by Mike “Make It So” Lunsford, Editor-In-Chief Great Geek Refuge

There comes a time in one’s life when you go back to the things you loved as a kid. Maybe it’s the music of your formative years (for me the 90s). Perhaps you re-read Lord of the Rings, or if you had parents who loved keeping you awake with nightmares, you were allowed to read Pet Sematary. It’s possible your nostalgia takes you to the TV shows and movies that you loved as a child. One show that always makes me remember the past fondly is Star Trek. Those old episodes of Star Trek or Star Trek: The Next Generation immediately take me back to watching them on the tiny TV I had in my childhood bedroom.

something like that. And of course the reception was AWFUL

Star Trek is a beloved franchise and many people, like myself, have been fans since they were children. Last year, CBS finally got their act together and created a new TV series. It certainly had its moments, some of them less than stellar (swear to God no pun intended) but the show was good enough to get renewed for a second season. Like most Trek series, season 2 has been a marked improvement over its predecessor.

When we last left our brave and brilliant U.S.S. Discovery crew, they had just found a way to de-escalate the Klingon-Federation conflict, and thanks to formerly disgraced mutineer Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green, The Walking Dead), the war was over. As the crew flies to Vulcan to pick up their new captain, they run into another Federation ship that needs their assistance. It is none other than the most famous of Federation ships, the U.S.S. Enterprise! I might have hooted and hollered when I saw the Enterprise and I am not ashamed to admit that.

she’s so pretty! I mean…Discovery, you’re cute and all, but the ENTERPRISE, she’s a fine lady and you will treat her as such. Oh…this got weird.

For those of you who want to see the show and DON'T want any spoilers, I’ll give you my spoiler-free review here:

The series is good. The issues that season 1 had were cleaned up and fleshed out. Sometimes, that was done a bit too heavy-handedly. It’s enjoyable, it’s fun and fresh. It can be a bit too emotional at points: they don’t believe “less is more” or in the show-me-don’t-tell-me style of story presentation. Everything is a big, dramatic speech and it just gets old after a while. The finale is grandiose in scale, impactful in story but lacking in execution. Overall, 3.5 out of 5. Good enough to keep moving forward, still needs to be tightened up and lose the dramatic, forced emotional moments.

From here on out, TONS of spoilers, so bail out now if you don't want them. Let’s talk about the biggest positives and negatives of season 2.

The Story

Just like in season 1, the cohesive storyline that runs through the entire season makes for a more interesting dynamic. There’s a lot of talk around the web about people’s displeasure with the style of storytelling Discovery has chosen. “It doesn’t feel like Star Trek.” I personally am sick of this refrain. As I’ve stated in years past, Star Trek needed to evolve or it would have been left to the past. A newer, more dramatic story-telling vehicle is not the worst thing that has happened to a franchise. It has given this series in particular a different feel as the missions don’t seem unimportant.

You also have to remember how much television has changed in 50+ years compared to the original series. Heck, it’s in a completely different place now than it was 30 years ago when Next Generation was on the air. When these shows originally aired, there was no way to know when someone was going to be able to watch. Having a storyline that ran through multiple episodes would leave a lot of viewers missing out as there were no VCRs in the 60s. The 80s and early 90s had much of the same but were also trying to grow their audience. There weren’t many ways to do that other than saturation through syndication. In order to keep it accessible to all, each episode had to be self-contained, with the exception of a few two-parters.

Much has changed with media and how we process it in the 21st century. New online delivery systems like CBS All Access allow folks to watch the show whenever they want, wherever they want. You can do one storyline for the entire season without worrying about people missing key plot points. This worked well for season 2 as the arc was solid and interesting. It kept me engaged and eagerly anticipating the next episode. In our modern world, it’s my biggest gripe with “old school” TV. Typically, your old school shows will have 23 episodes and there is a central storyline going, but there are always a few throwaway episodes. This is what is great about the online delivery system: very few, if any garbage episodes. This season was devoid of a single one.

In episode 1, we pick up right off where we last saw our crew: nose to nose with U.S.S. Enterprise. Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount, Hell on Wheels) takes emergency command of the Discovery and explains that the Enterprise was investigating seven mysterious “red bursts” when it was catastrophically damaged. Red bursts are temporal anomalies, these in particular unlike anything Starfleet had encountered before. All seven of the signals were revealed simultaneously and their synchronization all but ruled out natural phenomena being the cause. Six of the seven signals disappear, and the final does too when Discovery arrives at its location. These mysterious signals and their creator, “The Red Angel,” form the backbone of season 2. As the season progresses, we also run into a much deadlier problem, as Starfleet’s threat assessment AI system known as Control begins to make decisions on its own and threaten the existence of sentient life.

