#to even mention what happened to the rekha sharma character

[cantsayidont]

Probably unpopular opinions:

YELLOWJACKETS: Engrossing but half-baked Showtime horror-thriller series, obviously inspired by the TV show LOST and the real-life Uruguayan rugby team lost in the Andes in 1972, about a suburban high school girls' soccer team that descends into madness while stranded for two years in the wilderness following a plane crash in the mid-1990s, split between the period leading up to and following the crash, with the characters as teenagers, and the present day, where the rescued survivors are now maladjusted adults struggling to live down what happened to them 25 years earlier.

While the show's dark humor and assorted plot mysteries command attention, it's marred by a growing sense, even in the more tightly written first season, that many of the questions have no actual answers, and the showrunners are basically just winging it — unwise with a series this structurally complicated, and the same mistake that eventually reduced LOST to an extended shaggy-dog joke.

The plot holes really begin to accumulate in the clumsy, badly paced second season, which leaves the capable adult actors struggling to navigate obvious gaps in their characters' histories and interrelationships that the writers haven't yet gotten around to mapping out, and causes what are supposed to be fireworks-laden confrontations to fizzle ineffectually. An initially amusing plotline about the adult Shawna (Melanie Lynskey) trying to cover up a murder with the help of her loyal but useless husband (Warren Kole) and snotty teenage daughter (Sarah Desjardins) eventually reveals itself as a weak imitation knockoff of SANTA CLARITA DIET that doesn't know when to pivot, and the introduction of Elijah Wood as a (ludicrous) hetero love interest for the adult Misty (Christina Ricci) creates an obvious tension between Ricci's decision to play Misty as a closeted lesbian in love with Natalie (Juliette Lewis) and the writers' apparent determination to there-homo the main characters.

However, the biggest problems with YELLOWJACKETS remain the show's ongoing reluctance to make up its mind about whether it's a psychological thriller or a supernatural horror story in the mode of Stephen King's THE SHINING — an ambiguity that's more exasperating than intriguing — and the troubling fact that the characters of color are consistently treated far more brutally (and more dismissively) than any of the white characters.

[aion-rsa]

Star Trek: Discovery Season 3 Episode 10 Easter Eggs & References

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This Star Trek: Discovery article contains spoilers for Season 3, Episode 10.

With only three episodes to go in Season 3, Star Trek: Discovery delivered an episode that is moving the series forward, but also, changing Georgoiu’s role at the same time. “Terra Firma, Part 2” was also nostalgic as hell, and felt right at home among some of the rough-and-tumble TOS episodes, including, of course, “Mirror, Mirror.” But the deep-cuts in “Terra Firma, Part 2” weren’t just limited to a Terran dagger of Georgiou’s sword. From aliens from all corners of Trek canon, to a very slick reference to Scotty, “Terra Firma, Part 2” had it all.

Here’s every Easter egg, callback and reference we caught in “Terra Firma, Part 2.” Your Emperor warns you, spoilers are ahead!

Agonizer references Kirk and Chekov 

Georgiou’s leniency on Mirror Burnham echoes exactly how Kirk treated Mirror Chekov in “Mirror, Mirror.” In that episode, Mirror Spock was blown-away when Kirk didn’t order “full duration” in the Agony Booth, even though Chekov’s crime warranted death. Basically, Georgiou is behaving a lot like Kirk did in “Mirror, Mirror,” the irony being, she’s from this universe, and Kirk wasn’t. 

Georgiou predicts problems for the Empire 

When Georgiou tells Mirror Burnham that the subjects of the Empire are in constant rebellion, she suggests that the current model of the Terran Empire is doomed to fail. This assessment aligns with what Mirror Spock said in “Mirror, Mirror,” when he outright acknowledged that at some point in the future “the Empire will be overthrown, of course.” 

“An Alliance to Destroy Us”

Mirror Burnham mentions a vast alliance trying to take down the Empire. This vaguely references a similar alliance that Prime Burnham discovered in “The Wolf Inside.” In that episode, Georgoiu destroyed those rebels from orbit, but this timeline is slightly different. 

Coalition Members

Burnham rattles off a lot of alien races that are part of the coalition against the Empire. And, those selections all seem very pointed, and interesting. Here’s why.

Romulans– This implies the Romulans and the Vulcans split in the Mirror Universe, much as they did in the Prime Universe. Plus, it also implies the Terran Starfleet might be more aware of Romulans in the 2250s than their Prime Universe counterparts.

Andorians- Founding members of the Federation of the Prime Universe, sworn enemies of the Empire in the Mirror Universe. 

Tellierates- This checks with what we saw in “The Wolf Inside,” in Season 1 of Discovery.

Klingons- Again, in “The Wolf Inside,” we learned that Mirror Voq was the benevolent leader of the rebellion against the Empire.

Denobulans- This is a callback to Enterprise. Dr. Phlox was a Denobulan, and in the Enterprise two-parter “In a Mirror, Darkly,” Mirror Phlox worked for the Terran Empire. So, if Denobulans were revolting, then yes, the Empire was in real trouble. 

Rigelians- Although mentioned in TOS and DS9, we first saw Rigelians in Enterprise. Most recently, we saw a Regelian in the Lower Decks episode “Much Ado About Boimler.”

Coridanites- We most recently saw members of the Coridanite species in the Discovery episode “Far From Home.” But, the first time they appeared was in the Enterprise episode “Shadows of P’Jem.”

