CULT FACTION

For all your cult film, tv, cartoon, comic and video game needs

Star Trek: Discovery Season 2 Ep. 12 – Through the Valley of Shadows

The most enjoyable privilege in watching this current season of Star Trek: Discovery is to share the evolution of the characters and the actors that portray them, none so more as the main cast but also the supporting cast of each episode, all true greats or future greats.  One of the main cast, and I’ve heard that he’s going to be returning in Season 3 as they are filming it right now, is Anson Mount.  An actor who I had not heard of before watching the second series and had no idea of his stature as an actor, but this series has really catapulted him to my attention.  An actor who can put just the right amount of gravity, humanity, and humour to the Pike character, and in this episode, we see more depth of Captain Pike than in any of the previous episodes combined.  I’d like to point out at this moment that Anson Mount, away from Star Trek: Discovery, does a regular podcast called The Well with his long-term friend, Branan Edgens and I spent a day last week listening to numerous episodes of the podcast and it is really good food for the soul, check it out.

Episode 12 has a split story line centred around the common goal of defeating Control.  The episode starts with a fourth signal appearing near the Klingon world of Boreth.  This planet is void of any life apart from a Klingon monastery where the monks guard the Time Crystals, I’m sure there is a proper Star Trek scientific name for them but for now, they’re just Time Crystals.  Boreth is where Tyler and L’Rell sent their infant son to be raised away from the Klingon Empire never to be seen again.  Neither Tyler or L’Rell are comfortable with going to the surface and that’s where the courageous Pike states that he will go and retrieve a Time Crystal so that the Discovery can be a step ahead of Leland, who is only mentioned once or twice in the episode.  On arrival at Boreth, Pike is greeted by a couple of monks, one who it turns out is the son of Tyler and L’Rell and his name is Tenavik.  The adult Tenavik explains that time is influenced by the crystals on the planet, hence the fact he’s now an adult, and that if Pike wishes to take a crystal, then the future that it shows to him can not be altered.  Pike takes the risk and he witness the future where he is severely disabled in an accident, we don’t get to see when, but the uniforms have changed slightly.  Regardless, he chooses to take the crystal back to the Discovery and to, hopefully, save all sentient life over his own.

I said there was a split story and the other side is that Burnham and Spock take off in a shuttle, because Discovery contains the Sphere data and cannot allow that to fall into Control’s hands.  Together they intercept a Section 31 ship that was 10 minutes overdue reporting its location, which in the rigid time constraints of Section 31 stands out like a red rag to a bull.  The shuttle drops out of warp to find the entire crew drifting dead in space outside the ship with just one unconscious survivor who is revived, and Burnham recognises him as Kamran Gant, a previous crew member on the Shenzhou under the real Georgiou.  Once conscious and able to speak, Gant informs Burnham and Spock that Control took over and sent the crew into space, Gant managed to put on a spacesuit.  It was at this point that, to me, it was looking like Gant was reanimated via the nanbots that were inserted into Leland by Control, and I was hoping to be wrong.  Burnham and Spock are soon mad aware by Gant that he is under the control of Control and that Burnham is the fulcrum, the AI cannot control Burnham.  Gant and Burnham have a good old shoot out whilst Spock is trying his best to lock out Gant.  Burnham’s phaser creates a massive hole in Gant and all the nanobots flow out and head towards Burnham who is depending on Spock to find a solution for her survival and that he does it quickly.  Spock generates a magnetic field over the floor and freezes the nanobots and thus saves his big sister.

Back on Discovery, everyone reconvenes and then Section 31 ships start arriving and they want the Sphere data.  Weighing up all the alternatives, Burnham concludes that it will take a lot of power to activate the Time Crystal and then advises Pike that the only option to destroy the Sphere data is to destroy the Discovery itself.

VERDICT: I rate this episode 9 out of 10 because even though the storyline is obviously evolving at a fast pace, some of the acting isn’t.  I found that Tyler and L’Rell’s chemistry to be strained and forced, that could be down to the script and direction but some of the blame must fall on the actors but I still love them.  And then there is the other extreme where this episode was Anson Mount’s turn to radiate and deliver an acting masterclass for his colleagues.  And talking off acting, there was a splendid scene where Doc Culber is called to administer a plaster (band aid) to the finger of a rather domineering Jett Reno who proceeds to tell him he is wrong to walk away from Stamets and that they should pursue their future together.  It transpires that Jett lost her wife in the Klingon War and hopes that Stamets and Culber can find a solution.

