Star Trek: Discovery (TV Series) Magic to Make the Sanest Man Go Mad (2017) User Reviews

This was the first excellent episode

[quinnraymond · 9/10 · 30 October 2017]

When I was a kid, I remember one night watching a new episode of STNG and being irritated that the basic premise had been "stolen" from a TOS episode.

And while it's true that over the course of Star Trek's history there are a lot of poor recreations of earlier episodes (I'm looking at you, VOY episode 108, "Ex Post Facto"), there are just as many examples where they took a solid premise and improved upon it.

This episode is one of those examples. Time loops are an especially popular plot device in science fiction, and the two STNG examples of them are excellent ("Cause and Effect" and "Clues").

"Magic to Make the Sanest Man Go Mad" enhances the premise by making it a vehicle for relationship-building amongst the main characters.

Beyond it's conceptual virtues, it's also just a genuinely fun episode.

Time to Invite Your Non-Fan Friends To the Trek Party

[LorenBieg · 8/10 · 19 January 2018]

I've been enjoying Star Trek since the 70s and even the most hardcore fan has to acknowledge that for all it has to offer, much of it is not for everyone. The success of Star Wars can be attributed in part to it's ownership of the non-sci-fi audience. Trek's tendency to be laden with backstory, techbabble, and hard science fiction elements can cause it to be less accessible. This has been my feeling so far about Star Trek: Discovery.

Until this episode.

The simplicity, humanity, humor, romance, and broadness of the story gives every character directly involved with it something interesting to feel and do. Rainn Wilson was born to play the part of the impish, campily vindictive, pirate-like, opportunist Harry Mudd. It's Groundhog Day in space. And, the sci-fi elements provide the context for the story, but don't interfere with it. It's just super entertaining. It's a genius-turn in writing to finally bring Tyler and Burnham together over and over, exploring their feelings for each other in different ways via a set of repeating circumstances. And, happy Stamets continues to bring me joy. I was also relieved there were NO KLINGONS in this one. Gads, they're annoying. My only gripe is that the lack of consequences for Mudd's actions made little sense.

The episode has been decried by some for borrowing the storytelling device from the TNG episode Cause and Effect. But, Cause and Effect did not originate it. And sheesh, it aired in 1992, folks. At what point can we call it an homage? This episode works so well, who cares anyway? This is super-fans complaining to super-fans, in my opinion. It's a non-issue.

This was the first episode I brought my non-fan +1 in on and she was hooked on the series immediately, which is a sign of resonant writing and not easily accomplished in an operatic series. Looking forward to more!

Beware cheap alien costumes.

[ewaf58 · 7/10 · 30 October 2017]

For a moment I thought we were back in TOS territory - but no - it was our old friend Harry. He's up to no good (of course) he's in debt (of course) and still trying to getaway from Stella (no chance).

Yes the episode was a bit derivative - but can you think of one of all the various Star Trek series that doesn't have at least one episode featuring the manipulation of time?

I do like Discovery although it's yet to fully find its identity (Well STNG struggled at first being in the shadow of TOS).

I think the ending was slightly fudged as it might have been better not to reveal that in reality the crew knew how to gain back control- and let Harry - and us - expect the Klingons to be waiting in the transporter room.

Had this of happened the look on Harry's face might have equalled his expression at the end of I Mudd.

So on to his loved one - Stella Grimes - even her surname invokes what life must be like with her.

I see that some reviewers are still giving Discovery just 1 star - perhaps they'd already spent a night with someone just like Ms Grimes - and this is the only way they can rate their experience.

Discovery is finally, truly special. A perfect episode!

[russmillerwy-957-682439 · 10/10 · 29 October 2017]

Maybe the best-written, best-paced Star Trek episode I've seen, and I've seen them all. Funny, unpredictable, tense, and even romantic. This was like a 45 minute movie. I was a little skeptical of this series after the pilot, but now I'm sure it's in good hands. Even the gay characters are turning out to be much more than just "Look at us! We're the first gay TV Star Trek characters!" This next episode will be the first episode of anything on TV that I'll really, really be looking forward to since Breaking Bad and Battlestar Galactica both wrapped up years ago. Discovery is now, officially, in my book, special.

