Spoilers Star Trek: Discovery 1x09 - "Into the Forest I Go"

[Succubint]

There is so much to unpack with this episode. It scored a 10/10 for me. Riveting and emotionally charged stuff. Fantastic midseason finale. I'm a total emotional sap so it's easy to tug on my heart strings and yet still this episode put me through the proverbial wringer.

Was beyond thrilled that Cornwell made it and was trying to help Tyler. Tyler's PTSD was heartbreaking. Loved Burnham being there for him, those moments really sold the relationship for me. Stamets and Culber made me cry too. Just so many things which rang true for me, in terms of character beats. I did feel elation, along with the crew when T'Kuvma's ship was finally destroyed, but it was notable that Tyler had to leave at that point.

The stakes were high and we ended up in a very scary place at the end. I want to know what happens next so badly!!!!

Bring on Jan!

 

[cultcross]

Well that was something else.

A truly fantastic episode from beginning to end. Well acted, high and believable stakes, good use of the main characters, lots to unpack and think about (Did Lorca fuck up the final jump deliberately to avoid seeing the Admiral? Why did he enter the coordinates himself? What the fuck happened to Tyler? Is he a sleeper agent?)

The opening with the classic Starfleet Captain Disobeys Orders to Do The Right Thing was great, and another nail in the coffin of the idea that Lorca is the series villain. His motivations are complex and multi layered. I loved his excitement at what could be done with the spore drive after the war and how he brought Stamets on board.

Loved all the scenes between Culber and Stamets, they really have the most believable romance in Trek to date, in my book.

The scenes in the Klingon ship with Tyler and Burnham were very well done and although initially the sneaking around corridors while nameless drones with loud footfalls clumsily fail to spot them was a bit Later SG-1, once we reached the Admiral and the confrontation with L'Rell, it turned a corner into something really worth watching.

Loved the use of the communicator as a translator, and the interesting tidbit that the Klingons don't have that technology. I maintain my belief that the Klingon scenes are so much better when you strip away the made up language. They flow much better, and the acting goes up several notches.

Although we had pretty much all predicted the idea that parallel realities are included in the mycelium network, they presented it really well and the ending was suitably dark and mysterious without needing a miniskirt or gold sash to sell the idea of a parallel universe.


Best episode of the season so far, 9/10. I'm only reserving a 10 score in case they can better it.

 

[Agony_Boothb]

God damn that was sensational. Definitely the best episode of Discovery and up there with the best of Trek. I'm glad they ended the first half of the season with this instead of episode 8.

Likes:

- As a gay man, i finally got to see two gay men in a loving relationship kiss on Star Trek. I honestly thought I would never see the day. Stamets and Culber's relationship is golden.

- We finally got some awesome beauty shots of Discovery in orbit of a planet

- The Battle was awesome both in space and on the Klingon ship. Watching Discovery jumping around firing torpedoes was sweet as. Burnham fighting Kol and getting some retribution and closer for Georgiou's was equally good.

- Tyler. Shazad Latif knocked it out of the park both with Tyler's breakdown and during his 'confession' scene with Burnham. He's clearly Voq, but he doesn't know that he is Voq. What the Klingons have done to him is horrific and seeing Tyler/Voq discover who he really is is going to be heart wrenching.

- Cornwell. I'm glad she survived and loved her interactions with Tyler.

- Lorca. Dude is ambiguous as ever and I love it.

- Seeing the Communicators work as a Universal translator

- Stamets has possibly obtained godhood

- Honorable mention to the Klingon Bewbs

- WHERE THE FUCK ARE THEY, WHAT IS ALL THAT WRECKAGE??? Awesome Cliffhanger to go out on.

Dislikes:

- WHY DO WE HAVE TO WAIT TWO MONTHS FOR MORE DISCOVERY????


This episode was top notch and I hope we get another script from Erika Lippoldt & Bo Yeon Kim very soon. Can't wait for January 7th.

10/10 Klingon Titties

 

[Refuge]

I give it a five. I can't believe that Star Trek a show I've actually enjoyed over the years has now become something that is essentially unpleasant and distasteful. Way too much emphasis on people in pain, on torture, on rape, on brutality. It's a dismal view of the future.

 

[Worf2DS9]

- Cornwell. I'm glad she survived and loved her interactions with Tyler.

I'm glad she survived too, though this reveal was a little anticlimactic after the whole is-she-dead-or-isn't-she thing after last week's episode. In this ep, the rescue team shows up in the meat locker and, oh look, Cornwell is alive. I also would be interested to know if she and L'Rell spoke at all while imprisoned together, formulating plans and such, or if her waking up when Burnham arrived was her first return to consciousness since we saw her last.

 

[Refuge]

Oh and the weakest of Klingons would've squashed Michael like a bug. That fight scene stretched credibility to laughable levels. Might have been the only fun part of the episode.

