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Star Trek: Discovery ended Season 3 with a bang, as Burnham and her crew battled to preserve the future of the Federation… and a familiar face landed in the captain’s chair.
Thursday’s finale picks up with our heroes in a perilous position: Saru and Culber are still stranded in that nebula with the childlike mutant Su’Kal, who seems to hold the key to The Burn, while Michael and Booker are trapped aboard the Discovery with Osyraa at the helm as the Federation prepares to fire at them. The radiation is taking its toll on Saru and Culber — Su’Kal sweetly tries to heal Saru’s wounds with seaweed — and Adira thankfully arrives to give them medicine that buys them a little time. (Gray is there, too, and everyone can see him!) But they have to act fast: The ship they’re in is falling apart… and so is the Discovery, once the Federation starts unloading on it.
As Osyraa takes heavy fire, she orders a truth serum for Booker so he can lead her to the dilithium-rich planet. She’s done negotiating as well: “I want the Federation obliterated.” Tilly and the Sphere data robots are blasting their way towards the bridge, but Osyraa seals them in and shuts off the life support. (Uh-oh.) Stamets can’t get the Federation to cease fire, but Michael convinces Admiral Vance to stand down by reminding him the spore drive is only valuable with Stamets onboard: “I won’t let you down. Let us go.” Vance does, and Osyraa gets ready to engage the warp drive. She still won’t restore the life support, though.
That jerk Zareh has Booker strapped down and wants to put a painful neural lock on him to get the dilithium planet’s location. Michael can only look on as her beloved Booker screams out in pain, and she finally gives in, promising to get him to talk. When she approaches Booker, though, they attack the guards and put up a force field that allows them to escape. (Tilly hears the code red signal and smiles, knowing it’s Michael.) Michael sends her a cryptic message about birthdays and fireworks, and that gives Tilly an idea: They can use a thermochemical bomb to knock the ship out of warp and let their allies catch up. It’s a suicide mission, yes, but “we can die here, or we can die stopping Osyraa and saving the Federation.”
Back in the nebula, Saru offers to cook a traditional Kelpien dish for Su’Kal, explaining that he’s actually Kelpien as well. He tries to talk to Su’Kal about the outside world, but Su’Kal doesn’t like it because the Federation was supposed to rescue him: “If outside exists, why didn’t they?” Saru faced the same tough choice himself once, he says, to stay home or step out into an uncertain future. The smoke monster rematerializes, and Saru encourages Su’Kal to confront it, once and for all. Plus, Culber has solved the mystery of The Burn: Su’Kal’s genes have mutated to interact with dilithium, and his scream travels at the same wavelength as dilithium, which caused the massive explosion. That ship of theirs is hanging on by a thread, though…
Tilly and her fellow crew members are hanging on by a thread, too, with their oxygen running low. She enlists Owo to take all their remaining oxygen and finish the job while the rest of them pass out. Michael and Booker get to a turbolift and, once they’re cornered, sneak outside and start picking off their assailants. Michael leaps down and lands on a passing lift, ending up in a room with Osyraa, and those two fight it out while Booker and Zareh do the same in the lift. (Yeah, double fight!) As Owo plants the bomb and knocks the ship out of warp, Zareh dares to say something about hurting Grudge, so Book swiftly kicks him to his death. (“She’s a queen!”) While Osyraa gets the upper hand on Michael, she comes back with a phaser blast that kills Osyraa: “I never quit.” She reboots the ship’s system and restores life support. Everyone’s safe!
Su’Kal is still afraid to turn off the holo and face reality, but Culber tells him it’s OK to be afraid. The Kelpien tentatively steps into a new room and puts his hand onto a computer to end the simulation, accessing the archives to see his final moments with his mother. As she died, he let out an incredible scream… and yep, that’s what caused The Burn. Now he sees Saru’s true face, as a fellow Kelpien, and they touch foreheads tenderly. Su’Kal’s mother wanted him to get back to Kaminar and see his parents watching him from the stars… and they get that chance when Michael’s voice comes through — they ejected the warp core and blew their way out of the Viridian — and she beams them aboard to safety just as their ship crumbles.
All’s well that ends well: Everyone is all smiles back on the Discovery, and Michael reminds us that “the need to connect is at our core.” (Stamets is still nursing a grudge against her, though.) Reno gets the Sphere data robots up and running, and the Federation is piecing itself back together. Saru takes Su’Kal to Kaminar to see the stars, and Admiral Vance apologizes to Michael for standing in her way. He says Saru wants her to be the Discovery‘s next captain, and “I do, too.” She’s overwhelmed and wants to wait for Saru’s return, but there’s no time: They have lots of dilithium to deliver to distant worlds. So she takes the bridge as captain — with her and her crew in sleek new 31st-century uniforms — and the ship sets off with her command: “Let’s fly.”
