Discovery 2x10: The Red Angel

[rivendellrose]

Here's your episode post for Discovery 2x10: "The Red Angel."

Please be aware that there will be spoilers in the comments, and enjoy!

Comments

[ironed_orchid]

Okay. Episode highlights:

I didn't expect them to identify Michael as the Red Angel quite so soon.

Spock being a snarky sibling about it fits their relationship.

Georgiou: In my universe he was pansexual. SLAY.

Also telling Tilly to learn to enjoy discomfort.

Leland confessing to Michael and getting punched.

Culbert seeking Admiral Kat for counselling and her being the best at it.

Me: Ew, why are you kissing Ash when you could be getting comfort from Georgiou?
Michael: Gets comfort from Georgiou.
Me: That's better.

Blah blah blah planning a trap but adding in last minute variables.

Did the AI just kill Leland?

Michael: Mom?
Me: Fuck yeah Sonja Sohn!!!

All in all, a good episode. I am excited to see Michael and her two moms next week.

[lynnenne]

Spock being a snarky sibling about it fits their relationship.

I am LOVING the snark between those two. GIMME GIMME.

Leland confessing to Michael and getting punched.

Yeah, that was pretty damned satisfying, as Spock said.

Did the AI just kill Leland?

That was my interpretation, yeah.

Michael: Mom?
Me: Fuck yeah Sonja Sohn!!!

I flat out squealed. YAY!!

[dcm]

Oh, I didn't think Leland was dead, just unconscious. Hopefully he's not.

I wonder what would happen if they got all Michael's moms waiting in a room together. And Sarek.

[ironed_orchid]

Oh damn! We really need Amanda to show up again.

[sysann]

Okay, I loved most of this episode. But what's Spock's logic on letting Michael die if the assumption is that the Red Angel is Michael? Wouldn't a future Michael die alongside her past self and thereby become incapable of saving herself?

ENT tells me that Vulcans and timetravel have their problems. But still.

[jadelennox]

Because Disco's plan was fatally flawed. Since they had a fallback mechanism to save Michael, and Michael knew about it, there was no reason for the Red Angel to appear to save Michael. The only reason for a time traveller to intervene is if she really would have died (at least as far as Michael knew) without further intervention.

[sysann]

Yes it feels like either RA!Michael would know it's a trap or she'd have to die for real and then be unable to save herself. So the moment she knew there was a plan to save her... *shakes head*
At least the rest of the episode was good?

[dcm]

The point that Spock made is that Michael saving herself on multiple occasions already caused time paradoxes, so one more time her doing that wouldn't be so different by those other time paradoxes. He also quote the grandfather paradox to explain his hypothesis.

Basically, it should make no sense, but they are called paradoxes for that reason, what comes after causes what comes first to happen. In this circumstance, Michael should've died long ago, but she prevented her own death from the future so she can't be dead. I hope that this is helpful instead of more confusing, it's the nature of this kind of paradoxes, you can only embrace the weird logic of them, lol.

Of course the Red Angel reveal that she's her mom changes everything. :)

[sysann]

Thanks for trying, but I think I'll need to curl back into good old suspension of disbelief for the time travel parts of the show. Everything else just puts knots into my brain. :D

I did love the reveal. I'm a bit worried how Michael will take it. But I do love that her mom's alive.

[sabotabby]

WHAT ARE YOU WEARING GEORGIOU

THAT IS NOT A REGULATION STUDDED CATSUIT

[ironed_orchid]

SHE IS A GODDESS EMPRESS AND CAN WEAR WHATEVER SHE WANTS!

[alethia]

Yeah...I thought this episode was utterly, fatally flawed on the most basic plot level, which kicked me out of the episode from the jump.

If Michael's the red angel, literally no one says, 'hey, maybe we let her save everyone?' There is zero time pressure to do this plot now; there's no imminent threat that justifies potentially killing Michael. Even if there were, future!Michael would KNOW this was a trap, so she'd literally know everything. Stupidest plan ever.

The red angel suit being Section 31 tech feels like a total retcon that stems from the showrunner change midseason.

There were some nice scenework. Michael and Spock's dynamic was lovely. Culber getting much-needed therapy from Cornwell was nice. Georgiou hitting on Stamets and Culber was hilarious (if a little cringey vis a vis the evil bisexual trope).

Lots of great acting saved what came across as a nonsensical episode if one considers it for more than half a second. But there was so much that it seemed like the intent was to overwhelm audiences into just going with it.

One of the weakest eps of the season, imo, and I'm bummed to say that.