star trek scotty right hand

The Real Reason Scotty From Star Trek Is Missing A Finger

"Star Trek" was one of the most revolutionary shows of its time. Its plot helped to not only inspire future fiction writers, but influence real-world scientists, engineers, and astronomers as well (via NASA ). The show also has a connection to the civil rights movement, having earned Martin Luther King Jr. as a fan. Cast member Nichelle Nichols was even  convinced by King to remain on the show , as she was one of the few African American women on television at the time. While the original series only lasted three seasons, it inspired a massive franchise of other Star Trek TV series and films. 

One quality of the original series that seldom gets appropriate attention, however, relates to the character of Montgomery Scott — "Scotty,” the chief engineer, played by James Doohan. While the character canonically always had his digits, Doohan himself had by then lived for years without his right middle finger. During production he even utilized body doubles and camerawork to conceal his missing appendage (for the sake of continuity; per StarTrek.com he never hid it in real life). Its absence was in fact the most visible of several injuries he received during his World War II military service on D-day (via All That's Interesting ). 

James Doohan lost his finger while invading Normandy

Despite the characteristic Scottish accent he used in the show, James Doohan was in fact born in Vancouver , Canada (via Today I found Out ). In the buildup to the European Theater of World War II Doohan became an artilleryman in the Canadian army, earning the rank of Lieutenant. In 1944, he was one of the soldiers set to land at Juno Beach during the invasion of Normandy, as this was the only beach to be assaulted by the Canadian army, rather than the Americans or British. 

After disembarking from their landing craft, Doohan himself killed two German snipers as the Canadian troops did their best to navigate a minefield. As the sun faded and the fighting continued, a Canadian machine gun mistakenly fired on Doohan (via The Vintage News ). He was hit four times in the leg, once in the finger, and once in a cigarette case, which spared him an otherwise fatal chest wound. After his recovery Doohan became a pilot, flying light aircraft for the remainder of the war (via World War Wings ).

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James Doohan

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James Doohan ( 3 March 1920 – 20 July 2005 ; age 85) was a Canadian actor best known for his portrayal of Montgomery "Scotty" Scott on Star Trek: The Original Series and the first seven Star Trek movies . He also appeared in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode " Relics " and in the archive footage used in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode " Trials and Tribble-ations ".

Doohan's work as Scotty ranged over a twenty-nine year period, with his first being in " Where No Man Has Gone Before " in 1965 and his last live appearance being in Star Trek Generations in 1994 . Archived audio of Doohan was later assembled for an animated appearance in PRO : " Kobayashi ".

• 1 Early life and World War II
• 2 Radio and early television
• 3 Star Trek
• 4 After Star Trek
• 5 Star Trek films
• 6 Later life
• 7 Appearances as Montgomery Scott
• 8.1 Voice and actor
• 8.2 Voiceover roles
• 10 Star Trek interviews
• 11 External links

Early life and World War II [ ]

Doohan was born in March 1920 in the city of Vancouver, British Columbia on the west coast of Canada. He was the youngest of four children while his parents, Sarah Frances (née Montgomery) and William Patrick Doohan, were both Irish immigrants from Bangor, County Down, in Northern Ireland. As a teenager, James Doohan lived in Sarnia, Ontario, where he attended high school at Sarnia Collegiate Institute and Technical School.

Shortly after the outbreak of the Second World War, nineteen-year-old Doohan enlisted as a gunner in the Royal Canadian Artillery. After rising through the ranks to Sergeant, he won a place at Officer Training School, becoming a lieutenant in the 13th Field Artillery Regiment.

James Doohan during the Second World War

On 6 June 1944, Doohan, by then promoted to Command Post Officer (captain), was among the Canadian forces sent to take Juno Beach in Normandy as part of the D-Day invasion. He was in command of one hundred and twenty men. That night, Doohan was hit by machine-gun fire when returning to his command post, sustaining wounds in the leg, right hand, and chest – a cigarette case caught a bullet that would otherwise have killed him – and lost the middle finger of his right hand (because of this injury, outside of rare occasions, Doohan concealed that portion of his right hand in film shots). " I was twenty-four, " Doohan wrote in his book Beam Me Up, Scotty , " and if the Germans had been marginally better shots, I wouldn't have seen twenty-five. "

After convalescing in England, Doohan became a qualified pilot at 43 Operational Training Unit, Andover, England, winning Air Observation Post pilot's wings in early 1945. He was posted to 666 (AOP) RCAF Squadron, where he flew the Auster Mark V aircraft, a dangerous, low-level flight tasking for artillery officers who photographed enemy positions, and directed artillery fire from the air. Although 666 (AOP) RCAF Squadron was not sent into battle, the unit was stationed at Apeldoorn, Holland, through the summer of 1945 to conduct "air taxi" duties, as documented in the 1945 publication (and 2006 republication), Battle History 666 (Calgary: Abel Book Company, 2006), and in the 2002 publication entitled Canada's Flying Gunners , by Col. Dave Fromow.

During his war service, Doohan fraternized with Scottish troops. He became particularly friendly with some from Aberdeen, and he said that he tried to base Montgomery Scott's accent upon them. Doohan himself recalled, " I decided to give Scotty an Aberdeen accent, which was something I had learned [...] when I was sent over to England during the war. While I was there, I met this fellow from Aberdeen; and I couldn’t understand one word he said! But I did learn that accent from him and that was the one I used for Scotty. " ( Conversations at Warp Speed )

Radio and early television [ ]

After the war, Doohan started work in radio, but quickly branched out into TV, movies, and plays. By the 1950s, he had moved to America and had begun appearing as a guest star in minor television shows and movies. By the 1960s, he had credited guest star roles on such historic shows as The Twilight Zone , The Outer Limits , Have Gun Will Travel , The Virginian , and Gunsmoke . His roles in these series also had Doohan coming into contact with several future Star Trek actors, including Skip Homeier and Keith Andes , who appeared with Doohan in an episode of The Outer Limits .

Star Trek [ ]

Doohan's special ability to do multiple accents originated from his time as voice actor on Canadian radio and this specialty landed him in the role of Montgomery Scott in 1965. Director James Goldstone and producer Gene Roddenberry asked him to read some lines from the script of TOS : " Where No Man Has Gone Before ", proposing for the role of the not-named chief engineer, doing different accents. Doohan did several different ones, including German and Italian, from which he finally choose Scottish, citing Scotsmen's great engineering skills. ( The World of Star Trek ) At around this same time, Doohan did a Scottish accent in the pilot of the Western Iron Horse which was directed by Goldstone, who co-created that series with Stephen Kandel , the writer and producer of that show's pilot. Steve Ihnat also appeared in that episode. The only other time Doohan did a Scottish accent prior to the debut of Star Trek was in a 1963 episode of the sitcom Hazel entitled "Hazel's Highland Fling".

Roddenberry originally wanted to leave out Doohan and the character of Scott after the second pilot, but Doohan's agent got angry when he heard the news of his client planned to be fired, and eventually convinced Roddenberry to keep Scott in the series. ( Inside Star Trek: The Real Story )

For the first season, Doohan's contract allowed him to appear in five episodes out of thirteen, for a salary of US$850 each episode. ( These Are the Voyages: TOS Season One , p. 108) In the second season, his salary remained the same, but he was given seven episodes out of thirteen, while everyone knew he'd appear in more. ( These Are the Voyages: TOS Season Two , p. 27)

A skilled voice actor, Doohan contributed many voices to both the original series and the animated series , including (among others) Lt. Arex . Doohan also created the first words of the Klingon language, Klingonese , which was later expanded by Marc Okrand . He also helped to shape some words and sounds for the Vulcan language . However, contrary to popular myth, Doohan was not the uncredited voice of Trelane 's father for " The Squire of Gothos [!] "; this was actually provided by voice artiste Bartell La Rue .

After Star Trek [ ]

After the end of the Star Trek TV series in 1969, Doohan spent the 1970s performing various roles in television and film, in an attempt to continue his acting career. During this time, Doohan appeared in the 1971 films Man in the Wilderness and Pretty Maids All in a Row , the latter of which also featured William Campbell and Dawn Roddenberry and which was written by Gene Roddenberry . Doohan also guest-starred on the TV series Marcus Welby, M.D. , Tarzan and the Super 7 , Daniel Boone (1969 – "The Cache", 1970 – "Perilous Passage"), and Return to Peyton Place .

Between 1973 and 1974, Doohan returned to the role of Scott in Star Trek: The Animated Series . He was later cast as Commander Canarvin in the 1978 science fiction series Jason of Star Command . This series used several musical scores from The Animated Series and co-starred Sid Haig as the main protagonist.

Star Trek films [ ]

Doohan with LeVar Burton during filming of "Relics" in 1992.

Doohan was propelled back into the role of Scott in 1979, with the release of Star Trek: The Motion Picture . In the 1980s, he appeared as guest star on the hit shows Magnum, P.I. , MacGyver , and Fantasy Island (starring Ricardo Montalban ), but by 1982, with the release of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan , Doohan was effectively typecast as Montgomery Scott, and spent the rest of his career appearing in the remaining major Star Trek films along with a few minor roles in various television shows. Doohan being typecast was exemplified by his cameo appearance as a "Scotty" in the 1993 spoof movie Loaded Weapon 1 (also featuring fellow Original Series actor William Shatner ) where he reprised his famous role as a parody, trying to fix a coffee-making machine.

In 1991, Doohan appeared in a cameo role on the TV film Knight Rider 2000 , with William Daniels , Francis Guinan , Megan Butler , and Christine Healy . The next year, he reprised his role of Scott for the episode " Relics ". Alexander Singer , the director of the episode, was in concordance with his above quoted movie colleague Nicholas Meyer, reaffirming that Doohan "was a delight to work with, and he got all the jokes, so to speak". ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 24, issue 3/4, p. 24)

Later life [ ]

Doohan's last on-screen role as Montgomery Scott was in 1994 when he appeared in Star Trek Generations . In 1996-97, he appeared as a regular supporting character on the sitcom Homeboys In Outer Space . He played a character named Pippin. By the 2000s, Doohan's age had limited his activities but he kept busy speaking at colleges and Star Trek conventions. In July 2004 , Doohan announced that he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in addition to his existing Parkinson's disease and diabetes, and would be withdrawing from public life. His final public appearance took place on 31 August 2004 , at the ceremony for his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame .

Doohan's last credited film role was as a judge in a 2005 direct-to-TV sci-fi/horror film entitled Skinwalker: Curse of the Shaman .

Doohan lost his battle with Alzheimer's disease, complicated by pneumonia , at 5:30 am on 20 July 2005. He was 85 years old. He died at his Redmond, Washington, home with his third wife Wende by his side. He asked his family to have him cremated and his remains shot into space. After nearly two years of delays, this wish was finally granted: his ashes were launched into space on 28 April 2007 from New Mexico. [1] (X) More of his ashes were launched into space on board the first SpaceX Dragon capsule launched towards the International Space Station on 22 May 2012 . [2]

He left behind a total of seven children from his three marriages; his youngest, Sarah, was born in 2000 when he was 80 years old. One of his twin sons, Christopher , has honored his late father by playing a transporter technician in Star Trek and Star Trek Into Darkness , and even reprised his father's iconic role in the fan film series Star Trek Continues from 2012 to 2017 as well as in the computer game Star Trek Online in 2016.

Doohan was among those to receive tribute in the 2006 Memoriam reel at the 79th Annual Academy Awards. The reel used a scene from Star Trek: The Motion Picture in which Kirk tells Scott, " Thank you, Mr. Scott, " to which Scott replies, " Aye, sir. "

Several costumes and costume components worn by Doohan in Star Trek were sold off on the It's A Wrap! sale and auction on eBay, including a stunt version of his undershirt. [3]

Appearances as Montgomery Scott [ ]

Montgomery, James, and Christopher Doohan in 1978

• " The Cage "
• " The Man Trap " ( Season 1 )
• " Charlie X "
• " What Are Little Girls Made Of? "
• " Dagger of the Mind "
• " The Menagerie, Part II "
• " The Conscience of the King "
• " Shore Leave "
• " Court Martial "
• " This Side of Paradise "
• " Errand of Mercy "
• " The Alternative Factor "
• " Amok Time " ( Season 2 )
• " Journey to Babel "
• " The Omega Glory "
• TAS : every episode except " The Slaver Weapon "
• Star Trek: The Motion Picture
• Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
• Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
• Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
• Star Trek V: The Final Frontier
• Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
• Star Trek Generations
• Star Trek Beyond (picture only)
• TNG : " Relics "
• DS9 : " Trials and Tribble-ations " (archival footage)
• PRO : " Kobayashi " (hologram)

Additional roles [ ]

Voice and actor [ ].

Voiceover roles [ ]

• " A Piece of the Action " as an Iotian radio announcer
• " The Ultimate Computer " as Enwright
• " Assignment: Earth " as NASA Mission Control announcer
• Beam Me Up, Scotty
• The Privateer
• The Independent Command

Star Trek interviews [ ]

• TNG Season 6 DVD special feature "Mission Overview Year Six" ("A Visit from Scotty"), interviewed on 12 August 1992

External links [ ]

• James Doohan at StarTrek.com
• James Doohan at the Internet Movie Database
• James Doohan at Wikipedia
• Doohan received Walk of Fame Star at MSNBC.MSN.com
• Obituary at News.BBC.co.uk
• James Doohan at TriviaTribute.com
• 3 Marlys Burdette

10 Behind The Scenes Reasons For Star Trek Characters' Quirks

4. scotty's right hand.

In the Original Series and most of the TOS era movies, Scotty rarely allows his right hand to be in frame. His left hand features prominently in almost all shots, as James Doohan did not want to display his other hand. He had served during the Allied Invasion of Normandy on D-Day and, during combat, his right middle finger had been severed.

Although there are scenes in the early years where, for one reason or another, the hand manages to slip into frame, it would not be until Star Trek V: The Final Frontier that Doohan seemed to relax his attempts to conceal it. While he stands with Uhura on the bridge, discussing shore leave and about to tuck into a lunch of rations, his right hand is clearly visible, missing finger and all.

Though up to this point he had mostly used hand doubles during filming, there was a scene in The Trouble with Tribbles where the missing digit was noticeable while Scotty held a huge armful of Tribbles. In The Next Generation episode Relics, he also doesn't try to hide it while sharing a drink with Picard on the holodeck.

Writer. Reader. Host. I'm Seán, I live in Ireland and I'm the poster child for dangerous obsessions with Star Trek. Check me out on Twitter @seanferrick

• Warfare History

From Killing Nazis to Klingons: James Montgomery Doohan

“ Beam me up, Scotty ” is probably Star Trek’s most iconic phrase, instantly conjuring up the Enterprise’s miracle worker chief engineer, who commanded the spaceship and recorded its log when the captain and first officer were absent. The franchise’s second most memorable phrase is probably “ I’m giving it all she’s got, captain! She can’nae take any more! “, delivered in a thick Scottish burr by the Enterprise’s engineer.

In real life, James Montgomery Doohan (1920 – 2005), the actor who played Montgomery “Scotty” Scott, did not have a Scottish accent, and was not even from Scotland. Instead, Doohan was a Canadian who had earned a reputation as the most versatile voice actor in the business before he was cast for his defining role in Star Trek. Before he took up acting, however, Doohan had been a real life, honest to goodness, World War II badass who personally killed Nazis in combat, was struck by bullets multiple times on D-Day, and had a middle finger shot off.

From Science Nerd to Hitting the Beach on D-Day

Doohan was the youngest of four children born to Irish immigrants in Vancouver, British Colombia. His mother was a homemaker, while his father made a living as a dentist, veterinarian, and pharmacist who owned and operated a chemist shop. Doohan’s dad was an enterprising and talented amateur scientist, who reportedly invented an early form of octane gas in 1923. However, he was also a serious alcoholic, and the heavy drinking got in the way of success, and kept him from following up on his discovery and cashing in.

