DIS: S3 – E4: Forget Me Not

Forget Me Not
Forget Me Not

Forget Me Not was a ground-breaking and historic episode, as we finally got to meet the character “Gray.” This new personality represents the first transgender person ever on Star Trek and was portrayed by Ian Alexander.

STARDATE: Somewhere in the 32nd Century…

The episode begins with Doctor Culber’s narration of the recent events (those that took place during “People of Earth”) and what the crew was dealing with as they floated around space. He scanned a few crew, including Detmer, who he said that he’d like to chat with her. 

Saru met with the doctor, Adira, Burnham, and Dr. Pollard. Adira said she wanted to go to Trill to solve the mystery of what memories were contained in her symbiont. This would also, potentially, unlock the memories of Admiral Senna Tal and the current location of Starfleet. They also made a point to say that a human had never hosted a Trill symbiont before.

NOTE: They’ve skipped a lot of history, haven’t they? How do we know that no human has ever hosted a Trill in 900 years?

The Discovery arrived at Trill and were greeted warmly. The crew learned that the Trill were nearly wiped out during The Burn and that very few of them left.

Greetings… wait! You're not a Trill? Courtesy of CBS
Greetings… wait! You’re not a Trill? Courtesy of CBS

Adira and Michael beamed to the surface, and things changed. The Trill realized that Adira was human, and not Trill grew angry. They asked her to “speak her names,” and she could only say “Adira.” 

That was enough for them to get incensed. They said that she was an “abomination” and ordered her to leave the planet. One of the Trill (played by Andreas Apergis) named Guardian Xi took pity on Adira. Turns out, the DISCO computers are right — no human had hosted a Trill. I stand corrected.

On the ship, Culber told Saru that the crew was stressed out and needed some healing. 

Anyhoo, the Trill escorted Adira and Michael back to the shuttle, and a bunch of assassins jumped out to kill Adira. Michael snapped to action and neutralized them — Kirk style. Guardian Xi showed up and led Adira to the Caves of Mak’ ala. This was the Trill’s ancestral home, which ought to allow Adira to communicate with the hosts before her. 

Xi shows Michael and Adira to the Caves of Mak’ ala. Courtesy of CBS
Xi shows Michael and Adira to the Caves of Mak’ ala. Courtesy of CBS

NOTE: This place was first seen in the DS9 episode “Equilibrium.” Jadzia made the journey back to Trill and entered the pools in the cave. 

Back on DISCO, Saru spoke to the ship’s computer, wondering how he could get them all to relax. Stealthily, the Sphere Data took over and made some suggestions. 

NOTE: The Sphere Data interacting with a humanoid is exactly what happened on the Short Treks episode “Calypso.”

Later, Saru gathered his bridge team around the ready room table for a big Thanksgiving-style dinner. They all seemed to have fun until Detmer started making rhymes about Stamets’ blood (a reference to the situation during “Far From Home”).

Detmer has had enough of Paul’s arrogance! Courtesy of CBS
Detmer has had enough of Paul’s arrogance! Courtesy of CBS

Yikes! Everyone sort of freaked out and Detmer argued with Stamets about his arrogance, which she was very right to do. The dinner broke down, and everyone left. Georgiou laughed and enjoyed the chaos.

“Well, at least the wine was good,” said Georgiou.

Adira entered the pool. As she did, her eyes turned white (a cool effect), but the Trill came in to stop everything. Trill Leader Pav (Karen Robinson) scolded Guardian Xi since he disobeyed direct orders and “betrayed” his oath. 

Meanwhile, the device that monitored Adira’s mental and physical situation in the pool started to malfunction. Adira started to shake and then got sucked under the waters. Pav allowed Michael to go into the waters to retrieve Adira.

Michael slowly drifted for a while and finally found Adira. Even though they were underwater, both could breathe. This must represent mind-to-mind communication. Strings fell from everywhere, and Adira ran to avoid them. Michael made Adira calm down and accept the strings, which blasted Adira into the past.

Adira met Gray (Ian Alexander), who was on an operating table in a medical bay. She then saw a cello (classical music instrument), and she started talking with Gray, who was her Trill boyfriend. He gave her a present, which turned out to be a quilt. Adira then jumped back to the operating table, and an explosion had happened. 

