Yep. We were led to believe that when Tarka died Book's transporter signal was interrupted and he perished. Which was a really smart dramatic move on the writers' part.
Spoilers Star Trek: Discovery 4x13 - "Coming Home"
- Thread starter Commander Richard
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You know what would be interesting, Tarka didn't die either and the 10C are holding him as a guest.
It felt like they pivoted this year — that for the first time, they had an ending in mind rather than winging it. They just didn’t have enough plot to fill the episodes to get to that ending.
I’d still call that progress, I guess.
Less Book and Burnham, more Saru, T'Rina, Adira, Gray, President of
I liked it. And I liked season 4, probably my favorite season so far.
The 10C aliens were great. The visuals of them and the alien environment was fantastic.
Yes, the translation of complex stuff was hard to believe since previously they could only communicate rudimentary stuff. But it was needed for the plot, so we just have to assume Zora and 10C enhanced the communication language somehow.
I recognized Stacy Abrams. I thought she did a good acting job.
The 10C aliens were great. The visuals of them and the alien environment was fantastic.
Yes, the translation of complex stuff was hard to believe since previously they could only communicate rudimentary stuff. But it was needed for the plot, so we just have to assume Zora and 10C enhanced the communication language somehow.
I recognized Stacy Abrams. I thought she did a good acting job.
Yeah, Few characters truly significant have died on Discovery, hell, in Star Trek generally - without coming back somehow, even Dax for obvious reasons. Makes sense if everybody's a kind of superhero.
The dramatic way they did the emergence of the Earth president I expected to see a familiar face. For a brief moment I thought we may see Shatner or some other well known Star Trek actor. I never would have guessed Stacy Abrams but I thought she did a very good acting job.
I defended this show here and on socials from the day the first teaser was released through to…well, this season. But I’m very done. Yak, yak, yak. What insipid, cloying, nonsense.
Warp can't get any faster than we saw in the 24th century. Any faster and everyone turns into Salamanders
There's a HUGE gap in speed between Infinity and how fast you can go at Warp.
Somewhere in between, you can still attain faster speeds without going to Ludicrous speeds and get hyper evolved into Salamanders.
It's interesting to me how many pacing complaints there are. I could not disagree more. There's some pacing elements I would tweak (lose an ep in the back half, use it for rising tension in the first half), but one of the things I found most exhilarating about this season was that it was at last an appropriately sized story for the number of episodes.
Discovery is really, really, really, really bad at fast-paced serialization. Just abysmally terrible at it. It's possibly their biggest weakness. Trying to condense this story into 4 or 6 episodes would just be a return to what Discovery does worst. Are we really that eager to do the back half of season 2 again? That's what the DMA story in 5 episodes would be.
A key reason this is being received as the best season so far is because it's paced the way it is. The problem was so large and so alien that the investigation into it could only go so fast. This slowed things down enough to create natural gaps for the interpersonal drama & emotionalism that is Disco's bread & butter. Disco never knew how to let stories properly breathe before, as they were so heavily overplotted. This finally hit the balance right -- they had the right amount of plot and the right kind of plot to at last successfully support the themes & character arcs they've been trying to get to all along.
Disco is also at it's best with serialized stories that can be broken down episodically, which this also was. You need time for those episodic adventures. Trying to tighten them out of existence would rip out everything that was such an improvement about this season.
Discovery is really, really, really, really bad at fast-paced serialization. Just abysmally terrible at it. It's possibly their biggest weakness. Trying to condense this story into 4 or 6 episodes would just be a return to what Discovery does worst. Are we really that eager to do the back half of season 2 again? That's what the DMA story in 5 episodes would be.
A key reason this is being received as the best season so far is because it's paced the way it is. The problem was so large and so alien that the investigation into it could only go so fast. This slowed things down enough to create natural gaps for the interpersonal drama & emotionalism that is Disco's bread & butter. Disco never knew how to let stories properly breathe before, as they were so heavily overplotted. This finally hit the balance right -- they had the right amount of plot and the right kind of plot to at last successfully support the themes & character arcs they've been trying to get to all along.
Disco is also at it's best with serialized stories that can be broken down episodically, which this also was. You need time for those episodic adventures. Trying to tighten them out of existence would rip out everything that was such an improvement about this season.
I’m torn about this finale, as I have been about Discovery’s fourth season (I still have four middle episodes to finish, and I don’t really feel eager to do so right now). I thought this episode did what it needed to do, it provided proper resolution to a lot of the arcs of the season, as well as some payoff going back to last season, with the return of Earth to the Federation.
I thought Species-10C were wonderfully designed and a great deal of the episode focused more on communicating and forging an understanding with them than a big action fest. Season 4 is perhaps the most organically Trek feeling season yet, where the values/ethos of Trek are at the heart of the story and not an afterthought. I do think the show’s writers have been listening to feedback and they are responding to it, in largely positive ways. Even in small ways like having some of the bridge crew together as they take shore leave, that was a nice touch to show how much this crew has become a family, like other Trek crews do over time.