Jimmy Doohan took up after his father in his love of science, and enrolled in a technical high school where he excelled at science and mathematics. He also joined the Royal Canadian Cadet Corps – Canada’s version of high school ROTC – in 1938. The Second World War kicked off a year later, and Doohan went from playing soldier in high school to the real thing, joining the Royal Canadian Artillery early in the conflict. He was first assigned to the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division’s 14th (Midland) Field Battery, before he was commissioned as a lieutenant and assigned to the 3rd Canadian Division’s 14th Field Artillery Regiment.

His unit was shipped to England in 1940, where the Canadians spent the next few years garrisoning the British Isles against a German onslaught, and training for an eventual invasion to retake Europe from the Nazis. Other than for a failed raid on Dieppe in 1942 that turned into a catastrophe, and which Doohan luckily missed, the Canadian ground forces saw next to no combat. Eventually, they started getting antsy after years of constant training with little action, and from the snide comments directed their way, sarcastically referring to them as “ the world’s best trained soldiers “.

Doohan and the Canadian ground formations finally got their first taste of combat in the Normandy Invasion, when they landed at Juno Beach on D-Day, June 6th, 1944. They were supposed to land in the predawn darkness, but rough sea conditions ended up delaying their amphibious assault until well after sunrise on D-Day. Doohan and his comrades were undaunted, and years later, he described the experience of being on a landing craft as it approached the enemy shore: “ We were more afraid of drowning than we were of the Germans “.

He had cause for confidence, as the superbly trained Canadians turned out to be more than a match for the German defenders. However, it was no cakewalk. For one thing, the invasion planners had overestimated the effectiveness of heavy aerial bombardment that had targeted the beaches in the days and weeks leading up to the invasion. It was assumed that the aerial raids would have destroyed or seriously damaged the German fortifications, and inflicted such heavy losses so as to enable the attackers to advance against relatively little opposition. Those estimates turned out to be overly optimistic, and things did not work out quite that way on the actual day of battle.

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D-Day Badass

Intense Allied aerial attacks in the runup to D-Day wreaked havoc on German infrastructure, road and rail transport, and communications hubs throughout Normandy and Northern France. However, bombing proved largely ineffective against the actual defenders on the beaches targeted for amphibious attacks on June 6th, and left them mostly unscathed. The first wave of Canadians to disembark were mowed down by Germans firing from heavily fortified and well situated positions overlooking the beach.

The attackers were temporarily pinned down by intense fire, and their advance came to a halt until they were saved by the timely intervention of a British cruiser, HMS Ajax . The Ajax’s guns blasted the defenders and wrecked their positions from what amounted to point blank range for naval fire, long enough for the Canadians to move inland. Doohan led his men over the wet sands, which were strewn with antitank mines that luckily did not go off because the men did not weigh enough to trigger them.

His unit was tasked with securing the Caen-Bayeux road, and with capturing an airport west of Caen, a key city whose capture would bedevil the Allies for a considerable time to come. As Doohan’s unit made its way off Juno Beach and to higher ground inland, he came across and personally killed a pair of German snipers. Despite the early difficulties on the beach that morning, he and his men managed to secure their assigned D-Day objectives by noon of June 6th.

However, chaos reigned on the landing beaches behind them, as reinforcements and follow up units arrived faster than the beach masters, tasked with directing them to their destinations, could handle them. Soon, there was a huge snarl on the beaches and throughout much of the ground recently liberated by the Allies, as different units were jammed next to and mixed with each other. It was not just messy, but also dangerous. Without well defined unit boundaries, jittery troops, many of them experiencing combat for the first time, were liable to shoot up their comrades, mistaking them for Germans. Doohan would experience that firsthand.

Around 11:30PM on D-Day, Doohan was making his way to a command post, when a nervous Canadian sentry opened up on him with a burst from a Bren gun. He was struck by six bullets, four of them hitting his legs, one striking his chest, and one shooting off the middle finger of his right hand. It could have been worse: the bullet that hit him in the chest was deflected by a silver cigarette case, a gift from his brother. As Doohan joked about it in later years, smoking had actually saved his life. It was no joking matter at the time, however, as he writhed in pain while being rushed to a hospital to get his wounds treated.

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From Fighting to Fame

After recovering from his injuries, Doohan signed up for pilot training to fly an artillery observer aircraft. After getting his wings, he was assigned to fly a Taylorcraft Auster Mark V plane for No. 666 Aerial Observation Post Squadron, and served in that billet until war’s end. Although he was technically not a member of the Royal Canadian Air Force, Doohan earned a reputation as “ the craziest pilot in the Canadian Air Force “. Among other things, he once got in serious trouble for slaloming his plane between telegraph posts, just “ to prove it could be done “.

Back home after the war, Doohan resumed his technical education, but after hearing crappy voice acting in a radio drama, he figured he could do better. He turned out to be right, helped in no small part by a talent for doing accents that he had since childhood. So Doohan went to a drama school in Toronto, then earned a scholarship to study drama in New York City. By 1946, he had secured several radio roles with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). Over the next few years, he shuttled between Toronto and NYC as work demanded, eventually performing in what he estimated to have about 4000 radio gigs, and 450 TV ones.

By the 1960s, he was making regular appearances on TV, with credits including The Twilight Zone , Bonanza , Bewitched , The Fugitive , The Outer Limits , and Hazel . His big break came when he auditioned for the role of chief engineer in Star Trek , and producer Gene Rodenberry asked him what accent best suited the role. “ If you want an engineer, in my experience the best engineers are Scottsmen “, was Doohan’s reply.

Doohan was cast as the Enterprise’s engineer in the series’ second pilot, Where No Man Has Gone Before , with the name Montgomery “Scotty” Scott, after the actor’s grandfather. Scotty spoke in an Aberdeen accent that Doohan had once heard, but he almost ended up cut from the show after Rodenberry had second thoughts, and wrote to tell him : “ We don’t think we need an engineer in the series “. The character remained only after Doohan’s agent intervened.

Scotty became one of Star Trek’s defining characters, with a depth of technical savvy that frequently allowed him to come up with creative and unconventional fixes to solve seemingly insurmountable problems. He frequently bridged the gap between Captain Kirk’s ambitious plans and his ship’s capabilities, encapsulated by the iconic phrases: “ I’m giving it all she’s got, captain! She can’nae take any more! ” Moreover, with an identity strongly connected to the Enterprise , Scotty brought the inanimate ship to life as a character in of its own right.

By the third season, Rodenberry was glad that he had kept him in the show, writing in a memo that Doohan was: “ capable of handling everything we throw at him “, and praising “ the dour Scott “. After the series ended, however, Doohan discovered that rather than furthering his career, his successful role as Scotty had typecast him, and he had difficulty getting different roles. He eventually accepted that he would “ always be Scotty “, and made a living from personal appearances – one of the few cast members who actually enjoyed meeting fans and talking about the Star Trek days. He lived to age 85, dying in 2005 from pulmonary fibrosis, caused by exposure to harmful substances in WWII.

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Where Did We Find This Stuff? Some Sources & Further Reading

Turner Classic Movies – James Doohan

Internet Movie Database – James Doohan Biography

Star Trek – Doohan, James

War History Online – Star Trek Star Shot Two Snipers on D-Day and Was Shot Seven Times in WWII

Wikipedia – James Doohan

5 TV Stars You Probably Didn’t Know Were Missing a Finger

By jake rossen | mar 28, 2023.

Movies and television shows are very much an attempt at creating an illusion, from making viewers believe characters are on distant planets to putting them in harm’s way. Sometimes, that illusion extends to performers obscuring certain physical traits that may not be shared by their characters. Famously, professional wrestler Kerry Von Erich wrestled with a prosthetic foot in the 1980s following a motorcycle accident, a fact that was largely unknown to spectators.

Von Erich isn’t the only television personality who has lived with limb difference. These five actors appeared on weekly television without viewers noticing they’re each missing all, or part of, a finger.

1. Bob Ross

Television’s best-known art instructor hosted The Joy of Painting on PBS from 1983 to 1994. His painter’s palette obscured a lesser-known fact: He was down one digit. After dropping out of high school, one of Ross’s first jobs was working as a woodworker alongside his father; part of his left index finger was later severed in a carpentry accident. Ross left that vocation soon after, enlisting in the Air Force before his painting career took off.

2. James Doohan

Best known as Montgomery “Scotty” Scott on Star Trek (1966-1969) and its numerous big-screen outings, Doohan went to some lengths to obscure a missing finger from being picked up by film cameras. The actor had suffered the injury while serving in the military and storming the beaches of Normandy on D-Day in 1944. Doohan—a member of the Royal Canadian Artillery Regiment—shot two German snipers in the fracas but later absorbed machine gun fire delivered by a trigger-happy Canadian sentry. Incredibly, one bullet in his chest was deflected by a cigarette case. Others wound up in his leg; the other went though his right middle finger, which was later amputated.

Camera angles kept the missing finger out of view most of the time on Star Trek. Hand doubles were also used at times, though there are a few scenes—including in “The Trouble With Tribbles”—where it’s noticeable.

3. Telly Savalas

Savalas was a ‘70s icon thanks to the cop show Kojak and the character’s omnipresent lollipop. The actor was actually missing a portion of his left index finger, which some fans might not have known or easily spotted if they watched the series or saw Savalas in films. The origin of the injury is difficult to pin down; Lost magazine reported that Savalas may have lost it in a grenade mishap while serving in the military or possibly that it was partially gnawed off by a rat when he was a child.

4. Matthew Perry

Perry, who starred as Chandler Bing on the NBC sitcom Friends for 10 seasons, is missing part of his right middle finger. According to Esquire , the actor lost it after his finger was inadvertently slammed in a car door when he was a child.

5. Walter Jones

Jones portrayed Zack, one of the original Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers . The actor is missing the middle finger of his left hand, though it’s not particularly noticeable when he’s morphed. The series repurposed action footage from the Japanese series Super Sentai , where Zach’s Ranger was played by a different performer. “Because we had all of the Japanese footage, the only time we wore our suits was in the Command Center, with our helmet off,” Ranger Jason David Frank told Complex in 2013.

• Terms of Use

War News | Military History | Military News

‘star trek’ star james doohan survived six bullet wounds during the allied landings on d-day.

• World War 2

James Doohan saw action during World War II and in outer space. His exploits inspired many to become an engineer, and one individual even followed him to the moon. He spoke with a Scottish accent, even though he wasn’t from Scotland. All in all, he was among the most famous military veterans to transition to the small screen.

James Doohan’s entry into the Canadian Army

James Montgomery “Jimmy” Doohan was born to Irish immigrants on March 3, 1920 in Vancouver, British Columbia. His father, William, was a pharmacist who may have invented a form of high-octane gas in 1923. Whether or not that’s true, Doohan grew up familiar with science and creative invention.

When his family moved to Ontario, Doohan enrolled at the Collegiate Institute and Technical School in Sarnia, where he showed an aptitude for mathematics and science. In 1938, he enlisted with the 102nd Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps, after which he joined the Royal Canadian Artillery, 14th (Midland) Field Battery, 2nd Canadian Infantry Division.

Doohan did so well he was commissioned a lieutenant with the 22nd Field Battery, 13th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Canadian Infantry Division and sent to England for training.

Preparing to land at Juno Beach

Fast forward to D-Day on June 6, 1944. The British, American and Canadian forces were each assigned a portion of Normandy’s beaches for their amphibious assaults. The Canadians were allocated Juno Beach, the codename for the area from the village of Courseulles-sur-Mer, all the way to Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer.

The mission for James Doohan’s division was to travel west of Caen. It wouldn’t be easy. Facing them were two battalions of the German 716. Infanterie-Division . There were also troops from the 21st Panzer Division holed up near Caen. As if that wasn’t daunting enough, the Germans had strewn the beaches with anti-tank mines.

The night before, Allied aircraft blasted German positions. As the landings were to happen before dawn, the Canadians wouldn’t be visible, as they landed in the dark – or so the thinking went. That did not happen. The preemptive aerial bombardment hadn’t been as effective as the Allies had hoped, due to lousy weather and poor visibility. As such, the coastal defenses along Juno Beach were almost unscathed.

James Doohan took out two German snipers on D-Day

It got worse. Rough weather and high waves delayed the landings until well after the sun had risen on June 6, 1944. Out at sea, James Doohan felt queasy, but it wasn’t because of what lay ahead. He later told the Associated Press , “We were more afraid of drowning than [we were of] the Germans.”

Once the risk of drowning was behind them, what lay ahead for the Canadians proved to be much worse. The first group reached Juno Beach at 7:35 AM and were quickly cut down.

Fortunately for them, the light cruiser HMS Ajax (22) had bombarded Juno Beach earlier, doing more damage to the coastal defenses than the aircraft had. After two hours, the Canadians had swept aside most of the Germans along their stretch of the beach. Doohan led his men across the sands and got lucky, as none of the anti-tank mines went off, as the men weren’t heavy enough to activate them.

As they made their way to higher ground, Doohan shot two German snipers – his first kills of the war. By noon, they’d secured their positions. However, they now had a new problem. The beach was so thick with Canadians that the later arrivals couldn’t advance. As darkness fell, there was a risk they’d mistake comrades for the enemy and end up shooting at each other.

This was exactly what happened, not only at Juno Beach, but at the other landing beaches.

James Doohan suffered six bullet wounds

At around 11:20 PM, James Doohan finished a cigarette and patted the case he kept in his shirt pocket. It had been given to him by his brother as a good luck charm – and a good thing, too. Some 10 minutes later, he was walking back to his command post when he was shot six times with a Bren light machine gun . The first four bullets slammed into his leg, the fifth struck him in the chest and the sixth took off his right middle finger.

The shooter was not a German sniper. In fact, Doohan had been shot by a nervous, trigger-happy Canadian sentry. Fortunately, the cigarette case had stopped the bullet that hit his chest. Doohan later joked it was the only time being a smoker saved his life.

‘Craziest pilot in the Canadian Air Force’

After recovering from his injuries, James Doohan learned to fly a Taylorcraft Auster Mark IV for the No. 666 Squadron RAF. By this point, he was an officer in the Royal Canadian Artillery, supporting the 1st Army Group Royal Artillery at RAF Andover, Hampshire.

In early 1945, Doohan flew his aircraft between two telegraph poles, just to prove it could be done. He got in trouble for that, and everyone called him the “ craziest pilot in the Canadian Air Force .”

James Doohan goes from the Canadian Army to outer space

After the Second World War , James Doohan returned to Canada. Upon hearing a radio drama, he believed he could do a better job than the voice actors featured and switched his focus of study from technical schooling to drama. His first job was with CBC radio. He ultimately went on to do 4,000 shows on radio and 450 on television, earning a reputation as the most versatile voice actor in the business.

In 1965, Doohan was assured of a place in film history when he landed – and helped develop – the role of Montgomery “Scotty” Scott in Star Trek . In addition to playing the role of chief engineer for the starship Enterprise , Doohan also helped create the Klingon and Vulcan languages for the show.

Doohan became so iconic that fans credited him with their interest in engineering, astronomy and other technical fields. Among these was the engineer-turned-astronaut Neil Armstrong , who personally thanked Doohan in 2004.

More from us: Star Trek Creator Gene Roddenberry Faced Death Twice While In the US Army Air Forces

Doohan died in 2005. To honor him, a Falcon 9 launch vehicle took some of his ashes into space. Two years later, the Scottish town of Linlithgow claimed him as one of their own with a predictive commemorative plaque. “Predictive” because it claims he will be born there on 2222.

Gene Roddenberry Isn't Who We Should Be Thanking For Star Trek's Scotty

The legend is well-known to Trekkies. When actor James Doohan was first hired to play Montgomery "Scotty" Scott on the original "Star Trek" series, show creator Gene Roddenberry asked the actor to perform his audition using multiple accents, a talent Doohan had always tried to cultivate . After cycling through his catalog of regional dialects, Roddenberry asked Doohan which of the voices he liked best, and which one was most befitting of a futuristic engineer. Doohan said that he liked his Scots accent best, saying that he felt Scotland created the best engineers. Perhaps Doohan was thinking of Alexander Graham Bell, James Watt, or, most likely, Sir William Fairbairn; Doohan cited Scotland's many notable shipbuilders as his primary inspiration. Once the dialect was settled, the character emerged. Doohan claims to have named the character Montogmery Scott himself, after his own grandfather.

