Discovery 4x04 - 'All is Possible' ~~ { ** Spoilers Within ** }

ilovesmybrick

Discovery 4x04 - 'All is Possible ' ~~ { ** 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

Of course Burnham is the only person that can act as an impartial (?) intermediary. Why that's acceptable to Vulcan is beyond me but anyway, Burnham.

Honestly if they'd separated the A plot with Tilly from the B plot with the negotiations into their own discreet episodes it would have been better, allowed them to flesh out the story more. Books plotline was just padding. I think that's one of the major differences between this iteration of Trek and older series. You would have a main A plot, and a B plot that either served the main narrative or was tonally a bit lighter/heavier depending on the context. Every single plotline has to be so important and heavy with meaning and it means everything is rushed to fit into the hour. There's no time to dwell on the situation the characters are in. My first thought on episodes with somewhat similar plotlines, but given time to breath are The Ascent, where Quark and Odo have to work together to get out of a hostile environment, or Inter Arma Silent Leges where Bashir gets caught up in the section 31 plot to keep the Romulans on side with the Federation.

Two main gripes. Tilly saying "You're talking, we need so much more of that". Not sure if that's the problem with Discovery! Also the solution to help their officer is to start shooting wildly in her vicinity...probably not the best idea. I know it's a bit cliche to refer back to older trek, but if the alien is attracted to the signals from their tech why not put a phaser on auto fire, as we've seen done in other shows.

I did prefer the cadets com badges, you can actually make out the ranks!

Alsoe Brexit, In Space!!! Unless that was just me.

corkie

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

This episode didn't really grab my attention? Possible filler episode?

Spear

It struck me as a unique episode in it's structure, compared to any previous episode of the series. I wouldn't exactly call it filler, it did after all continue a bunch of pre-existing story threads. But they're all side line plot threads, with the main one not being advanced. It kinda undermines the hype for the season, going from "the anomaly will eat everything" to "meh, I'm sure the anomaly is around somewhere. Let's see what's on the lunch menu instead".

There is at least on-going character development, Book and his grief, Culber and his new role as ships counsellor, Tilly bailing on them.

The season isn't amazing so far, only okay at best, but at least the writing is better balanced so far, so it's still better than season 3.

fritzelly

If you haven't seen the Ready Room then watch it - shows the tech they use for big scenes and it's pretty impressive, almost a holodeck

Now to watch the episode

Slydice

Jeez what a freakin rollercoaster!

Tilly is gone?!!? 😲

Earlier I was like.. what's with the so-little talking about the cadet who died!

Before that, I was like.. well .. Good luck to Saru... Maith an Pon Farr! 😁

Before that I was like.. props to the Ni'Var and Federation Presidents on getting the Capns' in to sort out the impasse.. well played.

But.. and it must have registered a bit to stick past those events.. well done on the call back to Culber and him still dealing with his own death.

Spear

The complete disregard for the cadet that died is a bit weirder when you find out he was some local musician doing a cameo:

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2963187/

fritzelly

So that's 2 episodes in a row where the Anomaly isn't even touched on, looking like it's going down the route of last season and it'll all be suddenly solved in one episode with Burnham saving the day on other adventures in between.

All hail Burnham

Damn I miss the stories of TNG

Also what's with Grey's mullet?

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118297574#Comment_118297574

Ya but it looks crap. It's so obviously a flat background they might as well have old timey painted landscapes.

As for Tilly DIS can't seem to get anything right. Just as they make her a good character they send her packing

liamtech

Ghastly episode - if i didnt know better, i would assume we were being pranked at this stage. certainly i feel pranked. I hate Burnham (she is now more central to federation success than ever before). I hate Book (the writers need to include him in every episode). I have a passing interest in the DMA (leave it out this week).

-Ni'var/federation - As someone already said, this obviously had to include Burnham as the key to success - Saru played a part too of course, but Burnham was Key - of course, makes sense - pretty sure she is also the key to continued existence within the space time continuum (Burnham dies, reality blinks out of existence) - also im now theorizing that when the DMA reacted to discovery in episode 2, it was probably reacting to Burnham, personally

-Book - As with last week, a hideously dull plot, which i cannot even attempt to care about.

-Tilly's Cadets - Is she gone? Please say shes gone - complete lack of interest in her this season, i barely watched this thread -

Discovery season 4 is abysmal in my honest opinion. And discovery as a show is breaking the mold; Each season is worse than the previous. 4 episodes in, and aside from a 20 minute plot involving a Vulcan Nun behaving (il)logically, there has been a complete lack of entertainment, or intrigue. Discovery (IMHO) has already surpassed Enterprise season 2 as the worst outing of trek, but not content with that, it seems to be crashing even further (maybe the DMA is a metaverse analogy of discovery crashing and sinking so far, that it is warping the reality of star trek! lol)

Yea i really have regenerated into a hater at this stage, but i am SO LOOKING forward to picard; right now im kinda hoping there will be a new Picard Trailer tied to the end of Disco S4 - could offer some small consolation.

GSPfan

There’s 3 main plots and not one of them is even remotely interesting.