I’m torn about it because I just didn’t care. It does feel like they dragged this story out way longer than it needed to be. I wasn’t moved much by what happened because it sort of felt predictable. That said, I was on the fence about whether Book would survive or not. Despite my numbness, this season’s major storyline was much better than last season’s, and I hope they keep going more in this direction than sliding backward, in terms of doing more science fiction as opposed to science fantasy.
I do think they need to shakeup the stories/writing more. Perhaps eschew some overarching big galactic threat next season and go back to two connected arcs, or I would really like to see them use the three-episode mini-arcs which I thought were used well on Enterprise’s final season. I think by this point the people who are coming back to Discovery largely do so because they love these actors/characters, so I don’t think there needs to be some everything is in peril hook. I think the show has earned the right, and hopefully permission, to go smaller sometimes, and have stories with less higher stakes.
Like last year’s, this season finale could’ve served as a series’ finale (and a better one than last season’s IMO), and it leaves next season wide open for them. But honestly, I’m not sure where else this series can go or needs to. I’m curious to see what they have in store for next season, but I don’t feel that thrill or excitement about it that I do now for each new episode of second season Picard.
I thought Species-10C were wonderfully designed and a great deal of the episode focused more on communicating and forging an understanding with them than a big action fest. Season 4 is perhaps the most organically Trek feeling season yet, where the values/ethos of Trek are at the heart of the story and not an afterthought. I do think the show’s writers have been listening to feedback and they are responding to it, in largely positive ways. Even in small ways like having some of the bridge crew together as they take shore leave, that was a nice touch to show how much this crew has become a family, like other Trek crews do over time.
I’m torn about it because I just didn’t care. It does feel like they dragged this story out way longer than it needed to be. I wasn’t moved much by what happened because it sort of felt predictable. That said, I was on the fence about whether Book would survive or not. Despite my numbness, this season’s major storyline was much better than last season’s, and I hope they keep going more in this direction than sliding backward, in terms of doing more science fiction as opposed to science fantasy.
I do think they need to shakeup the stories/writing more. Perhaps eschew some overarching big galactic threat next season and go back to two connected arcs, or I would really like to see them use the three-episode mini-arcs which I thought were used well on Enterprise’s final season. I think by this point the people who are coming back to Discovery largely do so because they love these actors/characters, so I don’t think there needs to be some everything is in peril hook. I think the show has earned the right, and hopefully permission, to go smaller sometimes, and have stories with less higher stakes.
Like last year’s, this season finale could’ve served as a series’ finale (and a better one than last season’s IMO), and it leaves next season wide open for them. But honestly, I’m not sure where else this series can go or needs to. I’m curious to see what they have in store for next season, but I don’t feel that thrill or excitement about it that I do now for each new episode of second season Picard.
I'm sorry, but is it not, not by a long shot! I've never read so much complaints by fans from this show on this board (I don't care about IMDB users or YouTube trolls) about this season. I am a fan of Discovery, but season 4 was terrible. And I'd hate to write that.
There wasn't enough story. The characters actions didn't make any sense and there was no real consequence about the things that happened. It was bad, bad writing. Now, mind you, Discovery was never that great story-wise, but in previous seasons you were at least kept on the edge of your seat and had episode endings which made you go 'WOW! Did not expect that!'.
Now the show transformed into the U.S.S. Discovery set on a space psychiatric ward where all they do is talk about feelings and no matter what you do, you will always be redeemed, cos in the end; All's Well That Ends Well.
Duet, The Visitor, Someone To Watch Over Me, The Barge of the Dead, The Inner Light, The Offspring, The Forgotten, Cogenitor... All great Star Trek episodes about feelings, but Discovery's writing doesn't even come close I'm afraid and I really want them to!
Nobody hates Star Trek more than Star Trek fans. I don't even know why I continue to read these threads. Out of 20 years of habit, I guess. I feel like people who actually enjoy modern Trek are scared out of the comments on every platform because Discovery keeps getting renewed and there's always good ratings in the polls, but the threads are just filled with vitriol over everything.
So true! And not easy to pull off.
Not to mention Picard in "Et In Arcadia Ego, Part 2." That is like the textbook example of how to do everything wrong at both ends of a character death and character resurrection.
To my eyes this thread is heavily comprised of "they finally stuck the landing!" posts, and recent weeks have been similarly filled with a rising excitement as we collectively started to feel that they might finally stick the landing, but whatev. I obviously would be foolish to deny there will always be a passionate anti- contingent as well. 
Yes, but usually the reason you didn't expect those episode endings is because they were incoherent and badly written, and the reason you were kept on the edge of your seat is because they didn't know how to unfold their stories and would instead vamp with empty SUSPENSE stall tactics until it was time for a slapdash letdown of a finale.
