sang. Tyler tells Michael he might actually be good at this game. Not because he is but because Voq was good at it. A Klingon begins to antagonize Tyler asking if he is there to spy for the Federation. Tyler attacks back speaking Klingon saying he wants to win Darseks in the game. The Klingon asks if he has money, and Tyler pushes the Klingon away forcefully showing money and jumps in the game. Tyler then goes full Voq and begins winning over and over while boasting victoriously in Klingon. The situation makes Michael uncomfortable as she walks off.

The show cuts back to Tilly who finds a strange smoking green man who is played by the great Clint Howard ladies and gentlemen. As Tilly approaches, the strange man offers her some of the substance he is smoking. When she refuses, he demands her removal, thus making her agree to partake in smoking. She then inhales the substance, makes a very perplexed face, and then passes out from being high. The scene is actually really hilarious.

Switch back to Michael who is in a Klingon version of a tattoo parlor. Tyler enters and says he did not get the info he wanted, but he did gain their favor because he spoke their language. He then asks her what made her leave so quickly. Michael then begins to open up about what happened to her parents. She tells the excruciating tale of how the Klingons killed her father, and slowly killed her mom. Tyler then understands how she can hate the Voq inside him. She further adds, despite the terrible things they did to her parents, she looks around and sees normal beings living normal lives. She says Georgiou is wrong. Qo’nos is a home and it should be treated as such. Tyler says he understands the compassion she has for the enemy, but he can guarantee no Klingon showed her the same. Her response… “You did.” Tyler notices a couple of Klingons drinking with fire and claims the act is a ritual that might connect to information they need. He exits to press them for information leaving Michael to herself.

Back in the private room, it’s implied that Georgiou has just had menage-a-trois with the two green exotic dancers. Some brief innuendo is exchanged until Georgiou attacks them both and pulls a gun on one of them. Georgiou forcibly demands the location of The Shrine of Morlar.

Meanwhile, Tilly wakes up from her drug-induced coma, and Clint Howard’s character is using a tool to steal the drone off Tilly’s arm. She makes him feel bad for his attempt at thievery but insists on knowing what she inhaled. The silly green man says “volcanic vapor.” She says that isn’t possible because the volcanoes are dead. He responds that she is wrong. This makes Tilly realize there’s no way a drone will enter a working volcano. She snags the tool from Clint Howard’s character, uses it to pry the box open, and sees the box does not have a drone. Inside rests a hydro bomb.

She contacts Michael to tell her what she found, but before she can finish, Georgiou snatches the device from her and smashes her face with it.

After Georgiou takes off with the hydro bomb, the rest of the team regroups to evaluate how the situation has drastically changed. Tilly explains if Georgiou sets off a hydro bomb in the volcano it will destroy the whole planet. They then communicate back to the ship what Georgiou has planned, but everyone is now concerned Starfleet approved Georgiou’s master plan. Michael then says she needs to reach Admiral Cornwell as soon as possible

Next: The X-Files review: S11E6

After the commercial, the scene reopens on an unsettling image of Qo’nos slowly turning to fire, which soon is revealed to be just a simulation. We then hear Michael say, “is this how Starfleet wins the war?” We soon discover Michael is demanding answers from Admiral Cornwell. The Admiral expresses her urgency about the Klingons on the brink of wiping out Starfleet. Michael pushes back saying the principals of Starfleet are above genocide. Admiral Cornwell says that they no longer have the luxury of principles. Michael lashes out saying “That’s all we have left!” She further adds, that her decision to put survival over principles was wrong a year ago. She caps it off with, “Do we need a mutiny today to prove who we are?” Saru stands and says “We are Starfleet.” The rest of the crew follows and rallies around Michael. Admiral Cornwell backs down from her stance, then asks, “What are you suggesting?”

Jump to The Shrine of Morlar where Georgiou is getting ready to initiate the bomb. Michael appears and tells her the plans have changed. The both of them exchange words, which leads Michael to fully realize this Georgiou is nothing like her Georgiou who died. The Captain pulls a gun on Michael. She pushes the gun to her chest and says the only way out is past her, which means she’ll have to watch Michael die again. Also, that she’ll be hunted for the rest of her life. However, she has the option of freedom still, if she chooses not to kill her. After a brief tense pause, Georgiou backs down.

Michael then gives the all clear, and Tyler brings in L’Rell. Stressed by the situation, L’Rell demands to know where they have brought her. Michael explains unless she chooses to help, this will be the place that destroyed her home. With the memory of Voq, Tyler stresses to L’Rell that Voq wanted more for her, and this would be the start to help her people. Knowing the doom to come, she agrees and deactivates the hydro bomb with Georgiou’s help.

As Georgiou leaves, Michael jokingly says, “be good”… To which Georgiou replies snarkily, “or what? You’ll chase me?” Then the infamous Emperor leaves to start her own adventure.

Finally, we reopen to a location on Qo’nos and a Klingon is seen passed out in a chair. We then cut to a conversation with Tyler and Michael who both seem relieved after what just transpired. Tyler says L’Rell is being transferred to a Mo’Kai ship. Tyler also surprises Michael with the information that he will be going with her. He says that he is no good for one side or the other– Klingon or Starfleet– but maybe he can be good for both. He then conveys how he is not good at saying goodbye, but that her love saved his life. She then responds by saying, when she looks in his eyes now, she sees only him–not Voq. They share an embrace and then they kiss each other. Tyler with watery eyes says, “thank you.” Then walks away.

When she looks down at her hand, she’s holding the rope made with the knot he learned as a child. Ash Tyler is a smooth operator folks!

The next sequence has L’Rell back with her people trying to reunify the Klingon empire. She stresses that her people lost their way, and they need to back down from the war with the Federation. She announces the empire needs a new leader, and that the leader is her. As she says this, all of the soldiers around her scoff and laugh. She then holds up the detonator to the hydro bomb, and says if she does not assume power, she will destroy Qo’nos. The crowd goes silent, and she says, the reunification begins now.

The next shot shows Klingon ships leave their stationed posts in front of Earth, which implies L’Rell’s command worked. Michael’s voiceover breaks in once again, and she tells the viewer that the war is over.

Final Thoughts:

I dig the juxtaposition between the season finale and episode 1. In the first episde she chose survival over principles, but now she chose principles over survival.
I’m a little disappointed by the lack of action in this episode after such a chaotic season.
I wonder who will play Captain Pike?
As always, I miss Jason Isaacs now and forever.

Stay tuned next year for Season 2 of Star Trek: Discovery on CBS!

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Star Trek: Discovery

‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Season Finale: Wrapping Up

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star trek discovery season 1 episode 15 recap

By Sopan Deb

Feb. 11, 2018

The plot didn’t make sense. The characters contradicted themselves again. And the pacing was all over the place.

But man, the “Discovery” season finale — “Will You Take My Hand?” — was satisfying. It was one of the rare episodes of the show in which great care is given to individual characters and their story lines. We see Mary Chieffo’s L’Rell given some meaty material as she tries to unite the Klingon houses under her leadership. Tyler and Burnham have a torturous goodbye. We even see Tilly retaining some of the confidence she attained from her Mirror Universe stint as a diabolical leader.

There was also, thanks to Akiva Goldsman, who directed the episode, a very impressive exploration of a new world we haven’t seen yet: the Orion-dominated area on Kronos. “Discovery,” as a show, hasn’t cared as much about exploration as most Trek voyages. Given its superb visuals, watching the buddy cop group of Tyler, Evil Georgiou, Tilly and Tyler navigate unfamiliar territory was a ride worth being on.

But more than anything, the last minute of the episode was the best moment in all of “Discovery,” and totally welcome fan service. We get our first peek of the Enterprise that we have known and loved for decades (Captain Pike was in charge, but still). Hats off to Goldsman for putting together, essentially, a perfect scene. We think the episode is over — and that the Discovery is riding off into the sunset. But then a traditional Trek trope: a distress call, followed by a screen saying, “NCC-17,” which is the moment we realize what is coming. And then there is the Enterprise — a remastered 2018 version that looks absolutely stunning.

The episode was still problematic — mostly because the “Discovery” writers had to conclude story lines that were already sticky to begin with. The entire Klingon-Federation war comes to an end because L’Rell is given control of a bomb planted in the heart of Kronos by Evil Georgiou. She uses that control to unify the Klingon houses and end hostilities. But why? All L’Rell has wanted was to eliminate the Federation at all costs. Why would she be willing to end the war because she is given control of her entire race? And why would other Klingons unite around her, especially when she calls for ending the war that they had been winning (and presumably still are winning)?

The season also ends with many unanswered questions, including an overarching one that never quite got an answer: At some point, we know something significant happens with Sarek and Burnham’s relationship. This is why for decades, through multiple Trek franchises, we have never heard Sarek, Spock’s father, mention Burnham. We don’t get the answer. We also don’t get an explanation for why Sarek’s exchange with Burnham in last week’s episode felt more like a goodbye.

What worked

1. Clint Howard

A guest appearance by the always funny Clint Howard as a devious Orion man added levity to a show mostly devoid of it. Howard has appeared in Trek before , as Uproxx’s Alan Sepinwall reminded me. But it was great to see a recognizable, green face.

What didn’t work

1. Stand up for what?

The moment all of the Discovery crew started literally standing up on the bridge against Admiral Cornwell’s greenlighting of genocide was so unnecessarily cheesy. Why did the crew start standing? There was no reason for it! Also, Cornwell was there via hologram. She wasn’t even in the room! O.K., I’m being nitpicky.

This isn’t though: How did the crew, outside of the ones who knew, not realize Evil Georgiou was posing as the Georgiou they all loved? Evil Georgiou was being rude, abrasive and impulsive to the crew — similar to how someone from the Terran Empire would act. And no one noticed or said anything.

Also, Cornwell greenlighting a genocide, given her speeches decrying Lorca’s irrationality throughout the season, didn’t wash with me.

2. Why not go to Tyler first?

We observe a scene in which Evil Georgiou spends a few minutes pummeling L’Rell to get information out of her. This fails and then Burnham has an idea: Why not ask the Federation-officer-turned-Klingon-spy-turned-Federation-officer? And that’s how they find what they need.

Why didn’t they think of that first? Or do both?

3. Happy ending

As the war is wrapped up, we seem to have totally forgotten that a key member of the crew, Dr. Culber, was shockingly murdered and that the crew’s captain, Lorca, was an impostor this whole time. Not even a remembrance! Out of sight, out of mind.

Odds and ends

Some thoughts as we come to the end of the “Discovery” maiden voyage:

1. As critical as I’ve been of the plot (which had canyon-sized holes) and the lack of consistent character development, it’s important to remember that pretty much every Trek series struggled to find its footing early on. If weekly recaps existed when “The Next Generation” was on, they would have been brutal. Remember how the Ferengi were introduced in “ The Battle ”?

