“The Sounds of Thunder” is the 6th episode of the 2nd season of the TV show “Star Trek: Discovery” and follows “Saints of Imperfection“.

Note. This article contains spoilers about “The Sounds of Thunder”.

A new signal connected to the mystery of what was called Red Angel is detected by the USS Discovery and comes from the planet Kaminar, homeworld of commander Saru (Doug Jones). This leads to an open confrontation with the mysterious Ba’ul, the other sentient species of the planet, much more technologically advanced than the Kelpien.

“The Sounds of Thunder” is an episode in which the mystery linked to the cosmic signals and the Red Angel is intertwined with Saru’s personal story, with the consequences due to his change in “An Obol for Charon”. In previous episodes some information about the Kelpien were offered but, to fully understand this new development, you should have watched the mini-episode (accessible on Netflix in the trailer section!) about Saru produced during the break between the two seasons.

My fear was that a radical change in Saru could ruin who I think is the best character in the show but in this episode I think that was handled well. A remarkable change happened in him and that can be seen in behaviors that would have been unthinkable for him just a little while before. Saru is still looking for a new balance but he has trouble in containing his emotions when he returns to his home planet after discovering a crucial truth about his species. I also appreciated the complexity in the relationship between the Kelpien and the Ba’ul that was developed in this episode.

Saru’s relationship with his sister Siranna (Hannah Spear) is made more complex by everything that happened since he left Kaminar with the prospect of never coming back. Their family problems quickly fall into the background because the Ba’ul react to what they see as an interference with the Great Balance, which is supposed be a harmony that was imposed by them.

The development of Kaminar’s story is interesting but raised some questions. The interpretation of General Order 1 seems more vague than ever since Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) decides to interfere very strongly in the affairs of two species and in their relationship. The signal detected could have any meaning given that the motivs of the entity who sent it are not at all clear but Pike basically sides with his first officer and that has huge consequences for both species.

Regarding the Red Angel the issue is even more vague as this entity – or these entities – stimulates the actions of the USS Discovery by sending its signals but in some cases it acts on its own. Accumulating mysteries on mysteries is always risky because the plot might become contorted – I call it the X-Files syndrome… – so I hope that answers will start coming. In the meantime I have to say that “The Sounds of Thunder” was for me the best episode of the season if not of the whole show.