Star Trek: Discovery Season 3, Episode 4 explores the crew’s shared trauma

Star Trek: Discovery Season 3 Episode 4 deals with the crew’s combined trauma, and answers a burning question; who is Adira?

Star Trek: Discovery Season 3 Episode 4 might be the show’s most valiant attempt at capturing the flavor of Star Trek shows that have come before. The biggest difference is that the show remembers it’s set in the 32^nd century and gives us a cute love story starring a non-binary actor and a transgender actor.

It’s a different issue that this episode leans heavily into the show’s own trope of doomed love affairs. We’ll get into more of that in a moment. Star Trek: Discovery Season 3 Episode 4 is not the show’s most accomplished; in fact, there are a few moments that don’t feel like they’ve been earned.

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But these are negatives that do not undermine the episode’s central message of coming together and being there for each other. This episode feels like Star Trek, with all its alien richness and heartfelt emotion driving every scene.

At its core, Star Trek: Discovery Season 3 Episode 4 is an exploration of the crew’s shared trauma, as well as the conundrum that is Adira.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 3, Episode 4 recap: The crew is not all right

Star Trek: Discovery Season 3 Episode 4 places the crew’s collective shock front and center. They made the decision to stick together and follow Michael into the future, but it’s taken a toll on them. The jump to the future cost lives. And those still alive have to live with the sacrifice they made.

Every episode this season has been a reminder that the crew’s decision continues to affect them. This is a bold narrative choice to have an overarching theme of shared trauma that is so personal.

This episode addresses the issue through the one character who knows something about being lost and alone – Dr. Hugh Culber. When he was killed in the first season, Hugh was trapped and alone in the mycelial plane. He knows all about being isolated.

Culber checks in on all the crew members, examining them for their physical health, but assessing their emotional and mental wellbeing. Culber suggests Saru think of a way to help the crew decrease their stress levels.

Saru gets help from a surprising source—the sphere data that instigated this journey—manipulate the computer to offer Saru an idea. The computer voice changes to that of Annabelle Wallis, who voiced the computer on the Star Trek: Short Treks episode ‘Calypso’.

A huge part of me wished we’d see Aldis Hodge’s ‘Funny Face’ appear on this season of the show. With this little teaser, I wonder if that wish will come true.

So, what’s the computer’s suggestion? It’s time for a party.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 3, Episode 4 recap: A dinner gone bad

Saru invites the bridge crew to dinner and it goes as badly as can be imagined. Everything starts off swimmingly with Saru inspiring the crew to remember that they made this decision together. But then people get snappy.

Stamets and Tilly are cold to each other after Stamets dismissed Tilly’s idea of using Dark Matter as an alternative to powering the spore drive. Georgiou is her usual irreverent self reciting a quick haiku to take Saru down a few pegs.

Georgiou’s haiku prompts Culber to try creating one himself. The way Culber fumbles the last line is so adorable and natural. Joann Owosekun encourages Kayla Detmer to do a haiku and that’s when the whole party unravels.

We’ve all been wondering what’s been bothering Detmer since the start of the season, and now we figure it out. She pointedly makes a haiku about Stamets bleeding out, prompting Stamets to call her out for mocking him.

Detmer isn’t mocking him, but she is struggling with how Culber and the physicians ran to save and pamper Stamets because he’s the one who powers the spore drive. She’s the pilot and brought the ship safely to the future, yet who’s looking out for her?

This was a difficult and powerful scene to watch. The cringe is strong when everyone flays into each other—especially into Stamets—who has always had a chip on his shoulder. I love the look on Culber’s face when he leaves with Stamets.

I have to hand it to the writers and Michelle Yeoh for never erring with Georgiou’s characterization. She likes to have fun (Georgiou is the only one who dresses up for the dinner) and she lives for the drama. Georgiou is a scene-stealer and I’ll listen to nothing against her.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 3, Episode 4 recap: We’re in this together

You’d think a blow up like that would cause irreparable damage to these relationships, but the dinner is a catalyst for the characters to become closer again.

Tilly thanks Saru for reminding them why they’re in the future and Stamets apologizes for not heeding Tilly’s suggestions. He goes as far as to apologize for not acknowledging Tilly’s contributions in the past. We need more bosses like Saru and Stamets!

Detmer finally accepts that she’s not okay and she needs help. She takes Culber up on his suggestion to talk.

By the end, Saru’s playing a Buster Keaton film for the crew in the cargo bay (another nod to the sphere data version of the computer and her love for classic Terran cinema). Everyone sitting about laughing their heads off. I mean, the alien Linus—who was getting the third degree from Georgiou at the dinner table—offers her some popcorn, and Georgiou takes it! Did I mention how much I love this character?

Stamets arrives at the screening and he and Detmer embrace. The warmest, quietest moment of forgiveness ever. I’m so glad they made up.

