Captain’s log: stardate unknown

Kirsten Beyer pens Saints of Imperfection which first aired on 14 February, 2019. What starts off as an episode that we think may finally deliver the goods and give us Spock (Ethan Peck) as Discovery has picked up the warp trail of his stolen shuttle, leads instead to an exploration of the mycelial network to rescue Tilly (Mary Wiseman) in a story that is very Trek, as it explores themes of love, family, and the fear, and exploration, of the unknown.

Catching up to the shuttle they discover Captain Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh) aboard, who, now working for Section 31 alongside Leland (Alan van Sprang) and Ash (Shazad Latif), is conducting her own search for Spock.

Stamets (Antony Rapp) finally comes up with a plan to rescue Tilly, which involves stopping the Discovery halfway through a jump, leaving them half-stuck in the network. Stamets and Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) go in after her.

Within the network Tilly is interacting with the representation of May (Bahia Watson) who asks for help to protect the network from a threat. That threat… an impossibly resurrected Dr. Culber (Wilson Cruz), who, in turn, sees the life forms of the network as a threat to his existence.

Tilly really gets to shine in this episode, and demonstrates, just like her captain, Pike (Anson Mount) the best of Starfleet, while the dark side of it is seen in the operations of Leland, Georgiou and Ash, with their unnamed starship, registration NCIA-93, which comes equipped with a holographic projection cloak.

We also see that the comm badges of The Next Generation may exist thanks to Section 31, who are already using them.

I am honestly really getting a kick out of season two, I just wish they hadn’t dragged out the Spock reveal for so long. He actually doesn’t make an appearance until the seventh episode, the halfway mark of the season.

Still, there is real Trek here, and it is enjoyable.

Captain’s log: 1035.86

Bo Yeon Kim and Erika Lippoldt that sees a new red signal appearing above Saru’s (Doug Jones) home world, and gives him a homecoming that brings into question the Red Angel’s intentions, as well as the role of his own people on the planet. First airing on 21 February, 2019, The Distant Sound of Thunder explores more things Kelpian.

Culber, meanwhile struggles with his return from the dead, and the emotional impact it has on him, Stamets, and those around him. Something that will be explored more in future episodes. The main thrust of the episode centres on Saru and serves as a continuation of the story introduced in the Short Trek’s episode, The Brightest Star.

Returning to his home world, Saru rejoins his sister, Siranna (Hannah Spear) and they, and the crew of the Discovery, learn the true nature of the Kelpian’s relationship with the Ba’ul, a predator species that has lived off of them for generations.

When the crew find a way to counter this, and create a new balance for the planet, the Red Angel arrives to provide the planet a final saving grace from the threat of the Ba’ul.

It’s an interesting episode, and feels slower paced than those that have gone before it. I do like how Saru’s character has now changed since he’s evolved and shed his threat ganglia. Because of his enhanced vision, we also get our first clear look at the Red Angel and can recognise that it is a humanoid in some form of suit. In terms of continuity, Ash mentions Control, Section 31’s threat assessment program.

Season Two of Star Trek: Discovery, now on blu-ray from Paramount Canada continues as the Human Adventure boldly goes…