What I’m Watching: Star Trek: Discovery

Star Trek: Discovery: Season 1, Episode 5 “Choose Your Pain” (B-)

I’m becoming less and less enamored with this show. I know that it’s just the name of the ship, but I still feel like we should be getting to explore and feel a sense of wonder from the many different alien races, cultures, and planets that the crew meets. Yet this show seems completely obsessed with the Klingons, who in this version are terribly uninteresting, and the being aboard the ship that Michael managed to prove felt pain and wouldn’t be able to do well with so many quick jumps that Saru ordered. Lorca was taken captive by the Klingons pretty easily, and not once did he seem to sweat his situation, which speaks partially to his fearlessness but also to the predictability of him being rescued. Now, he did do more to help his situation than most might have, and teaming up with Lieutenant Tyler to escape worked pretty well, though it didn’t seem like they had to put up much of a fight. I immediately recognized Rainn Wilson from “The Office” as Harry, and I’m not entirely sure what that character’s contribution to the episode really was. This whole “choose your pain” thing didn’t impress me too much either, and given that it’s the title of this episode, I don’t think that’s an established Klingon tradition in Trek lore. Tilly’s excited reaction to the fact that she’s not the source of Michael’s annoyance was endearing, as was learning that the increasingly likeable Lieutenant Stamets and Dr. Culber are a couple.