Star Trek: Discovery Episode 3.9 Review: Ups And Downs From Terra Firma Part 1

5. Stamets And Adira (UP)

Star Trek Discovery Stamets
CBS

In what is becoming one of my favourite family units in Star Trek, we get another scene of Stamets and Adira this week. While last week I was quite frustrated by the dragging out of revealing the source of the transmission, there is almost an apology for that in this episode. It turns out that in their hurry to check that everything was working perfectly, Adira paused the algorhim and forgot to check that it was working again.

It's not often in Star Trek that we see the characters making simple mistakes like this. This is something that goes all the way back to Gene Roddenberry. There were things that he simply would not allow in the future. Humanity was supposed to be evolved and perfect (something that gave the writers of The Next Generation some serious headaches along the way). Therefore, forgetting to turn the scan back on simply would not have happened in the past.

So, Stamets would have been within his Roddenberry-given right to be extremely shocked and annoyed by this. Instead, he shows kindness to Adira, reminding them that they are exhausted and they need to rest. There is the fact that Gray has remained silent for several weeks as well, which is massively playing on their mind.

Stamets, for the first season and a good chunk of the second, was not the most likable character. Season 3 has completely flipped that around. And Adira is fast becoming one of the most relatable and enjoyable new characters this season.

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"