Spoilers Star Trek: Discovery 5x04 - "Face the Strange"

That was a lot of fun, it reminded me of Shattered from VOY.

I loved Burnham and Rayner bonding over their similarities over the disruptive pasts during their careers. I also liked seeing Stamets more to do.

I loved seeing Airiiam in the past with the rest of the bridge crew. It would have been nice to see Lorca again, but it didn't detract from the episode.

Also when Burnham and Raynar jumped into the future with Zora alone on the ship, was that reference to the Short Trek Calypso? It felt like it was to me.

10.

 

I was wondering about that. I think it was the same music. Perhaps they will still play into that later on. Calypso was the best of the Short Treks for me.

 

I enjoyed this one. Would have been nice to see Spock and Sarek again, with Michael telling Spock how proud she's of him. Maybe too much.

 

The guy Moll and L’ak killed for the Krenim time spider did have bumps on his temples like the Voyager makeup. I wonder if he was meant to be a redesigned Krenim

 

I half expected to see Airiam show up when they went back to the normal time, or some kind of thank you message from her, because of the change - but they stuck with the rule that no-one would remember within a cycle.

Also I was surprised that Commander Rayner was not more shocked when they went back to the 23rd Century. I has assumed Discovery's past would remain classified, and they would have to have the conversation and swearing secrecy etc.

Guess he was briefed before taking the post.

 

Possibly the most fun an episode Disco have done imo.

Last week I was thinking he was still on the dark, and suspicious of something being off. This week though, just before the jumps started, he made a comment about how they never had to live through The Burn, so I realised he'd already been briefed.

 

I was wondering if he was a Rilnar as their genome was used to cure a disease that was ravaging the Krenim before Annorax’s time IIRC.

 

9 from me. Really enjoyed this one. I've always been a sucker for Trek time travel episodes. My only disappointment was when they were in Lorcas time, and he didn't appear. Nice to see Airiam again though. Was that a James Bond Casino Royale reference? (Vesper Martini. And people say Callum Keith Rennie looks a bit like Daniel Craig). Really fun episode

 

Haven’t seen this much TECHing the TECH in some time…

 

6

It was formulaic. I can't help but think that Voyager did this better in Shattered. The scene between Ryaner and season 1 Burham at the end was pretty cool. Although not technically a filler episode, everything that happened to move the characters' relationships and the season's narrative was so minor that it could have been dropped into any story. I would have loved if they had done more of a Trials and Tribble-ations thing, trying to fit in stylistically and behaviorally, even if they didn't integrate the actors into old footage.

Let me add that there were a few things that were gratuitous. Rayner doesn't know the basics about how starships move? I get they needed to bring up warp fields to explain the solution, but they made Rayner look unnecessarily like a moron. And why would the bridge crew be surprised that Airiam would sacrifice herself for the crew? Wouldn't they all?

 

They used those on the old Discovery Uniforms

Pretty sure its the room the spore drive box thing is in, since it looks like its based on the TOS engineering design.

 

Noticed a minor continuity error, the 32nd century starfleet logo on the ready room floor stays there no matter when they are.

I think Burnham giving her override code to Rayner is going to come up again

 

That was a competent hour of Trek, if a bit of a retread from the Voyager episode Shattered - though done more effectively than on that series, because there was a purpose beyond memberberries, which was to further Rayner's arc, building a trusting relationship between him and Burnham. It also helped to showcase the changes in the characters over the course of the series - most notably Michael, but even Stamets made note of how he used to be much grumpier. It's always good to see the writers are being deliberate in their choices, and to reflect in what has become the final season regarding the total journey of Discovery.

I do have some individual grumbles, though. One was Michael monologuing to her past self - while unconscious - when there was a literal ticking clock. Discovery has always liked sticking these ridiculous, writerly moments when there should be suspense, and this has to be one of the most groan worthy. I also think the show missed a beat by not having Reno share a drink with Rayner at the end, and the closing scene needed to provide a bit more urgency - suggesting that Moll and La'k actually beat the Discovery to the piece. That would have made all of this seem like a genuine setback, rather than just a random encounter.

By far the biggest miss though, was having Rayner talk down past Burnham. I think he should have killed her. Yeah, you could argue it wouldn't work with the heavy theming they're building about how Rayner needs to foster trust, but it's easy to flip it around and showcase she was at a point of low trust then, but has changed - and he can change as well. I also think it would make their relationship as captain and XO more interesting if he had defeated her in the past. I mean, goddamn, it's a throwaway timeline, why wouldn't you kill at least one person in the regular cast?

That said, I did like the episode overall, and I do think it's the most effective episode of Trek yet this season. More of this, please.

 

That was said to be the spore control auxiliary room. There was always a separate Engineering room.

 

Stamets may be Chief, but Reno is definitely the Top Engineer.

 

Good to see Airiam again. Burnham vs. Burnham is something I never knew I wanted to see. People have mentioned "Shattered" but this also reminds me a little bit of "Relativity". Rayner's "use 20 words to tell me something not in your file" approach from last week paid off here. Glad to see more of the Burnham/Rayner dynamic and the Stamets/Rayner dynamic.

Before Rayner, I made peace with DSC ending after five seasons. But now, especially after this week, I'm hoping for a Discovery TV Movie down the road or that someone someway un-cancels Discovery later on ("not going to happen!" I know, I know... ) Rayner kicks ass and takes names. I could see him in SFA as a Red Forman type. "I'm going to put my foot in your ass, Cadet!"

 

Some years ago, I told a poster quite forcefully, "No one gives a shit about the Temporal War." I've changed my mind. Now this is something I'd want to see.

 

"Get a better helmet."



Damn I love Reno!!!

 

Makes total sense the Krenim would be involved in the Temporal War even if Annorax never built the Weapon Ship.