Alright, Trekkies, it’s your turn: Give the Star Trek: Discovery finale — and Season 3 as a whole — a grade in our polls, and then beam down to the comments to share your thoughts.
Kill Bernam and the show will have a chance the Bernam love fest is killing the show which has so many other great potentially great leads.
Michael is not the whole show. It’s an ensemble cast – each contributes a vital piece and that goes for Michael’s character. I love this show and NEVER miss an episode. I’ve watched each season at least twice and it both holds your attention and captures your imagination. Finally, another captain who is a person of color AND a woman!! I say “its about time.”
I strongly disagree. This is NOT an ensemble show. Tilly a supporting character has had more dialogue in one episode than the rest of the bridge crew combined in 3 seasons. Now we are supposed to care when they sacrifice themselves to save the ship when we do not even know their names! Of course Space Jesus (Michael) arrives and saves the day and the are joyous. Even though known of them has actually had a conversation with her. Also Space Jesus automatically knows better than everybody else. Admirals apologize a say they are wrong for even questioning her righteousness. Basically they have not done the groundwork to support anything Michael or the show for that matter ‘achieves’. Everything is built on quicksand. So despite a cast that has talent the scenes they perform ring hollow.
Yes, we are because they have always been there. Sometimes they get to shine more than they usually do, but they are all essential characters to this show. And oh by the way that is the definition of a true Ensemble cast.
You are just wrong. Compare season 3 to any season of any of the other Star Trek shows. This show is not an ensemble show at all. It is a show about a one character and a bunch of supporting actors. Can we have 1 episode, just 1 episode, where no one cries and apologizes. It is like I’m watching a bunch of middle school kids.
Three seasons in, and outside of Tilley, little is known about almost the entirety of the crew.
If they spent less time on Michael crying every episode, they’d have more time for the other cast to do something more than smile obtusely.
Despite an interesting setup, and coming off a much improved second season, this year was a colossal step back in terms of quality.
The bridge crew aren’t part of the ensemble, though. I wish they were. The ensemble is Burnham, Saru, Stamets, Culber, Tilly, Book, and now Adara/Gray. The bridge crew were just supposed to be background actors. They would be changed every so often, killed, whatever, and it wasn’t supposed to be a very big deal and you weren’t supposed to notice too much. That was the original idea in the show. But it didn’t work so well, and they started changing it. Which is great. But those actors are still secondary players. And to be frank, other than Owo, they’re not really actors of a caliber up to larger and more dramatic roles, because the roles weren’t written that way, so the people they hired for them weren’t more expensive and capable actors. I don’t think it really matters too much–Star Trek has been full of bad actors like (off the top of my head) Garrett Wang and Anthony Montgomery, and it didn’t impact my enjoyment of those characters at all. So personally, I’m all for larger and more expanded roles for the bridge crew, including promotion to full “ensemble” status for, at minimum, Owo and Detmer. I’m just pointing out that the show doesn’t see them that way and so isn’t trying to treat them that way.
I wonder, if they went with a more episodic based series instead of one long arc, if we wouldn’t be able to get to know each character better. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed all 3 seasons but I’d like to see more character based episodes. And please do away with the expensive special effects. Beautiful but not really necessary at this point. And you left out wil wheaton/marina sirtis in the bad actor category ahah
I agree, I find myself wishing the show would “slow down” and take a breath so they can just do some character work. Deep Space Nine was very serialized toward the end, but they didn’t keep up a breakneck plot pace like Discovery (of course, they also had twice the episodes per season to work with). I don’t expect it to happen though–that’s not what Discovery was created to be about, the original vision for the show, its “thesis,” I guess you could call it. And that’s fine, I respect the commitment to a style. But I do wish for it, because I think that version of the show could be really great, too.
Ditto!
Totally DISagree!
I mean, ST:TOS was a total love fest to Kirk. (But yes, Spock, McCoy were also paramount with Scotty, Uhuru, Chekov and Sulu having increased importance over time.)
—————–
But wouldn’t you say that Saru has had a big role, Stamets, too, and a few others? I really like the sassy, older engineer – she totally cracks me up. And of course, Georgiou had a LOT of play time (with and without Michael). And Tilly has really improved as a character this season.
