Spoilers Star Trek: Discovery 3x01 - "That Hope Is You, Part 1"

[Lord Garth]

I've also rewatched all of Picard twice since it premiered, although not nearly as immediately as Lower Decks, as I am not nearly as attached to PIC.

Discovery? Except for the occasional episode, it might get a rewatch a few years from now. Though, I'm much more likely to rewatch, say, DS9 more than once before then.

I watched "Remembrance" five times before the second episode premiered. "That Hope Is You" was only three.

So if I had to rank all four live-action premieres of New Trek, it would go:

"Remembrance"
"That Hope Is You"
"Brother"
"The Vulcan Hello"

Burnham's bone-headedness in the series premiere and the horrible way she went about trying to push the Vulcan Hello really knocked it down.

 

[Fateor]

But without Michael's mom existing, Michael would never have gained access to or learned how to use the Red Angel suit; and as Michael's mom was the entire reason that the U.S.S. Discovery encountered the Sphere, which downloaded its data onto the Discovery's computers...

(I hate temporal mechanics...)

That's true.

Which suggests this actually is an alternate timeline.

 

[Isaac Lawrence]

We didn't see Michael's mom in these (pre) recaps. I wonder if they'll just forget about her and never mention her again. I hope not.

According to her Mission logs she (the suit, at least) always goes back to Terralysium, right; 950 years into the future. (And Discovery went 930 years because 950 minus the 20 years that Dr. Gabrielle Burnham first used the suit on Doctari Alpha; and Sonequa Martin-Green's real life husband playing her father in that scene.)

One would assume wherever Burnham's going to be; Book's Santuary Four or wherever, it has to be in the Beta Quadrant otherwise she's never going to get there. In "New Eden" they said Terralysium was 51,450 light-years away and they were only able to get there by the spore drive.

Then again, Discovery is going to show up where Burnham appeared over Hima, only a year later. We assume as much, at least. And if so, then naturally it doesn't matter where Burnham is.

Speaking of alternate timelines...

...Which suggests this actually is an alternate timeline.

Yeah, Screenrant proposed such a theory:

Nevertheless, the first episode of Star Trek: Discovery season 3 does subtly hint towards a split in the timeline. Firstly, Burnham relays the Discovery's story to Book and tells of their hope to "ensure the future... A future." This line suggests Burnham isn't 100% sure whether she's landed in the 32nd century of her native timeline, or somewhere entirely different. Burnham's second hint concerns the location of Terralysium. The Red Angel's coordinates were programmed to land on Terralysium because the Discovery crew had visited the planet previously, and knew it to be suitable for human life. Curiously, Book confirms that Burnhamhas actually landed on Hima, not even indicating an awareness of a "Terralysium." Burnham had already popped out of the wormhole when she collided with Book in space, so there's no reason she shouldn't land at the intended location. Unless, perhaps, Terralysium is known as Hima in this alternate reality. When Burnham programmed the Red Angel to navigate the wormhole, she likely didn't account for the various other realities the tunnel connected to, nor or specify which version of Terralysium she was heading to.

I would think she's going to show up, that was kind of one of the main reasons they went into the future and set the suit to go to Terralysium. To protect the Sphere data first and foremost, and Michael also wanted to find her mother. And people are alive and well on Terralysium, according to her mother.

That said, Dr. Burnham showing up may be a season 4 thing as well, I imagine.

 

[fireproof78]

I still don't know why it being an alternate timeline matters.

 

[cooleddie74]

The "Shockwave, Parts I and II(ENT)" timeline was an alternate one that was wiped from existence when Daniels and Archer repaired history. That didn't make it any less shocking or interesting.

 

[jackoverfull]

We didn't see Michael's mom in these (pre) recaps. I wonder if they'll just forget about her and never mention her again. I hope not.

They probably have to pay an actor residuals if they show him or her, even in a recap, so it makes sense to avoid doing it unless necessary (regulars usually don’t count).