I would quibble with your phrasing, but I think your essential point here is correct -- primary concerns of the show are getting in touch with your feelings and redemption.
If you're not open to this approach, that's totally understandable, but then you don't actually like Discovery. It's what they're doing. It's what the show is. It's the very core of the show's identity and what everything else is built on.
To say you love Discovery but want it to stop being a show about redemption and processing your feelings is like saying you love Voyager, you just want it to stop being a show about a crew lost in the Delta Quadrant. Or you love Deep Space Nine, you just want it to stop being a show on a space station. It's perfectly reasonable to not like any of those things, I'm just always a bit mystified by "I love this show, except that I hate it's basic premise, core identity, main story topics, character arcs, and primary themes!"
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To my eyes this thread is heavily comprised of "they finally stuck the landing!" posts, and recent weeks have been similarly filled with a rising excitement as we collectively started to feel that they might finally stick the landing, but whatev. I obviously would be foolish to deny there will always be a passionate anti- contingent as well.
Yes, but usually the reason you didn't expect those episode endings is because they were incoherent and badly written, and the reason you were kept on the edge of your seat is because they didn't know how to unfold their stories and would instead vamp with empty SUSPENSE stall tactics until it was time for a slapdash letdown of a finale.
I would quibble with your phrasing, but I think your essential point here is correct -- primary concerns of the show are getting in touch with your feelings and redemption.
If you're not open to this approach, that's totally understandable, but then you don't actually like Discovery. It's what they're doing. It's what the show is. It's the very core of the show's identity and what everything else is built on.
To say you love Discovery but want it to stop being a show about redemption and processing your feelings is like saying you love Voyager, you just want it to stop being a show about a crew lost in the Delta Quadrant. Or you love Deep Space Nine, you just want it to stop being a show on a space station. It's perfectly reasonable to not like any of those things, I'm just always a bit mystified by "I love this show, except that I hate it's basic premise, core identity, main story topics, character arcs, and primary themes!"
What I've seen this season is that people who liked Discovery in the past, didn't like the direction it took this season. They never hammered the feelings part so hard on the nose like they've done in season 4. And I'm all for showing feelings and emotions, but this season it happened a lot during moments where it just didn't make any sense.
The earlier season had more of a Lost-approach, which I really liked. You came back for more, cos you wanted to know how they could explain that ending (granted, the explanations weren't always satisfying). Now it's just dragging in places. And having interesting plotlines in one episode (like how to communicate with the Ten C, or Kovich's alternate plans with Bryce or Tarka's friend) which are not followed up or are forgotten.
A show about feelings and redemption is fine, but the writing does have to make sense. When there's a ticking clock and a DMA is about to destroy Earth, you're not goint to your quarters to start talking about feelings. When you're in a battle, you don't go to your Ready Room and start to talk about feelings with the Federation President. That's just weird and bad writing.
You can't have a show that wants to be all talky, feely and at the same time have a ticking time bomb about destroying the universe... That just doesn't work, or at least, it doesn't work for me.
I find your post super interesting, in that I agree 100% with every single word -- as criticisms of the earlier seasons. That's when I was driven mad with ticking time bombs clashing with emotional beats, or with nonsenical writing that did not make a damn bit of sense (in season 1 & 2, at least -- season 3 mostly worked for me), whereas this season I thought they finally found the balance and wrote a totally coherent story. Fascinating!
I should mention I myself still loved the early seasons of Disco, but in a very different way. I would always compare it to the way you love your alcoholic trainwreck friend who is just a total hot mess. They really can't get their shit together and it is so frustrating, but they also have such a vitality and a good heart underneath it all, so you love them but are driven crazy by them at the same time.
This: "They never hammered the feelings part so hard on the nose like they've done in season 4" I think is also true, but that's part of an identity struggle that has finally ended. Earlier seasons of Disco were extraordinarily schizophrenic. They held so many contradictory ideas and went so many different directions simultaneously. I often wished, of the 80 shows it was trying (and failing) to be, it would just pick one of them to really excel it.
This year, it finally did. This super-feelings version of the show was always one of the many shows Disco was trying to be, and now that version has seemingly won out and become what the show is.
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Fantastic finale to what may be Discovery’s best season so far.
the episode and season were not perfect by a long shot. Some bad/boring stuff for sure but the good outweighed the bad.
yeah, Book should have stayed dead but the chemistry between Ajala and SMG is so good it’s hard not to want to keep it.
I’m so glad they undid the stupid Earth left the Federation thing.
I’ll give it the highest rating I think I’ve ever given a Disco episode 9/10.
the episode and season were not perfect by a long shot. Some bad/boring stuff for sure but the good outweighed the bad.
yeah, Book should have stayed dead but the chemistry between Ajala and SMG is so good it’s hard not to want to keep it.
I’m so glad they undid the stupid Earth left the Federation thing.
I’ll give it the highest rating I think I’ve ever given a Disco episode 9/10.
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