Spoilers Star Trek: Discovery 4x11 - "Rosetta"

[Ar-Pharazon]

At least we got some Reno this week, tho I wonder how Tarka got the better of her.

Another great character episode for me, another "8".

So the 10-C are massive creatures then?

The biggest problem for me is that the crew of Discovery are assuming that the planet was home to 10-C. I did not see a connection between this planet and 10-C. It is possible that the inhabitants of this world were not 10-C and that 10-C destroyed this planet.

There's always that option.

 

[eschaton]

I somehow managed to fit in both this and Picard's premier between waking up and work starting. I was ready to be underwhelmed by this, because Picard's opening is so awesome.

This episode indeed isn't as good, but I still feel like it's one of the better outings for Discovery this season.

Most of my enjoyment boils down to the fact we finally get a "strange new world." One of the core elements of Discovery which has changed little from Season 1 onwards is we seldom get off ship, and when we do, it's often a pretty uninspired "gravel pit" planet. There were actually some real attempts at creativity here when it came to setting and the species design of 10-C. The idea of a species that lives in a gas giant and uses chemicals to communicate was, if not completely original, out of the box for Star Trek. Furthermore, we actually get to discover some things about Species 10-C, meaning the plot of the season finally has some level of forward movement. The only major flaw with this element of the episode is the idiotic idea that EV suits would only filter out known chemicals. Isn't the whole point of a spacesuit to be airtight? Still, Trek plays fast and loose with science (and even logic) frequently, so I can overlook it. The episode also gave Emily Couts more to do as Detmer - even arguably something of a character arc. I'm starting to wonder if they'll upgrade her to main cast next season - they're giving her a lot more lines (and coverage in the media) than the other former bridge furniture.

I was less interested with the goings on aboard the ship, which were pretty generic Discovery fare. Political dignitaries in mild conflict with one another, people taking about their feelings, and Book and Tarka skulking around on the ship. None of the dialogue was bad here - I felt it was less laden with exposition than last week, because people were discussing positions, rather than stating facts aloud. But none of it was particularly interesting either. I suppose the "conspiracy" involving Book, Tarka, and the woman from United Earth may amount to something in the last two episodes - we'll have to wait and see.

Lots of "someone feels a feeling" - but that's what Discovery does, so I'll roll with it.

Glad Reno was taken hostage. I felt sure when we cut away Tarka was gonna kill her off camera. He sort of needs a crowning moment of villainy after the last episode.

Was Stamets even in this episode? I don't recall seeing him.

 

[Precious Tritium]

Really loved that last scene with Culber.

“What if they know what they’ve done and they don’t care? How do we connect with a species like that?”

Felt very apt for current times.

One of the stronger episodes of the season that’s sadly gonna get overshadowed by Picard.

 

[SG-17]

The last four episodes should've been condensed into 2 episodes. Good ideas here mostly, just taking way too long to get through them.

 

[Locutus of Bored]

Burnham H. Christ. Emotional sand that makes you stand around in a sharing circle for an hour talking about your childhood traumas in the middle of a time sensitive crisis. If that's not the most Discovery thing that has ever Discoveried, I don't know what is.

Between the trauma sand, not being able to kill the Species 10-C younglings because they're already long gone, useless pressure suits, and for reminding him of what a shitty father he was, Anakin Skywalker gives this episode one out of four limbs.

I give it a six. A bunch of filler that only slightly advances the storyline in a piecemeal way again, with only two episodes left. Is there any reason we couldn't have ditched one of the 800 crew middle of a mission therapy sessions this season in favor of actually deciphering the "Rosetta Stone" and getting some definitive hard insights into Species 10-C and how to penetrate their shield so that doesn't take up the entirety of the next episode and then some? As it stands I'm getting the impression it leaves no time for showing more than a token aftermath scene in the finale of how these events have changed the crew, Book and Burnham's relationship (assuming Book doesn't die), the Federation, Species 10-C, etc. or to check in with Tilly if possible. Everything's going to be rushed, yet probably feel like 900 hours long in the moment.

The way they kept Jett Reno hidden through the latter half of the episode made me briefly consider that they might have had the balls to have Tarka kill her. I'd have been pissed because she's one of my favorites and criminally underused, but I would have respected the guts it took and the raising the stakes, and could have used it to make Booker's ethics more questionable once he finds out and still helps Tarka. Do the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or the one? What's one life to sacrifice life next to billions at risk? That could have been interesting to explore.