Adira and Gray share a moment. Courtesy of CBS
Adira and Gray share a moment. Courtesy of CBS

Gray was severely injured and on the verge of death. Adira called out that she would accept the symbiote. Then the room was filled with all the hosts from Adira’s past.

NOTE: This was an incredible scene. Wow. So moving to see all these souls. Just watch it, and you’ll agree.

Adira met Admiral Senna Tal. Soon after, Adira and Michal were pulled back to the surface. Adira and Michael got out of the water, and the Trill wrapped them in these amazing towels. Xi asked Adira to speak her names, and she said: 

“I am Kasha Tal, Jovar Tal, Madela Tal, Cara Tal, Senna Tal, Gray Tal, and I am Adira Tal.”

The Trill apologized and bowed to Adira. Pav told Xi that what he did will impact generations of Trill since now the symbiotes could be paired with plain ol’ humans. 

Back on the ship, Saru pouted after the blow-up at dinner. Tilly told him she liked that he tried something new, even though it didn’t work. She eventually wound up giving him a pep talk and said that he was a good leader. Stamets apologized to Tilly after shooting down her ideas to use dark matter as an interface with the spore drive. 

NOTE: What? Usually, I’d side with Tilly, but this time Stamets is right. That’s a crazy idea that the writers came up with. How can you use something (Dark Matter) that cannot be detected and is little understood for anything? Alas, it might work with a make-believe technology like the spore drive. 

In sickbay, Detmer walked in and told Culber that she’d like to talk. In the hangar bay, Saru showed the crew an old Buster Keaton film. Everyone had a good laugh. 

Later, Adira gave Michael a map and location on how to get to Starfleet Headquarters. Adira then practiced the cello, and Gray appeared and gave her pointers. 

NOTE: I wonder if this will continue, and will Gray be Adira’s imaginary friend in upcoming episodes? I hope not. We did that once already with Tilly.

TREK REPORT SUPPLEMENTAL:

I realize that this was a ground-breaking show, and there were some really unique parts, but overall, I was bored. I don’t like mental dramas. For example, I hated A Beautiful Mind when everyone else in the world fell over themselves to praise the film. 

I don’t enjoy it when a visual medium tries to recreate what it must be like in someone’s head. Sorry. That’s just me.

My reaction 30 years ago to The Next Generation episode “Family” was essentially the same. “Family” followed the blockbuster “Best of Both Worlds, Part II,” which was the story of how Riker and the Enterprise crew figured out how to save Picard from the Borg. We then saw “Family,” which was slow and plodding. The critics loved it, but I was bored out of my mind. I just didn’t care to see Picard wrestle with his grouchy brother in the mud of France. Boring! Get the man back on the Enterprise

This is a very similar situation — they followed up the incredible “People of Earth” with a clunker. I realize that most people loved “Forget Me Not,” but it will be one that I will skip when it comes to a re-watch in the future.

RATING: 2 out of 5

CREDITS

Co-Producers… Kirsten Beyer, Dana N. Wilson,
Producer… Thom J. Pretak,
Consulting Producer… John Ottman
Supervising Producers… Bo Yeon Kim, Erika Lippoldt, Alan McElroy, April Nocifora, Jason Zimmerman
Co-Executive Producers… Anne Cofell Saunders, Aaron Baiers
Executive Producers: Olatunde Osunsanmi, Frank Siracusa, John Weber, Eugene Roddenberry, Trevor Roth, Jenny Lumet, Heather Kadin, Michelle Paradise, Alex Kurtzman

Based upon “Star Trek,” created by Gene Roddenberry

Created by … Bryan Fuller & Alex Kurtzman

Written by … Alan McElroy, Chris Silvestri, Anthony Maranville

Directed by … Hanelle M. Culpepper

STARRING

Sonequa Martin-Green
Doug Jones
Anthony Rapp
Mary Wiseman
Wilson Cruz
Rachel Ancheril

