Star Trek Discovery Review: Brother (Spoiler-free)
The long wait is over, it’s been 340 days since we saw the USS Enterprise hail the USS Discovery and leave all Star Trek fans wondering what would come next. Now we know.
Over the past 340 days we’ve been privileged to be given a whole new series, Star Trek Short Treks as a sort of companion to Star Trek Discovery and the promise of several other full series to join them over the coming couple of years, but nothing short of this day could satisfy our hunger to see what happen when Captain Christopher Pike beamed aboard the Discovery from the Enterprise and took her crew on a new mission.
If you missed any of Star Trek Discovery Season 1 or need a reminder of what’s happening in the Alpha Quadrant check out our great article, getting ready for season 2.
Brother
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As the title of this episode suggests Brother has to do with main the character Michael Burnham’s (Sonequa Martin-Green) relationship with her brother Spock (Ethan Peck), while we’ve seen that the two had a familial relationship throughout the first season there has been much debate among fans ever since Burnham was first revealed to be an (adopted) child of Sarek (James Frain) as throughout both all the series and movies they’ve appeared in there’s been no mention of a Michael Burnham.
We begin to see a picture take shape early in the episode of a family divided, more so than just a divide between Michael and Spock, as Sarek is aboard the Discovery as the episode opens. We also learn quickly that Spock has at the very least made mention of his family members to his current crew.
The mystery surrounding Spock’s state of mind will only grow as the episode, and possibly the season continues.
The Red Bursts
From all appearances the red bursts, which appeared across the galaxy simultaneously and drew the attention of Captain Pike (Anson Mount) leading him to assume command of the Discovery will be the overarching mystery the season is built around.
While the investigation begins almost immediately, it would seem that a concrete answer will take some time, but one thing is clearly on display and it will be welcome by many fans, the Klingon war is over.
The crew
As the season opens we see a much closer crew then we did in Season 1, the events of the war, the betrayal of their former captain and their shared struggles has brought them much closer together, it’s looking to be a very positive change for the series.
As was hinted earlier in the series Ensign Tilly (Mary Wiseman) is being groomed for a leadership role, Meanwhile Lieutenant Commander Stamets (Anthony Rapp) continues to suffer from the season one loss of his partner Doctor Culber (Wilson Cruz).
We get to know the bridge crew a little more, with their personalities beginning to take shape, I had personally been hoping to get a better picture of the bridge crew as after the first season I was unable to name most of them from memory.
The outlook
Overall the episode is solid, it has a few action packed moments, intermixed with a refreshing mission of exploration and a slowly building science story happening in the background, “it’s the power of math people!”
We also learn, incidentally why the USS Enterprise wasn’t a part of the recent war effort.
I’m enjoying the new feel Alex Kurtzman has delivered to this, admittedly smallest of, sample size of the season, it feels like a new beginning, but also deeply familiar. I like to think this change is organic, but perhaps it is in response to fan outrage over the first season.
When we mentioned the change on Twitter CBS was quick to respond to our comment.
Battling the Klingons can be very stressful.
— Star Trek on Paramount+ (@StarTrekOnPPlus) January 18, 2019
Either way it’s a change I welcome aboard.
Must Read. Star Trek: Section 31 doesn’t need to keep the franchises optimism. light
Star Trek Discovery will continue January 24, 2019