Star Trek Discovery has been controversial from the start. Despite its eccentricities mostly in the form of overt wokism, I have defended it for its entertainment value. It does have many good episodes, although it is a bit uneven. Sometimes very bizarre choices are made due to some sort of political agenda.
Be it good or bad, every new season has been substantially different from the one before it. The first season got so much backlash that there was a shakeup going into season 2 which gave us a series that more closely resembled classic Star Trek. But this didn't last, as season 3 took us into completely new territory, and to a lesser extent so did season 4.
The Internet Movie Database has ranked every season 4 episode in the 5's, which on a 10 point scale is not good at all. These are the lowest ratings the show has ever had. I have actually enjoyed most of these episodes, but I am noticing a few problems. Whereas the previous seasons gave at least equal time to female characters, season 4 is absolutely dominated by them. The few male characters are either passive or rash hotheads. It has become a starship of the Amazons.
The emphasis has shifted to conciliation over confrontation to a fault. Every problem gets resolved by talking it out and hugging.
Last week's episode follows the storyline from previous episodes where one of the male characters for emotional reasons is pursuing revenge against an unknown but dangerous alien species. This has the potential to destroy any kind of diplomatic resolution, and plunge the galaxy into war. Naturally, the Federation has to stop him. They send Captain Burnham to pursue him, who happens to be his girlfriend. She is the last person who should be doing this, and as a result, she misses multiple opportunities to blow him out of the sky favoring negotiation instead. She completely fails at her mission. There are no consequences to this failure. Instead, the episode ends with another hug.
This series is starting to feel like it is built on a house of cards. It either has to change or completely collapse. Some people said this from season 1, but it has never been more evident than right now.
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