That Hope Is You, Part 1 (episode)

Real world article

(written from a production point of view)

Burnham navigates a strange, new galaxy, 930 years in her future, looking for the rest of the Discovery crew. (Season premiere)

Summary[]

Teaser[]

In 3188, Aditya Sahil awakes each day to carry out an uninterrupted routine of manning an old Federation relay station.

Meanwhile, Cleveland Booker pilots his ship away from Hima, pursued and fired upon by Cosmo Traitt, who complains that Booker has stolen his own purloined cargo. The cargo "belongs to itself" Booker responds before his vessel detects a space-time anomaly forming. Trying to maneuver away from Cosmo, Booker accidentally collides with Commander Michael Burnham, who emerges from the wormhole in her Red Angel suit. Both Burnham and Booker's vessel fall to Hima, with Burnham barely managing to regain control of her suit before impacting in a remote location.

After crash-landing, she emerges from the suit as it loses life support functions. Using a kit containing a communicator, a tricorder, an emergency ration pack, and other equipment, Burnham is unable to contact USS Discovery but confirms with elation that the suit detects life, indicating that she successfully prevented Control from destroying all sentient life in the galaxy. Before the wormhole closes, Burnham sends the suit back through to relay the seventh and final signal to Spock and subsequently self-destruct.

Realizing she is alone, Burnham walks toward the crash site of the ship she impacted by following its column of smoke.

Act One[]

Burnham finds Booker's crashed ship on the shore of a small lake. Booker startles her by cloaking the vessel and attacking her. Burnham says she does not wish to fight him, but he engages her briefly in hand-to-hand combat. They stop fighting, and Booker chastises her for tearing a hole in space-time. Burnham asks if she is on Terralysium, but Booker informs her she is on Hima, a planet unknown to her. Burnham apologizes for crashing into his ship and says that without her crew, she must place her trust in Booker.

He takes Burnham aboard his ship, where she is impressed by the advanced technology. Booker says she cracked his dilithium recrystallizer when they collided and that he needs dilithium. Booker must get his cargo to its destination by a certain time but says he does not have the benamite needed to travel via quantum slipstream and that other methods of space travel will be unsatisfactory. Booker shows Burnham Grudge, whom he alleges has a thyroid condition to explain the cat's large size. They discuss obtaining the dilithium and he tells her that the only way would be to trade for it at the Mercantile, a courier outpost at Requiem, a nearby city. Burnham asks if she could find communications equipment at the Mercantile to contact her ship; Booker says she would need to trade something for access and that he needed something to trade because he was "space-broke". She offers up her tricorder as an "antique". He throws a jacket at her and tells her to put it on and try to look normal. Before departing, she asks his name. He answers "Book".

Burnham notices that Booker's cargo is temperature sensitive and also surmises that Booker stole it. On the way to the Mercantile, Booker notes her Starfleet badge and says that only a handful of "true believers" of the Federation remain. Burnham asks what happened to the Federation. Booker tells her that it collapsed following the Burn, and is surprised to discover she does not know about the event, in which most of the galaxy's dilithium exploded, destroying most warp-capable ships and killing many people. The Federation did not know why it happened or if the remaining dilithium would explode, and it eventually dissolved, a century or more prior. Burnham, astonished, says the Federation is about more than warp drives, and instead represents a "shared vision." Booker warns her to remove the Starfleet insignia before they arrive.

Act Two[]

Burnham and Booker arrive at Requiem, where the Mercantile floats above the city. She is surprised to find that the Andorians and Orions work together to run the facility. As she is not a courier, she is almost denied entry, but Booker reveals that she has items to trade and she is allowed in. Booker explains that holo-buyers and -sellers strike deals that are confirmed and regulated by the Orions and Andorians, though some side deals such as trading her "antiques" are possible. Burnham is impressed by portable transporter technology, and gives Booker her tricorder to trade for dilithium.

She enters the comms area only to be restrained by a stasis beam. Booker has tricked her into walking into the facility's vault and remorsefully steals the rest of her kit to trade for dilithium. Contained behind a force field, Ithyk, an Andorian, and Ithor, an Orion, interrogate Burnham about why she tried to enter their vault. When she proves reluctant to answer their questions, the pair spray Burnham with a purple gas meant to make people speak the truth. Burnham, under its influence, talks about her experiences with Booker and saving the galaxy from Control, but her answers seem nonsensical to Ithyk and Ithor.

