Daniel, thanks for your interesting take on this series. I haven't analyzed the show to your degree, but I can say this: I find it more engaging and entertaining than much of what has been produced previously in the Trek universe since The Next Generation. It IS a treat to experience each new episode.
The writing is rich, the characters multi-dimensional and the production value is high. The set design is exquisite and it does feel like everyone in this production, from the writers and actors, to the entire production team, is "swinging for the fences" in every episode. The singing episode was a real eye-opener. It easily could have flopped. Instead, they pulled it off in spectacular fashion. "Ad Astra Per Aspera" was a real gem, with a message for our times in true Gene Roddenberry tradition.
As someone who watched the original series as a teenager, I feel this series is good old-fashioned appointment viewing, something I haven't felt for a very long time. Kudos to everyone involved.
The soundtrack from Subspace Rhapsody is on Apple Music. Christina Chong’s How Would That Feel is now on my playlist. It could have been part of a Broadway show.
How do you not understanding different Star Trek series are different? The claiming “Star Trek: Discovery “did not quite click” says you might need to turn in your Star Trek decoder ring, because yours is not working properly. Discovery is Michael Burnham's story. Five seasons & how most fans see it demands to differ.
“The series' release led to record subscriptions for CBS All Access and it became the most viewed original series on both All Access and Paramount+. It has received positive reviews from critics, who highlighted Martin-Green's performance, as well as numerous accolades. The series began an expansion of the Star Trek franchise, including spin-off series SNW & Section 31.”
I wanted to like Discovery but they screwed up the Klingons and their ships and Burnham’s constant whispering all her lines really bugged me. Never liked Saru. They should never have killed off Georgia. The nail in the coffin for this show for me was when the computer became aware and instead of just shutting it down as a security issue that put the ship and crew in danger the captain was concerned about its feelings. Don’t get me wrong, I love Star Trek for its in your face diversity (which is what makes it successful) but come on. Thank you Discovery for giving us ST: SNW.
That's fair. That's your personal taste. You're not claiming to speak for everyone. Five years of a successful show says more than enough fans felt differently, so that is why I objected to the blanket statement of, "it didn't quite click." It's Star Trek 101 if you insult a Star Trek show, you will get pushback.
The first season's Klingon's almost blew it for me too but I always remember how I didn't like the first season of TNG, and it often takes a season for showrunners to figure things out. Never had a problem with Burnham & in fact like her a lot. She's a Kirk-like figure. Saru did take some getting use to. Computers become sentient all the time in sci-fi. Surprised that was a final straw. I guess you didn't like "I, Robot", C3PO, R2D2 or multitudes of other sensitive AIs either.
“Most,” maybe, but certainly not all. I didn’t make it past the first season, and barely managed that. Not all fans are the same—in any fandom. Trying to paint us like we are, or should be, does a disservice to us all.
I’m aware—in fact, I started my comment by quoting that word. But “most” is doing a lot of heavy lifting in the face of a statement like “The claiming “Star Trek: Discovery “did not quite click” says you might need to turn in your Star Trek decoder ring, because yours is not working properly.”
Did I miss that I was responding to you posting your opinion piece on Star Trek Discovery in an article and then on Notes? If I didn't, I wasn't referring to you. I like Drezner. I was just joking with him. "Lighten up Francis,"
I wasn't aware that no one else was allowed to read or comment on someone else's public comment as part of a public conversation. I also never said you didn't like anyone, for heaven's sake.
But I'm happy to go my own way and for you to go yours. Good day.
Now I get it. I searched "Star Trek Discovery slander." I was unaware STD was still so divisive. The first seasons Klingons were off, but they fixed it. FYI Rotten Tomatoes Critics rating is 85% over the 4 seasons with the last two the strongest.