 

[Finn]

Was Stamets even in this episode? I don't recall seeing him.

^He was more present than Picard was in TNG's Thine Own Self

I enjoyed it. I still don't mind the pacing though I do agree it's a bit slow. I meant to stop the screen and see what other words was on that crossword puzzle--some kind of joke or Easter egg? I'll rewatch it later.

Those aliens must be huge. And I find it a bit weird when they said whatever happened to that planet occurred a thousand years earlier, not that much earlier than their own time. Their parents and/or grandparents would have been alive at the time. Deliberate?

I'm also starting to wonder if those aliens were aware of the timeline where Burnham's mother was stranded in a lifeless galaxy and assumed the galaxy was lifeless...due to...reasons.

 

[IMC Headquarters]

Reno wastes a perfectly good allusion to the Klingons on Adira.

Grudge is enjoying a soft bed this week.

I would think the Ni'Varrans have absolutely perfected the planetary evacuation protocol... I'd be disappointed if there were any of them left on the world at this point!

 

[Finn]

^I was a bit amused by that because we first met her in a pretty traumatic situation at the hands of Klingons.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

The last four episodes should've been condensed into 2 episodes. Good ideas here mostly, just taking way too long to get through them.

You don't say.......no wait, you already did

Is this season 12 or 13 episodes? Felt like this was another dragging episode tbh.

 

[Romulan_spy]

The only major flaw with this element of the episode is the idiotic idea that EV suits would only filter out known chemicals. Isn't the whole point of a spacesuit to be airtight? Still, Trek plays fast and loose with science (and even logic) frequently, so I can overlook it.

I agree. Trek is science-fiction so it has technobabble and fake science. But it should still follow some common sense. EV suits that only filter known chemicals, is a bad EV suit. It literally does not do what an EV suit is supposed to do. So that makes no sense. Not to mention that Trek is always encountering new particles on strange new worlds. So having an EV suit that does not protect you against unknown substances is super dumb. So yes, that was a dumb moment in today's episode.

 

[Seven of Five]

Yay, double Star Trek day. I gave this week's an 8. A bit of a step up from last week's meandering. I agree with whoever said that these final episodes would be a lot better-paced if it was 2 instead of 4.

Still, it was fascinating seeing the crew on the planet and having their emotions dialed up to 12.

I want to give Adira a hug! I see a lot of the shy awkward me from years ago there, so loved Reno doling out her wise-ass advice.

 

[Deks]

I agree. Trek is science-fiction so it has technobabble and fake science. But it should still follow some common sense. EV suits that only filter known chemicals, is a bad EV suit. It literally does not do what an EV suit is supposed to do. So that makes no sense. Not to mention that Trek is always encountering new particles on strange new worlds. So having an EV suit that does not protect you against unknown substances is super dumb. So yes, that was a dumb moment in today's episode.

Even the space suits on VOY weren't this dumb.
The whole point of a space suit is to completely isolate the wearer from the environment so that person can survive in it... so whoever thought of that nonsense that unknown contaminants don't get filtered out is REALLY stupid.

However, Prodigy did have Jankom Pog wear a suit which didn't prevent him from getting in touch with the spores on the Hirogen planet... so there's that (although the spores may have entered the ship when the shuttlebay doors opened and he might not have put the helmet on fast enough - so there's that).

I can only really recall one other instance where Prodigy messed up... that was when the show made it clear the Protostar could in fact contact Starfleet, so it never made sense that fter deciding to enact their rescue mission, Dal didn't send a message to Starfleet either way to inform them of the whole situation - apart from that (and maybe the Hirogen planet spores), the show has been pretty impecable with consistency and not ignoring obvious things.

That said, Dyson Rings? We finally see another civilization that made the sensible steps to harness their own star (which has massive amount of power)... and it only gets a few seconds mention?
Sigh.
That's what the UFP was supposed to be doing in the 24th century and should have encompassed most of the Milky Way (or most stars in UFP space - aka most G-Type stars and Blue giants for example) in Dyson Swarms or rings... and been on the technological level of 10-c (or far more advanced) by the 32nd century.