Meanwhile, Booker finds no success in trading the items for dilithium before Cosmo finds him. Ithyk and Ithor finally deduce that Burnham arrived with Booker. They find Cosmo beating Booker in an effort to find the stolen cargo, though Booker refuses to give it up. Burnham then punches Booker for stealing her items. With both Mercantile officials and Cosmo training weapons on them, Burnham – still under the influence of the gas – signals Booker, and the pair start fighting the others, taking their handheld weapons. Burnham grabs several dilithium crystals before she and Booker use portable transporters to escape to the countryside.

Beneath a waterfall, Burnham hits Booker again, complaining that she needs to contact Discovery. Several Mercantile officials suddenly appear, and Burnham and Booker fight them off before transporting several more times across the landscape. Pinned down and waiting for the transporter to recharge, Burnham apologizes to Booker for hitting him, and the pair jump off a cliff before transporting away, where they land in the lake near Booker’s ship. He says they cannot track them because they landed in water.

Act Three[]

Burnham and Booker dry off next to the water, but Booker warns that the aliens will find them soon. Burnham has been injured by a shot to her arm. Booker uses his telepathic abilities to call a Hima water plant forth from the water; a liquid extracted from its leaves will prevent infections. The liquid had "a bite to it," Burnham replies, and Booker covers her wound with a handkerchief. He then reveals he carries a device that can communicate via subspace, annoying but also bemusing Burnham. However, she is unable to contact Discovery. Booker asks if she is a time-traveler, which Burnham confirms. He notes time travel was outlawed after the temporal wars.

The pair return to his ship, where they are surrounded by Ithyk, Ithor, Cosmo, and several henchmen. Annoyed by Cosmo for letting his cargo be stolen, Ithor kills him. Ithyk demands the ship's access code, which Booker reveals to be "sticky." The ship decloaks and a cargo hatch opens to reveal a large creature, Molly the trance worm, resting inside. Ithyk and Ithor discuss eating it "served fresh." As it emerges, Booker warns Burnham to close her eyes. Having lulled the Mercantile officials into a trance, Molly kills and eats Ithyk and Ithor before the rest beam away. Molly then eats Burnham whole, but Booker, using his telepathic abilities, convinces her to spit Burnham out onto the beach. "I really, really didn't know how this day was going to turn out," a startled Burnham, coated in saliva, says.

Act Four[]

Booker's ship travels at warp. Booker reveals he has been working to save trance worms since the Federation's fall left no one to enforce the Endangered Species Act. Burnham asks about his connection to plants and animals. Booker says his family are "killers" and "poachers" but that occasionally someone like him is born, "something to do with balance." Booker reveals he is not welcome in his family, but does not wish to be like them. They deliver Molly to Sanctuary Four, where Molly joins other trance worms swimming in a lake. They arrived just in time for her breeding cycle, Booker says. He reveals he knows someone who might be able to help find Discovery.

He takes Burnham to a courier waypoint, an old Federation space station, where they find Sahil sitting at his desk. Burnham identifies herself as a Starfleet officer and Sahil identifies himself as a "Federation liaison." Burnham asks him to search for Discovery. Sahil is unable to locate it, but notes he can only scan a 600-light year radius because long-range sensors failed decades prior, leaving the remaining Federation outposts isolated.

Sahil asks how Burnham is unaware of the current state of the galaxy. Burnham reveals that she time-traveled from before the Burn and the collapse of the Federation. She posits that Discovery may have arrived well out of range, or could arrive at some point in the near or distant future. Sahil says he is not a commissioned officer as no one remained to officially swear him in, but that he maintained the office waiting for someone representing hope to arrive – such as Burnham. Sahil says the Federation flag can only be raised by a commissioned officer and asks Burnham to raise it. Burnham commissions him to serve as an acting communications chief to search for Discovery, and they raise the flag as Burnham promises to find her ship and others who believe in the Federation.

Memorable quotes[]

"Computer, life readings. Is there life here? Anywhere?"
"Multiple life-signs detected."
"Y-E-S-S-S-S!!! A-HAAAAAH! Y-E-S-S-S-S!!!"

- Burnham and her suit's computer confirming that Control had not succeeded in destroying all life.

"The Burn was the day the galaxy took a hard left. Dilithium. One day, most of it just went boom... a lot of people died."

- Booker

"Oh! I have a friend with red hair, you cannot give her any."

