Discovery has five episodes left to go. It’s been a contentious show. But, it has had its moments. For good or ill - and YMMV as to the ratio of that! - we wouldn’t have gotten LDS, and PIC, and SNW without it. Or PRO or Short Treks. As a show it’s made some questionable choices, in plot and design. But when it’s shone - and dammit, it HAS shone…
The cast! Getting Jason Isaacs and Michelle Yeoh onboard as captains. Doug Jones is a legend. Anthony Rapp and Wilson Cruz have been revelations.
I’ve loved the boost in effects the increased budget allowed. The revamping of warp effects, the way ships slam in and out of warp, the transition through cracking eldritch warp tunnels that leave you in no doubt they’re poking the laws of physics with a pointy stick… it gave the show an energy, set it apart from the graceful swooping of the TNG era.
Actual moments - often whole episodes - of honest-to-goodness science, exploration and small-d discovery. A whole season basically about how to deal with loss and trauma, coming after a global event in which millions died and millions more still suffer the after-effects. They told season-long stories and the world didn’t end because it violated a seemingly natural law that all Trek be 43-minute long standalone episodes.
And the moments. Swearing! Mudd beaming a comically wriggling Lorca into space. Klingon boobs! The moment Culber hugs a reincorporated Gray, who gasps at the shock of experiencing physical contact again.
And that moment at the end of “Take My Hand”, when the familiar lines of the One True Starship comes into view, and I almost burst into tears.
So, let’s hear what you liked about it. And if you didn’t like anything about it? Go start your own thread. I just feel like I need some positivity right now…
Posted by Shik (Member # 343) on :
I can't be as effusive as you, because a lot of what you mention bothers me, butbthere are some elements I enjoyed. I'll second the cast...mostly. Definitely the ones you mentioned. Tilly grew on me when I first thtought she was a Gen Z caricature. I've enjoyed the Detmersekun connection, although it seems to have been dropped in the toilet of late. Also, re: the exploration, I can do that to, as the tail end of S4 was some of the most Star Trek story I seen in a long time. It felt like some of the great stories I liked in the old Pocket novels.
Posted by Lee (Member # 393) on :
I’d be surprised if at least one or two of the ensemble cast don’t turn up on SFA. But it’s been very odd how just this season, they’ve started phasing out the assorted members of the Bridge Gang - who were another plus for me where DSC is concerned, I loved that we all knew their names, a bit about each of them (granted picked up in fits & starts). Dets & Owo grinning at each other, like kids in a candy store, about all the cool shit they got to do, was a delight.
(And don’t worry, were there to be a counter thread, I’d be just as… what’s a word for “negatively effusive”? Vociferous? … about things DSC did wrong!!)
Posted by Spike (Member # 322) on :
It made Lower Decks possible.
Posted by Shik (Member # 343) on :
quote:Originally posted by Lee: I’d be surprised if at least one or two of the ensemble cast don’t turn up on SFA. But it’s been very odd how just this season, they’ve started phasing out the assorted members of the Bridge Gang - who were another plus for me where DSC is concerned, I loved that we all knew their names, a bit about each of them (granted picked up in fits & starts). Dets & Owo grinning at each other, like kids in a candy store, about all the cool shit they got to do, was a delight.
(And don’t worry, were there to be a counter thread, I’d be just as… what’s a word for “negatively effusive”? Vociferous? … about things DSC did wrong!!)
Well, it's a near certainty Tilly will be on the SFA. Burnham said Detmersekun "deserved" being able to take MirrorDiscoprise backbto HQ, so maybe they'll end up on the ship. I have a feeling the ship itself will become the SFA trainer, as actual Enterprise did.
Posted by Lee (Member # 393) on :
Therefore recycling the SNW sets. P+ must be REALLY short of money…
Posted by Guardian 2000 (Member # 743) on :
Doug Jones was a great alien player. Yeoh was fun. Tilly had great hair.
The production did a good job of working with a budget (weird to say given they re-rendered much of the pilot):
1. They reused sets and elements well. 2. The redesign of the Klingons as a full hairless head mask was a brilliant way to reduce the cost and complexity of Klingon makeup, requiring much less effort by the artists. 3. The use of 3-D printing for costumes gave a feel of high production value at low cost and effort compared to traditional techniques.