Spoilers Star Trek: Discovery 2x05 - "Saints of Imperfection"

[Vger23]

We now have some significant character stuff to deal with:

How will Saru's changed condition affect him?

Will Culber re-integrate, and are there any lasting effects from his time in the network?

How will Burnham and Tyler proceed?

Pike and Section 31 Guy (forget his name) have some history.

 

[Tuskin38]

Pike and Section 31 Guy (forget his name) have some history.

Leland

 

[cooleddie74]

It was nice to hear Article 14 of the Starfleet Charter mentioned again. The last time anybody in the franchise made mention of it was in "Divergence(ENT)," so it's clear that the Federation Starfleet Charter retained at least the early text of the Earth Starfleet Charter from the early 2130s and just added to it after the Federation was founded.

 

[Vger23]

The visual effects in this episode were pretty impressive.

 

[cooleddie74]

Culber's "resurrection" is bound to spark some interesting theological debates amongst the fans.

 

[NeoStar9]

Burnham-prime is all the Emperor Emeritus has left of any version of Michael.

This. Its been clear since last season that she cares about Michael even if she isn't her Michael. She's close enough. She couldn't bring herself to kill Michael when she had the chance and she even mentioned that in this episode. In fact she likely realizes that Prime Michael might be more loyal and trusting then her Michael if she can really gain her trust. She knows how much Michael cared about Prime Georgiou and still can't bring herself fully separate the feelings she had for her when it comes to how she interacts with Mirror Georgiou. I get the impression she might be willing to manipulate Michael but I do think she genuinely cares about her.

 

[Turtletrekker]

Culber's "resurrection" is bound to spark some interesting theological debates amongst the fans.

As did Spock's. Let's not forget that Scotty was once killed and resurrected as well.

 

[cooleddie74]

Even in the Mirror Universe the "evil" counterparts have redeeming qualities and can show both mercy and compassion(Mirror Spock, Mirror O'Brien, etc.) so it shouldn't come as a surprise that she's capable of a measure of decency, however forced it might be at times.

 

[Vger23]

This. Its been clear since last season that she cares about Michael even if she isn't her Michael. She's close enough. She couldn't bring herself to kill Michael when she had the chance and she even mentioned that in this episode. In fact she likely realizes that Prime Michael might be more loyal and trusting then her Michael if she can really gain her trust. She knows how much Michael cared about Prime Georgiou and still can't bring herself fully separate the feelings she had for her when it comes to how she interacts with Mirror Georgiou. I get the impression she might be willing to manipulate Michael but I do think she genuinely cares about her.

I think the writers really fucked up last season by peppering in virtually irredeemable characteristics into the Emperor.

It would have been better to have Lorca's coup be motivated by the idea that Georgeau was "soft and weak" but MU standards, and not have her painted in such an unpleasant light.

I like the idea of kind of "soft rebooting" that element of the character, and turning her into someone who, while still being extremely dangerous and morally questionable, is still redeemable and starts to see the value of our universe.

It's almost how the Q character evolved on TNG.

 

[Lord Garth]

With Culber's return, now I know what I would've thought in 1984 about TSFS. "Spock's back, that was weird how we got there (though not as weird as this episode!), but where do we go from here?" Does it turn out to be "back at his post like nothing happened?"

So it looks like they're pairing off rivalries. The two main ones are Burnham vs. Georgiou and Pike vs. Leland.

Some maneuvering of the characters too. Now that Culber's back, that takes the edge off the animosity Stamets would feel about Tyler staying aboard. And Tyler is back in his dual role, except instead of Starfleet/Klingon, it's Starfleet/S31.

May is the strangest thing. I'm guessing she continues speaking for the Mycellial Network?

The season's mission is starting to take shape with Pike and Leland having to work together to find the Red Angels. My question is this: If Discovery has to use the Spore Drive, how will Leland keep up with them?

I think that covers all the bases. At least all that are coming to mind right now...

