Summary
Star Trek continues to make history, and break the Internet, as new revelations, old friends, and unexpected dialogue pepper a more exposition focused episode.
[You better believe there are SPOLIERS ahead, so shields up!]
We learned so much more about the world of STAR TREK: DISCOVERY and its characters this week, even if we’d struggle to name most of the bridge crew if pressed. Apart from the return of a beloved character to the Star Trek universe, there was the multiverse shattering use of the franchise’s first F-Bomb.
Following the events of ‘The Butcher’s Knife Cares Not For The Lamb’s Cry,’ Burnham is plagued by the possibility that they are killing the creature powering their fancy new engine technology. While Saru refuses to listen Burnham’s pleas, the disgraced former officer has more luck getting Stamets, Culber, and cadet Tilly on side. Meanwhile, Lorca finds himself at the hands of the Klingons, with the unlikely cellmate of Harcourt Fenton “Harry” Mudd (Rainn Wilson).
The episode’s title ‘Choose Your Pain’ comes from the dual storylines running through Kemp Powers’ teleplay. It’s a literal reference to the torture device that the Klingon captors put Lorca and Mudd through, but it’s also the barely-under-the-subtext nod to whether it is better to continue harming the sentient ‘Ripper’ or suffer the pains of going another way. It’s classic Trek and you know they are going to make the right decision eventually, even if this crew often leaves you doubting that.
The past relationship tensions of Saru and Burnham come to the surface here, including Saru’s first acknowledgement that Burnham’s proximity to Georgiou was a point of jealousy. It will be of no surprise to anybody who picked up the well-timed Desperate Hours, a tie-in novel by David Marks. It speaks at length about that undercurrent of angst between the two, as well as expanding on the predator/prey nature of of Saru’s home world. On the flip side, this does lend itself to being overly exposition focused, an inevitability after four episodes of forward momentum.
It’s not the only reference to the past, of course, with Harry Mudd’s presence being the first major callback to The Original Series. The knowing mentions of Stella would have viewers of TOS grinning ear to ear, fully aware that there is more to come in Harry’s future, especially if this is going to eventually connect with the rest of the universe. That connection became more tangible when Saru asks the computer for a list of great captains and gets April, Archer, Decker, Georgiou, and Pike name-checked in short order. Squee!
Yet rather than just looking to history, ‘Choose Your Pain’ made some of its own. As we continue to ponder whether cadet Tilly is the next Wesley Crusher or our favourite new character, she makes a firm case for the latter when she refers to a discovery as “fucking cool.” It broke a 51 year streak, Data’s “Oh shit” not withstanding, and some of the Internet as well. We’re a long way from “a double dumbass on you,” Toto.
So it’s a testament to Star Trek fans that there is more excitement over the swearing that the casual inclusion of non-heterosexual lead character in the final moments of the show. It’s a relationship you could have spotted if you were paying attention earlier on to Stamets and Culber. Even more staggering is that this is the first openly gay couple whose names appear in the opening credits in the show’s history. To quote Tilly, “This is so fucking cool.”