Some Scottish "Star Trek" fans have noted that Doohan's accent, while acceptable, is hardly authentic. His Scots accent, it has been indicated, is sort of an amalgam of sounds from around the Isles, with  The Scotsman comparing it to Dick Van Dyke's weirdly Australian-sounding cockney accent in "Mary Poppins." Doohan, at conventions, defended his accent by saying it's the way Scots will sound in several centuries' time. Accents, after all, do evolve. Many people in the U.S., meanwhile, were hoodwinked by Doohan's Scots voice. According to Marc Cushman's invaluable book "These Are the Voyages: Gene Roddenberry and Star Trek in the 1970s, Volume 1 (1970-75),"  Doohan shocked several U.S. casting agents, post "Star Trek," by revealing he was, in fact, Canadian.

So it seems that Roddenberry gave little input into the process of inventing Scotty. He knew that the Enterprise needed an engineer, and that's kind of where his input stopped. 

The second Star Trek pilot

It's worth remembering that the "Star Trek" we all know and love was born of a secondary pilot. Then original pilot — the one with Captain Pike — was rejected for being too cerebral and not action-packed enough. Only Spock ( Leonard Nimoy ) was carried over from the original pilot into the secondary one with Captain Kirk. It seems Roddenberry needed to invent several characters in a hurry, likely assembling his new ensemble in less time than he had to construct his first. Hence the Enterprise's engineer didn't have a name or nationality while auditions were being held.

Doohan was a soldier in the Canadian army during World War II and stormed the Normandy beach on D-Day. In his memoir, "Beam Me Up, Scotty,"  Doohan tells the story of how a nervous Canadian sentry accidentally opened fire on him, shooting him in the legs, chest, and right middle finger. A cigarette case blocked the bullet to his chest, but he did lose his finger in the accident. Doohan always kept his right hand turned away from the camera throughout "Star Trek," so that no one would not notice his injury. He occasionally wore a flesh-colored glove to hide it as well.

It was during his army service, according to an interview with Sci-Fi Online , that Doohan learned his Scots accent. He worked alongside a Scottish soldier from Aberdeen, and his Montgomery Scott voice was largely an imitation of that soldier. Inspired by a military friend, his talent for accents, and his admiration for Scots, Scotty was born. Roddenberry, it seems, merely rubber-stamped all these decisions.

Other small pieces of Doohan's personal life also began to infiltrate Scotty. According to the same interview with Sci-Fi Online, Scotty was said to subscribe to various technical journals once the "Star Trek" writers learned that Doohan had similar subscriptions in real life.

'We don't have a part for a Scotsman'

As noted above, Doohan's accent was so striking that it caused many U.S. viewers to assume that he was actually Scottish, a misapprehension that ultimately cost the actor jobs. Doohan noted that in the early 1970s, after "Star Trek" had been canceled, he auditioned for a movie, and the filmmakers greeted him with language that suggested pretty clearly that he had been typecast. Doohan said in the Sci-Fi Online interview:

"I did a movie called ' Man in the Wilderness' in Spain with Richard Harris in 1971. When I came back, I would go to producers' offices to read for parts and the secretaries would say, 'Oh, hi Scotty!' and everything else. And then the producers would say, 'I'm sorry, but we don't have a part for a Scotsman.' I only did a Scottish accent once before ' Star Trek ,' and that included 450 live television shows and 4,000 radio shows! But by 1972 I had been typecast and was flat broke! Fortunately, I was able to make a living out of personal appearances."

Doohan's accent was, then, a blessing and a curse. However, he noted that he was relieved when, in 1978, Paramount decided to start making "Star Trek" movies. Since the original series paid so little, he was happy to finally use his status as Scotty to finally make a little money.

Here's a fun piece of trivia: In the 1950s, Doohan appeared as a character named Timber Tom in the Canadian version of "Howdy Doody." At the exact same time, in the U.S. version of "Howdy Doody," a character named Ranger Bill was played by Doohan's future "Star Trek" co-star William Shatner .

James Doohan, 85; Portrayed Chief Engineer Scotty of ‘Star Trek’ Fame

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James Doohan, the veteran actor best known for his role on “Star Trek” as the Starship Enterprise’s chief engineer who responded to the famous command, “Beam me up, Scotty,” died Wednesday. He was 85.

Doohan died at his home in Redmond, Wash. Doohan’s agent and friend, Steve Stevens Sr., said the cause of death was pneumonia and Alzheimer’s disease. Doohan’s wife of 28 years, Wende, was at his side.

“Star Trek,” first beamed into American living rooms on NBC in 1966, starred William Shatner as James T. Kirk, the captain of the starship U.S.S. Enterprise, and Leonard Nimoy as the pointy-eared Mr. Spock, Kirk’s alien first officer.

The show, in which Doohan played Lt. Cmdr. Montgomery “Scotty” Scott, ran only three years.

But the series took on a life of its own as a cult favorite that spawned constant reruns, an animated cartoon series, movies and television spinoffs.

For Doohan, the enduring popularity of “Star Trek” meant reprising his Scotty role in seven “Star Trek” movies featuring original cast members.

He also made countless appearances at “Star Trek” conventions, where thousands of the show’s fans, known as “Trekkies,” gave him and his fellow original cast members heroes’ welcomes.

Doohan’s portrayal of the Enterprise’s affable engineer with a Scottish brogue even led to his being awarded an honorary degree in engineering from the Milwaukee School of Engineering, where half the students polled reportedly said they were inspired by Doohan’s character to enter the field.

He later said he never tired of having people approach him and say the line, “Beam me up, Scotty.”

In fact, he said, “It’s been said to me at 70 miles an hour across four lanes on the freeway. I hear it from just about everybody.”

“Jimmy was Scotty,” George Takei, who played chief navigator Sulu on “Star Trek,” told The Times on Wednesday. “He’s really Irish-Canadian, but he’s world-renowned as a Scotsman. His claim was he imbibed enough of Scotland libations to be Scottish.

“What I really enjoyed the most was Jimmy’s personality. He was a fun-loving guy.”

Takei said the joy and resilient quality that Doohan brought to his “Star Trek” character -- “his robust determination to get things done ... even with the clock ticking and the galaxies about to collide, he was able to solve the problem” -- is “what made Scotty such a beloved character.”

Walter Koenig, who played Ensign Pavel Chekov on “Star Trek,” said Wednesday that Doohan “was a delightful guy.”

“He certainly could be irascible, but somehow I think that added to his charm,” Koenig told The Times. “He was a person of emotional depth and could love you as well as be irritated with you all at the same time.”

That quality, he said, was reflected in Doohan’s work on “Star Trek,” which made him one of the show’s most popular performers with fans.

“They just loved him,” Koenig said. “He had that avuncular quality that everybody took to their hearts. What you saw [on screen] is what he was, and that was very honest and very refreshing.”

Nimoy, in a statement to The Times, said simply: “He was our miracle man, one of a kind, the real deal.”

The Canadian-born Doohan grew up in Sarnia, Ontario, where, as recounted in his 1996 autobiography “Beam Me Up, Scotty,” he lived in poverty as the son of an alcoholic.

As a young artillery officer in the Royal Canadian Army during World War II, he led his men ashore on D-Day at Juno Beach.

That night, he received multiple wounds from machine gun fire and lost the middle finger of his right hand.

On a whim after the war, Doohan took acting classes at a Toronto drama school. He soon won a two-year scholarship to the prestigious Neighborhood Playhouse in New York City, where he studied with legendary drama teacher Sanford Meisner and spent three more years as Meisner’s assistant.

By that time, he was well established on live television. He returned to Toronto in 1953 and performed frequently on stage and in countless radio, television and film productions. He later landed guest spots on TV series in the U.S., including “Bonanza,” “Peyton Place,” “The Virginian,” “Gunsmoke,” “The Fugitive” and “Bewitched.”

Then came Scotty and the Starship Enterprise.

Doohan prided himself on the Scottish accent he used on the show, later boasting that Scotsmen would congratulate him on his pronunciation.

But although the seasoned actor could claim to “do any accent in the world,” he later found himself being turned down for many roles with the line, “There’s no part for a Scotsman in there.”

“It is deadly to be typecast,” he told the Boston Herald in 1994.

But there was no getting around the fact that he would forever be linked to the character of Scotty, or what the Herald reporter referred to as “the warp-engine wizard, who could patch the dilithium crystals with safety pins, tape and Celtic homilies while telling Captain Kirk, ‘You canna change the laws of physics’ before doing just that.”

Indeed, the occasion for the interview was a “Star Trek” expo at a shopping mall in Salem, N.H., where Doohan was greeted with thunderous applause. At the time, he was making “a fabulous living just doing appearances,” some 30 to 40 a year.”When you walk on a stage and see 5,000 fans who adore you, you can’t knock that,” he said in another interview.

Last August, not long after it was announced that Doohan had Alzheimer’s disease, he made his final appearance for fans at a two-day tribute and convention, “Beam Me Up, Scotty ... One More Time,” at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel.

The convention, attended by fellow cast members including Shatner and Nimoy, culminated with Doohan arriving in the ballroom blowing kisses to the standing-room-only crowd from his wheelchair.

“It was a wonderful testament to him, the love that his fans and cast members had for him,” Koenig said.

Two days later, Doohan received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

In 2000, Doohan and his wife became the parents of a daughter, Sarah. They already had two adult sons, Eric and Thomas. Doohan also had four children with his first wife: Larkin, Deirdre, and twin sons Montgomery and Christopher. He had nine grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

At Doohan’s request, a portion of his ashes will be sent into space and will orbit the Earth; the remainder of his ashes will be deposited at sea near his home.

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Was James Doohan Shot Six Times on D-Day?

A popular meme recounting the actor's involvement with the d-day invasion at normandy is largely accurate, but some of the details are a little hazy., published june 8, 2018.

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A meme purportedly relaying the heroic exploits of James Doohan, who is best known as the actor who played Scotty in the original  Star Trek  series, was shared by the "Meanwhile in Canada"  Facebook page in June 2018, in remembrance of D-Day:

The story presented in this meme is largely accurate. Doohan was one of some 14,000 Canadian soldiers who landed in Normandy, France, in June 1944 during World War II. He did suffer several gunshot wounds during the invasion, which ultimately resulted in the loss of his middle finger. It's also true that one of these bullets was stopped by a cigarette case in his pocket. 

However, this meme doesn't identify the likely source of these gunshots: A nervous Canadian sentry. 

Doohan was a commissioned lieutenant with the 14th Field Artillery Regiment of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division, and was tasked with invading an area of Normandy code-named Juno Beach. As the meme states, Doohan successfully led his men across the beach littered with anti-tank mines , and also managed to take out two German snipers:

The first Canadians reached Juno Beach at 7:35 AM and were cut down. Fortunately for them, the HMS Ajax had bombed Juno earlier, doing more damage to the coastal defenses than the planes had. After two hours, they had swept aside most of the Germans on their stretch of the beach. Doohan led his men across the sands and got lucky. Despite the anti-tank mines beneath their feet, none went off, as the men were not heavy enough to activate them. As they made their way to higher ground, Doohan managed to take out two German snipers – his first kills of the war. By noon, they had secured their positions. They could rest, as well as deal with their dead and wounded. There was, however, a problem.

Although Doohan escaped the initial moments of the invasion relatively unscathed, his luck didn't last: 

At about 11:20 that evening, Doohan finished a cigarette and patted the silver cigarette case he kept in his breast pocket. It had been given to him by his brother as a good luck charm… and a good thing, too. Some ten minutes later, he was walking back to his command post when he was shot. Six times. By a Bren Gun. The first four bullets slammed into his leg, the fourth whacked him in the chest, while the sixth took off his right middle finger. It was not a German sniper. He had been shot by a nervous, trigger-happy Canadian sentry. Fortunately, the cigarette case stopped the bullet aimed at his chest. Doohan later joked it was the only time being a smoker saved his life.

Doohan attempted to hide his missing finger in episodes of  Star Trek  (a hand double was even used in some close-up scenes), but he wasn't always successful. For example, Doohan's injury can be briefly glimpsed in the famous episode "The Trouble with Tribbles":

There is at least some debate over the provenance of the bullets that wounded Doohan. Although books such as D-Day: The Essential Reference Guide and Fight to the Finish: Canadians in the Second World War state that Doohan was wounded by friendly fire, Doohan's mother was told, at least initially, that her son had been hit by German bullets. We have also encountered varying reports about the number of times Doohan was shot (ranging from six to eight.)

We attempted to locate accounts from Doohan himself about the incident, other than the one presented in his autobiography, but didn't turn up much additional information. The most revealing report appears to come from a  New York Times article that centered around a letter Doohan sent director Steven Spielberg shortly after the release of the film Saving Private Ryan in 1998 (which mentioned Doohan being hit by "German" bullets):

"When I wrote Spielberg I told him I'd landed on Juno on D-Day, which was nothing as horrid as the Omaha disaster." Not horrid, perhaps, but bad enough. He and his men landed unscathed on Juno then fought their way successfully into the Normandy peninsula as far as the town of Courseulles that first day. But Artillery Lt.  James Doohan of D Company, Winnipeg Rifles, 13th Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Army, ended up just before midnight plugged by eight German bullets.  Four hit his left knee, three took out the middle finger of his right hand, and one was deflected from killing him by a sterling silver cigarette case in the breast pocket of his jacket. "I still have that cigarette case today," the husky 78-year-old Doohan said through his walrus mustache, shooting his eyebrows. 

Doohan also downplayed his heroics, saying that the mines on the beach were anti-tank mines and that his men were not heavy enough to trigger them. Doohan also said that he wasn't sure if he had truly killed two German snipers and added that he didn't notice the gunshot wounds in his legs until he got to the medic:

"We landed safely, thank God, through those Y-shaped steel barriers you see in the film, tracer bullets, all that, none of our men hurt, and dashed 75 yards to the 7-foot tall dunes," Doohan said.  "Crossed a minefield, found out about it later: It was meant to blow up tanks, and we weren't heavy enough. Moved up through a down - hardly a town just a village - called Graye Sur Mer, saw a church tower that was a machine-gun post, firing off to our left.  Doohan took out the machine-gun post with a couple of shots. "I don't know if they were killed or wounded, but it shut them up," he said.  His mother was told that German bullets had hit him at 11:30 p.m. on D-Day as he was returning from a forward gun position. He waled a quarter-mile - "the adrenaline lets you do it" - to the regimental aid post, Doohan said. He know about his right hand and the wack on his chest against that cigarette case, but that was all. "The medic said: 'You also have four bullets in your left knee.' I said: 'Well, I walked here.'"

Russell, Shahan.   "Star Trek star Shot Two Snipers on D-Day and Was Shot Seven Times in WWII."     War History Online .   29 November 2016.

Tucker, Spencer.   D-Day: The Essential Reference Guide. .     ABC-CLIO, 2017.   (p. 76).

Talmer, Jerry.   "'Scotty' Praises Spielberg for 'Private Ryan.'"     Star Tribune .   19 August 1998.

By Dan Evon

Dan Evon is a former writer for Snopes.

Article Tags

Old News, Vintage Photos & Nostalgic Stories

‘scotty’ from star trek took part in d-day and was shot 6 times.

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In his lifetime, James Doohan fought with Klingons, Romulans, Greek gods, and a deep space probe named Nomad.

He struggled with interstellar engines, transporters, tribbles and William Shatner, but all of these fights paled in comparison to what he endured during WWII.

