Release calendarTop 250 moviesMost popular moviesBrowse movies by genreTop box officeShowtimes & ticketsMovie newsIndia movie spotlight
    What's on TV & streamingTop 250 TV showsMost popular TV showsBrowse TV shows by genreTV news
    What to watchLatest trailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightFamily entertainment guideIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsEmmysToronto Int'l Film FestivalHispanic Heritage MonthIMDb Stars to WatchSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll events
    Born todayMost popular celebsCelebrity news
    Help centerContributor zonePolls
For industry professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign in
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
Star Trek: Discovery
S1.E12
All episodesAll
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

Vaulting Ambition

  • Episode aired Jan 21, 2018
  • TV-MA
  • 38m
IMDb RATING
8.1/10
5.1K
YOUR RATING
Jason Isaacs in Star Trek: Discovery (2017)
ActionAdventureDramaSci-Fi

Burnham heads to the ISS Charon with a special "gift" for the Emperor. With the help of an unexpected source, Stamets gains clarity while trapped inside the mycelial network. Saru asks for L... Read allBurnham heads to the ISS Charon with a special "gift" for the Emperor. With the help of an unexpected source, Stamets gains clarity while trapped inside the mycelial network. Saru asks for L'Rell's help.Burnham heads to the ISS Charon with a special "gift" for the Emperor. With the help of an unexpected source, Stamets gains clarity while trapped inside the mycelial network. Saru asks for L'Rell's help.

  • Director
    • Hanelle M. Culpepper
  • Writers
    • Gene Roddenberry
    • Bryan Fuller
    • Alex Kurtzman
  • Stars
    • Sonequa Martin-Green
    • Doug Jones
    • Shazad Latif
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    8.1/10
    5.1K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Hanelle M. Culpepper
    • Writers
      • Gene Roddenberry
      • Bryan Fuller
      • Alex Kurtzman
    • Stars
      • Sonequa Martin-Green
      • Doug Jones
      • Shazad Latif
    • 25User reviews
    • 32Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Photos9

    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    + 4
    View Poster

    Top cast18

    Edit
    Sonequa Martin-Green
    Sonequa Martin-Green
    • Michael Burnham
    Doug Jones
    Doug Jones
    • Saru
    Shazad Latif
    Shazad Latif
    • Ash Tyler…
    Anthony Rapp
    Anthony Rapp
    • Paul Stamets
    Mary Wiseman
    Mary Wiseman
    • Sylvia Tilly
    Jason Isaacs
    Jason Isaacs
    • Captain Gabriel Lorca
    Michelle Yeoh
    Michelle Yeoh
    • Georgiou
    Mary Chieffo
    Mary Chieffo
    • L'Rell
    Wilson Cruz
    Wilson Cruz
    • Dr. Hugh Culber
    Sam Asante
    Sam Asante
    • Senior Guard
    Jeremy Crittenden
    • Lord Eling
    Raven Dauda
    Raven Dauda
    • Dr. Pollard
    Billy MacLellan
    Billy MacLellan
    • Barlow
    Dwain Murphy
    Dwain Murphy
    • Captain Maddox
    Tasia Valenza
    Tasia Valenza
    • Shenzhou Computer
    • (voice)
    Marie Ward
    Marie Ward
    • Junior Guard
    Marco Perretta
    Marco Perretta
    • Star Fleet Medical Doctor
    • (uncredited)
    Clayton Scott
    Clayton Scott
    • Kelpien
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Hanelle M. Culpepper
    • Writers
      • Gene Roddenberry
      • Bryan Fuller
      • Alex Kurtzman
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews25

    8.15.1K
    1
    2
    3
    4
    5
    6
    7
    8
    9
    10

    Featured reviews

    9LorenBieg

    Whaaaaatttttt???? Blew Me Away!!

    Don't wanna spoil but holy fricking wow!!

    This is one more super solid, sci fi adventure, a la everything that makes Star Trek great. Michael Burnham continues to dazzle. Doug Jones's Saru has amazing humanity, despite makeup that is inches thick. I don't know how he does it. Effects, sets, costumes, and some creative direction from Trek newcomer Hanelle M. Culpepper make this another standout episode of Discovery. Tilly and Samets also have strong showings in this episode, as does guest Michelle Yeoh.

    I can't wait to find out what happens next!
    10sa-02896

    After this, we're finally talking about sci-fi...

    I've been spending fake time waiting for a real next atempt on creating science fiction content for today's time. The time has come...
    10paul-1362

    Mind blowing

    Even though the signs were obvious in hindsight in regards to this weeks twist, I did no pick where this was going. Absolutely remarkable and enjoyable. I was scrolling through some of the early reviews ripping into this show and they're looking pretty silly now, there was a review titled "boldly going nowhere" - this show is anything but.
    10Manwhofell

    Wow!

    Wow! Thats it, just wow! This hit me from left field.
    8snoozejonc

    Strong episode with a fun character twist

    Burnham takes Lorca to the Emperor.

    This is a strong episode with great plot reveal.

    The story weaves three plots together and culminates in what is the biggest twist of the show so far. This helps make sense out of some character development seen in previous episodes. A lot of fan criticism aimed at a certain character behaving outside the established Star Trek vision of the future has been made to look a bit silly by this episode. Of course the rewriting of established Trek history continues to feel lazy, but as I don't take a fictitious sci-fi universe that seriously I can't say it troubles me as much as it might others.

    Similar to the last few episodes the visuals are excellent and made me feel like we are in a different universe with atmospheric cinematography, colours and lighting.

    All performances are solid, particularly Sonequa Martin-Green, Jason Issacs, Michelle Yeoh and Anthony Rapp.

    Related interests

    Bruce Willis in Die Hard (1988)
    Action
    Still frame
    Adventure
    Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)
    Drama
    James Earl Jones and David Prowse in Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
    Sci-Fi

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The title is a reference to the line "I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent but only vaulting ambition, which o'erleaps itself and falls on the other" from Act I, Scene VII of William Shakespeare's play "Macbeth".
    • Goofs
      When Lt. Stamets is in the mycelial network with mirror Stamets and they arrive at Engineering the name plate on the wall behind the mirror Stamets says "USS Stamets". Lt. Stamets said when he was looking around the corridors before reaching Engineering that he recognized it as Discovery. Therefore, the name plate should read "USS Discovery".
    • Quotes

      Saru: Lieutenant Tyler is in distress. He... thinks he is a Klingon.

      L'Rell: [growls] Then he has awoken.

      Saru: I do not know what your people had planned for him, but this cannot have been it. You must be able to help him.

      L'Rell: There is nothing to help. Beneath that man's inferior carriage is a devoted warrior, who has sacrificed everything, and T'Kuvma's chosen successor. He will light the way for his race. He will win this war.

      Saru: I guess you didn't hear the news. The Discovery was thrown into a parallel universe. Here, the war is over. And you lost.

      L'Rell: Lies.

      Saru: I wish they were. But the war, and all your devious designs, mean nothing now. All that remains is the suffering of an individual I suspect you care for. Now, I do not know where your Voq ends and our Tyler begins, but they're both in jeopardy. The question is, will you ease their pain?

      L'Rell: The one you call Tyler was captured in battle at the Binary Stars. We harvested his DNA, reconstructed his consciousness, and rebuilt his memory. We modified Voq into a shell that appears human. We grafted his psyche into Tyler's, and in so doing, Voq has given his body and soul for our ideology. If he suffers for that choice, so be it. He accepted that suffering in order to best the enemy. That is what it means to be a soldier. That - is - war.

    • Connections
      Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Best TV Plot Twists You Didn't See Coming (2018)

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • January 21, 2018 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Official Site
    • Languages
      • Klingon
      • English
    • Filming locations
      • Pinewood Toronto Studios, Port Lands, Toronto, Ontario, Canada(Studio)
    • Production companies
      • Secret Hideout
      • Roddenberry Entertainment
      • Living Dead Guy Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 38m
    • Color
      • Color

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    Follow IMDb on social
    Get the IMDb App
    For Android and iOS
    Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • License IMDb Data
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2025 by IMDb.com, Inc.