Pike and Saru reach new levels of kick-a**-ary. Getting that out right now. In all of Star trek from Encounter at Farpoint onward we never really saw Pike or learned much about him. Anson Mount dwarfs anything Bruce Greenwood did with the character in the Abrams movies and he does so with a single line. When the Ba'ul ask if Pike is really willing to risk the lives of his people for a single Kelpian Pike flat out says "This Kelpian IS my people. And I will use every means in my power to defend him." Anson Mount as Pike has an uncanny ability to be respectful and restrained even as he is saying in no uncertain terms "You screwed up and now you need to shut up." Something I really don't think we've seen in many Star Trek leads...with the possible exception of Captain Picard.
Saru keeps himself as restrained as he possibly can given the circumstances and the conflict he feels in himself while he's returning home, but not for any reason his people can understand. The uncertainty, the power, conviction and most of all the anger at the lies his people swallow are all there. The most cliché and simplistic of his realities, the one that is stated and usually would be the main focus of the actor or even the episode is how to unravel a lie that is the foundation of your peoples culture. And that is blessedly minimal here. Also this is the second time Saru's vision (Kelpian vision) is mentioned and I'm glad they didn't wait until it became a game-changer to mention he even had it.
Saru keeps himself as restrained as he possibly can given the circumstances and the conflict he feels in himself while he's returning home, but not for any reason his people can understand. The uncertainty, the power, conviction and most of all the anger at the lies his people swallow are all there. The most cliché and simplistic of his realities, the one that is stated and usually would be the main focus of the actor or even the episode is how to unravel a lie that is the foundation of your peoples culture. And that is blessedly minimal here. Also this is the second time Saru's vision (Kelpian vision) is mentioned and I'm glad they didn't wait until it became a game-changer to mention he even had it.