Favorite Episode- so far!

[stefwhit · 10/10 · 3 December 2017]

LOVED IT! Up to this point I've been content with the show with some episodes being good and others okay. This was the first episode that totally got me vested and kept me on the edge of my seat. It was just good ol'fashioned storytelling all throughout with unexpected twists and turns.

This one made me happy

[snugam · 10/10 · 30 October 2017]

My wife and I watched this episode the first time round and I enjoyed it so much that I watched it again soon after (this I had not done with any of the other episodes - thus far); I had that warm-and-fuzzy-Star- Trekkie feeling whilst doing so.

I enjoyed the honesty from Michael as she took Paul Stamets advice to - just be honest in a relationship - her applying his advice towards Ash Tyler was visible several times after that point, even up to the end.

The poetical ending for MUDD sending him back to where he belongs is in my opinion very true to the character/nature of Star Trek i.e We'll end up doing good, even though you made an enemy of us - loved it.

Keeps getting better.

[atmydesk-15449 · 10/10 · 30 October 2017]

I've been watching Star Trek since 1966 and enjoyed most of it. I am enjoying this latest offering immensely and I now find myself looking forward to the next episodes. Sure, there will be some similar stories to earlier series but certainly excusable in fifty years of scripts. Believable characters, good production and continuing with the Star Trek 'feel'. It's brave of Netflix to continue with this classic Sci-fi and I am sure they will have great success with it. Free your minds Trekkies, it's good.

Good but disappointing ending (****spoilers)

[lulany-422-298678 · 6/10 · 5 November 2017]

This was the first episode where I felt that the character building had paid off and I could enjoy just watching them interact regardless of the plot. I feel that this is an important turning point in a new series because it always takes a while to warm up to a brand new set of characters so that was a big plus. The plot was entertaining although very ''deja vu'' but what turned my rating from perhaps a 7.5 or 8 to a 6 was the terrible ending. It's as if they were trying to end the episode on a light, tongue-in-cheek note like they did in the original series with characters like Trelane for example. Which might have worked if the Mudd character had been more like he was in the old series. But this is not at all the case here as Discovery's Mudd is a dangerous and violent criminal and to just let him off with a slap on the wrist after he took over the ship by altering the timeline while going around thoroughly enjoying murdering people in painful ways is not only inappropriate but unsettling. Especially the way everyone seemed to treat him and what he did as a joke and appeared to think that it was perfectly OK to turn in this dangerous psychopath to a woman who loves him in spite of his ''flaws''. I like the show overall and hope the writers will continue to flesh out the characters in interesting and compelling ways but the consistency of the story line and it's moral implications will need to be treated with more care if this show is to live up to it's predecessors.

Enjoyable episode

[knoopgat · 10/10 · 30 October 2017]

I was not planning to come here again, but the haters make me do it. This was just another fine episode, it is getting better all the time. I do not understand why the haters go in such long analyses to explain what they do not like about the show. Again: if you don't like it, stay away and let us enjoy it all. Great actors here! Special Kudos to one of its revelations: Anthony Rapp. He is awesome!

Magic to Make the Sanest Man Go Mad

[Prismark10 · 6/10 · 31 October 2017]

A Time Loop episode, a staple of the Star Trek saga. So who gets to play the Data role? Of course it is the new, improved, slightly bonkers Stamets who figures that they have been living the same time period again and again. Almost like bad nightmare that might had once occurred to a teenage boy at a party.

Stamets approaches Burnham telling her that something is wrong but it is all clear as mudd, Harry Mudd who is after the secrets of Discovery's space drive propulsion system and sell it to the Klingons. Although the Klingons might be more interested in his time crystal so they can fight wars again and again until they win.

