Discovery 3x08 - 'The Sanctuary' ~~ { ** Spoilers Within ** }

corkie

Discovery 3x08 - 'The Sanctuary' ~~ { ** Spoilers Within ** }

Director: - Jonathan Frakes
IMDb Link: - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11427530/?ref_=ttep_ep8

memory-alpha epsiode breakdown: - https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/The_Sanctuary_(episode)

DS9 Episode with the same name: - https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Sanctuary_(episode)
^^^ Don't think it is relevant/related to this episode.

^^^ Above links probably contain spoiler information.




Star Trek: Discovery | "The Sanctuary" (S3, E8) Recap | The Ready Room
^^^ US VPN Required ~~ Spoilers and Preview of E9.

Sad Professor wrote: »

Folks, in relation to spoilers, you don't have to use spoiler tags in the episode threads. If someone hasn't seen the episode yet then they shouldn't be reading the thread, period. When it airs on Netflix doesn't matter. I would suggest that whoever starts the thread put a spoiler warning in the title. I'll add one to this now.

Warning: This thread will contain spoilers for the episode. Spoiler tags will not be used, so if you don't want to be spoiled read no further.

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{ ** Spoilers Below ** }

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ilovesmybrick

I really, really enjoyed that episode. Moving the focus away from Burnham really shows how good this show could be. I also found Adira's story to be a lot more interesting. I think it helps that they removed the stupid twee musical cue from the earlier episodes and had a focus on the character alone, rather than Adira & ghost boyfriend.

It's interesting the number of times that it was mentioned how deceitful the Federation are, I want to see where that goes. I really hope they go follow that distress signal sooner rather than later since there's only five episodes left. I can't hjelp but feel that this episode should have appeared much earlier in the season. The Earth and Trill episodes could easily have been condensed or written into a single episode.

On another note, Saru's attempts to find his "Engage" (or "Make it so") was quitre fun!

Spear

I though it was okay. Burnham mostly takes a back seat to everything despite being present. Almost all the long term minor threads get some time. Plus some movement on the major arcs of the Federation vs Emerald Chain and the Burn.

A curious note on the whole Tilly being XO thing, her first major ploy as XO goes wrong, and seemingly provokes a war.

ilovesmybrick

Spear wrote: »

A curious note on the whole Tilly being XO thing, her first major ploy as XO goes wrong, and seemingly provokes a war.

It wasn't a particularly bad plan, fairly standard Trek stuff, but you would think that when they go back to the Admiral he would have to say "And this is why we don't make ensigns Executive Officers"!

Spear

ilovesmybrick wrote: »

It wasn't a particularly bad plan, fairly standard Trek stuff, but you would think that when they go back to the Admiral he would have to say "And this is why we don't make ensigns Executive Officers"!

It'd be standard fodder in a thousand other episodes but Sorriya doesn't fall for it. A pleasant surprise to have a villain that isn't dumb as a post.

Goodshape

That was alright.

CastorTroy

Thought it was a good episode.

I get what they were going for with Adira, but I would expect/hope that far into the future that people wouldn't be nervous about revealing how they identify. Though I think the writers went overboard emphasising the point with the number of times Adira was referred to by they/them/their in the conversation between Stamets and Culber.
I'm guessing it's not a coincidence that scene took place in the same episode that Culber mentioned about having kids.

I think Saru needs to start becoming more authoritative. He's too friendly with his crew. I know it was done in a light hearted way, but when he was trying the different orders, everyone just looked at him instead of actually doing it. Including Bryce having a dig at him as well with the "should I execute?" or along those lines.

AMKC

Well that was a dull episode. So is your one who flew books ship going to be punished now even do her Captain was the one that suggested it?
Also I do not think Osyraa fell for it not been the Federation attacking her ship.
I think they might have just started a war.
The Admiral is nothing to be very happy.
The whole brothers thing with book did not work at all.
The planet was ok but it's no Bajor.
Also the whole thing with Georgia was just boring. There is something wrong with her mind not her body. Just work on the mind.

Spear

AMKC wrote: »

Well that was a dull episode. So is your one who flew books ship going to be punished now even do her Captain was the one that suggested it?
Also I do not think Osyraa fell for it not been the Federation attacking her ship.
I think they might have just started a war.
The Admiral is nothing to be very happy.
The whole brothers thing with book did not work at all.
The planet was ok but it's no Bajor.
Also the whole thing with Georgia was just boring. There is something wrong with her mind not her body. Just work on the mind.

The punishment wasn't real, just a false claim to be used afterwards to provide deniability.

CastorTroy

Yeah the stuff on the planet was the least interesting part. Book has great eyesight to see his ship from the surface.

