Before Star Trek: Discovery was released, the writers teased that the season was structured along the lines of current binge-worthy TV: one long story where each episode functioned as a chapter. But with these last two episodes, I’m starting to suspect that Discovery came together more haphazardly. Like last week’s “Lethe,” “Magic to Make the Sanest Man Go Mad” (another contender for the Flamboyant Episode Title Award) ignores much of Discovery’s long-term plotting in favor of a mostly standalone adventure, and it’s better for it. With this episode, the series finally finds its sense of fun, and the crew’s chemistry clicks. Viewed as a whole, the season has made for a clumsy story arc, but that matters less when individual episodes are as solid as this one.
Time Loop Nonsense
Mention a time loop episode, and every Trek geek will think of The Next Generation’s “Cause and Effect.” While “Magic” does build from the general conceit of a time loop, it has its own identity that gives the story a fresh spin. “Cause and Effect” was more about the crew’s problem solving process: how they figured out they were in a loop, and how they figured out an escape. It played the premise seriously, even eerily. “Magic” has a lighter touch. At its core, it’s a Burnham character story, just with some bells and whistles attached. One of the episode’s freshest choices is making Stamets the one who remembers each loop. Normally in these types of episodes, we follow the character who’s moving through time, figuring out the situation along with them. But here, Stamets figures out the tech / sci-fi stuff in the background, allowing us to focus more on Burnham.
Like “Lethe,” “Magic” does a lot to reestablish Burnham as the heart of this series. The episode begins and ends with a personal log that connects us to her status as an outcast. As I guessed last week, the shipping between Burnham and Tyler comes to the fore, and it actually works well. Burnham struggles with the fact that, having been raised by Vulcans, then occupied an Executive Officer position where she could keep the crew at arm’s length, she never acquired natural human social skills, especially when it comes to expressing attraction. Through the various time loops, she tries different approaches towards Tyler, eventually deciding that her feelings are too complicated to deal with right now. “I’ll be here,” Tyler says magnanimously. I’m glad the series isn’t shoving these characters together too quickly. Like in real life, it’s nice to give the relationship time to develop.
Time for Mudd
After “Choose Your Pain,” I doubted that Harcourt Fenton Mudd would return this season. I stand corrected. The episode’s use of Mudd is a lot of fun. Even if he’s much more murderous than his Original Series incarnation, he makes for a memorable villain: the kind of guy who will kill you fifty times, but a different way each time just for kicks. In a macabre but amusing montage, Mudd kills Lorca a variety of different ways, including beaming him into space while sitting in the captain’s chair eating a burger!
My biggest issue with the episode is that it’s tough to follow the details of Mudd’s plan, and the crew’s counter-plans against him. We skip so many time loops, and portions of time loops, that we’re often left to connect the dots ourselves. But this is part of the episode’s design. Unlike “Cause and Effect,” which clearly and logically lays out all the steps that enable the crew to escape the time loop, “Magic” has a “just go with it” feeling, and it works on that level. Ultimately, the episode isn’t about the details of Mudd’s plan, because…
“Magic” is a Comedy
When you read Shakespeare, there’s an easy way to tell whether the play is a comedy or tragedy. Does it end with death (tragedy) or marriage (comedy)? “Magic” commits to this latter course with the most traditional comedy ending imaginable. The crew finds out a way to summon Mudd’s “beloved” Stella and her rich arms-dealing father, maneuvering Mudd into a marriage that will keep him out of the picture. Even if the dots don’t connect (in the vastness of space, Stella and her father happened to be within a few hours’ travel of the Discovery?), it works on a character and thematic level. The transition into the Stella scene is a little jarring, since the episode has spent so much time emphasizing the action / tech elements. Even in its best moments, Discovery is still clumsy at managing its tone. But if you view the entire episode as a comedy, it works better.
For in the midst of the frantic jumping between time loops and frequent explosions and deaths, the episode finds time for some genuinely sweet, romantic moments. For one, it’s nice to see a party on Star Trek that actually feels like a party, unlike the cocktails-and-classical-music feel of TNG-era Trek. (Deep Space Nine’s “You Are Cordially Invited” pulled off a similar feat with Dax’s bachelorette party: another comedic episode that ended with a wedding!) Tilly has a fun role as “that friend you would never have guessed is into partying.” And Stamets and Burnham have a lovely scene where Stamets tells the story of how he met his partner, emphasizing that you have to be open and honest for relationships to work.
I’m glad to see Discovery finding a better balance between its serialized and episodic storytelling. Even in Deep Space Nine’s final season, deep into the Dominion War, the series still found time for an entire episode where the crew plays baseball. The war elements of Discovery don’t feel that urgent so far, but that’s fine by me. When the show can deliver fun high-concept sci-fi with genuine character building like this, story arcs take a backseat.
Miscellaneous Notes
- The episode even plays a remix of “Staying Alive” every time the time loop resets! (Just like the use of “I Got You Babe” in Groundhog Day.) All part of the spirit of fun.
- Burnham’s arc is very reminiscent of Seven of Nine’s quest to learn social skills. Though Voyager mined this terrain pretty thoroughly, this story is grounded enough in Burnham’s character that it works. Every Trek series features an outcast looking at humanity from the outside, and the character beats are bound to feel familiar sometimes.
- I hope Stamets keeps his new spore-induced personality. The character has really grown in the past few episodes.
- Nice subtle insert of a same-sex couple dancing in the background during the party!
- Discovery likes to pepper its dialogue with explicit thematic statements (“and the moral of the show is…”). Normally, this makes for ponderous dialogue, but it works when the themes are worthwhile, like Burnham’s last statement: “Step outside your comfort zone, because where you belong may be just around the corner.”
Previous episode: “Lethe”
Next episode: “Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum”