Star Trek Discovery 1.09 Into the Forest I Go review

Into the Forest I Go review

The ninth episode of the series, picking up where the previous one left off. It has a good start, with Lorca wanting to do something about the Klingons responding to the Pahvan signal, but Starfleet recalling Discovery to Starbase 46. Thus Lorca orders them to warp to the starbase instead of spore-jumping there. This is presented very well, it follows on from what has been revealed about his character so far. He persists when Stamets wonders why he wants a check up on the effect that the Spore drive may be having on him.

Turns out, there is something wrong with Stamets. His brain has been undergoing changes due to the effects of being the navigator. Then there is the slip up by Tilly, who had assumed that Stamets had told Culbur about the side effects that he has been experiencing. (It appears that Culbur wasn't surprised.) However, the plan to defeat the cloaking device by sneaking aboard the Klingon ship and installing sensors was a good plan. That there would be a large risk for the officers involved seems to be the reason why Lorca wouldn't let Burnham go in the first instance.

Is there something more there. More to the reason why Lorca wanted Burnham on Discovery than has been revealed so far. Most likely. However 133 spore-jumps in quick succession seems a little excessive (and Stamets is wondering whether he could stand the strain), but it works. Aboard the Ship of the Dead, Burnham and Tyler find Cornwell (just as well given what's next). Are the sensors too conspicuous, yes. The depiction of Tyler's PTSD, when he sees L'Rell on the other side of the room is rather well done.

Burnham then has to complete the mission, as Tyler is then in no shape to continue the mission (as Cornwell tells her). She then goes to the bridge to place the second sensor. The scene when she talks to Kol via the universal translator is interesting. (If the Klingons had been isolationist for nearly a century, there would be next to no chance for using a universal translator. Hence the specifications for the software may be somewhere on Qo'noS, but Kol and his supporters would have little use for it, even if they knew that it was there).

Still, Burnham delaying Kol while the Discovery continued the 133 jumps was a good scene. The conclusion to this episode was done well too. Discovery is recalled again. Lorca talks Stamets into doing one more jump. Tyler goes to the brig and asks L'Rell what was done to him. Her response is... cryptic (I'm still sure that he's not Voq!) The ending where the last jump goes awry is a very effective cliffhanger. 8/10.