The episode belongs to Mudd, killing Lorca repeatedly and himself getting blown up loads of time just for some cash.

Burnham's feelings for Tyler though just gets in the way. The ending does not work. Should a person who takes over starship, endangers its crew, captures a protected space whale for nefarious purposes, colludes with an enemy during wartime, not face a trial?

I get that it's different, but that doesn't make it bad

[pjgs200 · 8/10 · 2 December 2017]

This episode was another really strong entry into Star Trek: Discovery's first season. Sonequa Martin-Green continues to impress as Michael Burhnam, a character who's development in the past two episodes has been great to watch, and the rest of the cast is strong as well. Once again, the direction and cinematography are solid, and this story hits some nice emotional beats as well. I also liked the incorporation of having a time loop in the episode: it's a pretty cool sci-fi element that makes the episode more interesting. I didn't like Rainn Wilson's character in his first episode, but here he was more fun to watch on screen.

8 out of 10. Another *really* good episode.

Episode 7

[bobcobb301 · 7/10 · 21 December 2017]

I know that some hardcore fans will dislike this move because of what it did to the Star Trek Universe, but I enjoyed it because it actually made the time travel premise fun, something many shows fail to do.

Rainn Wilson is great as Mudd and while it did not care for the romantic tension between Michael and Ash, I enjoyed their journey toward stopping the villain.

This episode is the best yet, but...

[zach-tiefling · 5/10 · 31 October 2017]

I liked this episode more than any that came before it. Especially the character of Harry Mudd stole everyone the show and is now the single most entertaining person in the entire series. It was also nice to see some real character development for Michael and Ash. It was an entertaining watch, but...

...this should have been Lieutenant Staments episode, since he was the only one who noticed the time loop. Instead he is relegated to a side character, who just feeds Burnham information about what is happening. Why did Staments told Michael about the time loop and didn't go directly to Captain Lorca? Because he bumped into her?

This could have been a truly fantastic episode, but this show has to forcefully push Michael into the focus of every story. This causes the biggest flaw with this episode. Why haven't we seen Staments dealing with time repeating, but instead had to follow Burnham whose actions and experiences became moot each time the time loop reset?

How to deal with a Mudd named Harry

[XweAponX · 10/10 · 1 November 2017]

I would assume that "Rap music" is referred to as "Classical Music" in the 23rd Century. This episode starts and ends at a "Classical Music" party being held in the Rec Room. Michael was apparently not schooled in Human social interactions at the Vulcan Science Academy, so she doesn't have a clue how to act. Until she is forced to relive the party dozens of times.

This topic has been visited in the Next Generation episode "Cause and Effect", and in a more humorous way in the Stargate SG-1 episode "Window of Opportunity". Time hiccups are a popular topic for Trek stories. Tomorrow is Yesterday, Assignment Earth, The Voyage Home, Time's Arrow, Future's End. Even Enterprise "Storm Front". So, how would such a tale look like in Discovery?

It would look like Harry Mudd is causing it. He wants to hock Discovery to the Klingons, except he can't figure out that he needs Stamets to run it. And the Gizmo that Mudd is using requires that they have to trick Mudd into resetting everything. Mudd hijacks a sick Space- Whale and that's when the fun starts, and starts and starts again.

But Mudd is a pretty clever con man, it appears that he's beating Lorca repeatedly.

Until Tilly thinks of looking INSIDE the Space Whale, to find out why it is sick.

So from that point, how do you trick a conman named Harry? Easy - Ask Ash, who knows what he was lying about. And Mudd was lying about Stella.

I was hoping Katherine Barrell as "Stella" would have the Bride of Frankenstein hairdo that Stella had in "I, Mudd". Maybe she started that later - Or Sooner. But now we can at least see what Harry was running away from.

The first really enjoyable episode of the series

[mariusz-lasota · 9/10 · 2 November 2017]

Although there is clear reference to "Cause and Effect" S05E18 of TNG, this is a completely different take on the story. I must say this is the first episode of the latest Star Trek reboot that I actually enjoyed. For a change, the actors act and interact having some real conversations, there were no ridiculous lens flares and no excessive CGI. I think the scene in transporter room where Mudd is reunited with his fiancé had a really good flavour. This is the way to go.

