So I’m planning a video to map out the most accurate Star Trek timeline, inspired by the
events of this episode. It’s…going to take a while.
Hello, Ric here with my review of If Memory Serves , episode 8 of season 2, Star Trek
Discovery. First off let me get this out of the way. Let’s have a look at the implications
of the Red Angel’s confirmed alteration of Discovery’s timeline. So we learn that
if events played out without the angel’s interference, then Spock would have never
saved Burnham and she would have died on Vulcan, being eaten by this ravenous bugblatter beast.
But she was saved, from now on, events are different, but not by much. The flashback
into to the original series episode “The Cage” serves to illustrate the point that
the show’s creators are using the original timeline exactly as it happened to build off.
Therefore, as of this episode, we don’t know if Discovery is now set in an alternate
timeline from the original series and its following ones, explaining why Spock never
talks of his adopted sister as she would have been dead. Or if the subsequent in-universe
130 years including TOS, TNG, VOY, DS9 and films take place in this altered chain already.
And you know what, I don’t think CBS will say what the outcome truly ever is. Soo let’s
just copy and paste this timeline to here. Because this way, if you want to interpret
Discovery as now following its own timeline, you can. But if you want to maintain the relevance
of the prior shows in the context of the franchise moving forwards, you can do that too.
So now can we all just stop arguing about the relevance of Discovery?
Talking of overhauls, I’ve got to say, I like the Talosian designs. This is the kind
of visual update I was expecting from a Star Trek show made in 2018, set pre-TOS. The look
mirrors but updates the look of the species, giving them a smoothed out more alien look,
less human-prosthesis. The kept the subtle vein ripple and even the basic shape of the
robes mimicked the original, it’s just more detailed, like an HD remaster.
Though the levels of light here are painfully obscuring. Though you could argue that was
the point, notice how Leland is being obscured by the background lighting, while Georgiou
remains in focus? I think it’s meant to show who really has the attention of the Admiralty
in this scene, but still. Too much. I enjoyed all the levels of deterrence around
visiting Talos IV, the automated warning, the reminder that it was a restricted zone
then the false goddam BLACK HOLE that would have served to make Burnham flee had it not
been for Spock. Once we touch down, the nostalgia was aplenty and I’m curious to see how those
who aren’t familiar with original series Trek found it. I, myself was grinning the
whole time. Now we get to also see Ethan Peck go full
Spock and if anything, I’d say he’s even more reserved than Nimoy’s portrayal. The
inclusion of Burnham’s harsh words as a catalyst to force Spock to reject his human
side leads to a fairly faithful interpretation of the character. Burnham even pokes fun at
the beard which made me genuinely laugh. It turns out that his perception of time had
been messed with after attempting to mind-meld with the Red Angel, leading him to his current
deteriorating mental state and he had indeed turned to the most powerful telepaths he knows
to try to fix his mind. They extract a fairly abstract price as payment in the form of Burnham’s
experiences of pain distancing Spock. The switching in and out of their child actors
in this scenes serves to illustrate that this is the first time they’ve addressed this
rift in their relationship and perhaps set about a path to heal. Of course Spock is one
step ahead of Burnham, curtailing her explanations that she only wanted to protect him so it
falls to her to admit that she could probably have found a less hurtful way of doing things.
Vina makes it quite clear that the Talosians are still dangerous and quite capable of extracting
the thoughts themselves. From the minute they touched down, they were the Talosian’s playthings,
doubling down as to why this planet is off-limits. Pike orders the ship to travel to Talos to
retrieve Spock and the crew give him that look of, “come again?” forcing Saru to
voice what they’re all thinking, “Talos is in restricted space.” I was expecting
Pike to say something like, “I know, I’m the one who restricted it.”
