Alice / Tilly connections in Star Trek: Discovery

[Sci-Fi Girl]

So after watching several episodes of Star Trek: Discovery last weekend (specifically episodes 5 & 6), I noticed some interesting things. (Spoilers ahead obviously, though I have written this post to hopefully make sense even without watching the show.)

First of all, on OUAT, we recently learned that Alice’s cursed name is Tilly, and at first I wondered why she has that name, and how it was connected to Alice in the books. (For more info on that see this thread.)

Then, when I was watching Star Trek: Discovery, I realized there are Alice in Wonderland references everywhere! (And I wouldn’t have realized this was a pattern if OUAT hadn’t pointed out the Tilly connection.)

– First, the main character, Michael Burnham, is shown throughout the series to read the book Alice in Wonderland. She is shown having a copy, she quotes it, and she speaks of how her foster mother gave it to her. There was even a flashback showing when her foster mother gave it to her. Clearly this is not a trivial mention, it means something.

– Second, Michael’s bunkmate / best friend / only friend … is named Tilly!

– Third, there is a giant version of a creature that is microscopic on earth (a tardigrade). The real one looks like this:

And here is a data readout from the show with a graphic of the giant Tardigrade:

Though Tardigrades are nothing like caterpillars, I think visually this could represent the caterpillar in Alice! And they even let it fly away at the end of episode 5!

Additionally, the giant Tardigrade has a genetic connection to a fungus, that enables it to travel throughout the universe via spores. This feature is so useful strategically and to science, that one man alters his own DNA to gain the same connection to this fungus.

So together, the tardigrade and it’s spores are like the caterpillar sitting on the mushroom! A mushroom that alters physical states, like the one in Alice does!

– Fourth, this man who has altered his DNA, Stamets, has strange side effects. We do not understand them all yet, but for now his reflection in a mirror appears to behave independently of him! 😮 So … strange things going on in a Looking Glass!

– He also got way more cheerful and grins a lot, so I have decided that he is the *Cheshire Cat*! 😆 You could say he can appear and disappear in strange ways! 😀

SFG

(RG, if you think this ought to be in a different forum, either let me know or go ahead and move it! 🙂 )

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