... except Spock. It doesn't look like he'll be in the next episode, so I'm guessing he shows up in Episode 7, which means he comes in at exactly the middle of the season and the half-way point, if I'm right.

 

[cooleddie74]

Or the Ferengi. Early TNG portrayed the species as having few if any redeeming qualities and it wasn't until later in that series that we saw Ferengi with any pleasant or even civilized behavioral traits.

Had Quark been given early TNG character traits he'd have never been more than a slimy villain causing trouble for Deep Space 9. Softening hard characters and even species can definitely make a positive difference in storytelling and make them more interesting.

 

[Greg Cox]

As did Spock's. Let's not forget that Scotty was once killed and resurrected as well.

See also McCoy in "Shore Leave."

 

[Vger23]

With Culber's return, now I know what I would've thought in 1984 about TSFS. "Spock's back, that was weird how we got there (though not as weird as this episode!), but where do we go from here?" Is it "back at his post like nothing happened?"

So it looks like they're pairing off rivalries. The two main ones are Burnham vs. Georgiou and Pike vs. Leland.

Some maneuvering of the characters too. Now that Culber's back, that takes the edge of the animosity Stamets would feel about Tyler staying aboard. And Tyler is back in his dual role, except instead of Starfleet/Klingon, it's Starfleet/S31.

May is the strangest thing. I'm guessing she continues speaking for the Mycellial Network?

The season's mission is starting to take shape with Pike and Leland having to work together to find the Red Angels. My question is this: If Discovery has to use the Spore Drive, how will Leland keep up with them?

I think that covers all the bases. At least all that are coming to mind right now.

There's a definite edginess to the Pike vs. Tyler relationship as well...and a continuing theme of Burnham and Pike feeling each other out (this week with another bit of "you're not telling me everything" tension).

 

[Shon T'Hara]

Did the writers take an episode of Stranger Things and change all the references to the "Upsidedown" into "the mycelial network"?

 

[cooleddie74]

See also McCoy in "Shore Leave."

Chekov in "Spectre of the Gun(TOS)" as well, though the ethereal and poorly understood nature of life and death inside the Melkotian simulation could mean that Chekov never truly died and that his passing was simply part of the overall illusion that the Melkotians imposed to learn about Federation species.

 

[Vger23]

Did the writers take an episode of Stranger Things and change all the references to the "Upsidedown" into "the mycelial network"?

I don't think so. In fact, aside from the very basic "different reality" element (which is HARDLY unique to Stranger Things) i saw absolutely no correlation or similarity whatsoever.

It was essentially the same place Stamets visited in S1.

 

[Campe]

7/10.

I was pleasantly proved incorrect on Culber. I figured that it wasn’t really “our” him. It was. I figured it would be a few episodes before he really was back. He was. Granted, he’s got some readjustments to make but it’s a beginning. I do look forward to a confrontation between Culber and Tyler. I was wondering if we’d get something between Tyler and Stamets. The look was enough. But I hope there’s something said between the other two.

I want to learn more about May and the network dwellers. I do hope we come back to that storyline at some point.

The effects were top notch.

Pike references church. Another step to showing him being a man of faith.

Cornwell!

Section 31. Sigh. Here’s where the episode loses me a little bit. I can live with the idea that 31 is known in the 23rd century. It’s possible most Starfleet officers just hear whispers and never see an agent. It’s possible Bashir never did hear those whispers. I can buy that. But I’m just not buying them in general. I’m hoping this goes somewhere interesting. Just not feeling it yet.

 

[XCV330]

As did Spock's. Let's not forget that Scotty was once killed and resurrected as well.

McCoy died too. Culber just died and got resurrected before it was cool

 

[thribs]

Shame they brought him back considering his death was the only surprising thing about season one.

 

[Gov Kodos]

All the folks coming back from the dead, do you suppose Charon does it complimentary or does the price go up next time? Does Sto Vo Khor have a policy with B'Lanna's back and forth?