- Burnham, under the influence of the truth drug

"We left everything that I have ever known or loved behind me for the sake of creation! Right?! If you think about it – let's be honest – I saved all the things… Ohhh! And then I shot out of a wormhole and I hit a guy."

- Burnham, drugged, about her experience

"You guys have a real problem if your couriers are stealing stuff and then colliding with thousand-year-old women in space!"
"What cargo was he hauling?"
"I don't know, but it was temperature-sensitive, and really valuable, so it's probably ice cream."

- Burnham, drugged, and Ithor

"I may have broken your nose earlier. I apologize."
"Are you saying that in case we die?"
"Yep."

- Burnham and Booker

"I really... really didn't know how this day was gonna turn out."

- Burnham, after being spat out by Molly

"I don't know how much of the Federation still exists, I simply do my part to keep it alive."

- Sahil, giving Burnham the Federation flag

Background information[]

Title[]

"That Hope Is You, Part 1" is the first episode of Star Trek with "Part 1" or "I" in the title that is not immediately followed by a "Part 2" or "II" episode. Instead, the second part closes the same season that the first part opened.

Story and script[]

Alex Kurtzman stated about this episode, "Writing the [season three] premiere [was] like writing a pilot for a new show in many ways, and it's daunting in the way that you want it to be daunting, because you're not resting comfortable on anything." [1]

Production[]

Like with "Brother" at the start of season two, there are new animations for the DIS opening titles starting with this episode. This is also the first episode of Discovery to use a new font for the title.
- Though only the font for "Discovery" changes in this episode, the font for "Star Trek" changes later in the season.
Exterior shots on Hima were filmed in Iceland. [2] This marks only the second time that footage for a live-action Star Trek episode was filmed outside of North America, the first time being the opening scenes of "The Vulcan Hello", which were filmed in Jordan. Scenery footage of Iceland was previously also utilized for backgrounds seen in Star Trek Into Darkness. Several scenes of Star Trek Beyond were also filmed outside North America, in Dubai.
The interior of the Mercantile was filmed at the defunct Hearn Generating Station in Toronto's Port Lands. This location had been used previously, for the interior of Harry Mudd's ship and the alien space port in the Star Trek: Short Treks episode "The Escape Artist", for the interior of the USS Hiawatha in "Brother" and for a base on Essof IV in "The Red Angel" and "Perpetual Infinity". [3]
The release of this episode marks the first time three Star Trek series have aired within a single calendar year, following the debuts of Star Trek: Picard and Star Trek: Lower Decks.

Post-production[]

Most of the post-production work on this and subsequent Season 3 episodes was finished with crew members working from their homes, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This notably included visual effects and the musical score, which was conducted remotely by Jeff Russo. Discovery was hailed as the first post-production-heavy series to finish and debut a new season in 2020 under pandemic constraints and regulations. [4]
The diegetic classical piece of music which begins this episode is the first movement, "Allegro", from Symphony No. 45 in D major, K. 95, by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Cast and characters[]

With her appearance in this episode, Sonequa Martin-Green became the only cast member of the series to appear in every episode.
- She is the only previously established main cast member to appear in this episode.
Although Doug Jones, Anthony Rapp, and Mary Wiseman are credited in the opening title sequence, their characters do not appear in the episode. This is the first episode of the series to not feature Saru.
David Benjamin Tomlinson, Riley Gilchrist, and Nicole Dickinson have all previously played several other characters in Star Trek: Discovery. Tomlinson (Cosmo) has played Or'Eq, Klingon Player #1, Male Villager #1 (in ST: "The Brightest Star"), and Lieutenant junior grade Linus. Gilchrist (Andorian regulator) has previously played Andorian Admiral Shukar and his mirror counterpart, and an unnamed Andorian admiral. Dickinson (Hadley) has worked as Mary Chieffo's stunt double, a number of Klingons, a Talosian, and Yeoman Colt.

