Despite Yourself

Discovery finds itself stuck in the mirror universe.

I enjoyed this one for having some of the strongest continuity with Trek franchise so far and setting up a pretty intriguing premise.

The plot is the first one to properly hook me in the Discovery series, and of all the mirror universe episodes, it feels like this one involves the characters being properly stranded there for what might be a significant amount of time. Hopefully this will mean more opportunity for the show to explore it. Everything in this episode unfolds in a compelling way.

I like how one character in particular has to play against type and will likely continue to do so in the upcoming episodes. Ironically, time in this environment might help her character develop to be stronger and more assertive. Also the new dynamic between other characters to fit into the mirror universe will hopefully make things more interesting.

Visuals, effects and editing are as strong as ever, but some of the dialogue is a bit too exposition heavy for my liking. I think the show could do with a different writer to try and find more cinematic ways of communicating certain information to the audience.

All performances are strong, particularly Mary Wiseman, Jason Issacs and Soneqa Martin-Green.

The Mirror Universe! That is what we explore in "Despite Yourself." This is a great episode that has some shocking jaw-dropping moments and some well-earned comedy. This rendition of the Mirror Universe changes things up for the Discovery crew. Burnham is presumed dead, Lorca a fugitive, and Tilly is an evil queen. Yes, you read that correctly. Tilly as an evil queen earns some laughs considering how Tilly is in the normal world. There are some sad moments that happen. I did not expect Culber to die considering how progressive the show was trying to be. Considering that Culber is an openly gay character on the show, it is slightly disappointing he met his demise so early even if it fit the narrative. That said, I have a feeling that we will not be gone for long. In addition, there are some fine fight scenes and some great character moments. This episode was directed by Jonathan Frakes, who of course has a huge part in Star Trek lore. There is plenty to digest, but in the end, this is a good old-fashioned mirror universe story.

Taking off directly where the last episode ended, the crew find themselves stranded in a Klingon ship wreckage. After some simple maneuvering, they discover that they are in a mirror universe, or an alternate universe. Stamets was supposed to deliver them to the nearest star base, but he did one jump too many. Stamets now lay in a catatonic state. Ash and Burnham grow closer to one another, but Ash has some major mental problems of his own. L'Rell is held prisoner in the brig and her interactions with Ash make it seem like he may be a Klingon trapped in a human body...like Voq as some people are suggesting? Ash goes to Culber to get a good look, and this is where we run into some problems. Meanwhile, Burnham and Lorca go on a mission to mirror universe U. S. S Shenzhou.

Jonathan Frakes directed a wonderful episode with many fun callbacks to the older series. Jason Isaacs continues to shine as Lorca, especially when he has to take a backseat to...ahem...Captain Killy. There are fun humorous moments but also moments that drive up the stakes. One of the better episodes of this season!

My Grade: A.

This is actually a good episode but the character of Tilly is so annoying, played badly by an actor who is not capable of the role she has been given. I suspect nepotism of some sort. I worry about the rest of the series if she has a prominent role. She's horrible, both as an actor and as a character, and detracts from the overall quality of the show.

When this series is on, it's really, really on. "Despite Yourself" offers the best of Trek in all it's techie, backstory-rich, high-concept, high-adventure, character-driven greatness. And as always, this show looks amazing. The revisit of a story line that ties this series to a thread started with Classic Trek work effortlessly. Nothing feels forced here. Tilly is used to excellent comedic effect when she has to take on a role she is uncomfortable with. And, everyone shines, really. One of the things I appreciate about this series is that the plot is always moving forward. The writers don't set up a mystery and drag on the reveal for months of twists and turns. This episode is replete with plot movement, making it very satisfying after the cliffhanger before the holiday break.

My only gripe was that the tech and Trek history references were so thick that I had to hit "pause" a few times to explain things to my +1 who is not a Trek fan, but has been watching with me since "Magic to Make the Sanest Man Go Mad" (the one with Dwight from The Office in it haha). A couple times she was like, "Whaaaaattt in the h*** are they talking about?" Yay for smart sci fi. But, man. All the science.

For me, "Despite Yourself" worked on every level. Star Trek: Discovery is earning it's place as one of the strongest Trek outings yet!

After a rather abysmal first round of episodes this is the first one i actually liked.

It's grittier than ever, but the story holds up and is engaging. Interesting take on another universe - this is just as much a possibility as the utopian original Star Trek universe.

Keep it up!!