Commander Burnham seeing the seven red bursts

The overall arc is fun, exciting, action-packed and enthralling. They manage to explain away a lot of the issues that plagued season 1. For example: the use of holographic imaging. If Discovery, a pre-original series Federation ship has the capability of holographic interface, why doesn’t the Enterprise in Star Trek? Well…Captain Pike states “I don’t like those holograms, they feel like ghosts. Just pull the damn things out,” in discussing the ongoing repairs aboard the Enterprise. It was a funny nod and easily explained fix. The “how is Michael Burnham Spock’s sister if we’ve never heard of her before” issue was handled in an interesting way that felt satisfying but also left me scratching my head at times. The way Captain Pike was handled was incredible, so much so that it will have it’s own sub-category later in the article.

What didn’t work for me with the story was some of the choices the writers made, especially with dialogue. There were SO MANY long, drawn out speeches made by members of the crew. For example, Commander Saru finds out his people have been manipulated for hundreds of years and makes this long speech about his Kelpian menopause. Michael Burnham and Ash Tyler have like at least five moments where they talk about their feelings for each other. Commander Stamets talks a lot about being very sad about Hugh.

Even Spock, the famously cold, logical science officer, who has had only had a handful of emotional interchanges across all of Trekdom, has a ton of deep interactions in season 2 of Discovery. When he DOES show emotion, it’s a big deal and this season of Discovery does have a really good reason for some of his emotional outbursts…but multiple long, drawn-out speeches? It just seemed unnecessary and, for lack of a better term, un-Star-Trek-like. I hate saying that because the new writers should have creative license to really stretch the boundaries of what this series can be, but they felt like drunken “last day of summer before everyone goes off to college” speeches. Can we tone down the emotional goodbyes and such? Spock’s departure speech to Michael seemed a bit forced and almost gratuitous. He gave Michael the “live long and prosper” salute as they were getting ready to depart the shuttle bay and that was enough to bring a tear to my eye. If only I had known that there were going to be like 5 more goodbyes.

Special Effects

Star Trek, from its earliest days, was a series that needed to rely on special effects to accomplish certain story aspects. As time moved on and technology improved, what special effects could bring to the table increased as well. As a matter of fact, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan was the first motion picture to include computer generated graphics in the Genesis planet terraforming demonstration. Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country used 3-D computer graphics to show what Klingon blood would look like in zero gravity. Back in 1991, this was some mind-blowing stuff. The franchise has always attempted to be on the cutting edge of special effects technology.

Star Trek: Discovery hasn’t done anything that has been mind-blowing when it comes to special effects but they have done enough to enhance the scenes. They’ve chosen to go with the newer, JJ Abrams’ style of lens-flare-heavy cinematography. Many have criticized this, but this isn’t the worst thing. It gives the space craft and celestial bodies a realistic feel from what we’ve seen from our own space exploration photography.

For the most part, the effects seem realistic, they look cool and add depth to the story. However, there are some misses. Here are a few of the winners and losers.

WINNER: THE SHIPS

At first, I was missing the old practical models used for Star Trek ships. There was just something that looked better about them. I am now fully onboard with the digital models they use. The lighting effects they are able to create on top of how the ships orient themselves with each other and planets is awesome. Whether they’re in battle or flying through warp speed, they look fantastic. Here are a few screen grabs of some awesome imagery they had in season 2:

LOSER:GEORGIOU AND HER WEIRD WEAPON

The effects in general are great. However, there is one scene in particular that was laughably bad. It also points to another issue I have with this season: Philippa Georgiou. We’ll get to her in a moment, but first I’ll show you the effects in question:

This scene involves the former Terran Emperor Philippa Georgiou who is now a Section 31 agent. She fires a weapon that I can only describe as the Dirty Bubble gun from Spongebob Squarepants. I kid you not, she wraps up a Klingon ne'er-do-well with her bubble phaser and then he floats around in the air until he gets stabbed by Chancellor L’rell. It was corny, especially when you put Section 31 into context. They’re supposed to be the C.I.A. of Starfleet; do whatever needs to be done to keep the ideals of the Federation alive with equipment and technology often decades ahead of what the rest of Starfleet is using. That being said: a laser gun that encases the victim in a floating bubble is the only thing you can come up with to incapacitate an angry, treasonous Klingon? She literally had remote drones vaporize the other Klingon cronies, and those effects were not only believable, but awesome. I’m calling B.S. on this.