“You could kill her with the press of a button”

Does Georgiou have a Tantalus Field? Captain Killy suggests that she has the ability to kill Mirror Burnham with “the press of a button.” In “Mirror, Mirror,” Kirk discovered a device called the Tantalus Field, that was able to remotely vaporize people. In an unused concept for Enterprise, at one point, it was going to be suggested that the Tantalus Field sent people to alternate dimensions. That said, in this scene, it seems like we’re meant to get a similar feeling from “Mirror, Mirror,” and not necessarily assume Georgiou has the Tantalus Field. 

Mirror Image Credits

The credits for “Terra Firma Part 2” are inverted, to acknowledge the idea that the episode begins in the Mirror Universe. The only other time a Trek show has had “Mirror Universe” credits was in the two-part Enterprise episode, “In a Mirror, Darky. Parts 1 and 2.”

No one has heard from Lorca 

It seems possible that during the 3-months that Georgiou stays in the Mirror Universe, Captain Lorca does cross over into the Prime Universe. This would explain why “no one has heard” from him at all.

Landry and the other co-conspirators 

Rekha Sharma returns again, as Mirror Ellen Landry. She’s the first of the co-conspirators to be tracked-down by Mirror Detmer and Mirror Bunrham. In the “original” Mirror timeline, Landry had been put in an agonizer booth for like a year or something. But, she was very much a part of Lorca’s rebellion.

You are not Terran!

When Mirror Saru hears about all the great things Kelpiens have been able to do, he mentions that Georgiou must have “traveled far beyond the Empire.” Later, he accuses Georgiou of not being a Terran, essentially, because she’s acting way too nice. All of this implies that the Kelpiens in the Mirror Universe are aware of another universe, and another reality. Mirror Saru even says “Return to where you are from!”

Also, bummer news, but in the Mirror Universe, Saru’s sister, Siranna, is apparently dead. 

Mirror Airiam Is Not a Cyborg! 

Actress Hannah Cheesman appears in both “Terra Firma Part 1” and “Terra Firma Part 2,” but it’s only here, in dialogue in Part 2, that it’s outright established that yes, this is Mirror Airiam. Obviously, in the Mirror Universe, Airiam never was involved in the shuttle accident that led her to become an augmented human. Interestingly, Hannah Cheesman was not the original Airiam, that would be actress Sara Mitich, who played Airiam in Season 1 of Discovery. Since Season 2, Mitich (sans-makeup) has played Commander Nilsson. In “Terra Firma Part 2,” Mitich plays Mirror Nilsson, opposite Cheesman as Mirror Airiam. This is the first time since the beginning of Season 2 that both Airiam actresses have been on the bridge at the same time. You could call this Mirror,Mirror Airiams, but that would be going to far, right?

Risa

You know this one! Risa is the pleasure planet, made famous by the TNG episode “Captain’s Holiday.” Is Risa a pleasure planet in the Mirror Universe? Seemingly not? Maybe?

Klingon-Romulan Alliance 

The idea that the Klingons and Romulans form an alliance in the Mirror Universe in the 2250s is oddly similar to what happens in the Prime Universe in the 2260s. In the TOS episode “The Enterprise Incident,” we learn that the Klingons and the Romulans started sharing technology, partially because they wanted to take-down the Federation. 

Scotty Easter egg!

Carl’s newspaper contains all sorts of interesting headlines, including one headline that reads “Starship USS Jenolan Reported to Be Missing.” This references the USS Jenolan from the TNG episode “Relics.”In that episode, Scotty was brought into the 24th Century after having stored himself in a transporter for like 70 years. Relevantly, Scotty was present in “The City on the Edge of Forever” when Kirk and Spock returned through the Guardian of Forever, and said, “You only left a moment ago.” 

Tkon Empire

Another of Carl’s headlines reads: “Supernova Threatens Tkon Empire.” This references the TNG episode “The Last Outpost.” In that episode, the Tkon Empire had been destroyed for 600,000 years. They also had the ability to move planets and stars. 

Guardian of Forever

Obviously, the biggest reveal here is that Carl is really the Guardian of Forever, first seen in the TOS episode “The City on the Edge of Forever.” The Discovery writers choose this name in honor of Carl Sagan. When the Guardian speaks his name, we hear an audio sample from Bart LaRue, who played the original voice of the Guardian in 1976. When the Guardian says: “Back in the day it used to be sure, come on through, just don’t screw up history or you’ll have to fix it,” he’s clearly referencing Kirk and Spock. And probably, Spock again in “Yesteryear.” 

For more on how the Guardian of Forever has changed Trek canon again, check out this deep-dive. 

He was called “San”

Georgiou’s flashbacks earlier in Season 3 are now connected to a character named San. We still don’t know exactly who he was, but he is mentioned in the tie-in novel Die Standing. Clearly, we’ll hear more of this story in Michelle Yeoh’s next Star Trek show.

Read more

TV

How Star Trek: Discovery’s Guardian of Forever Twist Sets Up Section 31

By Ryan Britt

TV

Star Trek: Discovery Season 3 Episode 9 Easter Eggs & References

By Ryan Britt

“He’s not the only one suited for the Captain’s Chair”

Mirror Georgiou brings the relationship between Burnham and Prime Georgiou full circle when she tells her that she’s also got what it takes to be the Captain of a starship. This references the opening moments of the very first episode of Discovery ever, “The Vulcan Hello.” In that episode Captain Georgiou straight-up told Bunrham it was time for her to get her own ship. Okay, so that’s two Georgious who have said it now. Does that mean it’s going to happen?

Live long and prosper

Not really an Easter egg, but it’s straight-up adorable that Michael’s default goodbye is still the Vulcan salute. Someone stepping into the Guardian of Forever, while having someone else give them the Vulcan salute? That’s Star Trek, baby. But like, a double-shot of Star Trek with no chaser.

