Discovery 4x03 - 'Choose to Live' ~~ { ** Spoilers Within ** }

ilovesmybrick

Discovery 4x03 - 'Choose to Live ' ~~ { ** Spoilers Within ** }

Warning: This thread will contain spoilers for the episode. Spoiler tags will not be used, so if you don't want to be spoiled read no further.

ilovesmybrick

New ship! I actually really like the design choices in the new ship shown at the start, thought it was a cool design.

I thought the main plot was quite interesting, but why did it have to be Burnhams mother going with her. It just makes the universe feel quite small every time the show makes it clear that everything is in the orbit of Burnham. Vance's analogy was great and I like how he put Burnham in her place, reminding her that she doesn't know everything and that the president has a far greater perspective than she does in galactic affairs.

The other two plot lines I couldn't engage with. While initially I thought Tilly may have been dealing with (understandable) PTSD, it seems to be just a vague sense of ennui, and I felt that most of her interactions made it seem less like a military vessel and more like a cruise ship with a big bunch of mates on board.

I'm not interested in the Gray story at all, but maybe it's just me but it felt that that particular part was edited quite weirdly, probably to cut out time or something. Also does that mean that Adira no longer has access to Grays memories via the symbiote? Does Gray have any memories of the previous hosts? It was established in DS9 that without the symbiote they don't. At least we're no longer dealin with a ghost boyfriend anymore, but I really hope that Gray doesn't turn out to be yet another child genius. The ship already has too many of those as it is, and the addition of more and more cast members means that we have no ability to spend enough time on the existing ones. The bridge crew already feels redundant, it would be a shame to lose any more time with them for another Wesley 2.0 (3.0, 4.0....)

Spear

There seems to be something of an attempt to reverse course on some of the series' flaws that were so evident in season 3. We see quite a bit of other characters having their own personal plotlines, and even a little character development. The main storyline also has a solid sci-fi concept involved, even if it's barely explored. And while there's still a lot of focus on Burnham, she's still less of a superhero, and even gets pointedly reminded she's just a tool for the president to use. I suspect in season 3 they'd have had her be the one doing the sword swinging instead of the mother.

corkie

https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Choose_to_Live_%28episode%29

4 Threads in this episode: -

• Qowat Milat + Alien space craft
• Adira + Grey story continues and resolved fairly fast.
• Stamets & DMA
• Books storyline (covered inside the above thread)

Slydice

Awe that was such a feel good episode!

I got really worried they were gonna have Gray die to balance the episode but they didn't! It all came together!

Really like the Qowat Milat being explored! So easy to do logic for Vulcans but exploring candor feels so new and unusual!

What a cool sight, the moon ship and the Abronians! I counted 2 legs, 4 arms and a tail! Heads like old school scifi greys!

Speaking of Greys, cool to see the Ferengi running the bar and a Lurian at one of the tables! 🙂

When the vulcan got the mind meld words right! I just relaxed!

All in all, that was one of the good ones!

The admiral and the president and the speech about the symphony was.. I'm unsure.. while I could lean to foreboding.. I'm thinking it may have been genuine and optimistic.. at least from him.

What was foreboding was that the events in the epiosde went so well.. what with the big threat and all.

There goes part of my guess of what it was

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118188415#Comment_118188415

Well.. at least the Stamets primordial version. Could probably still be one of another kind.

liamtech

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118257494#Comment_118257494

I feel this is the best of season 3 so far - but as my favorite opinionated-reviewer would say, 'all scores are relative to their series/season' - Compared to other Trek series, this was average weak, and IMHO, its elevation to the number 1 spot for Disco S4 is only due to the previous two terrible episodes

As Corkie pointed out, the 4 main threads are clear, and my feelings differ on each

-Qowat Milat + Alien Spacecraft ; Yes the enjoyable section, but why oh why did Burnhams mom have to be involved. I am not the first to point this out but it really is unnecessary and felt silly. Never the less this weeks ep was elevated by this thread alone

-Adira and Grey - frankly i dont care whats going on there. were this any other show i would have fast-forwarded this part

-Stamets and the DMA - very much a 'meh' part of the episode and series over all. its annoyingly dull, and the concept is rather silly (so far). Also this thread is pointlessly merged with the Book thread -

-Book - I care less about this story/character than i do about the Adira/Grey Saga.

I would add 'Tilly's feelings' as a final thread - on par with Book/AdiraTal - i dont care for the character any more so -

Yea i am beginning to sound like a 'hater' now - I get it- Its a terrible show, and its a terrible shame. In equal measure. Blind faith got me through the dark times of Star Trek Enterprise so it will (probably) see me through this

pah

Couldn't care less about Adira/Gray, if they smile any harder while talking they better hope the wind doesn't change 🙄

The rest of the episode was decent. Practically no crying but still far too much hugging. 5/10

Bobtheman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118256571#Comment_118256571

Good analysis. Though the last two lines are confusing to me.

It's funny i never fully took to her. Burnham. I dont think even Picard had his head up his arse as much as she does at times.

I lost track of that young girl. The one with the male inside or outside her. What is the story there again and please don't tell me its playing to the trans gallery?!

Bobtheman

Spear

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118273597#Comment_118273597

In the last two lines I meant that in season 3 the writers would have been more likely to have Burnham engage in the big sword fight with Ranvi, and not Burnham's mother.

Adira was seeing Grey as an hallucination/mental construct, as the memories/personality of Grey stayed intact in the symbiote as a separate conscious entity.

Greyjoy

It was a solid episode and I really like the focus on the secondary characters. But the main story with the Qowat Milat had a good premise which was riddled with contrivances that made me roll my eyes so many times. The writers didn't justify Jovinny's secrecy enough especially given the fact that it resulted in the death of a Starfleet officer and a fellow sister of her order. If she felt she couldn't trust the Federation why didn't she simply approach her sisters instead? As much as I like Tilly the idea of taking her on a mission to apprehend a renegade ninja nun was just bonkers. Burnham leaving behind her phaser made no sense but I guess the writers were trying to avoid a swordfight that would have finished in 3 seconds flat. I also thought Burnham getting the hump over Jovinny being sent back to Nivarr was incredibly hypocritical given that only moments before Burnham had asked for mitigating circumstances.

GreeBo

I still dont understand why she couldnt have just told someone why she needed the fuel, hell a quick txt to Super-Burnham would have solved the whole thing, without any of that annoying dying.