Mudd’s revenge.
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The party never ends on the USS Discovery… thanks to the return of Rainn Wilson’s Harry Mudd, who in his quest for revenge against Captain Lorca traps the crew in a time loop pulled straight from the shooting script of Groundhog Day, not to mention the TNG episode “Cause and Effect.”
It’s always a risk for any sci-fi show, let alone Star Trek, that high concept ideas like this will have been done elsewhere, and possibly better. And “Cause and Effect” is one of the classics of the Next Generation, so it’s kind of surprising that Discovery would go to that well so soon in its run. At the same time, the show really hasn’t relied much on more gimmicky (to use the term in the best possible way) plots like this yet, so it’s interesting to see them give it a try while also working in the ongoing character- and plot-beats of the series.
It’s the latter aspect of "Magic to Make the Sanest Man Go Mad" that works best, with the episode focusing heavily on Burnham as she struggles with perhaps the most universal of human problems -- love! Or the lack thereof, one supposes, as she admits to Tyler that she’s never been in it. But Tyler, that smooth war hero, is aiming to change that. Big time!
Burnham’s discomfort at the pretty-fun-looking Discovery crew party is great, and certainly a feeling that surely more than a few viewers can appreciate. If a Tilly wasn’t there, in fact, Burnham might wind up engaged in a conversation with a potted plant. (Been there!) And by the way, Tilly seems much more socially engaged than the version of her that we first met back in “Context Is for Kings,” doesn’t she? Also, much more drunk. Have the writers softened her quirkiness already, or is it just the booze effect?
Michael doesn’t have to contend with potted plants or small talk with Tyler for very long, however, as Mudd’s time loop kicks into gear. It’s a clever and cool intro that Mudd gets here, riding in on that space whale, and it all fits into the lighter tone of this episode. Even though Mudd is trying to kill everyone, he’s doing so in that flippant Mudd sort of way. Example: The guy actually kills Lorca several times in a series of smash cuts, and it’s kind of funny! (Beaming him into space is probably my favorite one.)
Actually, after the setup of Mudd’s quest for revenge when Lorca left him in prison, it’s a bit surprising that this episode doesn’t spend more time on that dynamic beyond the mere suffering of Lorca at Mudd’s hands. But then again, taking this approach means we get to see Wilson interact with some of the other castmembers, which is fun, though the resolution of his story is lacking. He kills everyone multiple times and surely is breaking some kind of Federation laws with that time looping tech, and all Lorca and crew do is send him back home to live with his wife? Come on now.
I’m also not exactly clear on how that time loop technology works (why is he destroying the ship over and over again if he wants to sell it?), but it doesn’t really matter, one supposes. It’s Burnham’s continued embrace of her human side that is the most interesting aspect of "Magic to Make the Sanest Man Go Mad," and it’s also terrific seeing her play off of the groovy Stamets and the cool Tyler. As Stamets says, what’s the deal with those two anyway?
I do have a big fear for the overall Tyler arc, and that of course is that the fan theory about him that’s been floating around will turn out to be correct. If it is, it seems problematic not only for plot logic reasons, but also because I really like the character and don’t want to lose him. We’ll see.
Questions and Notes from the Q Continuum:
- No cold open this week?
- Burnham’s log tells us that the tide has turned and that the Federation is now winning the war against the Klingons. That can’t last for long though, can it?
- Speaking of which, we haven’t seen L’Rell or, ahem, Voq for a few weeks now…
- Tyler gives quite the speech, calling out to the disabled serviceman and the “10,000” who have been lost.
- But it’s also a reminder that there are a lot of people on the ship who have suffered because of -- as far as most of them are concerned -- Burnham’s actions. And yet, the show has not really made Burnham interact with any of those characters, not even the helmsman who was obviously badly injured back on the Shenzhou and now has the facial implants to prove it.
- Judging by this episode and “I, Mudd” from The Original Series, Mudd’s wife Stella will age very, very quickly over the next 10 years.
- Swallowing one of Mudd’s whatchamacallit death lozenges? What a way to go…
The Verdict
With "Magic to Make the Sanest Man Go Mad," Star Trek: Discovery proves that it can do lighter stories. The return of Rainn Wilson’s Harry Mudd is pretty fun and clever, even if it suffers somewhat from having the familiar sci-fi plot device of a time loop hanging over its head. Ultimately, however, it’s the continued development of Sonequa Martin-Green’s Michael Burnham that proves to be the episode’s strongest aspect.
For more on Rainn Wilson’s Harry Mudd, listen to Scott Collura's Transporter Room 3 podcast interview with the actor here.
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