The Butcher's Knife Cares Not For The Lamb's Cry

DVD, Discovery S1 (The Butcher's Knife Cares Not For The Lamb's Cry)

I don't want to sound ungrateful or spoiled, because I am glad to have new Trek episodes to watch, but so far I have to admit frankly that I remain unimpressed with this series. First seasons tend to be a bit slow going, but nowadays, especially with a halved production compared to the long seasons of old, you expect important stories, essential development much quicker. I suppose this is the price of complete serialisation, that individual episodes aren't necessarily about something and don't have much individual satisfaction. Perhaps I'm wrong to watch this series in the same way as I used to watch Trek, which is to say that rather than taking each episode one at a time to ponder and digest, I should be rushing through and taking it merely as an ongoing story in which separate instalments are unimportant, the development of the overarching narrative the only real issue of substance. But that isn't how I watch something, especially something new, and especially not something new and Trek. In consequence I've found it hard to grab onto anything as yet, and this episode continues that trend.

There are a couple of specific plots, an A-plot and a B-plot, if you like, which is a traditional form of Trek storytelling, so that's something to latch onto. It's just that when you leave aside the surface sheen and sparkle they aren't really telling compelling stories. It could easily be compared to something like a first season episode of 'DS9' or 'Voyager,' except you were going on a much longer journey, it was all a new experience for me, and they took the time to methodically explore the cast. So far we haven't done that on 'DSC,' with only Burnham being given the development. What about Tilly? Or Saru, Lorca, Landry (oh dear, whoops), Keyla or Stamets? I miss those days, which for the most part, 'Enterprise' is responsible for doing away with, although even there they did do some character episodes, but with a greater emphasis on three characters with the others supporting, while 'DSC' turns that up to thirteen, with one character worthy of exploration and all the others satellites to her experience. I can't decide if we're treading carefully in order to set up something great later in the season, and because of the reduced number of episodes in comparison to what I'm used to, there isn't time to focus on any one character except Burnham, or whether we're rushing through some expository setup and there won't be development, we won't get to know characters, especially as anyone can be expendable. I know I should accept the series for what it is, but that's just it, I don't know what it is.

While I like a few things about this episode, mainly that we see Burnham use her brain, and the person who goes in guns blazing and acts with violence and force is punished by death, it still feels insubstantial. I think it's because the story of an alien life form held captive for experiments would have been wrapped up in one episode in 'TNG' or 'Voyager' and we'd have learned something, but here it's just another stepping stone along a road where I don't know the destination. I like that its approach, led by Burnham, was science-based, as she is now a science officer, and it is a thoughtful story, plus there are slight signs of the hierarchy or sympathies between characters, such as Burnham knowing how to manipulate Saru in order to get her proof about the nonaggressive nature of 'Ripper,' this macrocosmic tardigrade creature that is mysteriously connected to the magic spores. But slight is the word, we really don't know much about anyone or anything on Discovery, and now we lose another character at the snap of a finger. Not that I liked or cared about Commander Landry, and it is effective in showing the dangers inherent in dealing with alien creatures. You could also say it's bold to cast someone 'known' only to off her so matter-of-factly, but I've never respected the killing of regular or recurring cast without good reason because it can become a stunt and I don't watch things like Trek to be on edge and wonder if this or that person is going to survive. Trek, in that way, is largely a 'safe' experience, something that rewards continual viewing, a feeling of family, of being part of a great adventure and a cool team of people.

It's early days, but I don't really like anyone yet, there is no sense of family or of cool people, just desperate ones that might turn to anything to get an edge in their beef with the Klingons. I'm sure the same could be said of those that tuned into 'DS9' for its first few episodes - many of the characters were bickering or unhappy in where they were, or just plain annoying, but I don't get the sense they're building this crew into a family, more like they're setting the seeds for mutiny against a misguided or dangerous leader: it's clear that Saru, though he takes his position as First Officer seriously, has some disdain for his Captain by the way he disparagingly says Burnham's methods will make her fit in just fine, clearly meant as an insult. I want scenes between Saru and Lorca discussing policy or whatever, seeing the running of a starship, but again, maybe there isn't time for that, and neither is that the tone the series is following - it's not exactly 'Lower Decks' (the 'TNG' episode, not the upcoming animated series I now need to qualify!), but we're with Burnham on the outside. We don't get those private conversations that her superiors are having - I don't mean we never see Lorca talking to his crew, because of course we do, as well as his superiors, but they've done a successful job of making Burnham seem like a pawn that is trying to find her own path, taking advantage of Lorca's offer of a place on his crew, while not approaching the tasks he sets her in a fawning way or to curry favour, but in a strict Starfleet and Vulcan manner of science and attention to detail, something Landry ignored to her peril.