As for Georgeau, does she ever shut up, apart from being knocked out. She's not as funny as she thinks she is. But think her body going all strange like it was disintegrating or something would suggest it's not all in the mind.

Slydice

Episode gave me an idea of the Chain. They don't amount to much without the burn. Seems to be mid TOS - TNG weapons. Shield gave out simple enough. Feels like any of the TNG big players Federation/Klingons/Romulans/Breen/Ferengi could easily put a stop to what they are up to and just using TNG level tech. Just a matter of getting interstellar travel back and stable.

Cool to see another race with empaths.

Georgiou. Now there's the question. What have they got going on there. Yeah sure maybe it's some kind of disease..but like I wouldn't put it past the now disconnected and remote Mirror Universe trying to get back. Could be an episode on the cards.

Rawr

Dear god, it's amazing how much more watchable this show becomes when they tone down the Michael crap. That was ok, not the best episode of Trek ever, but I didn't mind watching it. Can't tell if this was the writers finally figuring out how to write an episode that didn't center around Michael, or if it was the influence of Frakes who directed this one.

The new Orion villianess is ok...although much like Georgio she gives off a bit of a cartoon villianess vibe. With any luck they improve on that.

Loads more focus on the crew, including Helm-Lady who's name I can never remember. One low point of the episode was her attack scene in Book's shuttle. I can't understand why the writers think that it makes sense to have deep conversations in the middle of action scenes. Especially when it involved Helm-lady taking her eyes away from the helm in the middle of fancy flying around the Orion Cruiser. It just looked stupid and disarmed an action scene.

There was a lot of focus on Book, and he's not a bad addition really. I wouldn't mind more of him.

This episode has also made me wonder if they ever really knew how to write Michael as part of an actual crew. Her default setting in most stories appears to be that she'll wander off on her own mission while Discovery go and do something else. This just re-enforces my belief that if they could somehow write her out, this show would be the better for it.

Of course that's not likely to happen.

I was done with this show last week, but this gives me a little hope to want to watch a little further. I'm hoping this episode wasn't an anomoly and that they won't just lean back into Michael-centric nonsense next week.

ilovesmybrick

Rawr wrote: »

Dear god, it's amazing how much more watchable this show becomes when they tone down the Michael crap.

Rawr wrote: »

I'm hoping this episode wasn't an anomoly and that they won't just lean back into Michael-centric nonsense next week.

I know, the other actors seem quite capable, but we've been given very little time with them. I'm glad we're seeing more of Culber this season, I quite like the character and in the first two seasons it felt like he had nothing to do. I know it's a long shot (especially in a 13 episode season) but it would be great to have an episode focused on the 'other' bridge officers. The few scenes we have of them together show potential for a great bottle episode around them. Apparently as a group they're quite close in real life which helps.

With regard the next episode not being Michael-centric, since it's a two parter we might not have as much, but based on the preview I wouldn't hold out hope.

Sleepy

Definitely better this week, and as usual, it was largely so because we had less Burnham. I'm sick of Giorgio's arc, hoping whatever she has is fatal.

Seems odd that a race that can manage a planetary defence system couldn't deal with a plague of water locusts mind... they didn't look particularly difficult to cull...

Liking the Andorian guy and Saru finding his feet as captain.

CastorTroy

How come Michael isn't the one telling Saru what he should say? Though I half exist her to be the one to say "Yes, that's the one" except in a more condescending whispering tone

Tired Gardener

A resounding meh. Not bad, but also equally not good.

Banana Republic 1

My thoughts after watching episode 8.

Geogru was once again awful whom ever green lighted her lines should be kneecapped and pushed out the nearest airlock.

Tilly has be promoted to the rank of PA.
The flying blue creatures on books planet were stolen from avatar.
They have clearly run out of production money as there using a modern house as a set and have resorted to using wooden guns and camera shaking to mimic explosions.
A person can dodge a bombardment from space by ducking and diving.
A shuttle craft, Books ship, could disable a battleship but not take a hit from Mikeys iron man suite
The whole Adria “they” thing is just a box checking exercise.

Overall episode 8 was total bolleeks

alchemist33

Best episode in a while. Detmer got something to do and the other bridge crew actually got a whole sentence each. I found myself not criticising it as I went along, ir at least not being bothered by odd things like the wildly different accents of Book and his brother from another mother.

Smacruairi

Culber, Stamets, Saru talk like adults, they can stay on the ship. Everyone else talks like a cadet or an internet meme, they can walk out the airlock. Book is sound though, he can also stay.

There are far far far too many shots of detmer looking at her copilot person, it actually looks like they are reusing shots at this stage.

