Spoilers Star Trek: Discovery 4x12 - "Species 10-C"

[mswood]

If there was a way to delete the Booker/Tarka storyline, this arc could be one of my favourite Star Trek stories - even if it's just a take on Arrival.

I get the mad scientist thing, but the fact that everyone else just goes along with him when he's so obviously on the wrong side just makes it so frustrating to watch.

Seriously how can I like this post about a hundred times.

If this episode was just a communication story and seeing how the crew deal with stress, it would be an easy ten for me. The Tarka subplot, the missing Reno, ect really weaken the episode. I don't know if I can give the episode an 8, and it should be so much stronger.

 

[KennyB]

It'll end with a reaction shot of everyone going OMG WOW and we still won't see them

Close but not even that much.

 

[NCC-73515]

Well.... we saw more of them than I expected.

 

[Aragorn]

One of Tarka's ancestors must be Lieutenant General Mitchell Anderson from Superman & Lois.

 

[firehawk12]

Seriously how can I like this post about a hundred times.

If this episode was just a communication story and seeing how the crew deal with stress, it would be an easy ten for me. The Tarka subplot, the missing Reno, ect really weaken the episode. I don't know if I can give the episode an 8, and it should be so much stronger.

That's funny because I gave it an 8 based on the strength of the communications aspect of it. It's not as immediately quotable as Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra, although maybe the community will come up with something and I think it will be the new example when people think of a Star Trek episode about meeting an alien species and learning to speak with them.

 

[Ghel]

I very much enjoyed the communications puzzle aspect of this episode and would give the episode an 8 overall.

I, too, am not as fond of the Tarka subplot and wonder how nobody in engineering wondered where one of their engineers went. Stamets states that he felt guilty not noticing, and Culber states it's not his fault, but I felt like it kinda was. Reno has been essentially AWOL for a substantial period of time. Someone in the chain of command should have noticed.

Aside from that, I did feel like the episode was much more focused this week. While there was some discussions of emotions, it didn't seem like it was interfering with the mission as it had in some prior episodes. Instead, they were working toward a solution to their problems. It felt refreshing.

 

[StarMan]

Star Trek: Discovery S4E12. Some stuff happened. Now that we only have one more episode, stuff is allowed to happen. So that's something. President Rillak has a passing resemblance to Amy Adams, come to think of it.

So 10-C might not be aware they're sentient. Why? Well, they're further up the Kardashev scale, see. They might perceive us as something akin to monkeys with rocks. Nope. Not letting you away with that one. I'd sure love to see a non-sentient species develop warp technology.

And then, they don't know the damage the DMA is causing. Ugh - they went there. Goddamnit - really? This species lives on (or in) planets. Gas giants. They lived on a planet that went boom. How can you tell me they were unaware the DMA was mining systems that potentially had sentient beings living in them? If they have empathy, would they not be more considerate when using a device that is 5 - frackin'- light years wide?

The latter point has to be addressed next episode. My concern is it's pedal to the metal from here and some of these cavernous gaps in logic don't get filled in the rush to the finish line.

Overall the best outing since it came back from the break. Again, most of that is down to finally getting a bit of momentum on what has been a very drawn out season.

 

[thribs]

Episode ends just when it gets interesting. Typical.
You’d think an alien race this advanced would be able to communicate more directly with them.

 

[Lord Garth]

This episode had me in suspense. Discovery was finally getting through to 10C but I knew Tarka was going to mess things up and he's finally turned on Book. MildFuzz TV on YouTube speculated beforehand that Reno would talk sense into Book and looks like they're finally there.

After General Ndoye stayed in contact with Book and aided Tarka, thinking she was aiding Book, I'm guessing her time as a General is numbered.

On another note: I've done some acting before. That screaming exercise that Burnham and Saru did in private is something I've done as a warmup. So I could relate to that scene and it had me thinking back to other times.

