DSC · SEASON 11×04

The Butcher's Knife Cares Not for the Lamb's Cry

NOMADIC PICK · GREAT DISCUSSION EPISODEBurnham and the 'monster'.

FIRST SHOWN (US): 8 October 2017
ON: CBS All Access
STARDATE: None given
DIRECTED BY: Olatunde Osunsanmi

WRITTEN BYWritten by Jesse Alexander & Aron Eli Coleite

IN BRIEF

SPOILER-FREE

Lorca orders Burnham to turn the creature from the Glenn into a weapon, while a vital mining colony comes under Klingon attack and the experimental spore drive is not ready.

SYNOPSIS

SPOILERS

Red alert: the full plot, ending included. Haven't watched yet?REVEAL SYNOPSIS

Burnham settles uneasily into life on Discovery, where Saru resents her and the ship keeps losing simulated battles. Lorca asks her to study the creature taken from the Glenn and find out how it can be used as a weapon. Meanwhile the dilithium mining colony on Corvan II, a key supplier to the Federation, is under Klingon attack, but the spore drive cannot yet make long jumps safely. Security chief Landry tries to sedate the creature to take a claw and is killed. Burnham realises the animal attacks only in self-defence and that it has a natural link to the spore network. Wired into the drive, it guides Discovery to Corvan II, where the ship destroys the attackers. On the Klingon side, Kol wins over T'Kuvma's followers while Voq is left behind, and L'Rell offers him another path. The creature is left weakened, and Burnham finally opens Georgiou's bequest: a telescope.

DID YOU KNOW?

01The writers saw the creature as a metaphor for Burnham, a being who believes itself to be a monster.
02The creature was originally conceived as a full member of Discovery's crew, named Ephraim.
03Kenneth Mitchell was cast as Kol in April 2017. Shazad Latif had originally been cast in the role before being recast.

SOURCES WE CHECKED