Books brother was an awful awful actor, I'm sorry.
Michael technically saved everyone again though....

Another war started.... Directly going against the admirals orders...

4/10.

Why is burnham in the initial talk with admiral and not tilly
Magic music is back
Why don't they have a program that can decode already
Yeahhhh gwan detmer the pilot
Gwan crew having the chats
And saru

Georgiu is such a caricature

Spear

Spear wrote: »

It'd be standard fodder in a thousand other episodes but Sorriya doesn't fall for it. A pleasant surprise to have a villain that isn't dumb as a post.

I thought it was about plausible deniability more than "falling for it"
Surprised they were like oh yeah i guess we're at war now instead of going on about the pilot going rogue

Spear

bluewolf wrote: »

I thought it was about plausible deniability more than "falling for it"
Surprised they were like oh yeah i guess we're at war now instead of going on about the pilot going rogue

You reckon it was intended to give plausible deniability against accusations from the admiral, rather than the Emerald Chain? That would make their starting of a war with them a tad more callous and slapdash.

Georgiu is a horrible character played by a terrible actor.

With that out of the way I enjoyed that. Even Burnham is ok in small doses.

~Rebel~

That was alright, in fairness. Not brilliant, but alright.

They could have done with setting up the brothers back story through prior episodes though - they left themselves a little too much to do. Like, if the brother had been in the junk planet one, they could have established their relationship up front and then got to dig further into it now. As it was, it felt like they were trying to cram in their whole history, and also a whole change in their dynamic, in about 10 minutes of screen time. So none of it really landed emotionally. (the brother is also a horrendous actor, which didn't help).

In general the pacing of Discovery always feels weird... like, in comparison to other Trek, it feels like they spend less time on characters, and somehow still accomplish less storytelling.

Elsewhere, people had things to do, which is a nice change. Detmer's dogfight was weirdly shot, and they gave her some awful dialogue to sermonise over while flying in the middle of a fight, but it was good for them to finally start giving her a bit of the Tom Paris swagger/personality.

I like them approaching the identity subject with Adira - it's the sort of progressive thing Trek has always done... but I wish they had thought a little bit more about how they framed it. As it was, they just had a 'today' Earth conversation happen from a human 1500 years in the future. Which felt a bit lazy... I'd have liked if they put a little thought into how it works as a conversation in their context rather than in ours, with a sense of how conventions are in the future. This was a chance for them to literally 'be the change you want to see', by showing their ideal future version of this situation.

As an episode overall, still generally more overwrought and teenage than it needed to be, but better than most episodes, so that's a plus!

Slydice wrote: »

Episode gave me an idea of the Chain. They don't amount to much without the burn. Seems to be mid TOS - TNG weapons. Shield gave out simple enough. Feels like any of the TNG big players Federation/Klingons/Romulans/Breen/Ferengi could easily put a stop to what they are up to and just using TNG level tech. Just a matter of getting interstellar travel back and stable.

They remind me of the bad guys in Waterworld - they had the fuel, so they had the power. They also have similarly cartoonish villains


<edit>
One minor additional note - I really wish the refit had revamped the layout of the bridge... it's so badly designed for visual storytelling! In the scene with evil-lady, they kept having to cut through a half-dozen single shots of all the bridge crew to get their reactions, because the wide shot of the bridge is so wide you can't see anyone's expression. They're all just spaced miles apart in a very visually unhelpful way. Also, they keep doing this weird thing on the single's of Detmer, where they shoot half the frame through what looks like a prism. No idea why.

<edit 2>
So all the Vulcans/Romulans needed to show that they were not responsible for the burn was 3 of the presumably hundreds of thousands of black boxes floating around the galaxy. Hmm.

flazio

The writers should have had Saru try "Punch it" as a sideways sneer to the Abrams Pike.
Good episode. Nice to give Detmer something to do.

CramCycle

ilovesmybrick wrote: »

It wasn't a particularly bad plan, fairly standard Trek stuff, but you would think that when they go back to the Admiral he would have to say "And this is why we don't make ensigns Executive Officers"!

I am presuming the official reports will say that Detmer ran out of the room and started a war. If they had sense they would talk to book afterwards and say, listen mate, in return for saving your planet, we are going to leave you here and say you took the ship and started shooting because, realistically, Detmer is getting the Brig for this one.

Spear wrote: »

It'd be standard fodder in a thousand other episodes but Sorriya doesn't fall for it. A pleasant surprise to have a villain that isn't dumb as a post.

