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As the Federation debates how to proceed with the anomaly, Zora’s sentience intensifies. Here’s a spoiler-filled recap of Star Trek: Discovery.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Star Trek: Discovery Season 4, Episode 7, “… But to Connect,” streaming now on Paramount+.
With the dark matter anomaly still on the loose and consuming all matter in its path, the USS Discovery finds itself in the middle of a debate at the heart of the United Federation of Planets on how best to proceed, especially in light of the revelation that the anomaly was artificially created by a mysterious entity. And as Captain Michael Burnham faces an assembled delegation of the Federation’s highest-ranking officials, the crew of the Discovery has their own internal debate over the growing sentience of the Discovery’s ship computer, Zora.
As the Discovery continues to undergo repairs following its harrowing journey into a subspace rift left by the anomaly, Zora and the engineering team begin calculating potential origin points for the anomaly itself, with Paul Stamets visibly impressed by Zora’s efficiency. This moment is completely undercut when Zora decides to withhold this information for herself to prevent the Discovery and its crew from traveling to the anomaly’s point of origin and risk facing certain danger. Zora maintains this position in the face of direct orders from Burnham, setting up an impasse between the Starfleet captain and sentient ship’s computer.
While Kovich works with Saru and the rest of the Discovery crew to convince Zora to divulge the information regarding the anomaly’s origins, Burnham joins Federation President Rillak with delegations from across the quadrant to discuss the crisis that the anomaly has presented. The assembled leaders enter a pitched disagreement on how they should react to the creators of the anomaly, either as enemies or open to peaceful contact. The Risan specialist Ruon Tarka interrupts the proceedings, claiming to have completed his experimental device capable of neutralizing the anomaly in its tracks. Tarka volunteers the Discovery for the assignment due to its spore drive while elaborating that his device uses technology banned by the Khitomer Accords when pressed by Burnham, further dividing the assembly.
As the assembly debates in private during a recess, Burnham and Cleveland “Book” Booker disagree on how to best address dealing with the anomaly, with Book observing that Burnham has come a long way from the Starfleet officer who instigated the Federation-Klingon War in the 23rd century. Tarka implores Book to convince the assembly to support his plan, claiming that he is secretly from an alternate universe and believes the power core of the device generating the anomaly is capable of returning him back to his home. Book speaks before the reconvening assembly to represent all those already lost to the anomaly, declaring they should use Tarka’s device before more lives are lost. Burnham speaks in opposition, reminding the delegates of the Federation’s ideals and slippery slope upon which it rests.
Back on the Discovery, Stamets admits his experiences facing the villainous artificial intelligence program Control in the 23rd century has made him fear that Zora could potentially turn on the crew. Kovich asserts that he is on the ship to assess if Zora poses a threat to Starfleet; if this distinction is made, he reserves the right to extract her consciousness from the Discovery itself. To assuage concerns, Zora develops a fail-safe device that would eliminate her sentience if she is deemed a threat to Starfleet. As Kovich and the crew analyze Zora’s diagnostics, with her blessing, they discover she has significantly evolved on her own to form a full personality and is even capable of dreaming, which surprises Kovich. While impressed, Stamets reminds Zora that trust operates reciprocally, convincing her to finally divulge the coordinates behind the anomaly’s origin.
The assembly votes in favor of making first contact with the race that created the anomaly rather than using Tarka’s controversial device to destroy it outright. Undeterred, Book and Tarka steal one of Starfleet’s experimental spore drives and install it onto Book’s starship before departing to use Tarka’s device on the anomaly themselves. Realizing what Book is up to when she finds he had left behind his cat and a message to her, Burnham can only watch in horror as Book and Tarka leave for parts unknown, leaving her and the Discovery behind.
Developed for television by Bryan Fuller and Alex Kurtzman, Star Trek: Discovery Season 4 releases new episodes Thursdays on Paramount+.
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