James “Jimmy” Doohan played the resourceful, hard-drinking and loyal “Scotty” on the original Star Trek series, a number of movies and reprised his role on Star Trek: The Next Generation. What many people outside the world of Star Trek fandom don’t know is that Doohan landed on the beaches of Normandy on June 6, 1944 — “D-Day”.

Doohan was Canadian, not Scottish, and his family came from Ireland. He was born in Vancouver in 1920 to Irish immigrants.

Doohan’s father was a sort of medical jack of all trades – a dentist, veterinarian, and a pharmacist. He was also an alcoholic who made life very difficult for his family. When Jimmy was 19, he enlisted in the Canadian Army – just before the outbreak of WWII.

In 1940, Doohan had worked his way up to the rank of lieutenant and was in England with the 14th Field Artillery of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division.

Initially tasked with helping in the defense of England should the Germans invade, his first taste of combat came some four years later when they 3rd Canadian landed at Juno Beach – the beach designated for the mass of Canadian troops.

Juno Beach was the Canadians’ “Omaha.” Though less bloody than the American landing beach, Juno was no cakewalk, and Doohan’s unit faced the strength of two German battalions in their landing area.

Making life more difficult was the mass of equipment that accompanied them, making movement in the water and sand exceedingly difficult going.

During the monumental day, James Doohan single-handedly took out two German snipers who were holding up the men of his company.

Doohan’s unit, along with the majority of the Canadian forces that landed on Juno Beach that day, pushed inland and secured their first day’s objective.

It seemed like D-Day had gone as well as could be expected for the future Chief Engineer of the Enterprise, but at around 11pm, as Doohan was making the rounds of his men, a nervous sentry opened fire, mistaking the lieutenant for a German.

Jimmy was hit six times: once in his right hand (which took off his middle finger – look hard and you can spot the wound, but Doohan tried hard to hide it during his acting career), four times in the left knee and once in the chest.

Luckily, Doohan was a smoker – the metal cigarette case he kept in his breast pocket deflected the bullet, avoiding his heart. Later in life, Jimmy would joke that “Smoking had saved his life.” When he recovered from his wounds, he returned to the artillery, but this time he trained as an observation pilot, spotting German positions and directing/correcting Canadian artillery fire.

Take a closer look with this video:

https://youtu.be/Y_KJ929bTOQ

The plane he flew was a Taylorcraft Auster – a slow moving, wooden and canvas plane that afforded its pilots little protection.

Though Doohan was not in the Canadian Air Force, some dubbed him the “Craziest Pilot in the Canadian Air Force” because he often flew in a daredevil, haphazard way – most notably when he flew between two closely placed telephone poles, “just to prove that he could.”

When WWII ended, Doohan returned to Canada and was listening to the radio during the holiday season of 1945-46 when he listened to “the worst drama he ever heard” on the local radio station. On a whim, he went down to the station and did a recording of his own.

Doohan had a knack for voices and accents. The station manager recommended that he enroll at a drama school in Toronto, and eventually he won a scholarship to attend the well-known Neighborhood Playhouse in New York City.

From there, it was “onward and upward”…he got roles on Bonanza, Bewitched, and a number of roles for the stage and radio. In 1966, he auditioned for the role of the ship’s engineer.

There is a long history of Scotsmen being engineers in the Royal Navy and in the cruise lines of the early 20th century, and Doohan told Gene Roddenberry (the series’ originator) that if his character was going to be an engineer, he should be Scottish. The rest is television history.

Read another story from us: Golden Girl Bea Arthur was one of the First Female Marines to Serve in WWII

James Doohan passed away in 2005. Fittingly, his ashes were taken into orbit and scattered in space.

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989)

James doohan: scotty.

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Kirk : [responds to a tapping within the wall]  What's that noise?

Spock : [tapping continues]  I believe it is a primitive form of communication known as morse Code.

Kirk : You're right. I'm out of practice.

[tapping] 

Kirk : That's an "S".

Spock : "T".

Kirk : "A"... "N"... "D", end of word.

McCoy : "Stand".

Kirk : New word... "B"... "A"...

Spock : "C"... "K".

McCoy : "Back". "Stand back".

Kirk , Spock , McCoy : "Stand back"?

[the wall explodes] 

Scotty : [on the other side of the wall]  What are you standing around for? Do you not know a jailbreak when you see one?

[Chief Engineer Scott making a log entry] 

Scotty : USS Enterprise, shakedown crew's report. I think this new ship was put together by monkeys. Oh, she's got a fine engine, but half the doors won't open, and guess whose job it is to make it right.

Scotty : [cursing, on his back trying to fix a computer console]  "Let's see what she's got," said the captain. And then we found out, didn't we?

Uhura : [walking in]  I know you'll whip her into shape, Scotty, you always do.

Scotty : [getting up]  Uhura, I thought you were on leave.

Uhura : And I thought we were supposed to be going together.

Scotty : Oh, I can't leave her now when she needs me the most.

Uhura : [stroking Scotty's cheek]  I had a feeling you would say something like that, so I brought us...

[whipping up two packages] 

Uhura : dinner.

Scotty : [grabbing a package]  Oh, lassie. You're the most understanding woman I know.

Starfleet Officer : [transmission on a malfunctioning computer]  Red-Red-Red Alert. Red Alert. Red-Red-Red Alert.

Scotty : I just fixed that damn thing! Turn it off, will you?

Kirk : Mr. Scott, you're amazing!

Scotty : There's nothing amazing about it. I know this ship like the back of my hand.

[walks into low-hanging beam, knocks himself out cold] 

Kirk : Understand your situation, are unable to return to planet. Stand by to execute emergency landing plan... "B."

[Everyone in the shuttle stares at Kirk in confusion, and Spock mouths, "B?" Aboard the Enterprise:] 

Chekov : What's emergency landing plan "B?"

Scotty : I don't have a clue.

Kirk : [over comm]  "B" as in "barricade".

Scotty : He can't be serious!

Scotty : [to Kirk about ship status]  Ah. All I can say is they don't make them like they used to.

Kirk : You told me you could get this ship operational in two weeks, I gave you three, what happened?

Scotty : I think you gave me too much time, Captain.

Kirk : Very well, Mr Scott. Carry on.

Scotty : Aye, sir.

[Spots a junior engineer nearby] 

Scotty : How many times do I have to tell you, the right tool for the right job!

McCoy : [laughs]  I don't think I've ever seen him happier.

[They enter the turbolift] 

Computer : Le-le-level?

Kirk : Bridge... I hope. I could use a shower.

Spock : [looks at Kirk]  Yes.

McCoy : Jim... if you ask me, and you haven't, I think this is a terrible idea. We're bound to bump into the Klingons, and they don't exactly like you.

Kirk : The feeling's mutual. Engine room.

Scotty : [over the intercom]  Scotty here.

Kirk : We'll need all the power you can muster, mister.

Scotty : Don't you worry, Captain. We'll beat those Klingon devils, even if I have to get out and push.

Kirk : I hope it won't come to that, Mr. Scott.

Kirk : Transporter room, status.

Scotty : Scotty here, Captain. Transporter is still inoperative. Even if we could lock onto the hostages, we could not beam them up.

Kirk : We're gonna have to get them out the old-fashioned way.

Starfleet Officer : This is a red alert. Enterprise, please acknowledge.

Uhura : This is Enterprise. Identify yourself.

Starfleet Officer : Enterprise, this is Starfleet. We have a priority seven situation in the Neutral Zone.

Uhura : Stand by, Starfleet. Scotty, this is for real.

Scotty : They can't be serious. The ship's in pieces and we've got less than a skeleton crew aboard.

Uhura : Starfleet, are you aware of our current status?

Starfleet Officer : Current status understood. Stand by to copy operational orders and recall key personnel.

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James Doohan, Star Trek's 'Scotty', dies at 85

Wednesday, July 20, 2005  

James Montgomery Doohan , the Canadian actor best known for playing the role of Star Trek ' s " Scotty " the engineer died Wednesday of pneumonia after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease . He was 85 years old.

Now, Doohan's family is hoping to beam him up to the "Final Frontier" that Scotty loved so dearly. The actor had told relatives he wanted his ashes blasted into outer space, as was done for "Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry. "He'll be there with his buddy, which is wonderful," said Doohan's agent and longtime friend, Steve Stevens.

At the time of his death, he was living in Redmond, Washington in the United States with his wife and their three young children.

Doohan was born in Vancouver and participated in World War II as a captain in the Royal Canadian Artillery . He lost the middle finger of his right hand at the Invasion of Juno Beach on D-Day , a bloody scene immortalized in the 1998 Steven Spielberg film Saving Private Ryan . Doohan was among the film's greatest supporters, thanking the director for not sanitizing the gore of the actual event.

He started his acting career with a radio appearance at a CBC show and went on to act in several character roles. Doohan had already made a name for himself in the entertainment business as a featured voice actor in Canadian and U.S. radio dramas and motion picture voice-overs due to his knack for picking up linguistically perfect accents. His ability to affect a near-perfect Scottish accent made him a natural for the role of Scotty, according to producers at the time.

When he auditioned for what would become the role of his life in 1966, Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry asked him which of the different accents Doohan mastered would best suit the role of Scotty. Doohan respond that he believed "all the world's best engineers have been Scottish". After the original Star Trek series had ended, Doohan found himself typecast and had difficulties getting other roles.

Doohan suffered from Parkinson's as well as Alzheimer's disease. In August last year he received a star on Hollywood's Walk of fame .

After DeForest Kelley , Doohan is the second actor of the original Star Trek cast to die.

He is survived by his wife Wende, with whom he had been married since 1975, and seven children.

• " 'James Doohan to be sent to his final frontier' " —  CNN , July 21, 2005
• " James Doohan, 'Star Trek's' Scotty, dead " —  CNN , July 20, 2005
• " Obituary: James Doohan " —  BBC News , July 20, 2005
• " 'Star Trek's' Doohan dies, immortalized for 'Beam me up, Scotty' " —  Associated Press , July 20, 2005

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Actor James Doohan Dies Star Trek's Scotty was 85

Redmond, WA – Actor James Doohan, best known as Lt. Cmdr. Montgomery “Scotty” Scott, the chief engineer of the starship Enterprise on the sci-fi series Star Trek , died on Wednesday, July 20. Doohan, who was 85, passed at his home in Redmond, Washington, due to complications from pneumonia and Alzheimer’s Disease.

The inspiration for the enduring catch phrase “Beam me up, Scotty,” Doohan’s Scottish-accented character was one of the mainstays of the original Star Trek , along with William Shatner’s Capt. Kirk, Leonard Nimoy’s Mr. Spock and DeForest Kelley’s Dr. McCoy.

Doohan, whom many assumed to be a Scot due to his rich burr on the series, was actually a native of Canada. He was born March 3, 1920, in Vancouver, British Columbia, and grew up in Sarnia, Ontario.

Although his exploits were earthbound rather than intergalactic, Doohan demonstrated admirable courage and experienced more than his share of danger as a soldier during World War II. On D-Day, June 6, 1944, while serving in the Royal Canadian Artillery, he landed on Juno Beach in Normandy. While crossing a minefield, he and his unit were attacked by German machine-gun fire. During the onslaught, Doohan was shot several times in the leg, the middle finger of his right hand was blown off and he survived a bullet to the chest when it struck a silver cigarette case that had been given to him by his brother. Years later, Doohan was one of many WWII veterans to publicly thank director Steven Spielberg for his unflinching depiction of the Normandy invasion in the opening sequence of the 1998 film Saving Private Ryan .

Upon his return from the war, Doohan enrolled in a drama class in Toronto and eventually earned a scholarship to the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York City, where he studied along with Leslie Nielsen, Tony Randall and Richard Boone. In the 1950s he began appearing on television and built a reputation as a versatile character actor with a facility for accents, a gift that led to the creation of his most memorable role.

According to his manager, Steve Stevens, Doohan auditioned for Star Trek in several European accents before the show’s creator, Gene Roddenberry, asked him what nationality he thought best suited the part. “He said, ‘It’s got to be a Scotsman,’” Stevens once recalled.

Prior to being cast on Star Trek , Doohan was a frequent TV guest star, appearing in such series as Bonanza , Gunsmoke , The Twilight Zone and Bewitched . In the years following Start Trek ’s cancellation, he continued to act in television on shows such as Fantasy Island , Magnum, P.I . and MacGyver . He also appeared in several Star Trek feature films, including Star Trek: The Motion Picture , Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan , Star Trek III: The Search for Spock , Start Trek IV: The Voyage Home , Star Trek V: The Final Frontier and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country . His other feature films include Test Pilot and Man in the Wilderness . His last performance was in this year’s horror thriller Skinwalker: Curse of the Shaman .

Doohan, who received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame last year, was married three times. He and his first wife, Judy Doohan, had four children. He had two children by his second marriage to Anita Yagel. Both marriages ended in divorce. In 1974, he married Wende Braunberger, with whom he had three children—Eric, Thomas and Sarah, who was born in 2000, when Doohan was 80.

Shortly after Doohan’s passing, it was announced that his wife intended to send some of his ashes into outer space, as was done for Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry upon his death in 1991.

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Star Trek Icon Helped Name His Famous Character

Posted: May 2, 2024 | Last updated: May 2, 2024

While even the biggest franchise fans don’t stop to think about it very often, one of the coolest parts of Star Trek is the iconic names of our favorite characters. The name “James T. Kirk” sounds like it belongs to a man of action, just like “Spock” is a perfectly simple name for a perfectly complex character. While Gene Roddenberry was responsible for naming most of those early Trek characters, it turns out that James Doohan was personally responsible for naming Scotty “Montgomery Scott” as a tribute to his grandfather.

James Doohan Named Scotty

For casual fans, or perhaps just those who haven’t watched much of The Original Series, the full name of this character might come as a surprise. “Scotty” is actually a nickname for the character who otherwise has a full name like everyone else not named Spock or Uhura (whose full name was not uttered onscreen until the 2009 Star Trek reboot). James Doohan helped give “Scotty” a proper name, and he did so because he wanted to honor James Montgomery, his maternal grandfather.

Amazingly, Doohan Is Not Scottish

At this point, you probably have a pretty obvious question: if James Doohan wanted to honor a man named “James Montgomery,” then where did the Scotty part come from? When the actor first read lines for The Original Series episode “Where No Man Has Gone Before,” his chief engineer character didn’t even have a name. Doohan is great at accents (if you don’t already know, the actor is from Canada, not Scotland), and he read lines with a variety of different accents, including Italian and German.

Paying Tribute To Family

You’ve probably figured this out, but one of the accents he tried was Scottish, and that’s the one that stuck. The final accent was the actor’s choice, and he used this particular voice because the Scottish are world-renowned engineers. Therefore, while James Doohan’s character was nicknamed “Scotty,” Montgomery Scott’s full name simultaneously paid tribute to the actor’s grandfather (a name shared by James Montgomery Doohan) and the character’s Scottish origin.  

Spock And Montomgery Scott

Next time you watch an episode of Star Trek: The Original Series, you should pay attention to who doesn’t call James Doohan’s character “Scotty.” This nickname was used by almost all of his fellow crew except for the Vulcan Spock, who invariably referred to the engineer by his proper name, Montgomery Scott. It’s a really great character detail for the alien, showcasing both his unfamiliarity with human nicknames and his formal bearing amid the highly emotional crew.

Doohan Helped Shape Early Star Trek

In addition to James Doohan’s Scottish accent helping create Scotty’s real name, his skill at accents also shaped Star Trek history in other ways. For example, he created the first words of the Klingon language (this was back before Marc Okrand greatly expanded the language of Trek’s most famous race). Doohan also helped to develop the Vulcan language…not bad for an actor that Gene Roddenberry originally tried to get fired after Star Trek’s second pilot episode.

A Behind The Scenes Miracle Worker

Learning more about how James Doohan shaped Scotty and other iconic parts of the franchise is a great reminder of how indispensable he truly was. Like Captain Kirk, Gene Roddenberry was the steady commander of the world’s most influential science fiction series in those early days. But Doohan should get full credit for fleshing out this strange new world, serving as a “miracle worker” on and off the screen. 