Makes sense that every other species in the galaxy/universe would be showcased as advancing but that UFP manages to NOT do that.

Other than that... the show had some high points in character interaction that did kinda work here (which is actually a first).
Adira was better handled... as was her interaction with Detmer (and Detmer too).
We also get to know more about Culber's emotional state. At the end of the episode, I got the sensation as if he will leave Discovery for a while.

 

[eschaton]

I do find it a little confusing TBH they've constructed an arc this season where so much of the plot revolves around guest characters like Rillak, Tarka, T'Rina, Dr. Hirai, and General Ndoye.

It leaves so little for the actual cast to do. I'm not even talking about the "co-starring" - I can understand the lack of focus here. But Stamets gets a single scene with some technobabble, Adira gets a weird C-plot about admiring Detmer, and Culber and Saru are only relevant because they went along on the away mission. Tilly is gone (not sure we'll see her again this season, unless it's a cameo in the last episode) and Gray is gone. At least we finally see Reno again I suppose.

 

[fireproof78]

I agree. Trek is science-fiction so it has technobabble and fake science. But it should still follow some common sense. EV suits that only filter known chemicals, is a bad EV suit. It literally does not do what an EV suit is supposed to do. So that makes no sense. Not to mention that Trek is always encountering new particles on strange new worlds. So having an EV suit that does not protect you against unknown substances is super dumb. So yes, that was a dumb moment in today's episode.

That's literally what Trek has done for decades now!

Be more like Star Trek! Except the dumb stuff! Don't do dumb stuff! But be more like Star Trek. Slow down the pacing, no pew-pew. That's not why people like Star Trek. Except increase the pacing and stop slowing down the action.

If I were a Trek writer I would be insane at this point.

 

[Saul]

Night and day between this show and Picard season 2.
Very plodding episode which didn't have much going on as I expected. Discovery feels like a show that is trying to be more impressive, deep and interesting than it actually is.

 

[Kamen Rider Blade]

However, Prodigy did have Jankom Pog wear a suit which didn't prevent him from getting in touch with the spores on the Hirogen planet... so there's that (although the spores may have entered the ship when the shuttlebay doors opened and he might not have put the helmet on fast enough - so there's that).

They opened the Shuttle Bay Doors before Jankom Pog put on his helmet, so that completely defeats the purpose.

Yeah, the way they designed the EV suit filtration system was dumb.

It should filter out anything that is "UNKNOWN".

 

[fireproof78]

They don't.

 

[firehawk12]

I liked the idea of this episode, but the execution was just off for me. If they didn't have the Book/Tarka scenes and their weird creeper context of spying on the crew, then it would have been much better. Hell, I don't even know what the payoff for that storyline is supposed to be... they wanted to create some conflict, because I guess they thought the mystery of an inter-galactic alien species wouldn't be enough... but they blew up a planet we barely care about and had a character who isn't a villain but is clearly on the wrong side given everything we know about Star Trek and how blowing up the aliens is almost never a good solution (unless its Janeway with the Borg I guess ).

I still have high hopes for what the reveal of the aliens will be like though. I hope they can stick the landing because they've been bad with revealing the mystery box surprise every year.

Also I've been kind of complaining about this to myself, but I find funny that they are trying to make the redshirt characters a big thing. I don't know why anyone would hero worship Detmer. There's just nothing about her character that has been shown so far that makes her seem like someone worthy of that admiration.

Tying in her PTSD from earlier into this episode is fine and pays off more than a lot of what they've done with the other redshirts, but why would anyone think she's a bad ass?

 

[eschaton]

They opened the Shuttle Bay Doors before Jankom Pog put on his helmet, so that completely defeats the purpose.

Yeah, the way they designed the EV suit filtration system was dumb.

It should filter out anything that is "UNKNOWN".

Given hydrocarbons are actually fairly large molecules, it would actually be way more work to selectively let "unknown" things in rather than just form a simple airtight barrier.

 

[Kamen Rider Blade]

Given hydrocarbons are actually fairly large molecules, it would actually be way more work to selectively let "unknown" things in rather than just form a simple airtight barrier.

That's what I was hoping they would be wearing.

A "AIR TIGHT" Space Suit.

Not just a EV suit that filters the air.