If you would like to read my review of last week’s episode, click here.
Synopsis: With Georgiou at the helm of the plan to end the Klingon war once and for all, the USS Discovery crew struggles to fathom and tolerate her hostile tactics. Memories of past hardships are rekindled within Burnham. (IMDB)
Writers: Akiva Goldsman, Gretchen J. Berg and Aaron Harberts
Director: Akiva Goldsman
Rating: TV-MA
Running Time: 43 mins
“Will You Take My Hand?”starts off with Georgiou preparing Discovery to attack the planet of Qo’noS (in her eyes it the Klingons have no homeworld because they cannot have homes). As she gives very militaristic orders to the crew and turns her hostilities to Mr. Saru, Burnham decides to question her in front of the crew about her origins hoping she may slip up. She asks Burnham for a walk and threatens to throw her in the brig if she acts out of order again. Georgiou suggests Burnham’s failed attack on the Klingons originated from her inability to kill Georgiou’s counterpart. That’s some dark stuff right there. Burnham wants to know the real plan, but Georgiou again threatens her and asks if she is with or against her. “With you. Captain.â€
Georgiou and Burnham go to L’Rell’s cell and ask the Klingon which place is best to land their part on the surface. After she rejects helping them, Georgiou enters the cell and begins to pulverize a helpless L’Rell. When that doesn’t work Georgiou has another idea; they ask Tyler about the surface of Qo’noS using his ability to tap into Voq’s memories. They are able to find a suitable landing spot and Georgiou builds her landing party: her, Burnham, Tyler and a surprise addition: Tilly. Don’t you harm Tilly!
Saru and Stamets successfully spore warp into the Klingon cave and the team, dressed in ‘lowlife’ attire, transport into the pirate outpost on the planet’s surface. As Georgiou instigates and arms deal, Tilly pulls Burnham aside and reassures her that she’s on her side and will protect her. They are interrupted by Georgiou who brings the team into a brothel to split up and find information while she has some alone time with a few of the establishment’s employees. Tyler and Burnham engage in a Klingon dice game that has Tyler embracing the Klingon side and getting Burnham worried.
Meanwhile, Tilly finds herself guarding the drone, but passing out after inhaling some potent space hookah. Tyler comes to Burnham with no new information from his Klingon friends, but she is still keeping her distance. That is until she decides to open up about her parents and what happened to them. She asked her family to stay a few more days at the planet so she could watch a supernova, but the Klingons attacked and killed her parents while she heard from the cabinet she hid in. They have a quick moment that’s interrupted when Tyler finds a new lead for the location of the shrine.
Tilly awakes to find one of the Orion (guest star Clint Howard) trying to steal the drone case. She stops him, but he reveals that the substance they inhaled was volcanic ash from the planet’s active volcano system. She realizes the drone wouldn’t survive that and opens the case to reveal a bomb. That’s the real plan. She immediately messages Burnham to warn her about the volcanoes and bomb, but she’s stopped by Georgiou. They make it to Tilly who explains the bomb will create an explosion that would eventually cause Qo’noS to become uninhabitable.
Burnham messages Saru about the situation, but it seems Georgiou has already planted the bomb and Burnham suspects the Federation agreed to this plan. She wants to talk to Admiral Cornwall. And there’s no denying it, this was the original plan because a genocide of the Klingon world would protect a genocide of the Federation. She stands up the Cornwall and says she will do another mutiny to go against this plan if it means saving the ideals of Starfleet and after everything they’ve been through Saru stands up in solidarity of Burnham as does the rest of the Discovery’s bridge crew. “What is it you’re suggesting?â€
Burnham confronts Georgiou at the site of the bomb and pleads to turn it off. Georgiou tells Burnham this is the way it has to be and that she was trying to set her free, even suggesting that Burnham join her. She refuses and says the only way Georgiou escapes is by killing her. Thankfully the murderous Emperor concedes to this bluff, but she doesn’t want the bomb bioprinted to herself.
At this point, L’Rell is brought in by Tyler and the situation is explained. The Federation planned to blow up their planet, but instead use this bomb as a way to unite the Klingons under L’Rell’s leadership. As Burnham decompresses from the tense situation, another bomb is dropped when Tyler reveals he has decided to leave with L’Rell in the hope of peace between the two species. They have a heartfelt goodbye including one final kiss and like that he’s gone.
In front of all the Klingon houses, L’Rell threatens to blow up their homeworld if they do not submit to her leadership and with this the Klingon fleets leave the space surrounding Federation planets. Back on Earth, Burnham has a meeting with her adoptive mother, thanks her for never giving up on her and helping Michael to keep her humanity. Sarek arrives and after complimenting Burnham on her ability to de-escalate the situation gives her the great news: her record has been wiped clean and she has been promoted to Commander Burnham. Sarek informs her that their new captain is on Vulcan and he will travel with them.
Burnham gives a speech to the Federation council as well as the Discovery crew about Starfleet’s ideals, second chances and the more scientific mindset they need going forward. The crew of the Discovery is honoured in various ways: Tilly is promoted to ensign and accepted into Starfleet Command Training Program, Paul Stamets is promoted to Lieutenant Commander as he holds the medal of Medical Officer Hugh Culber, and Commander Saru is the first Kelpien to receive the Medal of Honor. The Discovery leaves Earth with the crew opting to travel the old-fashioned way. Acting Captain Saru (can he just be the regular captain already?!) enters the bridge and orders the go ahead for warp.
The episode ends with the Discovery receiving a priority-one distress call. The message is choppy prompting them to jump out of warp, but they are able to decipher who sent the call: Captain Pike of the USS Enterprise. Sarek and Burnham share a look because they know who’s onboard that ship. We blast out of the bridge’s viewing window as the original Star Trek theme slowly rises showing the USS Enterpirse come face-to-face with the USS Discovery. UM I BEG YOUR PARDON?
Questions
- Will Emperor Georgiou return at some point?
- Will Tyler return at some point?
- Is conflict with the Klingon empire done for now or will L’Rell plan another attack?
- Is the show deciding to go towards a more science-heavy Star Trek series?
- How much will the USS Enterprise be involved in the second season?
- Will the Discovery get a new captain or will Saru take over the chair permanently? Please please 100 times yes.
- Where does the series go from here?
- Who will play both Captain Pike AND the biggest returning character Spock?
Overall, this was a good finale. The story brings us some of the best character moments of the season which helps create closure to what is essentially the prologue of Discovery’s scientific maiden voyage. Some of the season’s resolutions come across as rushed or uneven, but in the grand scheme of things it looks like Discovery is setting itself up for a more Star Trek style series come season two.
Score: 8/10
What did you think of “Will You Take My Hand?”Was it the finale you expected and does it get you excited for Disco season two? Let me know in the comments below!
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