Continuity[]

This episode establishes that the mission to prevent Control from destroying all biological life in the galaxy, as seen in "Such Sweet Sorrow, Part 2", was successful. Michael Burnham sends the red angel suit back to the 23rd century, where it emits a final red burst before its self-destruction. As seen in the epilogue of the previous episode, this signal was witnessed by Spock.
This is the first episode set entirely in the 32nd century. Events set in an alternate timeline of the 32nd century had previously been referenced in "Perpetual Infinity", with several clips showing Gabrielle Burnham in that era.
This episode takes place in the year 3188, marking it as the episode with the latest known chronological setting in Star Trek up to that point. Only two previous episodes of Star Trek are likely set at later, unspecified dates. The first, VOY: "Living Witness", takes place between the 31st and 38th century, with the bulk of the events covered in the episode happening circa 3074. The second, ST: "Calypso", is set nearly a millennium after the USS Discovery is abandoned by its crew, although the date of that event is not established.
This episode establishes that the United Federation of Planets has mostly collapsed by the mid-32nd century. Although the Federation has lost most of its political influence, it is not entirely dissolved, as demonstrated by Aditya Sahil and the two Federation ships he is able to track. It is also implied that other active pockets of the Federation may still exist in the galaxy, beyond the six-hundred-light-year radius that Sahil is able to scan.
As established in this episode, almost all dilithium across the galaxy ignited in a catastrophic event known as the Burn in the mid-31st century. This event led to large-scale destruction of starships and space-based infrastructure, as well as the destabilization of galactic powers, including the Federation. Dilithium has long been established as a critical resource needed to regulate matter-antimatter reactions in most conventional warp drives. Its technological, strategic and political importance was highlighted in TOS: "Elaan of Troyius", Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, TNG: "Pen Pals", and DIS: "The Butcher's Knife Cares Not for the Lamb's Cry", among others.
The temporal wars, including the Temporal Cold War, impacted Jonathan Archer and the mission of Enterprise NX-01 on numerous occasions on Star Trek: Enterprise.
Booker mentions the Gorn are active in the 32nd century. In addition to past appearances in TOS: "Arena", TAS: "The Time Trap", ENT: "In a Mirror, Darkly, Part II" and LD: "Veritas", a Gorn skeleton was displayed in Captain Gabriel Lorca's lab in DIS Season 1. This episode constitutes the first evidence that Burnham is aware of the Gorn.
Aside from dilithium-based warp drive, Booker mentions quantum slipstream drive (previously used in VOY: "Hope and Fear", "Timeless" and referenced in "Think Tank") and solar sails (previously seen in DS9: "Explorers" and mentioned in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home). The process of recrystallizing dilithium appeared in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home and ST: "Runaway". Booker also mentions trilithium, best known for its appearance in Star Trek Generations and used in the Pocket TOS novel Battlestations!, as a solid power source for transwarp drive.
The Flag of the United Federation of Planets displays considerably fewer stars than previous iterations, only six. TRR: "That Hope Is You, Part 1" suggests the Federation may redesign the flag about every twenty years.
This episode includes the first appearance of a Betelgeusian (specifically, Cosmo Traitt) since Star Trek: The Motion Picture. The Aamaarazans appear for the first time since Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, this marking their only appearance in a TV Star Trek production. The Lurians, best known as the species of Morn from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, make their first live-action appearance since DS9: "What You Leave Behind", having also appeared in LD: "Envoys". The Cardassians appear for the first time in live-action since ENT: "Dead Stop", a photograph of a Cardassian having appeared in LD: "Cupid's Errant Arrow".
In addition to the Orion language seen throughout the Mercantile, some holographic displays also feature the Malcorian language.
With the Federation gone, the Endangered Species Act is no longer enforced in its former territory. This affects many creatures, such as trance worms.

Reception[]

TRR: "That Hope Is You, Part 1" discusses the making of, and events in, this episode.

Production history[]

15 October 2020: Premiere airdate on CBS All Access
16 October 2020: International release date (outside Canada and the USA)

Links and references[]

Starring[]

And

David Ajala as Cleveland "Book" Booker

Guest starring[]

Adil Hussain as Aditya Sahil

Co-starring[]

Nicole Dickinson as Hadley
Riley Gilchrist as Andorian Regulator
Julianne Grossman as Sanctuary Voice
Brandon McGibbon as Ithyk the Andorian
Jake Michaels as Ithor the Orion
Fabio Tassone as Book's Ship Computer
David Benjamin Tomlinson as Cosmo Traitt

Stunt doubles[]

Ieisha Auyeung as stunt double for Sonequa Martin-Green
Unknown stunt performer as stunt double for David Ajala

Stand-in[]

Stacy-Ann Buchanan as stand-in for Sonequa Martin-Green

Star Trek: Discovery
Season 3

Next episode:
"Far From Home"