Improving, step by step.

[doappel · 8/10 · 1 November 2017]

This episode was quite close to being awesome. Quite an achievement, considering how new the series is. Sadly the storytelling still is flawed in crucial moments. This time it's when Stamets falters under pressure, exactly in that moment when they finally figured out how to get the upper hand. He has seen several hundred of deaths, why should he reveal the secret to avoid one more? It makes absolutely no sense!

Such issues aside, Sonequa is awesome and fits perfectly for that character. I had high hopes, as she was one of my favs in TWD. It seems she will exceed my expectations.

-Can Wesley save the day again ?

[marian_the_nightman · 10/10 · 1 November 2017]

-It was a good episode,although i think 'Donnie Darko' Mudd should be punished for the things he did.Many of the old trekkers don't like the episodes where a kid like Wesley Crusher can sit on the bridge ,but for me,the worst episodes were the ones with a single person or a small group trying to hijack a Federation ship.If a person or group of people would try ,in our days, to hijack a Navy ship from a huge fleet,would be considered just a stupid guy or a stupid group without any real chance to succeed,because they should fight with a very well trained group of military men full of resources of any kind.Harry Mudd is not a even very well trained guy or a very smart one (like Moriarty was in TNG) ,i mean almost anybody from Discovery could beat him in a matter of seconds and let's not forget all of them are very smart officers also. Another annoying thing is the fact the Vulcans remain the only classic species from the whole series.Even Guardians of the Galaxy has two (or even more) classic Star Trek species,Andorians and the Orion slave girls ,The Shannara Chronicles have a better version of Vulcans and The Orville has a version of Jem' Hadar and the blue guys and those series are not even claim to be Star Trek series.It's enough the fact they replaced the Klingons with a worst version,ignoring already established things from the canon like the fact the Klingons have hair and they don't have ridges on the back side of their head and the fact the name of their houses represent the name of their family and not the name of their subspecies .They enjoy the life and they are not too much influenced by the religion.If this weird show is canon ,i can't imagine how Worf or B'elanna will look in the future.Their weapons,costumes ,ships,D7 cruisers are looking totally different,also they originally got their cloaking device from The Romulans ,as a result of a peace treaty in 2268,and if they already obtained one before that (or a similar technology) ,then why they would need another one from the Romulans ?!?. They are speaking louder and they are moving faster than this new version and they are not racists . Also Sarek was just a diplomat in the original version,not a warrior, he doesn't like human children,just like any ordinary Vulcan,let's not forget he was disappointed even by his son , the only half-human baby Spock.Also they are not capable the connect with a human minds on such huge distances,even The Betazoids can't do that. In the new series ,all the officers from Discovery have mental problems ,even if the tests for joining the Starfleet are so hard to pass (for example Wesley was rejected,even he was very successful on the tests).The show suggest the officers are cheating on tests ,but it's hard to believe that in the future the psychological evaluation will not evolve at all.For one of the officers or ensigns like Tilly there is no need for tests to see they are unfit for a Starfleet career .Tilly suggests she was chosen for Starfleet because of her mind,even she is fat and incapable to communicate with the others,this is wrong,Starfleet never does that in the other series,and i really don't understand how she pass the sports test.Michael Burnham is back in the Starfleet,she even got her ranks back ,even she was sentenced for life for her actions.In case the producers don't know ,in many military forces ,for mutiny in case of war,she could even be killed by her superior officer.Also ,for a human raised from a species without feeling like the Vulcans ,she is too much driven by her feelings,she acts against her superior officer,because she remember how the Klingons killed her parents and she looses her control,she feel sorry for the tardigrade ,even she saw him killing her mates with ferocity.She obvious has no skills for an officer ,because she clearly can't be objective when is needed. Captain Lorca is a paranoid captain ,even if he had the chance to choose his crew he is still nervous .His actions are always weird and wrong,so i cant understand how the doctor from the ship let him on the command of the ship from the first place.He also has huge problems with his relations with the other officers.Also the producers promised to show cyborgs,robots and androids ,even if Data and Lore were the first androids . The Starfleet insignias are wrong,because the delta sign was use much later as a general standard .The uniforms,weapons should look like the ones from "The Cage",the pilot episode from the original series which takes place in the same period of time with Discovery.The holograms were used in comunications by the Starfleet only in the last seasons of Deep Space Nine.The exterior ,and interior design of the Starfleet ships is looking like the show takes place in a post- Voyager era.On the shuttle bays it shouldn't be shields ,because they used pressurization.The shuttles are too advanced.The holodeck was used only in the animated series which is not canon.If the mushroom drive existed,then why the crew from U.S.S. Voyager doesn't use it ?!? Well, if the producers will confess someday that Star Trek : Discovery is not canon ,then this review will remain just a worthless commentary ,but till then...

