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Wow! What a finale, and what a great turn-around Star Trek: Discovery made from the beginning of the season. Of course, many will say they should have gotten to the Ten-C long before the penultimate episode, and perhaps things followed that ‘let’s wrap this entire season up in one hour’ template, but I still thought the finale was an edge-of-your-seat thrill ride, with life and death stakes that really felt like there would be some grim consequences.
The episode had a lot to wrap up in this episode and while it does run one hour, everything is pretty much tidied up by the end credits. But with just four hours before Earth, Ni’Var and Titan are destroyed by the DMA, Burnham has to think fast on just how to reach Book’s ship before Tarka destroys the DMA’s controller … and pretty much half of the Milky Way in the process. Her biggest problem is getting out of the Ten-C’s orb, and asking to be released only gets a reply that they are already free. No one is really sure how to convey that the Ten-C are wrong, and with no other communication forthcoming — because the trust that was forming had been broken thanks to Tarka — President T’Rina volunteers to attempt a mind meld with the species. Saru warns her that attempting a meld with an unknown species could be deadly, but she knows at this point it is the only way. The mind meld works but it nearly fries T’Rina’s brain. She able to reveal that the Ten-C are all connected, but not like the Borg. Rather they are one big happy family. And that means they think that since Book’s ship already exited the hyperfield that they all have exited. It is imperative that they re-establish communication with the Ten-C so they can stop the destruction to come but Discovery will have to break out of the orb on its own.
Stamets has a plan that involves the spore drive, which can create the energy they need to break free without actually jumping since they have no idea how the mycellial network in this part of the universe works. If it works. If it even exists. The only problem is once they do that, the spore drive will be dead with no way to fix it outside of a space dock. It will take them decades to warp back to Starfleet HQ … if it’s even still there. But there is no other option and Burnham gives the order to do it. And it works, so at least they can now focus on stopping Tarka first, then reconnecting with the Ten-C second. Burnham also has to worry about who vented the plasma from the nacelle, and will order all of the delegates confined to their quarters. Before she can do that, Admiral Ndoye comes forward and admits she was the culprit, and she did it simply out of concern for the planets about to be destroyed. President Rillak is very pointed about Tarka’s motives and lies, that what he is about to do will cause even more damage than the DMA. And on top of that, they were actually making progress with the Ten-C … but Ndoye had no way to know that since the first contact party had basically disappeared. But she humbly accepts her punishment and goes to her quarters (without anyone else knowing), but affirming that she is ready and able to serve when needed.
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Unfortunately, the debris from the DMA has already begun to wreak havoc in the Alpha Quadrant. Admiral Vance is working hard to coordinate evacuation efforts from Ni-Var and Earth, and he gets a little surprise help from the Starfleet cadets and their instructor, Tilly. Yes, Tilly is back, and now a much more self-assured and confident individual. Tilly has really found where she belongs now and her efforts go a long way in helping try to get people off the plant. But even with their best efforts, Vance fears they may only be able to get about 450,000 off of Earth and Ni’Var, and far less from Titan. But everyone springs into action to save as many lives as possible while debris begins to rain down, crashing through some of Earth’s defense shields.
Burnham at this point really has no choice but to destroy Book’s ship. She can’t beam anyone to Discovery because of the security Tarka put into place. Book and Reno are still captive, but Burnham knows what’s going on thanks to a jerry-rigged communication device Reno was able to create. But Book has a trick up his sleeve as well, a device that he made for Grudge who has a disdain for holograms. Book is able to create a virtual cat door in the force field containing them so they can overpower Tarka and take back the ship. But Tarka has seized the controls with a program key and he can’t undo it in time to stop them from destroying the controller. Besides, if Book just allows him to complete their mission, he’ll be able to be reunited with his family because they’ll all be where Tarka is trying to go. Reno tells Book that’s not true. They won’t be there, her dead wife won’t be there, Tarka’s friend Oros won’t be there … they’re all gone. And they need to stop what’s about to happen before Tarka kills them all, including everyone on Discovery, the Ten-C and billions more on Earth, Ni’Var and Titan.
