Spoilers Star Trek: Discovery 4x04 - "All Is Possible"

[Yistaan]

So what exactly is Kovich's position? Head of Starfleet Medical? We know he was important enough to be next to Vance when the Emerald Chain was attacking last season.

 

[fireproof78]

The man who knew too much.

 

[Awesome Possum]

While I know what you mean, if you're talking about dramatic potential in fiction, I do feel like nothing can really beat the complicated feelings we have about our parents, siblings, children, and other close relations. Interpersonal relationships are boring once they're happy and established, which is why almost every romantic "will they or won't they" dynamic is completely ruined if a dyad with mutual interest settles into being a happy, functional couple.

In fiction? You can find that in real life pretty easily.

So what exactly is Kovich's position? Head of Starfleet Medical? We know he was important enough to be next to Vance when the Emerald Chain was attacking last season.

He's just this guy, you know.

 

[Deks]

I wasn't a fan of this one. The Burnham to the rescue of all things is just too much. Thought the shuttle thing was way too cliched. I too used to be a Tilly fan, was fine seeing her leave. I kept waiting for them to get back to something on the anomaly and the we have to make it up that hill but lets stop for an icebreaker session was eye-rollingly bad.

I don't have an issue with Disco developing the characters, but the season plot line (the anomaly) was seemingly placed on the backburner over these two episodes... with larger amounts of time passing too.
Maybe now that they have dealt with Till leaving for the Academy they will pay attention to the Anomaly more and develop characters with that story.

 

[Yistaan]

I don't have an issue with Disco developing the characters, but the season plot line (the anomaly) was seemingly placed on the backburner over these two episodes... with larger amounts of time passing too.
Maybe now that they have dealt with Till leaving for the Academy they will pay attention to the Anomaly more and develop characters with that story.

The anomaly went into Emerald Chain territory and suddenly the Federation didn't feel that stopping it was such a big priority anymore.

 

[Fateor]

Discovery is finally not letting technology or technobabble get in the way of good storytelling, and now it’s being criticized for what some people wanted all along?

Would it have made a huge difference if the ridge was depicted as being taller? Is that detail actually critical to the crux of the story?

The show seems like it can’t win sometimes.

The two aren't mutually exclusive.

Also I'm not sure I would call this episode good given it was a heavily recycled story that they did better in both TNG and DS9.

 

[fireproof78]

Discovery is finally not letting technology or technobabble get in the way of good storytelling, and now it’s being criticized for what some people wanted all along?

Would it have made a huge difference if the ridge was depicted as being taller? Is that detail actually critical to the crux of the story?

The show seems like it can’t win sometimes.

This show cannot win period. The standard set is too high because of a lot of different factors. It's not all malicious but it also cannot succeed because it has the albatross of Trek's past weighing it down.

And, more sadly, is me being told that's just the way it is.

Thanks for reminding me that both Picard and Discovery did their evil AI storylines at the same time. I'm now fully expecting corrupt, megacorp controlled cyberpunk Earth in Disco next season.

Promise?

 

[TheMadCloner]

The two aren't mutually exclusive.

Also I'm not sure I would call this episode good given it was a heavily recycled story that they did better in both TNG and DS9.

It is difficult to have a completely unique story with completely unique plot elements when you have hundreds of episodes in the franchise already beforehand.

A good story is a good story. This was a good story.

 

[nic3636]

I liked it. I thought it was the best episode of the season (and before this I thought the last episode was the best of the season) so the upward trend is encouraging.

I also liked that the solution to this big political problem is a committee. Made me smile. I also liked that the solution was really Burnham herself, also made me smile. Interesting remarks from the president that Burnham has an aptitude for politics. Foreshadowing perhaps ? There’s no way she ends the series as a mere captain, am I right ?

 

[Yistaan]

It is difficult to have a completely unique story with completely unique plot elements when you have hundreds of episodes in the franchise already beforehand.

A good story is a good story. This was a good story.

I'm glad you think so, but my opinion is that it wasn't. Mainly because the entire dilemma of Vulcan membership was handwaved by saying some third party was going to arbitrate all UFP membership, without even deciding or discussing who this third party would be. Then to name Starfleet, an actual branch of the Federation, as a stand in for that third party until they decide was even more absurd.

 

[TheMadCloner]

This show cannot win period. The standard set is too high because of a lot of different factors. It's not all malicious but it also cannot succeed because it has the albatross of Trek's past weighing it down.