SPECIAL GUEST STAR
Michelle Yeoh

Casting by … Margery Simkin, CSA; Orly Sitowitz, CSA
Music and theme by … Jeff Russo
Costume Designer … Gersha Phillips
Edited by … Jon Dudkowski, ACE and John Wesley Whitton
Production Designer … Phillip Barker
Director of Photography … Glen Keenan, CSC

Guest Starring

Ian Alexander
Andreas Apergis
Blu del Barrio
Karen Robinson
Andrew Shaver
Annabelle Wallis
Kenneth Welsh

Co-Starring

Lt. Keyla Detmer … Emily Couts
Lt. Gen Rhys … Patrick Kwok-Choon
Lt. Joann Owosekun … Oyin Oladejo
Lt. R.A. Bryce … Ronnie Rowe, Jr.
Lt. Nilsson … Sara Mitich
Discovery Computer … Julianne Grossman
Dr. Tracy Pollard … Raven Dauda
DISCO Engineer #1 … Elana Dunkelman
DISCO Engineer #2 … Christine Nguyen
Linus the Saurian … David Benjamin Tomlinson

Executive Story Editor … Sean Cochran
Staff Writers … Anthony Maranville, Chris Silvestri, Brandon Schultz

Canadian Casting … Lisa Parasyn, CSA

Original Star Trek theme by Alexander Courage

Executive Consultant … Bryan Fuller

Set Decorator … Peter P. Nicolakakos
Property Master … Mario Moreira
Supervising Art Director … Jody Clement
Art Directors … Matt Middleton, Tania McGowan
First Assistant Art Director-Graphics … Andy Tsang
First Assistant Art Directors-Illustration … Kirsten Herbst, Chris Penna
First Assistant Art Directors-Motion Graphics … Timothy Peel, Stephanie Chris, Matthew Harris, Alex Melvin, Alex Brock

First Assistant Art Directors-Set Design … Matt Morgan, John Kim, Ahn Mur, Monica Navarrete, Esther Kao, Mike Stanek, Tijana Petrovic, Nick Augustyn, Mel St. Clair, Shirin Rashid

Third Assistant Directors … Ross Vivian, Kieffer Moxness
Set Production Assistant … Jaclyn McBride
Script Supervisor … Zoe Bigio
A Camera Operator … Francois Daignault
B Camera Operator … Michael Carr
C Camera Operator … JP Locherer
Sound Mixer … Ao Loo
Boom Operator … Sean Armstrong

Casting Associate … Jasmine Gutierrez
Canadian Casting Assistants … Kaitlin Lane, Tannaz Keshavarz
Location Manager … Melissa Warry-Smith
Assistant Location Manager … Robert Jones
Studio Manager … Josh Campbell
Location Production Assistants … Bryan Hoover, Pasquale di Salvo

Costume Supervisors … Karen Lee, Kim Harkness
Assistant Costume Designers … Carly Nicodemo, Daina Valiulus, Michael Ground
Lead Character Designer … Neville Page
Department Head Make-Up … Shauna Llewellyn
Department Head Hair … Ryan Reed
Make-Up Effects Department Heads … Glenn Hetrick, Mike Smithson

Prosthetic Makeup Special Effects and Specialty Armor designed and created by:
Glenn Hetrick and Neville Page’s Alchemy Studios

Production Accountant … Joanne Barrington
First Assistant Accountants – General … Rose Lister, Tim Hay, Vanna Roopchand
First Assistant Accountant – Payroll … Emily Halfon, Allyson Cameron
First Assistant Accountant – Construction … Susan Al’Thor
Second Assistant Accountants … Rebecca Pearson, Sonia Terzyan

Second Unit Director of Photography … Franco Tata
Gaffer … Heinz Gloss
First Company Grip … Robert Daprato
1st Assistant A Camera … Andrew Stretch
1st Assistant B Camera … Andrew Lounsbury
1st Assistant C Camera … Scott Cowan
2nd Assistant A Camera … Stephen Gould
Digital Imaging Technician … Ron Schlueter
Video Coordinator … Victor Jolic

