Michael Burnham looking resolute in Such Sweet Sorrow

If the last episode was largely a setup for the finale, than Such Sweet Sorrow is.. well. This is another setup for the finale. That’s not to say it doesn’t have some great moments! Burnham has a few poignant goodbyes. The Short Treks episode Runaway comes into play with the arrival of her Serene Highness Me Hani Ika Hali Ka Po. Everyone figures out that future Michael Burnham is sending the red signals, and Pike says goodbye to the crew of the Discovery.

Behind the Camera on Such Sweet Sorrow

Olatunde Osunsanmi comes back as director after rocking it earlier this season on “Point of Light.” He also is responsible for last season’s “What’s Past is Prologue, ” as well as the Short Treks episode “Calypso.” He made his Star Trek debut way back with beautifully named “The Butcher’s Knife Cares Not for the Lamb’s Cry.” In short? We love Osunsanmi.

Over in the writing department? We got showrunner Alex Kurtzman coming back for his first writing credit on the series proper. Although he DOES have a story credit for the very first episode, “The Vulcan Hello.” He’s also kind of the guy in charge of the Star Trek universe over at CBS, most notably the upcoming Picard series.

He didn’t do this alone, however. He’s teaming up once again with Jenny Lumet, who he worked with on the Short Treks episode “Runaway.” She kind of has a history with Kurtzman, as she’s credited as a writer on Tom Cruise’s “The Mummy.” The movie was poorly received, but also stars Sofia Boutella who rocked it as Layla in Star Trek Beyond. Probably not a coincidence that Layla and Queen Po share a certain irrepressible charm. Lumet also wrote the indie-darling “Rachel Getting Married” which has been on my to-watch list for coming up on a decade.

We also got a third writer working on “Such Sweet Sorrow!” They’re bringing in the big guns to round out the season. Michelle Paradise is also on board. We saw her a few episodes back with her first Star Trek writing credit “Project Daedalus.” She’s written for a number of shows I haven’t had the pleasure of watching yet, including “The Originals” and “Exes & Ohs.” But why she’s most notable as a writer on this episode? She’s going to be Star Trek Discovery’s co-showrunner for the upcoming third season.

In Front of the Camera on Such Sweet Sorrow

As one might expect for the penultimate episode, a lot of familiar faces swing by in “Such Sweet Sorrow.”

  • Anson Mount in what might be the second-to-last time we see his impossibly perfect Captain Pike
  • Rebecca Romijn comes back as his Number One, and continues to be Number One in my heart.
  • Ethan Peck continues his trek towards concluding his role as Spock, with what looks like just one more episode ahead for him.
  • Tig Notaro as Jett Reno continues to add an unexpectedly charming voice to the Discovery crew.
  • Michelle Yeoh as Philippa Georgiou
  • James Frain’s Sarek pops by for a quick and surprisingly heartfelt good-bye to his adopted daughter, Michael
  • He’s accompanied by Mia Kirshner’s Amanda Grayson. I feel like I am so close to being in love with this character, I just need the writers to give her slightly more to do.
  • Jayne Brook reprises her role as Admiral Cornwell, one of the few Star Trek admirals that aren’t here to muck up our business.
  • Yadira Guevara-Prip beams back aboard as Me Hani Ika Hali Ka Po. I desperately want her to have her own spinoff. Or series of spinoffs.
  • Sonja Sohn makes a brief appearance as Michael Burnham’s mother, Gabrielle Brunham.
  • Alan Van Sprang comes back as Leland, and he’s shaping up to be trouble.
  • Rachael Ancheril is Commander Nhan, a character I desperately want to see more of.

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