Thoughts on Star Trek: Discovery: clear as Mudd

"Choose your pain" continues the arc, with the implications of using the tardigrade for the spore drive. The implication being it's sentient and the spore drive causes the creature pain every time they use it. In fact, it gets weaker each time and Michael surmises that it could eventually die.

Related: Thoughts on Star Trek: Discovery: Stammets isn't so bad, he can be a fungi

Not only is it un unsustainable way to make the spore drive work, it's ethically questionable. Conflict arises between Michael and the first officer Saru who, in the absence of Lorca, must balance Starfleet tenets with ensuring the surival of his crew.

Abandoning this incredible advantage is out of the question, but inflicting continuing pain on the tardigrade stretches his obligations as a representative of Starfleet.  Here, Michael and Saru play off nicely against each other and it's a nice reversal of positions from the pilot. Here, Michael is trying to do the compassionate thing, as opposed to acting purely out of a sense of logic or being belligerent.

Lorca is absent because he's been captured by a Klingon force. It seems word has spread of the Discovery's incredible ability to appear and disappear at will, and the Klingons want to find out more about this wonder weapon. We see more of Lorca's less than amicable nature in this episode. He applauds his bridge crew sarcastically when they underperform during a simulated wargame. Now he comes across fellow inmate Harry Mudd. For anyone unfamiliar, Mudd's a fan favourite from TOS. 

A self serving liar, he happily sells out his fellow inmates when the Klingons come to periodically dish out beatings ("Choose your pain!"). Nothing is beyond Mudd, played here by Raine Wilson, who'll even steal food from the other occupants of the cell. He's a little over the top, but not so outlandishly that it becomes out of place on Discovery.  

We see more conflict onboard Discovery, with Stamet's abrasive personality and devotion to scientific pursuit coming up against Saru's orders to make the spore drive work, whatever the cost. They need the spore drive if they're to find Lorca. Stamets is able to make the drive work without the tardigrade, he and Michael having devised a gene therapy to be applied to a human being. He tests it out on himself, a sign of his devotion to science but also of bravery and a willingness to place the needs of others before his own. They take the decision to release the tardigrade, which quickly disappears for parts unknown.

Onboard the Klingon cruiser, we get some backstory for Lorca. It's revealed he blew up his own ship during a battle with the Klingons, in order to spare them the agony of a slow death by the Klingons. It's still a little unclear about how this transpired. Why was he the only one to escape? How does Mudd know about this? Still, it reveals some more about the character and - unintentional or not - the unexplained parts add to the mystery.

Eventually, Lorca is able to break out with the help of another Starfleet officer, Ash. Of course, Lorca being Lorca, he leaves Mudd to rot. He's not the nicest guy at the best of times and after some Klingon torture he's probably even less receptive to having this self serving bastard with him. Somehow, Mudd will live to hustle again.