Wow! This is the best Trek series since the original. Seriously.
I should state for context that I am a huge fan of Star Trek
but have found the various sequel series to be of little lasting interest. Both
The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine took two or three seasons to stop
stumbling around in dullness and each series had a near crippling flaw (or two)
that makes revisits painful. Honestly, anyone that can defend the Holodeck
episodes or the never ending Ferengi idiocy can hold forth anytime. I won't be
listening. I never made it beyond the first couple of episodes of Voyager or Enterprise Enterprise
I won't be spoiling any surprises here, as I hope others can
see this series as cold as I did. Discovery avoids one of the past series'
bigger problems by only producing fifteen episodes in the season. This means
that every show adds to the overall story without having to slow down for side
stories. The one episode that could conceivably be argued as unnecessary to the
whole still adds amazing detail to various characters and provides enormous
laughs. At that point in the season this tonal break was a welcome relief
before the final run of incredibly tense developments. I was so impressed with
this season of Trek that I kind of want to rewatch it immediately with
foreknowledge of the endpoint. The various breadcrumbs laid out were masterful
and I suspect I missed a few hints along the way.
After finishing off the season in about five days (!) I
decided to learn what the general consensus on the show was. Turning to the
internet I found that I am apparently in the minority of at least the loudest
voices. I learned that the show's main character had no personality, that the
writing is terrible, that the actors don't know what they're doing and that the
entire production is a disaster and a stain on the good name of Trek. OK.
While I know this new show does some cosmetically controversial
things - Klingon redesign, new technology, advanced use of the transporter,
etc. - as a major fan of the original show I had no trouble rolling with these
modernizations of elements of the franchise. At the very least, this is the
second time the Klingons have been altered so it's no big deal. If I was able
to accept the first radical redesign back in 1979 then the new experimental
engines on Discovery are also no big deal. I feel these changes keep things fresh
by not being bound to the past's limited look. Never before have I been so
impressed with a new show and then learned that it was so reviled. I guess Trek
fans and I may have parted ways permanently.
I suppose that for a generation
that holds the blandness of TNG up as their most beloved Trek series, something
as spicy as Discovery must be unpalatable. That's a shame. In the 1990's DS9
found itself competing with a better written and smarter show in Babylon
1 comment:
For the same reasons as you, I did not partake in DISCOVERY until my mother-in-law bought me the DVD set for Christmas. I even held off watching it until three weeks ago, when I sat down and watched the first DVD.
I was really disappointed in the first three episodes. It was clear to me that the show's promise was being let down by writers who weren't all on the same page. And then I watched the fourth episode, and my interest was piqued.
A few days later, I watched the next four episodes, then the next, then so on. Like you, I think this may turn into the best Trek since the original. Yes, it's got some issues: I detested the Harry Mudd time warp episode. I thought the Mirror Universe storyline went one episode too far. I think the production has violated a good bit of canon, but so did Enterprise (which I generally detested, but had some beautiful, shining moments).
So what do I like about Discovery? Certainly not the uniforms, the ship, the tech. No, I like...okay, love most of the characters. From Michael to Saru, I've loved almost all of them. These actors are outshining the writing, and that was certainly true of all the best of all these years of Star Trek. I care for most of these people, and like them or not, they're mostly believable.
And you know what? I want to watch more. No, sorry CBS, not enough to subscribe to your All Access (although I will probably join this fall when Picard returns). But I already know what I'll be asking for next Christmas.
I hope Discovery will become the Star Trek we can all love.
Post a Comment