DISCO S1E13 "What's Past is Prologue" Review By AnswerMan

Horrible:Meh:Adequate:Good:Fantastic

Wow, there is a lot going on here! Lorca (now firmly established as a bad guy) has taken over the ship by releasing his old crew from their agonizer booths, where they have apparently been for nearly two years. He looks to kill Georgiou and take over the empire. Also he announces to the whole crew not to harm Burnham, because he plans to get down with her. He also reveals that he knew that she would be a good partner in his coup because of what she did at the Battle of the Binary Stars. Ouch.

Burnham decides to team up with Georgiou to stop the destruction that Lorca will surely bring with his overturn. Which...is an interesting choice since Georgiou is clearly not the good guy here. Choosing a side in this battle based on virtue is an exercise in futility. And if we're choosing a side just to manipulate a good outcome for Burnham, wouldn't a safer bet be with Lorca? I mean, he's already guaranteed her safety, and he is winning afterall.

LOL WUT?

Burnham makes contact with Discovery, where she learns that all life in the multiverse is in jeopardy due to the idiotic mycelial energy system on the emperor's ship. She says she'll do her part to make sure that the field around the mycelial core gets dropped when the times comes. Her and Geougiou march right into Lorca's lair. Burnham tells him that she brought the emperor for him to slay and her own companionship (mind only) in exchange for allowing Discovery to go home unharmed. Lorca passes this on to Discovery, and praises the way the crew has grown under his command. Ouch again.

Of course it was only a trick, and a fight ensues. It's a trope that these major battles always end up in hand to hand combat, and one particular kick from Georgiou to Lorca's face is just comical in how unrealistic it is. Anyway, you know who wins. Georgiou gives Burnham access to the force field, which...surely she understands that this will end badly, right? Lorca's body dropping into the core is the sign to Discovery that the field has been dropped. That's pretty dark and twisted; I love it! I guess Georgiou doesn't really care how this all plays out, because she knows her reign is over and will go out shooting. But I don't really see why her fate is sealed here. Lorca's dead, so she just needs to take back control and she stays emperor. But I guess that's not how it works.

Just as Burnham is beamed off, she grabs Georgiou and they both are taken to Discovery. Ok, now this is the second time we've seen this whole grab a person while transporting thing this season. The first time, when L'Rell did it, I didn't say anything because maybe it was just a fluke or a unique situation. But now we've used it again already, so I'm calling them out. Aren't the transporters a bit more precise than this? They lock on to life-signs, and can easily distinguish one person from another, right? I mean, they have the ability to bring the sole of your shoe along, but not the tile floor that you were standing on. But now we're supposed to believe that all you have to do is grab a person being transported and you also go along for the ride? Bah!

Anyway, Discovery blows the core (did they really have to navigate directly through the center of it?), rides the wave, and jumps back home. But (plot twist), they are nine months later and the Klingons have won the war.

Now the part that I intentionally skipped to save for last was the amazing speech that Saru gave the crew. They knew that they had to destroy the core to save all life, but it also seemed rather apparent they they couldn't do that and make it out alive. Saru says that Lorca is no longer the captain, and that Discovery is their ship now and this will be their maiden voyage. Although it's obvious that they would sacrifice themselves to save the multiverse, Saru says that he does not sense their impending deaths, and that he will not accept a no-win scenario. It's an amazing speech by an amazing character and actor. Saru is the only character developed enough at this point to have properly pulled off such a moment. It honestly brought tears to my eyes. However, wouldn't the more virtuous position be that sacrificing themselves is the right thing to do? I wouldn't consider a situation where they die but all life everywhere is spared to be no-win. Honestly, the speech just confirms what the viewer already knows whenever these types of situations come up: the threat is false and they'll find a way out. Saying it out loud to the viewer is an odd choice, in my opinion. I guess Saru is unique because he really can sense death, but....I don't know. It was still a great moment and I hate to pick it apart, but I think a different message could have been just as powerful.

Despite some flaws, "What's Past is Prologue" is still a Fantastic episode. Seeing the crew realize that they'd been manipulated, and then pull together to save Burnham while destroying the thing that is killing all life, and all the while finding a way to survive themselves was all great to watch. But more than that, it fell right into the principles of Trek. Lorca's speech about how all races will never be equal, and that the more powerful should rule gives us a perfect illustration of why our Trek universe is the superior one. Well done, Discovery!

Published March 11, 2018