Spoilers Star Trek: Discovery 2x09 - "Project Daedalus"

[Michael]

This was only an okay episode for me. It's nice that they finally decided to do something with Airiam 2.0 and give her some backstory. But of course this wouldn't be Discovery if it wasn't also the episode where she dies. For some reason the writers don't seem to want to utilize the possibilities of this being serialized. They have the opportunity to plan much of the story ahead before they even start to film a season. So why not lay more groundwork for her backstory and her relationship to others in the ship? Airiam's death could have been so much more impactful, had they not decided in the last minute to give her some character. The way she died reminded me somewhat of Charlie's death on Lost, which had a much bigger dramatic impact, because at that point we actually knew who this character was.

Rewatching the episode with my wife I wondered why that tangent of Nhan watching Airiam and seemingly figuring out that something was off with her didn't pay off or go anywhere. Why did they put that in?

Also, how did Cornwell find Discovery? Did they say this?

R'Cist As'holes is the Vulcan term.

Make Vulcania Great Again?

EDIT: Forgot to add that I loved everything with Spock in this episode. Especially that scene in Burnham's quarters. Some very interesting bits of character development in there!

 

[Delta Vega]

Strange to show some back story and character development to Airiam
Then fucking kill her off
Although. . . I think she'll come back, maybe as the Angel, (I think its maybe too obvious to be Burnham)
Gave the episode a solid 7, it was too slow to begin with, trying to fit Spock into Engineering, trying to convince us that Spock is innocent, we know.
He gets his own back on Burnham by being an angry Vulcan, and a complete bastard.
As has been mentioned, how could Airiam not have been beamed direct to the brig, even when she was ejected into space ?
Did no one give a fuck about Nahn nearly dying ?
A very sad, shock ending, but maybe not unexpected after the Airiam build up.
Looking forward to Episode 10.

 

[Tomalak]

Yeah, they're not members. She probably got someone to sponsor her entry to Starfleet Academy like Nog did.

Yes, or Saru for that matter, or Ro, or Worf. You don't need to be from a Federation planet to join Starfleet.

 

[Aeolusdallas]

So Control is going to wipe out allsentient life, all because of Michael? It must really hate her.

The real question is "Does Control have a YouTube channel?"

 

[JirinPanthosa]

Real Fine Vulcans!

I disagree that Burnham is the only character that gets development. Lorca, Stamets, Saru, Ash, Mirror Georgiu and Tilly have gotten plenty of development. Just they have a richer secondary cast than they've taken time to explore.

 

[Lakenheath 72]

What would I have done with Airiam - put her in suspended animation, shut down the computer inside her, cleaned the computer of the CONTROL virus, test the systems so as to be sure the virus is gone and everything is working, and reboot her internal computer.

And, as a final good measure, destroy the space station with the ship's armaments.

For all the threat posed by the mines, they proved to be a dud in the end. With the shields of the Discovery and her armaments, she could have cleared the area of mines rather quickly leaving the station open to attack.

 

[Jadeb]

Also, how did Cornwell find Discovery? Did they say this?

Yeah, that bugged me too. They made a big thing about them being fugitives from Starfleet, but Cornwell, by herself, tracks them down in a shuttle??

 

[Tosk]

For all the threat posed by the mines, they proved to be a dud in the end.

Because the aim was never to really stop Discovery, just keep her occupied.

 

[IMC Headquarters]

Yeah, that bugged me too. They made a big thing about them being fugitives from Starfleet, but Cornwell, by herself, tracks them down in a shuttle??

She homed in on Tyler's commbadge signal.

 

[plynch]

Couldn't they just have beamed them all out?

Then blow up control?

Atrium's death did move me tbough, because of the convincing camaraderie memories with the crew.

This new Spock seems like Spock. Quinto's just never did, to me.

 

[Jadeb]

She homed in on Tyler's commbadge signal.

Why couldn't everyone else?

 

[Midquest]

What would I have done with Airiam - put her in suspended animation, shut down the computer inside her, cleaned the computer of the CONTROL virus, test the systems so as to be sure the virus is gone and everything is working, and reboot her internal computer.

