Thread by @casualgrace

New week, New Recap. We're back with #StarTrekDiscovery S4EP03 - Choose To Live

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Recap Blitz includes clips from last episode as well as snippets from The Season 3 season finale "That Hope is You Part 2". If you missed last weeks and want to catch up that thread is here:
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If you missed my recap of the Season 3 finale that thread is here.
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We open with a beautiful shot of the USS Credence. Comander Fickett is doing a transmission/voiceover. Its a dilithium delivery that gets ambushed. Two male presenting intruders attack the Starfleet officers facilitating the delivery.
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The third interuder is Qowat Milat. She takes on Fickett directly. Sword vs. phaser (which he never gets to fire). She says the episode title, which makes sense as it's a Qowat Milat saying.
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Fickett refuses to stand down and is killed. The intruders leave with the dilithium.

The focus/filter/perspective changes and we see that the last frame of the scene we just watched.
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Michael, Dadmiral SNACC, Rillak and Vulcan Mon Mothma presumably just watched it as a holo recreation. If you weren't sure before then the confirmation is given that the female interuder IS a Truth Nun. A Ni'var citizen named J'Vini.
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The male presenting intruders are her mercenaries. It's clear why all these people are meeting. A Starfleet Officer has been murdered by a Ni'Var citizen and it's a diplomatic shitshow because Ni'Var is thisclose to joining the Federation.
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The Hot Admiral explains that the stolen dilithium has a tracker in it so they plan to go capture J'Vini. Vulcan Mon Mothma invites additional Truth Nuns to the meeting.

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Led by none other than Gabrielle Burnham. Rillak reassures T'Rina that Starfleet won't act without Ni'Var approval.
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We're sidetracked a bit with dialogue about the anomaly. Reiterating what we learned last week about it being completely unpredictable. Stamets is going to the Ni'Var Science institute for assistance. So I guess that will be the B-Plot this episode.
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Mom Burnham tries to shut out help by saying it's an internal Qowat Milat matter and they will take care of it themselves. They ask for J'Vini's coordinates.
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They think she's acting on behalf of a lost cause and believe only they can bring her in alive. Which, fair 🤷🏿‍♀️ I've seen them fight.
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Micheal isn't having it. Vulcan Mon Mothma shrugs it off. Because "The ways of the Qowat Milat must be respected.". Rillak proposes a joint venture and shockingly suggests (voluntolds?) Micheal go along. T'Rina agrees as does Mom Burnham.
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After the meeting Rillak cuts to the meat. The situation makes everyone look bad. J'Vini has to be brought in, no matter what. Michael vows to get justice. And we're in the opening credits.
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When we get back we find Tilly and Saru in the mess hall. Tilly does not like mac and cheese. Both Saru and I comment on how that's odd because the majority of humans love them some cheese.
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I'm going with the replicators have a terrible mac and cheese recipe. I feel like Tilly is okay with cheese because presumably breakfast burritos have cheese on them?
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Tilly explains to Saru about how she feels off. Tilly asks if she can try some gardening to switch up her routine. Saru argees & gives us a little info about Kaminar. They've recently voted to return to space and are voting to retrofit the spaceport.
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Presumably the Kelpians and the Ba'ul retreated from space exploration to focus on their societies merging and working together. Now that they are a more cohesive planet they are more comfortable branching out and that's nice.
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Next we find Micheal approaching Booker in Stamets' lab. Once again they do some cute couple shit to remind me that I'm single. As she requisitions his ship for the mission to capture J'Vini.

