Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Episode 6 Review: Whistlespeak

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Episode 6, “Whistlespeak,” whisks Burnham and Tilly away on a mission to Halem’no while Culber reckons with his new normal. Fortunately, it’s an improvement from last week, although certain narrative elements are pretty repetitive and, let’s face it, tired. 

Whistlespeak 

“Whistlespeak” continues Season 5’s new norm of keeping as many established characters (Saru, Detmer, Owosekun, etc.) off-screen as possible. Of course, we could chalk this up to shooting difficulties or scheduling conflicts for certain actors. However, it makes this final leg of the series’ journey feel odd—almost like it’s not the same show.

Besides “Face the Strange,” almost every episode this season has relied on the same formula: Burnham decides to go on an away mission, there’s a life-threatening crisis, Discovery can’t beam her up because of interference, etc. 

This reviewer isn’t addressing this as a Burnham hater. Burnham gets too much vitriol leveled at her online week after week. She’s an inspirational character, and Sonequa Martin-Green delivers compelling work. She infuses our dear captain with so much vim and vigor and empathy. 

That said, it would be nice to occasionally turn that formula on its head. The repetition is grating, especially with only four episodes left in the show. 

The Good

Wilson Cruz getting screen time is always a plus for Star Trek: Discovery. He brings such a calming, grounded energy, even when working through a spiritual crisis. Sure, spirituality versus science isn’t new territory for this franchise, but it’s an evergreen topic in real life. Plus, “Whistlespeak” at least teases a potentially narrative-shifting arc for Dr. Culber regarding this spiritual transformation. 

June Laporte, who guest stars this week as Ravah, churns out a memorable performance. Laporte digs deep into Ravah, and even though our time with them is brief, we feel like we’ve known them forever. It’s beautifully vulnerable work. 

Additionally, Mary Wiseman steps up to the plate as “Whistlespeak” puts Tilly through the wringer. Wiseman is often utilized on Star Trek: Discovery for comedic relief, but she always delivers the goods when she gets episodes like this to stretch her dramatic wings. 

The Moral Responsibility of Technology 

“Whistlespeak” tackles the prevailing theme of this season: being responsible with technology. The Progenitor tech and the questions it answers have the potential to change everything. 

Unfortunately, the stakes don’t feel heightened enough to match the narrative weight this tech holds. In fact, this season feels lacking in energy overall. 

That’s not to say there’s nothing to love about “Whistlespeak” or any other episode in Season 5. We still have solid performances from this cast, characters we love, gorgeous visuals, strange new worlds to explore, and fun Star Trek Easter eggs to discover. 

Here’s hoping the remaining four episodes give us Season 1 and 2 vibes. May they keep that ball in the air. 

Stray Observations: 

• I love Burnham and Rayner’s exchange of looks while Adira explains their findings at the beginning of the episode. Even better is the expression Rayner gives Adira in the seconds after that. His smile reassures them to keep going. That’s such a fun bit of character development for Rayner that one could easily miss. 
• Tilly’s endurance far surpasses mine. I would’ve caved and drank that water instantly. 
• Still no Saru. This will not stand. We only have four episodes left! He better be in all of them. 
• Take a shot every time someone breaks the Prime Directive in this franchise. 
• I miss the original bridge crew so much—Bryce, Detmer, and Owosekun. I’d include Rhys, but he’s been in most of the season so far. 

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

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Star Trek: Discovery drops new episodes every Thursday on Paramount+. 

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