‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Recap – ‘Choose to Live’

Written by Shae Rufe

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 403 of ‘Star Trek: Discovery’.
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No wiser words have ever been spoken than ‘choose to live’. A phrase that can be taken so many different ways. The title of this episode embodies everything that is going on and the many different ways to choose to live. It’s a phrase the Qowat Milat Nuns use, in fact one of them uses it against a Starfleet officer before she murders him. J’vini is a dedicated member of the Qowat Milat order and takes her oaths so serious that she kills and steals for them. This citizen of Ni’Var has garnered the attention of Starfleet, the Ni’Var President, and the Qowat Milat themselves. Michael’s mother, yes, her mom, demands that they get to bring J’vini in on their terms.
 
While Ni’Var wants to handle it their way. Starfleet will do anything to bring Ni’Var into their ranks and does their best to compromise enough in Ni’Var’s favor, to gain their trust and hopefully get them into Starfleet faster. Michael is less than thrilled with this plan but is going to go along with it because that’s the best she can do right now. Bringing J’vini in alive is the priority, politics be damned. Michael’s mother is all too happy to be teaming up with Michael. She has a personal relationship with J’vini and believes she can talk some sense into her.
 
Michael takes Book’s ship, and they discover that J’vini is hiding out on a moon. She murdered a Starfleet officer and stole a shipment of dilithium to help fuel the moon. Yep, that’s right, the moon is really a massive ship. The residents of the ship are in a cryogenic stasis and left defenseless. Their guardian died protecting them from grave robbers and sent out a psychic distress signal. It was J’vini that received it, and she happily took up the mantle of protector, at the cost of several Starfleet officers.

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At least Captain Burnham brought Tilly along. She stalls the ship and stops it from moving to draw J’vini out. The Ni’Varian is too strong however and quickly takes Michael’s mother hostage. We get to see the more diplomatic side of the captain, as she calmly gets J’vini to agree to let her get these creatures out of cryo. With the creatures going to wake soon, the ship back to functioning, J’vini surrenders. She’s taken into custody but handed over to Ni’Var for whatever justice they choose to dole out. Speaking of Ni’Var, Stamets was brought there to showcase his theory on the space anomaly that murdered Kwejian. Book tagged along and was vital in determining what the anomaly isn’t. When President T’Rina mind melds with Book, he’s able to give her answers on what happened, and relive a memory of his last happy moment with his nephew; gaining the closure he desperately needs.

And Gray? Well, his body is finally ready. Adira is understandably worried and happy while Gray is excited. The thing is, once they are separated, Gray might be lost forever if he doesn’t find his own way to his new body. The separation leaves Adira shaken, to say the least. But they manage to sit at Gray’s side and call to him, acting as a beacon themselves for Gray to follow. It takes some time, but Gray does find his new body and wakes to find Adira holding his hand. It was them that made it possible for Gray to even find his body. It’s a new beginning, a new chapter.

Gray chose to fight and find his body with Adria’s help. Michael chose to be diplomatic and solve a problem, rather than escalate it. Booker chose to move forward and work past his grief and towards forgiving himself. Everyone chose to live in various aspects. That is what makes this show so endearingly wonderful. With all the tragedy and near misses, everyone chooses to keep living. Maybe one path ends so another can begin, but there is always a choice.

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