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

[TheMadCloner]

Season 4 of Discovery is shaping up to be the one where it “grew up”, much like TNG season 3 before it.

These episodes are good. They're good TV, and they’re good Trek. While I liked Discovery before, this season has taken a huge leap in terms of maturity with character development, plotting and just the general tone of the show.

Seems like they infused the staff with a bunch of new writers this season, and they’ve all made their mark so far.

I am glad that they delved deeper into Culber’s own emotional trauma. As I said in the last episode’s thread, it’s a good storyline and it’s even better that they’re following through on it.

Also, Zora’s growing sentience and Burnham’s look of concern about it was nicely done.

 

[Tuskin38]

The writers did some research into what little we know of the Akaali outside of makeup. The leader when he first shows up invokes the name of a deity that was mentioned in Enterprise

https://twitter.com/gaghyogi49/status/1471890645212143618?s=21

 

[Amasov]

I didn't find this episode to be the first failure of the season, but, it's definitely the weakest for me thus far. I like that Discovery is taking more of an episodic approach, so, it's easier for me to brush off certain plots if I don't find them intriguing and the prison certainly was not.

A small bit I'm not sure of is the reveal that there's an intelligence behind the DMA. I may have zoned out, but, was it actually confirmed that there was someone behind it? They were theorizing and eliminating who it couldn't be, but, later in the episode, they were absolutely certain there was someone behind it without presenting sufficient evidence. I may have just missed something.

My least favorite so far, but, it did take the DMA plot into interesting territory.

It was also good to see Rhys have a little more screen time, but, I found that scene between him and Michael where he's describing the tornado just so awkward. It wasn't the actor, but, it just didn't seem like the place to have that conversation.

 

[Jayson1]

Did the show get new writers this year. Same show runner I know but not sure if she replaced her staff. Of course maybe Kurtzman isn't getting involved as much what with him being busy with the cartoons and maybe the movie. Not sure what role he has for the upcoming movie.

 

[nic3636]

Did the show get new writers this year. Same show runner I know but not sure if she replaced her staff. Of course maybe Kurtzman isn't getting involved as much what with him being busy with the cartoons and maybe the movie. Not sure what role he has for the upcoming movie.

It certainly feels like it. I know in S3 Kurtzman and Paradise were co-show runners (whatever that means) but I believe this season Paradise is the sole show runner (but I could be wrong about that). I'm also curious if there's been some turnover on the writing staff.

 

[Tuskin38]

I mean you could just look at the writing credits for the episodes and compare them to the previous seasons.

 

[Kzinti]

Of course maybe Kurtzman isn't getting involved as much what

kurtzman was only involved in these episode writing wise

 

[nic3636]

I'm actually very curious Kurtzman's level of involvement in various aspects of the show. Whenever I see a stupid special effect (spinning ships, flashing lights, moving cameras, flamethrowers, etc.) in my head I automatically blame Kurtzman.

 

[jackoverfull]

Does it help?

 

[Kzinti]

I'm actually very curious Kurtzman's level of involvement in various aspects of the show. Whenever I see a stupid special effect (spinning ships, flashing lights, moving cameras, flamethrowers, etc.) in my head I automatically blame Kurtzman.

 

[Enterprise1701]

It was the DMA that was supposed to hit the asteroid - instead they're pushed into their star?!

The anomaly knocks objects aside with blunt gravity.

Iconian survivors? What?

It was implied in "Contagion" that the Iconians used their technology to flee their homeworld, so it is believable that they survived to the 32nd century.

Yes, that scene about analyzing the languages does suggest some of them survived.

Indeed. Pocket novels and Star Trek Online have each done different takes on Iconians still being around in the 24th/25th century.

 

[cultcross]

Where were Owo and Detmer this week? Randoms at their stations.

 

[Mr Awe]

It really seems like the only reason the two stories were put together was for the ending scene.

That final scene was unbelievably clunky! It clearly was shoehorned in. And why is it Book who is the one that knows the guy has information about who made the anomaly?! Really makes Stamets and Saru look dumb. Stamets I get because he's blinded by the science ("he blinded me with science!" ) But Saru was specifically on the lookout for stuff.

 

[fireproof78]

They were on KP.

 

[nic3636]

Book's an empath, so he's intuitive about stuff like this. They have shown Saru to be perceptive as well but I guess he just missed it. Stamets would have never picked up on it, not in a million years

 

[cooleddie74]

Stamets is too dialed into himself and his work in engineering and the spore drive chamber to pick up on much of anything else.

 

[eschaton]

Kurtzman literally just gets writing credits on premieres and finales. I think he helps set up the season premises and basically walks away.

 

[Cap'n Calhoun]

I'm actually very curious Kurtzman's level of involvement in various aspects of the show. Whenever I see a stupid special effect (spinning ships, flashing lights, moving cameras, flamethrowers, etc.) in my head I automatically blame Kurtzman.

I know people like to imagine Kurtzman is the source of anything they don't like about the new shows, but I really suspect that has even less basis in reality than blaming Berman for every single thing they didn't like about TNG–ENT (though I suppose plenty of people do that as well). For most of the issues people find, Kurtzman's main folly (if there was one on his part) is probably not shooting it down rather than being the one to originate it.

 

[Jayson1]

You know it's possible the change was forced on them by CBS. Between this and the new Pike show I wonder if their was a order to make Trek more stand alone again. Across the board. It will be interesting to see if this plays out on Picard as well.

 

[mdtauk]

Discovery goes Episodic
"Today our mission is..."

The only thing missing, is this being done as a Captain's Log entry.