Discovery’s crew has a chance at defeating the Klingons – but it will take great sacrifice…

The final episode before Discovery goes into its mid-season break was definitely the right place to make a temporary halt – at one stage it seemed as if the season would split after episode 8, with the Klingon arrival at Pahvo the cliffhanger. This way, things are left in a far less conventional spot (in all senses of that phrase!).

There are a few answers in this episode, but plenty more to add to the fire regarding the question of Ash’s identity: the flashbacks to his torture and his relationship with his Klingon captor are deliberately ambiguous and once we learn the truth, I’m sure things will be more evident than they are now. The performance by Shazad Latif is particularly well judged, and I’m glad that there was time in the episode for his scene in his quarters with Burnham.

There are also more questions over Lorca’s reasons for bringing Burnham on board – his reluctance to allow her to be part of the landing party on the Klingon ship is noticeable. However, the relationship between Saru and Burnham turns another corner with her return from the Ship of the Dead, and I’m hoping that there will be more rapprochement between the two as the series progresses.

Verdict: Some doors close, others open as the show takes a very sharp left turn… 8/10

Paul Simpson