We don’t know what “Discovery” will look like once it has reached its cruising altitude. But it has promise. The cast is there and the visuals are top-notch. “Enterprise” never found its footing. “Deep Space Nine” did. If I had to make a prediction, I’d put “Discovery” somewhere between those two.

2. I hope next season we get to learn more about the Discovery crew members, assuming that’s where most of the action takes place. We didn’t get to know Tilly, Saru and the others well. “Trek” has typically been about the ensemble more than one individual character. “Discovery” has so far mostly orbited around Burnham — It is her love life we see develop. It is a war she instigated that we see. It is her mutiny that weighs on the crew. I’m looking forward to seeing plots that aren’t Burnham-centric.

3. It’s worth repeating: The team behind “Discovery” deserves a lot of credit for taking ambitious risks with this iteration of Trek. It is the darkest, most cynical expression of Gene Roddenberry’s vision, and it has its own unique identity. The writers went out of their way to make this show different and not lean on traditional Trek tropes. More often than not, it didn’t work. But the effort was there, which is what makes me hopeful for next season.

The “Star Trek: Discovery” season finale concluded a number of problematic story lines and brought back a very satisfying (and familiar) visual.

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Published Feb 10, 2018

Discovery Episode #15 Primer

And in a blink of an eye, season one of Star Trek: Discovery will conclude this weekend with episode #15, “Will You Take My Hand?” To help get you ready for all the action in the season finale, StarTrek.com is here with a preview of the new episode and a look back at least week’s installment, " The War Without, The War Within .”

Just when everyone aboard Discovery thinks they’ve escaped the Mirror Universe, it comes to them… literally. “Captain…” Saru intones, shocked, as he eyes Georgiou. She’s angry at the sight of him. “Emperor,” she hisses. Emperor Georgiou glares at Burnham. “Yesterday,” she notes, “we dined on the entrails of his brethren. And today you seek his favor?” This isn’t going to go well, is it?

Burnham refuses to see Tyler. She’s too hurt, too angry. “I’m sorry,” she tells Saru. “I can’t.” Saru doesn’t force the issue. So, is Tyler human or Klingon now? Replies Dr. Pollard: “Neither. Both. We can’t be sure.” Even Tyler isn’t sure, as he can still access Voq’s memories. Complicating matters, Voq and L’Rell were in love, much like Tyler and Burnham.

Hostile forces board Discovery , first Admiral Shukar and Gorch, and then… Admiral Cornwell and Sarek. They are doing, as the Vulcan ambassador explains, “What the times require.” Cornwell learns that her Lorca is dead, that the Terran version deceived everyone. She states that the cloak-breaking algorithm they’ve returned with has been disseminated to the front lines, but fears it’s too late, as the war waged on for nine months without it – and the fleet has been decimated. Cornwell stuns the crew by ordering Discovery to jump to Starbase One, with all evidence of their recent journey classified and destroyed. “We cannot risk the knowledge of this alternate universe leaving the confines of Discovery ,” Cornwell declares.” Sarek offers the logical reason: “It would be too many possibilities.”

“Admiral,” Burnham says to Cornwell. “There is one more thing you need to know.” May we present… Emperor Georgiou. She demands only one thing: “Send me home.”

Tyler comes face to face with Stamets, and apologies to the lieutenant for killing Dr. Culber. Stamets asks Tyler if his actions “gut” and “sicken” him. Tyler nods. “Good,” Stamets says. “Maybe you’re still human after all.” A few moments later, in the mess hall, Tyler sits alone. Ever-empathetic, Tilly joins him, followed by Detmer and others.

The crew comes across a starbase once inhabited by 80,000 souls. There are now 274 life signs aboard it… Klingon life signs. And Discovery is being scanned. Cornwell is too shaken to react, so Saru, whose threat ganglia popped moments earlier, steps up and orders the ship to retreat.

Cornwell confronts L’Rell. They debate the Federation’s purpose. Cornwell cuts to the chase: “How does this war end?” The Klingon cuts… to the bone: “It doesn’t. Klingons have tasted your blood. Conquer us, or we will never relent.”

Burnham and Emperor Georgiou talk. The Emperor realizes that both Burnhams were orphaned, which Burnham deems “another echo of fate between our worlds.” Burnham pronounces the time for peace is past. “I need you to tell me,” she says, insistently, “How did you defeat the Klingon Empire? I started this war, and I need to finish it.”

In Discovery ’s war room, Cornwell and Sarek discuss options with Federation top guns weighing in via hologram. Cornwell argues for a single offensive so destructive it will force the enemy to retreat from Federation space and head for home.” Sarek concurs, stressing that each path of logic leads to the same conclusion: “Starfleet tactics have failed us. We must adapt if we are to have any hope of survival.”

Their plan: infiltrate Qo’noS from within it caves. What they’ll need to pull it off? Spores to make the necessary jump. “Set a course for the Veda system,” Stamets implores, sounding confident. “And get ready for the show.”

Emperor Georgiou and Sarek get in each other’s face, initially debating their relationships with Burnham. They then get down to business. The Emperor only gave Burnham as much information as she could handle and will reveal the true secret to besting the Klingons. Her terms? “Freedom.” Sarek, talking later to Burnham, tells her there’s no shame in having fallen in love with Tyler/Voq, “for what greater source of peace exists than our ability to love our enemy?”

Tilly and Burnham engage in a heart-to-heart about love, death and… Tyler. Burnham still can’t bring herself to see him. “What we do now, the way that we treat him, that is who he will become,” Tilly pleads. “I know that you still care for him.” Burnham does, but she’s not sure she should. “Say what you have to say,” Tilly advises, “Even if it’s goodbye.”

On the bridge, everyone watches as the effort to create new spores commences. It’s a colorful affair, and a success. A spore harvest is underway. “I’d congratulate you, lieutenant,” Cornwell says, turning to Stamets, “but I’m afraid the work has just begun.”

Finally, Burnham talks to Tyler. They love each other, but Tyler senses that Burnham seeks to end their relationship. No matter how hard she tries, she admits, when she looks at Tyler she sees Voq’s eyes. “I see him!” Burnham declares. Tyler maintains that the reason L’Rell’s surgery didn’t take was his love for Burnham. Burnham rejects it all. “Ash,” she says, “It’s not easy… letting you go.”

It’s time. Cornwell addresses the entire crew and stands before them with a mission: “At 2100 hours, the U.S.S. Discovery will jump for the Klingon homeworld in order to map its surface and isolate vulnerabilities. This brave team will be the first to visit this inhospitable planet since Captain Archer and the crew of the Enterprise NX-01 nearly 100 years ago. Allow me to introduce you to the person who will chart your course to Qo’noS… Captain Philippa Georgiou.”

Next on Discovery...

In "Will You Take My Hand?", with Georgiou at the helm of the plan to end the Klingon war once and for all, the U.S.S. Discovery crew struggles to fathom and tolerate her hostile tactics. Memories of past hardships are rekindled within Burnham.

Worth Noting

Watching the finale teaser, it sounds as if the methodology Cornwell plans to implement in her effort to defeat the Klingons doesn’t sit well with Burnham. “The Klingon are on the verge of wiping out the Federation,” Cornwell asserts. “We do not have the luxury of principles.” Burnham argues otherwise, saying, “That is all we have!”

When Star Trek: Discovery ends, After Trek begins. Stream it Sundays at 9:30pm ET/6:30pm PT. Joining host Matt Mira will be:

Get Updates By Email

Star Trek: Discovery Seasons 1-4 are streaming exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S., the UK, Canada, Switzerland, South Korea, Latin America, Germany, France, Italy, Australia and Austria. Seasons 2 and 3 also are available on the Pluto TV “Star Trek” channel in Switzerland, Germany and Austria. The series streams on Super Drama in Japan, TVNZ in New Zealand, and SkyShowtime in Spain, Portugal, Poland, The Nordics, The Netherlands, and Central and Eastern Europe and also airs on Cosmote TV in Greece. The series is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.

Graphic illustration of Guardian Xi performing the zhian'tara Trill ritual on Kalzara Bix and Hugh Culber in 'Jinaal'

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Star Trek: Discovery – Season 1, Episode 15

Will you take my hand, where to watch, star trek: discovery — season 1, episode 15.

Watch Star Trek: Discovery — Season 1, Episode 15 with a subscription on Paramount+, or buy it on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV.

What to Know

Despite a plot hole or two, "Will You Take My Hand?" sends off the first Discovery season with a satisfying, contemplative finale.

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Cast & crew.

Sonequa Martin-Green

Michael Burnham

Jason Isaacs

Captain Gabriel Lorca

Shazad Latif

Lieutenant Ash Tyler

Anthony Rapp

Paul Stamets

Michelle Yeoh

Captain Philippa Georgiou

Critics Reviews

Episode info.

Star Trek Discovery season 1 ending explained - recap what happened before the season 2 premiere

With season 2 very nearly here, we look back on the big questions we had after watching the Star Trek Discovery season 1 ending

With Star Trek Discovery season 2 very nearly here (it premieres in the US on CBS All Access today, before hitting Netflix in the UK tomorrow), it's time to look back at the incredible Star Trek Discovery season 1 ending and recap where we left things before the series returns.

It's been a while since Star Trek Discovery season 1 aired and you'd be forgiven for not quite remember exactly everything that happened over its 15 episode run (there was A LOT). But never fear, because our Star Trek Discovery season 1 ending explainer will cover all the big events from the finale, as well as the season as a whole, including the big questions we had right after watching the Star Trek Discovery season 1 ending.

Some of them, like what Emperor Georgiou is up to, we already know the answer to now thanks to some season 2 news, while others, like whether Lorca will be back, remain mysteriously unknown. In either case, the below Star Trek Discovery season 1 ending breakdown (and the above discussion video) will get you ready for the return of the USS Discovery as it warps back onto our screens this week. And if you want to know how to watch Star Trek Discovery online wherever you are in the world, we've got you covered there too.

Note: The below feature was originally published on February 12, 2018.

1. Wait… why is the Federation/Klingon war over now?

An image from the Star Trek Discovery season 1 ending

This makes very little sense in the show, but apparently the war is now over between the Klingons and the Federation. Let me try and explain why, although I’m not super-convinced myself. Firstly, I think the problem lies with the term ‘war’. It’s probably more accurate to say that the Federation was subject to repeated acts of terrorism by different Klingon Houses. Because the Klingons were never united as a race against the Federation, it doesn’t seem accurate to refer to this as ‘war’. This seems trivial, but it may explain how L’Rell’s unification of the Klingons somehow ends the conflict with the Federation.

Each act of aggression against their enemies was an attempt by the Klingon Houses to show strength, as each one tries to ‘look tougher and more dominant’ than the others. There was never a concerted campaign of war against the Federation. Logically speaking, the unification of the Klingons under L’Rell, T’Kuvma, and a massive bomb buried somewhere on Qo’nos, should put an end to the military action because there is no longer any need for the individual Klingon Houses to show strength. Everyone got their cocks out, and it turns out none were as massive as L’Rell’s (figuratively speaking). But surely the Klingons would just unite and THEN crush the Federation, which is pretty broken at this point? Well, yeah, that’s what I thought too.

