A very movie like beginning wirh Book's ship heading out, doing some moves, and heading towards that planet. All the while only this playful music playing.
Really good scene where a people voice their concerns about the Federation's intentions. We may know they're the good guys, but in their experience they are not.
Book and Michael's back and forth is always so fun to whitness.
In that chase that planet reminded me of the one in the new season 5 trailer… 👀
LOVE Adira and Stamets' personal "Warp particles" moment! 😁
I really like the look of the new uniforms. But I also like that cool leather jacket.
Awww, Book ❤️ Michael
Big day for Starfleet with the Academy opening again after 125 years.
Great intro to Laira Rillak.
Archer's Theme! 😢 One of my top favourite pieces of Stat Trek music.
Tilly's face when Rillak came on board! 😆
"A question doesn't imply auestioning, Captain." Love that. Because it's true.
"There will always be those who fear what they do not understand." Truth!
I really love Su'kal.
For a second I believed Nalas would get through this alive. 😢
Ooh, Rillak touching a sore spot.
😭 Kwejian destroyed — what a horrible thing to see for Book and everyone!
Momma Burnham is back, yay! I like her. What about a Qowat Milat book set in the 32nd century?
I love Tilly this episode.
Wait a minute… One scene we say hello to Guardian Xi (Hi 🤗), and when we come back to sick bay the thing has already happened? We didn't even see it start? I remember a scene where Xi is standing between the two beds with one hand on Adira and one on Gray. Am I imagining things? This was not in the episode though. I'm confused.
More awesome costumes.
Poor Stamets, he's having such a frustrating day.
😭 Book!
Hello and welcome back, Gray!
Watching this season again it's interesting watching Book. For so long it seems Michael and the others can bring him back and keep him safe. But it is working in him always and he will fall back eventually. Which will be hard to watch, but I like that they are doing it. The path through grief is not linear.
I love how Culber says to Tilly: "Go, get inspired!"
Grey being so confident is such a contrast to Adira. I like how he literally pushes them out into the world to explore without him.
Hoo boy, poor Tilly. Tough assignment she's got there. Very Galileo 7, is it not? Poor Lt. Callum.
Are the Cs the new red shirts? 🧐 We had Connor, Connolly and now Callum who all died rather quickly. One of them even twice.
T'Rina ❤️ Saru
Love the Enterprise love!
The thing between Book and Culber is so good. I love that Book's grief is coming in waves. I love that it's not gone yet. I love everything about it even though of course it breaks my heart. I love how very slowly there seems to be some understanding growing between the two.
On first watching this episode when it first aired, I didn't like the whole Tilly and the cadets bit. But now I do. I really like the cadets and wished we could see more of them. But too much time may have passed. I still hope we'll meet them again in the Academy show. I want to know where they are now.
Ok, confession time: This is the first time I really rolled my eyes on the fact that it's Michael who is the centre of it. Is there no other person suitable to be on this committee? It's important to me that you don't get me wrong, Michael is one of my favourite characters, she's the centre of the show, she's the hero, love it. But I wished that for once the writers wouldn't have made her the solution here.
"Articles of the Federation" is one of my top favourite Trek novels and I LOVE that we get the president of the Federation and the politics around her in a show more than ever before. I enjoy Rillak and T'Rina and their maneuvering so much.
Tarka's entrance is something. LOL I like the character and the actor. He's a pompous ass. But I like when things get disturbed and feathers are ruffled.
I like how they inserted Reno here and wished they had found a way to do more of it earlier and before she comes back later this season.
Michael dressing that magistrate down 👌
Somehow I'm not sure what to say about the Examples themselves. Other than that Felix (and his actor) impressed me. He has this grace and calmness, or groundedness, about him that I really admire. I would like to be able to live that too one day.
Tarka you calculating and manipulating ass. I'll never forgive you that.
Gray alone in the lounge, starting to talk to Zora is a great scene. It‘s the scene we never got in TNG, where the civilians must have felt similar.
Dr Pollard! ❤️
Ensign Cortez (the poor guy)! It is the Cs! They are the new red shirts. Has anyone documented this somewhere? Is that only in Discovery or in other shows as well? Am I on to something here? … OMG! 😱 Culber died too!
"You bore witness. That is something." A very important thing, bearing witness! (One of my top favourite Doctor Who episodes is "Demons of the Punjab", which I was reminded of by Saru's statement.)
I love a good walk down the corridor in slow motion before battle. 😎 And sparks. 💥
Great scene between Book and Saru at the end. And great scenes between Book and his father.
"We always mean well to ourselves. The problem is what that means for others."
Communication and diplomacy are important in normal times. And they are even more important in not normal times. Even more important. Because it is in those not normal times where they are needed the most.