Obviously, you've never been in a state of shock after being involved in a near-death experience like a car crash or an uncontrolled crash landing on a planet.
(personally, I've only experienced the former, but the latter must be even worse)
Anyway, the first thing I did was take stock of my bodily functions and parts, quite loudly according to the friend who was in the car with me (he was driving).
He too was carrying on a conversation with himself out loud.

very similar to my experience

 

[Noname Given]

I still don't know why it being an alternate timeline matters.

Because with that detractors have multiple outs to claim either:

- See? Not real Star Trek...
- Our "Real Trek" is safe...
- Alex Kurtsman & company are afraid to/can't do "Real Star Trek"...
etc.

Of course if you go by that logic. All Star Trek after the TNG film "Star Trek: First Contact" could be claimed to be in an alternate timeline completely separate from the original TOS, and TNG through the film "Star Trek: Generations".

Of course if you really want to have a good tempor "mind f***"; remember that in the TNG episode: "Yesterday's Enterprise"; some things are different even after the " original timeline " is restored, meaning everything after the episode could also be considered an alternate timeline from every TOS and TNG episode that preceded it.

So yeah no matter how you look at it this is all the slippery slope when you start claiming alternate timelines in Trek.

So imo, it's just best to consider it all Star Trek, enjoy what you like, ignore what you don't (and for me that's Star Trek: Voyager ) and not get so worked up over it. YMMV.

 

[fireproof78]

So imo, it's just best to consider it all Star Trek, enjoy what you like, ignore what you don't (and for me that's Star Trek: Voyager ) and not get so worked up over it. YMMV.

Same here.

 

[JoeZhang]

Of course if you go by that logic. All Star Trek after the TNG film "Star Trek: First Contact" could be claimed to be in an alternate timeline completely separate from the original TOS, and TNG through the film "Star Trek: Generations".

Earlier than that - Season 1 and 2 of TNG are set in a Universe where the Klingons are members of the Federation and then when they switch to an alternative universe in season 3 they are not.

 

[arch101]

Since there is dilithium, I don't think dilithium exploded across the galaxy. What probably happened is something like what fireproof78 says. What exploded were the ships and power generating stations that used dilithium. When it broked down, the matter and anti-matter were no longer controlled and exploded. On ships, on planets.

It's only been 130 years (or so) since the burn, not 700. If something was working for so long (dilithium controlled warp engines), why would they be looking to change that? Sure, some research may be done. But all the ships went boom. And the crews.

I feel like the real-world analogy would be if all the refined gasoline, diesel fuel and jet fuel suddenly became unstable and exploded (along with everything using them), but the oil in the ground is OK. However, since nobody knows what made the refined gas unstable, pull more oil out and refine and use at your own risk.

 

[Lord Garth]

I'm starting a Zoom Session where we'll be talking about this episode in three hours. 7:00pm to 10:00pm EST.

So anyone wants to hop into that when I get it going, you're all invited.

 

[Tuskin38]

"The weapon used by Ithor the Orion's and Ithyk the Andorian's henchmen in the #StarTrekDiscovery episode "That Hope is You, part I" (top) features Orion (mid) and Andorian (bottom) writing as seen on "Star Trek: Enterprise". Oh, and also English so the audience can read it. ;-)"

https://twitter.com/gaghyogi49/status/1317561071553679361

"And another obscure background alien from the Star Trek films returns :
An Aammazaran is seen twice in the #StarTrekDiscovery episode "That Hope is You, part I" (top). The aliens were previously seen in the Federation Council scene in "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home" (bottom)."
https://twitter.com/gaghyogi49/status/1317547294028406786/photo/1

 

[137th Gebirg]

That dude Hillibrand definitely seems to find some of the most obscure things in these episodes.

 

[Nyotarules]

Trekyards brought up a interesting thing about this episode being the first episode in all of Trek to not have any white humans in it.

Welcome to my (old) tv world.....The Cage is the first Trek episode to have no non white humans in it, and lots of fans love the pilot. Does Trekyards believe default humans are white?

10 pages in... How does someone get a commission in the Federation? Not Starfleet, the Federation.

(whispers) I always suspected the UFP was a benevolent military dictatorship

That's true.

Which suggests this actually is an alternate timeline.

