‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Recap – ‘There Is a Tide…’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 312 of ‘Star Trek: Discovery’.
​
There are a great many reasons to love the Star Trek Universe and all of the characters and stories that it has to offer. But out of all of them, one that truly stands out above the rest, is the sheer fact that this franchise can provide its fanbase with some supremely diverse storytelling. For it feels the need to comment upon our world and our society, it can do so no problem, and if it wants to offer up a drama, the kind that leaves us in tears… well it can do that too. And to top it all off, if a story in the STU wants to entertain the fans with an action-packed adventure that leaves us on the edge of our seats from beginning to end, well it knows how to make that happen as well, and it just so happens that this final possibility is one that is supremely relevant to our discussion today.

For the next episode of Star Trek: Discovery,  ‘There is a Tide…’, offered up a full hour of big-time action and awesome moments, many of which showed off Michael Burnham’s skill as a warrior and a tactician, once she and Booker were ‘safely’ aboard the U.S.S. Discovery once again. Because the instant she was loose on the ship, she was quick to beat the crap out of Osyraa’s lackeys and take some brutal punishment in the process by way of a knife to the leg. But bleeding and pain wouldn’t stop Michael from getting to her ultimate goal, which was Lieutenant Stamets. For she knew that if he was safe and away from the ship, Osyraa’s plans to use the spore drive would be crippled and she was in fact able to rescue him, but at quite the cost.

Because Paul was adamant about not leaving the Discovery in the slightest. Mainly because he knew that Adira and Hugh and Saru were still on that dilthium rock and running out of time and he could easily jump the ship back to save them. But the greater good was Michael’s only concern here and judging from her and Paul’s conversation at the end of this tale, the cost in question might involve Paul’s trust and friendship, since he made it clear he may never forgive her for jettisoning him into space, in the name of protecting the galaxy. But while that definitely made for some juicy drama… Michael’s journey in this tale really did offer up some epic moments.Since she went all John McClane aboard the ship and took out quite a few of Osyraa’s various lieutenants and what’s truly amazing about this particular tale, is that it had more heroic moments waiting in the wings for us.

---

For while Michael was working to save Stamets, Ensign Tilly and the bridge crew were working on a loose plan to re-take the ship and that was no easy task. Largely because they were trapped in the Ready Room with no clear way out, and also because, Tilly was still trying to sort out how to lead this revolt in a confident manner, after failing to keep the ship safe. But thankfully, the arrival of Book and the realization that she could do nothing about the past, motivated Tilly to step up and fulfill her role as first officer and inspire the crew to fight back in an epic manner. Because Book and Ryn did a wonderful job of buying the bridge crew the time they needed to get into the belly of the Discovery, and the bridge crew were quick to get their hands on a bevy of weapons before uniting with an unexpected ally, and while that team up is what brought an end to this action-packed tale, we would be remiss to not discuss the other fascinating storyline present in this tale. One involving Osyraa.
​
Because this particular story took the time to reveal her true intentions when it comes to her plans for the galaxy and the Federation and believe it or not… part of them actually involved peace. For she was quick to negotiate with Admiral Vance in this story and offer up a cease fire agreement and a plan for unification between the Emerald Chain and the United Federation of Planets and this was stunning to say the least. Because the prevailing belief was that Osyraa was about as evil as they come and only wanted to rule the galaxy with an iron fist. But this did indeed show a softer side to her, and a selfish one to boot. Because she knew that an appealing plan for peace would not only help her get into a better position of power, but also keep her out of jail, since she would be seen as a hero for forging peace between two warring factions. But thankfully, the admiral saw through the pomp and circumstance and called her to the carpet on her plans to evade responsibility for her actions… leaving her on frosty terms with the Federation and without much hope for a future since the Chain is so close to depleting its dilithium reserves.

In the end however, this really was quite the entertaining tale for certain. Because the action was simply top notch, as was the tension present in this tale. Because for a good while there, we really didn’t know if Osyraa was going to try and blow Federation Headquarters to pieces and if she was going to harm the crew in the slightest and well, thankfully she didn’t. But what matters most is that this episode did a phenomenal job of setting the stage for an epic season three finale. One that should see all of the plot lines introduced in season three, converge in the Verubin Nebula and truly this wonderful tale and everything that’s been building up this point, is going to make the wait for next week’s finale a difficult one for certain. Since we are all dying to know how Michael is going to save her friends and the Federation. Until next time.

---