Logline
When an existential crisis threatens to wipe out a beloved but infamous Star Trek species, a cadet is forced to confront his past and strained relationship with his family. As he pursues an unexpected method of coping, Nahla races against time to save this species from extinction.
Written by: Gaia Violo & Eric Anthony Glover
Directed by: Doug Aarniokoski
I thought the contrivance of involving Starfleet Academy was done very well.
From an upper decks perspective, a tragedy happened, and Starfleet was compelled to act. No need to involve the Academy, but it just so happens that the highest ranking official in Starfleet with close ties to a member of the Klingon house is the current chancellor of Starfleet Academy. (That she’s 400 years old is going to be a pretty handy plot device for getting her involved in all sorts of things… but it hasn’t hit the point of being annoying yet.)
Separately, it also tracks that the chancellor needs to see their only Klingon cadet privately to offer support. That’s a good school administration right there. No need to involve him in the diplomatic negotiations that are going on behind the scenes.
The only reason why these converged was because of the debate class, which makes total sense that it would be a required course at the Academy, and then only because the students debated the Doctor into allowing it because they were already talking about it.
I think this would be ridiculous if it was literally every episode, but this actually worked.
I just think the show needs to be careful. I like that the stakes at the moment are low and personal, and there’s not galaxy threatening desaster (yet). I think the show would profit if they kept ist that way.
Everything else in this episode on what it means to be a Klingon was probably top 10 Trek for me.
Yeah, I thought both this and the “youth movement” angle of episode two worked well.
As the cadets start venturing out into fieldwork more, they shouldn’t have to make excuses quite so often. They can go find their own trouble, and Discovery will be undergoing a perpetual refit!