New episodes of Star Trek: Discovery stream every Thursday on Paramount+ in the US and UK.
Synopsis
Captain Burnham and the crew of the U.S.S. Discovery are sent to retrieve a mysterious artifact hidden inside a 800-year-old Romulan vessel – but find that they’re not the only ones on the hunt. Meanwhile, Saru is offered the position of a lifetime.
Review
Star Trek: Discovery is back! The flagship series, responsible for the current boom in Star Trek TV, returns to screens today with a two-episode premiere for its fifth and final season. The first half of the premiere, “Red Directive”, finds Captain Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and her crew beginning their most action-packed mission to date. But with only ten episodes left, can Discovery remind viewers why it was the spark which brought Trek back to our screens?
With season 5 Star Trek: Discovery has, once again, successfully reinvented itself. Each year the writers approach the show with a clean slate. Rewatching classic episodes there is a stark contrast between the fraught, dour season 1 and the feisty, thrill seeking adventure which begins today. For the first time Discovery is – almost – completely shaking off the weight of almost six decades of storytelling. Without completely ejecting its intense emotional core, Discovery has embraced the sense of adventure which contemporary audiences find synonymous with the J.J. Abrams-era Trek movies.
”Red Directive” opens in a moment many fans have seen already. An extended clip released at SDCC feature Captain Burnham caught in a high stakes shootout with Discovery’s new Bonnie and Clyde style villains Moll and L’ak (Eve Harlow and Elias Toufexis). But surprise, Discovery has a trick up its sleeve and breaks up the moment with a flashback to how Captain Burnham’s evening began at a celebration for Federation Day. Back with their former crew mate Tilly (Mary Wiseman), this is a moment which feels like the beginning of the series embracing its impending finale. Surprisingly as the cast and crew weren’t aware whilst producing the bulk of the season.
After a cryptic tease from Kovich (David Cronenberg) and a name drop for the episode title, Burnham and co. are off on their merry way to find an 800 year old Romulan Warbird from the days of Captain Picard. It’s an interesting route for Discovery to take. In its early episodes many felt the show struggled with clunky connections to The Original Series. But here the heavy connections to The Next Generation, specifically season 6’s “The Chase”, don’t overwhelm the episode. In fact it’s quite the opposite. “Red Directive” exudes confidence in a way the series never has before. There’s no hesitation or trepidation, it feels like a show which is truly found its place and is firing on all cylinders.
Long-time viewers know the series for its heavily serialised storytelling. Whilst it’s abundantly clear that it will remain in place following “Red Directive”, this episode itself has a strong mission of the weak ethos. If this is the blueprint for season 5 then I’m excited to see where it leads. It feels refreshingly Trek but comes with the potential danger of making the treasure hunt somewhat predictable. As for this episode it all works thrillingly well. Making further use of the series’ trademark AR wall technology, the speeder chase across the desert world of Q’Mau is exhilarating, enhanced further by the joy on Martin-Green’s face.
Speaking of Captain Burnham and the actress who has so brilliantly played her for the better part of a decade. Martin-Green now receives a producer credit on the show. It’s also clear she’s never had as much fun playing Michael Burnham than she is here. That newfound confidence and positivity begins with Burnham and radiates out across the rest of the cast and out from the screen.
It seems some cast changes are afoot, Saru (Doug Jones) appears to be about to make some huge changes to his life (addressed in episode two). That opens up a space on the crew of Discovery. A space likely to be filled by Captain Rayner (Callum Keith Rennie) who is clearly not in Starfleet’s good books. What is great to see is the series continuing to embrace its brilliant ensemble cast. Particularly the return of Wiseman to the fold. I hope to see plenty more of her alongside Adira (Blue del Bario), Stamets (Anthony Rapp) and Culber (Wilson Cruz).
Verdict
As jumping off points go “Red Directive” is Star Trek: Discovery’s most enthralling season premiere. Fast-paced, action-packed and most importantly, creatively invigorated. This is a strong sign of an enthralling season to come.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