Apparently, you don’t pay much attention to the show, it’s Burnham, learn to spell!
I want to like this show – I watch it every week. Its had some decent episodes and
writing a show with a science officer as the lead must be difficult. Every episode is a struggle to make her character the center of everything even when it makes little sense in terms of story or her rank – I assume that’s why 25% of every episode is someone telling her how special she is or her giving a long speech. I think if the format shifted to more of an ensemble it might be more balanced.
Bernham grew up under the guidance of Sarak. She learned to control her emotions and used logic. What happened to her stoic demeanor?
Every time she is in a critical situation she reverts to being emotional. All those years of training out the door.
Don’t want her to be another Spock but really, does she have enough control to be a Star Fleet commander and could have been the captain of Discovery?
Have issues with women?
Have issues with actually making an argument instead of being a lazy troll?
Look back at season 1, when we were first introduced to her. She arrived on the Shenzhou as a Vulcan in all but genetics. Over the next several years, she began to let that side fall and became more human thanks to the care of and interactions with Georgiou and Saru. When her logic and emotion came into conflict at the Battle of the Binary Stars, she got her captain killed and became the first Starfleet mutineer. She shattered, emotionally, and rightly wo. Look at her when she is first brought to Discovery! She’s a shell of a person. Retreating behind a veneer of logical detachment.
Over the course of the season, she began reforming connections, including with people who she had betrayed or gotten killed. So she, a person who has been through crippling ego death, has seen both logic and emotion fail her, finally finds her North Staragain, this season. I’ve enjoyed the arc, myself.
She’s definitely cried a lot this season. Too much, actually, to the point where it’s distracting. I figure she’s just making up for lost time and a lifetime of repressed emotion. If it continues next season, it might be a problem. But considering her background, and how the crew have really, really, really been through the emotional ringer this season, losing everything they ever knew with no hope of returning to it, I can excuse it. I’ll hope next season she (and all of them) act with a little more professional decorum. Starfleet’s not the military, but it’s more military in discipline and attitude than we’ve been seeing this year.
Now that she is captain, when Book is in trouble, as in an earlier episode, instead of leaving Discovery she can take the ship to save him without Saru being around to tell her she can’t.
She was acting like a love sick teenager who sneaked out of the house after being told she couldn’t go out on a date. What happened to all the years of tutor-age under Sarak and Star Fleet training to become a star fleet officer?
Whingy whinge whinge as per usual, for every critic there are 10 lovers and I love Star Trek Discovery and everything about it.
Sure hope Doug Jones is back in season 4. And despite all the (expected) hate here (typical in forums) I really enjoyed this season and all of the characters
I hope so too. He was in the group announcing they had a fourth season so I think he will be back.
Star Trek Discovery from Season 1 2 and 3.
Is something new and this show has great potential.
I knew Micheal would be Captain it was just a matter of time. Now the real work begins, hopefully there is a Season 4.
Season 4 is currently filming so yes..
They’ve already given S4 the green light but prod has stalled bec of Covid fckin up the whole 🌎. And yes I knew she would b cap 2..it just took awhile 2 get there..oh well, we still hv the reruns..lol.ALL haters take the blue pill & go watch the Matrix. The rest of us want 2 b entertained not bec critics.
He is
I loved it..best finale ever! I 4gave the writers 4 that Tilly promotion fiasco..I hope they don’t hv Burnham repeat it. I can’t wait 4 nxt season 2 c MB do her thang as captain..so many ? Who will b her new XO, will the chain resurf, what new 🌎’s will they discvr..so “let’s fly”!she definitely has the cool factor on lock. I loved the way she said that..perfect ending.🔥🔥💖👏
My favorite Star Trek ever!
Discovery’s show runners wanted to show the journey to the captaincy of the first officer who’s life as been a journey of trials and tribulations that forge this character to what she is today. Mind you we have never seen a series driven my a first officer with all that Michael had to do to earn the right to sit in that chair. The only one that maybe close is Riker, who shared the captaincy with Picard . And when Janway can to be she was already a captain but probably had to go through what Michael did to earn her command. So, that we have seen the story of Michael ‘s rise to her command let’s see what adventures her and her crew will have.
And all of you people that think the show would be better if Michael wasn’t in the show, or that they put another male character as the lead, should really stop watching the show or stop making your asinine opinions public. Continue success to the cast and crew of Discovery.
I hope they keep the Egg Plant Queen, Osryaa, around to form a coalition of vile factions. Discovery needs vile new factions to make the show interesting.