Romulan Ale toast for Georgiou

Speaking of booze, it seems that everyone in the DISCO crew is drinking Romulan Ale during the toast for Georgiou at the end of the episode. This could be a vague reference to Star Trek III: The Search For Spock, when Kirk and gang all have Romulan Ale, and Kirk says “To absent friends.” Chris Pine Kirk says something similar in Star Trek Beyond, and there’s a similar vibe in this scene, as to those two scenes. In each case, we never really saw if there were any lasting effects of that Romulan booze, but we did know that those respective crews were now ready to get down to business.

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Star Trek: Discovery Season 3 airs its last three episodes on CBS All Access over the next three Thursdays. 

The post Star Trek: Discovery Season 3 Episode 10 Easter Eggs & References appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[theprocrastinatingalien]

Star Trek: Discovery - Which characters will survive to see Season 2?  (Plus a compelling fan theory)

Warning: Spoilers ahead for the first five episodes of STAR TREK: DISCOVERY.

We are just five episodes in, with ten to go.  Only four more before the Christmas break.  It’s probably a little early to be predicting the show’s second season - we don’t even know if there’ll definitely be a second season!  But it’s always fun to speculate.

So, this is my question - which of the main cast will still be main for the second season?

Historically, there aren’t many changes in the main casts of the Trek series.  In the Original Series, Deforest Kelley (McCoy) was promoted to the opening credits for the second season.  The Next Generation had the most changes, along the way losing Denise Crosby (Yar) and Wil Wheaton (Wesley) and firing Gates McFadden (Crusher) after the first season, only to reinstate her in the third.  For Deep Space Nine, Michael Dorn (Worf) was added in the fourth season, and after Terry Farrell (Jadzia) left in season six, she was replaced by Nicole deBoer (Ezri Dax) for the final season.   Voyager suffered just a straight exchange, replacing Jennifer Lien’s Kes for Jeri Ryan’s Seven of Nine.  Enterprise, however, stands as the only Trek series to leave it’s principal cast unchanged over it’s run.  Rumours that Jeffrey Combs’ Andorian Shran was to be promoted in the fifth season were sadly never realised.

But here, STAR TREK: DISCOVERY is a different kind of Trek.  We’re now in 2017, and the writers are very aware of popular series, where the trend is not to save your main cast, but to constantly put them in jeopardy.  Adventure is all the more exciting when you don’t know for certain if your favourite characters will make it out alive.  Series such as 24, THE WALKING DEAD and GAME OF THRONES, relish in killing off several main players each series… and the fans lap it up.

Apparently, we can expect the same from DISCOVERY, but only time will tell just how brave the writers are going to be.  I mean, we have had a number of deaths already, but they were- mostly - signposted…

Captain Philippa Georgiou.

Let’s be honest, did we think Michelle Yeoh’s character was ever going to survive?  Billed as the commanding officer of the USS Shenzhou, the fact she wasn’t the captain of the USS Discovery itself didn’t point to a happy end.  As predicted by many, Georgiou was killed in the second episode.  Now, her name was on the opening titles, but with the billing of ‘special guest star’, longevity wasn’t really wasn’t on the cards.  She has made an appearance since, via a holographic message, and we can expect future appearances - presumably in flashbacks, but possible also as part of the mirror universe(?).  The fact Georgiou was eaten by the Klingons (EATEN!!!!) Yeoh is never going to be a regular on the show.

Ensign Danby Connor

Actor Sam Vartoholomeos was announced early on, and it wasn’t clear whether his Ensign Connor would be a regular character or not. Sadly, one of the trailers actively showed him being killed, which took away the surprise when it happened in the show.  At least Ensign Connor can claim to be the first 'speaking role’ to be definitively killed off in DISCOVERY.

T'Kuvma

The cult leader, aiming to bring together the twenty-four houses of the Klingons.  Chris Obi was deemed to have a very important role… but T'Kuvma was killed by lead Michael Burnham just after killing Captain Georgiou. I’d say this was probably the first actual surprise death of the series.   But still, he wasn’t on the opening titles, so the chances of his longevity was already in doubt.

Commander Ellen Landry

This is an interesting one.  Not a particularly surprising one… other than how quickly Landry was dealt with.  Like the majority of the Discovery crew, she wasn’t introduced until the third episode.  The Chief of security (and I’d guess at second officer judging by her closeness to Captain Lorca), she wasn’t the nicest of people.  There’s was something shady about her.   Again, considering she’s the first crew member of Discovery we’re introduced to, and seemingly pretty important, with a bridge crew role, the fact she wasn’t included on the opening credits implied she wasn’t going to be around for too long.  Add to that we knew Shazad Latif’s Ash Tyler was coming in to be a security officer, and his name IS on the credits… the ONLY surprise, I guess… is that she died in only her second episode?!  Possibly a waste of Rekha Sharma, but a crowd pleasing moment - I don’t think Landry had many fans.

As noted, the above four characters are all missing from the opening titles.  Realistically, in all series, recurring and guest stars can be seen as cannon fodder.  A brave series will not shy away from killing off those named as main cast.   Which is why I’m going to predict which of the six DISCOVERY main players will survive until the show’s potential second year.

