Having set the table so impressively for this chapter of Star Trek in what I thought was a near perfect first episode, this second half of the pilot felt like the calm after the storm. The momentum and excitement of the The Vulcan Hello was replaced with self-conscious dialouge, and plodding pacing and storytelling. Maybe the worse thing about part two is that I don't actually have much to say about it. That is never a good sign.
Picking up the cliff hanger ending from TVH, this episode opens with a stand-off between Captain Phillipa Georgiou and Commander Michael Burnham. Georgiou had the Commander arrested for assaulting her. Through flash backs we get more background on Michael's Vulcan training as a youngster. We also also jumped back seven years to when Michael first arrived on the ship and meet the crew. One interesting thing about this scene was Michael's reaction upon first seeing Lt. Saru (Doug Jones). Saru is of Kelpien descent, which draws a negative response from Michael. This ties in nicely to the plot in the present of her reacting violently towards the Klingon's. She is basically judging their intentions without getting to know them, just like the reaction she appears to have towards Saru. I can't really say what I think about these flashback sequences until further into the series where the real purpose of them should be revealed. I'm not always the biggest fan of flashbacks. They tend to slow the plot down, and just feel like a clunky way to fill backstory, which could be better explained through actions in the present. If a show does use flashbacks then it is best to do so in the opening episodes rather than later on.
The episode dives a bit deeper into the tension on the Klingon side of things. We see a conflict over who should be leader, and we see more of the rituals of their race, some of which did feel a bit cheesy and heavy handed. While Georgiou is trying to steady relations with the Klingon ship, a locked up Michael is visited via telepathic connection by guardian Sarek who uses his powers to help Michael bust out. It was at this point where the episode started taking a down turn. Michael getting locked up only to escape so quickly felt weak and pointless to me. The interactions with Sarek were a bit unconvincing. I have a feel that he is a character who cannot be trusted. He was acting to very heelish. If that proves to be true then it felt a little overly telegraphed. I do like him using the classic line, "Live Long and Prosper." The delivery was bang on too and he gave it a more sinister air.
Another rushed deveolpment was when Michael returns to the bridge, how quickly she convinces the Captain to forgive her actions and to go with her plan of attack (which is to kidnap the Klingon Captain T'Kuvma). In a strange sequence the Commander and Captain beam aboard the Kingon ship and a OTT fight spills out. The fight felt physical and was really well directed. Yet, there was something about it which felt just a bit camp, and like the sort of battle scene you might see in the Sci-Fi adventures from past decades. Because of that reason the scene worked for me very well. It was like a throw back to some of the more cartoonish b-movie elements from the original show (which lets face it was a big part of its charm and each new version I think should have the odd b-movie style moments). And of course it was there to set up a big moment. As Burnham over powers Voq, Georgiou attempts to capture T'Kuvma, but the tables are turned and the Captain is killed. A distressed Burnham (lets not forget Michael and Georgiou have known each other for the past seven years), kills T'Kuvma before transporting out of harms way. Vog vows to honour T'Kuvma by avenging his death. The episode ends with Burnham being sentenced to life imprisonment because of her actions.
The double surprises of Georgiou being killed (maybe not a massive shock considering Burnham is looking very much the show's lead, though the Captain's death was effectively handled for me), and then Michael getting the life sentence, certainly made for a gut punch of a ending. The ending had a good hook at least. There were some interesting moments, and gripping action scenes like the first part. But the pacing was off. The sequences involving the Klingons were not as convincing as the previous episode. Another problem was that Sonequa Martin-Green did not impress as much this time around. The reason for this I believe might be that she is more natural when playing a cold, masculine type of character, than the emotional one seen here. Whatever the case she's a very interesting character. If she does take the lead for the rest of the season (she is in every episode I believe) then its interesting that she has been set up from the start as a flawed character, and maybe not the most trust worthy. One of the most interesting characters so far has been Saru and he is brilliant played by Doug Jones. He just has a wonderful energy and bemused wit to him. One thing I don't think I commented on when reviewing the preious episode was the new title sequence. Having seen it a second time here, have to say I'm not too impressed. It does feel like something which has been thrown together on the cheap, and telegraphs the creator's attempts to reference the old shows, but give this new one a modern feel. Its a very cold and genric credit sequence for me.
Taking these two parts as one whole story of the pilot, its a hit and miss start. Still there are enough intriging elements to keep me interested in the coming episodes.
My next Star Trek Discovery Review will be up next Monday.
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