Discovery’s second part of the pilot episode is Battle At The Binary Stars, which serves as the second in the series’ two-part premiere that act as a prologue to the rest of the series, setting up a season-long story arc for Burnham.

Episode synopisis:

T’Kuvma convinces the majority of the Klingon leaders that he can lead them to victory over the Federation, as reinforcements for the Shenzhou arrive. Georgiou offers to resolve the situation peacefully, but the Klingons immediately open fire. Starfleet Admiral Anderson arrives and again offers peace to the Klingons, but his ship is rammed by another cloaked Klingon vessel. Anderson has his ship self-destruct, destroying the Klingon ship as well. Starfleet retreats, leaving the Klingons to collect their dead. In the remains of the Shenzhou, Burnham escapes her cell after encouragement from her guardian Sarek via a telepathic connection. She convinces Georgiou to try to take T’Kuvma prisoner, and they create a distraction by sending an explosive into his ship with a Klingon corpse. Boarding the vessel, Burnham overpowers Voq. Georgiou attempts to capture T’Kuvma, but is killed. T’Kuvma is fatally shot by Burnham, who is transported to safety. Voq promises that T’Kuvma’s legacy will live on. Burnham is later sentenced to life in prison for her mutiny.

We see Burham’s warnings come true but because of her actions, Captain Georgioua is forced to put her in the brig. Our flawed heroine raised in the most logical of cultures, the Vulcans, is acting out illogically due to her feelings about losing her family to the Klingons. After the Shenzhou is attacked Burham manages to convince the computer’s security features that she needs to be freed from her cell as the shield may collapse at any minute.

She is now able to rationally convince the captain. The brig scenes are well done as is the fight scene and the transportation. However I do have an issue with the ships going into warp and they way they do a hard stop when they come to a point and come out of warp. It’s a dumb effect and makes for a rather abrupt halt. Also what is with the hologram? What the hell, it is way too advanced for this point in the Star Trek timeline. And also how the hell is it possible to logically have the admiral’s hologram walk onto the bridge and interact with the settings?

And Sarek too – his hologram sitting on a desk in Michael’s room but how in the world – aargh, this just infuriates me. There are two many flares as well but the rest of the special effects are stunning to say the least. Communicators are awesome and done well. Ofcourse my biggest reason to knock off points for the show is the Klingons! There is no reason for the show to reboot the Klingons or atleast redesign them. Leave the Klingons alone. Haven’t their look been tampered with enough?

I think the ships look awesome and the battle scene was done well. Michael and Phillipa beam over to the sarcophagus ship and try to capture T’kuvma but Phillipa ends up getting killed by the Klingon leader and Michael kills him with a phaser shot to the chest. Her fear comes true; after she is beamed back aboard the Shenzhou, a dying T’kuvma is told that his words and vision will live on making him a legend. The Klingons have a figure much like Kah’less now and the war between the Federation and the Klingons is on.

Michael accepts her fate to be sent to prison on a lifelong sentence. She makes no excuse and is devastated that she could not save her captain and mentor. This prologue of a 2 part episode sets up the remaining 13 episodes of the show in which the Discovery, not seen till now will take center stage. I give this episode an 8 outta 10; though I thought that the battle scene could have been done better.