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Published May 24, 2024

RECAP | Star Trek: Discovery 509 - 'Lagrange Point'

Problem now, science later!

SPOILER WARNING: This article contains story details and plot points for Star Trek: Discovery.

StarTrek.com

Previously, Sylvia Tilly reminds Ensign Adira how nervous they were to be on the Bridge when they were on Halem'no , but they did a great job. They're really finding their way, and they shouldn't be scared to take on more. Meanwhile, Zora interrupts the pair to tell them she found a match for the text on the metallic clue card — Labyrinths of the Mind — a Betazoid manuscript.

Heading to the Eternal Gallery and Archive , the Archivist Hy'Rell tells Burnham that record shows she's the first to come looking for the clue. As she pours the manuscript, Burnham's consciousness has been transported into a mindscape where an archivist avatar takes on the appearance of Book. His presence rattles her, forcing her to admit she wants to fix things but she doesn't know how. After passing the test, Avatar Book points her to the next clue's hiding spot, and offers her a hint about the final destination.

With Primarch Ruhn, Moll, and their Breen faction caught up, the Breen demands all the clues transported to them, or more deaths will be on the Federation's hands. Before transporting the clues, Burnham secures a scan of the map to their next location. The Discovery -A will evade and jump simultaneously, causing the Breen to believe they've been destroyed in the process.

Aboard the Breen Dreadnaught, following the assault on the Eternal Archive, Moll challenges Ruhn calling him out for his selfish actions. Before the primarch can harm her, Arisar steps in between them, as Moll takes his truncheon and disposes of him. She tells his soldiers that L'ak the Scion is the true emperor — long will he reign.

In the penultimate episode of Star Trek: Discovery , " Lagrange Point ," after Moll and the Breen capture a mysterious structure that contains the Progenitors' power, Captain Burnham must lead a covert mission to retrieve it before the Breen figure out how to use it.

• T'Rina
• Michael Burnham
• Paul Stamets
• Cleveland "Book" Booker
• Lorna Jemison
• Sylvia Tilly
• Dr. Hugh Culber
• William Christopher
• Moll (Malinne Ravel)

• Federation Headquarters
• U.S.S. Discovery -A
• Breen Dreadnaught

A flurry of activity greets Captain Saru as he beams into Federation Headquarters, and Ni'Var's President T'Rina also awaits him at the transporter pad. Overjoyed to be reunited, Saru presents his partner with a vibrant floral bouquet from Elpanah, a gift which the culture believes to be good luck for those with impending nuptials. The Kelpien notices concern in T'Rina's demeanor, and she relays that the U.S.S. Discovery -A came into conflict with a Breen vessel and sustained damage — but no casualties. The situation has become complex, and President Laira Rillak has convened an emergency meeting that requires their attendance.

In Federation HQ's Briefing Room, President Rillak speaks to Saru, T'Rina, and other officials. She notes that Moll killed Primarch Ruhn, and the news has spread faster than they had anticipated. Within a matter of hours, the five remaining Breen Primarchs have become aware and smell blood in the water. Saru, who has just returned from planets near Breen space, believes this development could cause panic on those worlds. However, a more urgent matter requires their attention. T'Rina outlines an intelligence report indicating that Primarch Tahal intends to take Ruhn's soldiers in order to strengthen her bid for the throne of the Breen Imperium. Tahal has mobilized her fleet to pursue Ruhn's dreadnought, which is already en route to the location of the Progenitors' technology.

"Lagrange Point"

With Discovery -A also planning to converge on those coordinates once repairs are completed, the starship will need to secure the technology and jump away before Tahal appears on scene. If Tahal learns that the Federation is in search of the power of creation, she will want it for herself. The gravity of the situation sinks in, and Saru observes that the Discovery -A barely survived one dreadnought — facing Tahal's entire fleet would be impossible. President Rillak explains that Admiral Charles Vance is assembling every Starfleet ship in the sector, but most won't make it in time. An audible alert sounds, and a nearby communications officer informs those gathered that Moll's dreadnought just exited a transwarp tunnel and has picked up time. They'll reach the Progenitors' tech within 15 minutes.

His tone regretful, Saru communicates this update to Captain Michael Burnham as she traverses the Discovery -A's battle-damaged corridors. Saru trusts that the captain will find a way to succeed and promises to do everything he can to prevent Tahal's fleet from joining the conflict. Grateful for the reassurance, Burnham tells the Kelpien that repairs are nearly complete and the ship will be on its way soon. The captain smiles, vowing she will stay safe so that she can attend Saru's wedding when this is all over. The comms channel closes, and Burnham finds Commander Rayner at a fluctuating terminal. Bracing for the Kellerun officer's reaction, she reveals that Primarch Tahal might be on her way. Rayner's gaze hardens, but he quickly shifts back to his duties and reports that basic power and auxiliary systems are back online. The lighting fluctuates and returns to full illumination. The left nacelle is fully functional, the right nacelle is almost there, and the shields are in progress. But the spore drive is a different story…

Burnham and Rayner gather in Engineering with Commander Paul Stamets, Ensign Adira Tal, and Cleveland "Book" Booker. While they can jump, Stamets can not guarantee that they’ll land precisely where they intend to. Burnham is curious — how "not precisely are we talking?" Adira chimes in to mention that the nav system was damaged during Ruhn's attack. The captain also questions why Book, who is working at an open panel on the floor, is helping rather than recuperating in Sickbay. The former courier pledges that Dr. Hugh Culber patched him up and he couldn't just sit around relaxing. Burnham offers a slight grin, but her expression is tempered by concern. Although they had improved the margin of error considerably, Stamets would feel more confident in their landing accuracy if they could have another hour and a half. Rayner shuts the idea down. They need to jump right now.

The captain and first officer beam to the Bridge, where Lieutenant Commander Gen Rhys currently occupies the center seat. Seated at the conn, Lieutenant Commander Asha confirms that coordinates are set, while Lieutenant Sylvia Tilly's long-range scans are unclear. However, Tilly advises caution, as their destination is in an area of gravitational turbulence. Captain Burnham addresses the entire ship, warning her crew to expect a hard landing and the possibility that the Breen may already be on site. Commander Lorna Jemison engages at the ops station, and Burnham orders the jump.

As it makes the leap, the ship shakes in an uncontrollable fashion. Burnham initiates a Red Alert, and Stamets shares that he got them as close as he could to their target. The brilliant curves of gravity distortions occupy the viewscreen, indicating to Tilly that the vessel landed in the accretion disk of a black hole. Asha and Jemison concentrate on the ship's escape, but they will need more power to get out of the phenomenon. In Engineering, Stamets has Adira open the plasma injectors as Book moves to override the tolerance limiter. The astromycologist notifies Burnham that he's given her all the power has unless she'd like to pull from the cloak, but Rayner is adamant that it’s not worth the risk.

Asha is surprised by the gravitational pull's strength, at least until Tilly pronounces that there are two black holes — it's a binary system. Intrigued by the fact that they are primordial black holes, Tilly returns to the task at hand and suggests they move closer to the other black hole so that the ship can use its gravity to pull them away. Asha complies, and the gravitational shear places a strain on the Discovery -A that rattles the Bridge. After a brief struggle, the vessel launches itself clear of the black holes. Sighs of relief envelop the room, and Jemison promises Asha that the drinks are on her tonight. Asha jokes that it's tonight somewhere and there's no need to wait.

There are no signs of Moll's Breen Dreadnaught, but they can't be far behind. Tilly rechecks her scans, which now show their target to be within the Lagrange Point of the two black holes. The Progenitors' tech has been in gravitational equilibrium since they placed them there, and considering the black holes predate everything else in the galaxy, they have been there for an incredibly long time. The Progenitors' bounty doesn't register on sensors, but filtering out environmental debris narrows their target down to a cylindrical container that is composed of a duranium alloy which is impenetrable to scans. About the size of a small shuttle, the casing was built approximately 800 years ago — the same time the clue trail was laid. The scientists must have constructed it to hide the Progenitors' technology until the worthy seeker arrived.

The Discovery -A’s urgency to get the structure on board is amplified by an incoming warp signature — Ruhn's Dreadnaught! Unable to intercept the vessel or stop its tractor beam in time, Captain Burnham can only watch as the container is pulled into the Breen’s cavernous shuttlebay. Deflated glances abound, but Burnham demonstrates confidence in their ability to retrieve the technology. She relocates to her Ready Room, where — along with Tilly, Adira, Book, Stamets, and Rayner — they assess a holographic scan of their target. It is being held in the Breen shuttlebay, it's likely it won't take Moll long to open it. Tilly references a small opening or access point on the container, and Rayner deduces that it's a keyhole for the map of clues they gathered. Although Moll has the key, Burnham shares that she was told that there is another obstacle inside of the structure when she was in the mindscape. The captain was also given information about how to beat it — " Build the shape of the one between the many ." While cryptic, Burnham trusts that the phrase will make sense when it needs to.

Book weighs in with his opinion, crediting the Discovery -A with another advantage — Moll thinks they’re dead. Stamets presents a limited set of options, divulging that they'll need to take down the Breen's shields in order to beam the structure out. They’d also need to be in extremely close proximity to secure a successful lock. Inspired by the astromycologist’s reasoning, Adira proposes they utilize a transpo-lock. When Adira was in the United Earth Defense Force, they often employed such devices to get around interference near Mars. By attaching it to the structure, they could lock on and beam it out instantly once the shields are down. Stamets radiates pride in Adira's work, but Rayner emphasizes the problem of getting themselves on board the Dreadnaught.

Captain Burnham pauses for a moment before outlining her plan to accomplish that very feat. Scan data from their run-in with the Breen shows a gap in the dreadnought’s shield coverage at its exhaust port. They'll select two teams who can fly a shuttle in and beam aboard from there. Alpha Team will go to the Bridge, hack into systems, and standby to take down the Dreadnaught's shields. Bravo Team's target is the Shuttlebay, where they'll attach the transpo-lock onto the structure and beam back to Discovery once Alpha Team drops the shields. Slightly incredulous, Book describes the idea as insane.

Unperturbed, Burnham selects Book to pilot the shuttle, but Tilly highlights how difficult it is to crack the Breen's base-duodeca coding. Having analyzed the coding behind the Breen shield-tunneling technology, Adira enthusiastically volunteers to go on the mission. The request stuns Stamets, who rushes to propose that he can do the hacking — just not as fast as Adira. Nervous looks are exchanged among the group when Burnham asks Tilly if Adira can handle it, but the Starfleet Academy instructor agrees that Adira is up to the task. Burnham approves, placing Adira on Alpha Team and assigning Rhys as their security backup. The captain and Book will be on Bravo Team, and Rayner will have the conn. Tilly awkwardly accepts Rayner's invitation to be his acting first officer.

Book follows this exchange with an important question — how can they get around once they're on the Breen-infested Dreadnaught? Committed to hiding in plain sight, Burnham wants to use scans of soldiers from The Archive to let them replicate Breen suits. They'll simply need to add translation tech. Since Breen culture is rigidly hierarchical, looking the part and avoiding attention should allow them to go unchallenged. Book updates his assessment of the plan — it's still insane. Resolved to get the mission under way, Burnham mentions they'll leave in 10 minutes and ends the meeting.

In the Breen Dreadnaught's Shuttlebay, the structure is encased in a translucent green quarantine field. Moll considers the container, ordering the field to be taken down and handing the recently assembled map to Lieutenant Arisar. The Breen carefully passes it to one of his troops, and Moll promises the soldier that the Scion will reward him for his service. The subordinate cautiously fits the map into the circular access point, causing the structure's sides to retract slightly. An intense green glow emanates from within, leaving the soldier to hesitate and turn back to Arisar. The lieutenant orders him in, and the trooper reaches his hand toward the opening. The light grabs him, suddenly pulling him inside.

The vanishing act infuriates Moll, who demands that a nearby scientist not speak to her in Breen. The helmeted officer reports that the soldier no longer registers on scans. This appears to be an extra-dimensional gateway to an unknown location. Assuming the Progenitors' tech is on the other side, Moll will let the scientists analyze it to ensure that it is safe. Meanwhile, she retrieves a portable pattern buffer from her clothing. Learning how to use the Progenitors' power could take time, so this will preserve L'ak's body until then. Arisar nods, and Moll approaches her partner's corpse as it rests in state several feet away. She presses her head to L'ak's, promising to bring him back and securing the device to his helmet. Moll activates it, transferring L'ak's pattern into the buffer and affixing the storage unit on her sleeve.

Outfitted in a Breen suit, Adira strolls through a corridor in Discovery alongside Culber and Stamets. The doctor reminisces about Adira wishing him luck on his mission to the Ten-C planet, pleased that he now gets to do the same for them. Stamets expresses his reluctant pride, but assures them both that they will be fine. Zora's voice calls out over the comm system, notifying Adira that they are expected in the Shuttlebay. Adira beams out, supplying Culber with a moment to give Stamets a loving kiss and a comforting embrace.

On the Bridge, Rayner rallies his command crew — Tilly, Jemison, Asha, and Lieutenants Linus, Christopher, and Naya. Tilly steps back to Christopher's station, whispering her observation that the Kellerun first officer never sits in the captain's chair. Christopher confirms her analysis, as they've all noticed he avoids it like the plague. With Discovery still cloaked, the shuttle launches with Book at the helm and Burnham, Adira, and Rhys — all in Breen suits — aboard. Shields are raised, but Adira determines that the exhaust ports will fire at a temperature of at least 3,000 degrees Kelvin. However, the heat will camouflage their transporter signals so they can beam in undetected. Shields will give them sixty seconds before the shuttle burns to a crisp, but the craft is rocked by thermal radiation as Book endeavors to maneuver them into position.

Adira alerts them to an issue, but as they try to explain the complication, Captain Burnham orders, "Science later, problem now!" Shouting over the turbulent flight, Adira states that there are two Breen lifesigns where they have to beam in. Rhys asks why they can't beam in elsewhere, leading Adira to answer with Burnham's "science later, problem now" declaration — they just can't! The computer informs them that a hull breach is imminent, prompting Burnham to tell the crew to put on their Breen helmets and transport over to the Dreadnaught.

The four Discovery crew members land on the deck with unsteady feet, barely able to get their bearings before the two Breen turn a corner and approach them. The Breen guards confront the newcomers in their metallic machine language, but the Starfleet replica suits need a moment before they will begin translating in real time. The deciphered inquiry is piped into their helmets, as the guard demands they justify themselves. Burnham bursts into a rage, calling one of her undercover subordinates a pathetic achworm and chastising them for setting the transporter to the wrong sector. She shifts her ire to one of the Breen guards, slapping his weapon to the side and noting that his dishonorable conduct would disgust their Scion. The convincing ruse fools the Breen, and they continue on their patrol. Having succeeded in infiltrating the enemy vessel, Alpha and Bravo Teams split up to pursue their tasks.

Back at Federation HQ, President Rillak narrates a message to Primarch Tahal of the Third Flight and appeals for a meeting on a matter of utmost urgency. A communications officer indicates that the Breen received the message, but once again, no response was sent in return. T'Rina, Saru, and Attaché Mia Greer are also present, and Ni'Var's president concludes that Tahal is ignoring the communiques. In need of a way to stop Tahal's fleet, T'Rina suggests that the U.S.S. Mitchell could use its pathway drive to intercept them. Fearing the arrival of a Federation starship would escalate the situation, Saru recommends they dispatch a harmless shuttle instead. One was outfitted with the new propulsion system when the Pathway program began. The small craft couldn't be perceived as a threat to Tahal, but it might be able to force the face-to-face dialogue necessary to slow her down. If misunderstood, the trip could be a suicide mission.  

