Star Trek: Discovery Season 3 Episode 9 recap: The Mirror Universe is back!

Georgiou is dying and to try and herself she takes a trip back to the Mirror Universe. Can she change the past in Star Trek: Discovery Season 3 Episode 9?

Over the past few episodes of Star Trek: Discovery Season 3, we’ve learned that something is wrong with Philippa Georgiou. She’s not just dying, as Kovich explains to Dr. Culber in Star Trek: Discovery Season 3 Episode 9, it’s worse.

Georgiou’s body is being pulled apart by her displacement through time and dimensions. And, because of the Temporal Accords, there is a lot of information that isn’t available to save her. But Discovery has Zora, the sphere data powering the ship’s computer.

Zora recommends Culber send Georgiou to Dannus V, an uninhabited planet that apparently has the answers they need. Of course, this is Star Trek, so don’t expect the answers to be simple. And a cure isn’t a sure shot, either.

Saru refuses to sanction the trip, towing the company line by quoting Spock’s ‘needs of the many…’ adage. However, it’s Admiral Vance who overturns his decision.

Vance has made it clear that the Federation is most important to him, but he explains to Saru that if he allows his crewmember to ‘drown’ then the crew will never respect him again. Saru will never respect himself again. Good advice.

While Adira and Stamets discover that the Starfleet distress call they’re investigating came from a Kelpian ship, Burnham and Georgiou travel to Dannus V.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 3 Episode 9 – Back to the other world!

Georgiou is at her worst. Like a frightened animal, she lashes out at everyone, especially if they’re trying to help her. But you have to love a character who knows when to accept compassion.

In the mess hall, Georgiou questions Tilly’s ability to keep the crew safe, and even—in a fit of rage—smacks Tilly’s food at her. But the moment Burnham suggests there’s a glimmer of hope, Georgiou changes her mind.

While Georgiou remains antagonistic towards Burnham (we’ll get to that in a moment), she and Saru part ways amicably. Georgiou even calls him Captain, and they shake hands. She calls Tilly Number One and offers encouragement about her future. I love how Tilly goes in for a hug and thanks Georgiou for inadvertently helping her.

This is what I appreciate about how Georgiou is written, she’s a character that’s had to adapt to an alien way of life, surrounded by faces she’s familiar with, who acts nothing like the people she knew. She’s akin to the Klingon characters we’ve met on Star Trek shows before, but she’s driven less by honor, and more by power.

Georgiou and Burnham’s endless trek on the planet finally brings them in contact with Carl (Paul Guilfoyle). He appears out of nowhere with an old-fashioned newspaper declaring Georgiou’s painful death. But he has an alternative to this headline coming true.

Georgiou needs to walk through a portal. Where it’ll lead her, or what she’ll need to do there is up to her.

Who is this Carl character? It’s possible that he’s a Q, though they’re not known for their magnanimity. Could Carl be a Prophet, one of the wormhole aliens that were worshipped by the Bajorans? Dannus V is near the Gamma quadrant, which is close to where the second terminus of the wormhole opens.

It’s possible that Carl is stationed on this planet for the precise purpose of manning this portal and helping people.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 3 Episode 9 – The Mirror characters

Georgiou adamantly walks through the portal despite Burnham’s protestations. She finds herself back in the Mirror Universe, aboard the Discovery that’s bringing her to her new castle, the Charon.

Mirror Discovery is captained by Captain “Killy” Tilly, and several members of the crew appear in new roles and have very different temperaments.

Joann Owosekun is the Security Chief who is loyal to a fault to the Emperor. Gen Rhys is her power-hungry nemesis, who is easily defeated when he tries to take the mantle from her. Rhys and Nilsson (who has dark hair instead of her usual blonde in the Prime timeline) definitely seem to have some kind of relationship going on.

How great is it to see Ellen Landry (the amazing Rekha Sharma) back on Star Trek: Discovery? She is larger than life, throwing her weight around and threatening Kelpian servants when they make mistakes.

Having spent some time in the Prime timeline, Georgiou is obviously uncomfortable with the Mirror Universe. But, more than anything, she’s uncomfortable with the day she’s arrived back here.

This is the day she learns of Lorca’s coup against her, and she kills her daughter, Michael Burnham—the child she rescued from a ‘trash heap’ because Burnham was the only one who didn’t come rushing to her.

Georgiou knows that this is her opportunity to change the past. Is it out of love for Burnham, or a need to remain in her own universe?

Star Trek: Discovery Season 3 Episode 9 – Changing the past

Georgiou notices that one of the Kelpians serving is none other than Saru. She spares his life when Mirror Burnham threatens to end it, and orders Saru to spy for her.

He’s surprised by how much she knows about Kelpians, but this isn’t a shock to viewers. Georgiou and Saru may butt heads all the time, but she’s smart enough to know that knowledge is a formidable weapon.

Georgiou keeps trying to connect with her Burnham, but that woman has a heart of steel. However, at the opening of the Charon, it becomes clear that this is when things will go down.

Stamets, Culber, and Detmer are all in cahoots with Burnham. Stamets, using the guise of being the emcee, gets close enough to Georgiou that he almost stabs her.

But since Georgiou knows everything that’s about to happen, she kills him instead. Burnham pretends like she has nothing to do with it, but Georgiou’s already got Tilly and Owosekun ready to take Burnham down.

Burnham, apparently, hates Georgiou. She hates that she’s nothing more than Georgiou’s shadow. In the Mirror Universe, Lorca and Burnham were together and she’s convinced Lorca actually loves her. We all know better.

When Georgiou takes out her blade to execute Burnham, she stops and offers Burnham a second chance. How will Burnham react to being in the brig rather than in a casket? We’ll only find out in the second part.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 3 Episode 9 – Final thoughts

Did I love this episode? Yes. Do I think this is the best episode ever? Yes! Maybe I’m biased because I love Georgiou (if you’ve read the rest of my Star Trek: Discovery features, you’ll know), but what I appreciated was the writing and direction in this episode.

What works is how ‘Terra Firma, Part 1’ didn’t revel in the sleazier side of the Mirror Universe, which is how all Star Trek shows have dealt with it in the past. Star Trek: Discovery has been guilty of the same.

The aesthetic of the Mirror Universe on this show has been fantastic throughout and the actors are obviously enjoying playing these evil versions of their characters. Plus, the costumes and make-up are so fetching!

I’m not saying this was the most innovative episode—but it’s so polished and perfectly paced. There’s a little bit of intrigue and the stakes are high. Exposition is given through nostalgic dialogues and a stunning Cirque du Soleil knock-off.

We don’t even know if all this trauma that Georgiou is revisiting will solve the issue at hand, but I’m so wrapped up in the story that it almost doesn’t matter. Almost—I’m invested in Georgiou surviving this ordeal, though, given her 5% chance, this doesn’t look too good for her. Will she survive?

How do you like the return to the Mirror Universe in Star Trek: Discovery Season 3 Episode 9? Let us know in the comments.

New episodes of Star Trek: Discovery Season 3 are available every Thursday on CBS All Access.