Perhaps L’Rell is somehow beholden to Admiral Cornwell, and is discouraging the Houses from properly going to war. Or maybe they will go to proper war in season 2, but the Federation will have more chance of winning because they now have the ability to decloak Klingon vessels AND they can roll out the DASH drive to all their ships. If it goes down that route… surely this is set in an alternative universe, because it seems very unlikely Discovery would be able to hit the reset button to get things in-line with the original series.

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2. Who is going to be the next Captain of Discovery?

That’s the big question, isn’t it? There are a few possibilities here. The first is that we’ll get a completely new Captain, who is just waiting for the crew to arrive on Vulcan. This person could be… anyone. Literally anyone. Place your bets now. The second possibility is that Discovery will get constantly side-tracked on its way to Vulcan, giving either Burnham or Saru time to step-up and claim permanent captaincy of the ship. It’s a neat idea, but seems unlikely, as the show has felt rudderless ever since Lorca died.

Speaking of which… fans loved Lorca. And with all the dimension-hopping, time-travelling, reality bending possibilities of the show, it’s possible that the showrunners will simply invent an excuse to get Lorca back. Only it could be the real Lorca, who we assume died on board the USS Buran. That’d be a serious treat. The final, outside possibility, is that we’re in an alternative timeline to the Original Series, and someone like Pike will assume command of Discovery. Vastly unlikely, but Discovery does like to overtly display its references to other Star Trek shows, often with a staggering lack of subtlety.

3. What’s up with the Enterprise?

The USS Enterprise is in distress, as we learn during the Star Trek Discovery season 1 ending. When is the Enterprise NOT in some kind of distress, eh? EH? Anyway, it looks to be in pretty good shape, so the big question is: why send the distress call at all? Maybe the ship’s warp drive really couldn’t take any more before Scotty was around to fix it. Maybe they heard a young, alien-loving Kirk was coming aboard and the medical staff was worried they didn't have enough anti-STD meds.

Jokes aside, it seems to be an internal problem rather than an external one, so we should expect to see Burnham and a few others beaming aboard the famed starship for a quick poke around. My best guess is that it’ll form the first (two-parter) episode of season 2, before the Discovery zooms off to Vulcan to receive its proper new Captain. Of course, it's possible the Enterprise is on the run, and we haven't see what it's fleeing from/to yet. Either way, it should form a significant part of the first few hours of season 2.

4. Will Discovery be using DASH drive tech in season 2?

All we really know about the spore drive on Discovery (aside from the fact it works like a dream now, and the crew has plenty of spores to fuel it) is that Starfleet is looking into a mechanised navigation system. In other words, they don’t seem keen to let Stamets continue to plug himself in. Fair enough, but it’s vastly unlikely that we’ve seen the last of it, and I predict it’ll take roughly, oooh, five minutes until the crew are forced to bust out the DASH drive in season 2.

The problem here is that the more it’s used, the harder it’ll be to explain why the technology isn’t used - or even referenced - in any of the following Star Trek shows. It would simply be easier for the showrunners to say that Discovery is set in an alternate universe, which very much takes the fun out of all the Easter eggs crammed into the show.

5. Where has Emperor Georgiou gone now?

In one of the most laughable moments of the season finale, Burnham tells Emperor Georgiou that she’s free to leave, and tells her ‘not to cause any trouble, or she’ll be in bother’. With the weakest threat known to man ringing in her ears, the most dangerous figure in the most dangerous dimension of the Star Trek universe simply walks off, free as a bird. Ignoring the fact that both the Federation and Burnham have acted with the kind of naivety you’d question in a newborn puppy, the question is: what is Georgiou up to next?

The answer, which is obvious to everyone except Burnham, it seems, is this: no good. Villainy. Being a space-bastard. Georgiou wants power, and she’s going to do literally anything to get it. It’s inevitable that she’ll turn up as an antagonist in season 2 now, and we can already see Burnham wringing her hands with indecision as she’s forced to face-off with her not-really-mentor once again.

6. What role does Ash Tyler/Voq have now?

Again, we’ve not seen the last of Ash Tyler. He’s uniquely positioned to fill some kind of Klingon/Starfleet ambassador role, given that he’s kinda both races all at once. To give Discovery the benefit of the doubt, it could be that his presence is the reason why the Klingons haven’t relaunched full-scale war against the Federation, but that’s never explicitly mentioned in the show.

I’m surprised he was allowed to leave at all, given how valuable an asset he has proven to be. Someone with insider knowledge of the Klingons is surely super useful to the Federation, and someone with intimate experience of the most advanced ship in Starfleet is also a bit of a boon for the Klingons. The more I think about it, the more Tyler’s freedom to leave makes absolutely zero sense. Oh well, he’ll probably be back for season 2, in an attempt to further torture Burnham and add some emotional frisson to the show.

7. How long will it take to rebuild the Federation?

Let’s face it, the Federation is knackered. Most of the Starbases are gone, the fleet has been largely destroyed, and many of the leaders were lost when the Klingons overran Starbase 1. It all seems very desperate, and there isn’t a whole lot of time in between Discovery and the Original Series to go from ‘totally ruined Federation’ to ‘really quite healthy Federation’.

The DASH drive might help, and could be a key factor in rebuilding quicker. Discovery does have a tendency to rush its plots too, so perhaps the speed of the Federation’s recovery will simply never be explained. Or, maybe, we’re looking at the alternate timeline again. Seems to be a lot of questions about that after the Star Trek Discovery season 1 ending.

8. What happened to the Terran ISS Discovery, then?

Remember how the Terran version of Discovery essentially swapped places with the regular version when it jumped to the Mirror Universe? Er, what happened to it? We hear from Admiral Cornwell that she saw it destroyed with her own eyes, but there's no other information on what it did, where it went, or how it messed up the Federation timeline. And did anyone escape? Is Captain 'Killy' still at large, ready for an Emperor Georgiou/Killy team-up in season 2? This whole mirror Discovery plot feels like a wasted opportunity if it truly is finished.

For more juicy Trek goodness, check out every Star Trek Discovery Easter egg hidden in season 1.

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April 11, 2024 | Recap/Review: ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Tries Too Many Connections In “Jinaal”

Recap/Review: ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Tries Too Many Connections In “Jinaal”

| April 11, 2024 | By: Anthony Pascale 57 comments so far

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, Episode 3 – Debuted Thursday, April 11, 2024 Written by Kyle Jarrow & Lauren Wilkinson Directed by Andi Armaganian

Strong performances and fun moments of lightness and lore make up for a mixed bag of stories jumbled into a single episode.

Yes, you can come on the mission… to the friend zone.

WARNING: Spoilers below!

“Connection isn’t a skill, it’s a choice.”

As Discovery preps to head to Trill for the next quest clue, the crew settles into their season positions. Culber and Book brief the captain on the adversaries, with new details on Moll thanks to Book recognizing a personal connection in the previous episode. Michael’s felonious ex is trying hard to get his life back, so he really wants in on the Trill landing party even though he isn’t Starfleet—as if that has ever stopped them before. Adira and Tilly have identified a Trill spots pattern on the map puzzle piece found last week, leading them to a 24 th- century Trill named Jinaal (episode title alert), and maybe his Bix symbiont is still around. Former Captain—now Commander—Rayner comes aboard, and Burnham orders her new first officer to get to know the crew whether he likes it or not. As for Stamets, he continues to be a bit lost, so he’s focused on trying to unlock the secrets in Dr. Vellek’s old tricorder, ignoring Adira’s clear discombobulation over seeing Gray again. It takes Reno going full “woo-woo a-hole” to snap spacedad out of it. So things are more or less running smoothly until they arrive on Trill, when Guardian Xi goes full Monty Python bridge-keeper . Thankfully, Michael answers the riddle quickly (it’s Betazed!) and she pops down to the Caves of Mak’ala with Adira, Culber, and (of course) Book… where they meet what may be the oldest Trill ever.

Kalzara Bix tells the gang she has been waiting nearly her whole life for a “worthy seeker.” For more questions, they can ask Jinaal directly via that Trill ritual we all remember from DS9. Culber steps up as a temporary vessel since “Emotionally overwhelming is what I do best.” Et voilà, Hugh is a whole new man, who immediately comments about how he really works out (someone has been tracking his Gram ). This very jaunty Culber-Jinaal says the next clue is nearby, and today is a great day for a walk, so he takes Burnham and Book with him. Upon their arrival at the canyon, Jinaalber opens up with some exposition about himself, Dr. Vellek, and four other scientists who found the Progenitor tech but decided it was way too dangerous to hand over to the Federation in the middle of the Dominion War. So they created a fun quest, planting a “path” of clues to be followed. He’s skeptical the 32 nd century is ready for the awesome power (despite Starfleet’s snazzy new uniforms), but Michael makes the case that the good outweighs the bad. BTW, they are being hunted by giant “Intronok” predators, so the quasi Trill recommends phasers ready. Once they arrive at the clue’s location, a plasma-spewing monster gets in their way… and Hughbix peaces out. Dude!

You two go ahead… I’ll just strategically hide behind you.

“We literally used to be connected.”

Back at Starfleet HQ the newly minted Ambassador Saru is settling into his new office with a little help from his Vulcan fiancé. They plan their wedding announcement before heading into a resource meeting, where he successfully argues for more allocations to the small worlds he represents, forging a compromise with others who are worried about the Breen (hmm). T’Rina’s aide Duvin takes Saru aside to say he is concerned about how the wedding announcement will impact delicate Ni’Var politics, but when the Kelpien brings this up with his beloved, she doesn’t take it well. “What would have given you the impression that I am in need of a caretaker?” she asks. Ouch. Navigating Federation diplomacy (and a starship) was a lot easier than understanding a Vulcan heart.

On the Disco, Saru’s replacement isn’t having it any easier. For some reason, temporary science consultant Tilly is organizing Rayner’s one-on-ones. He really doesn’t want to do them, but agrees for the sake of “crew cohesion” and gives everyone “20 words” to reveal something interesting about themselves. Cue the montage as we learn fun new tidbits for the folks at Memory Alpha to add to the pages for Rhys, Christopher, Linus, Pollard, et al. When Stamets shows up and actually shows some enthusiasm for the first time this season (he was able to crack Vellek’s PADD), Rayner practically ignores him and Tilly has finally had enough. She lets the new XO know he is being a giant… well she ran out of her 20 words so we will have to fill in the blank.

One person who misses out on this (not) quality time with Rayner is Adira. They are busy reconnecting with Gray on Trill, who is loving life as a trainee Guardian. Now that each of them has their own body, they realize they both have been growing apart and following separate paths. So season 5 gets its second breakup following Mike and Book… could T’Rina and Saru be next? Noooooo.

