The Game Is Afoot  Star Trek: Discoverys Jinaal
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The Game Is Afoot Star Trek: Discoverys Jinaal

Movies &;amp; TV Star Trek: Discovery The Game Is Afoot Star Trek: Discoverys Jinaal This week‚ the Discovery crew is off on a game-style quest. By Keith R.A. DeCandido | Published on April 11‚ 2024 Credit: CBS / Paramount+ Comment 9 Share New Share Credit: CBS / Paramount+ If there was any doubt whatsoever that the fifth season of Discovery is a role-playing-game-style quest narrative‚ Jinaal beats those doubts to a pulp. Weve definitely got ourselves a goal that will be found by our heroes being clever‚ by getting through traps‚ by figuring out riddles‚ and so on.And its fun. Trek hasnt really done this sort of straight-up game-style narrative before‚ certainly not on this scale‚ and while you can practically hear the dice rolling with each scene‚ its fun‚ dangit.It helps that the episode does something that the Secret Hideout shows have been much better about than the previous wave of Trek TV shows‚ and thats embracing the history on the microcosmic level as well as the macrocosmic. I love that they do things like last weeks use of the Promellians. The first wave of Trek spinoffs would have just made up an alien species rather than re-use one‚ but theres no reason not to use one thats already established. Especially since Booby Trap made it sound like the Promellians were a well-known extinct species‚ yet were only mentioned in that one TNG episode.While this tendency can sometimes go overboard into the fan-wanky territory (cf. the third season of Picard)‚ Discovery has generally made it work. This episode in particular makes very good use of Treks history‚ particularly the Trill both as developed on DS9 and also as seen on this show‚ particularly in Forget Me Not. And we also get some background on why the Progenitors technology was classified.The clue on Trill is held by a joined Trill named Jinaal‚ whose current host is still alive on the world. Its been eight centuries‚ and both host and symbiont are near the end of their livesindeed‚ theyre clinging to life in part because nobody has approached them for their clue yet.Credit: CBS / Paramount+Discoverys arrival is met with a riddle to prove that they figured out the clue on the Promellian necropolis last timein particular that it initially appeared to lead to Betazed. Once Burnham provides that right answer‚ Jinaals current host is willing to talk to them‚ but the host who actually was there eight hundred years ago wants to talk directly to the Discovery crew. So they perform a zhiantara‚ first seen in DS9s Facets‚ where prior hosts personalities can be temporarily downloaded into another person. The Guardians (including Gray‚ still apprenticing as a Guardian) perform the ceremony on Jinaal‚ transferring the older host into Culber.As with Facetsand indeed every other science fiction story that involves characters getting a temporary new personality‚ a well Trek has dug into any number of times‚ from the original series Return to Tomorrow and Turnabout Intruder to TNGs The Schizoid Man and Masks to DS9s Dramatis Personae and Our Man Bashir to Voyagers Infinite Regress and Body and Soul to Enterprises The Crossing and Observer Effectthis is at least partly an acting exercise for Wilson Cruz. And‚ to his credit‚ Cruz nails it‚ creating a fully realized character in Jinaal‚ who is crotchety‚ enigmatic‚ and more than a little manipulative.He was a scientist who worked with the Romulan whose scout ship was found last week‚ along with a bunch of other scientists‚ after the Romulan found the Progenitors technology. This all happened at the height of the Dominion War‚ whichas we know from DS9was a time of significant paranoia in the Alpha Quadrant. Because of that‚ and because of how dangerous the technology had the potential to be‚ the scientists all agreed to hide it and only have it be findable by someone who can figure out the clues and who could be counted on to use it for good.Having this all happen during the Dominion War was very clever‚ as that was a time when worry about things like Changeling infiltration was at its height. And its remained a big secret since then simply because nobody knows where it is without the Romulan journal.Besides his initial riddle and his general questioning of Burnham and Book about the state of the galaxy in the thirty-second century‚ theres one final test. Jinaal claims to have hidden the next physical puzzle piece in a canyon occupied by a nasty predator animal that can cloak itself. Eventually‚ Burnham and Book realize that it isnt just a big nasty creature attacking them‚ its a mother protecting its eggs. Once they realize that‚ they back off‚ which is what Jinaal was waiting for.Having passed the compassion test‚ he gives them the final doodad. Culber then gets his body back and Jinaal can rest.Credit: CBS / Paramount+There are also three character-based subplots‚ two of which work nicely. Back at Federation HQ‚ Saru and TRina are about to announce their engagement‚ but Sarus new career as an ambassador complicates matters for TRinas chief aide‚ who advises Saru to convince his boss that they should postpone the engagement announcement. Saru goes along with this‚ thinking hes protecting his fiance‚ but TRina wastes no time in whupping him upside the head on that score. The NiVar President understands her staffs need to be politically acute‚ but she refuses to let political concerns interfere with her personal lifea very logical decision‚ though logic and politics so rarely mix. Its a nice little subplot‚ elevated‚ as usual‚ by brilliant performances by Doug Jones and Tara Rosling and their picture-perfect chemistry‚ as well as the script by Kyle Jarrow &;amp; Lauren Wilkinson‚ which illustrates the conflict potential when Sarus compassion clashes with TRinas logic.On Discovery‚ Burnham charges her new first officer with getting to know the crew. Rayner resists thishes read their service recordsbut Burnham thinks theres no substitute for talking to people. Rayners solution to this is to give each crewmember twenty words to tell him something about themselves that isnt in their service record. It takes Tilly whupping him upside the head to remind him that his command style on the Antares isnt going to work on Discovery. Mary Wiseman is particularly good here‚ showing us how far Tilly has come. (Shed better damn well be one of the stars of the upcoming Starfleet Academy series)The third character bit doesnt quite work‚ mostly because it feels like some scenes are missing. Adira and Gray are reunited‚ and they apparently havent hardly talked since Gray went to Trill. Given the ease of holographic communication over absurd distances in the thirty-second century‚ this is surprising‚ but there it is. Gray and Adira are still obviously in love with each other and still are thrilled to see each otherbut then they have a conversation that ends with them deciding to break up because the distance thing isnt working. Theyre both incredibly happy where they are. And yet‚ in the very last scene‚ theyre still hanging out on Trill‚ the mission itself long over. So are they broken up or not? It feels like theres a scene or two missing thereIn that last scene‚ we find out that Mol‚ contrary to Discoverys report that she and Lak are on another world‚ is on Trill‚ having infiltrated the Guardians. That doesnt bode well[end-mark]The post The Game Is Afoot &;lt;i&;gt;Star Trek: Discovery&;lt;/i&;gt;s Jinaal appeared first on Reactor.