DISCO S1E9 "Into the Forest I Go" Review by AnswerMan

Horrible:Meh:Adequate:Good:Fantastic

In another decade, episodes 8 and 9 would have made a nice two-parter. But since the entire season is one story arc, I guess that's not necessary. But had these two been merged as a single unit, probably called something ridiculous like "Into the Si Vis Pacem Forest I Go A' Para Belluming," or something even worse, the whole thing would have still gotten a Meh review from me. In fact, to be honest, the prospect of having to write about these two episodes has halted my watching of the show for several weeks, and I'm having trouble putting into words why. Look, I don't want to be negative about a show that I am still really excited about, but after seeing how fun the show could be with "Magic to Make the Sanest Man Go Mad," these episodes just seem too dark, complicated, and not science-fictiony enough for my taste. They're not bad, they're just....filler in a larger story that is being told? It's almost like episodes like this are less for entertainment and more about just getting the necessary information across in order to advance the season.



With the Klingons closing in on Pahvo, Discovery is ordered to retreat to the nearest star base. Lorca stalls by warping there slowly as opposed to using the spore drive to jump. He'll lie to Star Fleet and tell them that Stamets isn't up to it and needs a checkup. This will buy them the time to figure out how to save Pahvo and destroy the Klingons. The only problem is, Stamets really isn't up to it, and now his doctor and lover knows about the problems that he's been having. Nevertheless, Lorca talks Stamets into doing an insane amount of jumps (133!) that should help them to unlock the Klingon cloak puzzle. He does this by revealing that every time they jump, more knowledge is gained about the universe that could lead to an understanding of infinite parallel universes. In other words, he blinds him with science.

So Burnham and Tyler go on board the Ship of the Dead to plant the necessary technobabble devices, and while there Tyler freaks the hell out when he sees L'Rell. Cornwell is alive, and she diagnoses him with PTSD and tries to talk him through it. We all know that L'Rell was captain on the ship that held Tyler prisoner, and that he was tortured. What we didn't know was that she had a thing for him, and that thing is the only reason that he's alive. He offered his body up for sexual gratification to save his own hide. Yep, they were having inter-species freaky Klingon rape sessions. Ew. And guess what? L'Rell is coming back with them! Later on Discovery, Tyler goes to look at her in her cell and asks "What did you do to me?" She responds, "Do not worry. I will never let them hurt you." And then, reassuredly, "Soon." What does this mean? I guess we'll find out.

With the invisibility cloak no longer hiding them, and Burnham having already made a dramatic mid-air beam out, Discovery easily destroys the Ship of the Dead and Kol right along with it. This is a surprising turn of events for me. This leaves not only a power vacuum among the Klingons, but opens up the possibility that this war might get wrapped up this season, instead of being the theme of the entire series. That prospect, quite frankly, excites me more than anything else in this episode.

Meanwhile Stamets says he'll do one more jump.....ever. He'll get them home, and then he'll submit himself to medical treatment and never get back in that fishbowl again. But wouldn't you know it? The last one is the one to ruin everything, as Stamets seizes during during the jump and they end up lost. Probably in another dimension or parallel universe or alternate timeline or some shit. Again, I guess we'll find out.

I want to take a moment to talk about the Klingon's make up. I have had a difficult time telling characters apart. I think the fact that they are all bald, combined with a full-face prosthetic, takes away their individual looks. With next-gen era forehead Klingons, you could easily tell them apart because you still got their whole face. But now it's all just rubber. Not only does this make it difficult to form expressions, but they all look the same. We don't even get differentiating haircuts. At times I've lost track of who L'Rell was. On the prison ship, I did not immediately realize that the captain was the same character that we've already gotten to know. It doesn't help in her case that she's constantly shifting alliances, either.

Overall, Meh. A lot happened, but there were too few payoffs, I guess. Seeing the sarcophagus ship destroyed should have been a larger part of the episode than was dedicated to it. We got like two seconds of the destruction of the most important symbol of the Klingon fleet and its current leader, and like two full minutes of slithering alien boob rape.

Published February 6, 2018