What do you mean, no diving?

“Analyzing is not the same as connecting.”

Back to the important stuff, Book tries his glowing forehead empathy connection but all he gets from the monster is that it’s “really pissed off.” Duh. In a replay of the action from last week, Book does some distracting under fire while Michael heads to the rock with the clue symbol on it to get the big prize. Things do not go as planned, and he gets hit. They are pinned down as a second monster shows up. But the creatures aren’t looking at the Starfleet duo as food, just protecting their nest of monster eggs. Aww. Time for Plan B. Michael again remembers her xenoanthropology and holsters her phaser, showing respect to the now calming Intronoks. Book does the same and communicates they just want to leave as they slowly back off… and soon enough they find Dr. Hugh Jinaal casually lounging on a rock, quipping, “I see you survived.” Michael sorts it out: He drew them to that nest after suggesting they arm phasers. By connecting instead of shooting, they passed another test. He was willing to let them die just to see if there was “goodness” in them, but they survived, so they win the prize: the clue and the second map piece, hidden under a totally different rock. Sneaky Trill.

After Culber gets swapped back he heads back to the ship to decompress from a big day of being possessed. Michael catches up to him in the lounge, where they contemplate the spiritual implications of the journey they are on, seeking the technology of the gods. Tilly is also there, and Rayner arrives to let her know he gets it—there is some value in showing respect to the people under his command. Oh and back at HQ, Saru apologizes to T’Rina for Kelpiensplaining Vulcan politics, and she’s totally cool about it, so they’re fine. Things wrap up in the Trill caves with Bix returning to the symbiont pool and Adira and Gray saying goodbye as well. But wait, what’s that? It’s Moll! Disguised as a Trill, she surreptitiously puts something onto Adira’s sleeve before the ensign beams back to the Disco. Dun dun duuun !

What about a four-shift rotation?

After two strong episodes, things are more mixed for episode 3. The blend of plot, character, and action was not as finely balanced, mostly due to carrying the load of four separate storylines. This kind of multi-POV storytelling has always been a challenge for Discovery , but there were some big highlights that kept the episode a winner overall. The MVP is Wilson Cruz, who finally got the opportunity to step out of his Hugh Culber and play a different character, a time-honored Trek tradition. His Jinaal was believably a unique individual, down to his speech pattern and gait, with a clear motivation. This storyline tied into all of the others with the not-very-subtle theme of connection; however, there was a more nuanced exploration for Culber and Burnham about the season’s bigger questions about science and faith that was more interesting. And the riddle for passage bit was a nice classic quest beat, evoking ancient adventures. The action sequences felt a bit repetitive after last week, but they made up for it with some fun as Sonequa Martin-Green and David Ajala again demonstrated their playful chemistry.

The Rayner storyline was also a high point. He continues to be a great addition to the show, bringing all sorts of Jellico, Lorca, and even some Shaw vibes, but still being his own man (sorry, Kellerun ). Callum Keith Rennie and Mary Wiseman showed they have their own delightful dynamic. It may not have made sense for Tilly to act as HR for the ship (especially as she’s only on loan as a science advisor from the Academy), but all of these scenes were still refreshing as we got to add little bits of dimension to members of the crew from Linus’ pride over three clutches of eggs to Rhys lusting over the fine curves of old Constitution classes… and the gruff-off between Rayner and Reno was all too brief. But there was a point to all of this, showing welcome growth for both Rayner and Tilly and the rest of the gang too, although it is not clear why the new characters of Gallo and Asha had to sub in for Owo and Detmer.

Contemplating the meaning of life?… Or if he can skip leg day?

Things started going off the rails with the Saru and T’Rina storyline, which started to feel like an unnecessary distraction. Giving him this new post as ambassador is a good way to shake things up as well as to do some world-building for the show, something that may prove useful for the upcoming Academy series as well. But instead of Federation West Wing, things got more alien I Love Lucy with Ambassador Saru having some ‘splaining to do. Doug Jones and Tara Rosling did their best with the material but the rigmarole about their marriage announcement was low stakes at best, even if this bit about Vulcan purists is setting something up for later. As for the Gray and Adira storyline, it felt like this was mostly just going through the motions, but at least it established that Adira is now fully independent, confirming their new agency. Blu del Barrio’s performance was grounded, making all of this more relatable. But trying to balance these two extra storylines definitely did not help the episode when it came to pacing.

Even with all these character stories, there was some season plot development. We learned key bits about Moll, while L’ak remains a mystery, but that’s okay for now. The origins of the quest are also coming into focus with the story of the six scientists and a reasonable explanation for why they can’t just jump to the end. It feels like we will learn more about the other four scientists as we pick up more pieces of the map. And there was also a bit more worldbuilding as another hint of a coming Breen threat was mentioned. And dare we hope the mention of the Tzenkethi means we will finally see them in canon? Fans were rewarded with plenty of nods to lore, with the main plot structured around the Zhian’tara ritual from DS9’s “Facets,” and the addition of new Trill canon. Nods to Tongo and Bynars along with deeper cuts to Selay , Vavinit plants , cabrodine , Slug-o-Cola , bore worms , and more should have resulted in plenty of Rick Dalton meme moments , especially for Deep Space Nine fans. While it all seems like a lot, these were mostly Easter eggs to reward fans without turning into the dreaded “fan service.”

Now on the runway, Ambassador Saru sporting the new Diplomacy in Blue line.

Final thoughts

Even with all the juggling, episode 3 still was self-contained while carrying on the serialized story. While not as strong as the first two episodes, season 5 still remains entirely entertaining. The show has nicely pivoted with clearer themes, a fun tone, and better connections to lore while still servicing the characters and their emotional stories.

You can really taste the algae.

A USS Locherer could be seen at Starfleet HQ, named in honor of camera operator J.P Locherer , who passed away in 2022.
The previously unnamed bar lounge is called “Red’s,” possibly named for the Ferengi bartender, who got their first line in this episode.
The Osnullus bridge officer’s name is Lt. Arev.
Lt. Christopher confirmed that Lt. Commander Nilsson has been reassigned to the USS Voyager-J .
Christopher also reassured Rayner his pet tribble (a gift from Nilsson) was neutered.
The Trill canyon was shot at Lafarge Quarry , which Discovery (and Strange New Worlds ) have used before on a few occasions.
Trill spots are as unique as human fingerprints, as are Saurian dorsal ridges.
In addition to the Selay, the ambassador meeting also included a Facian .

The Selay ambassador is upset this committee doesn’t warrant those cool floating chairs.

More to come

Every Friday, the TrekMovie.com All Access Star Trek Podcast covers the latest news in the Star Trek Universe and discusses the latest episode. The podcast is available on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , Pocket Casts , Stitcher and is part of the TrekMovie Podcast Network.

The fifth and final season of Discovery debuted with two episodes on Thursday, April 4 exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S., the UK, Switzerland, South Korea, Latin America, Germany, France, Italy, Australia, and Austria. Discovery will also premiere on April 4 on Paramount+ in Canada and will be broadcast on Bell Media’s CTV Sci-Fi Channel in Canada. The rest of the 10-episode final season will be available to stream weekly on Thursdays. Season 5 debuts on SkyShowtime in select European countries on April 5.

Keep up with news about the Star Trek Universe at TrekMovie.com .

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I really enjoyed this episode it had alot of character moments/growth and it was great to see the Trill again espicially gray as i miss his charcter.

Wilson Cruz was on fire this episode as he really pulled off the charcter of Jinaal.

Raynar is still a bit of a jerk but hopefully what Tilly said to him get through to him.

Looking forward to the next episode and i hope we get to see the Tzenkethi.

“ it was great to see the Trill again espicially gray as i miss his charcter. ”

Wow, you don’t read that very often .

This made me smile some. Thanks.

I enjoyed this one, but anyone else thinking animals that can cloak themselves are becoming a bit too common?

I think in this era, current showrunners meet and share an idea and are tempted to grab it for another show. Synths, Picard and Discovery. Copy and Paste Starships, Picard and Prodigy. From previous shows is more natural, but for current productions is amusing.

It was more of a “cut and paste” Trek story idea. They watched the Devil In The Dark..Oh yeah! they’re protecting the eggs! That’ll satisfy the dumb Trekkies.

And even there the Horta was not just some animal. Spock even commented that it was not behaving like one at all.

The thing is, these are animals. In fact, they came across as borderline insects. They should not be reacting like a sentient being would. They would only be operating on instinct. There is no reason whatsoever they would let Book and Burnham go. They simply wouldn’t comprehend anything beyond ‘these creatures are near our eggs’.

Now if they were a sentient being who share the planet with the Trill, that would be another matter. But that’s not how they were presented to us.

See, using Dax here would have been perfect. Imagine it; Jadzia Dax finding the Progenitor tech with Vellek.

I feel this season they want to avoid all kind of risks. I would also would love to see Dax. But for sure, critics will complain about it.

Hitchcock said, “What is drama but life with the dull bits cut out” – I think this was a wasted opportunity to not reintroduce the Dax symbiont and give Discovery an intimate connection to the greater Star Trek universe. For those who say it’d just be fan service: how does the ISS Enterprise get a pass , but a Dax at the Trill pools is jumping the shark? Just saying, it wouldn’t have been dull. And yes, if a quahog can live for hundreds of years in the ocean, I think Dax can survive 1,000 years in Hugh Hefner’s former grotto.

An unnamed Romulan played by an unknown extra being given more importance than Jadzia Dax is weird…

I don’t think that’s weird. It speaks to a greater universe than just the named characters in the opening credits of those shows we know. Those on the periphery, they’re people too.

After the way Jadzia was unceremoniously killed off, though, she deserved better. This was a chance to increase her importance.

Add to that that by having her in Discovery in one form or another it would have really tied up several Trek series since she was also present during TOS twice; once as the host of the Dax symbiont at the time and again during Trials and Tribble-lations.

With the potential era of the initial investigation being the Dominion War it would’ve been awesome for Dax to be revealed as one of the scientists. It’s give her a stronger legacy than being killed by possessed Dukat.

Exactly. Having her literally take the secret to the grave would have been perfect.

I’d love to see Dax too, but I think it would have just been to unbelievable for Jadzia to have taken a sabbatical from DS9 during the Dominion War (and right after her wedding) to go on a secret mission with a bunch of scientists to set up an elaborate quest.

What about after the Dominion took over DS9? That is a large-enough window of time for her to have been off on such a mission.

I can’t see her leaving the Defiant at such a critical time.

Or Starfleet letting one of its officers most experienced with the Dominion/Jem’Hadar go off on sabbatical in wartime. But then again, Sisko did exactly that a year later.

The timetable would have been hard to work, as Jadzia was seen throughout the Dominion War on DS9 and wasn’t off on some quest for weeks/months.