Michael Burnham

The producers have admitted they found it very difficult to cast Burnham, and were lucky to get THE WALKING DEAD star Sonequa Martin-Green.  Originally Bryan Fuller’s plan was to make an anthology series, with each season taking place in a different time period.  That would have been exciting, and I wouldn’t have minded that at all, but at the same time, it’s nice to build up a familiarity with the cast, watching them grow, both as individuals and as a team.  Anthology series miss that. Show bosses decided to veto that idea and a second season of DISCOVERY will see characters follow on… I have no real doubt that Burnham will still be the lead.  Too much as been made of the fact she’s a black female lead, to have her side lined.  Even if the series becomes more ensemble focussed, I’m sure Burnham will be a strong part of it.   I presume she’ll be entirely redeemed from her 'Mutineer’ status, and expect her to be reinstated, with a new rank and position. Whilst I wouldn’t be surprised if she ends up as a Captain in time, I think the second season will be a little soon.  Maybe Executive Officer?  Maybe the Science officer?  Depends on who the commanding officer is (see below).   The only thing, and really the only thing, that could get in the way of Burnham’s presence in future seasons is that pesky word 'canon’.  She has never been mentioned anywhere else in Treklore… and whilst that’s understandable (Discovery hadn’t been created yet!) the writers might feel the need to keep her a secret from the record books… I don’t think so, though.  I predict Burnham will be our lead for as long as the series runs… be that one, two or seven seasons.

Captain Gabriel Lorca

In every other Trek series, the commanding officer has been our lead, the audience entry point into the story.  Kirk, Picard, Sisko, Janeway and Archer, all heroes.  DISCOVERY is unique in that the main character is a lower level Starfleet officer. This mean’s the commanding officer can be… something different.  Captain Lorca is definitely something different.  Shrouded in mystery, already his attitude and actions are questionable and unlike those commanding officers names above. I like it. Lorca is interesting.  We don’t know what his motives are, not really.  He can keep secrets from us in a way the others couldn’t.   Jason Isaac’s doesn’t have a habit of playing heroes, more likely a villain.  Is Lorca a villain?  Or is Discovery playing with shades of grey?  Probably the latter, but that doesn’t discount the former.   Isaac’s has stated that he didn’t sign on until he was told Lorca’s entire arc.  I’ll say that again - entire arc.  To me that suggests Lorca won’t be a regular character come the show’s second season.  I wouldn’t be surprised at all if the last episode of season one, see’s Lorca, fully revealed as a villain and ultimately his demise.   However, I’d like to suggest something else.   I don’t know if we’ll ever fully know, or be able to call Lorca a 'hero’ or 'villain’.  He might be justified in his actions.  Or at least, justified in himself, even if not to others.  I do not see him continuing as a regular, certainly not as the commanding officer of the USS Discovery.  What I’d like to see, is Lorca to 'do a Krycek’.  In THE X FILES, the second season introduced a new partner for Mulder in the form of wet-behind-the-ears agent Alex Krycek.  He turned out to be a villain, but rather than kill him off, they had him run off and become one of those interesting rogue players, out for himself, shifting loyalties as he saw fit.  He’d pop up over future series, and you’d be guaranteed  that if the credits featured actor Nicholas Lea, the episode was going to be a big important one.  That’s the kind of role I’d love for Lorca.

Commander Saru

Actor Doug Jones has stated he’d love to see Saru’s homeplanet, or more people from his species in the second season.  That sounds like Saru might be around for it!  In some respects, I think Saru is the safest character for a return.  He’s the show’s only regular alien.  They created him from the ground up, and they’ll likely want to keep him.  If not for those reasons alone, then because Saru is already becoming a fan favourite, despite limited screen time.   We’ve already seen him promoted from a Lt. Commander science officer, to a first officer, and his relationship with Burnham is… complicated.  Complicated is good.  Whilst I have no doubt Saru will still be alive, what his function will be is less clear.  If I’m right about Lorca moving on/dying, Saru is the next in line to be the commanding officer.  We’ve already seen him in that position after Lorca was captured by the Klingon’s. In theory, Saru could become our first regular alien captain.  (Spock didn’t become a captain until the movies). That, in turn, would allow for Burnham to be installed as his first officer. An interesting way to continue their relationship. However, I predict something else. I reckon the showrunners will bring in a new captain.  Maybe with another 'name’ in the role, to get in new interest?  I predict a new captain, with Saru continuing as the first officer.  This would also keep Burnham further away from the captain’s chair, which is possibly the best thing for the series at this point.  

Lieutenant Paul Stamets

Stamets’ is a tricky one.  He’s a science officer, not an engineer, but is essentially the chief engineer on the USS Discovery. That’s because the ship was built entirely around Stamets’ work on the spore drive.  Now, we know that the spore drive is doomed to failure.  We know that because if it was a success every ship made after it would use it.  Enterprise’s D & E, the USS Defiant, the USS Voyager… but none of them do.  That says it all.  Discovery will likely be the only ship (RIP the USS Glenn) to use the spore drive… and we’re not entirely certain how long it will be able to continue to use it.  Either way, Stamets’ role is very linked to it.  No Spore drive, and probably no use for Stamets.    Episode 5 saw Stamets link himself to the drive and something odd has happened to him.  He saw the universe, and our last image of him was his 'delayed’ mirror image.  This might well tie in somehow to the mirror universe, but might be more personal to Stamets. I have no idea what Stamets’ storyline will be from here on in, and that makes it hard to predict whether he’ll stick around for season two.  I’m going out on a limb and say, yes.  I think the Discovery will continue to use the spore drive in future seasons, or a version of him.  Maybe with Stamets 'plugged in’… but I believe Stamets will continue in his Engineer/Science role.  They could shift him to a more straight forward science position of course, but I’ll edge away from that.

Question/Theory.  Whilst everyone is suggesting Stamets may now be something to do with the Mirror universe, I’ll just pose the question… do we know how the Q Continuum was created?  Could Stamets be the start? He has access to the entire universe, after all… (If he is, then no, I doubt he’d be a regular in season two… but it’s a fun question to ask).

