*Spoilers*
16th May, 2024: the introduction.
Yes: it’s officially Thursday!
And, frankly?
It’s been quite a day!
I’ve just spent several hours on the phone to Brentwood Council!
Just don’t ask!
At any rate … ?
It’s Thursday: so, once I’ve had dinner?
I’ll be watching “Labyrinths”: the next episode of Star Trek Discovery.
I’ll have it reviewed by tomorrow night!
I’ll see you then!
17th March, 2024: “Labyrinths”.
Pt. 1: The Summary.
Episode 8 — “Labyrinths” — opens with a summary of earlier episodes.
Then shifts …
To show us the Breen Warship: where Primarch Ruhn (Tony Nappo) and his crew are marking the death of L’ak (Elias Toufexis) with a traditional Breen ceremony.
And with a speech from both Ruhn, and Moll (Eve Harlow).
Meanwhile, the USS Discovery has arrived the Badlands: the location of the Eternal Gallery and Archive.
The Gallery?
Is where the last piece of the map is located: and Captain Burnham and company … ?
Need to make sure they get to it, before the Breen do.
On top of that?
And as Hy’Rell, the Archivist who greets them, puts it?
The Archive is not responsible for any damage, dismemberment or death, should the Discovery not follow instructions!
Post-titles?
We saw the Discovery arriving at the Archive, itself: where Captain Burnham orders one last check of the ship before messaging their host, Archivist Hy’Rell.
Hy’Rell has a request of the Captain.
Hy’Rell has noticed — during her scans of the Discovery — that there’s a Kwejian on board.
She wants to see if whoever it is can help identify the one Kwejian item they have in their collection.
However uncomfortable Captain Burnham feels about having Book (David Ajala) along?
She can only agree to his presence.
She figures every little will help: little knowing what could happen.
~≈🖖≈~
Pt. 2: Thoughts.
Now … what did I make of episode eight, of “Labyrinths”?
It’s officially official: I’m impressed again.
For starters, Eve Harlow as Moll?
Certainly held my attention!
Especially as her character is now the leader of the Breen faction in this series: after killing Primarch Ruhn!
That little performance?
Helped create a big climax!
That’s not the big performance of the night.
Not by a long shot.
A better performance came from David Ajala, in dual roles.
In order to win the last piece of the puzzle, the last piece of the map, Captain Burnham has to undergo a test … in a virtual environment run by an AI construct modelled on Book.
Ajala’s performance was amazing!
Especially the accent he used.
His usual one — for the character of Book — is a a well educated Estuary accent.
For the AI construct?
It’s a far more formal, BBC English accent.
You’d have to watch the episode to spot it, I think.
And I suspect many of us outside the UK wouldn’t necessarily be able to.
I imagine it’s something akin to a New Yorker being able to spot the difference between Bronx, and Manhattan, accents.
Or someone from Dublin spotting a Sandyford, or Dún Laoghaire*, accent.
It’s that subtle: and something someone not local to a given area would spot.
But … ?
It’s there and very appreciated: it shows us something of Ajala’s range.
~≈🖖≈~
Pt. 3: the Star.
To be perfectly frank, though?
Ajala — and Harlow — aren’t the only ones showing their skills.
The real star of “Labyrinths”?
Is the woman whose series this is: Sonequa Martin-Green.
She’s turned in quite a performance in “Labyrinths”: going from frenzied, to thoughtful, to hit by realisation in the course of fifty-eight minutes.
Then going to the absolute certainty of what she needs to do at the end of the episode.
Her performance, here, has outdone her contributions in earlier series.
Frankly?
I was riveted!
Granted: writers have a lot to do with how a character grows, changes and develops.
But a good chunk of a character’s on-screen life?
Is down to the actor.
Sonequa Martin-Green?
Did one hell of a job in “Labyrinths”.
~≈🖖≈~
Pt. 4: Final thoughts.
Just as a last thought … ?
I have to admit, I was thinking vaguely of Flash Gordon, watching “Labyrinths”.
Why?
Partly because the Breen spaceship — coming out of the haze as it does — got me thinking of the spaceships in the old Flash Gordon film serials I saw as a youngster.
But mostly?
Because the Archivist robes worn by Hy’Rell — robes also worn by the Construct played by Davis Ajala — reminded me of Ming the Merciless.
It’s the pointy shoulder pads.
In all seriousness, though?
Yes: those robes are reminiscent of something … but — like the Archive set, itself — are gorgeously done.
~≈🖖≈~
Pt. 5: Until Next Time.
With all that said?
What did I make of “Labyrinths”, of this eighth episode?
It’s a fantastic piece of work.
And one that guarantees I’ll be watching the next episode.
I’ll be watching episode nine — “LaGrange Point” — on Thursday, 23rd May: and posting my written and video reviews of it on Friday, 24th May
I’ll be watching the next episode of Doctor Who — “Boom” — on Saturday, 18th May: and posting my written and video reviews later that day.
I’ll see you then!
“Labyrinths”.★★★★
* If my dim and distant memories of Bob Geldof’s autobiography are correct, Dún Laoghaire is pronounced Dun LAIRY.
No comments:
Post a Comment