Member-only story
Star Trek: Discovery Episode Review — Season Four, Episode Five “The Examples”
This show can get a bit dark at times, and “The Examples” plunges us into some interesting territory.
The DMA changed course towards an asteroid belt, which contains a small former Emerald Chain colony, mostly occupied by Akaali. It may or may not hit, but Discovery flies to evacuate the colonists before it’s too late. In many ways, they are treating the DMA, despite its sinister origins, like a hurricane.
Maybe the colony won’t be hit, and if so, everyone can go home.
The colony’s governor, though, is still steeped in the “values” of the Emerald Chain and initially refuses to allow six prisoners, the Examples of the title, to be evacuated.
Not only that, but he claims nobody left on the colony (they filled what ships they had already) knows how to operate the automated jail. Burnham and Book have to stage a jailbreak.
Which they do, because the Federation doesn’t leave criminals behind. Turns out all six are in there for life, and five of them are in for petty crimes (remember that episode where Wesley nearly got executed? Kind of wish I didn’t).
The last one is in there for murder. Which he tells them after the others are gone, and then refuses to leave. He considers being killed by…