I presume being a villain who doesn't give a rats ass about laws se never signed upto, it wasn't for her. Although, one should ask, at this point, as immoral as it might be, surely that was the opportune time to say f*ck this and blow her out of the f*cking sky. Very untrek, but one of those questions that both TNG answered with the Borg, even Dr. Who answered with the Daleks. It really should have been a question at some point.

AMKC wrote: »

Well that was a dull episode. So is your one who flew books ship going to be punished now even do her Captain was the one that suggested it?

Agreed, on paper it was the best episode they ave done for ages, ticked every box, opened so many doors for interesting questions (and answers) and they dodged them all. It was almost a good episode but (and I am biased as I am goign back watching a load of older Trek recently) they really missed a great opportunity.

CastorTroy wrote: »

Yeah the stuff on the planet was the least interesting part. Book has great eyesight to see his ship from the surface.

Low level fan film stuff at best

As for Georgeau, does she ever shut up, apart from being knocked out. She's not as funny as she thinks she is. But think her body going all strange like it was disintegrating or something would suggest it's not all in the mind.

Its like the sports commentators who were mimicked on Apres Match years ago and then in real life started copying their mimics, it's really uncomfortable to watch and quite poor.

Slydice wrote: »

Episode gave me an idea of the Chain. They don't amount to much without the burn. Seems to be mid TOS - TNG weapons. Shield gave out simple enough. Feels like any of the TNG big players Federation/Klingons/Romulans/Breen/Ferengi could easily put a stop to what they are up to and just using TNG level tech. Just a matter of getting interstellar travel back and stable.

Very much so, with very little info they exposed a core weakness that a presumably inferior ship exploited with ease, Bookers ship looked like it was toast until it got to 10% shields, and then all of a sudden, Detmer could have not stopped shooting. I am surprised the Andorian didn't take the morality question away from Detmer or Discovery and just say, oh yeah, hit a volley of shots here as that is there back up system that will come online in 30 seconds, and then have it turned out that it caused the ship to blow the hell up. It was like Saru forgot what was happening. Kirk would have fired, Picard wouldn't but possibly tried to completely disable and capture, Sisko would have blown her way, young Janeway would have sent a message of words, old Janeway would have sent a message of torpedoes. Archer, well I am only on season one there so not sure but he would hve considered both options, depending on where in the episode it happened woud define whether she lived or died.

ilovesmybrick wrote: »

I know, the other actors seem quite capable, but we've been given very little time with them. I'm glad we're seeing more of Culber this season, I quite like the character and in the first two seasons it felt like he had nothing to do. I know it's a long shot (especially in a 13 episode season) but it would be great to have an episode focused on the 'other' bridge officers. The few scenes we have of them together show potential for a great bottle episode around them. Apparently as a group they're quite close in real life which helps.

Detmer was good until that scene in the mess, so apparently PTSD is a doddle to get over. Culber is slowly turning into one of the best characters although seems to have far more power than his position should have. Although, maybe it was because other series stupidly only seemed to have a CMO and very few other medical staff.

Spear wrote: »

You reckon it was intended to give plausible deniability against accusations from the admiral, rather than the Emerald Chain? That would make their starting of a war with them a tad more callous and slapdash.

Presumably, but who knows what they were thinking.

TheValeyard

Decent enough episode.

Sea locusts looked cool.

Orion ship reminded me of Star Wars vessels.

Are all Andorians gone from the Federation? Strange since they were a founding member.

So, that's Humans, Vulcans and Andorians gone. All the original crew. Whose left???

Her/them/they would make sense for a Trill with so many hosts, not with them trying to be woke.

breezy1985

TheValeyard wrote: »

Decent enough episode.

Sea locusts looked cool.

Orion ship reminded me of Star Wars vessels.

Are all Andorians gone from the Federation? Strange since they were a founding member.

So, that's Humans, Vulcans and Andorians gone. All the original crew. Whose left???

Her/them/they would make sense for a Trill with so many hosts, not with them trying to be woke.

Tellerites

breezy1985

I noticed the hardcore DIS people are pretty quiet about this episode and all the people who don't like the emotional Burnham centred over the top arc episodes loved it.

I'm the latter and thought it was great especially have Detmer save the day and Culber getting the good lines also there was an actual reason for Burnham to be on the away team for once.

Still hate space hitler but she was only a side part and my only real complaint was they made a big deal out of Book finally going home to a planet we saw him on in episode 1. Do these guys watch their own show

Dave0301

Burnham has an impressive kill count for a Starfleet officer.

None of that settings phasers to stun malarkey.

Banana Republic 1

I always watched Star Trek and there have been some woeful episodes in all iterations but this is so consistently terrible that I no longer care about what happens. I watch it purely to see what the next ham fisted and half witted boob this show will make. To trek fans of old there basically saying **** you.