Thoughts on Star Trek Discovery 4

First, I just want to say I loved Star Trek Discovery Seasons 1 to 3. Season 4 isn't bad, but it just didn't measure up to the other seasons. I didn't feel nearly as hooked as before. The mid-season break seemed to have killed the momentum, but I eventually got back to it. 

I think the main problem is the character, Michael Burnham. She was awesome in the previous seasons. However, it seems like once she finally became a captain, her character arc had peaked. By season three her personality had changed. She had fallen in love, and she was happy. They still had a mission to restore The Federation, and prove themselves to the skeptical admiral, so that kept the conflict going. By Season 4, everything is going great in the beginning. Michael is a captain and glowing with happiness. Her career goal is achieved. She seems more like everyone's friend instead of a captain. Burnham comes across as really soft against crew members that go against orders no matter what disasters they have caused. Overall, there are a lot of feelings and hugging in many episodes. 

In Season 4, they face a new threat that could destroy Earth and other populated planets. It's a good challenge with high stakes, but this happens to be one of the most common plots in science fiction. This made things predictable. The theme became more interesting as the season went on. It pretty much says that you should negotiate with the enemy, even if they have attacked you first. Especially when the enemy is way more powerful than you and you don't know why they attacked. Not every character agreed, and they went against the Federation. However, the point of the theme was proven and resolved by the end. 

Also, there were some unique bits here and there. The world building still has a lot of creativity. The finale was very good. While Season 4 isn't as amazing as the other seasons, I still think it's worth watching. They did some things that Star Trek hasn't done before such as going through the galactic barrier. 

One thing we know for sure about Star Trek is that they always come back to be more amazing than ever.