WINNER: THEY BROUGHT BACK THE KLINGON D-7!!!!

Yes, I was that p’tak who complained about the Klingon ships from season 1. It wasn’t so much that I didn’t like them, I just missed the old designs. I loved the D-7, the Bird of Prey, all of them. I was so incredibly happy when I saw these beauties fly into battle.Plus, the Klingons were the honor-bound, warriors with no fear that we’ve known and loved since they became less a Communist-stand-in villain from the original series to the formidable enemy-turned-ally from the films and Next Generation. They even grew their hair back (which also got explained in canon so uber-nerds complaining about that can shut up)! The Klingons were exactly what any Trek fan would want, too. When they showed up for battle, they were ready to kick ass and take names. Qapla!!

Characters/Actors

What makes us fall in love with TV shows? Engaging characters and their interactions with others. If I had to name one thing that keeps me tuning in to Star Trek: Discovery, it is the characterization. It is something the writers do really well. You know what is driving these characters and it makes sense. They feel real, not just caricatures of science fiction archetypes. In last season’s review, I dove into Commander Saru, Michael Burnham, Ash Tyler and Captain Lorca. Each of these characters (except Lorca, because, ya know, he got vaporized) had some great moments in this season. But let’s focus on some of the other performances which, honestly, were the best parts of season 2.

Mary Wiseman as Ensign Sylvia Tilly

She’s awkward. She’s nerdy. She’s weird socially. All that being said, Ensign Sylvia Tilly came into her own in season 2. A common complaint about Tilly is that her conduct is not becoming of a Starfleet officer, with her lack of decorum and language often being part of the issue. However, it should be noted that Discovery is not Enterprise. Discovery is a science vessel, manned by scientists who are more prized for their intellect and scientific prowess than their professionalism. Think of Lieutenant Barclay from Next Generation: Tilly is much in the same mold as ol’ Broccoli. She proved her worth more in season 2 by interacting exactly as a scientist or explorer should (re: S2 Short Trek: Runaway, An Obol for Charon & Saints of Imperfection). Had she been more militarized or regimented, she may have handled these delicate situations incorrectly, causing larger ramifications for herself and the crew. Thanks to Tilly’s unique insight and personality, she handled them perfectly.

Anthony Rapp as Lieutenant Commander Paul Stamets

He’s a jerk. He’s rude. He’s every ridiculously smart person you ever knew that will never let you forget that they are smarter than you. And slowly but surely, Paul Stamets grows on you, much like the fungus and spores he specializes in aboard the Discovery. This review had me include Stamets because of his relationship with his husband, the late Dr. Hugh Culber and his truly miraculous return. If you are unfamiliar, Culber met his untimely demise at the hands of a brainwashed Ash Tyler/Voq in season 1. In a moment that felt odd at first until you remember this is Star Trek, Culber is brought back to life because of the mycelial network. Much like the Genesis device which resurrected Spock, the mycelial network was able to recreate Culber based on Stamets connection to his deceased husband and the network of interconnected mycelium. It was touching to see them reunited but also satisfying in a sci-fi technobabble way that didn’t feel forced. Seeing Stamets and Culber’s relationship makes you hate Stamets less as you see the humanity behind the jerk veneer.

Anson Mount as Captain Christopher Pike

If Lorca reminded me of commanding officers I had while in the military, Captain Pike reminded me of the ones who managed to inspired me to do the best I possibly could. Pike was confident, brave, charming, loyal to his crew, but above all else a consummate professional. Captain Pike might be the best commanding officer I’ve seen wearing a Starfleet uniform in years. He engendered trust, respect and loyalty from the crew of Discovery almost immediately. He was also the kind of commanding officer you would want to serve with: he leads from the front. He’s volunteering for away team missions and he takes the lead as the point man, whether it be an alien planet or dangerous ship wreckage.

Whenever you’re dealing with Captain Christopher Pike, there’s an elephant in the room that often gets ignored. JJ did it with Star Trek (2009) and Into Darkness by killing Pike in the second installment. Discovery doesn’t have this luxury. They’ve insisted they are canon with the original series, so there is no avoiding Christopher Pike’s awful and tragic fate. Instead of shying away from this, the writers, producers and Anson Mount himself took the bull by the horns and embraced what will eventually happen to Captain Pike. Instead of making it this foreboding event that he doesn’t know about but the audience does, they give Captain Pike the choice. In the episode Through the Valley of the Shadows Captain Pike must obtain a time crystal to stop the growing threat from Control. If he takes this crystal, Pike is warned that he will be shown his future and that the fate he sees will be unavoidable.

