We are over the halfway mark for Star Trek Discovery’s last season. The ship and crew get even closer to the Progenitor’s technology as they dig deep to figure out a Denobulan scientist had created water transforming towers on a pre-warp planet. Of course that immediately causes issues with the prime directive as Burnham and Tilly beam down to search out the last remaining tower. They join up with a group that is on their way there to fulfill a religious journey. A healer and his child form an immediate friendship with the Discovery crew, and they point out that there is a race that can be won to enter the “sacred temple” of the tower. The race involves dehydrating the runners and tempting them with water. Before it’s begun, Discovery finds out that this last tower will not last much longer unless they fix it. Burnham figures out where a control panel is hidden and forfeits the race to let Tilly finish it. Tilly helps the healer’s child, Ravah, tie in winning which lets them both into the temple. Meanwhile, onboard Discovery, Hugh is having a hard time coming to grips with the spirituality of being taken over by a Trill. He is enjoying the new connection into something bigger, but it’s hard to describe to people. After having some meaningful conversations, including one with Booker, he decides it’s best left unanswered and personal in some ways.
Back on the planet, Burnham fixes the control panel for the tower. Tilly finds out too late that winning the race is a sacrifice for the gods. Ravah’s father was reluctant in having Ravah do the race because of this. Burnham violates the prime directive willingly to talk to Ravah’s father to let them out. They realize it doesn’t mean giving up on beliefs, but letting them change. Tilly and Ravah are saved, and Tilly made the discovery that there was a number clue that points to a fifth tower. They find the next clue there, and proceed to encounter Moll and L’aq.
Here we go with our thoughts…
Music
Mr. Daps: “This week had a better score than other weeks. I did question whether it felt like Star Trek music at times. There was definitely a moment while panning down to the planet, the music reminded me of Star Wars more than Star Trek. There were some other nice moments of music that were felt more ‘in-world’ that I enjoyed as well. I do find myself wanting more from this season’s scores though.”
Murray: “There was some music that was unique and stood out in this episode. But, I think it stood out a bit too much. In a sweeping shot on the planet, there’s a theme that seems very chariot race-like. And then it switches to a slightly ethnic orchestration. It was too blaringly obvious in my opinion, but wasn’t bad music. There’s also the whistle-language that was a nice touch in the episode. And I think the song that Ravah’s mother had sang was a nice melodic touch.”
Design
Mr. Daps: “Overall, I thought the design was fine for this week. There were a couple of moments that felt digital to me. Overall, it looked good, made sense, and helped move the story along.”
Murray: “I liked the style of the planet. The coloration made it feel alien, while also maintaining some familiarity. The tower temple was an interesting stone structure with some technology. I know it was for it to be disguised, but that was one design that was a little too unnecessary. Still, overall, I liked the way designs were throughout this episode.”
Story
Mr. Daps: “I thought the story was ok. I wasn’t completely engaged but I also wasn’t completely bored either. The side stories didn’t have enough to completely draw me in but they were intriguing. I do feel like this season lacks focus and discipline. I did like the world building in this episode and the culture exploration. I also liked the resolution of the breaking of the Prime Directive. I’m curious if that will be the end of this chapter or if there will be any follow up repercussions.”
Murray: “Though there were three stories happening, with the one about Adira not really worth mentioning, it was suprisingly well woven together. I think the parallel story with Hugh searching for answers about spirituality and religion to be interesting with an alien race changing their beliefs. Yet, both were their own stories to play out. The end trope of breaking the prime directive for the greater good was excusable for me because of the way the story was more about the beliefs. It didn’t dismiss the culture, but brought it into the Federation’s beliefs too, and that was a nice touch.”
Hit or Miss?
Mr. Daps: “This week was a miss for me. While there were some unique ideas and this week seemed more cohesive than previous weeks, I did feel like this was kind of revisiting ground that has been trekked (sorry) before. I thought there were some interesting questions asked and answered. I also just found myself wanting more out of the episode. I’m hoping next week will be a bit more engaging and exciting!”
Murray: “This was a bit hard for me. It wasn’t the most well-paced stories of the season. There were a lot of tropes that just made it feel like ‘another prime directive’ story. But, I’m giving it a hit. It’s because they weaved together the A and B plot nicely. The resolution and main focus of the episode about religion was done in a way that was new. I appreciated how the episode presented it as there could still be something out there. With that, I really appreciated the episode despite its flaws.”
