REVIEW: ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Season 5 Episode 10 — “Life, Itself”

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Episode 10, “Life, Itself,” opens with Captain Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) undertaking her final test to prove her worthiness of the Progenitor technology. The object that teleported her inside reveals itself to be much grander than anticipated. Inside, Burnham must contend not only with the Breen but also with Moll (Eve Harlow). The interior of the Progenitor tech, unexpectedly vast and complex, operates in a manner eerily reminiscent of the Genesis project seen in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. Perhaps another of the homages that the season has been so fond of.

Meanwhile, the crew of Discovery, who have been largely absent from Burnham’s journey this season, are busy fending off the Breen and protecting the portal that Burnham is inside. The set piece is filled with science-driven plot elements, interspersed with Dr. Culber’s (Wilson Cruz) unexplained spiritual awakening that gives the crew a miracle. The action sequences are engaging, and the visual effects are top-notch, showcasing Discovery at its technological best. However, these moments are a stark reminder of plot lines that have been left unexplored for weeks. Commander Rayner (Callum Keith Rennie) is the only character given any real development, finally mustering the courage to sit in the captain’s chair.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Episode 10 makes a last-ditch attempt to draw parallels between Moll and Burnham’s journies, but it feels too little too late. What could have been a very compelling foil to Burnham’s own determination in the face of her goals devolves into a very forgettable villain. To this point, their conversations have been repetitive, and now, suddenly, Moll is willing to listen. True to form though, Moll continues to make questionable decisions for L’ak.

Ultimately, like many other characters this season, Moll’s decisions don’t matter as the Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Finale rushes to wrap up all its storylines. This rush gives lovely character moments but also a sense of confusion about how these arcs concluded so quickly after being merely hinted at throughout the season. Most characters have their futures revealed through exposition, leaving an undeniable yearning for more from their final on-screen moments.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Episode 10 flashes moments of brilliance that would have been great to see more consistently this season. Saru (Doug Jones), acting as a Kelpien ambassador, showcases both his peacemaking skills and his predatory nature against the Breen. The chills that Saru brings in this episode more than highlight how the season has wasted Doug Jones’s talents, reflecting a broader sense of missed opportunities. None bigger than the season’s twist. When the moment finally arrives to face the Progenitor, the season delivers a canon-shattering twist after playing it safe all season long.

However, the twist falls flat, much like many other elements this season. For the first time in Star Trek, I felt like the journey was not worth the destination because we can’t even look fondly at the friends made along the way. Without any major character development, it is hard to buy into the journey that Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Episode 10 is trying to wrap up. The journey has been long and, in the end, you could have tuned in for this episode alone, watched the “previously on” segment, and been as invested as someone who watched every episode.

Rather than using it as a springboard for deeper exploration or more profound revelations, Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Finale treats it as a mere plot device. This lack of follow-through leaves the twist feeling underwhelming and, ultimately, inconsequential. It’s as if the showrunners were content to introduce intriguing concepts without fully committing to their implications or exploring their impact on the broader narrative.

This conservative approach permeates Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Episode 10, resulting in an end that often feels safe and formulaic. The series seems content with delivering a product that is “just good enough,” rather than striving for the excellence that could have set this series apart. This reluctance to push boundaries is particularly evident in how character arcs and plot lines are handled. Many threads are introduced with promise but are either left dangling or resolved in a rushed, unsatisfying manner.

When this season began, I expected to be moved to tears by the finale. Now that it’s here, all I feel is frustration. The finale’s montage is a painful reminder of the wasted potential this season, which saw the cast more separated from each other than ever before. The writing, more than anything, prevented this crew from boldly going to places unknown. Instead, there’s just more of the same. The emotional high that Discovery aims for in its conclusion feels more like disappointment than reverence as the realization hits that we may never see these characters on screen again.

Ultimately, the Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Episode 10 serves as a microcosm of the entire season. It showcases brilliant acting and stunning visuals but is hampered by underdeveloped plots, rehashed dialogue, and missed opportunities. Despite its moments of brilliance, the finale underscores the frustrations and unfulfilled potential that plagued the series’s final mission. In the end, it’s a frustrating conclusion to a once-groundbreaking series that once dared to boldly go.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 is streaming now, exclusively on Paramount+.