TV Show Review

TV Review: STAR TREK: DISCOVERY: Season 1, Episode 12: Vaulting Ambition [CBS]

Michelle Yeoh Sonequa Martin Green Star Trek Discovery

Star Trek: Discovery Vaulting Ambition Review

Star Trek: Discovery: Season 1, Episode 12: Vaulting Ambition. This Star Trek: Discovery Vaulting Ambition review holds that the episode is a gripping addition to the series and boasts the biggest twist it’s thrown at us so far.

After a slew of episodes featuring fairly standard special effects, the graphics for this one are quite the sight to behold. More specifically, they are particularly impressive in rendering Empress Georgiou’s (Michelle Yeoh) flagship, which appears to be a converted Klingon cruiser if the schematics for the ship seen in the program are anything to go by. But its when we first catch a glimpse of the massive vessel, adorned with colorful lights and menacing angles, that it makes the most impact.

Advertisement
 

The impact is compounded, of course, by the proceedings taking place on the ship. One of my earliest complaints (or reservations, to put it more accurately) about the show was how it killed Georgiou off so early. It’s true that she has had a tremendous influence on the events that followed, but that’s not the same thing as her actually playing a role in them. It may not be the same thing as having the original Georgiou back, but Yeoh is just as arresting as her mirror counterpart.

It is also with Georgiou that, regrettably, the episode makes its biggest misstep. At one point during her interrogation of Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green), her captive asks her what assurance she has that Georgiou won’t betray her. Citing the moral fiber of her prime timeline counterpart, the empress insists that this is enough for Burnham to trust her. This seems to fly totally in the face of everything we know about the mirror universe – good characters become bad, bad characters become good – so it’s shocking that someone as sensitive to risk as Burnham would accept such an answer from her captor.

But the real shock is when we learn that Lorca (Jason Isaacs) isn’t what he appears to be: that is, not the Lorca from the original timeline but the one from the Mirrorverse. I can’t speak for anyone else, but I honestly hadn’t the slightest idea that this would prove to be the case. It’s the first time I’ve been shocked by a TV show in a long while, and speaks to the ability of the show’s writers to keep it fresh and interesting. With any luck, they’ll build further on this tremendous feat in future episodes of Star Trek: Discovery.

Leave your thoughts on this Star Trek: Discovery Vaulting Ambition review and this episode of Star Trek: Discovery in the comments section. Readers seeking more Star Trek: Discovery can visit our Star Trek: Discovery Page and our Star Trek: Discovery Facebook Page. Readers seeking more TV show reviews can visit our TV Show Review Page, our TV Show Review Twitter Page, our TV Show Review Facebook Page, and our TV Show Review Google+ Page. Want up-to-the-minute notification? FilmBook staff members publish articles by Email, Twitter, Tumblr, Google+, and Facebook.

FilmBook's Newsletter

Subscribe to FilmBook’s Daily Newsletter for the latest news!

Thank you for subscribing.

Something went wrong.

Reggie Peralta

**** We hired Reggie, fulfilled our obligations to him, and he quit in the middle of covering two TV series w/ no notice and no explanation. He then ignored our emails asking him to complete his coverage (we had no one else to cover those TV shows). He didn't care. We regret hiring him and we regret putting our trust in him. **** An aspiring writer, longtime film junkie, and former UCLARadio.com disc jockey (where I graduated with a BA in Political Science), I've made the jump from penning book reviews and current events editorials for HonorSociety.org to writing movie and TV news and reviews. When I'm not working towards my certificate in Radio and Television/Video Production at Fullerton College, I enjoy reading (horror, science fiction, and historical/political nonfiction are particular favorites), participating in my school's TV and theatre clubs, attending movie screenings, plays, concerts, and other events, and trying to come up with pithy things to say on social media. Believe it or not, there are occasions where I find time to write for my own leisure.
Back to top button
Share via
Send this to a friend