I haven't seen it discussed yet, but what was with the mind meld through space? I always thought physical touch was required.
Sarek said that during the inital mindmeld when Michael was a child, he left part of his katra. It sounded as if this isn´t normaly done during a mind meld. Also: He used the two hands version of the mind meld instead of the usual one handed form.
The idea of Sarek and Burnham, and Trip and T'Pol's bonds goes back to old novels from the 80's where Kirk and Spock shared such a bond.
There's also precedent from TOS that doesn't involve quite as intimate a bond as that (as far as we know): Spock's Alderaan moment in "Immunity Syndrome". Basically, what we see here (and in ENT) is just a more refined form of a phenomenon the physicality of which was established in the original show already. Vulcans aren't purely touch telepaths anyway, as two TOS episodes show Spock mentally influencing an alien across some distance (and in one case through a wall). Having rapid FTL comms that are independent of a relay network and undetectable by the enemy (except perhaps by the Romulans?) would be a nice asset for Starfleet. But Vulcans are rather likely to clamshell on such abilities... Timo Saloniemi
It's total bullshit. However, as others have quite correctly explained to me, it is consistent with things we've seen Vulcans do before, in TOS and ENT. So it is canonically accurate bullshit
I do not believe katra is partially transferred, all or nothing. Now if you want to accept their melding was deep when she was a child, maybe that might work. No derailing but Sarek and Spock never melded.
Why all or nothing? Spock clearly didn't become an empty shell when leaving apparent "all" inside McCoy, so it's not as if donating katra ought to matter to the donor in the slightest. Sarek could then donate just as much (or as little) to Burnham as he feels fit - he's even better off there than the Doctor donating Regeneration Energy. Beyond this, I don't see evidence of there being any single set amount one can deposit. We hear of two full deposits - Spock into McCoy and Surak into a jar. Now we hear of a partial one. That's two different amounts, and there's nothing actually precluding or contradicting this. Timo Saloniemi
What's bothering me about the mind mind is that Sarek and Spock never did it. They "never chose to meld" as Spock said in "Unification." Yet, Sarek mind melded with an unconscious child?
https://www.trektoday.com/content/2017/09/star-trek-discovery-what-next-for-burnham/ "We won’t be doing as many flashbacks with Georgiou but we do definitely explain and explore what happened to young Burnham at the Vulcan learning center in that horrific bombing, when Sarek brings her back to life. We explore how that event really cemented the relationship between this little human child and this Vulcan ambassador." I'm inclined to take this literally. She was dead. Definitely something more than your average mind-meld was happening here. Why? I'm sure we'll find out.
I'm not a fan of the way it was used (same in ENT) and would of preferred if Sarek left a part of his Katra in her so she was talking to him but in the way Archer was talking to Surak in that Vulcan trilogy back in season 4 of ENT.
And all this careless use of his telepathic abilities and katra transference far beyond the usual manner leaves Sarek highly susceptible to developing the rare condition of Bendii Syndrome later in life. Ah, the circle of continuity. Kor
I'll be interested in knowing what went on as to justify something as extreme ( i think ) as planting his katra in her. I need more information about what the initial motivation was.