Spoilers Star Trek: Discovery 4x05 - "The Examples"

[JoaquinSlowly]

I'm sure more clever people have already figured this out, but I'm guessing one of the reasons they destroyed kwejian was probably so they didn't have planet full of people that could use the spore drive naturally.

That was something that jumped out at me after the premiere.

‪‪Of course, I really feel for Book, what with Kwejian getting Krypton’d, and poor Kyheem & Leto have been Robert & René’d. Come to think of it, with Kwejian ‪‪shattered, and Book having previously said his empathic abilties were fairly rare in his species, it would seem possible if not probable that will make/keep Book and Stamets somewhat uniquely qualified to operate the Spore Drive.

 

[Search4]

Imagine how nice & safe it would be if you worked on a StarFleet Vessel / Facility that was properly OSHA compliant.

That when shit goes wrong, there is "Genuine Danger", and not danger for momentary / cheap drama points.

You could jettison the ion pod. Oh wait…

 

[SAndrews10]

Yeah it bothered me the dude was just able to waltz onto the bridge. Is anyone else having trouble making out the combadges this season. In most scenes it just looks like a random oval with no delta or rank insignia on it.

 

[Annorax849]

Best episode since season 2, besides maybe Terra Firma pt. 1

 

[NCC-73515]

I like the mention that Rhys had his family home destroyed in a tornado or hurricane which shows that as late as the mid-23rd century on Earth there was no weather net in place to prevent life-threatening storms from hitting populated areas.

Odd coincidence that this episode aired just after the recent tornado damage

The ellipse from Voyager did pop in and out of subspace, but that was orange, so IDK if the DMA could be the same

I was hoping it's related, but they ruled that out early on, saying it resembles nothing in their databases (or something like that). Perhaps Voyager's records were lost in the Burn XD

It's funny because he uses the Mycelium network, a naturally occurring phenomenon, to instantly move from one part of the galaxy to another. Tardigrades can, apparently, do the same thing, and all of this just ignores how quantum entanglement works.

What does any of this have to do with entanglement?

‪‪

Spoiler: New Ready Room’s clip for the next episode

It seems like next week they’ll continue the story of Zora’s evolving sentience from the scene where they’re playing games in the lounge.

And she's turning into a Benzite XD

The Akaali were previously depicted in Enterprise, so Discovery was just showing them how they first appeared.


Seriously, this show just can't win. When they change the alien makeup, people get upset and ask why they didn't keep it the same as 20 years ago. When they don't change the makeup, people ask why they haven't changed the makeup from 20 years ago.

I'm glad the Akaali makeup was identical to the way it looked 20 years ago. DSC needs to do that more often with established alien species.

"But it must look different because we have new technologies and science and btw it's art!! But also it's all just window dressing and doesn't matter at all, which is why we care so much about it being different!" XD

Which proves there has always been criticism of these things on Trek and loads of it.
But when it's pointed out on a Disco thread it's all "but TNG did it too "

I think it's perfectly fair to criticize Discos crappy science as long as it's not being used to explain how it's worse than other Trek

Typical discussion about something odd or wrong/funny/whatever:
"I noticed this odd thing in the new episode."
"But they did similarly odd or worse things in old episodes which makes the new thing perfectly fine!" XD

- SMG has made an acting adjustment that makes her so much more watchable. She doesn't make ridiculous faces anymore. There's more to it but I can't quite put it into words.

There were moments in this episode where I would've expected her to cry or at least get close, it would've made perfect sense and been appropriate, but she didn't - guess they read too many comments XD

I'd have conducted the experiment in the main shuttlebay but that's just me. That way if things go haywire the spore drive isn't threatened, just shuttles and random equipment and storage containers.

And leave the door open like they used to anyway to quickly ditch the whole thing if necessary

This. I'm not hating on DSC, but I'm not going to ignore things that make me ask questions, or when I point out shoddy writing, really bad science, or odd character moments. It's because I do love what DSC wants to be, and what I want it to be, too.

I gave up trying to explain to certain people that attention to details and pointing out noteworthy things can mean love instead of hate.

 

[cooleddie74]

Yeah, just eject the recreation of the anomaly inside the containment field and into space where it can dissipate or flare out of existence without damaging Discovery.

 

[Amaris]

What does any of this have to do with entanglement?

Just one more example, when including the Mycelium network, of physics wrecking the idea that just because an object is in one location doesn't mean it can't "disappear" from its current location and appear in another without being detected. I thought it was funny that Stamets would lay claim to such a thing as an anomaly disappearing and reappearing light years away as not being possible, despite him doing the very same thing with the Discovery. His whole work. It just seemed a little silly.

I gave up trying to explain to certain people that attention to details and pointing out noteworthy things can mean love instead of hate.

Exactly.

 

[fireproof78]

But they did similarly odd or worse things in old episodes which makes the new thing perfectly fine!"

Nope. Just Star Trek.

 

[fireproof78]

I gave up trying to explain to certain people that attention to details and pointing out noteworthy things can mean love instead of hate.

I'd believe that if I saw love.