A special kind of "talent" to mess up a timeloop episode, yet here we are...

[jrarichards · 7/10 · 1 January 2019]

Whether it be in "Edge of Tomorrow" or "Groundhog Day", or various incarnations of Trek, timeloop episodes are in-the-bank meaningfulness, fun and interest. They always "work". Obviously, the concept cannot be overused, but where it does feature it's always worthwhile. Sad then that this episode of "Discovery", playing the timeloop card at this relatively early stage in our acquaintance, achieves quite a bit, but NOT all that it might have done.

A first problem here is with Rainn Wilson's Mudd who does not come over consistently or coherently here. Obviously, while the Mudd from the Original Series was a relatively harmless Falstaffian character, it was not essential for the reimagined "Discovery" version to be the same. But the extreme murderous ruthlessness of the character as portrayed here does NOT ring true - his behaviour shows him as not the kind of person Discovery or Lorca could ever do business with. Rather, every effort would be made to ensure his death at the first possible opportunity. No deals with terrorists...

The fact that the timeloop was used to give us deeper insights into a number of the characters (notably Burnham, Tyler and Stamets) WAS interesting, but given the aforesaid actual seriousness of the threat posed by Mudd, this "let's kiss, dance and bare our souls" stuff does NOT quite gel. That's a pity, as there IS something faintly erotically pleasing about Burnham's first taste of romance, while Anthony Rapp's portrayal of Stamets grows and grows in a way we would not necessarily have anticipated. Sadly, his lover the Doctor remains dormant and largely invisible, and this sidelining is in marked and painful contrast to any other Trek we can think of, in which the Doctors (Crusher perhaps excepted) have always represented extremely high-class added value to the shows.

Though we obviously don't see it, Burnham is presumably wised up afresh in each iteration of events by Stamets, but the former nevertheless gives the impression here of remembering from one round to the next - and that is the wrong thing to convey in this kind of episode, so a small mark-down for that too...

Paradoxically, a character that gains from this episode is Lorca, who looks both witty and worldly-wise here. But this - interestingly though inevitably - happens DESPITE his being FAR from centre-stage, and that is weird in itself, given that every other Trek Captain has played the starring role. And, when all's said and done, Jason Isaacs is a highly competent and indeed charismatic actor - so for just how long do the makers of "Discovery" believe they can leave Lorca as somehow incidental to main events? It's a radical idea maybe, but it's not really going to prove plausible to work this way, is it? You can't keep a good actor (and screen presence) down, and Isaacs is surely going to bring his character forward no matter what the makers wish to do with it?

In that regard, it is also interesting how developments centred around the "big 3" aforementioned characters are also occurring at the expense of Doug Jones's Saru as First Officer. In this episode at least, the trend towards leaving him as a bit-part is (inevitably) far stronger than that concerning Lorca ... but the same doubts and criticisms apply. Can this way of telling stories with a marginal Doctor, Number 1 and Captain (and hence the complete, and doubtless deliberate, antithesis of Kirk-Spock-McCoy) really work in the long term?

