Star Trek: Discovery Season 3.13 Review: Ups And Downs From That Hope Is You - Part 2

1. Was The Emerald Chain Really That Bad?

Star Trek Discovery Trill
CBS

The death of Osyrra leads to the almost immediate downfall of the Emerald Chain, which in turn leads to the return of the Trill to the Federation. There is also the opening of talks between the Federation and Ni'var, which is wonderful and not at all anti-climactic.

What, then, was the point of the Chain? Last week, it, like Osyrra herself, was built into something more than a band of thugs. It was federation in its own right, not to the scale of the UFP, but a living, breathing network and organisation. This week, after the dictator was killed, was there really no one at all who was ready to step into the breach?

This is one of the many issues with the pacing and rushed ending to the season. Don't get me wrong, this isn't like Game of Thrones Season 8, and hopefully a lot of these things will be picked up on in season 4. But for the Chain, in one week, to go from a force to be reckoned with to a gang who flounder without their leader robs it of any real menace and retroactively makes it all the worst for it.

It is nice to see how quickly the Federation begins to come back together, but unfortunately, it rings hollow.

Advertisement
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"