Cadet Sylvia Tilly

Ah, Tilly.  The first character in Trek to drop the F-bomb.  Her place in History is now secure.  She young, and unsure… but she has ambition.  She might be annoying to a few, but to many she’s a comedic character, adding light to the shade.  She is supposedly a talented engineer and this is something to watch out for.  I believe she might end up the chief engineer should Stamets move on… or, and this is what I predict, she’ll work with Stamets to sort the spore drive - for the time being, anyway.   I did consider she might have been put in to win the audience over, be the ultimate likable one, before getting killed off by Lorca or something to cement an 'aww’ factor.  But the more I watch, the more I think, we’ll see Tilly change, and grow.  We’ll see her progress through the ranks.  I’m expecting Ensign Tilly to head up the Engine room with Lieutenant Stamets in season two.

Lieutenant Ash Tyler

Our last regular character… but one which is surrounded by a very interesting fan theory.  One I’m totally behind.   I, like many, believe that Tyler is in fact the Klingon Voq, surgically altered to look human.  There’s so much evidence to support this… both in the story, and in real life/behind the scenes.  If this is true, then expect Lorca’s pet tribble to out his cunning plan in the last third of the season… and that mean’s Tyler’s role will be done.  I don’t see Voq/Tyler continuing into season two. Probably killed by Burnham in the season one finale.

Haven’t heard the Tyler/Voq theory?  Behold the evidence:

In episode 4, L'Rell (Mary Chieffo) offers Voq a visit to her matriarch or spies but it’ll cost him… 'everything’.  Episode 5, Tyler has been in a Klingon prison cell, on L'Rell’s ship, and look’s surprisingly spritely. She also has a thing for him.  He’s been on the ship for seven months.  But we know (from the previous episode) she’s been with Voq stranded on T'Kuvma’s ship for the first six months of the war.  The story doesn’t check out.  In real life, actor Shazad Latif (who has been credited on the titles since episode one, but has only just appeared in episode 5) was originally announced as a Klingon back in December.  Months later he was reannounced as Ash Tyler.  We know he was about for filming back in the early episodes (he was out on the town with co-stars… check their social media).  The description of his character was a protégé to T'Kuvma - a description that certainly fits the Voq character.  His character may have been named Kol, and we now know Kenneth Mitchell plays Kol, and opposing Klingon presence… and finally, you try googling the 'actor’ credited for Voq. You will only see one credit, and it’ll be Voq.  Basically, Shazad Latif plays Voq, has been there since the beginning, and this explains a lot. 

It’s actually quite clever, and I think many fans will welcome this plot twist if we’re correct. It works on many levels.  We know, in the TOS era, Klingon’s should look human, but there was no real way for a 2017 series to 'do’ one of those Klingon’s.  But look at Latif.  The colour of his skin, the black goatee… he’s a pretty good fit for a modern take on the Human looking Klingons.  It also gives a practical explanation for the new look Klingons.  The new mask-type makeup on the Klingons allow a complete change of identity.  You can’t tell what the actor looks like under the Voq makeup.  Imagine the character with Worf-style makeup.  You can clearly make out actors… such as when Avery Brooks and Tim Russ have 'played Klingons’.  For this plot twist to be pulled off, Klingon’s needed a bit of a redesign.  If the theory is right, maybe as fans we can cut the show some slack.

So there we are.  To answer my question - which of the regulars will still be regulars come season two?  Burnham, Saru, Tilly and possibly Stamets.  I don’t believe for a second that either Lorca or Tyler will continue on. 

Furthermore, I think we’ll get a new Captain in… maybe a female one?  I wouldn’t be surprised if Wilson Cruz’ Dr. Culber gets upgraded to regular.  Right now he’s only a supporting player.  This could mean he’s got a bullet with his name on it.  But he does play one half of Trek’s first ever gay couple.  That might be enough to keep him alive, unless Uber-Stamets somehow kills him off in season one? I predict an upgrade though.

What do you think?  Do you believe the Tyler/Voq theory? Will Lorca survive the season?  What’s going on with Stamets?  Will Saru receive another promotion?

Let me know!

[jbk405]

What happened with Landry was just stupid.  So, so stupid.

Seriously.

That one point pretty much ruins the entire episode for me, because it’s such a stupidly stupid moment of stupidity.  This was something Philip J. Fry would do when he steps out of Leela’s guidance for five minutes and gets himself killed.  Like when he tried to buy gills on the street and agreed to have his lungs removed (Gills to be installed several days later).  That is how stupid it was.

It’s just....I am now going to list all of the ways the characters could have done this differently to not be so self-defeatingly stupid:

1) Use the transporter to remove a portion of the creature without ever needing the enter the enclosure.

2) Use a remote or robotic arm to gain access to the creature without ever needing to enter the enclosure.

3) Have the creature immobilized by forcefields before entering the enclosure.

4) Wear a protective suit while entering the enclosure.

5) Verify with sensors that the creature has been sedated before opening the cage.

6) Just stand there and wait ten goddamn seconds to see if the creature stops moving before opening the cage.

That’s six common-sense ideas that I came up with in literally less than a minute (I timed myself).  These and other common sense ideas can be gleaned from real-life zoological practices for the care of dangerous animals, and the application of Star Trek technology that has been actively used before in this very series (Including in this goddamn scene).

if you for some reason needed to kill Landry here (Maybe Rekha Sharma could only commit to two episodes), have her be killed in a way that doesn’t make her death a boon to the gene pool through self-removal.  Maybe have the removed arm be capable of independent movement and attack her after separation (à la The Thing) as part of the creature’s ability to utilize the super-connections of the series.  Maybe have some of the ship’s equipment malfunction due to the failed earlier jump, and that allows it to break from the reasonable precautions Landry had taken.  Maybe have Michael attack her in defense of the creature after Landry’s abuse becomes too severe.  I would even be happy to have her trip and fall and hit her head when getting out of the shower, which sadly claims many lives in the real world every year.   Just have it not be a Darwin Award.