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STAWP!
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Booker is hunting for tachyons to support Stamets' new theory of what the anomaly is. 'Primordial wormhole'. Apparently the anomaly checks 4/5 boxes. Stamets is going Ni'var to get help from the Science Institute.
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We're also calling it a DMA now (Dark Matter Anomaly). Which may or may not be a real thing?
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Booker approaches Stamets once Michael leaves and asks to go with Stamets to Ni'Var. Stamets is hesitant but Book isn't taking no for an answer. He agrees not to be weird about things. I think he understands their shared need to want to solve this.
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In sickbay we view the finishing touches on Gray's synthetic body. Gray is excited. This is the culmination of a long journey. Guardian Xi from S3EP04 is back via Holo to perform the Zhian'tara to transfer Gray's conciousness .
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Guardian Xi gives us the warnings that this may not work and Gray may be lost. I really like that Xi asks for consent from Adira, Gray, AND Tal. They all agree to this and understand. Both Gray and Adira nod in unison.
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As happy as I am that this is happening I hope that Adora also gets the usual Zhian'tara and that we get to see it.
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Today's exposition strolling is brought to you by Saru and Michael. They're discussing the J'Vini mission. Mom Burnham is bringing another Truth Nun and Micheal wants to add a tactical officer to balance the numbers.
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Saru suggests Tilly. Which confuses Micheal but with a little Sage advice, she agrees that it's good, if not the obvious choice.
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Honestly Micheal and Lt. Nhan would have ATE the fights scenes in this episode. But we can't have nice things so. 🤷🏿‍♀️
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Cut to Tilly in her Expedition suit boarding the tallowah with the additional Truth Nun. Tilly rambles as usual but the Truth Nun assures her it's okay to be excited. Sometimes it's nice to cut through the niceties nonsense.
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Absolute Candor.
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In the background Mom Burnham compares this situation to when Michael went after Spock in season 2. Which....Yeah same thing. 🤷🏿‍♀️#StarTrekDiscovery
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It's revealed that J'vini is the Qowat Milat that nursed Mom Burnham back to health when she arrived in the future. Mom Burnham was her lost cause.
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Mom Burnahm points out that the Truth Nun's don't do phasers.
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So they give Michael and Tilly swords. Which is VERY cool until Tilly IMMEDIATELY drops her and I cackle so loud I know my neighbors are questioning my sanity.
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Favorite part of the episode tbh.
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The Tallowah warps to J'Vinis location. It seems to be a random moon. Tilly is scanning and locates a cavity in the moon with breathable air. The tracker is down there presumably with eh dilithum and J'vini herself.
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At that moment 2 male presenting mercenaries beam in and set off the intruder alert on the Tallowah. The Truth nuns throw down. Micheal seems to be able to handle herself.
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Tilly is...lucky that the goal seems to be to disable and not wound or kill. She does get in a couple of good hits before getting knocked out though, SO good for her!
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Unfortunately The additional Truth Nun (who seems to be unnamed?!) gets killed during the attack. Mom Burnham finishes off the remaining mercenaries with an Alley-Oop from Tilly.
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J'Vini appears. She's dismayed by the carnage but asks the Burnham² + Tilley to leave before anyone else gets hurt. Que the episode title again.
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Then here we get one of the few snippets from the trailers we haven't seen yet.
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Back in sickbay we learn that the unjoining of Gray and Adira was successful. But Gray has not yet appeared in the new synthetic body. Guardian Xi warns that it may take some time.
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Adira is upset because they feel like they could be doing more. Hugh suggests a walk as there is nothing more that can be done. Supposedly Pollard will monitor Gray while they are gone.
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YOU PAN OVER TO POLLARD SO I CAN SEE HER YOU COWARDS!
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Burnham² + Tilley beam down the the cavern to find cocoons from an unidentifiable alien species. We're only getting more questions and no answers. Burnham² bicker about J'Vini's motives and Tilly diffuses the argument deftly.
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Can't even take a breath before the whole cavern shakes. Tilly is quickly on it. The moon isn't a moon, it's a ship and the dilithium is powered up.
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The dilithium and engine controls are above. They take an ancient turbolift up. I know Michael is a Xenobiologist and Xenoanthropologist but I've seen enough tomb raiding type movies to be more wary of sticking my hand in some random earthen cavity.
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Cut to Ni'Var. Staments is presenting his theory to the Ni'Var Science Council members. They get the gist and go into a meditative state to work on it. Vulcan Mon Mothma does explain after the fact. Stamets wanders off to the side to wait.
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President T'Rina offers comfort to Booker in the form of a drink of warm Redspice. They banter about Ni'Var and their detachment from feelings vs. Kwejian and their embodiment of feelings.
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Back on the moonship Tilly has located the tracker. Michael orders her to disable the ship.
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Pictograms on the walls reveal the cliffs notes version of events: The aliens home planet became uninhabitable. They put the last of their civilization in cryostasis to travel and start over.
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With more of the pieces of the motive in place and the ship disabled Michael asks Tilly to stay put as bait so Burnham² can ambush.
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Cut to Discovery, first time in this locale. Discovery has a bar! The same bar we saw in the Culmets promo shots mid last month. None of the promo shots I saw had the flame accesnts lit in the walls and windows though. SWANKY!
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It IS a piano bar and we have established in canon that Stamets plays piano. Do with that information what you will.
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I will be both upset if this bar is called 'Inferno' and upset if the bar isn't called 'Inferno'. There is no winning here.

Culber reiterates what Guardian Xi said. Adira leaves the bar to think about it.
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While trying to get a better view of the bar I noticed a few things. The bartender appears to be one of the new looking Ferengi. As well as an Unnamed Lurian crewmember having a drink.
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Detmer seems to be having a drink with Bryce. (My #JolaAgenda senses say it's UwU-Owo. But that's not Owo's hair. 🧐)
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Also that Saru walks by in the background before he chats with RickieCulber.

