Last night's Star Trek Discovery episode, "Choose Your Pain," was a great microcosm of what is good and bad about this show so far. We see a crew of diverse people and cultures working together on a space-ship toward a common goal. We follow along with their adventures and maybe learn something about ourselves and our own present-day society through the veil of great sci-fi story-telling. Just what we loved about all the old Star Trek series right?! Well, the other side of that is all the darkness this show brings with it... The brooding characters, and their anger, sarcasm, bitterness and anxiety. Not to mention the simply darker cinematography and the more blatant backdrop of war. Star Trek Deep Space Nine featured the Dominion war prominently throughout its run, but you could always count on a light-hearted B-story to brighten the mood. So far, in the world of Discovery, there is no light-hearted B-story to take you away from the dire state of the war with the Klingons; only little character moments here and there that may give rise to a smirk or chuckle if you are lucky.
From this Trekkie's perspective, I don't mind this dire-Trek. In my mind there is no reason there can't be room for all sorts of genres in the Trek universe: comedy, drama, action, dramedy...avante garde cinema! Give me all of it. This show is undoubtedly a drama. It also portrays characters with conflict and depth of emotions. I don't see this as breaking with Gene Roddenberry's call for all his shipmate characters to always get along and never have any conflict, because "in the future that's the way it will be." I see this as the time period in Trek canon when there has to be conflict. These scientists and explorers are suddenly thrust into a war that they want no part of, but they have to take part in. I see this era of conflict as when the Federation and Starfleet will become the peace-loving, much less militaristic organizations that they are; so that by the time Kirk becomes a captain in 10 short years, the Federation wants nothing to do with war, and will avoid it at all costs.
This is the time period where we get to see the loss, pain and trials of the Klingon war, and how Starfleet becomes what it is after it. How exciting! So let these characters brood and fight among themselves! Let the drama unfold and see how it forms the Trek we all love. I loved Star Trek Enterprise, but it showed a budding Starfleet that was already too touchy-feely and Utopian. They hadn't really had time to figure that out and really earn it. Discovery is going to show us how they earn every piece of that fantastical future of a non-conflicting, drama free workplace.
As for this episode in particular, Captain Lorca is kidnapped by the Klingons and acting Captain Saru must take charge and gethim back. To do this they must use the spore drive, which Michael warns him is killing the creature that runs it. Even after finding proof of this with Doctor Hugh Culber and Chief Engineer Stamets, Saru persists they use the creature to power the drive immediately. They use the drive to get into Klingon space and it nearly kills the creature.
Meanwhile Captain Lorca becomes acquainted with Harry Mudd in the Klingon prison and befriends Lieutenant Ash Tyler, who has been there for 7 months, even before the war officially started. Turns, out Mudd is helping the Klingons (probably against his will) to gather information from the other prisoners, so Tyler and Lorca make their escape and leave Mudd behind, much to his chagrin. Discovery meets Lorca and Tyler in their stolen Klingon shuttle and jump away with the spore drive...this time secretly powered by Stamets instead of poor Ripper. Michael frees Ripper back into space and then Stamets and Dr. Culber brush their teeth together. They're a couple! But then...Stamets walks away from the mirror, and his reflection stays and smiles. (One of the creepiest things I've seen on Star Trek to be sure...)
As usual, the action was fantastically done, with great special effects, and the Klingon makeup, costumes, and set design was expertly done. (Putting aside all the problems with canon and how they look so different from earlier Trek without explanation [yet] it all looks damn good.) As for our show lead, Michael Burnham, she is starting to take more initiative on the ship, opening up a bit more to her new friend Sylvia Tilly, and had a little spark of something when she meets Ash Tyler at the very end of the episode. Saru is warming up to Burnham again, and the moment when she gives him Captain Georgiou's telescope was a great bonding moment for them. The moment announcing the first openly gay couple in the main cast of a Star Trek TV show was expertly done, with a simple yet intimate scene of the couple brushing their teeth next to each other.
For me, the introduction of Harry Mudd into this series made sense to me in the context the put it, and was not forced as I feared it might be. I think Rain Wilson did a wonderful job of capturing the essence of the original series Mudd, without going to over the top with impersonation. It would have felt a little out of place if he did in this more grounded series. I'm excited to see where they go with him, as he is slated to be in five episodes this season according to IMDB.
But the big cliffhanger is Stamets and his mirror buddy! We already heard from the producers that there will be episodes in this first season that deal with the Mirror Universe. Did Stamets inserting himself into the spore drive cause some rift into the Mirror Universe? I think we will soon find out...
I am excited to see where this show goes, but I do so hope that add just a TAD more levity, which would also help make more of the characters more likeable. As of right now, I would only want to get a beer with Dr. Culber and Cadet Tilly. Everyone else is so darn dour! Tune in next week....