I’m honest-to-god angry here.  They’ve killed off a what should have been an important recurring character for the show, who was an important officer in a critical point of the ship’s command structure, and removed a fantastic actress from the series, for no adequate in-universe reason since it was SO FRAKKING STUPID.  Worf is a joke in the fandom for being incompetent as a Security Officer, but at least he never literally just opened the door and let something out.

Normally I want something as significant as the death of a character to be a point of ongoing reflection and consequence in a series, but here I hope this is never mentioned again.  I hope this is forgotten, because there is no way to make this a constructive part of a future episode.

Please, let this point be as disregarded as Jonathan Archer.

[orhelponefaintingrobin]

Star Trek: Discovery - Episode 4 - “The Butcher’s Knife Cares Not for the Lamb’s Cry” - Review

Okay, Star Trek: Discovery time again. Spoilers.

This week’s episode, “The Butcher’s Knife Cares Not for the Lamb’s Cry” was an interesting mix of old and new Star Trek.

On the one hand, Discovery continues to be a type of Star Trek we have never seen before. You do need to have watched the other episodes first, for the storyline, there is definitely a slightly darker feel to it, as there has been in previous weeks, etc. And I still don’t think that’s entirely a bad thing. Even though everyone might not like it, they are trying something do with the franchise, and I think that’s worth a lot more than making the same show from the 80s again now.

But there’s still a lot of aspects that feel like Star Trek to me. Burnham’s curiosity and desire to learn, especially when it comes to understanding the Tardigrade’s motivation, to me, is exactly what Star Trek is about. Exploration is the spirit of Star Trek, but it’s not ALL that Star Trek is. Deep Space Nine was about war and conflict, but it did it in a way that still gave it room to explore the themes that Star Trek always was supposed to. We’re essentially only two episodes into Discovery, and it’s all one story, so that is going to happen at a slower pace, but it’s getting there, and I think it’s going to carry on doing that.

The only difference here is that it’s been shown from a different angle. Because of course not everyone in Starfleet would share the same morals. They are supposed to be individuals, and sometimes individuals aren’t quite as morally-upright as they’re supposed to be. That’s why we have characters like Lorca. Yes, he isn’t quite the classic perfect Starfleet officer, but they’re clearly going somewhere with it.

I wasn’t sure how I felt the first time I watched the episode, in all honesty. But, bearing in mind I watched it about half an hour after it released onto Netflix, and I had pretty much only just woken up, I figured it would be best to watch it again. And I did. And I enjoyed it a lot more the second time around.

Part of what I’m enjoying about Discovery is that while the storyline is very much serialised, and is very much one continuous story, it hasn’t been split up arbitrarily, and it hasn’t been split up for pure shock factor. They could definitely have tweaked the pacing/episode lengths and made every episode end on some huge cliffhanger, but instead they’ve chosen to take the story an episode at a time. Although you do really need to have watched the previous episodes to understand, the episodes themselves, so far at least, have been really nicely self-contained. Like last week’s “Context is for Kings”, “The Butcher’s Knife Cares Not for the Lamb’s Cry” is very much its own singular episode, with the major plot points resolved by the end, but that also contributes to the larger storyline and brings up questions just as soon as questions are answered. It’s a nice balance that I’m definitely enjoying.

Character-wise, this episode definitely gave us some more insight into a couple of characters. What I especially liked, as I’ve already mentioned, is how the episode pushes Michael’s curiosity. I loved the fact that she was constantly prioritising understanding the Tardigrade, something which in the end saved far more lives than using it as a weapon would have. But, at the same time, it had its own set of consequences, especially for the creature itself. There seems to be a theme through this show about consequences, and how even doing the right thing doesn’t always turn out perfect, and I’m interested to see where they’re going with it. I’m not sure where that is yet, but I think it’s going to be good when it gets there.

Lorca didn’t get too much development here, other than reinforcing his ‘by any means necessary’ ideology that is never going to turn out well for him. Saru hasn’t got too much focus yet anyway, but I do like their angle for his character. I do think that his remark last week about protecting his captain was overly harsh, but as for the rest of his behaviour towards Michael, I don’t think it’s unjustified, especially for a character as afraid of everything as the Kelpian is, and I do like the dynamic it’s creating. Obviously that’s going to evolve as the series goes on, but it’s a solid foundation for some interesting character development on both parts. Stamets got a little development here too, sort of subtly. His reaction to Lorca playing the sound from the colony was actually really intense, and it really shows that, despite the way he acts towards his crewmates (and Captain), he clearly has a sense of humanity about him. Hell, half of the reason that he’s so harsh towards Lorca is because he’s using his work for war, not for what he created it for.

All around, I do really like the characters in Discovery. Again, they feel different to the shows we’ve seen before, and I think that’s a really good thing.

So, yeah, all around, a really good episode. On balance, I think I enjoyed last week’s more, but it’s still building on the solid foundation that the show has proven to have so far. I guess we’ll see what happens next week.

Spoiler comments under the cut.

