Star Trek: Discovery Review: Terra Firma, Part 2 (Season 3 Episode 10)

Fans left wondering how, and if, Georgiou would leave the Mirror Universe get a surprising answer on Star Trek: Discovery Season 3 Episode 10, “Terra Firma, Part 2.”

The episode picks up where the show left off on Star Trek: Discovery Season 3 Episode 9, “Terra Firma, Part I.” Georgiou lives through the fallout of sparing Mirror Burnham’s life, thinking she can change her adopted daughter. 

The first half of the episode effectively builds some tension as the Terrans torture Mirror Burnham into submission. At times it feels like you’re watching a completely different show, proving how effectively the writers crafted this alternate reality. 

But as the plot drags on, you’re left waiting for the other shoe to drop. Characters continue to give hints about how Georgiou remains weak and vulnerable, even though she is convinced she’s changing the future. 

It’s hard to ever buy that Mirror Burnham changed her loyalty back to Georgiou, which seems to be an intentional choice by the writers to keep you on edge. Although necessary, Mirror Burnham’s willingness to execute all of her co-conspirators effectively proves she can’t be the person Georgiou wants her to be. 

There’s an underlying melancholy running through the episode as we get a better look at just how deep Georgiou’s feelings are for her adopted daughter. When Mirror Burnham double-crosses her she isn’t even surprised, just disappointed.

Georgiou: I wish there were another language you could understand. But here, where strength is power and terror is love, there is no other way to reach you.

Michelle Yeoh is known for her big presence on the show, but to pull off those types of loud performances without being clownish requires a lot of subtly and nuance. Here, she gets to channel that skill into a quiet and piercing sadness. 

Georgiou’s commitment to her Burnham, and her own growth, could have been communicated with a few less dramatic monologues. But the emotional conclusion, where they both “die” in this scenario despite her efforts, carries a lot of weight. Some endings, as she later realizes, are inevitable. 

Fortunately, Georgiou doesn’t actually die. She’s brought back to the Prime universe, confused by the months she lived through. 

Carl, from the last episode, turns out to be a time portal guardian who needed to judge Georgiou before helping her. Savvy viewers probably guessed this “secret test” trope back on Part 1, so it doesn’t exactly come as a surprise.

Still, the well-worn plot device works perfectly for Georgiou’s story since the season built up to it by referencing her moral development throughout. Her willingness to live differently, although she doesn’t get the ending she wants, proves she’s changed for the better. 

Since she’s no longer a threat, it’s safe for Carl to send her to a different time where her molecules won’t explode. 

This plotline does more than provide a satisfying resolution and departure. It also sets up the previously announced Star Trek: Section 31 spin-off set to feature Georgiou.

Georgiou isn’t the first crew member to leave this season, yet her goodbye is the hardest to watch. Deep down Georgiou already knows she lost Mirror Burnham for good, but her emotional farewell to this Burnham comes from a fresher place of loss. 

They tell each other they love each other in the indirect ways that they know how to. It’s a beautifully written scene that honors the complexity of their relationship. The closure the two characters get feels earned after all they’ve been through.  

The celebration of her life back on the ship when Burnham returns provides just as many tears and a few laughs. Saru says it best.

Saru: Her barbs, however piercing, were utterly glorious.

The episode closes out the two-part story with a fitting farewell to a beloved character. It’s a credit to both Yeoh and the writers that someone who started out as a villain will be so dearly missed. 

Georgiou’s time on Star Trek: Discovery may be over, but it looks like her adventures in the broader Star Trek universe are just beginning.  

Additional Thoughts:

• Detmer pointing out that Georgiou has a killer strut and fashion sense made my day. I think the writers’ room has seen some of the fan tweets, and I’m not even mad about it. 
• Where is Grudge? I know cat actors probably aren’t the easiest to work with, but I need her back. Please.
• Carl is a reference from the original Star Trek series. However, in the context of the episode, the explanation about his nature just ends up being very confusing.
• What is going on with Saru? He denies Vance’s accusations of being distracted by the opportunity to find Kelpiens, but the show leaves it too vague about what does drive him. 

 

What did you think of this episode of Star Trek: Discovery? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Critic Rating:

User Rating:

 

Star Trek: Discovery airs Thursdays on CBS All Access.

 Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram!

Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!

Breeze’s Top 10 Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Horror TV Series of 2020