Who exactly got invited to this assembly? Who has the right to vote? Why does Michael have a right to vote? Is she speaking for Starfleet? 🤨 I'm confused.
Oh the heartbreak! 💔 I am fully on Michael's side of the argument. But damn that was hard for her to do.
First glimpse into Tarka's story. Another heartbreak.
Saru ❤️ T'Rina, and her looks at him are wonderful.
The whole thing with Zora was great. I loved that mediation session. Well written and well executed.
That Book leaves Grudge with Michael is saying so much. I love that. I love that they never stop loving each other through this whole thing, and that Michael never gives up on Book.
Vance is looking so… sheepish? Is that the right word? at the dressing down. 😆
You can see Vance is planning something right from the moment when Rillak gives her orders to Discovery.
I like Haz Mazaro's Karma Barge. And I like Haz.
Joann "Oh Wow" Owosekun! Wooo! 💪
Book's look at Michael when she says she wants to inspect the isolynium! ❤️
The looks and words between Book and Michael when they were the only ones left at the game. 🥺
Tarka is so self absorbed. He thinks his pain is the worst and no one could ever feel a loss like he does. It doesn't even occur to him that others might have lost someone close to them, too.
Nhaaaaan!! It's so good to have her back. If only for one episode. "Yum yum!"
Also, I need this eyeshadow now. Rillak is wearing it, Nhan is wearing it. Must be quite en vogue in 3190.
Oh sweet sweet Saru! ❤️ Him talking to T‘Rina was so sweet. And his advice seeking from Culber is even sweeter.
Tarka, that ass! He's been using Book from day 1. And Book is letting him! Book thinks he's got Tarka under control, but gets outmaneuvered all the time -- and still doesn't change course. Well, he at least wanted to take a break for a week, but then Tarka sabotaged that.
Vance's look when Burnham wants him and Rillak to go with her. 🤣
Love the scene between Vance and Rillak. Love the photography, the silent moments. I want a Rillak origin story novel.
Wow! That was a long intro before the title sequence!
Oros ❤️
Tarka is an arrogant ass and he knows it. Doesn't make him less human (you know what I mean) or less worthy of our compassion. Because compassion is what distinguishes good people from bad ones.
"If we can't communicate with each other, what chance do we have with them?"
Federation HQ is the coolest ass thing I've ever seen. Warping through space like a spear?? Consisting of modules who are also warp capable?? 😎
Tilly is back! Her hair is looking much better than earlier this season.
Great cut between Tilly in Federation HQ to Burnham on the Discovery.
The presto chango button. (I find it funny.)
Phew! Of course Book came around. He's a good man. ❤️
Even though Tarka is that selfish, arrogant a-hole I still felt sad for him and loved that Book held him for a bit.
T'Rina — bad ass woman.
I still like the spore jump effect. It's cool.
General Ndoye going into her mission in her full uniform. 😭
Michael after book's transport signal disappeared! 😭
"My mom and I didn't have an easy relationship at all, but I always knew she loved me." 😭
I love those moments in Federation HQ between Vance and Tilly.
"He was my 'one'." 😭😭😭
Good speech from Book.
Saru and T'Rina — they're holding hands! 😍
When I first watched this episode I got the feeling from all the build up they were doing, that the president of Earth must be someone special. Either a character we know or an actor. I was expecting something big. But then the shuttle door opened and I was like "Who's that?". 🤣 Did I have to know that person?? She clearly was not an experienced actor. But who was she then??? I had to do an internet search to find out who she was. So yeah, that did not have any special impact on me unfortunately. Cool gesture and message for sure! I wished they would have chosen someone that had a more global impact and message, though. But Star Trek still is an American tv show, isn't it. 😉
Anyway, ending with an image of Earth showing an unusual angle was cool. Or am I missing something here too? 😅
The influence Covid had on everything is very very visible and should always be kept in mind when we talk about this season.
The theme of how important empathy, compassion and communication is, is now more important than it even was 2 years ago. Listening is so so important. Listening carefully, asking questions if necessary, and not jumping to conclusions immediately or throwing a tantrum and being an asshole.
In that regard, this season was probably the most trek-y of them all.
I love the character development.
I love that some of the actors got a chance to do other projects during the season. That gave their characters a chance to develop even off screen, especially Tilly.
Lt. Christopher was a good replacement for Bryce though. He's got a C-name though and I am scared for him now.
Because the Cs being the new redshirts must be a thing, right? No-one commented on that at all, but I'll be watching the casualties' names next season, that's for sure. 🧐
Has anyone counted the number of "uncertainties" though? 🫣😇