Cheap music .

[marian_ciobanu · 10/10 · 5 November 2017]

I really don't understand the music used for this episode,they should use Elvis Presley or somebody like him,because he is a classic,not a cheap R'N'B melody from an obscure guy,i understand if the producers don't like the concerts from TNG ,but this change is too stupid.By the way,i never knew Harry Mudd is the next Terminator ,for God's sake he is so fat but he could be a Sumo fighter,although.

Nor Clean, but Still Fun

[Hitchcoc · 7/10 · 7 February 2020]

I've always like time loops and this one, though ragged, has some things going for it. Harry Mudd is seeking profit and revenge. Through some kind of technology he has managed to get into a loop where he will discover how to take total control of the Discovery and sell it to the Klingons. I guess the problem is the number and intensity of the crew and the fact that it is a very complicated ship. To all the Onesies, don't you ever just have fun watching something without totally dissing it. There are good actors, a fun plot, and a look into the soul. Embrace life a bit.

Moving in The Right Direction?

[sbulgacs · 8/10 · 4 November 2017]

I do not believe this was a bad episode at all. It was much more ensemble focused. Although I do want to know more about the robot chick on the bridge and the ginger lass, who was also on the Shenzou, with a robotic eye. The bad science wasn't as in your face as some of the other episodes and the crew seemed to carry out their actions as their characters would. Surely some sort of stasis field for the space whale would have been necessary though? I think, after a very shaky start, we might just have had our first actual Trek, Discovery episode. I have to agree with some of the others comments when I think about Tilly's character…. She seems far too "dipsy" to be a Star fleet officer. I'm sure her character can be developed in the second season. Also even though there weren't any actual Klingons in this episode SORT OUT THEM OUT THEY'RE AN AFFRONT TO TREK LEGACY.

Best so far

[barryjrennick-18945 · 6/10 · 31 October 2017]

So far I haven't enjoyed Dis much at all, most of them I've rated 1 or 2 stars as Trek and 4 or 5 as general Sci-Fi (some worse) This episode felt like a Star Trek episode at least, the new security chief (Ash something) seems like he could be an interesting character and it was slightly more than the Burnham show. Its a story that's been done more than once in Star Trek but repetition in a franchise is to be expected, especially in early seasons.

Hopefully this will be a turning point and we'll see an improvement in the story telling before the mid season break.

I will not sacrifice Star Trek..

[mrre1996 · 1/10 · 29 October 2017]

We've made too many compromises already, too many retreats. They reboot our canon and we fall back. They assimilate entire timelines and we fall back. Not again. The line must be drawn HERE, and NO further. And I, will make CBS PAY for what they have done.

Computer - Save under historical disasters and End program.

Captain Tardigrade defender of the multiverse.

[cyborg-smourfette · 23 August 2018]

Do you want to know something about the originality of the series ?!?..just search on youtube Star Trek Horizon ,Prelude to Axanar or Captain Tardigrade ,or type Nebula-Marvel universe,or type Lost in Space - the movie (this is only for season two),and you will find out and this is just the top of the iceberg.Stop the pain from the fans' hearts ,stop Discovery.

let's do that storyline again. Again

[paultapner · 8/10 · 10 October 2018]

Mike's still not sure about getting social with her colleagues. When there's a surprise return for a character we saw earlier this season. And suddenly a show that had done things differently to other Star Treks so far is suddenly doing a plotline previous shows did. More than once. At which point I groaned. However... This pulls it off. There's a real depth added to the returning character, making them very three dimensional. And the whole thing moves at a great pace, with enough twists and turns to keep you hooked. Some of which are more original than you would have expected, and the kind of thing I would cry out for from the writing back in the days of Star Trek Voyager. There's also a moral to the story. As the end will make clear. And the episode does get that point across very well. Old storyline. Done good. A good watch as a result