 

[Locutus of Bored]

It must be comforting to know that when Reno is absent from long stretches of the show no one on her engineering crew will even notice that she's missing.

The communications with Species 10-C stuff is interesting and very Arrival-ish. I like it, but wish we had been given a little more time to interact with the species. With basic communications just having been established at the end of the episode and Tarka's shenanigans still left to deal with it feels like we're not going to get much time for effective conversation with the 10-C before we run out of season.

I enjoyed the scream scene between Burnham and Saru even if it felt untimely in the middle of a crisis to have yet another conversation about feelings. Really, what else is there left to say that they haven't already said yet?

 

[Kamen Rider Blade]

How did Zora not know that Reno was not on the ship?

As a computer, it's her job to know, especially since there wasn't supposed to be any friendly vessels nearby for her to beam onto?

That should automatically trigger a red flag if she's not on the ship and she didn't intentionally beam herself off vessel.

 

[KennyB]

How did Zora not know that Reno was not on the ship?

As a computer, it's her job to know, especially since there wasn't supposed to be any friendly vessels nearby for her to beam onto?

That should automatically trigger a red flag if she's not on the ship and she didn't intentionally beam herself off vessel.

Didn’t they make a point of explaining her com badge had been hacked to show her onboard?

 

[Sakonna]

Yeah, I feel like this is the most explanation we've ever received as to how someone managed to be abducted from the ship without the computer knowing, an EXTREMELY common occurrence in Trek.

My usual fanwank is to conclude that Starfleet has decided to value personal privacy over abduction prevention, and that's why they never find out that anyone is missing till they explicitly ask the computer hours later and are told "they are not on the ship."

Or maybe these abductions turn out to be attempts at first contact so frequently, it would be inconsistent with Starfleet's mission to guard against them.

 

[Locutus of Bored]

How did Zora not know that Reno was not on the ship?

As a computer, it's her job to know, especially since there wasn't supposed to be any friendly vessels nearby for her to beam onto?

That should automatically trigger a red flag if she's not on the ship and she didn't intentionally beam herself off vessel.

Her commbadge was registering Reno's bio-signs as present. As far as Zora was concerned she was there in engineering. Although, the computer is not very useful if it's not also noticing that these bio-signs haven't spoken or moved or made any requests of the main computer the entire time. You'd think at that point Zora would do a visual check with the onboard cameras and seen Reno wasn't where she was supposed to be.

Also, why was the commbadge that should be about 1.5 meters off the ground when Reno is standing just sitting beneath a grate in the floor, unmoving. That should have triggered a security check.

 

[Sakonna]

God do I hope they stick the landing next week! Every previous season of Discovery had already fallen apart at this point, but this is all still holding together fantastically -- aside from some serious cracks in Tarka's arc.

Or maybe those cracks are more in Book's arc -- it is a bit outrageous how many times Book has just slid by Tarka's motivations being at cross-purposes with his own. Book is trying to save everyone, and Tarka is trying to save himself, he's very explicitly willing to sacrifice everyone else along the way, and he has been open about that for a long while now.

Either way, I am praying that those cracks do not explode into huge chasms next week! This episode was fantastic. I can see how the finale could be fantastic as well, or I can see how it's the same disappointing collapse as always, where I'm again left asking "how did they fool me AGAIN into thinking this season would land?"

But at this point -- I loved this episode, I was so tense at the end I was on my feet and talking to the TV, and I can't wait for next week.

 

[Kamen Rider Blade]

Didn’t they make a point of explaining her com badge had been hacked to show her onboard?

Yes, it shows a bio-sign, but she didn't do a basic visual inventory check on personnel to see if they were where the Commbadge listed them to be. That should've raise a HUGE Red Flag on the internal security systems.

Yeah, I feel like this is the most explanation we've ever received as to how someone managed to be abducted from the ship without the computer knowing, an EXTREMELY common occurrence in Trek.

Not that common that the Ships Computer shouldn't have noticed something was off.

