Star Trek Discovery — Series 4 Episode 5 — The Examples — A Review

22nd April, 2022.

Right at the moment … ?

I’m doing two things.

Dinner: fish and chips, again.

And, much as I’d like to have more than peas with it?

I won’t, until tomorrow: when I go shopping!

That’s one thing.

The other thing … ?

I’ve started this post on a Friday: and watching The Examples: the fifth episode of Star Trek: Discovery’s fourth season, and letting you know what I thought, by tomorrow, at the latest.

~≈🚀≈~

23rd April, 2022.

Episode 5 — The Examples — opens with the traditional summary of last week’s episode.

Then shifts: to show us that the USS Janeway and the NSS T’Pau are monitoring the Dark Matter Anomaly, the DMA: only for the thing to briefly disappear … and re-appear a few seconds later, and one thousand light years away.

Commanders Stamets and Chief Engineer Jet Reno (Anthony Rapp and Tig Notaro) are observing from the Discovery: and very aware what they’ve seen is impossible: something they make sure Captain Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) knows about.

Back at base?

Back at base, Admiral Vance (Oded Fehr) has a job or two for the Discovery.

The DMA is now heading for a former Emerald Chain base, now colonised by a species called the Akaali.

The Admiral needs the Discovery to lead the the evacuation mission.

Whilst hosting insufferable genius, Ruon Tarka (Shawn Doyle): who’s going to be conducting experiments with Stamets and Saru (Doug Jones).

It’s only when Captain Burnham’s back on board that she finds — from the Akaali leader — that there’s one last group of people who the Leader doesn’t want the Federation to evacuate.

Getting them out?   Is going to be fiddlier than it sounds.

~≈🚀≈~

Now … 

“Paul,” I hear you say, “Paul … is there truly a loving God that holds the world in his noodly appendages?”

There’s no point asking me: I really am not a theologian.

On a more serious note … ?

“What did you make of The Examples?”

First things first, I’m going to remind you of the way I rate movie: something I’ve only recently been doing for TV shows I watched.

It goes from ☆☆☆☆ — avoid like the plague — to ★★★★.

Go watch now, in other words.

Keep that in mind, I think it may be helpful.

At any rate, the episode itself is both well written, well produced, and well acted.

Although one of the plot threads — rescuing a group that are difficult to extract — has been done before: in the Star Trek Enterprise episode, The Breach.

So, as well told as it is, it has been done before.

We’re also introduced to scientist Ruon Tarka, played by Shawn Doyle: who, I should add, does a competent — and believably arrogant — job in the role.

I’m just not convinced the conflict between Tarka and Stamets was as well written as it could be: nor did Chief Engineer Jett Reno seem her usual fabulous grumpy self.

The highlights of the episode, for me?

Was Michael Greyeyes’ incredibly regal performance as  Felix.

And one of the last scenes.

Book (the ever excellent David Ajala) is in the Discovery’s equivalent of Ten-Forward: when Tarka walks in and hands him a hip flask of Risian whisky.

And in the discussion … ?   Tells Book he knows who’s behind the DMA.

It’s a beautiful scene … at the tale end of an episode that’s just good.

Don’t get me wrong, The Examples is well done: but — bar that one scene — possibly not the best episode, so far.

Still?   It does leave me looking forward to the next episode.

I’ll be watching that on the 29th April, and will have my written and video reviews up on the 30th April.

I’ll see you, then!

The Examples.

★★☆☆