Star Trek: Discovery 3.5 Review: Ups And Downs From Die Trying

3. Nhan Staying Behind (DOWN)

Star Trek Discovery Commander Nhan
CBS

Rachael Ancherril has been upped to starring status in season three yet, after her first episode with her having anything to do (five episodes into the season) she elects to remain behind on the Tekov, pledging to aid Dr. Attis in the research to save his family and safeguard Starfleet seed supply as well.

While the idea of the Tekov is a great addition to the lore, and the age of the ship can easily be explained away by refits through the years, the idea of Nhan remaining behind rings a bit hollow.

She elected to join Discovery to honour Ariam's sacrifice. While this sacrifice is unfortunately starting to wear a bit thin, let us accept that for the moment. So, at the very first opportunity to leave Discovery, Nhan remains behind on the ship - in the hopes that she will see home again.

On the positive side of this decision, it is clear that Nhan didn't think through her trip to the future. That aside, having her stay behind like this (if indeed this is the last we see of her) just feels like her journey was pointless?

Now, this is a down we can happily rescind if this leads to a greater story for Nhan going forward, but in this episode alone, it comes out of nowhere and feels more like abandoning her ship that doing something positive.

Contributor
Contributor

Seán is the host and head writer/presenter for TrekCulture, as well as a writer/presenter on WhoCulture and WhatCulture Horror. He has authored two novels, dozens of short stories, and hundreds of articles for WhatCulture. He holds a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from University College Dublin. As part of his work with TrekCulture, Seán has been invited to participate in collaborations with Roddenberry Entertainment, as well as contributing to several Star Trek community projects. An avid fan of Star Trek, Doctor Who, and the horror genre at large, Seán's expertise has helped develop these channels to the successes they are today. As host of the Ups & Downs series on TrekCulture, Seán has become internationally recognised for his positive yet critically informed approach to reviewing every episode of modern Star Trek, ensuring he is one of the go-to voices in the Trek community. Favourite Quote to describe himself: "I'm serious about what I do, just not always about the way that I do it"