This certainly gives the series a different feel to all other Trek, something that is necessary to differentiate it from what's come before and validate its existence, but I'm still waiting to be convinced that this direction is as good as, or better, than the standard starship exploration we've seen so often. In that case you'd run into the age-old problems of repetition, though that's not necessarily a bad thing - I've said before on many reviews that you can successfully reuse Trek stories if you base them around a different character archetype than that which had the focus before. For example, Saru is the 'unexplored alien culture' character, traditionally the one to comment on human behaviour, while Lorca is more like the authoritative Captain. I don't know enough about other characters to understand what archetype they are (the rebel; the genius, though that's probably Stamets; the failure to be redeemed, which could be Tilly, though she fits more into the 'young adult waiting to prove herself' model), and I don't see signs of the series getting into characters more than as chess pieces in a story to be moved around a board, largely dispassionately. The general reaction I have is detachment: like the rescue mission - we never see the crew interact with the survivors, the only bond a cheap emotional manipulation by piping the sound of crying children through the ship. Of all, the Vulcan-like Burnham is probably the one containing the most fire and potential within her. I like that she continues to act mainly from her Vulcan roots, rationally and thoughtfully, not an expert (as we saw when she got into a fight in the previous episode), but true to her upbringing, perhaps a parallel of the series itself, it shows signs of hewing true to Trek, it has promise, but it's vastly imperfect.

The B-story, the Klingon opera as it might be called, is so far not terribly surprising. I'm surprised only by the fact that I do have some sympathy for the outcast Voq, House of none, a much different role than I envisaged from the publicity images which were my introduction to him in the buildup to the series. I thought he was going to be a hard, cruel warrior, manipulating his fellow warriors, but in fact he seems more like a naive young adherent to a dead master, tricked by Kol into losing his family ship with its unique cloaking ability, only L'Rell (where's Hardy? Arf!), standing by him, and that in secret to save his life. Strange they should end up in the shell of their enemy's vessel, the Shenzhou. I wonder why Starfleet never retrieved the damaged ships they lost in that battle? Are they too busy to recover vital starships that may still contain useful items and sensitive information? I'm glad the spore drive has now been demonstrated because from the explanation in the previous episode I didn't quite perceive it. It does make a mockery of Trek history and technology if a ship can just zip anywhere in the blink of an eye, and so far it hasn't thrilled me with potential that could literally take it anywhere in the galaxy, maybe even beyond… But I now understand what it means, and it's still experimental, which means, as Lorca says, if they do go into battle they're on their own. You'd think Starfleet would be using Discovery in conjunction with a fleet, either to provide diversion or to panic the opposition, but they appear to allow Lorca latitude to get on with his own plans, aside from the rescue mission to Corvan II.

Ah, Corvan II… I so wanted to see a Corvan gilvos, about the only reference to that planet that I know, but it was not to be. I'm surprised Lorca didn't get one for his collection - was that a baby Horta in a glass case? I just wanted to shout 'get out the way' to him so I could see properly! And Kol is confirmed as being from House Kor, which I already knew from press releases, but it's good to see the name of a character that spanned 'TOS' and 'DS9' on screen again. It's still fun spotting the Trek references, but the series has to be more than an exercise in ticking off entries in the 'Star Trek Encyclopaedia,' it has to offer something deeper, and it's not yet doing that. I was pleased to see Michelle Yeoh's name back in the guest star credits for the last will and testament sent to Michael by Captain Georgiou, but I didn't have a strong attachment to the character so it didn't mean much to me. Nor did I see the significance of the antique telescope contained in the box which Burnham opens like Link reaching into a treasure chest in 'The Legend of Zelda'! I'd hoped we were going to see more flashbacks to Burnham's time on the Shenzhou, but again, expectations can cause disappointment. I could point out how pompous and pretentious the title of this episode was, except I always went in for long titles and 'DS9' in particular was known for some great ones. 'DSC' hasn't yet earned its right (especially with its maddening decision not to show the episode title at any point!), and the simplistic 'TNG' style would seem more appropriate to this level of story - something like 'The Monster' or 'The Tardigrade Trial' or 'The Rescue' perhaps, because the episode was about that level of basic.

I just don't like all this waiting around to a slow build because it doesn't have to be that way. 'DS9' didn't tread water when it was leading up to the Dominion War, it made sure almost every episode was compelling, and developed characters. 'Voyager' tended to focus on specific stories and did something really interesting within it. I shouldn't be comparing 'DSC' to my favourite TV series' of all time except that they're using the same universe and they've been developed standing on the shoulders of those giants, yet haven't learned much from them. Or maybe they learned the wrong lessons: maybe the time for ensemble casts is past according to the wishes of a young audience, in which case they aren't aiming this at me. Except they like to use the toys from the same toy box: the Klingons, the Klingon language, Phasers, all the technology. It's recognisable as Trek, but, and again I don't want to seem ungrateful, it's not good Trek. Yet. It needs time to find its feet, but in this modern world you don't get that time any more, you have to come out all guns blazing, and I don't mean in terms of action, but in terms of compelling characters and sci-fi stories that impress and make you think and speculate. Four episodes in and I'm still doing more squirming about this or that (the Klingons are cannibals now? They ate Georgiou's corpse!), the technology, the aesthetic, the choices, and I haven't had much to grip onto and take from it all. Except for Burnham and her place as a quintessential Trek character. The series is about her, so I hope she keeps living up to the ideals we want to see.

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