Discovery 1x08 – "Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum" [** SPOILERS **]

Inviere

Wasn't a great ep, to be fair. Though it does seem as if it sets the next one up nicely, so more of a two parter really. I was afraid they were going to go down the Avatar road on that planet, glad they didn't. I love the Klingon stuff, can't get enough of it! The Klingon ships are awful though, nothing memorable, foreboding, or evocative about them at all, perhaps except for the ship of the dead.

James Brown

Spear wrote: »

Well, exit the admiral stage left. I thought they'd get more milage out of her story-wise.

At least this episode made more of an effort to advance the overall arc, something that's been lacking later.

And since the next episode isn't a mirror universe one, it seems we need to wait until January for that, with the second chapter.

And I dislike the Klingon ship design. With the dark and muddy rendering of them, they're just indistinct shapes visually. The established designs were iconic and didn't need messing with.

I'm thinking she's stunned.

It was an odd set up. Clunky. Is the Klingon playing her? Now, if she was, is she now going to mutiny? Now she's up for the chop, what? It was a number of set ups that went nowhere.
I thought first officer lanky was very easily crippled emotionally by the planet/lifeform. It wasn't believable.

Johnny Storm

seamus wrote: »

I enjoyed that, it's really starting to put some meat on bones.

So I too was quite confused about the Klingon storyline. It seemed to just jump around. But then I realised that I just hadn't been putting proper names to faces.

L'Rell was the one who convinced Kol to exile Voq onto the Shenzhou rather than execute him. Then she betrayed Kol and transported onto the Shenzhou to save Voq with a stolen ship.

This was the lie that Kol was talking about when he had her taken away. And the dead Klingons in the hold were L'Rell's former crewmates who had all sworn allegiance to Kol after he gave them food.

This is where it all gets interesting. After L'Rell saved Voq from the ruins of the Shenzhou, the next we see her she's the captain of the "prison ship" that picks up Lorca. Then we meet Ash Tyler who claims to have been on the ship since the Battle of the Binary Stars, which was seven months previous.

He's in good health because he's allegedly been "taken out of rotation". When Lorca remarks that "no-one survives seven months on a Klingon prison ship", Tyler tells him that it's because the Captain has taken a fancy to him.

But L'Rell was adrift in space for at least six of those seven months. So either Tyler got really lucky and L'Rell took command of the ship just in time to save him....or he's not being honest, and perhaps even the crazy theory is true. Perhaps even Mudd is in on the act and L'Rell was the Klingon buyer he had lined up.

Looking back at that prison episode though, it seems likely that Tyler is being honest, but he might be an unwitting plant by L'Rell, had his memories altered or something.

Well explained, thanks!
Just sayin': I will be really annoyed if Tyler actually turns out to be a Klingon, he seems to be, by far, the most personable person we have seen on the Disco so far

AMKC

Matt Barrett wrote: »

I'm thinking she's stunned.

It was an odd set up. Clunky. Is the Klingon playing her? Now, if she was, is she now going to mutiny? Now she's up for the chop, what? It was a number of set ups that went nowhere.
I thought first officer lanky was very easily crippled emotionally by the planet/lifeform. It wasn't believable.

His name is Saru. Its not hard to find the crew names just google Star Trek Discovery crew.
I thought it was done really well his being overcome by the planet lifeforms.

PhiloCypher

Matt Barrett wrote: »

I'm thinking she's stunned.

It was an odd set up. Clunky. Is the Klingon playing her? Now, if she was, is she now going to mutiny? Now she's up for the chop, what? It was a number of set ups that went nowhere.
I thought first officer lanky was very easily crippled emotionally by the planet/lifeform. It wasn't believable.

.... will be resolved in the next episode.

Again - something I like about Discovery is just how things are carrying on across episodes. Ash mentions his torture again this episode, though he seems to be taking it in his stride. But at least it's being referenced. That makes it feel more real than a lot of previous franchises, where these events were quickly forgotten the next episode.

James Brown

AMKC wrote: »

His name is Saru. Its not hard to find the crew names just google Star Trek Discovery crew.
I thought it was done really well his being overcome by the planet lifeforms.

Ah, I pick it up as I go. I've seen every episode of every incarnation of the franchise. They'll come to me.
I like that it's more edgy. Could do without the opening sequence reminiscent of 'House'.

EDit

seamus wrote: »

I enjoyed that, it's really starting to put some meat on bones.

So I too was quite confused about the Klingon storyline. It seemed to just jump around. But then I realised that I just hadn't been putting proper names to faces.

L'Rell was the one who convinced Kol to exile Voq onto the Shenzhou rather than execute him. Then she betrayed Kol and transported onto the Shenzhou to save Voq with a stolen ship.

This was the lie that Kol was talking about when he had her taken away. And the dead Klingons in the hold were L'Rell's former crewmates who had all sworn allegiance to Kol after he gave them food.

This is where it all gets interesting. After L'Rell saved Voq from the ruins of the Shenzhou, the next we see her she's the captain of the "prison ship" that picks up Lorca. Then we meet Ash Tyler who claims to have been on the ship since the Battle of the Binary Stars, which was seven months previous.

He's in good health because he's allegedly been "taken out of rotation". When Lorca remarks that "no-one survives seven months on a Klingon prison ship", Tyler tells him that it's because the Captain has taken a fancy to him.

But L'Rell was adrift in space for at least six of those seven months. So either Tyler got really lucky and L'Rell took command of the ship just in time to save him....or he's not being honest, and perhaps even the crazy theory is true. Perhaps even Mudd is in on the act and L'Rell was the Klingon buyer he had lined up.

Looking back at that prison episode though, it seems likely that Tyler is being honest, but he might be an unwitting plant by L'Rell, had his memories altered or something.

Are you sure that was L’Rell? I thought it was a different female Klingon?

spookwoman

EDit wrote: »

Are you sure that was L’Rell? I thought it was a different female Klingon?

same actress playing the female klingon dressed in white since episode 1 and in imdb the have her listed as T'Rell

seamus

EDit wrote: »

Are you sure that was L’Rell? I thought it was a different female Klingon?

Yeah, it's definitely the same one. I think part of the purpose of this episode was to reveal that. Her lies get found out and her crewmates were murdered, so we know it's the same Klingon who was with Voq & T'Kuvma. And she has the big scar on her face, so we know it's the same one who "took a liking" to Tyler and got shot by Lorca.

Her name was never spoken on the prison ship, so we couldn't be sure it was her until this episode.