Star Trek: Discovery Season One Finale, “Will You Take My Hand?”
In the Season One finale, the Federation is on the losing side of a year long war with the Klingons. The end is nearing as the Klingons get closer to Earth with every outpost they attack. Desperate times call for not so Starfleet measures, as we find Emperor Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh), who has secretly been brought back by Burnham from the Mirror Universe, posing as her Prime counterpart, Captain Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh), now placed in command of the USS Discovery, leading the crew to Qo’noS. This mission, an attack on the Klingon home world, will be the last stand, bringing the fight to the Federation’s greatest enemy, who will never stop until they have seen Starfleet fall.
Picking up directly where Episode 14 ended, the Discovery is headed towards Qo’noS for a mission that must not fail, but that’s not what’s making Commander Saru (Doug Jones), and Specialist Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green), uncomfortable. Unbeknownst to them, Starfleet Command has made a deal with Emperor Georgiou, giving her freedom in exchange for assistance in bringing down the Klingon threat once and for all.
The pair are doing their best to play along, not to arouse suspicion amongst the unknowing crew, but while Burnham feels she is able to push for answers, Saru is trying to avoid ending up Georgiou’s next meal, having recently found out that his species is a delicacy where she comes from.
Unsure where this path will lead, but following orders, the crew make their way to the planet on a mission to Spore Jump the ship into Qo’noS, in hopes of taking the enemy by surprise. A flaw in the plan is that their maps are outdated, they need assistance in finding the right spot to jump into. Going to everyone’s favorite brig-confined. Klingon, L’Rell (Mary Chieffo), for information proves fruitless, after Georgiou attempts to beat the information out of her.
Staying strong, L’Rell refuses, and off the Emperor and Burnham go to plan B, Mr. Ash (Shazad Latif) “use to be Voq” Tyler. Starting out as a Klingon, who got surgically smashed into a human, and given the memories of Starfleet Officer Ash Tyler, in order to be a sleeper agent aboard the Discovery. Supposedly after his mental breakdown, Ash is back to his normal self now, fully repressing any Klingon inside of him, but still able to call upon his memories as Voq. While their is a distrust of Tyler, especially for Burnham, who had fallen in love with him, the team recruits the former Klingon, putting his knowledge to use.
An away team of Georgiou, Burnham, Tyler, and Cadet Tilly (Mary Wiseman) beam down to the planet’s surface, to an area that is now an Orion outpost. Tilly, who Georgiou outs her self to instantly, is to map the surface with a drone, while the rest try to acquire information on the area they need to find the old fashioned way: bribery, gambling, sex, and violence. While accidentally getting high with surprise guest Clint Howard, Tilly discovers their is no drone in her case at all, but a hydro bomb, realizing the true nature of their mission, to detonate the bomb inside an active volcano inside the planet, causing a chain reaction that would make Qo’noS uninhabitable ever again.
With the plan now revealed, Georgiou takes the bomb as she gives her team the slip, intent on finishing the mission herself. Burnham, who this time a year before made the choice of mutiny, that led the Federation into this war, now finds her self on the other end of the argument of right vs wrong, and what principles can be afforded when they are the ones on the loosing end of the battle. Will she be able to convince Starfleet that these drastic actions goes against their very being, or will she have to lead a mutiny, once again, in an effort to save everything they stand for.
Since Discovery was announced there have been naysayers, claiming everything they hear about the show isn’t “real Star Trek.” Tonight’s episode is perhaps the most Star Trek of all the shows. It embodies the moral code that Gene Roddenberry set for Starfleet when he started the show over 50 years ago. It shows that the right thing can always be done, no matter the circumstances, and that when everyone works together, anything is possible. Star Trek has always given us a light in dark times, and Discovery is doing just that. From strong female leads, to commentary on evil empires, it is the show we need today.
Ending with a surprise that made every fanboy (or girl) jump out of their seat, Season One is a wrap, but Season Two is coming, ready to boldly go where no show has gone before.
Rating 9 out of 10
-Aaron White – Twitter | Instagram | YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNOipxYaAFQ
