Online Series: Star Trek: Discovery - Topic II

[Osprey]

I read something on reddit the other day about the show, and it really hit me because I can't believe I never thought of it before. Star Trek Discovery is the first Star Trek series where I don't want to actually live in the universe. When watching the other series, I always imagined living on the Enterprise (original, A, D, E, whatever), or DS9, or even Voyager, and how fascinating being part of this crew that was playing such a big role in the galaxy would be. With Discovery though, it's the opposite. Nothing about this season makes me want to have anything to do with Discovery.

That's a big deal because it's supposed to be our future. Every Trek series until this one has felt like a positive future, one that we would all agree is an improvement and something to be hopeful for. At best, Discovery feels like it's simply transposing all of our current issues with one another to the 24th century, so that it seems like nothing has changed in 300 years. For the sake of "drama," the essence of Star Trek is lost.

In doing so, it doesn't even really feel like it's meant to be our future. Before, the distinction made between the "dark ages" of the 20th and 21st centuries and the "modern" 24th and 25th centuries helped to put the latter in context (on the timeline and in social evolution) and stress that they were our future. With Discovery, by showing people treating each other no better than they do now, there's no opportunity for contrast and less opportunity for context. It feels less like Earth's actual future and more like an alternate universe future.

On top of that, the show's abundance of magic and fantasy and relative lack of science makes it feel even less like it's our actual future and more like a fantasy future. Star Trek has always had things like magical elements not that unlike the spore drive (Q) and the mirror universe, but they didn't exist in every episode and were balanced out by more than enough realistic episodes and actual science. They were sprinkled throughout over 500 total Trek episodes to give variety, but Discovery makes them the very basis of the show. It's like the occasional silly, comedic Trek episodes. It's Star Trek to have one now and then, but if every episode were like that, it wouldn't really feel like Star Trek any more. If every episode has elements that seem more magical or fantastical than scientific or plausible, it feels less like Star Trek and less like a plausible future for us, and when that happens, again, the essence of Star Trek is lost and it might as well be Star Wars.

 

[johnjm22]

More bad news.

Alex Kurtzman to Direct ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Season 2 Premiere (EXCLUSIVE)
Kurtzman is terrible. A hack. The vast majority of what he's worked on through out his career has been either trash or completely mediocre. The fact that he's directing just reaffirms how much influence and control he has over the show. Not good.

Also, there's this:

Spoiler

I REALLY don't want a storyline involving that, but we all knew it was coming. It was interesting in DS9, but now they're going to overuse it. This also probably means the show is going to be heavy on internal Starfleet conflict, which I'm getting very tired of. So much for exploring and the upbeat vision of the future.

 

[Blender]

More bad news.

Alex Kurtzman to Direct ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Season 2 Premiere (EXCLUSIVE)
Kurtzman is terrible. A hack. The vast majority of what he's worked on through out his career has been either trash or completely mediocre. The fact that he's directing just reaffirms how much influence and control he has over the show. Not good.

Also, there's this:

Spoiler

I REALLY don't want a storyline involving that, but we all knew it was coming. It was interesting in DS9, but now they're going to overuse it. This also probably means the show is going to be heavy on internal Starfleet conflict, which I'm getting very tired of. So much for exploring and the upbeat vision of the future.

I'm just thrilled the man who wrote multiple Transformers movies, Star Trek 2009, Star Trek Into Dumbness, Cowboys & Aliens, and how wrote and directed The Mummy (2017) is running this show.

You can really see his influence in season 1 with how terrible a lot of the writing was.

 

[SolidSnakeUS]

I'm just thrilled the man who wrote multiple Transformers movies, Star Trek 2009, Star Trek Into Dumbness, Cowboys & Aliens, and how wrote and directed The Mummy (2017) is running this show.

You can really see his influence in season 1 with how terrible a lot of the writing was.

Star Trek 2009 is awesome, but yeah, that was all JJ right there to make that good. I don't hate Into Darkness, it's still better than the rest listed. But yeah... seriously, f*** the CBS execs who green light his f***ing ass. Shit, I'd rather have Shatner writing all of the new stuff over Kurtzman.

 

[Blender]

Star Trek 2009 is awesome, but yeah, that was all JJ right there to make that good. I don't hate Into Darkness, it's still better than the rest listed. But yeah... seriously, **** the CBS execs who green light his ****ing ass. ****, I'd rather have Shatner writing all of the new stuff over Kurtzman.

I don't like Star Trek 2009 or Into Dumbness. The second one is definitely much worse, but both are filled with plot holes, internal consistency issues, and are more of a straight action/adventure story than anything resembling Star Trek.

 

[The Nemesis]

I don't like Star Trek 2009 or Into Dumbness. The second one is definitely much worse, but both are filled with plot holes, internal consistency issues, and are more of a straight action/adventure story than anything resembling Star Trek.

