As much as Michael has grown up Vulcan, she is 100% human in her true nature. In the opening scene, she is empathizing with a space being seeing herself inside the spore chamber, connected to the spore drive, feeling the same pain as the creature. All of this in the unconscious of her dreams.... but it's much deeper than that as she focuses on trying to figure out how to help it, while still doing the job she was tasked with: make the spore drive work to win the fight against the Klingons.
At the same time Lorca is getting pressure from Star Fleet about his command and choices: progress of the Spore Drive and having Michael on his ship. Though it's been shown that Lorca wants a win against the enemy, there seems to be an underlying reason far more personal and thus more dangerous for his push to have the drive in full function. Then it's the matter of Michael, who he seems to have taken special interest, like she's his wild card, one that no one else has realized the true value of but himself. These two things together make me suspicious of what his ultimate goal is.
On the war front, Lorca is taken by Klingons. The power struggle in space is mirror between Michael and Saru, who have a complicated past. A power stuggle between the two, even with Saru holding a higher command, Michael is still the favored child on the ship. Still the star player that Saru wishes he could live up to. And this jealousy and rejecting will ultimate lead to Saru making decisions not because they are the best choice, but rather because they go against Michael. The real question is will this ultimately lead to Saru becoming an antagonist or friend to Michael in the long run; While Michael's rejecting of Saru's plan to rescue Lorca (using the spore drive), she is utlmately doing it for the well being of everyone, including the Tartegrade. But Saru can't see past his own ego. Can't see past Michael's past failures.
Since Stanets has already deemed Michael the enemy, he can't see the genius that she is, only the traitor that she's been labeled as. In another universe, Stanets would find Michael an asset and friend. Maybe in time he'll find Michael is much more of a friend than he could have thought.
Meanwhile Lorca has found a Star Fleet officer he can trust. While being held by the Klingons, he bonds with Lt. Tyler who has been a POW held in enemy hands. Surviving the enemy for 7 months shows a strength that Lorca respects and, furthermore, find useful; like collecting tools to achieve his final goal, whatever that may be. And Tyler will stay loyal to Lorca since he helped him achieve freedom. The new team of Lorca and Tyler will be an interesting dynamic to Discovery.
While Michael, Tilly and Stanets try to find a why to use the drive without hurting the Tartegrade, Saru forces their hand. A jump is made to Lorca's location, forcing the creature to go into a dormant state, one that is used to preserve its life in survival mode. Saru doesn't care what happens to the creature as long as his objective and command is followed. While Saru calls Michael cold and heartless, it seem like Saru might be the one who has little empty for others. As the story progresses, while Saru turn further against Michael? or will he take a step back and recognize his own shortcomings?
And in a twist I didn't see, Stanets injects himself with the spores to make the jump, human experimentation is highly prohibited. Crazy scientist. But how will injecting himself with universal hoping DNA into his system. What fall out could this have? At the end of the episode we see Stanets move away from the mirror, while his reflection stays put. What does this mean? Also, Saru doesn't hate Michael, he is jealous of Michael and mad that he never got the opportunity to take his place alongside Phillipa as second in command as he would have wished. Unfortunately, he's been taking that anger out on Michael as he sees her as the reason for his shortcomings.
And as a peace offering, Saru commands Michael to release the Tartegrade, same its life and return it to its own enviroment. This final scene, the ceremony behind honoring life, even in the depths of the darkness is breathtaking.
Ultimate reveal: Stanets is gay and in a relationship with the ships Doctor. And it was done in a such a domestic way, there was no shock, just softness. Domesticity. Normalcy.
Fav quote: "This is so fucking cool" - Tilly, being a complete science nerd.
Review by GabyBlockedParentSpoilers2019-08-25T22:51:03Z
As much as Michael has grown up Vulcan, she is 100% human in her true nature. In the opening scene, she is empathizing with a space being seeing herself inside the spore chamber, connected to the spore drive, feeling the same pain as the creature. All of this in the unconscious of her dreams.... but it's much deeper than that as she focuses on trying to figure out how to help it, while still doing the job she was tasked with: make the spore drive work to win the fight against the Klingons.
At the same time Lorca is getting pressure from Star Fleet about his command and choices: progress of the Spore Drive and having Michael on his ship. Though it's been shown that Lorca wants a win against the enemy, there seems to be an underlying reason far more personal and thus more dangerous for his push to have the drive in full function. Then it's the matter of Michael, who he seems to have taken special interest, like she's his wild card, one that no one else has realized the true value of but himself. These two things together make me suspicious of what his ultimate goal is.
On the war front, Lorca is taken by Klingons. The power struggle in space is mirror between Michael and Saru, who have a complicated past. A power stuggle between the two, even with Saru holding a higher command, Michael is still the favored child on the ship. Still the star player that Saru wishes he could live up to. And this jealousy and rejecting will ultimate lead to Saru making decisions not because they are the best choice, but rather because they go against Michael. The real question is will this ultimately lead to Saru becoming an antagonist or friend to Michael in the long run; While Michael's rejecting of Saru's plan to rescue Lorca (using the spore drive), she is utlmately doing it for the well being of everyone, including the Tartegrade. But Saru can't see past his own ego. Can't see past Michael's past failures.
Since Stanets has already deemed Michael the enemy, he can't see the genius that she is, only the traitor that she's been labeled as. In another universe, Stanets would find Michael an asset and friend. Maybe in time he'll find Michael is much more of a friend than he could have thought.
Meanwhile Lorca has found a Star Fleet officer he can trust. While being held by the Klingons, he bonds with Lt. Tyler who has been a POW held in enemy hands. Surviving the enemy for 7 months shows a strength that Lorca respects and, furthermore, find useful; like collecting tools to achieve his final goal, whatever that may be. And Tyler will stay loyal to Lorca since he helped him achieve freedom. The new team of Lorca and Tyler will be an interesting dynamic to Discovery.
While Michael, Tilly and Stanets try to find a why to use the drive without hurting the Tartegrade, Saru forces their hand. A jump is made to Lorca's location, forcing the creature to go into a dormant state, one that is used to preserve its life in survival mode. Saru doesn't care what happens to the creature as long as his objective and command is followed. While Saru calls Michael cold and heartless, it seem like Saru might be the one who has little empty for others. As the story progresses, while Saru turn further against Michael? or will he take a step back and recognize his own shortcomings?
And in a twist I didn't see, Stanets injects himself with the spores to make the jump, human experimentation is highly prohibited. Crazy scientist. But how will injecting himself with universal hoping DNA into his system. What fall out could this have? At the end of the episode we see Stanets move away from the mirror, while his reflection stays put. What does this mean? Also, Saru doesn't hate Michael, he is jealous of Michael and mad that he never got the opportunity to take his place alongside Phillipa as second in command as he would have wished. Unfortunately, he's been taking that anger out on Michael as he sees her as the reason for his shortcomings.
And as a peace offering, Saru commands Michael to release the Tartegrade, same its life and return it to its own enviroment. This final scene, the ceremony behind honoring life, even in the depths of the darkness is breathtaking.
Ultimate reveal: Stanets is gay and in a relationship with the ships Doctor. And it was done in a such a domestic way, there was no shock, just softness. Domesticity. Normalcy.
Fav quote: "This is so fucking cool" - Tilly, being a complete science nerd.