My usual fanwank is to conclude that Starfleet has decided to value personal privacy over abduction prevention, and that's why they never find out that anyone is missing till they explicitly ask the computer hours later and are told "they are not on the ship."

It's one thing to respect privacy while in the bathroom / shower / sexual activities in your quarters or on the Holodeck.

It's another thing to make sure that your StarFleet Officer is located where their commbadge states they are located at with a simple visual inspection of the security camera's.

Or maybe these abductions turn out to be attempts at first contact so frequently, it would be inconsistent with Starfleet's mission to guard against them.

Highly Doubtful.

Her commbadge was registering Reno's bio-signs as present. As far as Zora was concerned she was there in engineering. Although, the computer is not very useful if it's not also noticing that these bio-signs haven't spoken or moved or made any requests of the main computer the entire time. You'd think at that point Zora would do a visual check with the onboard cameras and seen Reno wasn't where she was supposed to be.

A simple visual inspection by all the Video & Holo camera's should've picked up that Jet Reno wasn't in the room that her Commbadge listed her as.

Also, why was the commbadge that should be about 1.5 meters off the ground when Reno is standing just sitting beneath a grate in the floor, unmoving. That should have triggered a security check.

Exactly!

This shouldn't even require an AI to process.
It should've been part of basic internal security routines.

 

[Sakonna]

Highly Doubtful.

Yes, it was a joke. That's why I put a jokey emoji there. (Maybe Lower Decks will make it canon! I could see that being a rationale offered on LD for letting all these abductions happen. )

I mean, you're right, logically all the Star Trek ships should have better protections against this kind of thing, but they don't. My point was that this particular plot point has been a feature and not a bug for decades now. It's like suddenly saying "the transporter is so unbelievable!" Absolutely, agreed, that is true, the transporter is unbelievable -- it would just seem odd to level that as a criticism at any particular episode at this point.

 

[Finn]

I enjoyed it. Though the Reno's absence going unnoticed was absurd, especially with them not hearing her gruffness and wisecracks. Those in Engineering should have noticed something was off.

I liked the communication thing as well.

 

[Romulan_spy]

So 10-C might not be aware they're sentient. Why? Well, they're further up the Kardashev scale, see. They might perceive us as something akin to monkeys with rocks. Nope. Not letting you away with that one. I'd sure love to see a non-sentient species develop warp technology.

I agree it was silly. Being less advanced is not the same as not sentient. The fact that we have warp drive and can travel outside our galaxy implies that we are sentient even if we are much less advanced than 10-C.

Also, I am not sure about Dr. Hirai saying that 10-C is Type 2 on the Kardashev Scale. The fact that 10-C can send a DMA across galaxies would seem to make them Type 3. Maybe if 10-C is restricted to just that one hyperfield surrounding a star system, they would just be Type 2 since they are harnessing the power of an entire star system. But if 10-C is Type 2, they would definitely be a very advanced Type 2, borderline Type 3, I think.

 

[Romulan_spy]

GOOD

All the parts with 10-C. Yes, it was very much like the movie Arrival and that is a good thing. Trying to figure out how to communicate with 10-C, when their communication is so different, was interesting. And it was great meeting an alien race that is truly alien and not another bipedal humanoid race that speaks "english" through the universal communicator. There was tension in trying to learn their language. I know they need to add drama by adding complications but I would have been fine without Tarka's betrayal. Just show us the effort to communicate and then the payoff of reaching 10-C about the DMA and 10-C agreeing to shut it down. Frankly, I am a little frustrated that we have to do the whole drama of 10-C probably thinking we are enemies now because of Tarka's betrayal, only to resolve the miscommunication at the last second. I am guessing Michael will save 10-C from Tarka and they will be grateful and stand down the DMA.

I still think this should have been episode 5 though.

BAD

Every time there is a crisis, the characters have to pause to talk about their feelings. Sigh.