TLDR
I have to take my hat off to the team over at Star Trek Discovery, tonight had a reveal that spent episodes building up, the reveal felt completely justified and not contrived, and I did not see it coming at all. That is such a difficult task to pull off and make it feel natural, it was magnificent to watch… wow, this is one of the best episodes of Star Trek I have seen in a very long time…
…[Yeoh’s] outfit/costume/imperial robes were intricately detailed and used visual language to tell a story about who this character was even before she started her speech… Her weapons the agony booth, her sword, and flying fidget spinner of death, are both wonderful and also help tell the story. It is visual storytelling to the max, and I love the details that went into this…
…I think the last time a show did a reveal as well as this [Lorca’s], was The Red Wedding in Game of Thrones, or maybe the end of Season One of The Good Place…
…Both Doug Jones and Mary Chieffo should be applauded for how much emotion they can convey under all those prosthetics…
…The best episode of Star Trek Discovery so far, and one of the best episodes of Star Trek I have seen in a very long time. This was a wonderfully written, directed, acted, filmed, and designed episode, and it was amazing to watch.
Read the full review here.
BOLDLY GO
Vaulting Ambition is a wonderful (not-quite) hour of television, and sets up the season for an explosive final three episodes…
…This episode is just spectacularly produced. The amount of set work being done on this show simply blows me away… and it’s obvious the massive budget of the show is being put to good use…
…Similarly, the acting on display is absolutely top notch… The ways Emperor Georgiou is so fundamentally different from Captain Georgiou are captured beautifully without needing some forced line of dialogue pointing them out. Conversely, we see that in many ways she is a lot like her Prime Universe counterpart. This is a perfect fusion of delicate writing on Nardino’s part, skillful direction from Culpepper, and incredible talent from Yeoh. Every scene with the Emperor is a delight…
Read the full review here.
INDIEWIRE
Grade: A-
Overshadowing everything else that happened in “Vaulting Ambition” is the big twist regarding Lorca… Damn was that a good twist, and well-executed.
Read the full review here.
A/V CLUB
The scenes between the Emperor and Burnham are some of the most effective the show has done so far, managing a suspenseful mix of subtext, uncertain motives, and shocking twists…
…Judged on its own merits, “Vaulting Ambition” is strong. In sticking to the show’s strengths—rapid story development, a willingness to make big choices—it manages to downplay the weaknesses, and the result is a suspenseful, occasionally moving entry.
Read the full review here.
DEN OF GEEK TV
“Vaulting Ambition” is so good…
…It is only Hugh, who is somehow between planes of existence following his death, who is able to warn his partner. It’s a gutting interaction for two men who have become the heart of this show.
Read the full review here.
BIRTH DEATH MOVIES
It also gives its core characters some interesting developments, and supplies possibly the goriest character death in Star Trek since The Next Generation’s notorious “Conspiracy” episode. Woof…
…The final minutes of “Vaulting Ambition” are incendiary and shocking in ways new to Star Trek.
Read the full review here.
TV FANATIC
Editor’s Rating: 4.9 out of 5
User Rating: 4.9 out of 5
There was a lot to OOOH and AAAH over here, in terms of set design visuals. The mycelial world is bright and moody and beautiful and sinister all at once…
…The I.S.S. Charon, which serves as the Imperial Palace, is appropriately impressive and the throne room similarly intimidating…
…And the return of Michelle Yeoh, now as Emperor (Mirror-)Georgiou is breathtaking in her bad-assery…
…The scenes between Culber and Stamets were incredibly heart-wrenching and yet so very thoughtful. Understated and tender, it was the kindest closure they could’ve achieved.
Read the full review here.
THE NEW YORK TIMES
Revealing Lorca to be the Mirror Universe version of himself was the season’s most jaw-dropping moment — and I was into it…
…Anthony Rapp and Wilson Cruz have excellent chemistry… It was very sweet to see brief glimpses of Stamets and Culber as they shared happy recollections about their relationship, especially on a show so filled with anger and bitterness…
…Sonequa Martin-Green is brilliant as Burnham in the scene when Mirror Georgiou tells Burnham, “Everything will be the way it was.” It’s clear that Burnham actually wishes this were the case… her face paints a vivid picture of her internal monologue.
Read the full review here.
IGN
Michelle Yeoh’s return as this world’s ruler also brings a much improved performance from the actress… Yeoh’s scenes with Sonequa Martin-Green are pretty effective, particularly as we know Burnham is suffering doubly so because she’s also dealing with the “ghost” of her Georgiou…
…The interplay between the two Stamets (yes, Mirror Stamets seems cranky too) is a lot of fun, but it unfortunately doesn’t last too long before they’re both sent back to reality — the wrong realities. And Wilson Cruz persists despite Dr. Culber’s death two episodes back, with him and Rapp sharing a really nice scene together where Stamets just can’t let the past go.
Read the full review here.