If the Tholians are still around and they find out that the Discovery is from the past, there will be war.
Tholians hate time travelers who mess with the timeline.
By the way, what do you get when you mate an Orion Osryaa female plant with an Andorian Blue Splash of Life, male plant?
An Egg Plant of course.
Wow… excellent. It felt like a series finale. The tribute to Gene and the original series at the end was especially nice.
Loved it!!!!
It did. It made me think they filmed it that way deliberately. I don’t think they knew that they would have another season.
Congratulations to the cast and crew for a great season 3. Congratulations to the character of Michael Burnham and her promotion to the captaincy was well earned and hard fought. Now only better stories await the show of Discovery and for all you people who don’t like the show then stop watching it.
I’ve been a star trek fan since they were in repeats as a child…I was introduced to the repeats by my older brother. Started watching at 6 yrs old and my brother was 17 yrs old. My daughter is 21 yrs and I raised her on all star trek….she knows JJ Abrams star trek….Grateful for Roddenberry’s tackling social and spiritual issues thru sci fi.
This episode was engaging and thoughtful with the very solid implication that Saru’s greatest strength, his empathy, was a “Superpower.” I loved it. It was so very Star Trek!
Michael, in spite of her fantastic badassery, was so well written in this episode. One of a fantastic ensemble who worked together to overcome overwhelming odds. I loved it! The icing on top was when she was given the captaincy! As a woman of color, I remembered how astonishing and empowering it was to see Uhura as an officer on the bridge of a galaxy class starship instead of someone’s maid. And now, 54 plus years later, to see this young woman sitting in the captain’s chair — Best (Star Trek ) thing ever.
How come the inside of Discovery is city-sized now? Is the ship a TARDIS?
I would really like an explanation of just how the turbolifts work, because that was ridiculous, but we’re not ever going to get one. So just roll with it. Okay, I mean, there were tons of turbolifts whizzing past them going in different directions as they were fighting, but no one else was supposed to be moving around the ship. The only explanation is that all turbolifts from all Starfleet ships enter the turbolift dimension while in transit, meaning you could theoretically get off on any ship, if there weren’t immutable physical laws to prevent this. But those turbolift corridors aren’t actually on any ship, because that would just be so much wasted internal space. So. There’s our explanation. Let’s just roll with it.
I really hope the series continues. Very well done with a great cast. Looking forward to season 4
ST Discovery really exceeded all expectations !!! Amazon series : Picard will never hit your heels !! Young audiences are eager to see new content and sadly the old protagonists are no longer interested in anyone. For me Star Trek began
The actress playing Osyrra reminded me of a younger Paget Brewster… with a green skin condition of course…
fun fact the actress playing Osyrra is actually
Margot Kidder Lois Lane in the Superman films niece , her brothers daughter
and a established canadian actress in her own right
Her name is Janet Kidder
IS there anyway to know how many viewers the show has on CBS All Access? I know it did poorly on CBS but it must have way more viewers if they are moving on with a 4th season?
Just a note of concern for viewers of Star Trek: Diversity, do not play the drinking game where you have a drink every time one of the bridge crew smiles. You’ll die.
Regardless of the situation, dire or sad, they’re constantly singing ‘Shiny Happy People’ in their minds.
This show gets better every season.
And seeing how this season ended, I can’t wait to see what’s next.
Not a bad season, some nice nods, a sleek upgrade to the ship…but I just can’t get behind Burnham. The way every character cowtows to her, regardless of stature, and the way the writers are constantly flip flopping on how to make her the centre of everything is frustrating.
Don’t start me on the “intense whispering” either. That’s not “drama” that’s just a poor acting choice (or style, I dunno, not seen SMG in anything else).
The slight developments the bridge crew got were terrific, we need way more of that going forward, waay more Tig Notaro, and also a shout out to the effects work as the show is absolutely gorgeous to look at (especially loved the ship implosion).
I was really hoping we’d see Tilly pushed more to the forefront, the way she instantly stepped aside for Burnham was a disservice to Tilly’s character.
There is a season 4 right? That seemed a very closed ending, and with the Roddenberry quote followed by TOS theme I thought I’d missed an announcement or anniversary.
Much better than the last 2 season combined. Maybe someone started listening to the fans….FINALLY!!!
Much much better than both seasons 1 and 2 combined. Glad to see someone listened to the fans and also hired some good directors!!!
I´ve thought that the final Episode of Season 3 was one of the very best Episodes in Star Trek History.