Star Trek: Discovery 3.11 Su'Kal review
Su'Kal
The eleventh episode of the third season. Discovery jumps to the source of the Burn after finding a survivor aboard the ship. However, the Emerald Chain is making it's move. Despite the Chain moving on Kaminar, Discovery goes to the nebula. Saru is concerned but Vance assures him that Starfleet would be able to protect his home planet. That Osyrra would try to draw out Discovery that way makes sense. It is also good set up for later. (And not just that Saru hadn't seen other Kelpiens since he arrived.)
Going into the nebula, they find that radiation is very intense. The scenes where Discovery was trying to get to the crashed ship were appropriately suspenseful. That Book's ship has a better time of it makes sense. A bit surprising that Vance allows Saru to go on the Away Team, but maybe the policy about Captains not going on them was changed again. Then there is Stamets being concerned for Culbur. More on that below. The Away Team beams into the ship and find themselves in a holographic environment.
Culber and Burnham appearing as a Bajoran and Trill respectively were a surprise, but it was done very well. Saru as a Human was a good choice too. But the main thrust of this aspect of the episode was Su'Kal, the Kelpien who was left alone to be raised on the ship by the holographic programs after his mother died. The quest by the three crewmembers as they tried to piece together what happened was done very well. The worldbuilding about Kaminar, including the Elder hologram and the Federation Admission Hologram, was also good.
The Holodeck episode aspect was surprising, but even so the revelation that Su'Kal was responsible for the Burn was a let down. (But there may be more there.) But there also the other aspect of the episode, where Discovery had to confront Osyrra. That Discovery had a cloaking device didn't come out of nowhere given that the headquarters was cloaked when they first arrived there. However, the crew should have put up more of a fight when the ship was boarded. So, Osyrra almost effortlessly taking over the ship was also a let down.
But it was stll enjoyable and I'm eager to see what happens next. 8.3/10.
The eleventh episode of the third season. Discovery jumps to the source of the Burn after finding a survivor aboard the ship. However, the Emerald Chain is making it's move. Despite the Chain moving on Kaminar, Discovery goes to the nebula. Saru is concerned but Vance assures him that Starfleet would be able to protect his home planet. That Osyrra would try to draw out Discovery that way makes sense. It is also good set up for later. (And not just that Saru hadn't seen other Kelpiens since he arrived.)
Going into the nebula, they find that radiation is very intense. The scenes where Discovery was trying to get to the crashed ship were appropriately suspenseful. That Book's ship has a better time of it makes sense. A bit surprising that Vance allows Saru to go on the Away Team, but maybe the policy about Captains not going on them was changed again. Then there is Stamets being concerned for Culbur. More on that below. The Away Team beams into the ship and find themselves in a holographic environment.
Culber and Burnham appearing as a Bajoran and Trill respectively were a surprise, but it was done very well. Saru as a Human was a good choice too. But the main thrust of this aspect of the episode was Su'Kal, the Kelpien who was left alone to be raised on the ship by the holographic programs after his mother died. The quest by the three crewmembers as they tried to piece together what happened was done very well. The worldbuilding about Kaminar, including the Elder hologram and the Federation Admission Hologram, was also good.
The Holodeck episode aspect was surprising, but even so the revelation that Su'Kal was responsible for the Burn was a let down. (But there may be more there.) But there also the other aspect of the episode, where Discovery had to confront Osyrra. That Discovery had a cloaking device didn't come out of nowhere given that the headquarters was cloaked when they first arrived there. However, the crew should have put up more of a fight when the ship was boarded. So, Osyrra almost effortlessly taking over the ship was also a let down.
But it was stll enjoyable and I'm eager to see what happens next. 8.3/10.