 

[SAndrews10]

So are episode previews only on the ready room now? They’re no longer at the end of the episode?

 

[Mr. Adventure]

Surely we'll see a Wiseman by Christmas, right?

Everyone sure seems interested in the bridge crew though the series is determinedly not so. We've had enough series with bridge crews that doesn't bother me too much but odd after having started to develop Detmer. It's kind of funny, Stamets annoys the hell out of me but I respect them for not making him some easily lovable guy. I didn't mind Adira sitting this one out either, cute kid but a bit of a cypher and gives some space for Stamets and Culber to engage.

Still with Tilly out we're left with an odd combo of Burnham/Book/Stamets/Culber/Saru. I'm half expecting Kovich to come aboard for a spell. How oddball can they go?

As to the episode itself, it was OK, like Tilly's training mission, I felt like we've seen that storyline with the prisoner before despite how well it was polished and executed. They really had to hammer in that experiment to try to liven it up. Maybe if they could've used the anomaly itself somehow to provide a need to do the experiment at that moment might have helped. Or have Stamets get carried away with Saru stepping in without having approved of it right then and there and being complicit.

Maybe it's the covid filming but it feels to me like the episodes this season haven't fully committed. Lots of stuff whizzes and bangs but the buildup and payoffs feels off.

 

[fireproof78]

Surely we'll see a Wiseman by Christmas, right?

That's not how that works.

 

[Jayson1]

The most important thing with science in Trek is for it to sound realistic which is why it's good to use repeating terms over and over instead of just saying random Sci Fi stuff like you might in a 1950's Flash Gordon comic strip. Look at TNG. Did anyone know what a Level 2 diagnostic meant? The answer is no but they were always running them or running some sort of Level diagnostic thus it felt realistic because you had consistency.

 

[Paul755]

Gave this week a 7. Preferred last weeks show.

Always good to see Reno.

There’s something abit awkward about the way Burnham announces the missions to the crew. I can’t invision the other Captains doing it that way. But I’m sure someone will point out examples to me.

I’m starting to think the big bad is Control again.

Culber continues to make a strong case to be MVP of the season.

 

[fireproof78]

I'll be blown away if its Control.

It will be some sort of robotic lifeform that just needs to reach its creator and Burnham has to talk down.

 

[Sparky]

I'll be blown away if its Control.

It will be some sort of robotic lifeform that just needs to reach its creator and Burnham has to talk down.

"We've made contact with the being who created the anomaly. It calls itself Ne Hrzon."

 

[Sakonna]

Isn't this the franchise where the COs and most of the senior staffs wind up on landing parties and in the thick of the action on a weekly basis?

Sure, but usually it tends to be better justified within the actual episode. It was more off-putting here because it was paired with a plotline that really called for specifically Burnham, and instead she was put in a comparatively low-stakes sideline that didn't call for her presence at all. It hung a lantern on the illogic that better writing would have smoothly distracted from.

Seriously, this show just can't win. When they change the alien makeup, people get upset and ask why they didn't keep it the same as 20 years ago. When they don't change the makeup, people ask why they haven't changed the makeup from 20 years ago.

I dunno, to me their judgment on makeup really is consistently poor. I do think they regularly over-complicate when they don't need to, and simultaneously miss opportunities to elevate the truly boring designs.

It's interesting, I watched the last few seasons of that prosthetic makeup competition show "Face Off", and there was one judge who always jumped out to me as such an obvious fraud. His taste was terrible and his comments were embarrassingly inconsistent. There was someone I regularly watched the show with and I don't think an episode went by without us commenting -- how does no one see this supposed expert has no fucking idea what he's talking about? One theory we had was that he'd just created such a bizarre personal style for himself, and since he looks the part of an eccentric prosthetics expert, no one notices he's awful at it.

It wasn't until around mid-season 2 of Disco that I realized that this obvious fraud with terrible taste was the department head for Disco's prosthetics. It really explained a lot.

Though for the Akaali, I really agree with this.

I was happy with the Akaali makeup actually. I was worried they would make them wear full silicone face masks for absolutely no reason, like they did with the Orions.

 

[BK613]

The Emissary has had enough of non-linear time and he wants out?

 

[jackoverfull]

Is anyone else having trouble making out the combadges this season. In most scenes it just looks like a random oval with no delta or rank insignia on it

pretty much everyone, it’s the biggest criticism around about the new uniforms. The commbadges used by the cadets were much better in this regard, I hope they all switch to those next season.

Did anyone know what a Level 2 diagnostic meant?

Sure: a diagnostic that goes deeper than level 1! Easy!

There’s something abit awkward about the way Burnham announces the missions to the crew. I can’t invision the other Captains doing it that way. But I’m sure someone will point out examples to me.

It’s a callback to the original Star Trek pilots, both Kirk and pike do it. I kinda like it.

I'll be blown away if its Control

I hope not. Control needs to be forgotten.

 

[TimeIsAPredator]

.

I'll be blown away if its Control.

It will be some sort of robotic lifeform that just needs to reach its creator and Burnham has to talk down.

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