Discovery 4x12 - 'Species Ten-C' ~~ { Spoilers Within }

ilovesmybrick · 10-03-2022 10:24am #1

Discovery 4x12 - 'Species Ten-C' ~~ { ** 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 · 10-03-2022 12:51pm

If you cut out the amount of time wasted on nonsense in the past 12 episodes I think it might be possible to cobble together a single, halfway decent episode. What idiot would go into a bloody corridor to have their secret collaborating with the enemy talk. Would no one else have wondered why, in the middle of making contact with the 10-C, the Earth admiral just wanders off for a bit? The entire section with talking through the ships trauma so they eventually realise that Reno wasn't on the ship, pointless. Get the ship to do a damn headcount. Working out the communication I found somewhat interesting, but why would you take Saru over the linguistic expert who actually broke the code. Liquorice saves the day, christ on a bike.

The entire story of this season has been the crew discussing their trauma over absolutely everything, and getting nowhere. The actual DMA story is barely secondary, it's just an excuse to have what the writers seem to think are poignant conversations. I honestly don't understand how this has been renewed for a 5th season. Presumably that's the season when we unpack the cats trauma. The writing is so frustratingly bad.

The entire ship is crewed and run by morons. If this is the way the Federation goes perhaps it would have been best to stick with the version shown in todays episode of Picard. No unpacking your emotions there...

FutureGuy · 10-03-2022 3:30pm

Fantastic episode. I continue to have a major gripe about inaction from people to serve the plot (Reno should have whacked Tarka over the head when forcefield was down) and his Reno was missing for long is silly.

Having said that, great episode.

Doodah7 · 10-03-2022 3:47pm

Did we need the yelling scene? No.

Did we need the heart to heart between Culber and Stammets? No.

Liquorice?

Don't get me started on the cowardly General? Does the computer not monitor all communications?

The obvious plot of the next episode is that Burnham et al get through to Species Ten-C, catastrophe is averted, the General gets her comeuppance, Tarka gets his too and we have a long, overwrought scene between Burnham and Book on pain and loss and trust and love and it will be whispered, earnest and sincere. We will then have a cliff-hanger to get everyone through to Season 5.

It's just appalling.

Spear · 10-03-2022 4:26pm

I thought it was just about okay, but still seriously flawed.

It did at least attempt to convey the difficulties in dealing with a genuinely alien species, and not someone who just has a forehead prosthetic. In this at least we see some attempt at being though provoking, and dealing in hard sci-fi concepts. Except we've seen it all done before in Arrival.

The Booker/Tarka subplot remains predictable.

But it's all just so plodding. The needless shouting scene was pointless filler.

eadrom · 10-03-2022 7:38pm

It was fine but jesus this back half of the season is like an episode in slow motion.

It kills me that this is probably their attempt to do things "more like Star Trek" with the diplomacy, first contact, communication barriers, team work and ready-room meetings. But they just look so bored doing it. Bored or sanctimonious, or both.

Anyway, relatively good episode.

fritzelly · 10-03-2022 10:08pm

Not a bad episode if you forget all the crap in between - liked the working out of the communications

Slydice · 10-03-2022 10:18pm

That was so freakin compelling! I really want to see the next episode! Damn it!

I'm guessing there's gotta be a shot of the interior of the Ten'C bubble!

TheIrishGrover · 11-03-2022 12:19pm

That was actually a pretty good episode.

A cross between Arrival (The RADICALLY different language structure, even the large large rectangular Docking-bay replicating the screen in Arrival (Example below is the best I could find but it INSTANTLY struck me as being very similar) and "Children Of The Mind" (Genetic/organic communication)

CastorTroy · 11-03-2022 1:36pm

Finally, those years of concentrating on their emotions pays off.

Having a prisoner held in the same place as where you're planning everything doesn't seem like a good idea.

GreeBo · 11-03-2022 3:47pm

This would have made a pretty good, 20 min shorts episode. Sooo much filler and non-sense stuff.

When everything is so urgent, there is just so much time wasted its unreal. The writers seem to think that people are watching this for the emotions rather than the plot or any sort of logic, but maybe thats who they are appealing to these days...but then why call it Star Trek?

X is about to go do something urgent

Y says "oh and X............<dramatic pause>........good luck"

every fricken time!

breezy1985 · 11-03-2022 4:15pm

Did we get to see the aliens yet ?

GreeBo · 11-03-2022 7:07pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118768848#Comment_118768848

We saw smoke and flashing lights that somehow Saru decided was a being coming in....

CastorTroy · 11-03-2022 8:29pm

I think I made out a large creature, though maybe that's like seeing shapes in clouds.

I do see other places where people are really enjoying the series though looking at IMDb this episode is the only one this season higher than 6.0 at 6.4.

~Rebel~ · 12-03-2022 1:09am

This episode at least did have the kernal of an interesting idea though. Like, it actually felt somewhat like sci-fi for a change. It could have been told in half the time with better pacing and less waffle, but there was a decent A and B story. I'm clingin' to anything I can here! Cut the superfluous nonsense, move things along, have a bit of urgency, and they might get somewhere. I don't foresee those sorts of changes ever happening though...

somuj · 12-03-2022 3:25am

Nonsense to think any creatures that are aware of their own existence, are destroying another Galaxy for resources. We just became advanced.

Oh we exist. Harvest all we can, and as far as we can 😁😁

Oh look, critters out there. Let's chat

somuj · 12-03-2022 3:40am

Flabergasting is they have not met any life form in their galaxy like us before.

Even more Flabergasting is they prob did and wiped them all out because didn't understand them. Maybe wiped out all our carbon life. Prob don't even comprehend our existence.

So curious about us 🤔🤔

somuj · 12-03-2022 4:10am

Ridiculous. Our technology, our atmosphere.

Can't spot molotov cocktail 😭

Bend dark matter to their will.. Take a bunch of clowns from discovery to put them on replica of dicovery...

CastorTroy · 13-03-2022 4:00pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118771522#Comment_118771522

Yeah, urgency always seems to be lacking in this. Can't remember the last time anything seemed to have to be done quickly. There's a ticking clock against Earth but you wouldn't think it from the way they're talking slowly, expressing feelings, etc. It reminds me of a video game where you're told the world is in trouble but spend your time going off doing anything but the main story.

AllForIt · 17-03-2022 12:47am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118767355#Comment_118767355

A bit more like Close Encounters of the Third Kind I thought myself.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubmcr5FmkRU

Discovery 4x12 - 'Species Ten-C' ~~ { ** Spoilers Within ** }

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Discovery 4x12 - 'Species Ten-C' ~~ { Spoilers Within }