In ‘Star Trek: Discovery’s “Rosetta” Communication is the Watchword
Discovery investigates what may be Species 10-C’s original homeworld in “Rosetta” – arguably the best episode all season.
Star Trek: Discovery has been narratively spinning its wheels since it returned for the back half of season four. Each episode provides only one baby step forward a piece. In “All In” Book gets some fuel for Tarka’s destructo-ray. In “Rubicon” Tarka’s destructo-ray fails to destroy the DMA. And in “The Galactic Barrier” Discovery finally makes its way into 10-C space.
Each of those episodes does one other thing: they expand on some characters desperately in need of fleshing out. Owasekun can box! Tarka lost his best friend! And, of course, Saru and T’Rina continue developing the most precious romance in Trek history. In short: these are each good, but not great, episodes.
With “Rosetta” we take a much larger leap forward in understanding Species 10-C as well as the rest of the cast. Before we talk about why this episode works exceptionally well, let’s cover the basics of what actually happened.
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To Boldly Recap
Outside of Species 10-C’s hyperfield is a former gas giant planet. A giant meteor changed the makeup of the planet, but Dyson rings still satelliting the body suggest 10-C once resided there.
Michael takes an away crew consisting of Culber, Saru, and Detmer to investigate. The hope is that something on this world might provide a key to understanding how to communicate with 10-C. Of note: Captain Ndoye of Earth Defense believes this mission is a waste of time. She is wrong, but we’ll come back to her later.
The away team discover one remaining, still-standing structure on the planet. They also find the remains of a species that may be 10-C – and they are enormous! However the most important discovery they make is dust.
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Yes. Dust.
The suits the away team wear should protect them from all outside bacteria, radiation, whatever. However, one by one, the crew become unnaturally terrified. All but Detmer see images of the calamity that made the planet unlivable.
Inside of the last standing structure, the team realizes that Detmer is the only crew member who has not interacted with the dust on the planet. Updating their suit’s systems, the team is able to filter out the dust and its effects. Hooray, no more crippling anxiety and terror! Why isn’t real life like this?
However, while inside of what appears to be a nursery, Burnham has a hunch. Allowing the dust back into her system, she feels a very different emotion: safety. The rest of the team feel the same thing. Conclusion: this dust acts as an empathic means of communication.
The away team returns to Discovery with more samples in hand. Stamets concludes there are at least 16 different types of hydrocarbons in the dust corresponding to different emotions. This dust is the key to opening diplomatic relations with Species 10-C.
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Ndoye, Book, and Tarka: Space Throuple
While all this good dusting is going on, Book and Tarka sneak on board Discovery. Their goal is to connect Book’s ship to the Discovery in order to both stay hidden and steal all their intel.
Seeing Ndoye disagree about Burnham’s course of action gives Book a very risky idea. He tricks Ndoye into a private meeting. He asks for her help in sharing information, and, potentially going against Burnham if the need arises. Ndoye hesitantly agrees.
Meanwhile, Tarka gets caught by Jett Reno while trying to hook the two ships together. This half of the story ends with Book discovering Reno kidnapped and trapped on board his ship. Uh oh.
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To Boldly Review
So, why is this episode such an improvement over its immediate predecessors? Put simply: it takes the character growth and plot threads from previous episodes and wraps them up in a satisfying bow while teeing us up for the finale in a way that’s both satisfying and intriguing.
The previous conversations between Burnham and Rillak pay off here as they calmly debate how to proceed with the away mission. Tarka opening up to Book leads Book to open up to Ndoye creating satisfying and believable dissent in the ranks. Saru having to deal with uncontrollable terror for the first time since his vahar’ai in season two makes everyone’s fear so much more palpable. The back half of season four until this episode is all about set up and “Rosetta” is where it all that set up starts paying off.
It’s not all perfect. The set up for Adira and Detmer forming a friendship is sweet, but clunky. There’s a mention of Nilsson taking command while Burnham and Saru are on the away mission and I still have no clue what her deal is at all. And am I supposed to believe that Tarka can take Reno in a fight? I don’t.
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Accepting Discovery For What It is
We recently recapped the first season of Star Trek: Picard. My biggest take away while re-watching that season is that I need to accept these new Trek shows for what they are. Picard isn’t Star Trek: The Next Generation and it doesn’t pretend to be. Similarly, DISCO is its own animal, unlike any Trek that came before it. Neither series is above criticism, but it is worth refocusing expectations based on what the shows are versus what we each wish they were.
I don’t just watch Star Trek for reviewing purposes. I watch Star Trek nearly every day because I am obsessed and have been obsessed since 1987 when “Encounter At Farpoint” aired for the first time. In between these recaps the show I watch the most is Deep Space Nine.
Whenever I come back to DISCO I find myself asking why it isn’t more like DS9? Where is DISCO‘s Quark? Where is this show’s Garak? But here’s the thing it’s taken my nearly four seasons to accept: DISCO doesn’t want or need those puckish rogues.
Yes, DISCO may keep the troublemaking Tarka in the cast, but if they don’t that’s okay. And it’s not as though DISCO has nothing DS9-like about it. Stamets and Reno both bring that grumpy Odo energy. Dr. Bashir’s awkwardness is alive and well in Adira Tal. Ben Sisko was a good person who sometimes did terrible things for the greater good – a lot like Michael Burnham.
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What Discovery Is
In the end, though, Discovery is a ship full of sweet cinnamon rolls that just want to live, laugh, love their future lives to the fullest. No scene this week exemplifies this quite like the one where the entire away team vibes with feeling like safe babies.
It’s in this moment that Detmer shares the kind of earnest emotionality that it so core to what makes DISCO the show it is. She reveals that she has never had familial relationships which make her feel completely safe. So the dust providing an emotion she’s never felt before is profound, but it’s sad and maybe even a little scary, too. But the rest of the team is there to carry her through it.
Season four of DISCO is all about communication. And communicating well requires emotional honesty. Throughout the season we’ve seen Hugh Culber help the crew strive towards emotional honesty. At the end of “Rosetta” we see clearly how that work might pay off with building a lasting peace with Species 10-C and saving the Alpha Quadrant.
Or Tarka might get countless billions of people killed! Or Species 10-C may not have emotions for people other than themselves! We’ll find out which way the worm’s going to turn in the next two weeks.
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Stray Observation Deck
Okay, but really though: how did Tarka beat Jett Reno in a fight? Sucker punch? Did he ply her with cake? Make it makes sense!
Was the gas giant planet destroyed by accident or was it an intentional attack? There’s been a lot of hypothesizing that Species 10-C are actually the Borg, but what if they are another species entirely who were attacked by The Borg?
If Saru and T’Rina don’t kiss soon I will die. That is all.
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Questions, Queries, Quibbles
As we barrel towards our two part conclusion, the biggest question is arguably one outside of Discovery itself. Star Trek: Picard is back. Not only is it back, but it begins with rewriting the timeline of the entire Alpha Quadrant. With Earth suddenly a planet full of fascists baddies, will DISCO be impacted as well?
Are we in for a Captain America: Winter Soldier/Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. situation? Are Picard and Discovery connected? Or will the shows remain separate? Tell us what you thought of this episode and share your theories for the season finale. We’ll see you next week!
Until then, this is your humble recapper signing off. Computer: end program.