Book is able to get enough power diverted to beam Reno back to Discovery. She tells Michael that Book loves her and to do whatever it takes to stop Tarka. Michael knows that they need a super pilot to get over to Book’s ship and stop it from reaching its destination. Detmer steps up, knowing this is a one-way mission. But Rillak had already suggested Michael release Admiral Ndoye for her military skill in finding a solution to the problem. Ndoye steps forward and says it should be her who flies the shuttle to stop Tarka. It’s the least she can do after her little bit of treason, after all. Plus she’s a skilled pilot so they allow her to go, and go she does, flying right into the side of Book’s ship, causing some massive damage. But Discovery had a transporter lock on her the whole time and was able to beam her out just before impact.
This gives Book the opportunity he needs to subvert Tarka’s control of his ship. He shuts down his ship’s life support so he has enough power to beam out, leaving Tarka on his own. Tarka prepares his device in the hopes he can generate the power needed, and Book beams out. Discovery catches his transporter pattern and is diverted to the bridge. But before he can fully transport, his ship explodes and the pattern is lost, leaving everyone on the bridge stunned and Michael fighting back a complete emotional breakdown. She regains her composure, and now with Book’s ship destroyed they must re-engage with the Ten-C. And apparently the destruction of Book’s ship is enough for them to want to communicate with the delegates.
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The first contact team is brought to the Ten-C’s planet and we get our first full glimpse of them, truly unlike anything we’ve seen before (and thankfully they aren’t just more bipedal, humanoid creatures). With the help of their mathematical translator, Michael is able to carry out a conversation with them. The Ten-C don’t understand the concept of individuals, so Michael has to explain that to them, and she also has to explain why two of their own broke away from them. She explained that one was trying to get back to something he lost, and that the other was someone very dear to her, saying he was her ‘one’. President Rillak joined in and explained how their device was going to do so much harm to so many more of them, and the Ten-C actually felt shame and empathy. When Michael explained her sadness over the one that she lost, the Ten-C suddenly produced Book, explaining that they didn’t understand what the signal was at the time but they felt that the timing of the signal at the same time as the ship’s explosion was important so they intercepted it and held on to it. Book makes an impassioned plea to the Ten-C, telling them about the family, the world he lost, and how even on his planet his people were all connected just as the Ten-C are. The Ten-C, now understanding that what they thought were insignificant creatures are actually quite advanced, immediately shut down the DMA. Above Earth, with just Vance and Tilly left at Starfleet HQ, toasting their efforts with some whisky, they see the debris from the DMA is reversing. They know that Discovery has completed first contact successfully. The Ten-C agree to only mine in systems with uninhabited planets so as not to cause more death and destruction. And then they create a wormhole so Discovery can get home.
And they do, with everyone celebrating their success, reuniting with Tilly, Saru and T’Rina finally admitting they both have feelings for each other (and the President insisting Saru address her as T’Rina), Stamets and Culber packing for shore leave, the rest of the crew taking some time off, Burnham politely turning down President Rillak’s offer again (even though Rillak now sees that Michael is completely ready for a commanding role), and Michael and Book saying their goodbyes. Book (and Grudge) have been sentenced to what amounts to community service, traveling with Starfleet to worlds affected by the DMA, helping the refugees and those in need. When or if their paths will cross again is unknown, but Book leaves his jacket with her before he is beamed away. And the Ten-C have held up their end of the bargain, ending all mining operations where other species will be harmed. And for their efforts, the first contact team gets an audience with the President of United Earth … played by Stacey Abrams! She announces that United Earth is now ready to rejoin the Federation, as have many other former members (and they’ve now picked up some new members thanks to Burnham and company). She pulls Michael aside and tells her she can’t imagine how Michael feels, coming from a time before Earth left the Federation, but Michael is now happy to welcome them home. Michael says there are still a lot of worlds out there to explore, civilations look for understanding and connection, a better tomorrow. The president says there is a lot of work to be done, and is Michael up to it? She says she is and let’s get to it. We get one final shot as the camera pulls back through the window, drawing away from the Federation station, pulling out to reveal the full Earth below them, which also spotlights just how tiny everything is in comparison.
Where Burnham and the crew of Discovery go from here is unknown, but at least they ended this season on a very high note, leaving us once again eager for more.
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