Spoilers Star Trek: Discovery 5x08 - "Labyrinths"
- Thread starter Commander Richard
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not much to say on this episode. I mostly enjoyed it but was a mixed bag. All the archive stuff was great. All the Moll and Breen stuff wasn’t.
I mean, I love that they are doing some world building but the stuff they are doing just isn’t compelling. Moll comes off at times like a spoiled brat.
Book is totally going to take the root clipping he got at the archive and try to use the progenitor tech to restore his world.
the lack of Saru, Detmer and Owo is kinda distracting now.
7/10 for me.
I mean, I love that they are doing some world building but the stuff they are doing just isn’t compelling. Moll comes off at times like a spoiled brat.
Book is totally going to take the root clipping he got at the archive and try to use the progenitor tech to restore his world.
the lack of Saru, Detmer and Owo is kinda distracting now.
7/10 for me.
These are pure guesses, since I know absolutely nothing spoilery about this season:
- I could see a Raiders of the Lost Ark ending where they find out the technology is powerful but can only be used under certain specific circumstances, and if you don’t satisfy those circumstances you basically end up with the same issues as the Nazis had when they tried to use the Ark and it melted their faces.
- If Moll and L’ak are based on Bonnie and Clyde, well Bonnie and Clyde die at the end. But I don’t think it’s in the tone of Discovery to be that dark and kill her off too, especially since they went out of their way to show her being an honorable adversary in this episode. So I’m guessing that somehow the tech will be used to revive L’ak and they’ll go off to create a new Breen empire/confederacy.
On a serious note, they're clearly building to Book rebuilding his world when they get the progenitor tech.
Just one questions. How much sand was in that bucket?
I thought that it was weird too, and it basically exists only as a cheap way to increase tension and have the sparks and exploding rock consoles sell how dangerous the area is while “time is running out” for Burnham and crew inside the library. But I did cut them some slack about it, since it’s conceivable that in the 800 years since DS9 something has caused the plasma storms to become even worse than they were.
That part makes no sense. We went from L’ak having an irreversible death warrant on his head that was motivating their search, and he was a disgrace to his people doing freight inspections before running off with Moll, to now he’s someone they’re ready to start an internal rebellion over and follow a human woman into battle for him?
If him being “scion” was that important, why did they need to find the progenitor tech to lift the erigah in the first place? He could have used his support for the primarch’s claim to leadership as leverage.
You’re the second person I’ve seen claim TOS was an ensemble show. Just finished rewatching it and, no, it really, truly wasn’t. Kirk was very much the star and was the driving force for virtually every single episode. Spock was co-star and also got a lot of focus,however. McCoy sadly did not. He was an invaluable part of the triad, but outside of “For the World is Hollow” I’m struggling to think of any episode he was even halfway central to the plot. We really didn’t learn much about him at all. The rest of the cast were very much periphery figures, although Scotty got some focus on occasion.
Looking back it seems that's how the show operates. It has a pool of characters that it pushes forward or pulls out if they fit the main plot or Burnham's personal story.
Stamets for instance was "just the spore drive guy", Adira was a plot point in season 3 and Detmer got her moment in the sun as the avatar for the crews issues with everything they have been through.
I picked the 3 above because along with Saru they are by far my favourites so when they become the background people it leaves huge chunks of the show either boring or sometimes absolute crap (Space Hitler, Tyler, Book storylines)
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I fell asleep, will rewatch again
Oh god that’s totally a thing they would do…
…and so is this.
Both would be frustrating.
I didn't say that, though. I specifically said "Even TOS gave some meaty stories to Spock and McCoy." No, it wasn't an "ensemble show" in the way we think of it now, but it would sideline Kirk at times to focus on other characters (The Tholian Web comes to mind off the top of my head. Also the Galileo Seven). It was more evident in the first season, as well, that the show as initially conceived was meant to have a larger role for the supporting cast, which was whittle down somewhat in subsequent seasons.
And jeez, yeah, I know we tread down this road every single episode. But it's a valid criticism. I don't give much stock to things like "Oh, the Klingons look weird!" or crap like that. But on a structural level, part of the reason Trek over the years has worked is because people found characters they liked and gravitated towards them. Spock. McCoy. Data. Worf. O'Brien. Quark. The Doctor. Seven. Trip. Shran. Shaw. Rok-Tahk. Tendi. Chapel. La'an.
But on Discovery, when we DO get characters like that, they tend to be written off (Lorca, Georgiou, Tilly, Saru, Owo, Detmer). I don't know why, but they almost always do. There's no good reason for it, no narrative benefit, they're just...yanked out.
And you can come back and say "Well, it's Burnham's show!" and yes, I suppose, technically it is. But even TOS wasn't just "Kirk's Show". No Star Trek series has ever been that. And now, with the least critically-well-received show since Enterprise (Which also received heavy criticism for sidelining its supporting cast, btw), you're going to tell me that's a good thing?
I agree TOS wasn't an ensemble show, but McCoy was central several times...
"THE MAN TRAP", the first aired episode, dealt with him and his old love.
"THE CITY ON THE EDGE OF FOREVER" would not have happened without McCoy getting accidentally injected.
In "FRIDAY'S CHILD", his knowledge of the Capellans was essential and he was integral to the pregnancy story with Eleen.
I would also say McCoy was very important in "A PRIVATE LITTLE WAR" while he was on the planet with Kirk.
In "THE EMPATH", it was pretty equally Kirk, Spock, McCoy... and I'd give McCoy the edge because the entire final act was centered on his attempted sacrifice to save the others.
"THE THOLIAN WEB" was pretty much equally a Spock and McCoy episode.
"ALL OUR YESTERDAYS"... he was essential to that part of the episode.
- Burnem self reflects, again.
- Ruhn did so many dumb things, of course his servants would turn on him
- man, the badlands sure became much more dangerous to navigate in those 800+ years
That's it, that's the whole episode! God, what a disappointment
- Ruhn did so many dumb things, of course his servants would turn on him
- man, the badlands sure became much more dangerous to navigate in those 800+ years
That's it, that's the whole episode! God, what a disappointment
"Southern Californian accent"? The actress was born in Canada and has only appeared in Canadian productions. Where's this "southern Californian" business coming from?
Maybe he meant Hy'Rell came across as a 'valley girl'. I kind of got that vibe, too. Part of why I found her character annoying.
In your brain VR even thinning hair may be self-replicating.
If that makes you feel better.
Discovery is usually near the top of all types of audience engagement metrics.
You do you
It's not about "feeling better".
I like the ideas Discovery is throwing out there. I'm just frustrated at the execution.
I'm curious what metrics you're looking at. I know about the Nielson performance, and that's great, but...we're on a Star Trek board, a new episode is out...where is everyone?
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