"Since its debut back in 2017 (and even before then, really), Star Trek: Discovery has been a divisive show. There was a long laundry list of complaints: the series is too dark, everyone is mean, everyone cries too much, the Klingon designs suck, it shouldn’t be set before the original series, Michael Burnham is an unlikeable main character. " https://www.engadget.com/star-trek-discovery-season-four-episode-one-premiere-080055200.html
Did you look at its USER reviews on RT? In your OP you said that “most” people liked Discovery. Judging by the RT user metric, most absolutely did not. We’re talking a 36% for season one.
Yeah I saw that. Clearly all the haters felt the need to bash it there to justify their slander. I too bashed them hard for the Klingons in season 1, but they worked it out. Using user reviews in this situation as an example is like trump saying because his rallies are packed with people that he has the majority of Americans. I guess you were unaware of how online user ratings get manipulated both positively by the studios and negatively by the haters, or those who are against something for a variety of reasons.
With ONLY 10 episode “seasons” a singing episode was THE WORST and biggest waste of time in Star Trek TV history. I hope canceling Discovery & Prodigy means STAR TREK will go back to its roots and give us a REAL FULL SEASON (and not another Lite Beer TV Season). #BringBack24EpisodeSeasons. FYI - TOS had 29 episodes in Season 1, 26 episodes in Season 2, and 24 in Season 3; totaling 79 episodes. QUESTION: Will ST:SNW get anywhere close to producing 79-80 episodes?!? (8) Seasons with (10) Episodes each?!? I highly doubt it. #LiteBeerTV
Thank you for the only proper Anson Mount hair shoutout. That hair is seriously a thing of beauty if ever there was one. Whew.
I really thoroughly enjoyed the first season, I didn’t feel like there was any cringe in it. Impressive yes.
Akiva Goldsman had a hand in Fringe, an all time favorite series of mine, and I did definitely see his voice here. Loved loved loved it all.
They did a very good time with a limited amount of time both calling back to the original source material and breaking new ground in the characters and I didn’t detect any sour notes.
I didn’t realize Gooding was a Grammy Award singer but now I see it. I’m a Deaf person who loves music, and it makes sense now how they plausibly pulled that thread through with Uhura being a communication specialist good at finding the meaning in patterns. It was wonderful finally seeing Nichelle Nichols finally coming to fruition. Maybe a strange way to put it, but it feels true.
I was looking forward to the spotlight being on the triumvirate, but Una was disposed of so quickly that I didn't even have a chance to say goodbye. Gooding may be an outstanding actor, but she's not playing Uhura, and Anson is a congenial guy, but he 's not a starship captain. Love Ethan, but he needs to tone down the stiff awkwardness he imparts to Spock. As I said these things interfered with my enjoyment of the show. But never mind, SW has taken up the mantle of outstanding SF.
This show had a lot going for it after season one…and it was doing really well in season two until Star Trek: The Musical. That killed it for me. I mean, I was able to swallow the blatant ripping off of Aliens that they are doing with the Gorn, but “we’re going to do a musical because it worked with Buffy” is a dagger in the canon too far.
I am so sick of modern writers thinking they can do anything they want with a beloved IP, and because it is a beloved IP, cynically slapping the name on their garbage because it puts butts in seats or eyes on streams.
The computer having a Frosty the snowman moment and putting the ship at risk was a no brainer to end it/shut it down. It was ridiculous. I love I robot and all the others you mentioned but that is apples vs oranges. No comparison. None those examples controlled a starfleet ship and crew and put the ship and all those lives at risk. Bad comparison. All the crying and whispering of dialogue was too much. Give us back our 24-25 episodes of good Sci Fi.. It’s sad we will only see 65 episodes of ST: Discovery. Even ST: Enterprise got 97 episodes.
Daniel, thanks for your interesting take on this series. I haven't analyzed the show to your degree, but I can say this: I find it more engaging and entertaining than much of what has been produced previously in the Trek universe since The Next Generation. It IS a treat to experience each new episode.