Great episode. I really enjoy the new tone/vibe/pace of the show. The script as well. Big improvement from previous seasons.

We used to watch these relationship dynamics in almost every episode of Star Trek, but what I watched in this episode, reminds me STNG and DS9, with Discovery fast pace.

Really like these relationship/character growth balance between scenes. Great lines for Tilly, the writers nailed it giving all characters exactly what they needed.

Three great episodes. Can’t wait for episode 4.

Totally missed to add…great GREAT ending. They are wrapping up each episode nicely!

Didn’t we see Lt. Commander Nilson in a Twitter post?

After the exciting first 2 episodes, this one was a letdown.

I have to agree that this episode turned out to be a “mixed bag of stories jumbled into a single episode”.

Also, I’m still not liking the very unprofessional vibe of Discovery’s crew. That ship literally has no command structure as evidenced by Tilly’s example. It really destroys any feeling that they are even a Starfleet crew. But this is Discovery so whatever, I guess.

I hope the next episode is more coherent.

but they connect and feel and live their own truth so – like, that’s just your opinion man….

I can only speak from my experience, but when I was an Air Force officer, our unit’s general vibe was pretty similar to what we see on Discovery . I wouldn’t go so far as to say we had “no command structure” but things were pretty loose. As a matter of fact, we tended to get a bit annoyed when someone acted “too military”. I can give you an example: myself and another second lieutenant were walking into our wing HQ building when we passed a guy who had just “pinned on” first lieutenant. He demanded we salute him and we just kind of told him “c’mon, man” and went our way, because there’s just no real distinction between a second lieutenant and a first lieutenant. Broadly, lieutenants and captains (at least the ones a few years out from making major) tend to view each other as peers.

I guess I am too used to what has previously been shown on TOS, TNG, DS9, VOY and ENT as the standard of professional behavior on Starfleet ships, that the loose and casual office behavior on DSC seems out of place.

I Get it can be relaxed, as Will is relating.. but it’s not always one or the other. I woul like to see more nuance in all characters. Tilly doesn’t always need to be always funny and freewheeling. I’d like to see her be more professional. Most people in any walk of life aren’t one way all the time. But most of these are written as charactures and not actual people.

It’s a fair point about Tilly. She’s a lieutenant with limited experience and she’s telling off a superior officer in a way that would make even Will Riker blush. Imagine her meeting Captain Jellico…

I get it, although it could ebb and flow. One of the things Roddenberry supposedly didn’t like about the Gene Coon era of TOS was the characters’ loose, familiar attitude. During the brief period of time he actively worked on the third season, he insisted on changing all that. The characters are much more formal in season 3.

See I disagree with the review- I thought the episode balanced its four plot strands really well and it was a wonderful character focused episode. Each to their own, I guess.

It was a bit meh, but still better than most of Season 4.

This was a connector episode, and not a lot happens. I go back to.. when you only have 10 episodes, you better make best use of your time. This was a relationship stuff… it would help if it covered relationships I cared about, but it’s just overly emotive junk that isn’t interesting to me at all. Which is funny when you consider one of those relationships features a Vulcan. While I like Sara and T’rina as a couple, they are boring. Gray and Adira, it’s just a lot of awkward teen stuff. I get it.. they’re having trouble.. just way too much time spent on that. At least Stulber has chemistry.. Book and Burnham have chemistry. But this was a waste of an episode.

Gray and Adira were miscast physically. I’d like to explain that DSC is a big visual show. When there is a wide shot, both Gray and Adira seem too small and too far away. We get to see their acting talents in the scenes where they are in a two-shot or a medium-shot. In my opinion, Blu’s acting is MUCH better this year. Ian Alexander’s acting is just too small for me. It must be difficult to frame the shots he is in, due to his physical size, which is a testament to the show’s production challenges. When you see how athletic Culber is compared to Gray? It’s just too jarring for me. His character doesn’t grab your attention. Let me be clear: I’m beyond happy about the LGBTQ representation DSC is showing. I’m glad the LGBTQ community can see themselves on TV. FWIW, I notice the same things in SNW. Peck and Mount are very athletic buff actors. In a wide shot, they can tend to dwarf smaller actors.

Sorry was not a big fan of this one at all. So many cringy moments and it went back to the usual stalling with barely any real plot at all. I had so many problems with this one but happy others liked it.

But per usual it moved at a snails pace with a lot of mostly forgetful dialogue.

And when did Trill turn into the cave and quarry planet? It’s a very developed planet with cities and people living in houses. But the two episodes we seen of it on this show you would think Trill is one big national park or something.

I think Trill’s budget was spent on the cloaking monsters.

Yeah I think that segment ran a bit too long for me. I feel like the point about the cloaking monsters could have been made sooner and they could have spent their time on giving some screen time to others.

Overall, this episode definitely struggled with too many plot points. The individual pieces weren’t bad but together they didn’t always form a cohesive whole. I like Rayner as a character and I like his more professional take on being a Captain vs. Burnham’s more personal take. Neither is inherently wrong, just different. I feel Tilly etc are too quick to judge him. He clearly had a reason for his 20 words or less and I got what that was. Although I didn’t like that the background actors only got some throwaway facts told about them. Then again they usually don’t get that! Culber did a great job portraying Jinal. He really felt like a different person. Adira and Grey wrapped up which I think is a good thing. They are better apart than they are together. I am still not sure about Book’s loyalty to the ship and its crew. Glad Saru and T’Rina are moving forward and we are getting some more backstory to this time period.

Stalling is a great way to put it. I think it boils down to if you like the characters and relationships they’re focusing on. If you’re going to focus on character, it had better be compelling but it was pretty banal and uninteresting. Saru and T’rina are focused on a wedding.. seriously? Gray and Adira are having your normal teenager type trouble. Both sets of circumstances were so blah.. if this were the best they can do with portraying whats happening with young people, Academy is in serious trouble.

Yeah this one frustrated me a bit. I am fine with a character episode but the character work was too telegraphed (Gray browbeating the theme of the episode at the end and Stamet’s ongoing arc where he obsesses over his legacy were feeling especially contrived). At least the Rayner scenes worked for me and made for a better use of Tilly than usual.

…although if they lead to Rayner just embracing the tactic of being an emotional support First Officer, I’ll be annoyed. Butting heads with Tilly worked, I just am probably on the losing side of, “His POV is valid and they could all learn a little from him. Not every connection needs to come from laying bare emotional trauma and being super chummy.” Characters who keep a professional distance but have personal depths that shine through are compelling and a Trek staple.

I actually liked this episode better than the first two. It felt more like a story and less like a bunch of action setpieces strung together.

I’m afraid I have to disagree with our eminent reviewer where he says, “ It may not have made sense for Tilly to act as HR for the ship (especially as she’s only on loan as a science advisor from the Academy).” No, that’s EXACTLY why it makes sense for HER to be the one to let Rayner know his style won’t work with this particular crew. She won’t have to work with him in the future, so she’s the one who can tell him he’s being a jerk without poisoning their future relationship.

I REALLY liked it that the true test wasn’t “Can you hike this canyon” but rather “Can you empathize with the creatures who live in it?” Very Star Trekky!

I loved the Saru/T’Rina stuff, both her standing her ground when Saru tried to be protective, since she’s the PRESIDENT of a freaking PLANET, for heaven’s sake. And also her saying that conflict was inevitable and not to be feared.

Wilson Cruz! So good! More of him, please.

I thought Rayner’s twenty-words thing was a little over the top; it made him seem like a parody of a crusty old guy, rather than a real person. I don’t mind being emotionally manipulated by Star Trek, but the wires shouldn’t be quite THAT visible. :-)

So, how could Moll possibly have gotten to Trill long enough before the Discovery to go undercover as one of those red-robed people? She and La’k didn’t dig up the thingy that gave them the fifth line of the poem until long after Burnham and Saru did, so how did they even know to go to Trill, much less get there so fast? Doesn’t Discovery’s spore drive get them places MUCH faster than any other ship?

The one thing I really didn’t like was that the lighting in the canyon was so dark that I couldn’t SEE anything during that whole scene. I’m glad the dialogue told me enough about what was happening that I didn’t have to actually see it to know what was going on.

Very astute observations Corylea, and well stated as usual. Couldn’t agree more!

Aw, thanks so much!

Oh.. and the repeat of the Fal Tor Pan ceremony really was annoying. They really could have mixed it up q lot better. It felt like a cliche.

Engaged couple bickering over their wedding announcement… This is exactly the sort of thing that’s kept me tuning in to Trek for all these decades…

And I don’t care how exaggeratedly mean the Rayner character is written, there is no way in real life that a Lieutenant speaks to a Commander/superior officer the way Tilly did. Totally strains credulity.

Starfleet is different from modern militaries. Starfleet officers’ feelings aren’t so fragile that they get upset when a subordinate speaks impolitely to them.

I think TMP nailed how these interactions are supposed to go down and it avoids this perception of insubordination: “Permission to speak freely, sir?” Done and done. The answer is almost always going to be yes.

I thought this was a very strong episode…and I didn’t like the first two of the season at all!

The character dynamics almost all worked for me this time. Burnham seemed like a real person rather than a screenplay with limbs; Rayner was great; Culber, who I have loved even when this series was at its worst, was great. Heck, I even liked Tilly this week, which is not typical. I got some chuckles out of Saru stepping in it, too.

I’ve loved and defended Disco since day one, but I have to say I’m having a hard time getting excited about this season’s Big Hunt For The Puzzle Pieces. But I was thrilled to see Wilson Cruz get to really shine as an actor in this one.

I believe this is the standard now, and it’s very very low .. the story is starting to be so boring .. always the same cave .. everybody keep sharing their emotions in every scene .. and the stubborn unfriendly character destined to change.

If only there wasn’t the “Star Trek:” in front of the series title I would had bailed long ago.

I am really loving this season. The latest episode really took on a lot, but it delivered for me. The pacing was good for each story and keep the mystery alive. Loved the adventure on Trill. Wilson Cruze did an amazing job in the episode with his portrayal of Jinaal. I absolutely love the addition of Rayner – the opposites of Rayner’s tough command style and the way Discovery is – works for me. Already looking forward to the next episode.

Yes, a very scattered episode. The twenty-word bit with Rayner was a poor writing choice. I don’t see how someone would rise to Captain without listening to his senior crew.

I think the bar scene got across that he was astute in learning about his crews quickly. He just didn’t hold their hands and talk about how much of a family they all are.

In other words, Discovery discusses their feelings ad nauseum yet again

Star Trek: Discovery season 5 episodes 1 and 2 recap and review - let's fly

Happy Star Trek: Discovery Return Day for those who celebrate it!

