The journey of Star Trek: Discovery has been a mixed-bag for fans of the franchise as they have contended with its struggle to juggle its reverence for the past with something fresh for the present. This was most apparent in the second season, which found the introduction of Captain Pike, Spock, and the Enterprise into the Discovery timeline. The behind-the-scenes drama of the second season was viewed by some as more entertaining than the actual show as showrunners were ousted and replaced by Alex Kurtzman and Discovery writers’ room veteran Michelle Paradise. This new season completely clears the board and boldly moves forward in the direction it probably always should have been in the first place. After saving the day in spectacular fashion at the end of the second season, Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green, The Walking Dead) has been violently hurled through a temporal wormhole that pops her out in the 32nd century. While her crew on the Discovery was supposed to be right behind her, she has temporarily left in a world wrecked by a huge anomaly that has essentially ended the peace enforced for so many centuries by the Federation.
This event is known as “The Burn” and it serves as the primary mystery of the season. Starfleet, the Federation, and the galaxy at large has been critically crippled and has to ration warp travel due to a shortage of dilithium. The idea of shortages in Star Trek lore runs counter to the utopian ideals that are a hallmark of the franchise, but it proves to be an exciting step that this particular series needs to take. The setup is not completely bleak as levity is introduced in various ways including Burnham’s introduction and friendship with a “courier” of contraband goods named Book (David Ajala). This reset does not alienate Burnham from her crew for a long time, as Saru (Doug Jones, Hellboy) and the rest of the U.S.S. Discovery crew meet up and try to merge the wisdom she has gained from her experiences with the core ideals of being a Starfleet Commander. There is also dealing with the remaining vestiges of the Federation, led by Admiral Charles Vance (Oded Fehr, The Mummy), which is in opposition to a powerful Orion-Andorian syndicate led by the merciless Osyraa (Janet Kidder).
The greatest advantage that this season has over the previous two is the care taken to explore the more tertiary figures of the Discovery. While we may have gotten a good look at the few main figures in the debut and sophomore outings, Star Trek has always been at its best when it was exploring the nuances throughout the ensemble. One of the main themes throughout the third season is the trauma that is felt by the crew members from flying 930 years into the future and crashing into a mysterious planet. The biggest example of this is Lieutenant Keyla Detmer (Emily Coutts), a member at the helm of Discovery since the first episode but left out in the cold in terms of backstory. This season there is an arc dedicated to the instability she has been feeling and the need for help regarding mental health issues. Likewise, Owo (Oyin Oladejo) gets some necessary development this season, but in this case there is a convenience factor in relation to the plot that blunts the impact somewhat.
Star Trek: Discovery feels like it is heading in the right direction as it figures out how to distinguish itself while not completely losing its roots. There are still plenty of issues this season regarding characterization and the lack of nuance that it has when tackling certain themes – gender identity, mental illness, etc. Nevertheless, the season feels more assured than the previous two and leaves you on a hopeful note for the fourth season. There are underutilized characters that are being jettisoned and other arcs are coming full circle in regards to the ascension of leader, and all of these signs are a positive change. Star Trek has evolved a lot in the past few decades with none of the output lacking a shabby-ness in the storytelling that it attempts to supplement with grander visuals. The writers are trying to harness that golden touch, and we owe it to them to let them try. The third season of Discovery is a pivotal step on a journey that will hopefully mature completely by the time the next seasons arrive.
Video Quality
Star Trek: Discovery – The Complete Third Season arrives on Blu-Ray with a mostly gorgeous AVC encoded 1080p transfer in its original aspect ratio. The impeccable cinematography imbues the show with a cinematic quality that gives this new Star Trek series a leg up in one regard. You really feel like you are watching something on par with the feature films during the course of the season. The levels of detail this presentation is able to eek out is quite striking, as all of the subtle details in the production design are easily identifiable. The color palette runs the gamut with some magical instances of beautiful colors popping off the screen including the golden hues and blue and green alien skin to various other stunning colors. Black levels are appropriately deep and give way to an excellent amount of detail in shadows. Skin tones appear very natural across the entire cast throughout the season. The special effects employed throughout are first rate and perfectly rendered here. The only glaring issue is the copious amounts of banding detectable at various points in this transfer. The Blu-Ray is quite stunning as it brings a meticulously crafted series to life in a gorgeous manner. This presentation is a visual treat.
Audio Quality
This Blu-Ray comes with an incredibly active DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that creates a truly enveloping world. Dialogue always comes through crisp and clear without being stepped on by the powerful score or any sound effects. Action sequences and more kinetic moments are given the appropriate power in the mix with a forceful showing in the low end. Ambient sounds are also precisely placed in the rear channels. The spatial awareness of the track is pretty insane at times, and the panning techniques are used to great effect. Special consideration should be paid to the soaring series music from Jeff Russo. His work perfectly sets the tone for the story, and it creates a nicely enveloping sound that draws you further into the show. The audio presentation here is fantastic on all levels.
Special Features
Disc One
- Deleted Scenes: There is unused material from People Of Earth (0:56) and Forget Me Not (0:55). Each of these scenes focus on Michael and contain some unfinished special effects.
Disc Two
- Deleted Scenes: There is unused material from Unification III (1:02). This scene is a voiceover from Michael concerning her relationship with Saru.
Disc Three
- Deleted Scenes: There is unused material from Terra Firma, Part One (1:32), Terra Firma, Part Two (7:02), Su’Kal (2:10) and There Is A Tide (0:27). The largest chunk of this material comes from “mirror” plotlines.
Disc Four
- Deleted Scenes: There is unused material from That Hope Is You, Part Two (1:01). This scene involves an antagonistic exchange with Michael, and some unfinished special effects.
- Writer’s Log – Michelle Paradise: A 14-minute featurette in which Executive Producer Michelle Paradise gives you a behind-the-scenes look at the shooting of the premiere episode in Iceland. There are many fun moments with various cast and crew members as this is a less formal affair.
- Star Trek: Discovery – The Voyage of Season 3: A nearly 29-minute piece which takes a look at the new season including the time-jump, the overall story, new and returning characters, the setting, themes, the cinematography, the structure of the season and so much more. This is a fairly involved piece with a lot of good information.
- Stunted: A nearly 15-minute piece which gives a great look at some of the stunts from this season with Stunt Coordinator Christopher McGuire and more.
- Being Michael Burnham: A 24-minute vlog from Sonequa Martin-Green with clips from the show interspersed. You gain a lot of nice insights into the process of shooting the show from the front lines.
- Kenneth Mitchell – To Boldly Go: An 18-minute featurette in which actor Kenneth Mitchell talks about the various characters he plays both under makeup and outside of it. This piece also delves into his experience with ALS along with impressions from some of the cast and crew members that have worked with him. You can tell there is a great admiration for him on set.
- Bridge Building: A 26-minute featurette which takes a lovely examination of the bridge crew and what they mean to the show.
- Gag Reel: This nearly five-minute piece showcases some of the giggle fits, malfunctioning props, forgotten lines, and otherwise ruined takes that are quite funny. My personal favorite moments involve Tig Notaro struggling to remember her lines.
Final Thoughts
Star Trek: Discovery is a show that has been fumbling its way through to find its true identity, and in the third season it makes a huge step towards realizing its potential. There are many exciting moments in this reset season, but more importantly the characters are more thoroughly explored. CBS Home Entertainment has delivered a Blu-Ray set with a pleasing A/V presentation and a plentiful assortment of special features. Fans of the franchise should stick with this one if they have the patience. Recommended
Star Trek: Discovery – The Complete Third Season is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray and DVD.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: CBS Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
