Spoilers Star Trek: Discovery 3x09 - "Terra Firma, Part 1"

[Vger23]

He was lying. There was no reason to be up in arms about the potential reuse of the Guardian of Forever.

There was plenty of reason for him to do it. Look at the stir it’s caused. It’s an exercise in influence and power. And many of us played the game.

Harlan Ellison was a prick. He made them add his name in the credits of Terminator even though he had nothing to do with the movie, simply because the director (I forget his name) mentioned him (in passing) as an inspiration...

Yes

And that random director was some guy named James Cameron.

- Will Jason Isaacs show up next week?

Man, I REALLY hope so. But I’m keeping my expectations in check.

What makes this episode stand out the most is that juicy opportunity to change history with future knowledge, while also having been changed more than you've realized by being in a completely different world. Suddenly you're struggling to play the role you've played and enjoyed all your life, because you've seen a different way of life. Everyone around you is just waiting to see weakness and hesitation so they can kill you and take your place. It's much harder to slip back into your old position and attitudes now that you got a taste of something better, and you are just now realizing that. It's brilliant!

This is pretty much everything I would have said about my reasons for enjoying this episode. You saved me some type time.

I don't think we're seeing the real mirror universe (just Georgiou's memories), but if we are, it's a specific version created by Carl that has no bearing on the version seen in the other Discovery episodes (although, maybe it's the one that will branch off into Mirror, Mirror, with its more accepting view of non-Terran aliens).

I agree. It’s like “Tapestry” or “...All Good Things.” It’s a fantasy version of how events could have unfolded to teach the participant a lesson.

Just annoying that the main premise of the season is getting so little attention, and barely gets a minute per episode, before it all gets resolved in an episode or two at the end of the season. More MU screen time than Burn is a mistake

People complain when DSC is too arc based. People complain when DSC is too episodic.

I think this season has done a good job (sadly, most likely in response to fan criticism) of walking the line between those things. It has a higher arc that loosely ties together a series of episodic adventures. It’s kind of like what I thought S2 was going to do with the Red Angel mystery as the catalyst, before they pivoted and went with stopping the evil AI.

 

[arch101]

I’m beginning to feel like the MU is the Tattooine of Trek. We somehow keep ending up there even though half of us never want to see it again...

 

[thribs]

Why is there an axe in the training room? Do they have vikings on board?

 

[TimeIsAPredator]

Why is there an axe in the training room? Do they have vikings on board?

Ha I was thinking that too those weapons were very "live fire" for a training room.
Probably Georgiou made them with programmable matter

 

[jackoverfull]

And as someone pointed out on Reddit, it might also be the reason for Nero's madness (and possibly his crew's)

right: those Romulans were around for thirty years or so!

 

[thribs]

Nero was mad because he blamed Spock for the death of his planet and wife. I don’t think there was more to it.

 

[fireproof78]

I think the Terran Empire is easily more barbaric than the most historic barbaric empires on Earth.

I doubt that.

 

[TrekMD]

Very interesting episode. I'm curious to see how this concludes!

 

[Vger23]

After a string of three “very enjoyable but not memorable” episodes I gave 7’s to, this one gets a 9. It’s really probably an 8, but I’ll plus it up due to my love of all things Michelle Yeoh and my affection for how DSC handles the Mirror Universe.

Random Observations/Thoughts/Musings/etc:

Admiral Vance is awesome. Many have speculated that Vance / Starfleet / The Federation are going to turn out evil or misguided. I don’t believe that. I just think that this is a Fedreation and a Starfleet that is VERY different from our beloved 24th century pillar of virtue. They’ve been through a lot. This is a slow burn to “finding our way back....” which is essentially the overarching theme of the entire series.

Damn, Mirror Universe characters are sexy AF. I need a cold shower. ASAFP.

I loved the weird Twilight Zone vibe of the being they found on the planet. My favorite Treks are often the ones with whacky alien stuff that’s beyond our initial scope of understanding.

This MU that DSC portrays has been really immersive, and I love it. It FEELS oppressive and dark and dangerous. Yes, there’s some ham involved, but it’s much more engaging than what DS9 did with it, for example.

If this is the redemption/moment of clarity for Emperor Georgiou, I can live with that. I’m guessing this is the “Assignment:Earth” transition for the S31 series, and if so, while not entirely realistic...I can totally buy in. I’m a huge sucker for redemption arcs...so I’m biased.

It floors me the amount of attention people are giving the appearance of an Easter egg uniform. I can’t think of anything I care less about.