Beyond was a lot more like Classic Trek than the first two were. There was still a lot of the action/adventure stuff, but it still felt like the most "proper" Star Trek of the Abrams movies.

 

[Blender]

Beyond was a lot more like Classic Trek than the first two were. There was still a lot of the action/adventure stuff, but it still felt like the most "proper" Star Trek of the Abrams movies.

I agree, it's the best of those three movies. Of course Kurtzman didn't write it, Simon Pegg and Doug Jung wrote it.

 

[SolidSnakeUS]

I agree, it's the best of those three movies. Of course Kurtzman didn't write it, Simon Pegg and Doug Jung wrote it.

Wish there were more professional writers for the show that were, you know, actual fans of Star Trek?

 

[The Nemesis]

More bad news.

Alex Kurtzman to Direct ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Season 2 Premiere (EXCLUSIVE)
Kurtzman is terrible. A hack. The vast majority of what he's worked on through out his career has been either trash or completely mediocre. The fact that he's directing just reaffirms how much influence and control he has over the show. Not good.

Also, there's this:

Spoiler

I REALLY don't want a storyline involving that, but we all knew it was coming. It was interesting in DS9, but now they're going to overuse it. This also probably means the show is going to be heavy on internal Starfleet conflict, which I'm getting very tired of. So much for exploring and the upbeat vision of the future.

Ugh, hate Kurtzman

and to the Spoiler:

Spoiler

He gives the name "Leland" but then we find out that he's actually George Kirk. Dun dun dun! Because that would totally be a thing this series would do just to be edgy and dramatic and drive some additional conflict and some shameless fanservice. And because established continuity can go to hell

 

[LeafalCrusader]

Star Trek 2009 is awesome, but yeah, that was all JJ right there to make that good. I don't hate Into Darkness, it's still better than the rest listed. But yeah... seriously, **** the CBS execs who green light his ****ing ass. ****, I'd rather have Shatner writing all of the new stuff over Kurtzman.

Abrams is one of the most over-rated people in holywood and his underlings Kurtzman and Robert Orci are hacks.

 

[LeafalCrusader]

Beyond was a lot more like Classic Trek than the first two were. There was still a lot of the action/adventure stuff, but it still felt like the most "proper" Star Trek of the Abrams movies.

That was my favourite of the Abrams verse films. I liked parts of it till they beat the bad guys with the power of the Beastie Boys. Ugh.

 

[Blender]

That was my favourite of the Abrams verse films. I liked parts of it till they beat the bad guys with the power of the Beastie Boys. Ugh.

There were some big plot holes in it as well, and some very non-Trek things that were carried forward from the previous two films.

 

[Jumptheshark]

and we have our Capt Pike

Star Trek: Discovery Adds Anson Mount as Captain Pike in Season 2

 

[Blender]

and we have our Capt Pike

Star Trek: Discovery Adds Anson Mount as Captain Pike in Season 2

Good choice actually, and a solid replacement for the void left with no Jason Isaacs.

 

[The Nemesis]

They make it sound like Pike's set to be a regular next season, but watch this turn out like all the emphasis they put on Harry Mudd when he only showed up in like 2 or 3 episodes.

Curious how they'd manage this since he's supposed to preceed Kirk directly as the Enterprise captain, but we're still at least 5+ years from Kirk taking command. But I can't see a way the show proceeds with the Enterprise being relatively constantly invovled in the show without it becoming a huge distraction.

 

[LeafalCrusader]

Good choice actually, and a solid replacement for the void left with no Jason Isaacs.

Loved him on Hell on Wheels opposite Colm Meaney

 

[Jumptheshark]

while not official ( I think) Johnathen Frakes will direct two episodes of the next season and he has confirmed that in the screen play he is working from SPOCK is in episode 2--the role has not been cast but he says it will be a new actor. But as we know a lot can happen during pre production

Frakes to Direct Two DISCOVERY Season 2 Episodes | TrekCore Blog

 

[The Nemesis]

while not official ( I think) Johnathen Frakes will direct two episodes of the next season and he has confirmed that in the screen play he is working from SPOCK is in episode 2--the role has not been cast but he says it will be a new actor. But as we know a lot can happen during pre production

Frakes to Direct Two DISCOVERY Season 2 Episodes | TrekCore Blog

I feel like maybe I'm being too harsh, but I feel like this is now an overreaction to the complaints of the segment of the Trek fanbase that's been unhappy with how un-Trek the first season felt like. Now we're going whole hog to the opposite end of the spectrum and cramming in as much nostalgic Trek fanservice in as we can to appeal to the hardcore nerds whose chief complaint was that the show seemed at times ashamed of its heritage. Look it's the Enterprise! And Captain Pike will be there! And Spock too! OUR SHOW HAS EVERYTHING YOU LOVE ABOUT OLD TREK ON IT NOW SO THAT MEANS YOU LOVE OUR SHOW, RIGHT?!?!

Seriously, In another few weeks we're going to hear about the landmark fall finale where Cadet Kirk and pre-Cadet Kevin Reilly save the Discovery from being caught in the machinations of Kodos the Executioner who as it turns out was manipulated into the disaster at Tarsus IV by a shadowy voice that was actually Trelane. And there's a computer with a perilous inability to handle logical paradoxes, for some reason.

and now I hope that I got the planet name right, because I'm doing it from memory. But on the other hand if I did get it right, I feel like maybe it makes me a huuuuuuuge nerd for remembering that, but not remembering a bunch of real world stuff that's happened in my lifetime.

 

[Osprey]

I cringe every time that this thread is bumped.

I feel like maybe I'm being too harsh, but I feel like this is now an overreaction to the complaints of the segment of the Trek fanbase that's been unhappy with how un-Trek the first season felt like. Now we're going whole hog to the opposite end of the spectrum and cramming in as much nostalgic Trek fanservice in as we can to appeal to the hardcore nerds whose chief complaint was that the show seemed at times ashamed of its heritage. Look it's the Enterprise! And Captain Pike will be there! And Spock too! OUR SHOW HAS EVERYTHING YOU LOVE ABOUT OLD TREK ON IT NOW SO THAT MEANS YOU LOVE OUR SHOW, RIGHT?!?!

That about sums it up. It's all our fault. I'm sure that there will be a little of that sort of justification.

That said, cynical me has assumed that their plan all along was to mine the original Star Trek of its lore for use in its own stories, or else there was no reason to set it within a decade of TOS. I suspect that all of these tie-ins would've happened eventually, and Season 2 makes sense to introduce many of them, since doing it in Season 1 would've been a little too shameless and Season 2 was pretty much guaranteed, anyways. A Season 3 is no guarantee, though, so Season 2 needs to have major appeal.

 

[Blender]

Oh great, now they are going to cram a bunch of shallow nostalgia into the series in an attempt to 'fix' it.

 

[CaptainCrunch67]

Yeah, I can see it now, the writers will not only want to do a complete fan service, but also distance themselves from a show that didn't resonate and a crew that's hard to like or cheer for.

Episode 1 - They encounter the Enterprise, Pike and ensign's Kirk and Spock beam over. "when we sent a distress signal we were hoping that someone good would show up". Scotty beams over and takes a look at the spore drive "Who wired this a bunch of idiotic monkeys?"
They assign Discovery to some back water patrol.

Episode 2 - The discovery encounters the unhostile world of the pillow people, who are literally giant pillows. Saru's feat instincts take over. Burham fumbles something and caused a war to break out, the pillow people attack by sneaking on the Discovery in the middle of the night and replace star fleet pillows with themselves and cause a ship wide allergic reaction. The Enterprise shows up and a young McCoy beams over "God you people are dumb" he mutters as he gives everyone over the counter dristan tablets. Captain Pike mutters - "You idiots can't help yourself. you're new mission is to deliver these Christmas gifts to the non hostile lizard people of Omicron Persia 6"

Episode 3 - Discovery discovers a sleeper ship and wakes the crew, we find out the commander is Khan. He promptly takes the ship hostage. But the Enterprise shows up and a one man rescue by ensign Kirk saves the day as he uses his flying drop kick in slow motion 72 times. "Thanks" says Burnham, "You people are morons" says Kirk. Pike then fires the crew and retires the Discovery and the shows name is changed to Star Trek Early Enterprise.

 

[Cloned]

My actual guess is Pike takes command of the Discovery for a few episodes, leaving Spock as acting captain on the Enterprise.

They'll do something with the Burnham-Pike dynamic, with the end result being Pike recommending Burnham be promoted to captain of the Discovery.

 

[Blender]

My actual guess is Pike takes command of the Discovery for a few episodes, leaving Spock as acting captain on the Enterprise.

They'll do something with the Burnham-Pike dynamic, with the end result being Pike recommending Burnham be promoted to captain of the Discovery.

Why would Spock be in command, he was like 3rd or 4th in the chain of command in The Cage.

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

Why would Spock be in command, he was like 3rd or 4th in the chain of command in The Cage.

Chain of Command didn't mean much in this crappy series

Maybe Spock should just knock out all the people ahead of him and take command of ship via mutiny. Wont face much punishment it seems in Discovery universe

 

[Cloned]

Why would Spock be in command, he was like 3rd or 4th in the chain of command in The Cage.

For dramatic purposes. It's my prediction, not necessarily what I want to see.