What I’m Watching: Star Trek: Discovery

Star Trek: Discovery: Season 1, Episode 6 “Lethe” (B)

This episode filled in some helpful information that proves I’m not a true Trekkie. Most loyal viewers of the franchise would have known right off the bat that Sarek was Spock’s father, but I just assumed that there was more than one Vulcan family in this universe. It turns out that’s not really the case, and though we haven’t yet and didn’t now see him, Michael was indeed raised as Spock’s older sister, and his status as a half-Vulcan forced Sarek to make the unfortunate choice to have Michael rejected from the Vulcan Academy. It’s interesting to see the strength of their bond play out as Sarek was nearly killed by a faction of his people against negotiation with the Klingons, and his mind was powerful enough to eject Michael from it even as he was dying. Michael’s conclusion was an important one, that she expected something from her father that she was never going to get in the same way that he held expectations of her that would never come to fruition for much more logical reasons. I hope we get to see of Mia Kirshner as her mother Amanda - I like the “24” and “L Word” actress, especially when she’s playing a normal character. While Sarek’s situation was regrettable, the rebellious Vulcan agents were correct to some degree, in that the Klingons truly can’t be trusted. It was brave of Admiral Cornwell to go to the negotiations in Sarek’s place, and now she’s become their most valuable prisoner. It’s good timing for Lorca for his boss to get captured, though I hardly think that now is the time for him to start asking for orders when boldly charging ahead without giving any thought to the consequences has worked so well for him in the past.