Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum

Well, that felt a little original series-ish with a mystery on an alien world that looked a little like Earth with just enough set dressing to suspend the disbelief. I’m still not comfortable with Saru, I want to know what his deal is – and why we never see his kind again in Starfleet.

Elsewhere, in the opening act, we got our first taste of starship combat in this new era and boy it was nice even without phasers, photon torpedos and ships that look like the Connie. There was the right balance between a crew that aren’t pure warriors and action out in the void of space and for the first time in a long time the toll of the losses on our characters faces are there for us to see. They want to mourn the dead at the right time.

The episode has me counting down to the mid-season finale with Staments delirious from all the spore jumps, Saru lamenting his actions on the planet and Lorca, Burnham and Tyler on the bridge preparing to fight the sarcophagus ship.