Spoilers Star Trek: Discovery 1x05 - "Choose Your Pain"

[Timo]

But we could also argue that abandoning the system and instead choosing to expend millions of lives in conventional war is not a viable choice for Starfleet.

The Mirror Thing is amusing for being unintentionally self-defeating: it has already been established that future mirrors simply are like that - the mirror image can be 3D, made to rotate, linger and for all we know dance polka out of synch with the thing being mirrored.

It's a bit like the "death" of Mace Windu. The guy gets electrocuted by the Force, his hands cut off, and the rest thrown down from a million-storey building - all survivable things for a Jedi, as very specifically established in the previous movies!

Timo Saloniemi

 

[XCV330]

Buran does seem to be an unfortunate name for a space craft, either in Star Trek or the real world. The real Buran, according to After Trek, was destroyed when the hanger it was in collapsed when there was too much snow on it.

On the other hand the original shuttle Buran performed the first automated return by a spaceplane from orbit. X-37 does it more or less regularly now, and hopefully Dreamchaser will soon, but it was unheard of when Buran did it (and that was with electromechanical computers). It was a historic ship, even if it was a technological dead end that came to a bad end.

 

[HGN2001]

Perfect episode. Really enjoyed it, and it's really feeling more like part of the STAR TREK universe now.

I'm liking the way that things are unfolding slowly, rather than setting the whole thing up in a pilot where we meet all of the characters and then "put them to work" in episode two. This time they are presenting us with an unfamiliar environment and are slowly, gradually peeling away the layers. Lorca was initially totally unlikable, but now we're starting to feel a bit different toward him. Same with Stamets.

CBS All Access has been quite reliable every week. I have no issues with picture or sound, nor have I experienced any slowdowns or buffering. Thankfully they've been dropping the episode early, at around 8:11 or 8:12 Eastern, so it can finish commercial-free by 9 PM. (I also like POLDARK on PBS, and Sunday is a good time to watch it.) I just wish CBS would "officially" start the stream at 8 PM. What could the reason for 8:30 be other than the football runover the first week on the big network?

 

[GeekUSACarl]

Michael is a fine enough character, it's just that she can't carry things on her own. She's clearly playing Spock with some more vulnerability but Spock needs someone to play off against.

You're 100% right,

But im just playing off a hunch, the show could tank and there is no way they'd kill off Michael.

I think Ash/Voq is going to be what you say, a character plot play toy for Michael.

 

[Borgminister]

9 out of 10 from me, almost went 10, but it lacked that last bit of oomph to get it there. Although Mirror Stamets almost did the trick. Inadvertently pressed 8, found I can't change my vote...

 

[Kirk the Jerk]

During episode 5 ‘Choose Your Pain’ we go from Captain Lorca and the Admiral chatting in his ready room to the very next scene he’s in a shuttle, being captured by a D-7. Did I miss a scene? What happened?

 

[Tesophius]

My only issue with CBSAA is that the subtitles suck, they're tiny and jump around the corners too much. I turned them up because I sometimes missed what Lorca was saying, he just doesn't speak very clearly, probably because he's faking an accent.

 

[JoeP]

It wasn't his ready room. It was the conference room on the starbase where the earlier briefing took place.

 

[Captain pl1ngpl0ng]

So far so good. Very enjoyable!

If only commander Airiam could turn into a female Data this show could be perfect.

 

[Long Syntax]

9 out of 10 from me, almost went 10, but it lacked that last bit of oomph to get it there. Although Mirror Stamets almost did the trick. Inadvertently pressed 8, found I can't change my vote...

I just don't understand the desire for a mirror episode this early in the series. We don't even know the characters that well - we've only had 5 episodes. How is it interesting to see a mirror version of a character without exploring the actual character more fully?

 

[Long Syntax]

So far so good. Very enjoyable!

If only commander Airiam could turn into a female Data this show could be perfect.

Clearly Commander Airiam's design aethetics took a its cues from Woody Allen's movie Sleeper.

 

[Borgminister]

I just don't understand the desire for a mirror episode this early in the series. We don't even know the characters that well - we've only had 5 episodes. How is it interesting to see a mirror version of a character without exploring the actual character more fully?

I just meant the startling effect of seeing a time-lapse or alternate universe or whatever Stamets. I'm not necessarily clamoring for a mirror universe episode.

 

[MarsWeeps]

Tilly is almost dealbraker for me. I cannot understand if it is the actor or the role, could be both... she is SO annoying. I keep asking myself how on earth they let her graduate Starfleet Academy.

She's still a cadet, she hasn't graduated yet.

 

[Romulan_spy]

Maybe Stamets is turning into a lizard.

Don't even joke about that.

 

[Long Syntax]

I just meant the startling effect of seeing a time-lapse or alternate universe or whatever Stamets. I'm not necessarily clamoring for a mirror universe episode.

Fair enough - you're certainly entitled to want to see the mirror Stamets. I guess I am not a huge fan of mirror episodes in general. They're palatable if I know the characters well, but I'm cringing at the thought of a mirror Discovery at this point in time.

 

[Longinus]

Well, shit. I'm pretty disappointed.

So Lorca is irredeemably evil and Klingons continue to be monsters.

Setting free the Tardigrade was nice I guess.

But I'm not sure how much more of this grimdark Star Trek I can take, I'm losing interest fast.

 

[Captain pl1ngpl0ng]

Woody Allen's movie Sleeper.

.. Is that a shower head in his mouth Lol that look could work.

 

[cultcross]

So Lorca is irredeemably evil

That's an... interesting reading of the text.

 

[AndyUK]

9/10. Best episode so far. Everything in the episode worked well together and gave us some more insight into Lorca. In fact,most of the main characters got moments to shine and it introduced two more in Mudd and Tyler. Well, introduced the latter in this form anyway .

 

[Beamer]

Doesn't Harry drop the brogue in Mudd's Women after the Leo Walsh ruse is found out? I don't think he uses it in I, Mudd.

Oh no, he uses it pretty noticeably throughout the episode, like when Kirk holds him up against the wall and the last scene with Norman. As I said though, I can live without it for Wilson's take.