CIRCLE WITH A DOT

I really enjoyed this episode. Not as emotionally rough going as last week's, and yet a whole lot of growth in the characters. I love that Jay'Den found his courage when he jumped into the portal to try to save his friend, and I love that he stood by Darem by showing up to give the toast, and also by giving him a talking-to before the wedding about what he's choosing and why. I really love that the show is stretching gender norms for the viewers with Jay-Den's Starfleet uniform kilt and his silky wedding dress. What I appreciate most is that nobody, Jay-Den or any other character, is giggling about it. After all, it's been 800 years since we saw the Klingons and we have no idea what Khionian men wear, and gender presentation customs can change in 800 years. But they absolutely did not use a man in a shimmery dress for humor. This episode was really interesting about Darem: I had not thought of him as a submissive people-pleaser. That was quite an insight Kaira shared about how his personality had changed while he was away at a place where he's not the non-royal betrothed of the princess, not the subordinate. It's ironic that she then chewed him out for being dishonest by trying to be a people-pleaser again for her sake. That really would have been a terrible basis for a marriage, though. I also really liked the B-plot between Caleb and Genesis, and liked that both of them held the other accountable: Caleb on why Genesis was endangering her chances, Genesis on why he hadn't written to Tarima. I really enjoyed the bit with Lura Thok chewing Reno out over the communicator about her toe injury. This seems exactly like how she would show caring, and how Reno wants to receive caring. I think it's reasonable that Ake would keep giving these kids second and third and seventeenth chances when they mess up, like not expelling Genesis. I like the very real friendship between Genesis and SAM, too. Overall, I love this show. #StarTrek #StarTrekStarfleetAcademy