I’ll mention that the sweet moments of budding friendships also delighted my heart. Owosekun and Detmer are so close, and Ronald Bryce and Gen Rhys are becoming buddies too. We need more of these characters, please.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 3, Episode 4 recap: Who is Adira?

Adira is a human with a Trill symbiont, an unheard-of combination. How is she even alive? We discover that Adira has no memories prior to the symbiont, which explains why she can’t recall her past selves. The only way to find any answers is by heading to the source.

Culber recommends Burnham take Adira to Trill because she’s spent a year navigating a strange new life in the future. I really enjoyed watching these two characters connect over their shared pain and trauma. Both characters were reunited with Discovery, only to feel disconnected from the people they loved. I especially loved Culber’s accurate description of Burnham as a ‘responsibility hoarder’—it makes it that much harder for Burnham to connect with others because she insists on shouldering every burden.

Culber is working through that and Burnham is trying to as well. She’s best placed to understand Adira’s struggle. Star Trek: Discovery Season 3 Episode 4 is all about overcoming emotional pain with a little help from your friends.

Michael and Adira receive a warm welcome from the Trill. The Burn decimated their population, killing symbionts across the universe and decreasing the number of viable hosts on their home planet. They’re glad to meet another host, till they see that she’s a human.

Despite being at the brink of extinction, the Trill council won’t accept Adira as a host. They ask her to leave, but Michael and Adira are ambushed as they exit. One of the councilors insists on forcefully removing the symbiont, despite the danger to Adira.

Michael makes quick work of the baddies before Guardian Xi (Andres Apergis) invites them into the caves of Mak’ala. These majestic caves will help Adira connect with her past selves and establish whether she is a rightful host for the Tal symbiont.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 3, Episode 4 recap: Forget me not

Adira’s journey to finding her symbiont’s past people is harrowing. She’s sucked into the waters and must be followed by Michael who supports the child to connect with her memories. We keep coming back to the theme of togetherness.

Adira slowly remembers her life before the symbiont. She was on a generational ship with her boyfriend Gray (Ian Alexander). They were both orphans and hopelessly in love with each other. Adira had to get used to Gray being joined with Admiral Senna Tal’s symbiote.

Gray promised he hadn’t changed, but he suddenly turned into a genius, effortlessly playing the cello among other things. Despite the curtailed scenes between Adira and Gray, I found their relationship so full and rich. You could tell they’d lived their lives together, and that this massive change to Gray troubled Adira, but not enough to change how she felt about him.

I loved how Gray is so appreciative of Adira hand-making a gift for him—he even guesses it’s an artistic item because he knows Adira so well. Young love has never been cuter on screen. Also, Adira’s quilt is amazing. When is the Star Trek shop going to stock it, some people live in cold countries and could do with a Trekkie quilt.

Just as the pair are celebrating, their ship is hit, and Gray is fatally injured. To protect the history of Gray’s lives, Adira agrees to join with his symbiont.

Finally, Admiral Tal, the other Tals, and Gray appear to Adira and accept her as their newest host. The Trill council accepts the decision when Adira introduces herself as Adira Tal. The council invites Adira to stay, but she’d rather locate the Federation with Discovery. The council suggests that the Trill would like to join the Federation when Michael finds them.

Back on the ship, Adira gives Michael Admiral Tal’s algorithm to find the Federation and starts to play the cello herself. When Michael leaves, we see Adira talking to Gray. Through the symbiont, they’re together, but they’re not actually together.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 3, Episode 4 recap: Final thoughts

I liked a lot about this episode, but I don’t think the emotional stress of the crew has been built up enough to be resolved so quickly. I wish we’d seen more of the crew’s struggle so that the resolution felt earned. So far, Detmer’s was the only arc that felt strong.

One of my criticisms of Star Trek: Discovery is the lack of screen time for the enchanting Culber. We need more of Wilson Cruz’s warm smile in every episode. He maintained this calm presence throughout the episode, and he was really needed.

Culber is a good mix of doctor and counselor in this episode and I want to see more of his cool demeanor throughout the season.

I loved Adira and Gray in this episode. But they’re so young and their love story is so tragic. I felt it was too tragic for characters who’ve ostensibly only ever had each other for support, and now it’s been taken away.

Gray living in Adira’s head compounds the tragedy for me. Is there a way for him to manifest into reality? I really want that for him. If nothing else, we need the first transgender character on Star Trek to not be dead! I was crushed when Gray was killed, he deserved better. Transgender fans of the franchise deserve better.

But I’m holding out hope that the showrunners know what they’re doing, and that we will not only see Gray again but that there will be some more transgender representation for fans.

This season has felt more in line with franchise properties of the past, yet it’s added a modern, representative twist every step of the way and been entertaining as well. Let’s see if the crew finds the Federation.

What were your favorite moments from Star Trek: Discovery Season 3 Episode 4? Let us know in the comments below.

New episodes of Star Trek: Discovery Season 3 are available every Thursday on CBS All Access.