 

[ralfy]

Numerous problems (again) with this episode, e.g., shoot a spread instead of having to come up with some targeting algorithm (especially if the locations of the sensors are already set; can't remember the point about warped space around the ship, but if that can be detected, then no need for sensors as well), intruders not detected, no activity after the two Klingons go down, Klingon leader decides to have a set battle with Burnham during a fight with the Disco, nothing detected concerning the new Security Chief prior to his selection (which is weird in itself as it is difficult to imagine that no one else in the ship is qualified for the position), no one guarding the Klingon prisoner, etc., not to mention the previous episode being irrelevant (no need for magic trees). But this gets points for effort, so it's 5/10.

 

[Visitor1982]

Star Trek Discovery's first season (or half of it) is better than any previous season of every Star Trek series in my book.

Finally, Discovery proves a modern Star Trek can be good, after the abysmal Bad Robot ThisisnotTrek movies.

Can't wait for episode 10!

 

[guyute03]

Missed that Lorca overrode that jump at the end. Now I gotta wonder if the whole Ash/Voq thing was just a red herring to cover what Lorca is.... from the Mirror universe, probably here to steal Disco's spore drive.

I have no idea what the hell is happening on this show.

 

[Refuge]

Numerous problems (again) with this episode, e.g., shoot a spread instead of having to come up with some targeting algorithm (especially if the locations of the sensors are already set; can't remember the point about warped space around the ship, but if that can be detected, then no need for sensors as well), intruders not detected, no activity after the two Klingons go down, Klingon leader decides to have a set battle with Burnham during a fight with the Disco, nothing detected concerning the new Security Chief prior to his selection (which is weird in itself as it is difficult to imagine that no one else in the ship is qualified for the position), no one guarding the Klingon prisoner, etc., not to mention the previous episode being irrelevant (no need for magic trees). But this gets points for effort, so it's 5/10.

So after all this babble out pops this equation requiring a stupid number of jumps to be fulfilled by our brow knitted tortured scientist with the panel in his arm. Meanwhile 'go on every mission' Michael stands up to the Klingon bully after effortlessly discovering the Admiral, patting Tyler on the head and hot footing it to the bridge to avenge Georgiou. Good thing she took the universal translator with her so we didn't become distracted during her big moment.

I don't know what the purpose of the last episode was at all now.

 

[Agony_Boothb]

Missed that Lorca overrode that jump at the end. Now I gotta wonder if the whole Ash/Voq thing was just a red herring to cover what Lorca is.... from the Mirror universe, probably here to steal Disco's spore drive.

I have no idea what the hell is happening on this show.

I think Tyler is still Voq but he doesn't know it. Lorca's 'Let's go home' and altering the spore drive co-ordinates was pretty ominous. I wonder if they are in the mirror universe or the 'prime' universe or some other reality all together.

 

[Ithekro]

A Saru episode, like having a Dr. Crusher episode followed by something major happening the next episode.

 

[cultcross]

Missed that Lorca overrode that jump at the end. Now I gotta wonder if the whole Ash/Voq thing was just a red herring to cover what Lorca is.... from the Mirror universe, probably here to steal Disco's spore drive.

I have no idea what the hell is happening on this show.

Well he didn't override it that we know of, we just saw him enter coordinates. So we don't know if he was just entering the jump data as planned and it was the strain on Stamets that caused the error, or whether Lorca had done something deliberate to avoid returning, or to trigger what happened.

I don't know what the purpose of the last episode was at all now.

I daresay that the aliens will provide the ultimate solution to the war. Just not right away.

 

[cultcross]

A Saru episode, like having a Dr. Crusher episode followed by something major happening the next episode.

Saru sort of fell in love with an energy ghost, now that you mention it...

 

[TrekNut87]

No words. DISCO has finally reached its high point. Absolutely beautifully heartbreaking, yet intense. The perfect episode imo. Thumbs up and a 10 from me.

 

[Succubint]

Oh and the weakest of Klingons would've squashed Michael like a bug. That fight scene stretched credibility to laughable levels. Might have been the only fun part of the episode.

Got any evidence to back that up? On DS9 alone the Humans/Bajorans/Cardassians and Trills were kicking just as much ass against the Klingons as Worf was.

Check out the Day of the Dove TOS. Redshirt crewmen were fending off Klingons with swords.

 

[Jarvisimo]

I think Tyler is still Voq but he doesn't know it. Lorca's 'Let's go home' and altering the spore drive co-ordinates was pretty ominous. I wonder if they are in the mirror universe or the 'prime' universe or some other reality all together.

Well he didn't override it that we know of, we just saw him enter coordinates. So we don't know if he was just entering the jump data as planned and it was the strain on Stamets that caused the error, or whether Lorca had done something deliberate to avoid returning, or to trigger what happened.

Well he does do something naughty

But he maybe isn't expecting the end result...

 

[Succubint]

Yeah, he definitely did do an override and manually input his own coordinates.

 

[Jarvisimo]

Yeah, he definitely did do an override and manually input his own coordinates.

It was also encrypted

 

[Agony_Boothb]

Has anyone got a screenshot of the debris field? I want to analyse it to death.