They set up that there's a wireless component to Airiam's viral communication. I think it far more likely that, if they had beamed her over, she'd have immediately found a way to overpower them and infect the ship, which is basically what she alluded to. There wouldn't have been time to suspend her. She was too powerful.

This new Spock seems like Spock. Quinto's just never did, to me.

Yeah, it's weird. I appreciate Quinto but he never clicked as Spock for me. I felt like he was playing Spock rather than being Spock; so far Peck's Spock is aggressively his own being and version of the character, and that's really working for me. I find that the performance slides effortlessly into the character we know despite how different he is.

 

[gblews]

Gave it an 8.

I thought the way they handled Ariam's storyline was a good example of how to do visual storytelling. In just a few scenes we were shown who Ariam was, how she got to be who she was, and her relationship with the crew. I don't think effective storytelling necessarily requires any certain amount of screen time.

As a result, I was fairly devastated by Ariam's, death. It would be nice if we actually see some type of ceremony or at least references to it, in coming episodes.

Really am enjoying SMG's performance this season. She has definitely taken command of her character. Her action scenes on the S31 station, her interactions with Spock, her reaction to Ariam on the station, were great.

Well, on to the Red Angel.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

Barzan is not a Federation member, right? Or at least, they are not in 2366, or else the Federation wouldn't have had to bid.

They were until they see how little concern they have for their people lol.

Atrium could have been an interesting character if she just wasnt in the background for a season and a half, I would have felt more if they had killed Linus. The stress playing her was interesting, I wish we knew her better

Stress is not good for the atrium, one should exercise regularly.

 

[TrickyDickie]

That's easy enough to explain. As with almost any ideology or movement, you're going to have your radical militants and your more mainstream advocates, who hold the same views but espouse them in more establishment ways: politics, books, speeches, etc.

It was briefly startling because, up to now, we've only heard about the "logic extremists" in the context of terrorism, but, when you stop and think about it, I have no trouble accepting that not all "logic extremists" are terrorists, because that's how things work in real-life. Not every believer of any cause is a bomb-throwing terrorist.

I thought they depicted quite a thorough range with that type of thing in the movie 'Patriot Games'.

For everyone who didn't like the way they handled Airiam, consider this: Edith Keeler was introduced and killed off in one episode....nothing more at all....and look how effective that was and how much people have cared about her character. Airiam is right up there too, for me. Just like Joe Hardy's fiance, in 'The Last Kiss of Summer'.

 

[Jadeb]

I thought they depicted quite a thorough range with that type of thing in the movie 'Patriot Games'.

For everyone who didn't like the way they handled Airiam, consider this: Edith Keeler was introduced and killed off in one episode....nothing more at all....and look how effective that was and how much people have cared about her character. Airiam is right up there too, for me. Just like Joe Hardy's fiance, in 'The Last Kiss of Summer'.

But isn't the advantage of serialized storytelling that it doesn't treat things in such episodic fashion?

 

[TrickyDickie]

But isn't the advantage of serialized storytelling that it doesn't treat things in such episodic fashion?

My take on it is that serialized can 'be' episodic, at times, and be very effective. I have especially enjoyed Discovery because it has done both....it's like the best of both worlds. While I don't gush over it, I am a 4-decades+ fan of TOS, yet I have come to like Discovery even better, flaws included.

 

[Noname Given]

The real question is "Does Control have a YouTube channel?"

No, but it has a Cone of Silence.

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[Jadeb]

My take on it is that serialized can 'be' episodic, at times, and be very effective. I have especially enjoyed Discovery because it has done both....it's like the best of both worlds. While I don't gush over it, I am a 4-decades+ fan of TOS, yet I have come to like Discovery even better, flaws included.

I like episodic (and semi-episodic) myself, but I do think that if Discovery is going for serialization, it should take advantage of the form. Ariam's death would have been much stronger if they had.

I will be curious to see if her death is a significant plot point next week or if we're back to stopping Control.

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

I wonder if anybody besides Leland is aware of Controls misbehavior.

Does Georgieu already have a clue and that is what she's holding over Leland?

Georgiou as much said that literally in a previous episode. She said in her universe AI serves people not the other way around.