Just finished it. I'm still processing my thoughts about it so my feeling my change, but my gut feeling while in the moment was that this season finale was a bit underwhelming, especially when I consider the entire season. When it started I was thinking this might be my favorite or second favorite DISCO season finale but as it went on, my estimation of it lessened, and it's third now.
It's hard for me to just separate the episode and judge it alone. I feel it was too interconnected to the whole season and some of the issues I had with the season amplified in the finale.
But I'll start with the positives:
-The finale did a pretty good job giving most of the cast screen time or something to do. The season has done right by Culber and has really made his character stand out, and I liked that Owosekun got some spotlight in the finale as well. Even though I think the series hasn't done enough character development, I like seeing the crew together, smiling, and happy. I just wish that we had gotten more scenes in the first two seasons with them bonding so it doesn't feel like a cheat to me.
-I'm glad Book and Owosekun didn't die.
-I love Burnham's braids. I hope they keep that hairstyle.
-I was happy about the uniform change. I wasn't sure if the crew was going to go back in time or not, but it appears they are sticking around in the 32nd century, and the uniform change is a nice acknowledgement of that. Getting rid of the blue uniforms felt like the series was finally letting go of it's past. (Don't get me wrong, I really like the blues, even they never felt pre-TOS to me).
Stuff I didn't care for as much:
-The finale was stuffed. It went from action to drama scenes and back again and it all felt a bit too unwieldy.
-I thought the Emerald Chain was wasted. I wasn't expecting Osyraa to die and I thought that was a waste of an intriguing villain who could've been the crew's Dukat, Tomalak, Duras, Seska, or Weyoun.
-I didn't really care about Su'kal to be honest. The finale grinded almost to a halt when it went back to him and Saru. I also didn't care for Su'kal being the cause of The Burn. It definitely felt left field, and was something the writers had to pat themselves on their backs for, because I doubt many fans would've figured that out-definitely this fan didn't. And while it wasn't a predictable enemy. it still felt underwhelming, especially after all the build up. And then the storyline was resolved too quickly.
-I would've liked more answers about Kovich.
-I would've liked to meet the Federation President. On one of the threads someone suggested VOY's Doctor and that stuck in my head. I think that would've been great to see Bob Picardo again, especially with all the Voyager love we got from Admiral Vance.
-Overall I felt the season was too uneven. The Georgiou episodes should've been much earlier in the season (and really just one episode), and looking back like the one where Nhan leaves the ship, also felt unnecessary. The whole galactic music thing went nowhere-well, for Season 3. Perhaps it will be part of Gray and Adira's story next season, but still there was little payoff there.
-I've grown used to Trek season finales ending on cliffhangers (even though I know not all Trek series have done that). It struck me that this season finale felt more like a series finale. I wonder if the writers weren't sure if they would get renewed and wrote a proper close to the series (which if that had been the case was better than ENT's and less derivative than VOY's).
-I am iffy about Saru not being captain anymore. I don't think he got enough time in the seat. However, if my theory that they were writing the season not certain about renewal then getting Burnham in the seat completes her arc. I wonder now if she will relinquish the captain's chair or be demoted for some reason next season to get back to the idea of a lead that is a non-captain. Or will the series shift more to an ensemble series which would be less dependent on Burnham's character growth? I definitely would like to see more of Burnham and Book, as well as Burnham adjusting to being captain as well as the future, so there's a lot more to explore with her character, though I also feel that a lot of her character arc has been completed over three seasons. We saw her lose it all, get redemption, reconcile with her brother, reunite with her mother (in both the 23rd and 32nd centuries), find love twice (with Tyler and Book), and finally ascend to the captain's chair that both Georgiou's thought she was destined for. I wouldn't mind the series taking time to explore the ensemble cast more. Already they seem to be going down that road with Stamets & Culber and their 'kids' Adira and Gray. I'm guessing Aureillo might be joining the cast so that's another intriguing character, along with Book, that can provide insight into this time.
-I wish a 32nd century Starfleet officer (like Lt. Willa) had joined the crew. Perhaps for chief security officer to take the place of Nhan.
With that finale, that definitely leaves DISCO free to explore its own corner of the Trek galaxy. I hope in season four there is more thought put into the antagonists and that they move away from a big arc or mystery because they've thus far not been too consistent about pulling those off successfully. I liked the Mirror Universe arc in Season 1 and the fight against Section 31, but the other arcs-like the Klingon War, the Red Angel, and The Burn felt underfed.
Their new mission opens the door for more episodic storytelling and richer exploration of this future world. And even if they just relied on Trek lore, there's tons of questions about the state of the galaxy to be asked that could fill up a season or several worth of storylines.
