6 Ups & 3 Downs From Star Trek: Discovery 5.10 — Life, Itself

10. UP — Shape Of The Many

Burnham's beginning to Life, Itself, as the virtual camera descends down into the Progenitors' portal through a tesseract/hypercube-esque structure, might not have been entirely novel, but it was just as stellar. Arguably, it might have better served as a cliff-hanger for last week than an opener for this, and debates were had at TrekCulture over the look of the 'lobby' that came next.

A 'health and safety nightmare,' the Progenitors might have thought to put up a couple of railings, at least! ("Fence for a reason, Alice.") More generally, the CGI visuals are also likely to divide fans down the middle, some liking the use of the AR wall, others thinking it's the worst thing since sliced Breen. For those of you who play Cyberpunk — Konpeki Plaza vibes?

On the whole, this is an UP from me for the idea, the concept of it. It's not easy to encapsulate the sheer magnitude of the endeavour that is seeding life across the galaxy. To manage to inspire such awe, as they did, in the physics and the physical of the place is another great achievement entirely. It could only ever have been grandiose!

Then, there were the planets below, up, and to the sides. We reckon Sha Ka Ree (in purple) for sure, and Galorndon Core (rocks and wind speeds), then Rura Penthe/Andoria for the ice, Veridian III or (appropriately) Vilmor II for the rocky, cloudy world beneath the walkway, and perhaps even Risa just before the credits!