Image Credit: CBS Interactive, Inc.

Well, well, well…..look who decided to join the Discovery party. After six episodes of teasing, and teasing, and more teasing, Mister Spock finally makes his grand debut; well sort of. And, actually, it wasn’t all that “grand,” if I’m being completely honest.

Following-up on what we learned as last week’s episode, “The Sound of Thunder,” came to a close, Burnham decided that she needed to make the trek back to her home on Vulcan, and see if a reunion with her family would provide some sort of clue as to where her brother might be shacked-up. Well, it turns out, her instincts did not fail her. However, I don’t think she was ready for the revelation that her mother, Amanda, had already found Spock, and was keeping him hidden in one of Vulcan’s sacred crypts. When she takes Burnham to see him, we find everybody’s favorite Vulcan in pretty bad shape; and by “bad shape” I mean he’s doing his best impression of Jim Carrey’s “Riddler” at the end of Batman Forever – mumbling to himself and repeating the numerical combination, 8-4-1-9-4-7, over and over again. It isn’t until the end that we learn, because of Spock’s apparent childhood dyslexia, the numbers should really be 7-4-9-1-4-8; which, it turns out, will take us on a trip to Talos IV next episode.

The fellers over at one of the “Trek” podcasts I listen to weekly, Transporter Room 3, haven’t been that impressed with the last few episodes, or the entire season thus far, for that matter; but I, on the other hand, have rather enjoyed every episode we’ve been given this season. Yeah, Spock’s first episode should have been met with more pomp and circumstance than it was given, but I have a feeling the pay-off for this build-up will surely be worth the long wait.

The “meat” of the episode, to me, was all of the time-traveling stuff. I loved the interaction between Pike and Tyler, and how Pike kept checking him. It also appears that Tyler and his Voq personality have merged, and become one-in-the-same….kind of. When Discovery’s modified and futuristically-upgraded probe attacks Tyler, he begins screaming at it in Klingon. Did any of you also pick up on this little tidbit?

And what will become of Airiam, now that Discovery’s modified probe, and its futuristic engineers, have infected the lieutenant commander with some sort of virus or “upgrade,” as well? Will her mind also be scrambled like Spock’s? Or will this potential upgrade give her abilities far outside the realm of 23rd century technology like the probe? We’ll learn soon enough, I presume. That is, if this isn’t like a “Skynet” type of thing, and Airiam doesn’t end up murdering everyone on board

Since this season’s story arc has been established around the concept of “time-travel,” might some of our crew be given glimpses into their respective futures? Now that Talos IV is on the table, will Pike get a snippet of how his future will be invariably and wholly intertwined with the “forbidden” planet? In one of my previous posts, I mentioned that the proprietors of Transporter Room 3 put this season’s timeline between Pike’s first visit to Talos IV in “The Cage” and before his accident in “The Menagerie, Parts 1 and 2”. Going by this inference, how will Pike react to the Talosians in his second go-around? And wouldn’t this mean that we’d most certainly be introduced (or reintroduced, if we’re being technical) to Vina? Because if our hypothesis holds, she’d be on the planet already, and under the care of the Talosians.

The Talosians get a 2019 makeover in next week’s episode (CBS Interactive, Inc.)

Maybe I should take a step back and breathe. I’m getting ahead of myself with all of this speculation. But I can’t help it, Gina! I want to binge the entire season already!

*breathes in and releases a deep sigh*

Okay, I’m gonna chill for now, and be just like Fonzie. And what is Fonzie like, ladies and gentlemen? Fonzie is totally cool.

Kirk out.