This episode felt much too fast paced, skipping 6 months into the future, getting Michael Burnham onto a shuttle and then onto the U. S. S. Discovery (where several of her former crewmates are now crew members, including Saru, who is first officer) in the first few minutes.
Michael is confined to quarters when not working, and her roommate (who has some kind of special needs) comments on her name, saying that the only other female Michael she knows of is Michael Burnham the mutineer – not yet realizing that that is precisely who her new roommate is).
On Discovery, and a sister ship, lieutenants Stametz and his longtime collaborator are working on research that presumes that physics and biology are essentially the same. The other ship experiences a catastrophic failure and Stametz and Burnham are among those on the away team that investigates. Michael thinks they were working on a biological weapon, but the captain of Discovery shows her that they are working on an organic-based propulsion system. He offers her the opportunity to remain on board, and talking of atonement and redemption, suggests that ending the war she started would be an appropriate course of action.
Michael has a copy of Carroll’s Adventures of Alice in Wonderland, and recounts how her adoptive mother, a human named Amanda, taught her that the real world doesn’t always adhere to logic. Sometimes down is up, and sometimes when you are lost, you are found.
I enjoyed the episode more and more as it went on. I didn’t love it, or hate it. I still have not felt wowed by Star Trek: Discovery – I have liked its characters, in particular their diversity, but have also felt that issues like pacing and dialogue still leave something to be desired. But it is Star Trek, and it is at the very least no worse than other series. And so I am glad it exists, and plan to continue watching – and blogging about it.
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