Strap in and crank up the warp drive because Star Trek: Discovery has just launched into its fifth and final season, and let me tell you, it's setting phasers to "mind-blowing." This isn't just another voyage into the final frontier - it's the grand finale that promises to take us further than we've ever gone before. With Commander Michael Burnham at the helm, the USS Discovery is not just exploring strange new worlds; it's delving deep into the heart of what it means to be a part of this vast, cosmic tapestry.

According to everything I've heard from the excellent and talented starts Sonequa Martin-Green , Mary Wiseman, Doug Jones, David Ajala , and co-showrunners Michelle Paradise and Alex Kurtzman , this final season is about to take "boldly going" to a whole new level.

As the curtain rises on this epic conclusion, the stakes are higher, the aliens are weirder, and the plot twists? Let's just say they're twistier than a double helix nebula. Whether you've been on board since the maiden voyage or you're just beaming in, this final season of Star Trek: Discovery is crafting a legacy that will resonate across the galaxy. It's not just a mission; it's a journey - a journey that challenges the crew, the Federation, and fans alike to discover what lies beyond the stars and within themselves.

Let's talk about the two-episode season premiere, shall we?

SPOILER WARNING FOR THOSE WHO HAVEN'T WATCHED "RED DIRECTIVE" AND "UNDER THE TWIN MOONS"

Episode 1 review - "Red Directive"

The episode kicks off with Captain Michael Burnham quite literally riding the waves of warp on the hull of a starship. As she communicates with Saru, we learn she's on a mission to recover something of vital importance stolen from a vault, only for things to take a nosedive into "imminent warp failure" territory. Flashback to four hours earlier, and we're mingling at a Federation Headquarters soiree, with Burnham rubbing elbows with Discovery's finest, including Paul Stamets and Hugh Culber, and catching up with the now Starfleet Academy professor Sylvia Tilly. Amid "Tonic 2161" cocktails and bittersweet farewells to the Spore Drive program, President Rillak and ever-so-handsome Admiral Vance drop a bombshell on Burnham: a mission classified under "Red Directive," involving an 800-year-old science vessel and a vital security threat to the Federation.

The Discovery crew, now briefed and beaming with determination, sets course for an uninhabited planet to investigate an abandoned Romulan vessel - a mission that quickly turns south as they encounter identity-concealing thieves, Moll and L’ak, and a near-mummified Romulan corpse. The stakes skyrocket when the thieves make a dramatic escape, leaving Burnham stranded on their decloaking ship as it jumps to warp. The episode shifts gears with a high-stakes chase, clever misdirections, and a tractor-beam tug-of-war that would make even Captain Kirk sweat. Enter handsome devil Cleveland "Book" Booker, brought in for his unique insights as Burnham and crew pursue the thieves across the desert planet Q’Mau, leading to a marketplace showdown, a high-octane sand runner chase, and an avalanche-induced crisis that puts the entire city at risk. As Discovery and the USS Antares heroically shield the settlement, Burnham and her team are left pondering the implications of the thieves’ mysterious Romulan puzzle box and the ancient, powerful technology it hints at - technology connected to the Progenitors and the very origin of life in the galaxy. This is a nice little nod to Star Trek: The Next Generation 's episode "The Chase". Five-year-old me squealed at the connection.

With Saru contemplating a future as a Federation ambassador (and a marriage proposal from T’Rina), and Stamets reflecting on his legacy, "Red Directive" is not just a thrilling start to Discovery's final season; it's a love letter to the enduring themes of Star Trek. The chase for the Progenitors' technology, wrapped in the legacy of Jean-Luc Picard's adventures, sets the stage for a season that promises to explore the depths of space, the bonds of family, and the pursuit of knowledge that has always been at the heart of Star Trek.

Episode 2 review - "Under the Twin Moons"

This episode takes us on a ride through the stars that’s more twisty than a barrel of Tribbles.

Captain Michael Burnham kicks things off with a deep space musing about life, the universe, and everything Progenitors. Cut to a scene where Burnham and the gang find themselves in the principal's office, aka a hearing with President Rillak, where they're chewing over Captain Rayner's wild west approach to space diplomacy. Spoiler alert: not everyone's a fan. Meanwhile, Booki s having a heart-to-heart with his cat, Queen Grudge, proving once again that in space, even your pet has royal status.

Next up, we're off to Lyric, a planet with more history than a Vulcan's bookshelf and the potential resting place of some seriously old-school tech courtesy of the Progenitors. Think of it as the universe's most epic treasure hunt, with Burnham and her space posse decoding ancient riddles, dodging killer drones (because what's a treasure hunt without a little peril?), and racing against the clock to unearth secrets that could redefine life as we know it.

On this planet of puzzles and peril, Burnham and "Action" Saru (Doug Jones) – yeah, that's his nickname now, courtesy of Jet Reno, and it's sticking – are Indiana Jones-ing their way through ancient ruins and drone attacks. These aren't your garden-variety drones, either - they're the galaxy's most unwelcoming committee, armed to the teeth and ready to explode at the first sign of grave robbing. Back on the USS Discovery, the crew's putting their heads together to crack the code of the Romulan scientist's diary and figure out where the Progenitors’ tech is hiding. It’s like the Federation's version of a book club, but with more at stake than just snacks and gossip. Meanwhile, Book's playing interstellar detective, trying to suss out the whereabouts of our favorite space outlaws, Moll and L’ak, and their romantic Bonnie and Clyde routine.

As Burnham and Saru navigate the deadly dance of drone dodgeball on Lyric, they stumble upon a clue that's hotter than a phaser set to stun: a piece of a cosmic map hidden in plain sight, pointing the way to the next piece of the Progenitor puzzle. It's a race against time, with Moll and L’ak hot on the same trail, and only one team can come out on top. In a twist that ties the past to the present, Book uncovers a personal connection to Moll that's as surprising as finding a Betazoid at a Klingon opera. And just when you thought the drama couldn't get any thicker, Captain Burnham makes a play that could change the course of their mission and their lives, offering Rayner a shot at redemption and a chair as her right-hand man.

"Under the Twin Moons" isn't just a title; it's a metaphor for the dualities within us all - the scientific curiosity versus the preservation of sacred grounds, the thirst for adventure against the respect for those who came before, and the search for new horizons while holding onto the relationships that define us.

As the Discovery races against time, and Moll and L'ak, to uncover the next piece of the Progenitor puzzle, we're reminded that in the vast expanse of space, it's not just the stars that guide us, but the bonds we forge along the way.

Don't forget to tune in next Thursday, April 11th , for the 3rd episode in the epic 10-episode season and series finale.

This article was originally published on redshirtsalwaysdie.com as Star Trek: Discovery season 5 episodes 1 and 2 recap and review - let's fly .

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The cast of Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 assembled

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, Episode 1 Recap

The fifth and final season of Star Trek: Discovery is here, launching one last mission for Captain Michael Burnham and the crew of the USS Discovery. With so many moving pieces and major moments, here is a recap of the Season 5 premiere episode of Star Trek: Discovery .

Star Trek: Discovery’s Final Mission

Several months after the events of Season 4, the Discovery is still regarded as heroes for their role in saving the galaxy, but Burnham is still uneasy about the rupture of her relationship with Book. Sylvia Tilly is continuing to settle into her new role as an instructor at Starfleet Academy , reuniting with her friends at a gala back at Starfleet Command while Tilly flirts with a party guest. Saru, the Kelpien First Officer of the Discovery, meets with his paramour T’Rina, the President of Ni’Var, the reunified Vulcan/Romulan planet. The two ponder their future together, with Saru contemplating an offer to leave Starfleet in favor of a diplomatic position.

Burnham is called away to meet privately with Doctor Kovich, a Federation official who oversees the black ops side of Starfleet’s activities around the galaxy. Kovich tasks Burnham with leading the Discovery to a derelict Romulan ship in a debris field on the fringes of the galaxy to recover a valuable item without revealing what it is. Burnham leaps at the opportunity, especially since she is aware that the Discovery’s signature Spore Drive is set to be surpassed by Starfleet’s next line of starships.

New Enemies and Old Allies

Burnham rides a ship at warp speed. This image is part of an article about Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, Episode 1 recap.

To Burnham’s surprise, Kovich personally accompanies the Discovery, underscoring the importance of the mission. Learning that Admiral Charles Vance is also unaware of the full scope of the mission, Burnham privately has Tilly use her access to the highest levels of Starfleet’s systems to learn what her assignment actually entails. Burnham leads a small landing party on the Romulan wreckage, encouraged by Kovich to shoot to kill if necessary in successfully recovering their target.

Burnham discovers they have been beaten to the target by two scavengers, Moll and L’ak, who incapacitate the rest of the landing party before making off with the object, a diary, in their own vessel. Burnham rides the exterior of the scavengers’ ship while it’s traveling at warp speed and tries to plant a tracker before safely returning to the Discovery, but Moll and L’ak anticipate this and flee to parts unknown. Kovich is understandably frustrated by this, but Burnham decides to enlist Book to use his illicit connections to locate the malevolent couple.

A Confrontation Gone Wrong

Burnham rides a speeder bike in the desert. This image is part of an article about Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, Episode 1 recap.

Book returns to the Discovery, revealing his penance involves him helping underprivileged communities around Federation space that were affected by the singularity. Book identifies a planet outside of Federation jurisdiction where Moll and L’ak are likely to try to fence their ill-gotten goods. Determined not to let the relic slip through his fingers again, Kovich has the Discovery accompanied by the USS Antares and its commanding officer, Captain Rayner.

Book’s hunch pays off, with Moll and L’ak indeed at the planet he anticipated. Book, Burnham, and Rayner go down to investigate. After realizing how valuable the diary they hold is, Moll and L’ak kill their fence when he tries to claim it from them and run away again, with the landing party pursuing them across the desert in speeder bikes. Rayner tries to have the Antares intercept them, but Moll and L’ak trigger a massive landslide that threatens to engulf a nearby city. As Moll and L’ak make their getaway again, the Antares and Discovery use their deflectors to completely shield the city.

The True Scope of Star Trek: Discovery’s Final Season

L'ak and Moll at their fence's hideout. This image is part of an article about Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, Episode 1 recap.

Kovich concedes that he should tell Burnham what exactly he is having her obtain and lets her know it’s a diary containing information about the Progenitors, an ancient species from Star Trek: The Next Generation . The Progenitors cultivated intelligent life in the galaxy, explaining why there are so many humanoid species around the cosmos. The diary in Moll and L’ak’s possession can lead them to Progenitor technology, capable of reshaping life in the galaxy, making it exceedingly important that it doesn’t fall into the wrong hands.

As Burnham and Book have a chance to compare notes, they acknowledge that something has changed between them, with their reunion not as happy as they had hoped. After reflecting on his place in Starfleet and his relationship with T’Rina, Saru decides he will take the diplomatic position once his mission is completed, with the couple agreeing to marry. Deducing that Moll and L’ak have moved on thanks to Tilly’s research, Burnham leads the Discovery to track down the culprits and confiscate the diary from them.

