Star Trek: Discovery is heading towards the end of its second season at warp speed as the penultimate episode of the season, “Such Sweet Sorrow,” brings back the first guest star of the year — from all the way back in the first “Short Trek” from October.

Returning from last fall’s “Runaway,” Xahian queen Me Hani Ika Hali Ka Po (Yadira Guevara-Prip) is back aboard Discovery — with ice cream in hand. How this once-fugitive friend of Ensign Tilly factors into the story is yet unclear, but it’s possible her unique dilithium crystal technology may come into play with the time crystal acquired last week by Captain Pike.

'Star Trek: Discovery' Episode 213 - 'Such Sweet Sorrow'

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Of note this week is a lack of photography of the returning Sarek (James Frain), Number One (Rebecca Romijn), or any of the USS Enterprise sets, as teased in the below trailer for “Such Sweet Sorrow,” but we imagine the studio will be releasing some of those photos after the episode has aired on Thursday.

Of note, it seems Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) is wearing the undersuit for the Red Angel technology, first sported by her mother in “Perpetual Infinity.”

And in case you missed it, here’s the video preview for the episode, which features the return of Number One and the USS Enterprise as the starship joins the Discovery in a team-up against Control and its Section 31 assets.

 

SUCH SWEET SORROW — When the U.S.S. Discovery’s crucial mission does not go according to plan, Burnham realizes what must ultimately be done. The crew prepares for the battle of a lifetime as Leland’s Control ships get closer.

The episode features a story Michelle Paradise & Jenny Lumet & Alex Kurtzman, and is directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi, and is billed as the first half of a two-part Star Trek: Discovery Season 2 finale.

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In addition to these photos looking ahead to Thursday, we’ve got some new behind-the-scenes photos from last week’s “Through the Valley of Shadows” which some of the Discovery team have shared on social media.

Actor Anson Mount showed off this look at filming the tragic training accident sequence, as well as several looks at his makeup process getting into character as the radiation-afflicted future Captain Pike:

Prop designer Mario Moreira and creature effects designer Neville Page each shared a number of images of the updated Pike wheelchair:

“Such Sweet Sorrow” debuts this Thursday on CBS All Access and Space, and beams to Netflix around the world on Friday.