4th April, 2024: the introduction.
Yes: it’s still, officially, Thursday: as anyone who’s read my early morning quiz will have realised.
And yes: I’ve been making videos.
There’s something of a long story, there!
At any rate … ?
Dinner — a baked spud, some vegetables, and chicken kyiv — is being done as we speak.
Once that’s done … ?
I’ll be watching “Red Directive”, the first episode of Star Trek Discovery’s fifth and final series.
Then letting you know what I thought: tomorrow night.
5th April, 2024: “Red Directive”.
Episode 1 — “Red Directive” — opens with a summary of season four.
Then shifts …
To show us Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) of the USS Discovery: standing on top of a rogue, mercenary ship, trying (with help) to disable the ship’s engine.
The scene shifts again: to four hours earlier.
To show us Captain Burnham at a diplomatic event: with (amongst others) Lieutenant Commander Stamets, Dr Culber, Adira and Lieutenant Tilly (Anthony Rapp, Wilson Cruz, Blu del Barrio and Mary Wiseman).
All of whom … ? Are chewing over old times: and discussing the fact that the Federation is now a millennium old.
It’s only after the team have:
- found out why the cocktails are blue,
- found out that Lieutenant Commander Stamets is feeling a touch unsettled,
- and not noticed Saru having a long conversation with President T’Rina
That Captain Burnham gets a message from no less a person than Federation President Rillak (Chelah Horsdal: unseen in this episode.)
The Captain … ? Has to mingle.
Until … ?
Until she mets with Admiral Vance (Oded Fehr), who hands her a very small, figure of eight shaped gadget: that whisks her off to met Dr Kovich (David Cronenberg), in what Kovich calls the Infinity Room.
Doctor Kovich has a very important job for Captain Burnham.
Get to an abandoned, 800 year old, Romulan ship that’s drifting on the edge of the old Neutral Zone, get a mysterious item that’s on that ship … and get it, fast.
This job’s a red directive: the highest priority orders the Federation can issue.
Orders that, as Captain Burnham tells her crew, are going to be dangerous …
~≈🖖≈~
Now …
What did I make of this opening episode?
It has to be said: since season three, Star Trek Discovery has had some strong opening episodes.
And this?
Seems to be the strongest of the lot.
Especially as it opens by throwing us right into the middle of things: showing us Michael Burnham trying desperately stop a mercenary ship.
It’s introduced us to a new par of villains: L’ak and Moll (Elias Toufexis and Eve Harlow).
Who seem very much in the mould of Terry Pratchett’s Pin and Tulip: or, perhaps more specifically, Baylan Skoll and Shin Hati, in the Star Wars series, Ahsoka.
The episode’s introduced us to a third new recurring character: Captain Rayner of the USS Antares. Who, I believe will be this season’s Captain Shaw: stroppy, and a pain in the bum, but coming through at the last minute.
All that? And it introduces us to a synth, a Soong type android, called Fred: acting as a fence on a world called Q’mau.
All that … ? And the episode re-introduces us to the rest of the crew of the Discovery: David Ajala is back as Book, Mary Wiseman as Tilly, and Doug Jones as Saru.
So … ?
There’s welcome returns and interesting new characters.
~≈🖖≈~
“Red Directive” does something else, as well.
The one thing I do like about Star Trek is that there’s a certain amount of world building going on.
And that our main characters know a little of some of what’s come after ‘their’ time.
But has only shown us so much.
When Discovery does show us this is part of the Trek Universe?
It does with nice little reminders.
It tells us Dr Culber and Paul Stamets know a little about Soong type androids: as they have to do the post-mortem on a Soong-type android called Fred.
It shows us what the pair have learned about their new world: and reminds us of what a synth is.
The episode also shows us what Moll and L’ak — and Dr Kovich — are after.
The Romulan diary hidden in the puzzle box Fred opens?
Contains notes written by a long dead Romulan scientist called Velek: one who had — in a Star Trek The Next Generation episode called “The Chase” — help Jean Luc Picard find an ancient race of Progenitors.
That book … is something the Federation is very interested in.
~≈🖖≈~
So …
Did I enjoy “Red Directive”?
Didn’t I just.
It’s a fantastic little opening episode: one that’s got me looking forward to the next episode, “Under the Twin Moons”, and the rest of this last season.
Normally?
I’d be watching that episode, next week.
But, given Paramount+ published the first two episode, yesterday?
I’ll be watching “Under the Twin Moons” tomorrow, on 6th April, 2024: and releasing my reviews on Sunday, 7th April.
I will definitely be seeing you then!
“Red Directive”★★★★
Series Five Trailer
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