Greer weighs in, urging Rillak to stay at Fed HQ for last-minute negotiations should the shuttle gesture fail. T'Rina offers to draw up a list of suitable candidates who could be Rillak's delegate. Saru interjects, citing his tactical and diplomatic experience — as well as the fact that he used to serve on Discovery — as reasons he should pilot the shuttle to Tahal. Rillak considers it for a moment, ultimately opting to sanction his plan. Rillak and the others clear the room, providing Saru and T'Rina with a moment alone. Ni'Var's president shakes her head before departing herself.

In a hallway on the Dreadnaught, Burnham and Book encounter another armed Breen. The soldier speaks to them but uses words that aren't in the database. The captain recognizes the term sarkaress as a Breen feast day, venturing that the best response would be to agree to join the festivities. The soldier nods in appreciation and moves on. With their path now clear thanks to xenoanthropology — the gift that keeps on giving — Book senses Michael might be worried about the mission. She pulls him aside to tell him the real reason for her disposition, quietly explaining that the mindscape forced her to look at some things about herself and their relationship. Burnham let them drift apart because she felt like she'd failed, and it seemed easier to turn away. She apologizes, but Book confesses he did the same thing for the same reason. Book’s apology is cut short by the rhythm of boots marching on the deck, heralding the arrival of a heavily-armed Breen squad. Realizing that it's probably a shift change, Burnham and Book resolve to finish their assignment and push ahead.

Lieutenant Arisar reports to Moll on the Dreadnought's Bridge, informing her that their scientists have been unable to determine what's inside the gateway. The only way to get reliable data is to send someone through with the proper equipment. Unbeknownst to them, Rhys and Adira step into the vessel's command center with their disguises intact. Noticing a symbol on one soldier's arm which signals their status as the lowest-ranking bridge crew member, Rhys declares that trooper's console to be their mark. Or, as Adira puts it, everyone always picks on the ensign. Rhys commands the soldier to vacate his station, and a follow up from Adira sends the Breen into a retreat. Apprehension takes hold of Adira, but Rhys places a steadying hand on their arm. The ensign alerts Burnham that they're hacking into the shield systems.

On the Discovery -A's own Bridge, Rayner verifies that the ship will be ready to beam the team out and jump away as soon as the away team drops the Breen's shields. Shifting to his command crew, Rayner listens as each station checks in. The cloak and shields are nominal, and the Dreadnaught still doesn't seem to know the Federation ship is there. Lieutenant Gallo has all systems armed and ready at tactical, while Tilly updates the first officer on Tahal's fleet — it's less than two hours away. The updates complete, Tilly softly voices that Rayner's pacing is making everybody nervous. He's still hesitant to sit in the captain's chair, prompting Tilly to state that Burnham trusts him to lead Discovery , as they all do. Rayner responds by clarifying why he picked Tilly as his Number One — she's smart as hell and a good leader. If they were stuck in a foxhole together, Rayner wouldn't kill her… unless she gave him more of the "warm and fuzzy" encouragement that he doesn't need. Despite his words, they trade cautious grins.

Aboard the Dreadnaught, Burnham and Book get within visual range of the entrance to the Shuttlebay. Two Breen are guarding the door, and they watch as a Breen scientist's visor is scanned by the security system before they are permitted to enter the restricted area. Hoping their replicated suits will get them through, Book strides up to the scanner. The display flashes a harsh red, and the soldiers order him to vacate the corridor. Taking on the aura of a disgruntled Breen commander, Burnham yells at Book for forgetting to complete his clearance forms. The former courier leans into the ruse, aggressively pointing at Burnham. Their argument provides the perfect distraction, allowing them to jump the guards and incapacitate them. Burnham and Book hoist one of the Breen up to the door, gaining access by having the system scan the soldier's visor. They catch sight of the structure and begin concealing the guards' bodies.

Within the Shuttlebay, Burnham and Book watch as another Breen readies themself to enter the structure, this time with a cable connecting their suit to the ship’s deck. The additional safety measure makes no difference, and the Breen is sucked through the portal. Burnham reckons it must lead to the Progenitors’ tech, but is dismayed when the Breen raise a quarantine field around the structure. Book notes that the field draws power from a small box, and the captain adjusts her replicated suit to manifest a Breen science division symbol on her chest. She surprises Book by placing him on distraction duty and walks over to the Breen who is protecting the power source. Burnham covers herself with the claim that she’s performing maintenance, and Book tries to make idle conversation with the guard.

As Burnham successfully opens the power source, Book asks the Breen soldier about the sarkaress . The guard is receptive to the chat, so Book proposes that he and the soldier attend the feast together. Burnham is impressed by the flirting — a bold move — but things get too close for Book's comfort when the Breen offers to prepare a space for him in their oil bath. Burnham responds to Book’s concern with a playful demeanor before contacting Rhys and Adira on the Bridge. Adira finishes their work, happily declaring that shields are ready to drop. Moll receives a report from Arisar at a separate station situated across the expansive room, immediately growing suspicious upon learning that two guards are missing from their posts outside the Shuttlebay. Her eyes dart around the room, and she places the Shuttlebay on full lockdown — all credentials must be checked. Rhys starts to communicate this development to Burnham, but an alarm has already begun blaring throughout the storage area.

Meanwhile, Saru prepares for his dangerous rendezvous with the Breen by reviewing intelligence files on Primarch Tahal in his quarters at Federation Headquarters. T'Rina enters the room, announcing that the Kelpien's shuttle is ready and that she hopes the files she supplied will prove useful. Saru is appreciative but struggles to broach what's truly on his mind. He composes himself and stands close to his partner, explaining that he felt T'Rina was trying to protect him by offering to draw up a list of other candidates during the meeting with Rillak. T'Rina admits that her actual intention had been to protect the mission. She considers Saru's safety to be of critical importance but fears he will hesitate to take the necessary risks since they are so close to their wedding.

Saru counters that he'd never allow personal considerations to interfere with professional obligations. As T'Rina emphasizes that he’d never consciously do so, Saru delicately points out that Vulcans are not the only species capable of choosing logic and duty over emotion. The comment draws a slight grin from T'Rina. They've both chosen lives of service, and balancing those jobs with their love for one another will never be easy — but at least they can face that struggle together. T'Rina states that it would be illogical for her to request that he promise to return, so she instead asks him to try. Saru steps forward and hugs her in a reassuring manner, confirming that he'll see her when he returns. T'Rina lovingly touches her partner's chin, and then Saru exits to head to his shuttle.

On the Dreadnaught, the Breen soldiers present in the Shuttlebay gather to have their credentials scanned. Captain Burnham still needs a few more minutes to get the containment field down, so Rayner advises her that he has a risky idea. Before he can describe his plan, Burnham expresses her trust in him and orders him to initiate his strategy without hesitation. Rayner addresses the crew on Discovery 's Bridge — nothing grabs the attention like an unwelcome guest, especially one that they think is dead. He instructs Lieutenant Christopher to hail their enemy, an act which catches Moll off guard and momentarily stops her from leaving the Breen vessel's Bridge. Moll evaluates the predicament then directs Arisar to put the Dreadnaught on alert and arm weapons.

Thunderous alarms and pulsating lights bathe the Dreadnaught’s Bridge with a sense of urgency, and Moll answers Rayner's hail. Moll wonders why Rayner is the one hailing her, so he claims that Captain Burnham was killed during the attack at The Archive. A defiant Moll insists that Primarch Ruhn was responsible for the devastation, but he's dead now. Although Moll has the Progenitors' tech, Rayner relays that Primarch Tahal is on her way to draft Ruhn's ship into her own fleet. If Moll turns herself in and hands the Progenitors' technology over to Discovery , Rayner promises the Federation will protect her. Moll rejects the offer in an emphatic tone and closes the channel. His idea foiled, Rayner hears a report from Adira — Moll is leaving the Bridge. The Kellerun informs Burnham that she’s running out of time.

Fortunately, the captain wraps up her work on the power source in the Breen Dreadnaught's Shuttlebay. The quarantine field surrounding the structure drops, but weapons fire erupts around Burnham and Book before they accomplish their goal of securing the transpo-lock to it. They turn and find themselves encircled by Moll and a contingent of Breen soldiers. Cornered, they retract their helmets and face Moll without their disguises. Aware of Bravo Team's capture, Rayner contacts Adira and Rhys, commanding them to lower the Dreadnaught's shields once Burnham delivers a signal. They all listen in on the captain's open comm line as Moll questions her prisoners. Book refuses to share how they got on board — a good courier never reveals their secrets. The captain tries to appeal to Moll's love for L'ak but draws an angry response from her opponent. Committed to throwing them in the brig, Moll plans to go to warp before Tahal's arrival.

Rayner reacts by having Jemison ready Discovery 's transporters, but Burnham attracts their attention by yelling, "Wait!" Making it seem like she's conversing with Moll, the captain claims she hasn't gotten a chance to give her grum of osikod . The reference to a Kellerun saying perplexes Moll, but Rayner realizes it means Burnham is actually directing her words towards him. Burnham speaks to Moll, harkening back to her spacewalk on the hull of Moll and L'ak's ship — when she also first met Rayner. The captain had been flying out there all alone in space, but she always knew her crew would come for her. Just like they'll come for her now. Unimpressed, Moll orders her troops to put the prisoners in the brig — they'll drop them off somewhere once they’re in the clear.

On Discovery 's Bridge, Rayner smiles with enlightenment as the captain's message sinks in. On the other hand, Tilly does not. The lieutenant's confusion only deepens when Rayner remarks that they'll need to rip through the Breen Shuttlebay's containment field. He tasks Stamets with figuring out how to do it before reacting to Tilly's objection. Burnham and Book will be blasted out into space, but Rayner points out that is the captain's plan. Once outside of the Dreadnaught, the Discovery can beam Burnham, Book, and the structure aboard. Tilly covers her mouth to suppress her amazement. Rayner exudes confidence and dictates the crew's next actions — go to Red Alert, decloak, set course for the Breen Shuttlebay, and start firing with everything they've got.

The Discovery -A races forward, targeting the Dreadnaught with an array of phasers and photon torpedoes. The Breen vessel fires back. Burnham and Book harness the much-needed distraction to take down the two soldiers guarding them. As the Federation ship takes damage, Rayner contacts Stamets in Engineering. The astromycologist outlines a strategy — the ship must fly at full impulse, tilted down at 35.2 degrees with modulating shields concentrated on the deflector dish in order to pierce the containment field and maintain structural integrity. Culber asks if he thinks it will actually work, and Stamets responds with conviction, "Math doesn't lie." They will get Adira and everyone else out.

In the Breen Shuttlebay, Book and Burnham seek cover and dodge weapons fire. On the Dreadnaught’s Bridge, Adira drops the vessel's shields and draws the attention of two Breen guards. Rhys intercepts them and engages in close quarters combat, and Adira moves to assist him. The Discovery -A beams Rhys and Adira away, continuing its charge towards the Shuttlebay. Moll stares at the approaching ship, reasoning that the Federation ship plans to blow the structure out into space. Believing she might as well be dead if she can't bring L'ak back, Moll is willing to risk going through the portal. Burnham spots Moll as she pulls toward the opening and rushes to stop her. The captain arrives a second too late, taking a pause to reflect on her next move. She exchanges an uncertain-but-knowing smile with Book and leaps into the portal. Book calls out to her as the Discovery -A pierces the Shuttlebay's containment field.

The breach sends the Shuttlebay's personnel and equipment flying, and the structure tumbles out into open space. The sequence ruptures the container, and the portal emerges from its confines to spread out into a much larger gateway. Having beamed to Discovery 's Bridge, Book advises the Starfleet crew that Burnham went through the portal. The structure's speed and the density of debris prevent Jemison from locking on with a tractor beam, and Tilly's scans don't indicate any sign of the captain within the portal — she's just gone. Book insists he can feel that she's still alive. Rayner strides toward the viewscreen with newfound resolve, pointing at the portal and declaring, "Our captain is in there. The Progenitors' tech is in there. We're getting them both back."

Failure is not an option, and his rousing speech elicits inspired expressions among his subordinates. Rayner steps to the captain's chair, straightens his uniform, and takes a seat. Tapping the chair's armrest, Rayner proclaims, "Let’s do this."

* " Relics " — While aboard the Jenolan , Will Riker, Geordi La Forge, and Worf learn that Captain Montgomery "Scotty" Scott was able to exist in the transporter's pattern buffer with almost no degradation for 75 years.

• Written by Sean Cochran & Ari Friedman
• Directed by Jonathan Frakes

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Jay Stobie (he/him) is a freelance writer, author, and consultant who has contributed articles to StarTrek.com, Star Trek Explorer, and Star Trek Magazine, as well as to Star Wars Insider and StarWars.com. Learn more about Jay by visiting JayStobie.com or finding him on Twitter, Instagram, and other social media platforms at @StobiesGalaxy.

Star Trek: Discovery Seasons 1-4 are streaming exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S., the UK, Canada, Switzerland, South Korea, Latin America, Germany, France, Italy, Australia and Austria. Seasons 2 and 3 also are available on the Pluto TV “Star Trek” channel in Switzerland, Germany and Austria. The series streams on Super Drama in Japan, TVNZ in New Zealand, and SkyShowtime in Spain, Portugal, Poland, The Nordics, The Netherlands, and Central and Eastern Europe and also airs on Cosmote TV in Greece. The series is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.

• May 24, 2024 | Podcast: All Access And Lisa Klink Explore “Lagrange Point” On ‘Star Trek: Discovery’
• May 23, 2024 | ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Continues Climbing The Streaming Top 10 Chart
• May 23, 2024 | Production On ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Season 3 Has Wrapped(ish)
• May 23, 2024 | Recap/Review: ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Finds The Right Balance In “Lagrange Point”
• May 22, 2024 | ‘Star Trek: Picard’ Showrunner Terry Matalas Jumps To Marvel As Showrunner For New Vision Series

Recap/Review: ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Finds The Right Balance In “Lagrange Point”

| May 23, 2024 | By: Anthony Pascale 93 comments so far

“Lagrange Point”

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, Episode 9 – Debuted Thursday, May 23, 2024 Written by Sean Cochran & Ari Friedman Directed by Jonathan Frakes

The penultimate episode of the season sets up the finale with a great mix of action, heart, and even some fun.

I know you missed me.

WARNING: Spoilers below!

“What do we do now?”

We begin with Ambassador Saru returning to HQ, flowers in hand (aww), only to have his romantic moment with T’Rina diverted to a crisis meeting with the Prez. Rillak briefs the group on the last episode: Moll killed Ruhn, now Primarch Tahal’s fleet is heading to claim his dreadnaught, and it would be really bad news if she found out about the Progenitor Tech. On the Disco, they are still fixing the ship but risk using the spore drive to beat Moll to the coordinates. Upon arrival, they’re immediately pulled into a black hole—right next to another one. “That’s interesting.” Not now, Tilly! She rallies and sciences a way out of them being spaghettified , and the crew battles their way to safety, quickly spotting a curious cylinder in the Lagrange Point (title alert!) point between the holes, which must be what the 24 th -century scientists built to hide the Progenitor tech. They take in the moment to be dazzled by the awesome majesty of these binary primordial black holes as the secret home to the power of creation. This why they went into the final frontier, to find strange new… Oh shit, the Breen show up and tractor the cylinder into their shuttle bay. Zoink! You snooze you lose, space nerds.

I did miss you!

“I think they can do it.”

The Breen use the map as a key to open the container, revealing an extra-dimensional portal, so Moll starts sending Breen red shirts scientists in to figure it out. She doesn’t have the cryptic clue Michael got from Avatar Book, so the good guys have time if they can figure out how to beam the cylinder to the Disco. Adira suggests attaching transport locks, but how to get close enough? Cue the heist movie montage! The plan is to sneak a shuttle through a shield weak point to insert two teams dressed as Breen: Alpha to go to bridge and shut off shields, Beta to attach the transport lock. After some protective dad objections, Adira (with Rhys as security backup) are Alpha and Michael leads Beta, bringing Book along as pilot. Cleveland assesses the plan as “insane,” proven right as they fly into the dreadnaught’s exhaust with only seconds  before they are “deep fried.” Both teams beam in at the last moment… right next to some soldiers demanding answers. Banking on strict Breen hierarchy, Burnham chastises the soldiers and evokes the Scion, using the old fake it till you make it strategy of infiltration. Alpha team heads to the bridge, where they order a lowly officer away from his station with Adira sympathizing, “Everyone always picks on the ensign.” Beta heads to the shuttle bay with their usual banter, but take a quick sidebar so Michael can tell Book about the emotional epiphany she had in the mindscape last episode. Nice, but do you need to do this now?