Okay, Landry. Now, I’m not going to pretend that I really care about her death from a character point of view. Her role was basically just ‘slightly mean security officer’, and although they could have pushed some development through that, it wasn’t like they’d started in the first place. Maybe they could have explored her history with Lorca, but I don’t think it was a huge loss as a character. That said, we’re back to the same issue that Georgiou’s death has, re: race. It’s not a debate I’m qualified to get into, but, while I think it’s a little over the top to go in for the ‘producers are racist’ argument, it really wasn’t the smartest choice they could have made.

Although, halfway through writing this, Anthony Rapp explained that the character was originally written as male, and was always going to get killed, before they cast Rekha Sharma. Honestly, I’m not going to pretend that it wasn’t a slightly thoughtless oversight, but I don’t think it’s anything more than that. Still shouldn’t have killed Georgiou though. Just wasn’t necessary.

We met Dr Culber, sort of. Honestly, I don’t think we can say too much about his character yet, but he seems likeable enough, and should be a decent foil for Stamets’ gruffness.

Spinning saucer! I never really thought the cut-outs in the saucer were a big deal anyway, but it’s nice that it was a thing for a reason, and the effect they used for the Spore Drive jump was awesome.

New favourite line: “That hardly seems fair. I always wanted to converse with my mushrooms” You see, he isn’t just grumpy and mean. He’s just an awkward scientist that just loves his mushrooms. And probably my favourite character in the show.

[aion-rsa]

Star Trek: Discovery Season 3 Episode 9 Easter Eggs & References

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This Star Trek: Discovery article contains spoilers for Season 3, Episode 9.

Although a casual fan doesn’t need to know the ins-and-outs of Star Trek canon to get into Star Trek: Discovery, it certainly helps! Although all of Discovery Season 3 has been set in a “new” part of the Trek timeline, the 32nd Century to be exact, the series hasn’t entirely been freed of canon restraints. From Trill, to Starfleet history, and beyond, Discovery Season 3 has been a rollercoaster of connections to the entire sprawling canon of Trek. And, as “Terra Firma Part 1” proves, that canon isn’t just limited to one universe. Here are all the Easter eggs and references we caught in Discovery Season 3, Episode 9, “Terra Firma, Part 1.”

The Kelvin Universe 

Right at the top of the episode, the mysterious Kovich (David Cronenberg) explains to Culber that traveling both across time and jumping from different universes can “make you pretty sick,” and in the case of a “time soldier” named Yor, can be fatal. This 2379 Starfleet officer is a Betelgeusian, but also “from a parallel universe caused by the temporal incursion of a Romulan mining ship.” This is the first time in “Prime” Trek canon that we’ve been told outright that they’re even aware of the Kelvin Universe. Further, Yor is the first glimpse of the future of what Starfleet looks after the reboot films in that timeline. Basically, Yor’s uniform might look like an early TNG-era jumpsuit, but because he’s got a 2370s combadge, it’s a bit of a mishmash. 

TLDR: In the future of the Kelvin Universe, they dress like it’s the beginning of TNG. But, who knows? Maybe in Yor’s universe, gold in 2379 still means “command.” 

Oh! And Yor’s death also neatly explains why Old Spock died off screen in Star Trek Beyond. Kovich says: “Before Georgiou, Yor was the only individual known to have traveled across time and dimensions.” This implies his files don’t know about Old Spock, who did the same. The question is: How does Starfleet in the Prime Universe know about the Kelvin Universe (and how it was created) and not know about Old Spock going there? Hmmm?

The Temporal Wars and the Temporal Accords 

Kovich mentions both the Temporal Wars and the Temporal Accords, and mentions that the “Interdimensional displacement restriction” prevents people from going to other parallel universes on purpose. According to Daniels in Star Trek: Enterprise, the Temporal Accords existed sometime in the 31st century, roughly a hundred years before the events of Discovery Season 3, and likely before the burn. Although Discovery has mentioned “the Temporal Wars” before, it stands to reason that one aspect of these wars was the “Temporal Cold War” seen throughout all four seasons of Enterprise. 

“Maybe they’ll call you Killy after all”

Georgiou jokes that if Tilly manages to kill the crew by accident that “maybe they’ll call you Killy after all.” This references Season 1 of Discovery in which we learned that Mirror Tilly’s nickname was “Captain Killy.” Notably, we never saw Captain Killy in “Despite Yourself,” or any of the other Season 1 episodes in which she was referenced. Obviously, that changes in this episode. 

The Gamma Quadrant 

The Discovery’s computer suggests taking Georgiou to the planet Dannus V, which Michael Burnham says is “just shy of the Gamma Quadrant near the galactic rim.” So, to put this in perspective, the Gamma Quadrant is the area of space that the Bajoran Wormhole led to in Deep Space Nine. Saying this planet is just shy of the Gamma Quadrant, could indicate it’s right on the border between the Alpha and Gamma Quadrants, which would be “north” of Federation space, roughly. The galactic rim might refer to the barrier at the edge of the galaxy. This barrier was breached by the USS Enterprise in “Where No Man Has Gone Before” and again in “By Any Other Name.” Relevantly, passing through that barrier caused Gary Mitchell and Dr. Dehner to acquire PSI powers and slowly go nuts. 

Speaking of Gary Mitchell…

Admiral Vance suggests that leaving Georgiou on an “Uninhabited planet is better than a brig in the starship.” This kind of references the idea that Kirk was going to maroon Gary Mitchell on Delta Vega, rather than just kill him outright. Meanwhile, while the name of the planet here — Dannus V — is new to Trek canon, the word could reference writer Richard Danus, who wrote for both TNG and DS9.

The needs of the many must outweigh the needs of the one

Saru quotes Spock from The Wrath of Khan in his decision not to help Georgiou with her condition. He’s overruled eventually, which kind of echoes Saru’s conversation with the Vulcan president T’Rina in “Unification III,” in which she told him that maxim’s like that one were part of some bagge the Vulcans were trying to get over.