A. Burnham is the reason that NVar and the Federation are back together. Of course she is. It was such a stupid plan that played out in secrecy only for the audiences benefit. So the two presidents of NVar and Fed knew that talks were going to break down so the Fed President decides that they need Superwoman to come save the day. There’s no logical reason why the President wouldn’t straight up tell Burnham what is going on other than

GSPfan

I have too many negative things to say about this episode that it’s hard to go into detail without rambling. Let’s just say I hated every bit of it apart from…… nope, nothing. I actually hated it all.

lapua20grain

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118297842#Comment_118297842

It's terrible that she is the only one that can resolve everything, what did the universe do before she came along, Jesus wept

flazio

Yeah, even Trek Culture, which is usually quite kind on Discovery are like "Burnham? Seriously?" Were also critical of the Orion makeup. Didn't look too bad for me, but then that might be down to the Pluto feed not being that sharp.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118305824#Comment_118305824

It's not make up is the problem it was actually a mask which made it impossible to show emotions. They keep doing it and it made that alien lad from the last episode look like something from a cheap sci-fi channel show

DoctorEdgeWild

Yikes. That was really, really bad at times. Putting the nonsensical 'let's let Burnham and Saru figure out something I could just TELL them' plot, the 'we all have to work together' plot SHOULD be so easy!!

The whole point of those kind of moral stories about teamwork and greater good is that they aren't incredibly glaring. They should be subtle.

I used to love trying to turn people on to Star Trek, showing them the great episodes, but DIS has so much embarrassing stuff going on, it just feels like work.

fritzelly

Friend of mine who is into the sci-fi, like me, just said to me more happened in one episode of Lost in Space than in all the episodes of this season combined

Kinda found it hard to disagree with him lol

Mav11

Well that was just weird, not sure I'll stick with much more. Apart from the predominance of touchy feely the episode could have been called "brexit in space". It was woeful and not in the least Star Trek.

Greyjoy

i thought it was a decent enough episode hampered a bit by trying to juggle too many storylines at once. I was only really invested in the story with Tilly & the cadets as it felt like the only part of the episode with genuine stakes and tension. Although at its heart that segment was essentially just a rehash of "The Galileo 7" but I thought having cadets on the shuttlecraft rather than fully fledged crew (as in TOS) was a better justification for them bickering with each other and I liked the reference to the different cadets not having encountered other off-worlders before. As others noted Book's section felt like padding. The Nivarr negotiations felt a little late in the day to suddenly introduce an obstacle when they'd been setting Nivarr up as eager to rejoin the Federation. The resolution to that storyline felt very underwhelming as well - a committee? really? Surely that would have been the first suggestion the Federation would have come up with.

eadrom

Best episode in a long time, I thought. Though that's fairly faint praise. Episodes one and two this season were woefully bad. 3 and 4 have been better.

Proper A and B story. No risk of the universe being annihilated, makes a welcome change of pace. A bit of planet-side adventure and a bit of diplomacy. Burnham not involved in every part of everything.

In the Trek vs Not-Trek debate, this one felt pretty Trek-like to me.

I quite like how Vulcans are depicted in this series. Aside from Spock and Sarak themselves, I've always found most Star Trek Vulcans to be too strict and stoic. Played like they're incapable of even understanding emotion, let alone experiencing it. I've always understood it to be more a case of controlling and suppressing emotion, which is much more evident in this series. Although as with most things in Disco, they unfortunately feel the need to explictly say it out loud in every episode it might be relevant. "It's actually a common misconception about Vulcans..." --- yeah, really? Still? More show, less tell!

I have to disagree when I read praise of the visuals and over-all production values though. Continues to be the biggest let-down for me. Ships look awful and impossible, inside and out. Not a single control panel or any room anywhere makes the least bit of sense. LCars were fine in the 90s; we never really got a good look at those panels on SD-TV and we could assume the buttons made sense when you did. These new white-rooms with white-panels of nonsense-matter that rearrange when you go near them, flashing up holo-screens at the wave of a hand with exactly the info you wanted to read? How? Why? What?

"Welcome to Starfleet Academy" -- wtf is that. People stand around in groups of three and four in a big warehouse with nonsensical floor markings and ballards, that's open to space on one side, with shuttles flying around and setting down on some sort of big bright white shelves with light flowing out of every panel? WHAT? What is this nightmare world.

Costumes looks bad too. Everything perfectly clean, whether it's a Starfleet uniform or a forest-dwelling whoever. All clean and made from that same awkward looking foamy material.

And OH MY GOD will someone please find that camera operator a tripod or a stack of books or just somewhere to put that camera down for a few minutes. I'm getting sea-sick watching this show.

It boggles the mind that The Expanse is made in the same studios as Discovery. If Discovery could just get a single ounce of the realism they achieve in the other show it'd be pretty amazing.

Also -- what are they even trying with Saru and the Vulcan whoever-she-is ? Out of nowhere there's suddenly some sexual tension between these too? I don't want to know anything about it.

GreeBo

Clearly the DMA is some sentient being that was impacted by either the Burn or some RedAngel bull$****, it's probably a tardigrade baby.

Anything that changes direction is alive, Trek 101.

