REVIEW: ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ season three on Blu-ray and DVD
Photo: Wilson Cruz stars as Dr. Hugh Culber, Ian Alexander as Gray and Blu del Barrio as Adira on the Paramount+ series Star Trek: Discovery. Photo courtesy of Michael Gibson / CBS ©2020 CBS Interactive, Inc. All Rights Reserved. / Provided by press site with permission.
There’s a lot of Star Trek out there to consume, and for Trekkies and Trekkers (this reporter is a proud member of these communities), that’s good news. One can enjoy the flagship series of Star Trek: Discovery, starring Sonequa Martin-Green and Doug Jones, or perhaps take a nostalgic journey with Star Trek: Picard, starring Patrick Stewart. The Rick-and-Morty crowd can enjoy Star Trek: Lower Decks, and on the horizon are Star Trek: Prodigy, an animated family show, and Star Trek: Brave New Worlds, which will follow Anson Mount’s Captain Pike.
The Paramount+ streaming service is the home of all things Trek.
Recently, Star Trek: Discovery’s season three was released on Blu-ray, DVD and in a limited edition steelbook. The sets come with more than two hours of special features, including deleted scenes, a writer’s session with Michelle Paradise and a documentary on the “Voyage of Season 3.” There are also added features on actor Kenneth Mitchell and the character of Michael Burnham (Martin-Green).
Season three of the show is a wonderful entry in the canon of Star Trek. Fans have had to say goodbye to some of their beloved characters — alas, no Shazad Latif’s Ash or Mary Chieffo’s L’Rell this time around — but new characters are welcomed into the fold. One of the most prominent and coolest is David Ajala’s Book, a love interest for Burnham and a character who has an interesting backstory. Even David Cronenberg — yes, that David Cronenberg — joins the ensemble for a few choice scenes.
This time around, the crew of the Discovery, under the leadership of Captain Saru (Jones), must find answers about what happened to the universe and Starfleet, and at what exact time they find themselves in. That’s what wormholes will do; they’re very disorienting. There’s also a time when Burnham is separated from Discovery, so the commander and her ship need to reconnect as well. Hovering over the storyline is an unexplained event called The Burn, which sounds like a really cool rock band from the 1970s, but in fact was a destructive event that threw everyone and everything into disarray.
On this season of Discovery, there is great growth for many of the main cast members. Mary Wiseman’s Tilly, an audience favorite, goes through a transformation that is fascinating to watch. Saru also learns a lot about himself and his leadership abilities. Michelle Yeoh’s Philippa Georgiou (there’s a backstory here that is too complicated to explain) is always teetering on that line between hero and villain. Paul Stamets (Anthony Rapp) continues to play a pivotal role, as does his partner Hugh Culber (Wilson Cruz). It’s nice to see both the mycologist (Stamets) and doctor (Culber) expanding their roles and finding new ways to help the Discovery.
Two new roles are most welcome: Blu del Barrio as Adira Tal and Ian Alexander as Gray Tal. Their relationship is intricately woven throughout the season, and their contributions to the overall mission help the crew and captain get the job done. The characters also represent Star Trek’s mission to promote diversity and offer authentic representation to everyone. Adira Tal is a non-binary human who uses the pronouns “they” and “them,” while Gray Tal is a Trill who can only be seen by Adira. Both the casting and characters are inspired and wonderful additions.
Star Trek: Discovery usually instigates debates amongst Trekkers and Trekkies. That’s a good thing. More than anything else, the series feels like the product of careful and engaging storytelling for a 21st-century fanbase. The central tenets of Star Trek are present and accounted for, but there is also an emphasis on many of the issues that impact the world today. One can expect with a global pandemic still raging around the world that the headlines of 2021 will continue to influence the show, which will premiere its fourth season in November.
Go and discover what Star Trek: Discovery has to offer.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Star Trek: Discovery Season Three is now available on Blu-ray and DVD, including a limited edition steelbook edition. Click here for more information.