“You hesitated last time”

Vance tells Burnham that he needs to know she won’t hesitate if Georgiou gets dangerous. Burnham says, “you’re referring to Commander Airiam.” This references the events of “Project Daedalus,” in which Airiam nearly killed everyone after getting possessed by the AI called Control.

New phasers 

We’ve been seeing “new” Starfleet phasers in the opening credits for a while, but this looks like the first time someone picks one up. It also appears that the phaser morphs into something on Georgiou’s wrist. So, maybe these phasers are made of programmable matter? 

“Where I’m from we were Prime and you were the Mirror”

The idea that there is an “objective” Prime Universe, is of course fanspeak that has bled into the actual canon of Star Trek. Nobody in the Mirror Universe considers themselves to be from an alternate dimension, and ditto with the Kelvin Universe. This is the first time this kind of thing has been openly addressed on-screen in Trek canon.

“Door Doesn’t Register at All”

Burnham says that the mysterious door doesn’t “register” on her Tricorder. This is a little like the Guardian of Forever in the TOS episode “City on the Edge of Forever.” In that episode, Spock says, “For this to do what it does it does is impossible by any science I understand.”

Prefix code

When Adira and Stamets locate the Kelpien ship that is still sending a signal in the Verubin Nebula, they mention that they have the prefix code, which should be able to open up a backdoor to the systems. This references The Wrath of Khan when Kirk uses the prefix code of the Reliant to order the ship to lower its shields. 

“Die standing”

Before Georgiou walks through the magic door, she says she’d rather “die standing.” This might reference a recent tie-in novel Discovery novel called Die Standing by John Jackson Miller. In that book, there’s a character from Georgiou’s past named San, and it seems like this is the person she’s mourning in the Mirror Universe flashbacks from this season.

Lorca’s Coup

Georgiou has seemingly traveled into the Mirror Universe, and back into the year 2255. All of these events served as the backstory for Star Trek: Discovery Season 1, and effectively happened “before” the show began. For a full breakdown of all the ways Georgiou’s new trip to the Mirror Universe changes what we know of this timeline, check out this handy article. 

Epsilon Indi IV 

“Killy” references the Imperial shipyards on Epsilon Indi IV. This star system first appeared in the TOS episode “And the Children Shall Lead.”

Mirror Landry returns 

Ellen Landry, played by Battlestar Galactica veteran Rekha Sharma, returns in this episode. We haven’t seen Landry since season 1 of Discovery in which she seemingly died twice, once as Prime Landry, and again, when DISCO blew-up the Charon. Notably, Landry was part of Lorca’s coup, but it looks like nobody knows that right now.

Georgiou’s fancy title

We hear Emperor Georgiou’s fancy title twice in this episode: Her Most Imperial Majesty, Mother of the Fatherland, Overlord of Vulcan, Dominus of Qo’noS, Regina Andor, Philippa Georgiou Augustus Iaponius Centarius. We first heard this title in the Discovery episode “Vaulting Ambition.”

Evil DOT bots

The last time we visited the Mirror Universe, we hadn’t been introduced to the DOT bots from Season 2 of Discovery, yet. Here, it appears that the Terran Starfleet has red-eyed versions of these cute little things, because, of course they do.

Vahar’ai retcon

In Season 1 of Discovery, we didn’t know about the process of Vahar’ai, in which Kelpiens are supposed to turn into baddasses. In the Mirror Universe, it seems that the Terrans have taken the place of the Ba’ul, introduced in the episode, “A Sound of Thunder.” Did Georgiou know about Vahar’ai only because of her trip to the Prime Universe? Or do high-level Terrans know about it?

Owo, the security chief of the Charon

We see Owo battling to keep her job as the security chief of the Charon. In the first Mirror Timeline, she had this job. 

Georgiou’s backstory seems to foreshadow Deep Space Nine’s Mirror Universe

During the christening ceremony, we see a dramatic recreation of Georgiou’s ascension to become Emperor of the Terran Empire. One aspect of this has to do with her totally dominating the Klingons. In the future of the Mirror Universe, we learn that the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance eventually destroyed the Terran Empire. Clearly, the Klingons were harboring a hundred-year-long grudge.

Daughter of Rome

Did the Roman Empire just not fall in the Mirror Universe? When Stamets calls Georgiou a “daughter of Rome” it really makes you think that’s the case. But, if we’re meant to think that the Roman Empire didn’t fall in the ancient history of the Terran Universe, then it feels super-unlikely that all the same people would have even been born, in order to like, establish duplicates of Tilly, Stamets, Kirk, Spock, etc. I mean, I guess it’s possible, but wow, the divergence goes back that far?

Georgiou is kinda like Kirk in “Mirror, Mirror”

In terms of story beats, Georgiou is in a similar place Kirk was in “Mirror, Mirror.” Kirk spared Mirror Chekov’s life, Georgiou spares Mirror Burnham’s life. Kirk started being nice to his concubine, Georgiou is being nice to her slave, the Mirror Saru. In both cases, the characters know that everyone will freak out if they keep acting nice and forgiving to people around them, so an air of arrogance and bluster is required. The difference is Kirk only had to fake it until he made it out of the Mirror Universe. What’s Georgiou gonna do? Fake it until she reforms the Terran Empire? 

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Star Trek: Discovery Season 3 has four new episodes left this season. Those all stream on Thursdays on CBS All Access.

The post Star Trek: Discovery Season 3 Episode 9 Easter Eggs & References appeared first on Den of Geek.

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