Rhys and Adira prepare to drop some beats.

“This is getting weird.”

Back at HQ, Rillak is getting ghosted by Tahal so they debate dispatching the USS Mitchell to waylay the Breen Primarch, then settle on sending a less provocative shuttle with the same cool new Pathway Drive. Before T’Rina can provide a list of who could head up the mission, Saru volunteers. Later, they finally get their nice romantic moment and come to an understanding of how in their line of work they will always be faced with balancing their love with the logic required to choose duty over emotion. Speaking of duty, Rayner continues to pace the Disco bridge as he readies the crew for action and he isn’t about to sit in the captain’s chair, making it clear to acting first officer Tilly that he has no need for her “warm and fuzzy encouragement.” Stay gruff, my friend. On the dreadnaught, Michael and Book bluff their way through a checkpoint, knocking out the guards to get into the shuttle bay to see another Breen scientist sacrificed to the mysterious glowing cylinder. They need to shut off a quarantine field, so Book is tasked with distracting a guard and he goes with… flirting. No helmet and refrigeration suit can hide the sexy. As he agrees to a group hook-up at the oil baths, Michael gets to work on that field, but on the bridge, Captain Moll gets wind of the missing shuttle bay guards. She orders a total lockdown as more soldiers head towards the precious cylinder… too many even for Book to seduce.

Those DJs are really kicking it.

“I always knew my crew would come for me.”

Beta Team needs a distraction, so Rayner hails Moll, revealing the Disco wasn’t destroyed last week but fibbing that Captain Burnham was killed. He warns Tahal is coming for Ruhn’s dreadnaught, but Moll rejects the offer of protection from the Federation. The former courier soon finds Alpha Team, unmasks them, and grabs the transporter lock before it can be used. Michael and Moll trade barbs, but Rayner is listening closely and understands the coded message from his captain.  The crazy plan is to fly the Disco through the Breen shuttle bay containment field and beam Michael, Book, and the cylinder over when they get flung into space. Sure, no problem. Alpha Team drops the shields, but that gets unwanted attention, so Rhys jumps into action and even Adira gets in some hits before they’re beamed away to safety. Moll sorts out what the Starfleeters are doing and decides her best hope is to go through the interdimensional gate herself (with L’ak’s body safely stored in a portable pattern buffer). Burnham can’t let her get the tech, so she decides to follow, sharing one last poignant look with Book before being zapped away. Discovery dives through the energy barrier and all hell breaks as the cylinder floats out into space and disintegrates, revealing the pulsating glowing portal from within. Book’s now on the bridge (having found the time to change back into his cool leather coat, perhaps due to some transporter tech?) and reveals the captain is inside the portal. Scanners find nothing, so Tilly sums up: “She’s just gone.” Not on Rayner’s watch. The commander rallies the crew with a fine “ failure… not an option ” speech. They are going to get her and the tech back, period. To make his point, he (finally) sits in the captain’s chair with, “Let’s do this”… next week.

I’ll sit down when I am damned ready.

That was exciting

What an exciting episode, nicely setting things up as a first part of the two-part finale while still being a complete package on its own. Time flies by with good pacing from director Jonathan “two-takes” Frakes. He leans into the season’s pivot in tone with a sense of adventure and even some fun with heist movie motifs. Sneaking on board alien ships in disguise is classic Trek going back to “The Enterprise Incident,” but this time with a Breen twist, evoking Kira Breening up in DS9’s “Indiscretion.” The stakes are huge as the season plot comes to a head with Moll and now a looming new Breen threat potentially taking the Progenitor tech, and these bring along the VFX moments and dramatic bridge scenes we should expect from big-budget Star Trek. But this is also Discovery, and so what is woven throughout are key character moments driving home the season’s theme of connection. This may be exemplified best by the very welcome return of Doug Jones, who is giving us the perspective from Starfleet HQ as Saru and T’Rina find love in between moments of high-tension statecraft and diplomacy.

Michael senses she only has one episode left.

“Lagrange Point” pays off several character arcs that have been playing out this season, leaving Saru and T’Rina’s big day (presumably) for the season finale. Here there were more quick and even subtle moments that were still quite satisfying, especially seeing Adira come into their own by going on an away mission based on their own crazy idea, with the nervous but proud space dads sending them off like it was the first day of school. Adorable, yes, but it was also great to see Blu del Barrio show more range, with bits of humor—and it was really them doing the action scenes (check back later for Blu’s TrekMovie interview about this episode and more). The episode did make a big deal out of Rayner taking the chair, but it built up to this by picking up on threads from the season as he has earned the trust of the crew as expressed by Tilly, even as they hung a lantern on the show’s penchant for being all touchy-feely. The biggest payoff was for Michael and Book, broken up at the start of the season, now clearly realizing they are still in love. However, Discovery can’t help itself by having an inappropriately timed feelings discussion with Michael and Book on the Breen ship. This kind of thing isn’t really necessary and could have played better if she’d tried to have the conversation but was cut off, leaving everything that needed to be said in that brief beautiful moment they share only with looks before she goes into the portal.

Do they have Breen suits in my size?

Breen to be wild

It looks like they are saving all the big reveals about the Progenitors and their tech for the rest of the finale, but the ability to put their portal into the Lagrange Point of two primordial black holes is literally awesome, and Tilly seemed to imply the Progenitors may have even created those black holes, once again telegraphing this god-level tech probably shouldn’t end up in anyone’s hands. Season 5 also adds more to the lore when it comes to the Breen, although they do remain mysterious. It’s hard to grasp how Moll is now in command instead of Arisar, Ruhn’s top lieutenant who backed her coup. But there does seem to be a cult-like worship of the Scion and her association is the source of that power. More importantly, Moll seems to remain singularly focused on L’ak, but Eve Harlow’s over-the-top performance risks what we can assume is a coming redemption with Book in the finale. They were careful to show that even though she had little regard for Breen scientists, she had not gone full evil, saying she planned to drop Michael and Book off at some planet instead of killing them. We also learn that the Breen are polyamorous, like Denobulans, and they relax with oil baths, like Star Wars droids. Like with other little beats in the episode, they pick up on things established earlier in the season, like using the “anchworm” insult to good effect on the ship. This, as well as the nod to the Kellerun Ballad of Krul and “osikod” code from Burnham to Rayner, are little examples sthat show how this season is tied together more effectively than previous ones.

The Breen aren’t into walls.

For the setup to a season finale, there was a surprising amount of action, and not just with the spectacular space effects of the two black holes and battle with the Breen. The fight scenes on board the Breen ship with accompanying bluff-the-bad-guys moments were a bit familiar, but perhaps that was intentional as the episode had no time to waste. That said, there were moments that felt like they were skipping a step; after the Discovery crashes into the shuttle bay, the next moment Book is on the bridge wearing a new outfit. If you rewind and look VERY closely, you will see in the chaos of flying debris a tiny beam-out effect, but it felt like we missed something there. And if they could easily nab Book while he was in the shuttle bay, why not the cylinder as well? But it was still effective when the episode slowed down for some moments, including those back at Starfleet HQ, which added emotional beats and more context to the larger plot.

You’ll be back next week, right?

Final thoughts

In the end (and little nitpicks aside), “Lagrange Point” is a taut episode that stands on its own, but will likely be seen later as just part of the larger season finale as it ends on a cliffhanger. The balanced mix of action and emotion sprinkled with humor is the sweet spot for this series that we’ve been seeing throughout the season.

You better come back, the deposit on the wedding venue is nonrefundable.

• This is Jonathan Frakes’ 31st Star Trek directing credit and 8th episode of Discovery .
• At 46:57, it is the shortest episode of the season.
• A Lagrange Point is a real thing in celestial mechanics.
• Primarch Tahal leads the “3rd Flight” of the Breen factions.
• Once again Michael showed off her expertise in xenoanthropology (revealed in the series premiere) by knowing “Sarkaress” was a Breen festival, although it’s not clear why the universal translator didn’t know that as well.
• The vulnerability of an unshielded exhaust port is likely a reference to the Death Star from Star Wars .

Stamets is still shrooming.

More to come

Every Friday, the TrekMovie.com All Access Star Trek Podcast  covers the latest news in the Star Trek Universe and discusses the latest episode. The podcast is available on Apple Podcasts ,  Spotify ,  Pocket Casts ,  Stitcher and is part of the TrekMovie Podcast Network.

The fifth and final season of  Discovery debuted with two episodes on Thursday, April 4 exclusively on Paramount+  in the U.S., the UK, Switzerland, South Korea, Latin America, Germany, France, Italy, Australia, and Austria.  Discovery  will also premiere on April 4 on Paramount+ in Canada and will be broadcast on Bell Media’s CTV Sci-Fi Channel in Canada. The rest of the 10-episode final season will be available to stream weekly on Thursdays. Season 5 debuts on SkyShowtime in select European countries on April 5.

Keep up with news about the  Star Trek Universe at TrekMovie.com .

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One More Ride. LET’S GO!

I can’t recall offhand, but did we ever see Discovery’s engine room? I think they just showed the spore drive engine but never the warp engine.

It’s one of those things (like with who is chief engineer and who is chief medical officer) they never decided on. First it was ‘a’ science lab, then it was engineering.

Yeah, that was definitely one of the series’ major flaws.

Early on, they acted like we hadn’t, and that we would, but we never did.

I seem to recall this room being called engineering this season or last. It’s clearly at least an offshoot.

In Season 3 they, briefly, showed the Warp Core.

I’m pretty sure Stamet’s Lab became Engineering. You can sometimes see what’s supposed to be the core through the window.

No, and it really wasn’t necessary. The ship has engines, we get it.

And with that, there goes how many TOS eps right out the window?

Every show minus DS9 the engine room is a big part of the show and stories. This is the only one who apparently forgot they even had one.

TOS never showed the warp core.

They did, it just looked different, more like a particle accelarator then the one from TNG which set the standard, where Scotty would always be

Actually The Motion Picture set the standard. It may not have had the exact look of the core from TNG, but it did have the cylinder and lighting effects that were passed on to TNG.

One more episode of this extremely disappointing season to go. This one was moderately better than some of the others, but at this point I can’t imagine how they could possibly pull off a good season finale with this dull concept.

> extremely disappointing

How the fuck high are your standards?

(Go ahead and delete this, mods. I don’t blame you.)

To each their own. I really enjoyed the episode and it has been one of the best season we’ve had. I think we all get it. Discovery just isn’t your thing. That’s fine – you are entitled to your views. But there are quite a few of us that are actually enjoying this season. The writing have been fantastic this season (talking as a writer myself), the pacing has been great, and the acting has been wonderful.

What is the point of saying “We all get it?” I’m expressing my opinion, the same as anyone else here. If you don’t like my opinion, feel free not to read it. But there’s no need for that kind of response, and there is no “we”–you speak only for yourself. In any case, you enjoy the writing and acting this season, and that’s cool. I, for the most part, do not.

Oh, I seem to have touched a nerve. I only say that we all get it is because you have mentioned it several times before. Twice in this thread. That is all. “We get it” that you do not generally like Discovery – you have been quite vocal about it. And “WE”, meaning “others” understand that too.

But perhaps you should have read what else I said in my post… “to each their own”

No need to get snappy with me.

I have never said I dislike Discovery. On the contrary, I’ve said many times that I like some aspects of it, and have been consistent in saying so since season one. What I dislike are the needless melodrama, the whisper-acting, and how thin the plots have been since season three. That doesn’t mean I dislike the show. I’d argue it means the opposite. I keep watching because there are aspects I find enjoyable, and I keep hoping the show will finally rise up and meet its enormous potential.

Unfortunately, this season’s storyline doesn’t work for me. That is not the same as me not enjoying the show. I loved seasons one and two, and I thought season three had a lot of great things about it, too. It’s just four and five that have generally disappointed me. But there have been moments of greatness from time to time, even in these two disappointing arcs.

As for my getting snappy, I was responding in kind to “We all get it.” But that’s fine, I’m moving on

Thank you for moving all… from all of us.

Yes, but the guy is right, you do make that quite clear in your posts. They are more negative than positive. I think I read that you liked 2 episodes. But even then, you tend to focus on the negative aspects than celebrate the positive ones. But I get it. It’s your thing to nit-pick. I, for one, never understood your obsession with what you call whisper acting. Don’t really get it. But you do you. But I think that got you called out for trolling once.

You’ve been pissing on this since the first episode, so I guess you need to finish strong. By most accounts this has been a great season, and people are watching. So there’s that.

“Most accounts” is very subjective and kind of moot. I’ve read a lot of negative reactions to this season. Mine are hardly unique.

I will say looking at the reviews for IMDB the ratings are a lot lower than I expected GIVEN that people seem to at least like it. But the highest rated episode so far is episode 4 with a 7.1 which is decent but that’s the HIGHEST so far. The lowest rated is episode 6 with a 5.7 rating. In fact all the other episodes are in the 5s and 6s. That’s LOW.

Just for comparison sake SNW season 2 highest rated episode was TOS with a 9.0 rating. The lowest rated was subspace Rhapsody with a 6.9. But all the other episodes are in the 7 and 8 ranges which are sold ratings overall.

Now we’ll come to the most highly rated season in modern Star Trek so far with Picard season 3. The highest rated episode there is still the finale with a 9.4 which is still insane to me a year later but there it is. The LOWEST rated episode are episodes 2 and 7 tied at 8.2. Let that sink in that’s the Lowest rated episodes of the season. Picard season 3 are all rated 8 and 9. That’s abnormally high for any Star Trek show.

So your assessment is accurate. The season is rated higher than the last two but just barely. It’s shocking with people people fawning over how much they are loving this season but yet not a single episode has reached anything close to an 8. To clarify there isn’t a rating for this episode yet so maybe it will be higher.

But the REALITY is this season is still very mixed overall in the fanbase. I certainly do think a lot of people like it more, certainly more than last season. But Picard season 3 this is NOT!

I think what is happening is the people who isn’t loving it as much simply isn’t talking about it as much either. At least not here. But I could be wrong. That’s my only theory because the season is still rated fair to low on both IMDB and RT which currently has a 30% audience score. But I focus more on IMDB since the episodes are individually rated.

But you’re 100% right, yours is not unique in the slightest.

Another reminder that imdb as a metric has to be tempered due to review bombing. They’ve removed transparency to see the percentages of how people vote, but it’s guaranteed there’s a slew of unreasonable 1’s in the mix there.

This is why it’s hard to have an honest discussion about the show – people started review bombing it the second they added trans people to the cast, which makes it more difficult to talk about how at the same time the writing did change noticeably.

I know this but it’s season 5. I mean at this point it’s all been laid out.

Picard season 2 for example has the WORST ratings of any of the modern shows after the first two episodes. But then season 3 as said now has the highest.

So were people just review bombing season 2 of that show? Because it has lower ratings than even Discovery. Or maybe people just generally thought it sucked? That seems to be the consensus everywhere at the time.

At some point we just have to also admit maybe the majority of down votes are just people unhappy with the show?

And here is the biggest irony. The highest rated season of Discovery is actually season 1, the season that easily had the most acrimony and bitterness from fans since Enterprise season 1 lol.

Oddly that season is decently ranked today. It’s highest rated episodes are 12 and 13 tied at 8.1.

The lowest rated that season is #8 with a 6.8. In fact most of the season are in the 7 range. Not amazing but not awful either. Basically average which MOST Star Trek seasons are rated actually across the entire franchise.

