Welcome to another week where we recap, react to, and ruminate about Star Trek: Discovery. Star Trek: Discovery Season 2 Episode 3 “Point of Light” had a lot going on.
This post will contain mild spoilers, so don’t read ahead until you have watched Episode 3.
As with previous posts in this Star Trek: Discovery series, there won’t be a lengthy recap, but instead of we will focus on the basics of what we learn. Once again, I’ll be pulling reactions and ruminations from my Star Trek community.
Star Trek: Discovery Season 2 Episode 3: “Point of Light” Recap
In Star Trek: Discovery Season 2 Episode 3 “Point of Light,” we get whiplash going back and forth from the Discovery to a Klingon soap opera.
The Klingon Empire is at risk of fracturing just relative minutes after unifying. There is a bunch of drama and murder. Oh, and L’Rell was pregnant with Voq’s child but did outside incubation when Voq became Tyler.
Amanda comes onboard the Discovery to get help finding Spock after he escaped from the psychiatric facility. With permission from Pike, Burnham decrypts Spock’s stolen medical records. Those records say he murdered people, but no one wants to believe it. We also learn that Spock first saw the angel-like figure when he was very young, and Burnham did something truly horrible to get young Spock to stop following her around.
The ghost Tilly was seeing was actually a fungus possessing her, living in her since Episode 13 of Season 1.
Back in soap opera land, Emperor Georgiou shows up, intent on making sure the Klingon Empire does not fracture. A scheme is hatched. Deaths are faked.
At the end of the episode, a disappointed-in-Burnham Amanda leaves to search for Spock. Tyler joins Section 31.
Star Trek: Discovery Season 2 Episode 3: “Point of Light” Reactions
Reactions this week had everyone experiencing mixed feelings about this episode. There were pieces that were really liked and pieces that were not liked.
Reactions to Star Trek: Discovery Season2 Episode 3 can be best summed up by this conversation between David Chilson, Michael Reynolds, and myself:
David: To me, last night’s episode was a throwback to Season 1 with the Klingons (L’Rell & Tyler/Voq) being the main story. The Federation side was mostly setup for Mr. Spock’s story, and they found out who that mystery crewmember was.
The visuals, tech, and the Klingon fortress reminded me of the recent Trek films and Game of Thrones. My biggest complaint was the crazy camera movements. Even though I personally don’t get motion sickness, I had to look away every time they twirled that camera.
Me: I have very mixed feelings about this episode. I really dislike the English subtitles and wish they’d just have the Klingons speak English all the time. Having to read the subtitles pulls me out of the story because I either have to watch or read.
I really liked the Discovery side of the story. I have a wild theory that, the spore creature that was pulled out of Tilly is Culber. That creature was obsessed with finding Stamets. Also, Culber saved the Discovery while in the network and the creature saved Discovery while in Tilly.
I don’t like the Section 31 storyline. I didn’t like it in DS9 and it contributed to my dislike of that series. I was okay with it in Enterprise because it was pre-Federation. Section 31 is one of the things that the writers of DS9 have admitted that Roddenberry would not have approved.
After this episode, I have more questions than I have things to ruminate over.
Michael: I agree. Stop focusing on the Klingons. I like where they’re going with Spock.
David: Yeah, I think they should have stayed with the Discovery crew or made the episode only about the Klingon soap opera.
I liked Section 31 better when they were the James Bond type organization in DS9 & ENT. Making them look like a mainstream intelligence group seems to take their edge off, in my opinion.
Another thing that I liked which I didn’t mention in the discussion was that they touched on Tyler’s rape again. A lot of us were worried that such an important subject wouldn’t be further explored. It’s great that the writers are having Tyler vocalize that, while the sex was consensual between Voq and L’Rell, for him and the way he experiences that memory, it was rape.
Star Trek: Discovery Season 2 Episode 3: “Point of Light” Ruminations
As I said in the discussion above, I don’t have anything to really ruminate on this week. I just have a whole bunch of questions.
What did Burnham say or do to Spock to keep him safe that was horrible enough to destroy their relationship?
Is the fungus Culber?
Will Tyler become disillusioned working with Section 31? He’s a good guy and Section 31 is… questionable.
I have too many questions to list regarding Spock, but it can be summed up with: What in the galaxy is going on with Spock and the evil “angels”?
As an end note, my Star Trek community is in the process of moving with the upcoming shutdown of Google+. You can find us and join us at The United Federation of Planets. It’s free to join but there are paid options with extra features to help offset the costs of hosting and building the apps. In the next couple of weeks, there will be both an Android app and iOS app for the forum functionality of the site.
Until next Sunday, Live Long and Prosper!
I so much wanted Disco to suceed. Yet it continues to disapoint me S2-E2 was the best episode so far(my opinion- not saying much) episode 3 the worst in the history of Star Trek. If this show didnt use the name Star Trek that would be better. Because it would stand on its own. Mushroom tardigade DNA navigation improbability drive, Klingon aliens with coffins attached to their ships hulls, time crystals, Vulcan aliens with human feelings, serial murdering Spock. A science officer with chain of command authority issues. A bridge crew that is just there. Red angels all this 10 years before TOS.
Im sorry. This is not Star Trek. Call it “One Space to live” a space soap opera