And given the choice, what does Pike do after seeing his awful fate? He says this:

You are a Starfleet Captain. You believe in service, sacrifice, compassion, and love.

AND THEN HE SNAPS THAT CRYSTAL OFF IT’S BASE AND GETS BACK TO DISCOVERY TO SAVE THE GALAXY! It is easily one of the bravest moments I’ve seen from a Starfleet officer. He knows exactly what is going to happen to him in the future and chose this painful fate because his duty outweighs his own personal pain and suffering. It was a second Kobiyashi Maru: the only way to win is to lose. I liked Captain Pike before, but after this scene I was really sold. He’s no longer just a tragic character to be pitied, he’s a friggin’ hero who embodies the principles of Starfleet and deserves our respect.

Tig Notaro as Commander Jett Reno

When it was announced that Tig Notaro would be playing a character in season 2 of Discovery, I was excited. She has the right attitude and feel for this universe but also seems like a perfect fit for an engineer in Starfleet. She was spot on perfect. Her snark, sarcasm, lack of pleasantries and general lack of couth were exactly like every awesome engineer/mechanic you’re thinking of. When fabricating a necessary component, Commander Burnham asks Jett for an estimate on completion.

Jett: The crystal will be charged in 4 minutes.
Burnham: Can you make it 2?
Jett: And violate the laws of physics…no.

She’s like the anti-Scotty. Her personality and genius was perfect for the band of geeks and nerds that is Discovery.

Ethan Peck as Lieutenant Spock

When it comes to portraying a character that has already been seen in the annals of Trekdom, picking someone like Captain Christopher Pike is easy. We only know a little bit about him, so filling in the gaps is easy for the most part. Taking on someone like Spock, arguably the most famous character in all of Star Trek, is not an easy task. There are going to be crippling expectations and no matter what, people will have issues with his portrayal. From the stand point of performance, I didn’t have a single issue. Ethan Peck did a marvelous job as the half-human, half-Vulcan science officer. He managed to balance the emotional human side with the reserved, logical Vulcan side. My biggest gripe, as previously mentioned, was the way he was written in the finale. Overall, I liked the character and would love if they managed to do a Trek series involving Pike, Spock and Rebecca Romijn’s Number One.

Michelle Yeoh as Phillipa Georgiou

Former Captain of the USS Shenzhou, killed in the Battle of the Binary Stars, Georgiou is miraculously brought back from the dead…but it’s not exactly her, it’s her murderous, orgy-having, Terran counterpart. Most people who have watched and enjoyed both seasons of Star Trek: Discovery really enjoyed her Terran character. She was fun. The operative word is “was.” I am so over this character. Michelle Yeoh is a wonderful actress but I am so sick of Georgiou. Her and Burnham continue to interact as if this Georgiou is the same person that was Michael’s mentor and confidant. They’re completely different people! On top of that, Her dialogue is cheesy, her involvement in Section 31 really doesn’t make sense, and overall I’m just ready for this series to move on from her. I realize that a lot of people love her and I love the rest of the series enough that I can deal with her crap and power through to the next scene.

Why It’s Worth Your Time

Star Trek: Discovery Season 2 is a hell of a lot of fun and the perfect confluence of all that you could be looking for in a Star Trek series. It feels way more like old Star Trek than season 1 did, too. In the episode New Eden, they manage to nail the old feel of the series: a moral dilemma that has both sides of the argument well defended and makes you wonder what really is the right choice. It is also new and fresh. Every episode ties together with the next one to become part of the total storyline. The stale stiffness that made the series fade from television is gone now. This is modern television with the heart and soul of the classic series. My only issues were overly verbose speeches and too much beating-over-the-head sentiment. Show us through actions, we don’t need a speech every single time. The finale felt too long: it was stretched over two episodes when it very easily could have been one. All in all, those are my only gripes. I love this series. I can’t wait for season 3 and boy do I hope they do a spinoff with Captain Pike. I want to know more about this amazing officer. I give Star Trek: Discovery Season 2 3.5 out of 5 stars. It keeps topping itself and proving that the future of Star Trek is in the right hands.

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