Discovery 1x12 "Vaulting Ambition"

rating: ****

the story: Burnham confronts the Emperor.

what it's all about: The biggest and really only problem I had with Deep Space Nine's serialized storytelling was that when it counted, during those six- and ten-episode arcs at the start of the sixth season and end of the series, respectively, there didn't seem to be a lot of narrative clarity.  Things happened, and they kept happening, but the stories the series wove with such precision in its episodic tales vanished, and big moments ended up buried or marginalized.  Discovery certainly doesn't have that problem.  Its solution?  To have big reveals, and to keep them at a slow burn.  "Vaulting Ambition" is the latest climax in a series of climactic reveals.  It's almost like Star Trek is suddenly embracing the false face flair of Mission: Impossible, another iconic series Leonard Nimoy acted in.

Which is to say, everything I was saying about the last episode is once again true this episode.  Discovery has definitely reclaimed its narrative momentum.  With that strong three-episode suite at the start of the series, and now with three of the past four episodes, there's a stronger sense of impact than at just about any other point in TV franchise lore going on.  I have no idea how long this lasts, because there have always been strong seasons in Star Trek that don't necessarily carry on to succeeding seasons.  Momentum of this kind is easier to continue within a season than outside of it. 

But anyway, momentum does continue here, and in a number of fruitful ways.  Tyler/Torchbearer reaches a climax (is Torchbearer permanently gone? we'll see!).  Stamets and Mirror Stamets (in an echo of Bashir's experiences, after a fashion, in Deep Space Nine's "Distant Voices")  figure things out, and Burnham, as I said in a woefully in inadequate summary of the episode above, hashes it out with Mirror Georgiou.  That sequence is a nice way of bringing Burnham back to the center of the series, with everything else revolving around her, something that hasn't seem as true for a while. 

Oh, and Lorca comes from the Mirror Universe.  Yeah.

Apparently there was some speculation about this, just as there had been with Tyler/Torchbearer.  Doesn't diminish the impact of the revelations, though.  These moments are pitch-perfect.  Hopefully fans in an era where chatter is instantaneous can keep the storytelling itself in perspective, how it's executed.  Of course, that's another story that continues in other episodes.

One element that definitely is episode-specific is resolution for Stamets and Culber.  Arguably this is Culber's best moment.  Arguably?  Let's just agree that it is.  It's enough to be able to see Stamets be Stamets again.  The episode in part serves as a reminder of just how engaging the character is.  It also reminds us that he is capable of connecting with someone on a deep level (he seems to fail this with just about everyone else, but Tilly comes closest to filling that void, as she likely will in the future).

And?  This is Saru's best appearance in a long time, too.  Certainly, better than the ham-fisted spotlight "Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum."  At exactly the same time the series offers up its creepiest moment, when Mirror Georgiou reveals Burnham is...eating Kelpian.  (She's not eating Mirror Saru, but...on any level this is just wrong.)

So, this is a very good episode.

criteria analysis:

• franchise - A huge development in the Mirror Universe mythos.
• series - Huge moments seemingly every few minutes for Discovery fans.
• character - I think just about every main character had a huge moment in this one.
• essential - So many huge moments!  Is this in fact a leading contender for best episode of the series so far?

notable guest-stars:
Michelle Yeoh (Mirror Georgiou)