And that’s a recap of Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, Episode 1.

Star Trek: Discovery is available to stream on Paramount+

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Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Episode 3 Review – Jinaal

The search for the next clue that will lead them to a powerful alien artifact takes Discovery back to Trill in an hour that’s more about interpersonal dynamics than adventure.

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Wilson Cruz as Culber and Ian Alexander as Gray Til in Star Trek: Discovery, episode 3, season 5

This Star Trek: Discovery review contains spoilers .

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Episode 3

After a pair of episodes that leaned pretty heavily into the adventure vibes of season 5’s central treasure hunt, Star Trek: Discovery goes back to what it does best: Talking about feelings. Best, of course, is a relative term in this context. If you find Discovery’s tendency to have its characters verbally hash out every relationship conflict and moral quandary they encounter to be a refreshing sign of maturity for the franchise, there’s a lot for you to enjoy here. If you think all this talking and self-reflection is a massive waste of time…well, you’re going to wonder where the high-speed sand chases and drone fights went.

“Jinaal” is an hour that sees the Discovery crew continue their hunt for the puzzle pieces that will allegedly lead them to the Progenitors’ mysterious unnamed alien technology that may or may not be capable of creating life. It is certainly a less flashy episode than the two that immediately preceded it, and seems to be set on Trill largely so that Gray and Adira can break up. Technically, Burnham and company are there because the clue to the next piece is being held by a Trill symbiont , who still possesses the consciousness of Jinaal Bix, a host who lived at the same time as the Romulan scientists who started all this and joined with the symbiont upon his death. Team Discovery is hopeful the symbiont will not only be able to point them toward the next clue but help them get answers to what they’re searching for in the first place.

Thanks to a Trill ritual that allows Jinaal’s consciousness to be transferred to another body for a limited amount of time, Dr. Culbert suddenly becomes a central figure in this particular adventure. This twist seems to exist largely to (finally) give Wilson Cruz something substantial to do, but he’s clearly having such a blast playing something different from anything he’s done on this show in the past that it’s difficult to resent it too much.

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Jinaal is all sorts of curious about what’s changed in the 900 years since and takes Burnham and Book on an unnecessarily convoluted mission to find the next puzzle piece. It involves a seemingly unending hike through a random canyon and an unexpected face-off with some very aggressive giant insect creatures with cloaking abilities and laser eyes. Space is awesome, y’all.

In typical Discovery fashion, the face-off with the cloaking creatures isn’t so much a real fight as it is a test. The pair of them are guarding a nest, and Jinaal merely wants to know if Burnham and Book are the sort of people willing to do harm and kill innocents to advance their own agendas and get what they want. When they stand down and apologize to the creatures for invading their space (thank goodness for Book’s handy Doctor Dolittle-style mental abilities!), Jinaal’s convinced they’re trying to find the Progenitors’ tech for the right reasons. Of course, he still won’t just tell them where the group hid whatever the McGuffin is, because that would derail the plot of the entire season we’re watching. (He says it is because whoever retrieves it must be a “worthy seeker” who “followed the full path,” which is probably code for “the real Progenitor tech is the friends we made along the way” or something ridiculous like that, but I guess we’ll find out in seven more episodes.)

Meanwhile, back on the Discovery Captain—now Commander—Rayner arrives to take over as the ship’s first officer, and handles it about as well as anyone who saw last week’s episode probably expected: He’s basically being a jerk to everyone. Fully embracing the Not Here to Make Friends vibe, he resents being told to spend his first day aboard getting to know the crew, and repeatedly clashes with Tilly, who insists that he needs to connect with them to be an effective leader. Rayner, not a huge fan of talking, completely half-asses it, but still manages to glean quite a bit of genuine information out of the literal 20 words he allows each to speak to him. His presence makes for an interesting—and honestly, refreshing—change, particularly as there is (and should be) space on this show for characters who aren’t entirely in favor of excavating every emotional trauma they carry in the name of team cohesion. Rayner isn’t Saru, he shouldn’t have to be, and it’s a bit annoying that his very valid point about friendship and leadership roles being vastly different things gets overwhelmed by Tilly’s repeated insistence that he serve as an emotional support resource for everyone on board.

Speaking of our favorite Kelpian, now that he’s no longer part of the crew of Discovery, Saru is attempting to settle into his new role as a Federation ambassador. Admittedly, it feels a bit strange to have such a central Discovery character so removed from the season’s larger story, but he’s adorably nervous about the whole thing, and it does give us plenty of time to bask in the adorableness of Saru and T’Rina’s relationship, which is something that I, personally, will never complain about. (Is anyone else a bit peeved that we missed the entirety of their romance between them deciding they were into each other and getting engaged? Just me??)

T’Rina is eager to announce their engagement now that Saru has been officially transferred to Federation Headquarters, but he’s taken aback by the political realities of what the sitting president of Ni’Var choosing to marry a Kelpian means. Ni’Var, after all, is a planet of competing factions, and we’ve seen T’Rina have to make compromises to appease the more hardline or conservative Vulcan purists in the past. It doesn’t help that her right-hand advisor is more than a bit pushy about the issue, insisting that Saru’s work could destabilize T’Rina’s position among her people. But T’Rina’s not having it, and rather resents the implication that she needs a minder or doesn’t understand who own political interests. Are our faves having their first fight? Yes, but don’t worry, they’re fine. They’re great, actually, because the one thing Discovery and its love of talking about feelings means is that all its romantic relationships are remarkably mature in the ways they navigate problems and emotional conflict. Within the space of 15 minutes, Saru has his first real disagreement with someone he loves, T’Rina steadfastly refuses to hide something she’s not ashamed of, and it’s all rather lovely in the end.

Though the ongoing threat of L’ak and Moll is little more than background noise during this episode, they catch up to the Discovery on Trill just in time to put some sort of tracking device on Adira, who’s busy watching Gray lead what appears to be a farewell ceremony for the symbiont who contained Jinaal. (In case anyone was wondering how they’d inevitably find the location of the third clue next week.) And despite Book’s insistence that his personal connection to Moll—through his former mentor—won’t impact his ability to help Michael find and ostensibly bring her and L’ak to justice, or at least stop them from selling off a deadly weapon to the galaxy’s worst people, the episode’s final moments certainly linger over a shot of him considering Moll’s picture. Long enough to make you wonder if there’s any way that statement could ever actually be true.

Lacy Baugher

Lacy Baugher is a digital producer by day, but a television enthusiast pretty much all the time. Her writing has been featured in Paste Magazine, Collider,…

'Star Trek: Discovery' opens its 5th and final season in unremarkable fashion (Red Directive recap)

Hello smartmatter, my old friend, I've come to watch you once again. Because no item is impossible, it makes the story unbelievable... ♬

Both Book and Tilly return to join the regular crewmember cast of the USS Discovery, plus a new face or two

Warning: Spoilers ahead for "Star Trek: Discovery" season 5, episode 1

Well, here we are. Again. It's the fifth and final time around for "Star Trek: Discovery" and the single biggest question every sci-fan will be asking themselves is, will this season actually be any good. The tragic thing is, no one can really remember what happened in season 4 and that speaks directly to the fact that "Discovery" is not exactly a high-scoring show when it comes to rewatchability.

It's been two years and two weeks, give or take a day, since we last saw the crew of the USS Discovery risk everything to save all life in the universe, again. During that time, we've seen a lot of sci-fi, both awesome and awful, including two seasons of " Picard " and " Strange New Worlds ," the third and final season of " The Orville ," season 1 of " Andor ," "The Book of Boba Fett," "Ahsoka" and the less said about "Obi-Wan Kenobi," the better. If you're wondering where to see all that Trek, check out our Star Trek streaming guide for Paramount Plus and more.

Not to mention, the vastly underrated second season of "Invasion" and "Halo" seasons 1 and 2, plus, the first mind-blowing season of "Silo" the second and sadly last season of " Avenue 5 " and two seasons of " For All Mankind ." The point is that the standard has, for the most part, been refreshingly high. And frankly before we even get into season 5 of "Discovery," it's worth remembering that what executive producers and showrunners Alex Kurtzman and Michelle Paradise have given us up until now, has not exactly been a consistently high quality of sci-fi writing. In fact, it's been rather disappointing.

Related: 5 things Star Trek: Discovery season 5 needs to fix

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Are we in-store for another cookie-cutter season of what's-in-the-box plot threads that deliver misdirected build ups with unsatisfying pay offs...you know like we have for the past two seasons plus all three seasons of "Picard"..? Even "Andor," despite its peak and trough-style of repetitive set-piece storytelling, was impressive and that was down to how well those set pieces had been fleshed out along with well written character development and dialogue. Less can very easily be so much more.

Moreover, now we're in the 32nd century and we've seen that transporter technology can be used to replace stairs and even change outfits, so to be perfectly honest, there really isn't a single story idea that cannot be solved by a simple combination of transporter and replicator technology. Not to mention smartmatter. Ah, hello smartmatter, my old friend. Because this is what happens when you throw three seasons of a "Star Trek" series 1,164 years into the future.

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Regardless, it would seem that within the story, between four and six months have passed since the events of last season , where you may remember, the United Federation of Planets was desperately trying to save all life as we know from being accidentally exterminated by species 10-C, all while Ruon Tarka (Shawn Doyle) was still hell bent on using the illudium Q-36 explosive space modulator to destroy the dark matter anomaly. Book (David Ajala) gets killed when his ship explodes then bought back to life before he faces repercussions for siding with Tarka. General Ndoye (Phumzile Sitole) seems to get away scot-free despite sabotaging the Discovery's warp drive and everyone lives happily ever after.

Malinne 'Moll' Ravel (Eve Harlow) and L'ak (Elias Toufexis) currently represent the alien antagonists.

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Coming in at nearly 60 minutes long, the premiere episode is titled "Red Directive" and drops at the same time as the second episode, entitled "Under The Twin Moons." Michelle Paradise wrote the former, which could explain why it's so dull, and Olatunde Osunsanmi directed. The latter was written by Alan B. McElroy and directed by Douglas Aarniokoski, so fingers the second installment might be a bit better. Aarniokoski directed the season 3 premiere episode of "Picard" and while the rest of that was a disappointing, drawn out, nostalgia-fueled, 10-episode long epilogue to another series that ended three decades ago, the premiere installment was actually okay.

The gang seems mostly all here, including Lt. Tilly (Mary Wiseman) and Adira (Blu del Barrio) and there are some characters who don't seem to have made it back, some of whom will be very much missed, like Grudge, while others won't be. No sign of Zora yet either. It's also entirely likely that the amazing talents of Callum Keith Rennie, who plays a Starfleet Captain named Rayner, will be spectacularly underused, much like Todd Stashwick was in season 3 of "Picard."