The writing is rich, the characters multi-dimensional and the production value is high. The set design is exquisite and it does feel like everyone in this production, from the writers and actors, to the entire production team, is "swinging for the fences" in every episode. The singing episode was a real eye-opener. It easily could have flopped. Instead, they pulled it off in spectacular fashion. "Ad Astra Per Aspera" was a real gem, with a message for our times in true Gene Roddenberry tradition.
As someone who watched the original series as a teenager, I feel this series is good old-fashioned appointment viewing, something I haven't felt for a very long time. Kudos to everyone involved.
The soundtrack from Subspace Rhapsody is on Apple Music. Christina Chong’s How Would That Feel is now on my playlist. It could have been part of a Broadway show.
Maybe it should have been…then SNW would still be watchable.
How do you not understanding different Star Trek series are different? The claiming “Star Trek: Discovery “did not quite click” says you might need to turn in your Star Trek decoder ring, because yours is not working properly. Discovery is Michael Burnham's story. Five seasons & how most fans see it demands to differ.
“The series' release led to record subscriptions for CBS All Access and it became the most viewed original series on both All Access and Paramount+. It has received positive reviews from critics, who highlighted Martin-Green's performance, as well as numerous accolades. The series began an expansion of the Star Trek franchise, including spin-off series SNW & Section 31.”
I wanted to like Discovery but they screwed up the Klingons and their ships and Burnham’s constant whispering all her lines really bugged me. Never liked Saru. They should never have killed off Georgia. The nail in the coffin for this show for me was when the computer became aware and instead of just shutting it down as a security issue that put the ship and crew in danger the captain was concerned about its feelings. Don’t get me wrong, I love Star Trek for its in your face diversity (which is what makes it successful) but come on. Thank you Discovery for giving us ST: SNW.
That's fair. That's your personal taste. You're not claiming to speak for everyone. Five years of a successful show says more than enough fans felt differently, so that is why I objected to the blanket statement of, "it didn't quite click." It's Star Trek 101 if you insult a Star Trek show, you will get pushback.
The first season's Klingon's almost blew it for me too but I always remember how I didn't like the first season of TNG, and it often takes a season for showrunners to figure things out. Never had a problem with Burnham & in fact like her a lot. She's a Kirk-like figure. Saru did take some getting use to. Computers become sentient all the time in sci-fi. Surprised that was a final straw. I guess you didn't like "I, Robot", C3PO, R2D2 or multitudes of other sensitive AIs either.
“Most,” maybe, but certainly not all. I didn’t make it past the first season, and barely managed that. Not all fans are the same—in any fandom. Trying to paint us like we are, or should be, does a disservice to us all.
Your entire post is illogical. I said "most."
I’m aware—in fact, I started my comment by quoting that word. But “most” is doing a lot of heavy lifting in the face of a statement like “The claiming “Star Trek: Discovery “did not quite click” says you might need to turn in your Star Trek decoder ring, because yours is not working properly.”
Did I miss that I was responding to you posting your opinion piece on Star Trek Discovery in an article and then on Notes? If I didn't, I wasn't referring to you. I like Drezner. I was just joking with him. "Lighten up Francis,"
I wasn't aware that no one else was allowed to read or comment on someone else's public comment as part of a public conversation. I also never said you didn't like anyone, for heaven's sake.
But I'm happy to go my own way and for you to go yours. Good day.
What you did was make it all about you.
Now I get it. I searched "Star Trek Discovery slander." I was unaware STD was still so divisive. The first seasons Klingons were off, but they fixed it. FYI Rotten Tomatoes Critics rating is 85% over the 4 seasons with the last two the strongest.
"Since its debut back in 2017 (and even before then, really), Star Trek: Discovery has been a divisive show. There was a long laundry list of complaints: the series is too dark, everyone is mean, everyone cries too much, the Klingon designs suck, it shouldn’t be set before the original series, Michael Burnham is an unlikeable main character. " https://www.engadget.com/star-trek-discovery-season-four-episode-one-premiere-080055200.html
Did you look at its USER reviews on RT? In your OP you said that “most” people liked Discovery. Judging by the RT user metric, most absolutely did not. We’re talking a 36% for season one.