I really like this vibe and I want someone to dig up the Vic Fontaine hologram POST HASTE.
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Saru and Culber chat about the difficulties that could come up should Gray not be able to reincorporate. Saru also gives us confirmation that Culber is the ships counselor.
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I'm going to point out that he also says 'Medical officer' not 'Cheif Medical Officer'. Lending to my theory that Pollard is actually CMO.
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In Sickbay Adira talks to Gray hoping to guide Gray's consciousness to the new host. It builds on what was implied by Xi earlier in that a consciousness needs a host mind to guide it.
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Back on the moonship Tilly is way outside he comfort zone. We repeat the episode title again because Tilly is no fool and J'Vini is about that life.
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Burnham² appears and J'Vini attacks. I'm impressed that Tilly reaches for her sword while asking for confirmation to proceed from Michael. But Mom Burnham asks them to stand down because she's going to handle it.
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I'm admittedly a bit disappointed that J'vini seems to disarm Mom Burham quickly and easily. Was this fight longer? Did they cut it down?
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J'Vini has Mom Burnham by the throat and Micheal has to talk fast to talk her down. Of course J'Vini is defensive but relaxes immediately when Mom Burnham explains that Michael is her daughter.
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I wanted to put a gif from Soapdish here. But I couldn't find one and that's a really Deep Cut reference anyway. But #IYKYK 😌🖖🏿
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We learn the the Unidentified species in the cocoons are Albronians. The last of their kind. Their biomatter has high concentrations of latinum and J'Vini was protecting them from grave robbers.
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Then when the DMA became a thing J'Vini stole the dilithium so she could move them should they be threatened. J'Vini couldn't ask for the dilithium from the Federation for fear of revealing their location to more grave robbers. And here we are.
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Micheal proposes awakening the Albronians hoping this will satisfy J'Vini's pledge and get her to stand down. It works.

Again Xenoanthropologist or not, we're jumping to some conclusions here. But plots gotta plot. 🤷🏿‍♀️
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Back on Ni'var the Science Council is out of their meditative state. They shut down Stamets' premise because no tachyons. Stamets is obviously frustrated.
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President T'Rina suggests a mind meld in order to view what Booker saw to try to visually confirm that there were tachyons present.
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Staments doesn't want Booker to retraumatize himself for data. But Booker desperately wants to contribute. So they go ahead. While they don't find evidence of tachyons, Booker is able to relive his memories from that day and find some closure.
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It's giving very much...
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On the moonship Michael is able to fix the ship so the Albronians can awaken. She manages this just before Tilly is able to re-enable the moonship. The Albronians decend to their new home. Mom Burnham takes J'Vini into custody.
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On the Tallowah Mom Burnahm and J'Vini perform memorial rights for our fallen Qowat Milat friend without a name. As they travel home Mom Burham and Tilly have a heart to heart about life paths.
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We also get an explanation of why the Qowat Milat say "Choose to Live''. Tilly is still trying to find her feet. But I think she's moving in the right direction.
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Burnham² has a moment where they each admit that the other was right and had very valid views on the situation at hand.
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Back at SFHQ Michael requests leniency for J'Vini's sentencing due to extenuating circumstances.

Shes shocked to find that J'Vini won't be sentenced, but rather remanded to the custody of Ni'Var.
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Rillak is out here playing chess not checkers and lets Michael know that. Politicians gonna politic.
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Admiral DILF hits us with a great music analogy that a band nerd like me really appreciates.
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“Think of us as, um, an orchestra. You’re first chair violin, with the showy, challenging solos. I’m in the drum section, setting the pace, providing backbone. She’s the conductor...."
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"...When she signals us, we play. It’s not our job to know if the cellist is drunk or the woodwinds and brass are at war. We each have our part, and we must all trust that she knows the symphony.”
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On Discovery Tilly goes to Saru's quarters to garden. Looking at the plants I wonder if his entire quarters was put in stasis while he was gone. Tilly thanks him for suggesting her for the away mission.
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In sickbay Gray FINALLY wakes up in the new synthetic body. We get tears of joy and hugs all around.

How it started:
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How it's going:

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Okay wait maybe this was my favorite part of the episode
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I'm not crying you're crying.
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Gray feels whole.

SOFT MOMENTS!
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I'm not still crying when we cut to Micheal's Quarters. Book is laying in bed watching a holo of Kwejian Forest. We get the opposite angle of what we saw last week.

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Book opens up about his feelings, acknowledging that he needs to have them and not suppress them. He's also wearing HIS Ikhu Zhen Amulet. We don't know why he took it off. But I hope we find out eventually.
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We finish with just a sprinkle of cute couple shit and they both look very much in love here.
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I want to note that David Benjamin Tomlinson is credited as LT. J.G. Linus in this episode but I have yet to see him. Someone post a pic because II'm assuming scenes were filmed but got cut.
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Mimi Côté is credited as Qowat Milat Nun and literally gets NO NAME. Also that Raven Dauda isn't credited at all so Dr. Pollard was absolutely not in sickbay.
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We are now VERY far behind in our Reno, Pollard, and Linus Quota. Very sad, much concern.
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That's about it for my recap of #StarTrekDiscovery S4EP03 - Choose To Live.

As always, if you made it this far down thread you should probably follow me. If you like what I have to say you should follow my friends and I @BlackAlertPod. 🖖🏿
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What did you think of the episode? Personally I think they put a lot into this episode. It didn't all necessarily fit together. But we did learn some things. Still an A, B, and C plot with two character developing subplots is...a lot. 🤷🏿‍♀️
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What did you think of the thread? Should I keep doing these? Did you make it all the way to the end? As Always feedback is welcome.
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