Last Time
When last we left Discovery, the ship had made its way through the Galactic Barrier. With time working against them as the new DMA sets it sights on the Alpha Quadrant, Captain Burnham plans to explore the planetoid close to the hyperfield they suspect as the home of Species10C. It is their hope that they will learn something that will expedite their means of communicating. Hopefully resolving their situation peacefully. Meanwhile, Book and Tarka plan to sneak onto Discovery to plant a device. This will allow them to piggyback on Discovery and arrive with them and possibly retrieve the power supply that Tarka so wants.
Fact-Finding Mission
Captain Burnham, along with Captain Suru, Dr. Culber, and Lt. Commander Detmer prepare to take a shuttle to explore the planetoid. President Rillak expresses her concern about both Burnham and Suru going on this mission. As important as it is, she feels that one of them should remain on Discovery. Burnham reminds Rillak that Suru knows a multitude of languages and is more likely to sense possible forms of communication. As for the delegates, Earth General Ndoye expresses some concern about taking the time to do a fact-finding mission when they should be expediting communication with Species 10C. Once again, Burnham acknowledges the concern, but feels that knowing more about the species could be the key they need to communicate with them.
Sneaking aboard Discovery
While Michael and her crew leave Discovery, Tarka and Book use a device Tarka created to temporarily block Zora from detecting them as they snuck aboard Discovery. Book is reluctant to do this as he feels so much kinship to the Discovery crew, especially Michael. Tarka once again reminds Book how many lives they will be saving. This all sounds noble but in truth, finding that power supply is really Tarka’s goal. Saving lives would just be a happy circumstance. Book relents and gets into a crouch for transport. Tarka doesn’t understand why until he almost hits his head on arrival in a Jefferies tube.
Imminent Death
Upon arriving on the planetoid, Suru gets hit with an extreme anxiety attack. It is reminiscent of when he still had his threat ganglia. He was able to pull himself together to a point and the crew continued their investigations. However, he was still in distress. Burnham recognized this and asked him what was wrong. He apologized and said he was feeling his imminent death. Something he hadn’t felt since his Vahar’ai.
The Fear of Delay
Book and Tarka are still crawling through the Jefferies Tubes, looking to find a way into Engineering when they stop near the rec room, hoping it is empty so they can go through it. But they find Ni’Var President T’Rina sitting with General Ndoye. The General is still uneasy about the delay in directly confronting Species 10C. T’Rina tries to explain that any knowledge they can gain in understanding the species would help along those lines. Apparently, Ndoye does not see it that way. She could be a problem. After watching this exchange, Book and Tarka continue through the tube.
Anxiety Spreading
Back on the planetoid, the crew continues to explore but Suru is still struggling with his fear. Captain Burnham asks Dr. Culber to check on him. As he examines him and touches Suru’s arm, Dr. Culber also feels the fear that Suru had been picking up on. Something is causing this intense reaction, but their suits should be preventing any such stimulus. But Culber now understands what Suru is feeling and it isn’t pleasant.
Recruiting an Ally
Finally, the Discovery stowaways arrive on a deck just below engineering. Tarka detects three life-forms in the area. He suggests they create a distraction to pull them away from Engineering which would allow him to set his device. Book, however, has another idea. After what they had heard, he thinks if they enlist General Ndoye’s assistance, they could know exactly what Discovery is planning. That way, they could be in front of whatever is going to happen and adapt to it. All Tarka could see was them being caught and locked up. However, they decided to split up. Tarka would plant his device, and Book would attempt to enlist General Ndoye. What could go wrong?
Precedence
Meanwhile, Burnham and Detmer are still trying to find any evidence to help them understand Species 10C. But soon, Michael also starts to feel the fear that Suru and Culber have experienced. At this point, the only one who has escaped the elevated fear response is Detmer. With this in mind, Michael decides that those “infected” will retrace their steps and try to discover what is causing these reactions. If it becomes necessary, Detmer will go back to the shuttle alone and return to Discovery. The mission takes precedence over anything or anyone.
Fear Dust
As the team retraced their steps, they soon realized that the unrecognized dust on the planetoid was a common factor. Suru had stepped through it first when he started feeling symptoms. Dr. Culber had kneeled in it when he was examining Suru. Michael had touched some it just before she too was affected. Only Detmer had not come in contact with it. Their suits had not filtered it because it was an unknown substance. Detmer adjusted their suits filtering system to accommodate for the dust and almost immediately, their fear responses subsided. Much to the relief of the crew. In the meantime, Michael thought she might have discovered something Species 10C had left behind. They went to investigate it.
