Well, at least the science part of the fiction is finally starting to take shape. Although the story of timeline-twisting spiders is pretty far-fetched and Stamet's exposition orgies still have nothing to do with the technobabble of the other Star Trek series. With Stamets, every scientific and technological problem somehow always sounds like magic (probably because he was exposed to the magic mushrooms in engineering for too long). Can't they just synchronize the transporter's annular confinement beam to the warp core frequency in order to polarize the chroniton particles in the ship's hull into a higher state of temporal flux? That would do the trick just as well. And it would sound more like Star Trek.
The episode reminds me of the VOY episode "Shattered". Here, too, various events take place on board the ship, each in a different timeline. Chakotay, like Burnham in this episode, tries to unravel the timelines with the help of his comrades in order to get back to his own time. However, I gave this VOY episode a rating of eight stars. In my opinion, "Face the Strange" doesn't deserve more than five stars, even with a lot of goodwill.
Unfortunately, this episode is also dragged down into the typical DIS sentimentality by the omnipresent "We are family" mood. In the end, our three Starfleet officers do not free themselves from this unfortunate time loop through technology, logic, professionalism, prudence and their training and experience. No, the solution to the riddle is once again the crew's unshakable friendship, the connection to each other, the long and never-ending speeches with tears in their eyes in front of the entire crew and the mutual pats on the back. However, all this talk about friendship and connection doesn't convince me. In Star Trek "The Michael Burnham Show" (aka "Discovery") everything begins and ends with Michael Burnham. While in the other series all senior officers were their own stars in individual episodes - from B'Elanna Torres to Beverly Crusher, Julian Bashir, Malcolm Reed or La'An Noonien-Singh - the Michael Burnham Show is all about Michael Burnham. Characters like Keyla Detmer, Gen Rhys or Linus (I even had to google their names) are nothing more than garnish. Where is this much-vaunted friendship when there is virtually no interaction between these extras and the main characters? They didn't even make it onto the cover shot.
And of course Rayner learns his lesson again and from now on will organize game nights in order to finally get to know the crew better. After all, his "Don't shoot, we're the good guys" persuasive speech almost fell flat due to all too superficial facts about his comrades and far too few tears in his eyes. He was barely able to stop short-haired Burnham from shooting him point blank with her phaser. After a few rounds of Truth or Dare, I'm sure he'll know Burnham a lot better. Poor Rayner. The only reason he's included in season five is to constantly show him off as a dull, emotionless loner who is then taught a lesson in friendship, companionship and feelings by Burnham, Tilly, or one of the other preachers aboard Discovery. Why Burnham made him her new Number One remains a mystery. She makes it abundantly clear that everyone has to play by the crew's rules and Rayner's way of doing things won't be accepted. He is nothing more than a useful idiot who is always reprimanded at the end with "I told you so" phrases.
