Discovery travels to Trill for the next piece of their galactic puzzle. Culber agrees to serve as a host in a zhian'tara ritual so that Burnham and Booker can get the information they need. On the ship, Rayner has been ordered to meet the crew, and Tilly is dismayed at the way he seems to skirt the spirit of that order. Meanwhile, Adira and Gray confront the state of their relationship, while Saru and T'Rina prepare an announcement regarding theirs... which T'Rina's aide tries to forestall.
Lots of story lines in this episode mean that it's perhaps a bit overstuffed. But it also means that no matter which elements of the show you enjoy best, there's probably something for you somewhere in this episode. For my money, the continued RPG quest, bringing a clash with CG monsters and a predictable test for the heroes, wasn't the most engaging part of the episode. Still, there was fun to be had, thanks in large part to Wilson Cruz's fun, swaggering portrayal of the Trill Jinaal.
I continue to enjoy the abrasive nature of the new Rayner character. Sure, his "hardassery" was dialed up to the max this episode, but that just serves to highlight how different he is from the more emotional crew of Discovery, to make the gap between them that much wider to bridge. (Though perhaps there's something interesting in the fact that Discovery really seems to accept all types of people, but not someone whose instinct is to be "all business." They're huggers, the Discovery characters, and you're just going to have to let them hug you.)
I was least engaged in the Adira/Gray parts of the episode, but mostly because I felt like this had largely been resolved when they separated physically last season. Them separating emotionally here didn't seem as weighty -- especially when neither Culber or Stamets, they're "parental-ish" figures, couldn't be bothered to care about it either. (Though I love that Stamets' indifference allowed Jet Reno to step up and fill the gap. Give me all the Tig Notaro that you can possibly stuff into this last season, please.)
While the Saru / T'Rina story really had nothing to do with the ongoing galactic-level concerns of the season, I enjoyed it nonetheless. Indeed, it was really my favorite part of the episode. I continue to just be entertained by them as a couple, but I especially enjoyed seeing Vulcan conflict resolution on display. I also liked the show wagging a finger at mansplaining: T'Rina understood the politics of the situation better than Saru or her aide.
Plus, as a fun garnish on the episode, there were lots of great deep cut references sprinkled throughout -- fan service done right in that none of it was required background to follow the story, just things for you to notice (or not) and smile at (or not). My personal favorites were the mentions of tongo, the order of a Slug-o-Cola, and the appearance of a Selay alien in a makeup that didn't look stupid.
For me, it all works out to giving "Jinaal" a B+. I feel like the season is slowly warming up.
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