Welcome to another week where we recap, react to, and ruminate about Star Trek: Discovery. Star Trek: Discovery Season 2 Episode 5 had a lot of us at the edge of our seats.
This post contains major spoilers. It can’t be avoided like in most posts in this series. So, don’t read ahead until you have watched Episode 5.
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 5: “Saints of Imperfection” Recap
The Discovery catches up with Spock’s shuttle pod and captures it, only to find Emperor Georgiou inside. The crew learns that Section 31 has a huge interest in finding Spock. Tyler gets attached to the Discovery as a liaison between Section 31 and Discovery.
Throughout the episode, there is a whole lot of discussion about the necessity of the gray area Section 31 represents so that the ideals of Starfleet can be accomplished.
After figuring out the fungus pod that trapped Tilly is a transporter, Stamets comes up with a plan to get into the mycelium network with Burnham to rescue Tilly. While Tilly is in the network, she promises May she will help her save her world from the monster that is destroying it.
BIG SPOILER: That monster is Culber. He is alive in some form because of a thing Stamets did and is trapped in the network. He does get saved.
While things are going down in the network, we learn that Section 31 has been covertly watching the Discovery the entire time. Admiral Cornwell orders Pike and Leland to work cooperatively to find Spock, which doesn’t sit well with anyone.
Emperor Georgiou wants Burnham to have faith in her.
Star Trek: Discovery Season 2 Episode 5: “Saints of Imperfection” Reactions
Again, reactions to this episode were positive, even if Star Trek: Discovery Season 2 Episode 5 had many of us yelling at our screens.
Below are some of the reactions. The reactions do contain spoilers:
David Chilson: The episode wasn’t too bad. Pike and Georgiou had good performances and we got a good sci-fi mystery learning about the lifeforms who live in the mycelium network while the crew searches for Tilly. They also located and managed to rescue another crewmember (Dr. Culber) from the network, but I hope they do more than having him simply take his old job back like nothing happened.
I’m kinda glad that Spock hasn’t shown up yet as I have a feeling that once they find him, the episodes afterwards will be just about him and Burnham.
Kevin Wunshel: I could not help but yell at the TV while they were in the mycelium network and the ship is about to be destroyed and they’re having a long discussion about stuff that could be discussed after the ship and crew is safe.
Me: (To Kevin) That was also me. So much yelling, while also predicting what was coming next.
(To everyone) Also, I don’t know if anyone else noticed it, or thought it, but this episode also had a faith theme to it. It’s hard to have faith in individual people without reason, but if you have a reason, then it ceases to be faith. BUT what I really picked up on, and I wish I could remember the line but my concussion is making me fuzzy: This episode felt like the writers telling us, “We told you to have faith in us regarding Culber. SEE!”
[Various discussions about bringing people back from the dead in multiple fandoms.]
Prafessor FunkHammer: […] This episode was well done bringing Dr. Culber back. But I’m more interested in the Tilly and May relationship.
Overall, it was a great episode and it’s about time they brought back Culber. Though, they shouldn’t have killed him in the first place because anyone could have fulfilled that purpose. It didn’t have to be 50 percent of the openly queer characters in the show.
Star Trek: Discovery Season 2 Episode 5: “Saints of Imperfection” Ruminations
Star Trek: Discovery Season 2 Episode 5 was a very emotional episode for me. Especially when Stamets saw Tyler. The look on his face. The changes in his body. It hit me like a ton of bricks and I nearly cried for him. He’s still working through the trauma and loss of Culber and Tyler is a huge trigger.
This week, we could be ruminating about the gray area that Section 31 represents, the “Saints of Imperfection” some believe are necessary. However, unlike the first time the theme of faith came up, this week, I’m interested in exploring faith while working through trauma which is part of the ongoing theme in Season 2.
Before I get there, we need to define faith. For the purposes of this discussion, faith is defined as:
“A strong belief and trust in someone or something without proof.”
The absence of proof is the definitive part of faith. Sometimes, it can be expanded upon as belief in something despite proof to the contrary. As a personal example, I have faith in humanity as a whole. There are a lot of things that could demonstrate that I shouldn’t have faith in humanity.
However, when it comes to individuals or small groups of people, I do not have faith in them. I need a lot of proof that I can trust them. And even after that evidence is presented, I still question that trust and am constantly evaluating whether I can still trust. This is the result of a lifetime of trauma caused by other people, including those charged with protecting me as a child.
As I mentioned in last week’s post, I have things going on that require me to reach out to others for help and trust they will be there to help me, especially when it comes to advanced healthcare directives.
In this week’s episode, Pike had to put his faith in Burnham when she said Tyler can be trusted and that he isn’t Voq. May had to put her faith in Tilly and believe without proof that Tilly would help to defeat the monster. Stamets had to put faith in everyone once he saw Tyler. Georgiou is asking Burnham to have faith in her regarding Spock despite all the evidence that says Burnham should absolutely not have faith in Georgiou. Pike is asked to have faith in Section 31 despite the fact Section 31 represents everything that is contrary to Pike’s beliefs.
Every single member of the Discovery is being asked to have faith in someone, while still working through trauma, faith that is contrary to all evidence.
We the viewers are also being asked to have faith in the writers, despite evidence to the contrary. They really messed up last season when it came to Stamets and Culber. Many of us are not ready to trust them in this area.
How easy is it for you to have faith in others? This is a real question. I’m curious as to how you navigate faith in others.
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!