The huggy-happies when the Discovery crew said goodbye to Georgiou was a bit implausible. Saru saying he learned as much from her as Prime Georgiou was laughable. I’ll let it slide because I think this might be her exit.

Mirror Owo is a frigging nightmare. Wow. Love it.

I really dig going back to some of the S1 stuff. S1 was still my favorite DSC experience, so it’s fun to revisit characters and settings from there.

it was cool to see the ISS Charon again.

Finally!!! Killy and the ISS Discovery. Epic.

9/10. Unapologetically.

 

[thribs]

Lorca better show up in the next episode or I’ll be mad. His name is mentioned about 20 times here.
Maybe Georgiou rescues Prime Lorca and brings him back with her

 

[Unimatrix Q]

Nero was mad because he blamed Spock for the death of his planet and wife. I don’t think there was more to it.

Being plagued by visions of Romulus destruction is actually very similar to Georgiou's ordeal and might have been caused by the same thing imho

 

[Dukhat]

Maybe being stranded in the Kelvinverse is the reason for Prime Spock's death mentioned in Star Trek Beyond. Could be that it simply took longer for him to die.

And as someone pointed out on Reddit, it might also be the reason for Nero's madness (and possibly his crew's)

Nero and his crew didn’t cross over into an alternate universe. They traveled back in time to their own universe, and their actions were what created the alternate universe in the first place.

Spock, however, I can’t explain. Unless by going back in time by the same method Nero did (but arriving later), he was spared the effects that sickened Yor and Georgiou.

 

[Vger23]

Lorca better show up in the next episode or I’ll be mad. His name is mentioned about 20 times here.
Maybe Georgiou rescues Prime Lorca and brings him back with her

I’d say you should prepare for mock outrage.

I hope I’m wrong, but I seriously doubt it.

 

[Noname Given]

Yeah, Time Squared. Where Picard didn't act like Picard because Stewart was still trying to figure out how to portray him and where TNG didn't feel like TNG because the writers were still trying to figure out to write properly.

You do realize TNG's second season episode "Time Squared" was TNG's 39th episode aired.

The current Star Trek Discovery episode we're discussing is Star Trek Discovery's 38th episode released.

I bring that up because I find it interesting that as Even though many fans love TNG - here we have someone claiming that 39 episodes in, The production team was still figuring out what TNG was, and it's lead was still figuring out to how to play the character of Picard.

 

[thribs]

I’d say you should prepare for mock outrage.

I hope I’m wrong, but I seriously doubt it.

You’re probably right. I can dream right?

 

[Unimatrix Q]

Nero and his crew didn’t cross over into an alternate universe. They traveled back in time to their own universe, and their actions were what created the alternate universe in the first place.

Spock, however, I can’t explain. Unless by going back in time by the same method Nero did (but arriving later), he was spared the effects that sickened Yor and Georgiou.

Nero's destruction of the USS Kelvin created a new parallel universe, so perhaps at this point they weren't immune and the visions that may have caused their insanity actually began at this point.

Maybe Spock also had these issues but kept them in check with some vulcan techniques.

Don't forget he almost mastered the Kolinahr

 

[fireproof78]

I’d say you should prepare for mock outrage.

I hope I’m wrong, but I seriously doubt it.

Yeah. I think expecting Lorca is setting up for being disappointment.

 

[Dukhat]

Nero's destruction of the USS Kelvin created a new parallel universe, so perhaps at this point they weren't immune and the visions that may have caused their insanity actually began at this point.

By that logic, anyone who travels back in time should get sick and die, because the very act of traveling back in time changes the timeline.

 

[thribs]

Nero's destruction of the USS Kelvin created a new parallel universe, so perhaps at this point they weren't immune and the visions that may have caused their insanity actually began at this point.

Maybe Spock also had these issues but kept them in check with some vulcan techniques.

Don't forget he almost mastered the Kolinahr

I don’t think they implied that everyone gets it. Only some people who jump dimensions and time.

 

[Noname Given]

By that logic, anyone who travels back in time should get sick and die, because the very act of traveling back in time changes the timeline.

Unless you were meant to travel back in time - which for example was discovered to be the case in TOS's S2 - "Assignment Earth".

I will say it's interesting that they bring up the fact that your body has to be prepared as it's something they mentioned in the TOS S3 episode "All Our Yesterday's".

Zarabeth tell's Spock that a person's body has to be prepared by the Atabacron device; and if that wasn't done, you can only live a short time in the past.

And generally with respect to most time travel stories done in Star Trek, most characters haven't spent more than a week in the future or the past before returning to their correct era.