Executive producer Aaron Harberts has referred to the first two episodes of Discovery as a two-part prologue, with episode three, “Context is for Kings,” being a more traditional pilot. As a prologue, this two-part premiere delivers, setting up the broad outlines of the conflict between Starfleet and the Klingons and solidly establishing protagonist Michael Burnham. In terms of action, twists, and storytelling weight, “Battle at the Binary Stars” beats its predecessor “The Vulcan Hello” with its stunning visuals and involving story.
Flashbacks
The episode continues the flashback structure introduced in “The Vulcan Hello,” offering parallels between Burnham and T’Kuvma’s pasts. We learn that when she first came aboard the Shenzhou, Burnham was cold and logical to the extreme. The contrast between Martin-Green’s performance in the past and present is strikingly effective, illustrating how much Burnham has grown. It’s as if we’re seeing the beginning and end of a multi-season character arc a la T’Pol or Seven of Nine, two more examples of cold, logical characters who became warmer and more open after living with humans for years. But the episode also leaves us with tantalizing questions. What happened in the bombing of Burnham’s learning center that “changed her destiny?” Who was responsible, and why?
Our glimpses into T’Kuvma’s past are vaguer, and the questions posed are broader. We see a young T’Kuvma chasing ruffians out of his father’s ship, which later became the fearsome warship he commands. But what is this ship, really? Who built it and how did it end up in the hands of T’Kuvma’s family? The series is obviously withholding information for later in the season, but considering T’Kuvma’s death, we may not get the answers to make these scenes satisfying.
A Bunch of Klingons Talking
Speaking of which, the Klingon scenes in “Battle at the Binary Stars” are still ponderous, though they have slightly more motion this time. The upgraded designs of the Klingons themselves and their ships look fantastic. The Klingons feel more alien than they’ve ever felt, partly thanks to so many scenes playing entirely in subtitles. However, I’m still not clear on the politics. Do these Klingon council members (if that’s what they are) recognize T’Kuvma? Why do they agree to fight alongside him? Is belief in Kahless widespread or is it confined to T’Kuvma’s cult? The mushiness of the motivations makes the escalating conflict with Starfleet feel a little forced. In the end, though, the episode does leave us with some sympathy for T’Kuvma. Even though his actions caused so many deaths, he’s a true believer and dies for his convictions. Not to mention the current-day parallels of a fanatical group of believers who champion racial purity and pride.
Battle in the Background
As the Klingon fleet from the last episode hangs menacingly in space, a Starfleet flotilla shows up as well, leading to a standoff. But the peace is broken after Starfleet Admiral Brett Anderson tries to negotiate a (too obviously naïve) cease-fire and his ship the Europa gets torn in half by a cloaked Klingon vessel. The ensuing battle plays out much like the large-scale battles that Deep Space Nine and Enterprise made familiar: ships zipping around, phaser pulses firing, but with the obvious increase in effects quality. (The sight of the Europa’s hull plating buckling as it gets sliced in half is a particularly nice detail.) The battle plays out largely in the background, which I appreciate. The episode doesn’t get bogged down in the technical details, remaining focused on character.
In the meantime, Burnham has been confined to the brig after her act of mutiny in “The Vulcan Hello.” A dazed crewmember stumbles in after receiving a head wound on the bridge just in time to act confused and get blown into space. It’s an odd, jarring, pointless scene, the episode’s only major false note. But next, we get a truly impressive effects shot showing the utter devastation caused by the hull breach, and how a rectangular section of force field around Burnham is the only thing left standing. It’s certainly a visual we’ve never seen before on Star Trek. In a clever scene, Burnham escapes by convincing the computer to lower the force field in a way that shoots her into a pressurized area. The scene works on multiple levels, showing the impeccable sense of logic that Burnham developed from her Vulcan upbringing, and hearkening back to the well-worn Original Series trope of Kirk outsmarting the computer.
Twist Upon Twist
The episode’s later sections lay down the twists thick and fast. Burnham reports back to Georgieu, whose reaction to seeing her alive and escaped from the brig is amusingly cavalier. Burnham and Saru come up with a plan to attach a photon torpedo warhead to one of the dead Klingons that the warship is recovering. (In the 24th century, Klingons treat the bodies of their fallen as “empty shells.” Is this an inconsistency, or a deliberate detail?) The warhead detonates inside the ship, dropping its shields and allowing Burnham and Georgieu to beam over on a desperate mission to capture T’Kuvma, thus depriving the Klingons of a figurehead.
In a twist that would be shocking if you haven’t been following Discovery casting updates, T’Kuvma stabs Georgieu through the heart, killing her. In a double twist, Burnham fatally shoots T’Kuvma, who has a death scene with his albino subordinate that seems to hint at a prior connection between them by offering up a lot of vague flashback shots. (More questions that may or may not be answered.) Burnham is returned to Starfleet, where she’s court-martialed, stripped of her rank, and sentenced to life imprisonment. Of all the twists that the episode throws at us, this is the most genuinely surprising, and exciting for future story development. How many times have we seen main characters on Star Trek commit court-martial worthy offenses but not have to face the consequences? “Battle at the Binary Stars” gives us some impressive action and intriguing character tidbits, and though unanswered questions are rapidly building up, I’m excited to say that I have no idea what’s going to happen next.
Miscellaneous notes:
- The Burnham/Sarek connection continues to strain credibility. Now we learn that Vulcans can telepathically communicate over long distances after implanting their katras in another person (??). Still, I’m interested to see where this relationship is going. Though Spock is never mentioned, it’s becoming clear that Sarek raised Burnham as a Vulcan daughter to replace the son he thought was too human.
- It’s a good thing (from a story perspective) that Georgieu loses her battle with T’Kuvma because I simply didn’t buy the physicality of their confrontation. The camerawork and choreography fails to convince us that Michelle Yeoh is equally matched with a Klingon twice her size.
- The Shenzhou computer turns out to be the breakout guest star. In addition to the airlock scene, it gives us the laugh-out-loud line: “You have been confined to the brig. Query denied.”
Previous episode: “The Vulcan Hello”
Next episode: “Context is for Kings”