Star Trek Discovery Season 2 Finale Part One

The Discovery docks with the USS Enterprise and evacuation begins. As Michael Burnham ponders how they are going to be able to power the time crystal she touches it and her mind is suddenly awash with visions of things to come just like what happened to Pike on Boreth. She sees death, carnage and a photon torpedo piercing the Enterprise’s saucer section like a spear. The senior officers set the Discovery’s self destruct in motion and escape to the Enterprise. Pike orders the auto destruct of the Discovery but it fails. Photon torpedoes are launched but are deflected by the Discovery’s shields. The Sphere Data has merged with the Discovery and is protecting itself.

Michael has a vision of Leland/Control boarding the Enterprise and murdering everyone. Faced with no other recourse, Michael suggests they take the Discovery where Control cannot get the Sphere Data…into the future! The plan is to rebuild the suit for the only one who can wear it — ta da! Michael Burnham! She will open the worm hole and the Discovery will auto pilot its way through.
Of course there is still the small matter of finding a way to activate the time crystal. Georgiou suggests they could fire anti-matter into a star in nova state but she is told that will kill millions of beings. Georgiou says “Yeah…” Gotta love her!

As if on cue…oh, of course it’s on cue!…a fifth signal appears on the Enterprise sensors. Pike orders all pods and shuttles retrofitted for combat operations but Number One informs him she has already done so “in case the shit hits the fan” (sigh). Stamets jumps the Discovery directly to the source of the signal…the planet Xahea where Tilly happens to know the Queen, Her Highness Me Hani Ika Kali Ka Po or just “Po”. Xahea is rich in dilithium and may just have the power to activate the time crystal.

Paul and Hugh have an awkward final good bye. So sad. Hugh will be transferring to the Enterprise. As Michael and Po mention their moms all Georgiou can say is “Ugh.” She passes a bowl of ice cream to Tilly and tells her “This goop is vile”. Does Georgiou get all the best quips or what?

Po says she can replicate the power of a super nova and power the crystal. They will need energy though, and it will have to come from the spore drive leaving the Discovery unable to jump for 12 hours. Po says there’s just one problem…”Certain death in battle wasn’t enough of a problem?” Georgiou cuts in. Reno explains charging the crystal this way will cause it to ultimately burn out. So it appears Michael will not be able to return to the present. Did anyone not see that coming? Thought not.

In a maudlin display of love and camaraderie in the grand Star Trek style, the crew greets Michael on the bridge and tells her she will not be going into the future alone. Then everyone records their final farewells to friends and family. Even Her Highness Po decides to stay with the Discovery. Keep the tissues at hand because next we have Captain Pike saying his good byes to Spock and the Discovery crew as he must return to the Enterprise and face his destiny. The crew stands before Pike in silence for no words are needed.

As everyone who is staying take shuttles to the Enterprise another problem (natch!) presents itself with the crystal. The cage housing the crystal is interfering and slowing down the charging according to Reno. Without a viable solution Reno sends Tilly and Stamets out of the room to take care of the problem herself. Removing the crystal from the cage she is hit with the same vision of destruction that Michael endured. As Pike and Ash beam over to the Enterprise, Leland’s force arrives. The battle has begun!

I will save my thoughts and feelings on the two part season finale for part two of “Such Sweet Sorrow”. For now, it’s that time again! Time for…

TO BOLDLY GO

“Mirror, Mirror” was written by Jerome Bixby and was the 4th episode of season two of the original Star Trek. In the episode, Kirk, McCoy, Scott, and Uhura are transporting back to the Enterprise during an ion storm which affects the ship’s transport system sending the group to an alternate universe, an alternate ISS Enterprise. Spock with a mustache/goatee greets them and not only are they surprised by Spock’s look but by the crew who are wearing phasers and daggers. The Federation has become the Terran Empire and crew members who do not follow orders can be subject to intense punishment and even death. In this universe Kirk became Captain of the Enterprise by assassinating Captain Christopher Pike. Among the noteworthy things in the episode is the expanded role for Uhura who gets to do more than say “Hailing frequencies open”. The Mirror Universe was seen again in five episodes of Star Trek Deep Space Nine: “Crossover”, “Through the Looking Glass”, “Shattered Mirror”, “Resurrection” and “The Emperor’s New Cloak”. The Mirror Universe also comes into play as a prequel of sorts in the series Enterprise in the two parter “In a Mirror, Darkly”. By far, the Mirror Universe got its greatest use in the first season of Star Trek Discovery where the Captain of the Discovery, Lorca, turned out to be Lorca’s Mirror Universe counter-part. Of course, we also got the return of Phillipa Georgiou who was the Empress of the Terran Empire. Lucky for the audience, Phillipa snuck back with the Discovery and has become a valued ally on several occasions. She retains her fondness for Michael Burnham and is always quick with a snappy line. Georgiou (played to the hilt by the amazing Michelle Yeoh) adds a wicked touch of humor to most of the scenes she is in.
During Star Trek‘s 30th anniversary TV Guide ranked “Mirror, Mirror” third in a list of top ten episodes of the show. The episode’s writer, Jerome Bixby, also wrote for The Twilight Zone and his original movie The Man From Earth (2007) is a fantastic representation of his skills as a writer. The movie also features John Billingsly who portrayed Dr. Phlox on Enterprise. You can watch The Man From Earth on Amazon Prime and is well worth the watch. Check out the trailer here: