STAR TREK: DISCOVERY
SEASON 4, EPISODE 5
SEASON 4, EPISODE 5
The Examples
Series: Star Trek: Discovery - (2017 - 2024)Season: 4
Episode #: 5
Original Airdate: December 16th, 2021
Writer(s): Kyle Jarrow
Director(s): Lee Rose
Guest Stars
Oded Fehr as Fleet Admiral Charles Vance
David Cronenberg as Dr. Kovich
Shawn Doyle as Dr. Ruon Tarka
Michael Greyeyes as Felix
Annabelle Wallis as Zora
Sarah Booth as Luda
Jonathan Goad as the Akaali Magistrate
Co-Stars
Patrick Kwok-Choon as Lt. Cmdr. Gen Rhys
Sara Mitich as Lt. Cmdr. Eva Nilsson
David Benjamin Tomlinson as Ltjg. Linus
Orville Cummings as Lt. Christopher
Sochi Fried as Patri Doxica
Sima Sepehri as Lt. Adhar
Alireza Shojaei as Inmate #1
Aldrin Bundoc as Inmate #2
Uncredited Guest Stars
Pamela Mars as a Discovery Bridge Crewmember
Stardate: Unknown
Synopsis
With Ni’Var having rejoined the Federation, the starship N.S.S. T’Pau patrols near the Dark Matter Anomaly (DMA) alongside the U.S.S. Janeway. Without warning, the DMA suddenly disappears. Aboard the U.S.S. Discovery-A, Paul Stamets and Jett Reno scramble to figure out what just happened while looking at a galactic map depicting Federation space. When the DMA reemerges 1,000 light years from its previous position, the Discovery crew realizes that the anomaly must be artificial. Starfleet classifies the DMA’s hidden perpetrators as Species 10-C.
The DMA’s new trajectory puts it on course for an Akaali asteroid colony in former Emerald Chain territory, but the Federation is unable to accurately predict if the settlement will be destroyed. Vance orders Discovery and all nearby vessels to launch a precautionary evacuation, while the scientist developing the new generation spore drive, Ruon Tarka is assigned to help Stamets study the DMA. Tarka has apparently been developing that propulsion system alongside Aurellio, the former Emerald Chain scientist.
As the evacuation begins, Captain Burnham speaks to the Akaali Magistrate, a political leader used to operating under the Chain’s oppressive regime who reveals that he plans to leave six prisoners behind. Known as “The Examples,” these inmates serve as warnings to prevent other colonists from breaking the law. Gen Rhys requests to lead the beam up of the Akaali, while Burnham and Book plan to go to the prison and personally rescue The Examples.
Risan scientist Tarka arrives, and while his home is typically known as a pleasure planet filled with friendly inhabitants, he immediately ruffles feathers with his direct demeanor. Stamets notes that, when the DMA disappeared, it seemed to collapse into some sort of device, a mechanism which he believes may control the anomaly. Tarka proposes they create a miniature model of the DMA controller in engineering, despite the dangers of creating a small wormhole on the ship.![]()
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Approaching the prison, Burnham and Book encounter a defense system left over from the Emerald Chain: synthetic beetles that act as mobile landmines. The captain disables the devices just in time, allowing the duo to enter the facility and meet the inmates, each of whom was sentenced to life for petty crimes. Felix, one of The Examples, questions the Federation’s intentions, going so far as to demand that Burnham guarantee they will not be returned to Akaali custody.
Meanwhile, Dr. Culber takes a break from counseling evacuees to converse with Kovich, who determines that Culber had requested the meeting to hear some of the bespectacled man’s unique brand of absolute candor. Assuming a dual role has taken its toll on Culber, forcing the medical officer to admit that he feels he’s been lying to his patients by telling them that everything will be okay. Kovich bluntly points to Culber’s resurrection as the origin point for the doctor’s savior complex, recommending that Culber find a new outlet for rest and relaxation.
Stamets, Reno, and Tarka evaluate the model DMA controller, arguing that any data they collect could help them uncover who made the DMA and how to stop it. Unfortunately, they are only able to acquire a fraction of the information as Saru elects to end the experiment right before the containment field fails.
Back at the prison, Burnham has the prisoners request political asylum so that the Federation can review their cases and commute their sentences. Before leaving, Felix quietly confides in Michael, explaining that he actually did murder someone. During his crime, Felix stole an orb that contained information about his victim’s heritage, a precious heirloom that he hoped to eventually return to the man’s daughter. Once outside the facility, Felix ensures that Burnham keeps her word and beams up the other five prisoners. However, Felix resolves to stay as penance for his transgression, willing to either return to jail or be killed by the DMA. Still hurting from the loss of his family and Kwejian, Book pleads with Felix in the hope of changing his mind. Felix doesn’t waver, asking the captain to return the orb to his victim’s daughter. Book and Burnham beam to Discovery, where the bridge crew can only watch as the DMA pushes the colony into the sun.
Zora, the entity forged from the union of Discovery’s computer and the Sphere data, confirms that the Akaali woman who Felix sought is one of the refugees aboard her ship, so the captain is able to return the orb. Burnham is nevertheless surprised to learn that Zora has recently begun to feel emotions, a revelation that could have tremendous ramifications. Tarka finds Book in the Forward Lounge, where the Kwejian finds out that the Risan knows the DMA was not created by the Metrons, Nacene, or Iconians. Tarka explains that his calculations indicate the real DMA controller has an energy source equivalent to a hypergiant star.
Trailer
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