And, more sadly, is me being told that's just the way it is.

Promise?

I don’t mind a high standard (it’s a good thing tbh), but when the series meets it (or gets significantly closer to meeting it) that should be acknowledged, not dismissed as old hat. This episode was pretty close to the spirit and quality of classic TNG/DS9, and some of the criticisms in this thread are just being argumentative IMO.

 

[fireproof78]

I don’t mind a high standard (it’s a good thing tbh), but when the series meets it (or gets significantly closer to meeting it) that should be acknowledged, not dismissed as old hat. This episode was pretty close to the spirit and quality of classic TNG/DS9, and some of the criticisms in this thread are just being argumentative IMO.

What I think is happening simply that Discovery has not earned the goodwill of those who are not onboard with the series. Either the series let people down too frequently in early seasons, it wasn't "Star Trek enough" (whatever the that means), characters are annoying, whatever. There isn't enough willingness to give Discovery a break because of the past, and it gets treated extremely poorly no matter what.

 

[TheMadCloner]

I'm glad you think so, but my opinion is that it wasn't. Mainly because the entire dilemma of Vulcan membership was handwaved by saying some third party was going to arbitrate all UFP membership, without even deciding or discussing who this third party would be. Then to name Starfleet, an actual branch of the Federation, as a stand in for that third party until they decide was even more absurd.

This point was brought up by T’Rina though. She says something to the extent of how the Federation can have Starfleet as a party in a neutral civil quorum. Burnham convinces T’Rina by using her personal relationship and history with her.

 

[Ralph O Ward III]

We never learned why the Andorians left the federation

 

[Yistaan]

This point was brought up by T’Rina though. She says something to the extent of how the Federation can have Starfleet as a party in a neutral civil quorum. Burnham convinces T’Rina by using her personal relationship and history with her.

I just... can't imagine that going over well with the rest of the Ni'var populace, especially once rumors of Saru and T'Rina's cozy talks hit subspace chatter.

 

[TheMadCloner]

What I think is happening simply that Discovery has not earned the goodwill of those who are not onboard with the series. Either the series let people down too frequently in early seasons, it wasn't "Star Trek enough" (whatever the that means), characters are annoying, whatever. There isn't enough willingness to give Discovery a break because of the past, and it gets treated extremely poorly no matter what.

I think there is a certainly a degree of this happening.

I guess it’s subjective, but I think there has been a clear tonal shift this season so far. New writers are creating more character driven stories instead of the plot driven stories we were seeing before. This is what a lot of hesitant fans wanted to see. I don’t think some of them realize it in the moment.

 

[fireproof78]

I think there is a certainly a degree of this happening.

I guess it’s subjective, but I think there has been a clear tonal shift this season so far. New writers are creating more character driven stories instead of the plot driven stories we were seeing before. This is what a lot of hesitant fans wanted to see. I don’t think some of them realize it in the moment.

I honestly think that hating Discovery is more fun than enjoying it at times.

 

[TheMadCloner]

I just... can't imagine that going over well with the rest of the Ni'var populace, especially once rumors of Saru and T'Rina's cozy talks hit subspace chatter.

T’Rina just has to convince the purists, which were stated as the main driving force behind the exit clause request. And Burnham seems to have already won some of them over last season so she has “name recognition” amongst them.

 

[Deks]

I'm glad you think so, but my opinion is that it wasn't. Mainly because the entire dilemma of Vulcan membership was handwaved by saying some third party was going to arbitrate all UFP membership, without even deciding or discussing who this third party would be. Then to name Starfleet, an actual branch of the Federation, as a stand in for that third party until they decide was even more absurd.

Yeah, I have to say that didn't make much sense to me either.
SF is a branch of UFP, so how could it be considered neutral? I mean sure, SF CAN be neutral (in fact its often its job), but given that its a branch of UFP, I don't think in this particular case it would meet the criteria for being the arbitrage - especially since SF and UFP are no longer separate entities... at least they weren't in S3 (unless this changed in S4).
I was thinking a different species would be brought in to do the arbitrage.

 

[TheMadCloner]

I honestly think that hating Discovery is more fun than enjoying it at times.

It’s always more cognitively engaging to pick apart something than to praise/enjoy it. I think we’ve all been guilty of that in the past. But when enjoyment or praise is deserved, I think it’s OK to put away the critic hat for a moment and just let yourself have fun watching the episode.