Yeah I saw that. Clearly all the haters felt the need to bash it there to justify their slander. I too bashed them hard for the Klingons in season 1, but they worked it out. Using user reviews in this situation as an example is like trump saying because his rallies are packed with people that he has the majority of Americans. I guess you were unaware of how online user ratings get manipulated both positively by the studios and negatively by the haters, or those who are against something for a variety of reasons.
With ONLY 10 episode “seasons” a singing episode was THE WORST and biggest waste of time in Star Trek TV history. I hope canceling Discovery & Prodigy means STAR TREK will go back to its roots and give us a REAL FULL SEASON (and not another Lite Beer TV Season). #BringBack24EpisodeSeasons. FYI - TOS had 29 episodes in Season 1, 26 episodes in Season 2, and 24 in Season 3; totaling 79 episodes. QUESTION: Will ST:SNW get anywhere close to producing 79-80 episodes?!? (8) Seasons with (10) Episodes each?!? I highly doubt it. #LiteBeerTV
ST: TNG = 176 Episodes (Free/Ad TV)
ST: DS9 = 173 Episodes (Free/Ad TV)
ST: VOY = 168 Episodes (Free/AdTV)
ST: ENT = 97 Episodes (Free/Ad TV)
ST: TOS = 79 Episodes (Free/AdTV)
ST: DIS = 65 Episodes (Paid TV)
Thank you for the only proper Anson Mount hair shoutout. That hair is seriously a thing of beauty if ever there was one. Whew.
I really thoroughly enjoyed the first season, I didn’t feel like there was any cringe in it. Impressive yes.
Akiva Goldsman had a hand in Fringe, an all time favorite series of mine, and I did definitely see his voice here. Loved loved loved it all.
They did a very good time with a limited amount of time both calling back to the original source material and breaking new ground in the characters and I didn’t detect any sour notes.
I didn’t realize Gooding was a Grammy Award singer but now I see it. I’m a Deaf person who loves music, and it makes sense now how they plausibly pulled that thread through with Uhura being a communication specialist good at finding the meaning in patterns. It was wonderful finally seeing Nichelle Nichols finally coming to fruition. Maybe a strange way to put it, but it feels true.
I was disappointed that Pike's hair was actually more subdued in the epilogue of "Those Old Scientists". :)
Sorry to say, I don't agree. The things that they've gotten wrong are too important for me to ignore.
Such as?
I was looking forward to the spotlight being on the triumvirate, but Una was disposed of so quickly that I didn't even have a chance to say goodbye. Gooding may be an outstanding actor, but she's not playing Uhura, and Anson is a congenial guy, but he 's not a starship captain. Love Ethan, but he needs to tone down the stiff awkwardness he imparts to Spock. As I said these things interfered with my enjoyment of the show. But never mind, SW has taken up the mantle of outstanding SF.
Disposed of? In what way?
This show had a lot going for it after season one…and it was doing really well in season two until Star Trek: The Musical. That killed it for me. I mean, I was able to swallow the blatant ripping off of Aliens that they are doing with the Gorn, but “we’re going to do a musical because it worked with Buffy” is a dagger in the canon too far.
I am so sick of modern writers thinking they can do anything they want with a beloved IP, and because it is a beloved IP, cynically slapping the name on their garbage because it puts butts in seats or eyes on streams.
The computer having a Frosty the snowman moment and putting the ship at risk was a no brainer to end it/shut it down. It was ridiculous. I love I robot and all the others you mentioned but that is apples vs oranges. No comparison. None those examples controlled a starfleet ship and crew and put the ship and all those lives at risk. Bad comparison. All the crying and whispering of dialogue was too much. Give us back our 24-25 episodes of good Sci Fi.. It’s sad we will only see 65 episodes of ST: Discovery. Even ST: Enterprise got 97 episodes.