I'm less surprised that all the other actors dont leave than I am with Mary "Who Ate All The " Pies-man leaving, they hang around for scraps, it should be an ensemble cast.

And why does Books ship just have to transform every 2 seconds to get anywhere? That cat should have been chopped in half a million times over by now.

Finally, why does every single scene have to involve "frowny-smile" acting? Its like a Jaden Smith tribute band. "Discovery, the Oestrogen Years"

stronglikebull

I've gone from not really liking Discovery in the beginning, to quite enjoying the series with Pike and The Enterprise (looking forward to that series), to apathy, and now really, really disliking it. It's boring and nonsensical. That's really all I can say. Since it's no longer on Netflix, you have to go out of your way to find it, and I don't think I'll bother finding it anymore.

DoctorEdgeWild

Although as with most things in Disco, they unfortunately feel the need to explictly say it out loud in every episode it might be relevant.

@eadrom Think you've hit the nail on the head with this quote - A LOT of what's wrong with DIS can be boiled down to this statement.

ilovesmybrick

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118316270#Comment_118316270

Ha! I just had an image of my head of one of those stereotypical TNG endings where Picard gazes out the window wistfully, saying nothing, and letting the viewer see his contemplation/grief/anger. And then the Discovery version, with Burnham whispering at someone, with mad camera angles, saying to them "That was sad/bad. Wasn't that sad/bad everyone?"

DoctorEdgeWild

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118316414#Comment_118316414

Exactly!!

The worst way to get a message across is to ram it down!

sioda

Right patience is wearing thin that was crap plain and simple. Years of watching Trek and this show is just moving further and further away from the franchise.

If this didn't have the star trek name attached it would have been binned and tbh I think it should be. The name and the lore are the only things holding me as I'm invested in the whole thing but even that is waning.

GSPfan

So is Tilly gone gone? Or is this some **** that will be resolved in two episodes time when she’s somehow integral to the main plot and needs to be back on Discovery again? I’d be happy to see her gone forever.

I’d be happy for Grey and Adira to be flushed out an air lock.

I would not be sad for Stamets to take a job at Starfleet HQ with Tilly and become an infrequent part time character.

I like Culber for the most part but he’s become a bit too “know it all” for anyone having an emotional crisis. Maybe just let him be a traditional doctor for a while.

liamtech

I have spoken to a few Non-Board Trekkie friends of mine - i think it might be the first time since Disco began, literally no one i know is enthusiastic about this season. Indeed one has decided to shelve the season, and do a burn out watch one of the days after it concludes

For contrast: The Expanse Season 6 began - everyone i know who likes sci fi (and a few who generally dont) are delighted, excited, and racing to Friday for the next episode

Il keep going, i am not gonna stop watching trek - blind faith and undying loyalty so

GSPfan

I’m honestly only watching Discovery out of interest to see if they can even get one or two good episodes or moments a season. I expect nothing from it and I’m never surprised. It’s at a lower level in my estimation than The Walking Dead and everyone knows that show is muck.

Looking forward to Strange New Worlds and fingers crossed it’s more Lower Decks quality than Discovery quality.

ilovesmybrick

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118325512#Comment_118325512

One defence I will make for Discovery would be that I doubt we would have ever gotten Lower Decks if Discovery hadn't been made. By far the strongest of the three new shows, though I do quite like Picard. Strange New Things I'm trying not to get my hopes up for, though I am definitely looking forward to it.

So, one poor Trek show got us one fantastic show in LD, and one pretty decent one (bar the ending and a few other irritants) in Picard. Discovery is the penance we have to pay for that!

liamtech

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118326050#Comment_118326050

Yea i would agree with that. For me though i remain sad (bordering on angry) with Disco: I stand by what i have said previously though, in that i believe it started rather well, albeit different from what had come before

IMHO:

Season1: Enthusiasm High - some disappointments - sorry to see Lorca go - REALLY enjoyed mirror arc - ending was dreadful but made up for by the fact we had a decent few chunks of episode/arcs during the season as a whole

Season2: Began strong but deteriorated rapidly - a few high points (cage prequel always springs to mind) - this season is over shadowed by an absolute FARCE of a penultimate episode - 1st of a Two-Part, where we spend 30 odd minutes saying good bye to Burnham (only for everyone to go with her) - the rot had totally set in - very poor, and way below season 1

Season3: The show became a joke for me - hated the over all plot - 'the Burn' is utter nonsense. the plot laughable, the players involved, a joke; Season spent more time on Burnham, Burnhams boyfriend, and Tilly - i could barely take it - this (for me) was the moment when Disco deteriorated below the worst outings of Enterprise - one or two average and below average episodes, and the laughable Segway into mirror universe - almost parody

Season4 - nothing good to say - beyond 20 minutes of a disturbed/illogical Romulo-vulcan Nun, who burnham (and her mammy) were able to sort - oh yea and there is a massive anomaly destorying planets which will surely get to, once we have explored Burnham; Burnhams Boyfriend, Burnhams Captaincy, Burnhams protege (Tilly), and Burnhams alround legendary status within the Star Trek Universe

Blind Faith folks - thats all i got left - Bring on Lower decks, Picard and Strange New Worlds