Lead VFX Supervisor… Jason Zimmerman
VFX Supervisor … Ante Dekovic
VFX Producer … Aleksandra Kochoska
VFX Associate Supervisor … Alex Wood
VFX Project Manager … Sunny Ye
VFX Lead Artist … Charles Collyer
Compositors … Greg Wadsworth, William Marker
Senior VFX Coordinator … Marina Abramyan
VFX Coordinators … Shawn Ewashko, Peter Davis, Andrew Jacobs, Valeria Rocha

Production Coordinator … Alison Waxman
Script Coordinator … Dan Hindmarch
First Assistant Production Coordinators … Allison Lahav, Taylor Danton,
Second Assistant Production Coordinator … Laura Miles
Office Production Assistants … Chris Stiebel, Kevin Hazlehurst, Mickey Macdonald

Storyboard Artist … Rob McCallum
Digital Asset Manager … James Jarvis
Art Department Coordinator … Taylor Flook
Art Department Coordinator-Motion Graphics … Robyn Richardson
Clearance Coordinator … Cassidy Watkins

Stunt Coordinator … Christopher McGuire
Special Effects Coordinator … Darcy Callaghan
Lead Dressers … Chris Deeley, Yurii Shevts, David Lyloff, Greg Carson
Contact Lens Supervisor … Mandy Ketcheson

Key Scenic… Jason Kirk
Head Painters … Tim Campbell, Claire Rosa
On Set Painter … Gregory Aquila
Construction Coordinator … Kevin McCullagh
Head Carpenters … Paul Jefferson, Joacim Orton
On Set Carpenters … Caren Aurtinan, Chris Edgson
Transportation Coordinator … Rob Davis
Transportation Captain … Andrew Langevin
Transportation Co-Captain … Craig Dwyer

Post Production Supervisor … Gala Goliani
Assistant Editor … Darren Hallihan
VFX Editors … Elaine C. Adrianos, Erika Edgerley Robbins
Post Production Coordinators … Joshua Calloway, Nicholas Estrin-Barks
Post Production Assistant … Tony Lugo

Assistants To A. Kurtzman … Monica Shapiro, T’Essence Minnitee, Aviel Mann Ballo
Assistant To M. Paradise … Ari Friedman
Assistant To H. Kadin … Tallinn Kiefer, Claire Mathiot
Assistant To A. Baiers … Maggie McFarren
Executive Assistant Toronto … Cornelia Audrey
Writers’ Assistants … Auriel Rudnick, Carlos Cisco
Writers’ PA … Eric J. Robbins

Technical Consultants … Dr. Erin MacDonald, Dr. Mohamed Noor
Dialect Coach … Jeffrey Simlett
Translators … Nick Farmer
Craft Services … Star Grazing Inc.
Servers … Darlene Ibbitson, Monica Madden, Anthony Natoli,
On Set Caterers … Gourmet Catering

Sound Services By … Warner Bros. Post Production Creative Services
Sound Supervisor Sound Designers … Matthew E. Taylor, Tim Farrell, Harry Cohen
Re-Recording Mixers … Todd M. Grace, CASS, Ed C. Carr III, CAS
Mix Tech … Mike Jimenez
Dialogue Editor … Sean Heissinger
Foley Editor … Clay Weber
Sound Editor … Michael Schapiro
Foley Artists … Alyson Moore, Chris Moriana
Foley Mixer … Darrin Mann
Sound Assistant Editors … Deron Street, Damon Cohoon
Music Editors … Stan Jones, Moira Marquis
Score Engineer and Mixer … Michael Perfitt
Scoring Assistant … Tracie Turnbull
Orchestrator … Amie Doherty
Orchestra Editor … Sam Lucas
Score Wrangler & Editor … Matea Prljevic
Studio Assistance … Natalia Goldstein
Assistant To Mr. Russo … Valerie Hillsmith

Camera, Lenses And Post Production Services By … Sim
Sim Supervising Producer … Byron Smith
Sim Online Editor … Chad Cole
Final Colorist … Todd Bochner
Editing Systems … Pacific Post

Grip And Lighting Equipment by … Sim Lighting And Grip
Original Main Title Design by … Prologue
Main Title Design by … Picturemill
Visual Effects by … Crafty Apes, The Mill, Pixomondo, DNEG TV, FX3X

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