Project Daedalus

****(4 frozen corpses out of 5)

Admiral Cornwall brings hovering, glowing orbs for a truth scan on Lieutenant Spock. Admiral Patar, the Logic Extremist who runs 31, is known to Cornwall (Did Cornwall learn all this recently? Are Logic Extremists legally allowed to serve in Starfleet at the Admiral level?) and Discovery heads for 31 HQ, because of course Cornwall knows where it is.

Airiam, it transpires, is a Robocop. Badly injured in a shuttle crash that killed her fiancé, she must weekly save the memories she likes and delete the boring hallway walks and elevator rides. She keeps games with Tilly, working out with handsome Rhys, and that one time Michael smiled. She revisits the beach vacation where marriage was proposed. Tilly’s “Half Robutt” is a less welcome term to Airiam than “Cybernetic Augment”, and one wonders how she’d feel about “Black Mirror Cookie”?

The Federation used illegal mines against cloaked ships during the war. Pike objects on moral grounds, Cornwall flatters Pike’s top-notch morality, and nobody shuts down the mines. 

Spock and Michael verbally spar over chess. It gets very heated, and Spock angrily claims Michael takes on responsibility for everything because she can’t bear the grief. “We will never relate as equals so long as you attempt to assume every burden is yours alone.” 

Airiam’s internal “Because” Dots seize her mind, and the ship is rocked by mines. The Landing Party finds the frozen bodies of the admiralty. Saru’s eyes spot the lack of heat signature changes in recordings, proving Spock’s been framed by Section 31. Using hologram puppets, Control has been running the show for two weeks since killing the Board of Shadowy Figures. 

Suspicious Tilly finds Airiam has suspiciously left her memories behind on Discovery. Airiam/Control attacks Nhan, pulling out one of her breathing implants. The robutt moves on to choking Michael and some punchy kicky.

Control wants all the knowledge from Old Sphere the Sphere, in the hopes of going full galactic Skynet- as Spock’s visions warned. Tilly reaches Airiam’s real self, who can’t control her body (except for disabling her own helmet) and Airiam begs Michael to kill her via space ejection. Her last words are “I Love Everyone” and “Find Project Daedalus”. The shock and horror seems to make everyone forget that transporters and Dr. Pollard exist. 

Best of season? Discovery’s skill at high octane tragedy’s finest flower? Yes, probably.