Star Trek: Discovery Season 4 Episode 9 Review: Rubicon

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As dramatic and surprising as the plot twists are on Star Trek: Discovery Season 4 Episode 9, none of them are out of keeping with the characters involved.

Over three and a half seasons, Star Trek: Discovery has taken a cast of characters and allowed them to grow and evolve while holding their core values steady.

No matter the century, the ship, or the circumstance, our heroes gonna hero even when they find themselves in conflict with each other.

Optimistic Outlook - Star Trek: Discovery Season 4 Episode 9

In regards to the Showdown at the DMA, while I couldn't have foretold anything in detail, nothing that transpires is beyond the realm of reason.

Book's insistence on moving forward despite the information about the DMA being a mining device? Understandable.

Burnham's strategy of putting herself and the ship physically in the way of Book and Tarka? Expected.

Tarka's disregard for everything and anyone that stands in his way? Completely predictable.

And yet, despite the man's single-minded and completely self-centered motivation, he fools us -- or maybe we fool ourselves? -- into thinking that he can be persuaded to defer his chance to seize the DMA controller's power source.

Tarka with a Plan - Star Trek: Discovery Season 4 Episode 9

Nhan's return to Discovery is a bit of a buried narrative in a number of ways.

When she left Discovery to complete the Barzan watch on the seed vault ship, the USS Tikhov, on Star Trek: Discovery Season 3 Episode 5, Burnham warned her that she'd be giving up her command career.

Well, as it turned out, not quite. Talent will out, and Nhan, despite having a homeworld to reconnect with, is still one of Discovery's ripped-930-years-out-of-time crew. It seems unlikely that any of them are ever going to feel comfortable outside of Starfleet and Federation contexts.

We learn a lot more about Barzan culture on her return than we might've known before she left. The fact that Barzans adhere to a "Duty Above All Else" tenet might've been implied by how the family that crewed the Tikhov never left their posts.

Nhan showing up in the black uniform of Starfleet Security is also a tacit reminder that the Federation is still running black ops despite their diminished capacity.

Captain and Commander - Star Trek: Discovery Season 4 Episode 9

Having Nhan inform Burnham and Saru of the Deathstar-thermal-exhaust-port-like vulnerability in Book's ship provides a deus ex machina Burnham is determined not to use.

Nhan's presence is a necessary addition that provides a perspective with no emotional attachment to Book or his ship.

She and Tarka play counterweights, each trying to push Burnham and Book, respectively, into making a move that'll tip the balance.

It would almost be funny if the universe's survival didn't depend on it.

We can argue semantics all we want, but I think we can both agree that Book is shooting at us.

Nhan

Finding out about Nhan's last mission where she lost team members served to explain a bit of her hot-headedness, but it also seems like an experience that should've made her unsuitable for a mission needing less emotion and more reason.

Nhan Back at Burnham's Side - Star Trek: Discovery Season 4 Episode 9

Still, it's always nice to see a familiar face and catch up. Discovery does a good job keeping their people in the loop and on the screen, and I appreciate that. Personally, I'm hoping to see what Tilly's up to soon.

And while it is still true to the foreshadowing of his character, Rhys's dissenting view of the pursuit of Book still feels a little jarring.

Stop comparing pain, man.

Bryce

I respect that they make space for the airing of a dissenting view. Perspectives like Rhys's are clearly not unique as Book very nearly convinced the galaxy's representatives on Star Trek: Discovery Season 4 Episode 7 to give Tarka's weapon the go-ahead.

We also saw Rhys's emotional connection to displaced and destroyed communities on Star Trek: Discovery Season 4 Episode 5 during the evacuation of Radvik-5.

Lieutenant Rhys - Star Trek: Discovery Season 4 Episode 9

What seems inappropriate is him sharing these views while on the mission. These are philosophical debates to have in the mess or whatever that nightclub/loungy space is.

To bring it up while on duty really calls to question one's commitment to the crew and the orders. Since Rhys is expected to pull the trigger on the kill shot on Book's ship, one wonders if he would've followed that order if Nhan had given it.

In times of division, we identify that upon which we can agree. A shared goal, perhaps, that can lead to compromise.

Saru

With the title "Rubicon" referencing Julius Caesar's decision to bring his army across the Rubicon river into Rome in violation of the Senate's orders, an action that could not be reversed or walked back, we are forewarned that Discovery is about to pass a point of no return.

Finding the middle ground is exactly what Burnham does best despite the winds in her life that would sway her to extremes.

Book Hesitates - Star Trek: Discovery Season 4 Episode 9

And she succeeds with Book, whom she knows as well as he knows her. (Much to the irritation of both Tarka and Nhan, I'd like to point out.)

It's Tarka she doesn't account for, which is a pretty serious miscalculation, honestly.

After all, he created the anti-DMA weapon, planned out this expedition, convinced Book to join up, and even put in some menial genius labor at the Karma Barge.

He really should be the last person overlooked in this scenario. And even Book fails to calculate for his impulsivity.

Once he fired on Discovery, he should've been kept as far away from the controls as possible.

Intense Concentration - Star Trek: Discovery Season 4 Episode 9

One thing that I'm not clear on -- and please enlighten me if you've got an idea -- is why Tarka's weapon was loaded into a torpedo tube if it had to be BEAMED into the DMA controller?

And if it was being beamed in, why would it matter if Discovery was in the way?

I await the collective Trek intelligence's explanation.

In the meantime, how will Burnham build upon the inadvertent first contact Tarka's attack initiated?

Saru and the Doctor - Star Trek: Discovery Season 4 Episode 9

There's also the whole Saru-T'Rina courtship.

I've never been a fan of extraneous romances cluttering up my Trek, but I'll admit to being rather enchanted by their relationship.

And I love that Culber's taking a page from Kovich's playbook with his straight-shooting advice. Just delivered way more politely.

With respect, sir. In my professional opinion, you're being an idiot. Connection is always a risk, but compared to everything else we're dealing with right now, I'd say it's one that you can handle.

Culber

With four weeks left, there are a lot of narrative developments yet to reveal.

Will Saru need to return to Kaminar for Su'Kal?

Mr. Saru - Star Trek: Discovery Season 4 Episode 9

How are Adira and Gray doing on the Trill homeworld?

What's Tilly been up to at the Academy? I feel like she and Kovich might be an effective teaching team.

Of course, if things go badly with Species 10-C, none of this will matter, will it?

What are you predicting to occur next? What do you want to see?

Hit our comments with your strange, new ideas!

Rubicon Review

Editor Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
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Rating: 1.6 / 5.0 (77 Votes)

Diana Keng was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. She is a lifelong fan of smart sci-fi and fantasy media, an upstanding citizen of the United Federation of Planets, and a supporter of AFC Richmond 'til she dies. Her guilty pleasures include female-led procedurals, old-school sitcoms, and Bluey. She teaches, knits, and dreams big. Follow her on X.

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Star Trek: Discovery Season 4 Episode 9 Quotes

This is tough for everyone. And we all have different views on what Book's done. But we're here to fix this. And that's what we're going to do. Together.

Culber

Stop comparing pain, man.

Bryce