Oh, I loved the new intro. It was a perfect mix of science and mythology. Just like Roddenberry would have liked it. He was more into the fantasy then he probably ever realised. All of that can be read from the TOS texture, and I like that CBS has balls to develop it even further.
Burnham also needed more explanation in her origin story, but so does Spock as after the TOS and a few movies he mostly disappeared without giving out much of the story about who he was, when he grew up in his father's shadow.
So, I really liked that he was very early on a highly skilled hacker. Not that the TOS or anyone else afterwards understood to call him as such. But, then again, almost every Vulcan are like him. It however surprised me that neither his dad or his sister expected to see him again. It was as if they couldn't believe that the boy they'd so much trouble with could reach out to his family again.
Jim would have said: "Everyone loves Spock. So, what's the big deal?"
I don't think Sarak can ever really answer such a question as he's more hidden behind Vulcan stoicism than his son. He didn't even reflect fear, when it became clear that the Enterprice was virtually a floating wreck. Not that the Enterprice ever make her epic missions without someone banging out dents from its hull or fiddling with its sensitive systems.
Compared to the Discovery, the Enterprice's history is filled with all sorts of engineering chaos. It is almost as if should had been decommissioned sooner than allow her to develop so many malfunctions. Maybe that is the reason for why Scotty became such a wicked engineer at the end. Not that he was present, when the malfunction happened.
But in the grounds that Pike was conducting a scientific hunt on the spacial anomaly I don't really get how he can commandeer Discovery so fast. An anomaly isn't enough to take over another ship, even if Saru claimed that he was: "...just an acting captain."
I liked that he quoted regulations on Pike's face. Just check that look on Pike's face, and you'll see he wasn't happy to hear them at all.
It's like he's given Saru the glare of are-you-kidding-me?
I really hope that CBS allows Anson Mount to grow a gruffy beard as that's the face I'd grown custom to see in the Hell-on-Wheels. He quickly grew into Pike's role as approached it with much softer touch after Tilly had confirmed his identity and nearly "...broken the captain."
I was as heart broken to hear Statmet's goodbyes as she was at the engine room. It's not easy to live with the PTSD's. You need the change. You need to lessen that stress.
Well, I guess it's about also that his role would be negated with Spock's introduction into the Discovery series. It was right that they didn't used his presence in the anomaly exploration, as he would had eaten all the attention from excellent bridge action.
Why does those EVO suits need to be colour coded? This is change from last year, where Burnham sported with the hardshell EVO suit without showing the colours. Is it a StarFleet regulation that you'll need to show rank in such way?
What if the aliens would learn that the golden means shoot-at-it-first? Although I liked that the StarFleet ships are now carrying landing pods other than the classical shuttles. After all, they are usually alone in the mission, but they should have had before to launch smaller vessels, other than the shuttles. Although I would not have called them as landing pods, because the name conjures very quickly the image of hardened landers, not manoeuvrable mini-vessels.
Was the last lander Michael's idea of how she going to get out after the transporter room was disconnected from her? Pike surely did Jim's as he went back for Burnham. Probably against Saru's recommendations. How did they get a transport lock?
