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Re: DSC S3: Su'Kal

You are a malfunctioning computer running an holodeck simulation for decades to raise a child. Finally, a rescue crew arrives to take your charge. Do you:

A) Turn off the holodeck, brief the rescuers, say goodbye, and let them beam off with your charge.
B) Pass them via a possibly life-threatening experience to try to teach the child something, despite them being far more qualified to handle his wellbeing? (them or at least whatever Kelpien community receives him soon later)

That was a trick question. This is Star Trek. The holodeck can never be turned off. A similar reason forbids having CCTV anywhere on the ship under pain of death.

Back to the episode, we have a typical plot structure. The main plot has Saru, Michael and Culbar beam away to an holodeck to rescue a Kelpien child, which somehow has caused the Burn (??). Somehow only the crew characters are affected by radiation, so they're on a time limit. The computer won't let them go unless they teach the child to face his fears...

As holodeck jeopardy plots go, this isn't bad. The acting was mostly fine and the idea is decent (a computer trying to raise a child has been done elsewhere, but a different take would have been welcome). But there are very few good holodeck jeopardy plots, and this isn't one of them either. I just didn't feel the payoff was earned compared to (for example) 'Forget Me Not'. Adira had some dialog and flashbacks to justify her growth, the child just not enough.

Ah, and there's the other plot. Tilly and the rest of the ship face off against Ossyra. They figure out the important thing in advance (Ossyra wants the ship whole), which is why they think of no protection against the obvious boarding play. That would require us knowing who the security chief is, and we can't have that in DIS. So Ossyra somehow boards the ship (transportation via shields?) and takes over.

All in all, this is an OK episode weighted down by typical DIS factors, like Burnham centrism (questioning Saru's objectivity is rich from her), fantasy storytelling rather than sci-fi storytelling (a child causing the Burn would work in some other settings like Star Wars far more easily), plot railroading, etc.