Two Minutes
As Commander Reno was in Engineering, she started getting reports of food replicator malfunctions around Discovery. She immediately dispatched her engineers and also left to help to resolve the apparent issue. Immediately after she left, Tarka descended into Engineering. He obviously had arranged for the malfunctions so he could apply his patch inside Discovery. Tarka was doing his patchwork when Reno returned to Engineering. She knew that someone had been tampering with the replicators and caught Tarka trying to hide underneath a console. With her dry wit, she asked him if he was hiding for a surprise Birthday Party.
Last Resort
At the same time, General Ndoye arrived at what she assumed was a meeting with President T’Rina. But instead, Book appeared, and she immediately pushed him back and drew a knife. He asked her for two minutes to explain how he was there to help her. She agreed to this. He told her that he knew she had voted along with Book and Tarka to destroy the DMA. She quickly countered that the new, more powerful DMA was the result of his and Tarka’s destruction of the first one. But Book acknowledged this and told her that they planned to remove the power supply to the new DMA. This would remove the danger to Earth and all of the Alpha Quadrant. But he needed her to keep them informed of what Discovery was planning. She agreed to this but only if they gave Michael and Discovery the opportunity to see if Diplomacy would prevail. Theirs would be last resort.
Rosetta Stone
Without having to deal with the threat responses the hydrocarbons could cause, Burham and her team collected samples and realized that the 10C communicated through these hydrocarbons. The dust was remnants of these emotions. Fear and flight on the surface when they realized their planet was in danger and love in the enclosed structure, which was a nursery. It appeared they communicated emotions through them acting like pheromones. Michael compares this discovery to the Rosetta Stone. A method in which they could use to decipher the way Species 10C communicates and speak to them. That is the hope anyway.
Possible Eventualities
Back on Discovery, using the information that Burnham and her team gathered, Commander Stamets sent probes to gather more hydrocarbons. Each different one represented a different emotion. As the research continued, Discovery prepared to make the trip into the hyperfield and contact with Species 10C. Their hope was that they were not aware of the damage the DMA was doing and would stop it. Although, Mr. Suru warned that it could be they knew exactly what was happening and didn’t care. They must be prepared for each eventuality.
Back on Book’s ship, he had arrived to find that Tarka was back, and they were securely attached to the Discovery without Zora detecting them. What he also found out was that Tarka had taken Commander Reno with him to their ship. As Reno said, “Nothing like an unexpected hostage. Am I right?” Needless to say, this wasn’t an eventuality he would have expected to get out in front of.
Thoughts
Things are definitely coming to a head now. The only thing left is to confront Species 10C and hope that their newfound information bears some fruit. Because as time draws near for the DMA to approach the Alpha Quadrant, tensions are mounting. This is exemplified by General Ndoye’s concern that time is being lost in attempting to learn more about them. She favors, like Tarka and Book, a more direct approach. Which is why she tentatively agreed to not let Burnham or President Rillak know that Book and Tarka’s ship is attached to Discovery. For now, anyway. It will be interesting if push comes to shove if she will reveal what she knows.
Seeing New Sides of the Crew
It is always kind of refreshing to see the character of Suru (as wonderfully played by Doug Jones) become even a slight bit unhinged. He is such a low key and calm character; it is almost shocking to see him react strongly. At least since he passed his Vahar’ai and his threat ganglia had fallen off. That calm and even keeled demeanor is probably why Ni’Var President T’Rina has taken a shine to him. The same can be said for Lt. Commander Detmer (Emily Coutts). Nice to see Detmer come up with the solution to their fear issues. In addition, seeing the usually stoic and restrained Detmer talk about her past was an eye opener and a welcome insight to the character. How typical that she felt the need to apologize for it. Probably explains why Adira sees a possible role model in her.
What’s Next?
So, Discovery has some new insight into Species 10C and hope they can negotiate with them. Meanwhile, Book and Tarka are hanging on Discovery like an invisible Tick, hoping to obtain the DMA’s power supply. But they have a new and unexpected problem to deal with in Commander Reno. Although, if there was anyone who wouldn’t let their predicament upset them it would be the deadpan, poker faced Engineer. Will the Discovery crew make successful first contact? Will Book and especially Tarka stand down if they do? What role will Commander Reno or General Ndoye play? So many questions, so few episodes left to answer them. As for “Rosetta,” a step in the right direction as far as plot movement and some fresh character insights made for a fulfilling episode and a sold 4 out of 5.
Star Trek Discovery can be seen on Paramount+ with new Episodes on Thursdays.
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Senior Writer at GeekVibesNation – I am a 50 something child of the 70’s who admits to being a Star Trek/Star Wars/Comic Book junkie who once dove head first over a cliff (Ok, it was a small hill) to try to rescue his Fantastic Four comic from a watery grave. I am married to a lovely woman who is as crazy as I am and the proud parent of a 18 year old boy with autism. My wife and son are my real heroes.