So obviously it’s not like every season has been pounded into oblivion either.

But look these discussions really frustrates me because everyone wants to argue the online ratings .. when they are bad. NO ONE argues about them when they are good lol

If I came and posted every episode this season got an 8.1 everyone would be saying “SEEEE! People love this show!!!!”

And I only posted this because of Lorna Dune said that his view wasn’t in a tiny minority and he’s right… it’s not.

But yes people certainly love it here more than him which I think is accurate and fair. But other places online it is MUCH more mixed and those ratings are bearing it out.

As far as the Trans issue sorry I just don’t buy that. Were there any Trans characters in the first two seasons of Picard because those are rated just as bad as Discovery is minus a few stand out episodes.

And I went and looked at SMW episode that featured a Trans character in episode 7. It’s rated at a 7.2. Not amazing but decent right? And it’s not the lowest rated episode of the season either.

So sorry I don’t think it’s that. Some people YES, there are certainly the anti Woke idiots around, no doubt. But no not the main issue for its lower ratings. People have been complaining about this show for five seasons and we know it’s not those issues why most think it’s bad.

The IMDb ratings start to collapse the second they introduce Gray. Could be a coincidence, but my faith in people has been dashed. When they were visible, these numbers were filled with “1” ratings. It’s just skewing the numbers too much. I think the show got worse in seasons 3 and 4. But as bad as the numbers from IMDb fanboys who can’t even bear to rate When Harry Met Sally above a 7.7? Nah. There’s a mean-spirited agenda at work.

Ok fine and you could certainly be right. But again you also said the show just got worse in those seasons as well… which most people here (who didn’t like them) have also said.

Yes maybe that did have something to do with it but I think it’s clear it’s not the only thing either.

I was the guy saying Michelle Paradise should be fired because of HOW disappointed I was over seasons 3 and 4 and it obviously had nothing to do with Grey. I just thought it was generally bad outside of a few standout episodes.

The IMDB ratings are really just a self-selecting group of poll-takers who are motivated by having their likes and dislikes noted, somewhere. (Yeah, I doubt even Terry Matalas would rate the Picard finale that highly.) I wouldn’t put all that much stock in them, in any case.

We have this conversation every season lol.

And I say the same thing EVERY season, if you’re going to just dismiss every online poll then how do we rate anything???

When someone says people are loving or hate such and such show, OK, fine but where is it coming from? TikTok videos, viewing ratings, what people on a message board says?

Because here is a shock, every metric is online.

Look no one has to believe it, I say that all the time too lol, but for me these ratings seem to bare out what people are saying online most of the time. People seem to love SNW, guess what good ratings for the show in every poll. Not always amazing but decent. People think Nemesis was a bad movie, rating for that movie… not so decent lol.

I guess what I’m saying is I would like to see a pill that is completely left field of what people are saying online. I mean an EXTREME view.

And it’s not like Discovery is hated overall. The show has a 7.0 rating overall. It is the lowest rated show in the franchise but guess what 7 of the shows are all rated in the 7s, just higher than Discovery. The only shows that are rated 8 or higher are TNG, TOS, DS9 and SNW.

That sounds about right to me BASED on discussions on these shows everywhere.

But if people really hated Discovery or just review bombing it seems like it would be in the 5 or 6 range category.

Oh and lastly, I actually agree with most people here. I thought it was a pretty good episode and gave it an 8/10. I had some issues with it but it set things up well for the finale at least.

All said and done I was just defending Lorna Dune. Phil said he was the only one giving the season crap and while I knew that wasn’t completely true since it has been more mixed in other places for sure it’s hard to just base that any one place obviously.

But that’s the problem with message boards, right? You can go to one place and find people fawning over an episode. You can then go to another place and find the opposite responses on literally the same episode.

So yes your point isn’t wrong but that’s EVERYWHERE online today, right? So how do you determine how much something is liked consensus wise anywhere today? Especially something so subjective as a TV shows and movies?

But his view wasn’t coming out of a vacuum either and that’s all I was really trying to highlight. I haven’t even looked for any ratings for this season until today and yeah even I was a little shocked by it .. but not totally either.

I’ll make a deal with everyone now. Stop saying every one loves or hates something and I won’t post any of these polls. But you can’t keep saying “Well everyone truly loves such and such show except the vocal minority” but then dismiss ANY data that contradicts that U-N-L-E-S-S you have proof your statement can actually be validated. Fair right?

And guess what however it is validated will be 100% from online sources and we’re back where we started anyway.

Keep on posting your data Tiger please. You are by far the sanest person on these boards, I agree with you about 98% most of the time.

Thanks dude! I always appreciate it.

As I said I just wanted to present a more balanced picture and it wasn’t to prove that people thought the season actually sucked, simply that’s it’s probably a bit more complicated as well. That’s all.

I don’t doubt the season is more popular, especially when compared to last season which is EASILY the lowest rated season of the series.

But of course none of it matters just your personal feelings about it. But Lorna Dune is disappointed in the season probably moreso than a lot of people here including me. But he’s certainly not alone as proven and has the right to express it just the same.

Agreed to your terms about not assuming my preferences are shared by everyone, sir. But then, I never did. 😊

Negative comments coming from the same people…over and over again… often in the same threads.

This episode was a really enjoyable one i loved every minute of it though i was a little disappointed by the shortness of it. Compared to the rest of the season that had episodes that were over 50 minutes long so i hope the final is a lot longer.

Jonathan Frakes again proves he is fantastic as a director and i hope he gets to direct some episodes of Starfleet Academy. The shot of Discovery cloaked and escaping the black hole’s gravity was gorgeous. A big thumbs up for the VFX team and their hard work.

Saru bringing flowers to T’rina was cute and great to see him again and President Rillak. I always enjoy seeing an away team infiltrating another ship. As it helps us the viewers get to know little more about the other team as in this case we get to know more about Breen culture.

The CGI shots of Discovery attacking the Breen Dreadnought and blasting/crashing it’s way into the shuttle bay was another gorgeous sequence. I hope we get a few more shots like that in the final.

They called this a two part finale, and… ok, sure. It’s really just episode 9 on a serialized show, so I don’t think it matters to call it a two part finale when every episode already connects.

100% this – Disco has always been a 6 episodes too many movie each season (same w/ Picard for that matter)

Something is telling me someone is about to become the new Emissary to the new worm/black hole aliens.

Sisko to return?! Whoa!

Not a chance.

lol.. yeah.. just being funny

lol if they did that I would be saying to Disco:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okMuq-NSq0M

No haha, but I was feeling some parallels. Let’s see what’s behind the portal next week.

I quite enjoyed it. It was a bit of a stretch with how many times they needed to fool the Breen crew… I’m a bit torn about DSC finishing next week. I feel bad for the fans who say this is “their Star Trek…” They’ll miss the show. I won’t miss it… I feel the show has run its course…what’s left to do??? (FWIW, I watch each episode as they drop. I support the franchise. When DSC is successful, it helps the franchise succeed…) I’m grateful for DSC’s success in bringing us SNW, LDS, and Prodigy. One more to go…finish strong DSC, finish strong…

I am with you. No matter what you think of it now, Discovery gave us a lot!

I agree. I hope they apply what they’ve learned about how to do a season to SNW, but I don’t think very many in this writers room are moving over there. That show needs some help. But DSC Season 5 feels like they looked at PIC S3 and took some good lessons about what made it so great without feeling like they copied it. There’s a lot they dialed back on this one, and that’s appreciated.

I won’t miss it… I feel the show has run its course…what’s left to do???

One thing is setting up the new Academy show, although they may have already done that a couple seasons ago with the Tilly Academy episode.

I actually agree with your view. I am constantly up and down with this show. I am certainly a little more up with this season but it’s still not amazing for me but yes decent.

I think it will take a few years after this show is over for people to assess it better. And I will say this, based on all the past shows it will probably bold well for Discovery in the end because so far every past show seems much more loved today vs when it was on minus TOS and TNG. I separate those because I think they were just as adored when they went off the air as they are today.

The others needed more time but all seems to be generally loved today if still not by everyone obviously. Maybe that will ultimately happen with Discovery as well.

Solid episode, right in line with the season. Nothing revelatory, but adequately fun for sure, which is all I’m hoping for at this point.. Action / Adventure has made this series work for me this season in a way it never has. I’m very worried that whatever is behind the curtain will be underwhelming and / or unimaginative. We’ll see.

Have we ever seen Discovery in battle mode? Cause if not, I thought it was pretty cool with the nacelles sitting on top of the secondary hull!

I noticed that too!! I was hoping someone else spotted it too. What a neat trick with the detached nacelles.

I can’t remember seeing it in any previous episode but then again I didn’t notice it during my first viewing of this episode so it’s possible I’ve missed it before.

Naturally, now that the series is in the bin, the show finds it’s groove. But that’s tradition, I guess. This one went a lot harder than I expected. Rayner brings that ‘Lorca’ energy the series has been missing since S1. Excited for the resolution, and overall conclusion… the only real criticism being pulling Book aside, mid-mission, for one of those patented Discovery heart-to-hearts, but at least Michael lampshades that before doing it. ;)

The only good thing about this episode is that we have to endure this stupid plots for just another one. This series can’t end fast enough, because the good episodes ended in season 2, and that was a long time ago.

Is Kovich inside?

That would be something haha, if the portal leads to the infinity room.

100% Saru dies in the finale. It couldn’t be more telegraphed

Very, very doubtful.

Remember it wasn’t filmed as a finale.

Maybe not this episode, but it’s been clearly stated that there were re-shoots for the finale. I also got the vibe that we may lose Saru, but I think the finale will play out the wedding as a way to wrap everything up – think Nemesis and Troi and Riker’s wedding (just at the end, not the beginning).

Rayner DESERVES a spinoff!

I’m on board with that. I had a few moments of questioning where I stand on him around mid-season, but after this episode, I have to say I will miss him when he’s gone. Keep him and Admiral Vance, and I think you’ve got a winner.

If it wasn’t for the fact that she’s 89 and probably not in the mood for a full head of makeup anymore, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if they find Salome Jens inside that thing.

I’m not sure but was this the first time we saw those blue phaser beams fired by Discovery? They had a wonderful TOS feeling about them and finally, none of those ugly pulse phasers but a clear and continuous phaser stream like in the old days! Just a tiny detail but those are the things I get hooked on…

Weren’t Discovery’s Phasers blue when it faced off with Control?

Star Trek is so synonymous with beam weapons. Never made sense to shake that up the way JJ Trek and Discovery did.

Anthony, your recaps are always excellent and appreciated, your comment, “ They take in the moment to be dazzled by the awesome majesty of these binary primordial black holes as the secret home to the power of creation. This why they went into the final frontier, to find strange new… Oh shit, the Breen show up and tractor the cylinder into their shuttle bay. Zoink! You snooze you lose, space nerds.” — That REALLY made me laugh out loud. Well done sir!

You can always tell when he’s the writer. There’s just a different feel to his recaps.

I know NOTHING abut the finale but there are definitely hints that the Progenitor Tech is too much power for anyone to have, too much “God-Power” and I have a feeling after the awesomeness of the Progenitor Tech is fully revealed, I believe there will speeches about “No planet, no race, no person should this much power” and I’m guessing the Disco crew somehow destroy the Progenitor Tech for good so that no one can ever “Genesis” the universe(s) and then we see the new series finale, guessing there will be lots of hugging and crying, and that’s cool, that’s what this show does, it’s about the FAMILY.

…in which case the entire season will have been pointless.

Why would it be pointless? Why should the Federation have that much power? Isn’t there something about absolute power corrupts absolutely? I might have gotten the exact quote wrong. Burnham and the Disco crew should absolutely destroy the tech if given the chance … but I’m guessing there will be a big reveal where Burnham is given the opportunity to try and make peace with the Breen ..

Not remotely .

or they’ll take it all the way back to the start of time and they’ll become the Progenitors etc etc…they probably won’t let much of the crew or the ship keep kicking around in the future

I’m putting money on it taking them back to the moment Picard finds out about the progenitors at the end of “The Chase” and we encounter a CGI de-aged Picard who secretly begins the process of hiding the progenitors tech by meeting with all the scientists mentioned through the past Discovery season and showing that he ultimately inspired the whole process.

Yep, that’s what I’m thinking too. I’m also betting on a fast resolution to the progenitor problem that happens in the first 20 minutes, and then the last 30+ is the touchy/feely wrap up of the series.

Or maybe Burnham will finally find her inner strength inside and maybe she will forgive herself and stuff. Pure poetry.

Craft services on this show is awesome apparently ,…….Tilly , Adira , Helm officer , President of the Fed all look well fed …very well fed

You mean they look like …real people?

Here’s a fun fact: Powerlifters often look very round, because their musculature is adapted to lifting heavy weights above their head. They often do carry a healthy amount of fat because that’s the fuel for their muscles.

Having visible abs is a result of dehydration. That’s why bodybuilding is not the same as athletic training; it’s to create a look, not serve a purpose.

Even Olympic athletes come in different sizes and shapes, and have musculature / fat percentages attuned for their sport. Simone Biles is small and lithe, and Brittney Griner is tall and lean. One is trained to run and do springy flips across a mat, the other has to do a lot of start-and-stop running, passing and throwing.

Chase Ealey, the US women’s shot-put champ, is curvy and stocky, and incredibly strong. I’m sure she could lift you over her head before dropping you, but you seem to have already been dropped on your head as a kid.

This sort of sexist commentary isn’t welcome here.

Drop a selfie my dude.

I’m bothered by the fact that while Burnham and crew are standing around gazing at and pondering the cylinder before them, the Breen just pop in and grab it. C’mon, Discovery should have just yanked it the second it was in sight. Similarly with the transporter lock, the second it’s attached to the cylinder ZAPPP, just beam immediately!! Instead they wait around, and give Moll a chance to remove it. They just move soooo slowly, the ensuing complications are totally of their own making.

or just destroy the first part of the map in episode 2 and the universe is safe

The Breen grabbing the cylinder is the worst part of the episode if not the worst moment from the whole season. If they didn’t know the Breen were coming, that would be one thing. But knowing that they just barely beat them, they should have jumped on it as soon as they figured it out. But also, it’s a bad moment based on the fact that the Breen should not have had an easy time just warping in between two black holes and grabbing the thing that easily.

The blocking on that was really, really bad.

Wow, watched it again last night on CTV Sci-Fi, really enjoyed it again. Even though it was a shorter episode, the pacing really kept it fresh. The editing was superb and kept that tension going. Absolutely LOVED the chemistry between Tilly and Rayner in that scene on the bridge. I have said this before, but the addition of Callum Keith Rennie has been a huge win. He is an incredible actor. There is so much to say about this episode but it has definitely been my favourite of the season. Frakes did a wonderful job directing as always. He knows how to build tension and balance out a story. Well done!

Interdimensional god-tribbles are on the other side of that portal.

Well, well, well, another decent episode. Careful DIS, you may pull off a good season! ;)

I jest! I jest! – though loved seeing/hearing the upgraded phasers firing of the Discovery, was a cool shot. Plus, Rayner, honestly, that dude deserves a spin off or something. We’ve had more character growth and backstory for him in 9 episodes, then we have for most of the Discovery crew in 5 seasons! Hope he AT LEAST pops up in the Academy show.

Was the episode amazing? No. Was it Berman Era good? No, but DIS’ format is so different to those days, so a tad unfair. Was there some typical DIS cringy parts? Yes, BUT the positives outweighed the negatives and was a good romp. Here’s hoping the series finale pulls off a good landing.

What if Burnham actually finds a smiling koala on the other side of the portal? That would tie things up pretty neatly, I’d say…

Thank goodness for Callum Keith Rennie

***Once again Michael showed off her expertise in xenoanthropology (revealed in the series premiere) by knowing “Sarkaress” was a Breen festival, although it’s not clear why the universal translator didn’t know that as well.***

UT doesn’t translate or contextualize proper nouns.