Posted in: Paramount+, Review, Star Trek, TV | Tagged: david ajala, Eve Harlow, paramount, Review, Sonequa Martin-Green, star trek: discovery

Star Trek: Discovery Finale: To the Journey, Michael Burnham (REVIEW)

In many ways, Paramount+'s Star Trek: Discovery wraps up its seven-year, five-season journey the same way it began it with "Life, Itself."

Star Trek: Discovery reached its swan song in its series finale, "Life, Itself," and as the bulk of the series has been, it's always been about Sonequa Martin-Green's Michael Burnham from her start as the adopted human child raised by Vulcans to the science and first officer of the U.S.S. Shenzou-turned-mutineer to regaining her rank in Starfleet to her eventual ascension to Captain of the U.S.S. Discovery. We finally find out what this Progenitor technology is that we've waited all season long for. The following contains minor spoilers.

Star Trek: Discovery: A Series to Retained Its Core of Introspection to the End

When we last left our hero, Burnham went into a portal after seeing Moll (Eve Harlow) going in, desperately trying to revive her lost love L'ok (Elias Toufexis). The sequences with them are largely tech demos of what the AR Wall can do in combination with the special effects, and we get some decently choreographed fight sequences to help fill some time. With Burnham occupied, we have Rayner (Callum Keith Rennie) and Discovery dealing with the faceless Breen Dreadnaught in pursuit as they're trying to strategize against a "superior enemy." Aside from the atypical ship-to-ship combat we have seen since 2009 Star Trek with all its flashy spectacle, there hasn't exactly been a chess match between both sides. It's Discovery trying to figure out the few things the Breen throws at them. It feels rather anticlimactic, but we see some innovation, even if it's a rushed battle. On a third front, we see Doug Jones' Ambassador Saru and Rachel Ancherill's Commander Nhan trying to avert a full war, with the latter trying to utilize his newfound diplomatic skills. It's great to see it develop however the season could, and I wished we saw more of this badass Saru.

The sequence of events gives the bulk of the available cast something of value to do with what they had. I can complain about that, but I can complain about the lack of discernable paths for the crew members in general. When The Original Series and The Next Generation ended, there was an expectation to move on to films. There was finality in Deep Space Nine's ending with its characters, which I consider the most complete in the Star Trek franchise on TV. Voyager could have used an epilogue with the crew members but chose to make the series' final shot as the ship arrived home on Earth in the finale. We wouldn't find out until Picard and Prodigy what happened to some of the U.S.S. Voyager crew. Enterprise ended with the death of one of their characters and nothing much else for the remaining crew than the founding of the Federation.

It's not much of a spoiler and I get there has to be the focus, but it would been nice if the crew had clearer paths in the finale, it is Martin-Green's show in the end and the finale echoes the series' recurring themes of introspection. If anyone is expecting some shock, you will be disappointed, but it's the happy ending atypical of the franchise. We do get the callbacks to the core cast for the reunion, but no flashback sequences. Harlow's Moll is by no means a traditional villain, not in the way of Janet Kidder's Osyraa of season three or season two's evil AI, Control. It does take a bit of the urgency and surprise away without a villain with more depth, especially when the Breen were barely fleshed out in what little we saw of them in the season.

Directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi and written by Kyle Jarrow and showrunner Michelle Paradise, the bulk of "Life, Itself" felt more traditional finale than an epic one, perhaps it's because they didn't know it would be the final season. The final 20 minutes felt cobbled together but did provide some exclamation points for four of the characters and leave room for future projects like a limited revival or streamer film, and at least fans of Enterprise get more this time. Maybe it didn't need to be epic because Discovery went out the way it came in, sticking true to itself until the end, regardless of any divide among the Star Trek base, something Picard didn't even do with its TNG reunion in its third and final season.

Star Trek: Discovery Finale "Life, Itself"

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Review by Tom Chang

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7/10

Paramount+'s Star Trek: Discovery episode "Life, Itself" is not a top five in terms of franchise finales, but effective in resonating its tone and message that the series had maintained since day one. Maybe the series finale didn’t need to be "epic" because in many ways, "Discovery" went out the way it came in - sticking true to itself until the end while also looking to the future.

Credits

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Director

Olatunde Osunsanmi

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