Star Trek: Discovery is in the home stretch of Season 4, which is a bit ironic as it seems there might not be a home to return to if the crew is unsuccessful in this latest endeavor. Michael Burnham, the Discovery crew, and the Federation delegates must make successful contact with Species 10-C. A new exclusive clip (seen above) shows the efforts from the upcoming Season 4 penultimate episode and teases this whole mission might be harder than previously thought.
Based on this clip, it appears that the initial attempts to contact Species 10-C are unsuccessful. With only 13 hours to go before the newest DMA impacts Ni’Var and Earth, it’s clear Michael and President Rillak are feeling the pressure on what route to go next. First contact is always a delicate situation, and the slightest mistake can result in a colossal misunderstanding. This is especially true when there are no guarantees the new species has any way of understanding anyone on the Federation starship, so it makes sense Rillak and Michael are going back and forth on how to proceed.
No word from Species 10-C is certainly not a good start, and there are a ton of ways to interpret it. 10-C might have no clue they’re in the presence of another species trying to communicate, which is obviously bad. Of course, it’s arguably worse if 10-C knows the Discovery crew is trying to respond and is choosing to ignore them. That could mean a litany of things, many of which don’t seem like good news for anyone who isn’t 10-C.
Star Trek: Discovery’s clip confirms that communication with Species 10-C might be difficult, and that’s not even the only obstacle the crew faces in this first contact mission. Ruon Tarka and Booker are hiding out and attached to Discovery and still seem intent on their plan of taking out 10-C’s power source so Tarka can return home. Anything they do could also jeopardize negotiations, and it’s even possible their interference is impacting communication.
The good news for fans is that Star Trek: Discovery is seemingly taking things right down to the wire, and this first contact with 10-C could ultimately dictate where the series heads in Season 5. I’m not sure what I expect to happen with just a couple of episodes left, but I think it’s fair to say the stakes so far are about as high as they’ve ever been in the Paramount+ series.
Star Trek: Discovery streams on Paramount+ on Thursdays for anyone with a subscription to the streaming service. Of course, it’s just one of many Star Trek shows airing in 2022, so be sure to keep an eye out for all shows on the franchise airing or coming later this year.
