11th April, 2024: the Introduction.
It’s officially official: it’s still Thursday!
And, frankly?
Dinner is being done.
Chicken, if you must know.
The pie I was looking was … well …
I couldn’t get the tin open!
Arrrgh!
~≈🖖≈~
At any rate … ?
Dinner’s doing.
And, once it’s done, and eaten?
I’ll be watching “Jinaal” — the third episode of Star Trek Discovery’s last season— and telling you all about it: tomorrow night!
I’ll see you then!
12th April, 2024: “Jinaal”.
Then shifts … to show us the USS Discovery heading for Star Base One: as Captain Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) being brief by both Doctor Culber and Book Booker (Wilson Cruz and David Ajala).
The briefing … ?
Covers both what to expect on Trill … and further details of Moll (Eve Harlow): who, if they met on Trill?
As Book tells the Captain, “… it won’t be pretty.”
~≈🖖≈~
Slightly later — when Captain Burnham, Book and Dr Culber are being briefed by Lieutenant Tilly and Adira Tal (Mary Wiseman and Blu Del Barrio) — is when we and Captain Burnham find out more.
It seems the poem they found on Lyrek has given them no further hint to where the next clue is.
But?
But the artefact they found, has shown them a set of Trill facial spots: something as unique to a Trill as fingerprints are to a human.
And, in this case? Unique to a joined Trill called Jinaal Bix.
The only problem, there?
Is that Jinaal Bix … has been dead for some eight hundred years.
Captain Burnham?
Is going to have a problem …
~≈🖖≈~
Now …
What DID I make of Jinaal … ?
First things first: I have got to give Wilson Cruz a thumbs up, here.
As part of the story? Captain Burnham has to get the next clue from Jinaal Bix: a long since dead, joined Trill.
The Trill — if you didn’t know — are a humanoid species: some of whom are host to a symbiont that lives for centuries, and that can contain the memories and personalities of earlier hosts.
Which is why Michael wants to speak to Kalzara Bix, the current host of the Bix symbiont.
Who suggests the ancient Zhian’tara* ritual: which will allow the long dead host to possess Dr Culber, and show Captain Burnham the next clue.
I have to say, I’ve not seen Wilson Cruz in much.
He’s struck as capable: but not much else.
Which is possibly doing the man down.
But, then I saw him playing Jinaal Bix, last night.
And … ?
I couldn’t imagine a more different character: a Star Trek version of the original, Dirk Benedict, version of Starbuck.
A character as different from Dr Culber as Deanna Troi is from Han Solo!
The thing that seemed obvious, to me? Just as an example?
Is that I know — as does anyone else watching Discovery — that Dr Culber’s gay: and has been happily married to Commander Stamets for the course of the whole series.
But … ? And from the way Cruz was playing the character?
Was that Jinaal Bix is straight.
That? To me?
Seemed to be the obvious difference between the doctor and his guest … and a nice bit of work from Mr Cruz: well played, him!
~≈🖖≈~
Other things that struck me?
Well, there’s possibly plenty that struck me.
For a start?
We seem to have a few new characters in this last series of Discovery: Lieutenants Naya and Gallo (Victoria Sawal and Natalie Liconti) seem new.
As does Lieutenant Commander Asha (Christina Dixon)
So, to introduce both old and new faces? This episode shows us the famously hard arsed Commander Rayner (Callum Keith Rennie) having “getting to know you” meetings with the new crew.
And going down like a lead balloon.
Especially with Tilly: who’s left to organise all this, watch the disaster unfolding … and give Commander Rayner a serious ticking off towards the end of the episode.
It’s a great set of vignettes: serving to familiarise us with the new faces, tell us more about Rayner and move his story arc.
And gives Jett Reno (Tig Notaro) use possibly the funniest line in the episode.
~≈🖖≈~
There’s also dragons.
Well, I say dragons.
When Captain Burnham and Book get to where the artefact they’re after is hidden?
They find it’s not guarded: not as such.
But is in the nesting area for some large, invisible, and above all, aggressive creatures.
I was literally reminded of the Krafayis, a creature that haunted a church, in a Dr Who story, “Vincent and the Doctor”.
Go look the episode up.
It had me thinking of that … of dragons, and had me thinking that Captain Burnham was an unlikely Saint George: but an entirely appropriate one, given the story we were told.
~≈🖖≈~
Given all that … ?
I have come away from “Jinaal”, feeling impressed with what I’ve seen.
Granted: I’m not totally enamoured of the romances between Saru and T’Rina, or Grey and Adira.
But will at least grant that Saru and T’Rina romance has a political element that’s adding extra drama.
And that seeing Grey and Adira’s relationship come to a sad end was touching: even if not a high point for me.
Even given those debatable down-sides?
“Jinaal” is a wonderful episode to watch.
I’m impressed enough to want to keep watching.
And will be back, next week!
I’ll be watching the next episode — “Face The Strange” — on Thursday, 18th April: and posting my written and video reviews of it on Friday, 19th April.
I’ll see you, then!
“Jinaal”.★★★★
* The ritual was last scene in a Deep Space Nine episode called “Facets”: which saw Jadzia Dax dealing with her previous hosts. Major Kira (Nana Visitor) becomes Lela Dax: turning into a little old lady. Ben Sisko (Avery Brook) was rivetingly scary as Joran Dax!
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