Season three of Discovery has come and gone as Saru, Burnham and their crew found themselves starting a new life and new journey far from home. Making the jump to take the vital sphere data far from the reach of Control, Discovery’s crew left everything behind to enter a strange new land. Between their time and this new era, the landscape changed. New alliances were formed. Old alliances collapsed. All they had that was familiar to them was each other.
After looking at the whole season, our DoFC is looking back at five of the best parts of the season ahead of our next issue of Comms!
WARNING! Season spoilers lie ahead, so read at your own risk!
ADMIRAL VANCE AND THE NEW STARFLEET
Let’s be honest, since hearing that the Federation wasn’t going to be what it once was, it sounded as if the entire structure had collapsed or became a a forcer of evil. There were even small moments that suggested this new fleet wasn’t quite on the level. Temptation to have written something a little more grim for Starfleets future would have been easy to reach for. Instead we got Vance. He was tired, losing hope and barely had enough ships or resources to help the few people he could still reach out to. The Federation was smaller, it lost contact with everyone and was hiding in “Survival Mode”. But at it’s core, Vance showed that Starfleet may be hurting, but it’s still holding hope in unifying the galaxy and doing good.
WELCOME ABOARD
One of the best parts of this season was getting a little more insight and time for the series regulars with Owosekun and Detmer getting to share some of the spotlight. Though with new members joining the cast, it helped to redefine some characters and build new relationships. For Burnham, Booker became her guide in the new world but also someone who let her unleash her human side. Human-Trill Carrier Adira made the most surprising impact in being mentored by Stamets and accidentally building a family unit with him and Culber, letting the grumpy scientist show off his caring side and develop a new life in the future.
CONNECTED UNIVERSE
One thing Discovery has often done it connect as few dots and expand on small pieces of Trek lore; such as the fate of Christopher Pike and his knowledge of what was to come. They’ve also made an effort to highlight and connect to other corners of the Universe and this season was no different. Connecting to sister series Star Trek Picard, this season featured Gabriel Burnham as a member of the Qowat Milat; dropped in the end result of the Temporal Wars from Enterprise and of course, revealed the mysterious Carl to be none other than a projection of the Guardian of Forever. There was even a little nod to the Kelvin Universe thanks to Kovich’s knowledge of timelines. However one moment connected Trek both old and new…
…when Michael Burnham got to not only see the results of her foster brothers Unification efforts, but see who he’d become long after she left him behind.
STEPPING UP
One of the themes of the season was personal development. In a new world with their lives left behind, it was about finding out who and what they are without anyone but each other. Some results were surprising. None more so than Tilly. All eyes were on who the Captain would be this season, even if it seemed an obvious choice, but no one predicted Killy would find herself as Acting First Officer; the only person Saru could rely on to tick all the boxes he needed for the job and a move that helped her move on from awkward hopeful to confident leader.
CAPTAIN ON THE BRIDGE
None of those journeys of self discovery ended as dramatically as Burnham’s. After being stranded alone for a year, having all her flaws dug up by her long lost in time mother and having to leave behind the shackles of her Vulcan upbringing, Burnham had to remind herself that she was Starfleet and why the Federation was so vital to her. After fighting to save Discovery from Osyraa and the Chain, she had to finally find the balance between Sarek’s teachings and where to draw the line on her reckless tendencies. By learning to take risks and fight, she became that spark Starfleet needed to reinvent itself from struggling administration to bold explorers once again.
Of course, these are only a few vague moments and highlights from the season. Our next issue of Comms will be taking an in depth look at the season with episode reviews, character breakdowns and our usual post-season and ridiculously in depth big picture review to see how all the dots connected! After a minor delay, Comms is coming soon – to find out more visit our Comms section or Enlist Today and claim free SFCQ2 Membership!
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