Trek has been on an alternate timeline since TOS saved the whales

 

[SJGardner]

Trek has been an alternate timeline since James R. Kirk was replaced by this James T. Kirk fellow. Also, what's this warp drive and dilithium everyone keeps talking about? Shouldn't UESPA ships use time warp and lithium?

 

[Deks]

We didn't see Michael's mom in these (pre) recaps. I wonder if they'll just forget about her and never mention her again. I hope not.

Its also possible she died in transit to the future when the wormhole pulled her back along with the suit (while she was outside of it).
In one of her mission logs, Burnham's mother mentions a 'polyphobic metamaterial' in the suit which protects against radiation, temperature fluctuations, or painful blood clots when she time traveled.

Not only that, but Burnham's mother was pulled back into the future in which Control wiped out all life.

Now, IF Michael's mother survived the trip back through the wormhole AND was somehow protected by the changes in the timeline (chalk it up to travelling so much through the wormhole to try and change history and then ending up travelling through the wormhole outside the suit and being exposed to chronitons which insulated her from changes in the timeline), she would have seen changes happening around her and might have been pulled into the new timeline where life was saved and is living on Terralysium (or is there and dying).

That, or she was stuck in the timeline where Control exists (with the changed timeline now being cutoff from that one so neither future Control nor Burnham's mother could re-enter it), or that timeline was erased (along with Burnham's mother).

There are possibilities here... but not seeing her mother in the promos doesn't say much nor is it an indication of her making an appearance or not.
Its also possible that she will not make an appearance, and may be mentioned in dialogue only.

 

[Muji]

Welcome to my (old) tv world.....The Cage is the first Trek episode to have no non white humans in it, and lots of fans love the pilot. Does Trekyards believe default humans are white?

Oof. Savage. I had to click off the video about halfway through Samuel's absolute nonsense. I quite like Stuart Foley, but Samuel suffers from serious levels of Ipse Dixit. He is becoming unwatchable.

 

[Tuskin38]

That dude Hillibrand definitely seems to find some of the most obscure things in these episodes.

He helps make those observation pages on Ex Astris, and takes most of the screen caps you see on that site. Unlike Bernd though, he mostly enjoys the new stuff.

 

[Bgt]

So, after really disliking 2 seasons of Disco, of course I gave it another chance, because maybe I am a bigger Trekkie than I want to admit

"the hope is you commander Burnham".
Well, nothing really changed for this show, Burnham is still everything

So, is this MAGA in space? or should I say MUGA (Make Universe Great Again)?
hmm.. not a very big fan of this plot, I mean coming from the past and try to bring back what was good in your past and completely ignoring how the world evolved those 900 years. Maybe dunno, there is no room for a Federation in the year 3000... because I dunno things evolve? Maybe live a bit in this "new world" and get to know it better before trying to change it?
On the other hand it does make sense, I mean Burnham has just saved the universe, I guess she must be feeling like she can do pretty much anything now (ok, I correct this a bit, she always felt she can do anything).

The federation guy felt more like worshiping a cult for 40 years, it was kind of creepy.
Anyway, we will have to wait and see how they will develop this story. It might not go as we expect.

I can't say I was impressed, but this is set up episode, so too soon to say, which is why I didn't give it a grade. No verdict yet for season 3, but at least I am willing to see more.

I really like David Ajala, he was my antidote to "too much Burnham". And of course the cat. Not sure about "Molly" though..

P.S.1
Really, why they didn't name it "Star Trek Burnham"? I mean Star Trek Picard had less Picard in it than Disco has Burnham. This is not an ironic question or anything, the whole damn show is Burnham.

P.S.2
How on earth is possible for her to be so strong and beat in hand to hand combats, men, klingons etc etc ?
It was kind of ridiculous when she initially fought Book.
To be honest I Fast Forward lots of season 2, did I miss the part where they explained she has any special powers?

 

[Muji]

"the hope is you commander Burnham".
Well, nothing really changed for this show, Burnham is still everything

Out of interest, which of the other members of the Federation that weren't in the sector would be the hope at that point? I mean, she's the only one and she has just turned up after 40 years of him waiting. I would have been quite surprised if he said 'tell Tilly she's the hope'.