This week on Star Trek: Discovery, Georgiou’s return to the mirror universe led to the return of a classic series character, and a farewell from a major one on this show. Let’s dive straight into it:
“Terra Firma, Part 2”
Teleplay by Kalinda Vazquez
Story by Bo Yeon Kim & Erika Lippoldt & Alan McElroy
Directed by Chloe Domont
1. Cynicism in Star Trek?
The episode spends a good half hour back in the Terran Empire (including a blue, upside down version of the opening credits), lulling in a false sense that Georgiou can alter the past, and redeem her Burnham. Alas, her decisions still result in the same outcome, with her adoptive daughter staging another coup attempt, and dying in the process. It was already disturbing seeing Georgiou, who claims to have been enlightened by her time in the prime reality, still spend months torturing her daughter to make her pliable for reconditioning, and it feels unusually pessimistic for Star Trek.
Still, as Carl comments on her return to the prime reality, Georgiou’s hands were tied: three months simply weren’t enough to make Mirror Burnham a better person, or turnaround her fragile reputation — and while her attempts to reform the Terran Empire proved to be stillborn, viewers should remember there’s hope for its universe, since Deep Space Nine confirmed Mirror Spock was inspired by Shatner’s Kirk to improve the empire. Sure, it may have led to Terra being toppled by the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance, but isn’t that the final step towards ending imperialism?
2. Oh My GOF
Fed up after Carl’s test, Philippa demands to know “what” he is, and the old man reveals he is the Guardian of Forever, the sentient time portal from the original series’ most beloved episode, “The City on the Edge of Forever.” The Guardian explains that, during the Temporal Wars, he fled his homeworld to foil those who sought to exploit their power, and that its experiences with us have changed it (which is presumably why they’re so much more playful). It does seem a little opportunistic to use the Guardian two years after its infamously litigious creator Harlan Ellison passed away, but I was blown away by its return, moreso than I would’ve been if Carl had turned out to be a random Q (which was my main theory last week).
3. Booker Makes Himself Useful
Back on the ship, the engineering crew are struggling to hack into the Khi’eth, the crashed Kelpien ship where the distress signal that preceded the Burn originated from. As the ship is inside a nebula, Stamets and Adira are using up Discovery‘s power filtering out the distortion, something Jett Reno finally returns after several episodes to complain about (while nonchalantly eating some black liquorice, despite the rules about no food in engineering). Booker walks in, and casually explains they can amplify signals in subspace, something couriers like him are used to doing: as he says, Saru asked him to make something useful, so he did.
Stamets is so taken aback that he forgets to thank Booker, prompting Reno to quip he can’t handle being helped by non-Starfleet personnel. He’s actually concerned by the thought of using Emerald Chain tech though, and later on Admiral Vance gives Saru permission to follow through Booker’s suggestion, though he firmly suggests Booker actually join Starfleet if he’s going to stick around. For someone who was so antagonistic in his debut, Vance has proven to be a rather easygoing commander, although Fehr does a great job of conveying the character’s no pushover either: he doesn’t get angry that Saru forgot to tell him about the Khi’eth, but he is disappointed.
4. Goodbye Philippa
Georgiou’s still dying, but her attempt at improving her own universe convinces the Guardian she deserves a second chance: he can’t heal the affliction caused by her traveling through time and space, but he can remove one half of the equation, even if it means she’ll have to say goodbye to Burnham and everyone else, permanently. Georgiou bids farewell to Michael, admitting deep down, she loved them all really, and Michael movingly declares, “You are my Philippa.” Georgiou exits via the Guardian’s portal, presumably returning to the prime 2250s to do some good, albeit in her ruthless manner, on the in-development Section 31 series.
Continued belowI’m really gonna miss Georgiou, and Michelle Yeoh, on this show: she was such an acerbic and sassy presence, especially among the command officers, who lack the laidback banter of the engineering crew. When Burnham gave her the Vulcan salute, my heart sank. It is a shame, as Georgiou says, that she didn’t have time to tell her who San was, but maybe someday, Burnham can look him up after Philippa has finished changing history. (Who knows how else Georgiou’s return to the distant past may help the current Starfleet…)
5. Three Episodes Left
It’s quite surprising Georgiou’s departure came before the season finale, although in fairness, ten episodes is a long season by some show’s standards these days — I’m just not sure how the resolution to the mystery of the Burn, or the conflict with the Emerald Chain, can be as emotionally satisfying as her leaving, so I’m worried it’ll feel as anticlimactic as season one’s ending.
However, before going, Georgiou comments the 32nd century is more Terran than the era Michael grew up in, and so like her mirror counterpart, she may be destined to be captain of the Discovery someday. I can’t help but wonder if this foreshadows something terrible is going to happen to Saru — I don’t know what would be worse: getting horribly injured, or being sidelined with a desk job promotion.
Bonus Thoughts:
– Mirror Genghis Khan also let his subjects worship their own gods, despite the mirror universe being, on the whole, worse than the prime reality.
– Thanks to Georgiou, I now know the archaic term for prayer, “orison.”
– Chloe Domont’s direction had some really stylish, almost comic bookish flourishes, between Mirror Michael throwing the badges of the “traitors,” and Carl’s door exploding in slo-mo as it revealed itself to be the Guardian of Forever.
Have a great holiday folks: see you all next week, at “The Citadel.”