I wasn’t expecting to see Vina brought back in full either acting as the humanising factor
to these Talosians who remain very stern and direct in their “our way or the highway”
approach. Arguably the inclusion of a reciprocated affection from Pike makes his ultimate fate
a little less cruel in that he can be reunited with her. The minute he sees her in his office
as well as his moment on the bridge made me smirk. Section 31 is way out of their depth
here. Right now, this is Pike’s rodeo. Let’s just quickly take a look at Burnham’s
visions of the future she get from Spock, who got them from the Red Angel, who is a
human. Via the Talosians. We see some form of automated device, similar to the altered
Discovery probe launch attacks on the Federation with devastating results. The statement is
made that without interference, the timeline they were on ultimately concludes in the destruction
of the Federation. We see Earth, Andoria, Tellar Prime which I’m guessing and I think
that’s Vulcan. Which would make them the four founding worlds of the UFP.
Section 31 drama is unfolding too as Georgiou continues to make power plays by subverting
Leland, I suspect her ultimate goal is to gain control of the organisation, after all,
she suspected the Talosians duplicity but allowed Leland to proceed anyway and she’s
enjoying it. I’m still not certain if I could watch a whole series with Empress 31
at the centre. Yeoh does a good job portraying her but I think she works better as a supporting
character from where she can instigate and guide events.
Pike is beginning to, well I was going to say warm to, but that’s not true. Beginning
to understand Tyler and I think he buys his explanation that from Section 31, even if
it’s shady, he can help protect people and not face judgement, after all, almost everyone
he’s working with, in 31, has dirt in their past.
Then there’s the confrontation between Culber and Tyler. I think Culber’s reactions to
Stamets trying to pick up where they left off are understandable, human and real. His
frustration at feeling disconnected was telegraphed from the moment he returned and poor Stamets
treating his return as a miracle is not helping. It’s, again understandable, but a little…
selfish? Perhaps naïve is more accurate. In his attempts to help, he’s clearly dancing
around the issue that Culber died, which leads Culber to face the direct cause of his death.
Ash-Voq. Ho boy. Wilson Cruz pulls it off well and
comes across as pretty intimidating, he is angry. Would not want to be in Ash’s position
right now. The frustration was palpable from Cruz and it drowns out Latif’s weak apology,
exactly is intended, it doesn’t really matter what Ash says here, Culber is looking to vent.
I was thinking throughout the whole fight how these two were now in similar positions
of trying to find who they are now, then the show makes that line of thought apparent as
the two guys blows cease. Pike chastises Saru for not intervening and
they’re both right. That situation could have been handled by their CO and its bad
form to have two officers come to blows in front of the entire crew, Pike was right to
scold Saru for letting it happen and sends him with a reminder that it’s not acceptable.
But a confrontation was inevitable and I think everyone saw it coming. Once it had started
Saru’s call to let it play out shows a good understanding of human nature, it was a primal
venting of pent up emotion that led to a personal revelation.
Airiam seems to be feeding intel to Section 31, originally Pike suspects Tyler but is
soon disproven when Leland continues to track them despite Tyler being monitored. I think
it’s safe to assume she was the one halting their jump to Talos too and here, the writers
are using her status as an undeveloped background character to their advantage. Pike, nor anyone
else even glance at her when it comes to looking for the insider on the crew so I’m curious
to see how long it will last. Maintaining cover doesn’t seem to be a focus of Airiam,
or more specifically the entity within her. If it were, she would have continued to implicate
Tyler by not acting while he was confined, as it is, Section 31 intercepts them so soon
after they contain Ash, that her use of his access codes is undone by the episode’s
end. I’m glad they’re not dragging it out, as it can be frustrating as an audience
when we are aware of facts that the characters are not.
Overall, this episode has good pacing, the action present was meaningful. We get answers
to questions set up in the series so far and the cast continue to operate in a way that
takes into account the development that they received previously. This is honestly close
to my favourite episodes of all time due in no small part to the efficient and clever
use of pre-existing canon to create a new tale in the form of Talos IV. And finally
this episode marks a distinct threat to the Star Trek universe as a whole, my only lingering
concern is… with bigger stakes and changes, come bigger pitfalls for a series but season
two of Discovery has held my interest and curiosity so far so perhaps it deserves a
little credit. Thanks for listening and I’m curious to see what you think for implications
on the Star Trek universe. Are we going to have a multi-series spanning threat? Until
next video, I’ll catch you later, Ric out.