Spoilers Star Trek: Discovery 5x04 - "Face the Strange"

At least the stakes are on a smaller scale this season.

No "All Organic Life" will end due to Control.

Just the UFP HQ will get blown up & maybe the UFP will get wiped out by the Breen using Preserver Tech.

 

Wha? In the premiere, Kovich said the Progenitor tech in the wrong hands can be pose a threat to all life in the galaxy, and last week Jinaal said that was the reason he and the other scientists hid the pieces. And this week, Future Zora told Michael everyone's fears about the Progenitor tech were confirmed. Therefore all life in the galaxy hangs in the balance.

Regardless, even if you want to play the card that "Only the Federation is confirmed destroyed" do you really think the Breen wiped the Federation out and then just sat back and incoherently warbled to each other to call it a day?

 

Of course not.

They called it a szz#k##.

 

My Disc Fu is weak.

 

AI and Control would have loved to get their metaphorical hands on Progenitor technology. If they wanted to destroy biological life in the galaxy that would be a weapon to use against it.

 

Wasn't a big fan of this one. Gave it a 6. Would of been higher if it wasn't for the character development feeling forced to me. Story structure was good but the scene to scene execution was off.

I enjoy seeing character development but moreso when it's done in a more organic way. It's almost as if i was seeing the writing room's white board notes whenever there was a character moment needed to pay off a scene . They just happen to trust Burnham juuuuust in the nick of time. And old Burnham seemed a little too quick to go all kick ass with future Burnham.

Having said that, there were some good things. Pacing was good. The basic premise was a fun one . A good chunk of the dialog was sharply written. And the framework of using the jeopardy in this episode as a vehicle for character moments was actually a good idea. Just wasn't executed as well as I would of preferred.

 

I ragged on the premise of the time bug, but I liked the character interaction. If anything, the encounter between the Burnhams should have been longer and more involved.

If I'd been a showrunner, I'd have recommended reworking the premise and trapping the two Michaels in a section of the ship for a more extended period, so they could talk out the issues regarding feelings of self-worth, betrayal, trust, redemption, self-fulfillment, etc. and so forth, in greater depth. The interactions on the bridge were sort of fun, but the Michaels face-to-face was where it was at for me. It was certainly well-executed in terms of their appearances (I mean, of course, especially early DISCO Michael).

 

I thought the "Raymer isn't a total jerk" episode was pretty good.

Looks like the Book/Burnham breakup isn't gonna last too long.

 

Time Bug, A product of ACME Corp.- Annorax Chronophage Manufacturing Engineering

 

It might be one if not all three of what the arrows are pointing at in the picture. Probably the one on the left. The one Burnham is looking at.

 

The use of Time Bug actually fits with how Moll and L'ak have behaved towards towards Starfleet so far. At each encounter they've used weapons to distract instead of kill. During the encounter on the romulan ship they used non-lethal means to restrain Owesukun and Rhys and detonated a grenade not to kill Burnham, but to get away from her. On Q'mau, they could have just used a torpedo to take out Burnham, Book and Rayner, but instead they again cause a massive distraction by detonating the mountain. I think as far as Moll and L'ak are concerned, none of this is personal. They just want to get to the tech first. So they use a non-lethal and very annoying means of delaying Discovery.

The only people who Moll and L'ak have killed are people who have harmed them. Fred died because he tried to kill Moll and the Dealer who gave them the time bug died, because he used the poison that killed him on people Moil cared about.

I think it all shows that Moll and L'ak aren't outright evil. I also think they don't fully comprehend the dangers of the technology they are chasing.

 

The Breen ship is seen in the second, wider shot we get of the destroyed Federation HQ where Zora is retelling what occurred. In that scene there is a very large, black, angular looking ship off to Burnham's right. The ship looks identical the big ship we see firing at Discovery in the final trailer released before the season 5 began airing.

 

Fun episode. Really had some “Magic to Make the Sanest Man…” energy.

Rayner gets better with each appearance, even if they are softening him up a bit. I’d imagine he’s in-line for a terrible or heroic death. He’s totally Disco’s “Shaw”

was it just me or did S1 Michael look older than S5 Burnham? They did something funny there in an effort to make SMG look younger.

I loved Stamets trying to act like the dick he was in the first part of S1. And more of Jet Reno is always good.

I hope they aren’t trying to set up a patented “tragic backstory” for Mol and L’ak

8/10 for me.

 

"lets break them up between seasons so we can get them back together". Really? thats the best the writers could come up with?

 

A very realistic portrayal of Book paying a penance while he's away. What's the problem here? Some of the nitpicks you guys come up with.

A much better version of Shaw who never outgrew being an asshole, with Rayner learning from his mistakes. I never felt for a moment he needed to be in therapy since BoBW like Shaw.

Also a much better episode than “Magic to Make the Sanest Man…” in my opinion. One of the weaker entries from season 1.

Isaac's was making a political point if I recall. I think he felt very strongly about that. So he wouldn't come back to play an evil character. I praise his integrity.

 

https://www.trekbbs.com/threads/sta...face-the-strange.316582/page-11#post-14794079

 

Okay. Let's define "nitpick": From the Oxford English Dictionary -
look for and criticize small or insignificant faults or errors
Is the relationship between Book and Burnham small? No. The way it's handled is intrinsic to their character growth. And to have them break up off-screen, then get back together again with nary a cross word between them is absolutely more than a nit to pick. It's the same problem I (and MANY others) had with the Seven / Raffi relationship on PIC, and to a lesser extent the Gray / Adira relationship (Though I didn't complain as much because I was glad to see Gray gone).
It represents a problem some of these writers seem to have: They do not know how to write real relationships, with real problems that come up without either side being a "villain". SNW has handled it pretty well, with Pike / Batel, and also Spock / Chapel / T'Pring. But Picard and Discovery both really, REALLY struggle with writing dynamic, compelling relationships where everyone's not happy all the time. And that's not a nit.

Shaw had depth. Raynor? Well, we'll see, but so far it feels like the writers are purposely writing Raynor as an over-the-top douche to get the audience on board with his "growth". Raynor has good points to make, but the writers immediately undermine him by having him bite Rhys's head off for making an astute observation. Which was dumb. I can buy Raynor as a gruff, more militaristic captain in the vein of Jellico, but even Jellico wouldn't have sniped at Worf for DOING HIS JOB.
Speaking of which, I had NO IDEA Rhys was now the chief tactical officer until this episode. Which speaks volumes to how the "bridge crew" are portrayed.

Well, we'll have to agree to disagree. I thought "Magic" was perhaps the best ep Disco has done, one that felt the most like classic Star Trek yet still modern in its telling. This episode, while very entertaining, doesn't really touch it.