117: 'Project Daedalus' - Star Trek Discovery Season 2, episode 9

Matt and Sean talk about earning your audience’s emotions, and what to do when your AI goes haywire. Star Trek Discovery took some shortcut storytelling that both worked and didn’t at the same time.

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00:00 - Intro
01:18 - Viewer Feedback
08:35 - Today's Episode
11:31 - This Time in History
20:28 - Episode Discussion

[kcollett]

41:49 WRT "on the nose" AI names, the champ has to be Tyrannikillicus from Lower Decks.

[scooteroo]

I enjoyed this episode and Hope that this Frakes guy can get some more work in the future.

I wish we knew more about Airiam before this as the emotional impact of her death didn't really hit home for me since we knew so little about the character. I do however love how much representation Trek is giving to those with disabilities. From Cybernetics like Detmer's implant to Airiams near borg-like amount to the smaller things like Nhan's breather it makes a fellow cyborg such as myself (glasses :P) happy that its showing more of it in trek.

As always keep up the good work and thanks for keeping me occupied during long stretches of boring work!

[Wayouts]

Airiam is one of the many things that make me think Discovery was originally going to be after TNG but the studio either got cold feet or knew about ‘Picard’. Airiam and the Spore dice make sense if after TNG. Spore drive is instant (to better fight the Borg and deal with Warp Drive issue of ‘Force of Nature (TNG 7x09). I wish they had discussed her character but they did not

[richardgould-blueraven]

I must admit to being hesitant to partake in new trek. I only started watching in order to follow the podcast, but I am actually enjoying Discovery. After the Abram’s movies I’m shocked

[jasondumb]

On a recent rewatch of voyager I realized any crew member who gets any extra screen time is doomed, a little more character development than the parade of forgettable red shirts that gave their lives on the original series. Std can't even introduce the bridge crew unless they want to kill them for emotional and tacky sacrifice plot twist. How std could spend so much on production, cast, and promotion and still produce a show with such mediocre writing still amazes me. Frakes does a great job directing this episode.

[PaleGhost]

This episode kept making me wonder how the show would've been without the first season. Airiam dying should've been more impactful but she's still/was a background character even with her 20 minutes of development. Maybe if we saw more of her relationships that were supposedly were happening the whole time, not that we ever saw any hit of a friendship between those three, but yeah...

Also called it on the future ai being a section 31 screw up. I guess that means Burnham is the red angel, too, because she's the chosen one, right?

Was enjoying this episode until they turned it into a marvel movie on the s31 prison ship.

[ΘάνατοςΧορτοφάγος]

I really liked Discovery, but it also feels rushed and shalliw at times, Airiams death, well said, exactly that

[valueofnothing]

Now that I think about it, is this really an episode "about" AI? The AI just seems to be used as McGuffin to put our protagonists in danger.

In the Ultimate Computer, The AI Is used as character development that shows arrogance and a reliance on computers. This leads to Daystream's tragic downfall. It also shows us that Kirk may have become obsolete (In What Are Little Girls Made Of, Kirby uses an AI to try to achieve immortality and love).

By comparison, this episode doesn't really touch on any of this. Even if the character of Ariel had been developed all season long, what would be the point to have an evil intelligence take her over so you have to kill her? It seems just morbid and pointless.