Credit to the production team though, as they're are really making the most of their Volume-esque video wall soundstage. There are a couple of interesting choices in terms of editing, much like there were in the second season premiere where Alex Kurtzman showed us what he'd learned in the Vince Gilligan School of Cinematography. It's doubtful we'll ever see them again, just like we didn't before.

Maybe having two starships essentially sticking their heads in the sand was a metaphor for

To conclude then, the opening episode of the final season "Star Trek: Discovery" is a far, far cry from strong openings that this show has demonstrated it's capable of in the past. And that's a sentence we've had to write far too many times. The TNG throwback right at the end is...well, disappointing, mostly because of the extent that nostalgic fan service has been dialed up since the first episode of Nu-Trek aired in September 2017. However, it could still provide an interesting story thread — we will just have to wait and see.

The fifth and final season of "Star Trek: Discovery" and every episode of every "Star Trek" show — with the exception of "Star Trek: Prodigy" — currently streams exclusively on Paramount Plus in the US while "Prodigy" has found a new home o n Netflix.

Internationally, the shows are available on Paramount Plus in Australia, Latin America, the UK and South Korea, as well as on Pluto TV in Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Switzerland on the Pluto TV Sci-Fi channel. They also stream on Paramount Plus in Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland and Austria. In Canada, they air on Bell Media's CTV Sci-Fi Channel and stream on Crave.

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When Scott's application to the NASA astronaut training program was turned down, he was naturally upset...as any 6-year-old boy would be. He chose instead to write as much as he possibly could about science, technology and space exploration. He graduated from The University of Coventry and received his training on Fleet Street in London. He still hopes to be the first journalist in space.

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Screen Rant

Star trek: discovery season 5, episode 3 ending explained.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5's treasure hunt brings the USS Discovery to Trill for the next clue, but Moll and L'ak may be one step ahead of Burnham.

Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, Episode 3 - "Jinaal"

Moll and L'ak are setting a trap on the USS Discovery - Adira may be in danger.
The Progenitors' treasure was safeguarded by six secret scientists in the 24th century.
Commander Rayner struggles to connect with the crew - Burnham seeks answers beyond the treasure.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 3, "Jinaal", brings Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and the USS Discovery one step closer to finding the Progenitors' treasure, but little do they know Moll (Eve Harlow) and L'ak (Elias Toufexis) are making insidious moves against them. Written by Kyle Jarrow and Lauren Wilkinson and directed by Andi Armaganian, the third episode of Star Trek: Discovery season 5 splits the action between the planet Trill and Commander Rayner (Callum Keith Renne) and Ambassador Saru (Doug Jones) having difficulty adjusting to their new assignments.

Captain Burnham and Cleveland Booker (David Ajala) pass a test created by Jinaal (Wilson Cruz) with flying colors. Jinaal was the host of a Trill symbiont who was alive in the 24th century, and he was part of a coalition of scientists, which included the Romulan Doctor Vellek (Michael Copeman) who hid the Progenitors' technology to protect the galaxy. A Trill ritual allowed Jinaal to occupy the body of Dr. Hugh Culber (Wilson Cruz), and the Trill took steps to ensure Burnham and Book were "worthy" of finding the Progenitors' treasure. However, Discovery's crew may unwittingly be walking into a trap set up by Moll and L'ak.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Returning Cast & New Character Guide

What did moll attach to adira at the end of star trek: discovery season 5, episode 3, moll and l'ak are making a move on the uss discovery.

After Jinaal departed Dr. Culber's body and he, Captain Burnham, and Cleveland Booker beamed back aboard the USS Discovery, Moll secretly placed a device on the arm of Ensign Adira Tal (Blu del Barrio). The Trills were warned by Burnham that Moll and L'ak would come seeking the clue hidden on Trill, but Guardian Xi (Andreas Apergis) was certain Trill would withstand any aggressive act. But what the Trill didn't anticipate was Moll, who is human, infiltrating the Trill during their ritual and planting something on Discovery's young Ensign.

32nd-century technology in Star Trek: Discovery is made of programmable matter, which explains why Moll's device disappeared.

The tiny device Moll hid on Adira's arm quickly vanished, but there are a few possibilities for what the tech could be. The device could be a tracker of some sort ; since Moll knows Burnham found the clue on Trill, she could be ensuring that she and her lover, L'ak, will be able to follow the USS Discovery wherever it jumps to next. The device could also be some kind of communicator or a weapon that could incapacitate Adira. It may also be a tiny transporter that would allow Adira to be beamed to L'ak's ship where they could be held hostage.

Moll, who likely was incognito in the Trill caves for the duration of Star Trek: Discovery, probably overheard Adira's conversations with their love interest, Gray Tal (Ian Alexander), and their decision to break up. Adira, who is young and inexperienced, is the ideal target for Moll and L'ak to plant a device on. This may be the end of Adira and Gray's Star Trek: Discovery love story . Their breakup is also an interesting juxtaposition to Moll and L'ak, who are lovers themselves but are committed to each other and are on the same journey, unlike the young Trill and Ensign.

Everything Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, Episode 3 Revealed About The Progenitors' Treasure

Great steps were taken to protect the ancient power to create life.

Jinaal provided a wealth of new information about what happened to the Progenitors' treasure after the events of Star Trek: The Next Generation 's "The Chase." According to Jinaal, in the 24th century, the President of the United Federation of Planets - possibly Jaresh-Inyo (Herschel Sparber) from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - secretly assembled a team of 6 Federation and non-Federation scientists , including Jinaal and Dr. Vellek. After years of researching the Progenitors' message, they found the ancient technology in a sector of deep space. One of the scientists died horribly when they tried to activate it.

The scientists made it their life's work to safeguard the Progenitors' technology.

The scientists decided to hide the Progenitors' treasure instead of turning it over to the Federation. At this point, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 's Dominion War engulfed the Alpha Quadrant, and anyone could be a Changeling. Jinaal and his colleagues made a pact and lied to the Federation about the treasure while redacting themselves from every database. The scientists made it their life's work to safeguard the Progenitors' technology, eventually creating a series of clues which they determined would deem whoever could find the treasure "worthy" of having it.

Meanwhile, on the USS Discovery, Commander Paul Stamets (Anthony Rapp) decoded Dr. Vellek's Romulant tricorder and learned more about the Progenitors' treasure. Stamets was excited about the applications of the Progenitors' technology, which is billions of years old. The Progenitors could "design new lifeforms, accelerate evolution, modify ecosystems." Stamets added, "If it can create life, then, in theory, it might also be possible to re-animate dead organisms."

The Progenitors' technology sounds like the Genesis Device from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan but with even more potential to create - or destroy - life.

Saru Made A Faux Pas About Announcing His Wedding To T'Rina

Saru has a lot to learn about love and politics.

The newly-minted Ambassador Saru performed well in his first delegation meeting about the rising threat of the Breen , but he made a faux pas when it came to announcing his engagement to President T'Rina (Tara Rosling). T'Rina's political aide, Duvin (Victor Andres Trelles Turgeon), became concerned about the optics of the President of Ni'Var siding with the Kelpien Ambassador, especially when the news of their engagement becomes public. Saru listened to Duvin and got cold feet about announcing his engagement to T'Rina.

Duvin feared T'Rina's Presidential power weakening among Vulcan purists if she marries an offworlder.

Ultimately, T'Rina made Saru realize that making a public announcement is better than news of their engagement leaking out, which would make it seem like the couple were hiding something scandalous. Saru confessed his inexperience in romance and politics, but T'Rina has enough savviness for them both. Saru and T'Rina's wedding is on, and will likely take place sometime during Star Trek: Discovery season 5.

Commander Rayner Will Have Trouble Fitting In With The USS Discovery Crew

Rayner's not looking to connect and make friends on discovery.

Now demoted to Commander as the new First Officer of the USS Discovery, Rayner was ordered by Captain Burnham to meet with and forge connections with the USS Discovery's crew. But Rayner was more interested in hunting Moll and L'ak , and he only met with Discovery's crew members for brief, unfriendly intervals, to the disgust of Lieutenant Sylvia Tilly (Mary Wiseman). Rayner made no real inroads in connecting with Discovery's personnel, although he paid attention and made insightful observations about each Starfleet Officer.

Commander Rayner not immediately fitting in on Discovery is more realistic.

Tilly was right that Commander Rayner, who was on a new ship after an embarrassing demotion, compensated by acting boorishly to hide how difficult it was for him. To Star Trek: Discovery season 5's credit, Commander Rayner not immediately fitting in on Discovery is more realistic than the Kellerun Starfleet Officer being welcomed with open arms. Rayner will have a long road to earning the respect of the USS Discovery's crew, and vice versa, although Captain Burnham may not be pleased with how her new Number One alienated himself from her friends and family aboard the Disco.

Rayner explained he purposely kept a professional distance from his crew when he was Captain of the USS Antares.

Captain Burnham Is Searching For Something Bigger Than The Progenitors' Treasure

Michael has big questions she needs answered.

At the start of Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 2 , "Under the Twin Moons," Captain Burnham confessed that she used to find purpose in her missions, but now she is searching for something more. A greater meaning. Jinaal assessed this about Burnham on Trill, and Michael related the same to Dr. Hugh Culber. For Burnham, the Progenitors' treasure isn't just technology that can alter the destiny of the Federation, but it could mean answers Michael is seeking about the meaning of life, itself.

Captain Burnham's quest may reflect Star Trek: Discovery looking inward for something more profound.

Interestingly, Captain Burnham's spiritual journey in Star Trek: Discovery season 5 loosely echoes someone from her adoptive Vulcan family: Sybok (Lawrence Luckinbill). In Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, Spock's criminal older half-brother sought God in the mythical world of Sha Ka Ree. Sybok's quest was fueled by his own hubris, but the Vulcan truly did want to see and gain answers from the divine. Michael wants different answers than Sybok did, and Captain Burnham's quest may reflect Star Trek: Discovery looking inward for something more profound than its nature as an action-adventure Star Trek series.

Where The Next Clue To The Progenitors' Treasure Will Take Discovery

Discovery may take a pause in the treasure hunt.

Interestingly, Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 3's ending, doesn't directly lead to the USS Discovery's next destination after they depart Trill. Captain Burnham told Dr. Culber that the clue Jinaal gave them was being analyzed, but leads to the Tzenkethi system . However, Discovery is stymied by red tape as diplomats sort out the legalities of entering the Tzenkethi system. This could indicate a pause in Star Trek: Discovery season 5's treasure hunt in episode 4, "Face the Strange."

The Tzenkethi were a race that was never seen but was mentioned as enemies of the Federation on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , furthering Star Trek: Discovery 's DS9 connections.

However, it's a safe bet whatever Moll planted on Adira will lead to the next crisis Captain Burnham will have to contend with . With three more pieces needed to complete the map to the Progenitors' treasure and 7 more episodes to go in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, Captain Burnham's hunt may take its first, strange detour.

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Star Trek: Discovery finale recap: Season 1, Episode 15
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