Anyway, the episode is quite an amazing one from all perspectives and it saddens me to think that there are just two more episodes left this series.  So far, Discovery has been bigger, better, and more entertaining than its predecessors.

Related Posts
Zoom in Coming! Flash releases new trailer!

The CW has released a new extended trailer for The Flash, offering up some new footage from several upcoming episodes and teasing the unmasking of Zoom:

Zoolander 2 trailer released

Zoolander is back but a lot has happened since 2001! Rest assured the Ben Stiller comedy features familiar faces and a few new ones with plenty to get you excited. Read more

Zone 414 trailer released

Zone 414 is an upcoming American science fiction thriller film written by Bryan Edward Hill and directed by Andrew Baird. The film stars Guy Pearce, Matilda Lutz, Jonathan Aris, Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson, Olwen Fouéré, Colin Salmon, Antonia Campbell-Hughes, Read more

Zomboat! Episode 6

It is the final episode of Season 1, and as expected following the somewhat calmness of last week's episode this week is about to go off the scale. Our crew Read more

Zomboat! Episode 5

Episode 5 of Zomboat! is the penultimate episode of Season 1 and it gave the audience a chance to catch their breath before the grand finale. Instead of the fast Read more

Zomboat! Episode 4

In Zomboat! Episode 4 we discover that even a shopping trip can be hazardous to your health in post-apocalyptic Birmingham. With the boat moored and apparently safe Amar (Ryan McKen) Read more

Zomboat! Episode 3

After our diversion last week our Zomboat crew begin travelling in the right direction and end up back where they first got on the boat. This also happens to be Read more

Zomboat! Episode 2

Zomboat! burst onto our screens last week and while we loved it we noted that it felt "a bit rushed with lots crammed in." As Episode 2 washed over us Read more

Zomboat! Episode 1

Debuting on ITV2 in the UK, Zomboat! is filmed in the 2.35:1 widescreen ratio of most zombie movies and answers the life long question of what would happen if you Read more

Zomblogalypse trailer released

Homemade horror-comedy feature Zomblogalypse received its UK premiere at Dead Northern Film Festival - in association with Fangoria and Shudder - at City Screen York on 26th September 2021. The Read more

Zombies-Outlive The Undead trailer released

Tony Todd is back in an all new zombie movie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBlWz-n-nec When the world is in shambles, plagued by a zombie outbreak, only the strong will survive, but just how Read more

Zombieland: Doubletap “Keeps Getting Better” featurette released

Columbus, Tallahasse, Wichita, and Little Rock move to the American heartland as they face off against evolved zombies, fellow survivors, and the growing pains of the snarky makeshift family... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SL6NTQhEqn4 Read more

Zombieland 2: Double Tap trailer released

In Zombieland 2: Double Tap, Columbus, Tallahasse, Wichita, and Little Rock move to the American heartland as they face off against evolved zombies, fellow survivors, and the growing pains of Read more

Zombie With A Shotgun trailer released

Zombie With A Shotgun is the feature adaptation of the popular web series of the same name. Aaron and Rachel are on the run due to the fact that Aaron is Read more

Zombie Tidal Wave (2019)

Directed by Anthony C. Ferrante, Zombie Tidal Wave aims to pick up where the Sharknado franchise left off. More serious in tone, the film plays more like the original Sharknado Read more

Zombie Tidal Wave “Zombie Tsunami” trailer released

It's a Zombie Tsunami! From the same twisted minds behind Sharknado comes an all-new disaster: Zombie Tidal Wave starring Ian Ziering. Watch the world premiere Saturday August 17th at 9/8c Read more

Zombie Fighter official trailer released

11 years ago, a zombie virus killed many people, while others had their family members turned into zombies. Society is still angry, and so outside the city, a zombie fight Read more

Zombie Army 4: Dead War post launch trailer released

The looming release of ZOMBIE ARMY 4 draws ever closer, but there’s a whole new realm of terror lurking just behind! A new three-part campaign called Hell Cult, comprising three Read more

Zombie Army 4: Dead War accolades trailer released

Zombie Army 4: Dead War is OUT NOW! Get your copy on PlayStation 4 TODAY! A reanimated despot and his ghoulish backup dancers shake a precariously attached leg in this Read more

Zombie Army 4: Dead War – Cinematic trailer revealed

IF YOU THOUGHT YOU WERE SAFE - YOU’RE DEAD WRONG! The year is 1946. Europe lies in ruins, torn apart by the nefarious “Plan Z.” A brave band of heroes Read more

%d