and better than 90 percent of shows out there. I just wanted to say that. Is it the best Trek? Probably not. But some haters act like it is the worst show ever made. I guess I just don't get the hate the show gets. If Discovery wasn't successful there would be no Picard, Lower Decks, Prodigy, and definitely no Strange New Worlds or Section 31 movie.
Discovery is a very good show
- Thread starter ELCHawk
- Start date
It's the only show with Linus ergo it's the best.
Discovery has its moments and its characters. The huge stumbling block for me is the decision to have a main protagonist, and make her so unlikeable. I don't empathize with Burnham. I don't like the character being shoehorned into classic Trek. I don't even like the choice of her name. Michael Burnham is a pretentious creation that takes screentime away from much more interesting characters.
And folks think Picard is a hodgepodge...
And folks think Picard is a hodgepodge...
Michael Burnham and Tilly are two of my favorite Trek characters of all time. Relatable, enjoyable and people I find interesting. Good characters even in an uneven show. Worth it for them.
I don't get it either. When I joined BBS, I was absolutely boggled at the hate some people have for DISCO.
During the first season, I thought DSC was the best Star Trek since DS9 ended. My opinion of DSC has moved further up since then. But anyway, I started regularly posting on TrekBBS again for the first time in 10 years because of Disco, and then when I saw what some people thought, I thought to myself, "What the Hell are you all on?! I thought you hated B&B and now you want them back? Seriously? WTF?!" IDIC, I guess. But to me, it was really more like, "I have no idea what you're smoking, but give me some!"
I wasn't on the same page with a lot of people at all.
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Discovery is this glorious mess. It's like an entirely different show for each of It's first three seasons. But it's always watchable.
I just watched most of the first season last night (for the first time!) and, based on all the negative comments I have heard, I was expecting something so different. I really liked it (minus the gigantic, game of thrones font subtitles)! I relate to Michael a lot, and the character's negative aspects help me to see some of the ways I am negatively perceived by others. I agree with some people's estimation that the character would have been better developed if the first two episodes came after the third, but meh, it was still great! I wanted to be annoyed by Tilly but just couldn't, she's so genuine. I think people take issue with the representation of Starfleet through Burnham's actions, that somehow Starfleet/the federation are being critiqued (as they should be). I see how SNW does the same thing in a different way, so I do not get the idolisation of one and demonisation of the other.
You may find her unlikeable but I doubt that was a conscious decision.
On the writers? Of course not. Guess some folks like unsympathetic winners.
I wasn't keen on watching a prequel but I love alternate timelines.
So exploring the primary universe and the Kelvin timeline in around the same decade (2255-2256 vs 2255-2263) scratched that itch. I would've loved a crossover, or comic where experience Burnham's life and the flight of the Shenzhou in Kelvin where Burnham's War was averted.
So exploring the primary universe and the Kelvin timeline in around the same decade (2255-2256 vs 2255-2263) scratched that itch. I would've loved a crossover, or comic where experience Burnham's life and the flight of the Shenzhou in Kelvin where Burnham's War was averted.
There are few people that I can not sympathize with on some level, save for egregious criminal or immoral behavior. So, Burnham is someone I sympathize with because she presents as a very traumatized individual who was then raised not to deal with the trauma but to suppress it. So she had to relearn and become better.
To me that's about as Star Trek as it comes.
I had this weird idea that in the Kelvinverse, Michael was adopted by Admiral Marcus but unlike Carol, Michael was all-in on the Section 31 stuff.
I think I'm just exhausted from seeing characters like this because it mirrors real life, and for me, fiction should help you escape more than remind you of reality, although you can still learn something about yourself and others if the fiction is done well.
Maybe it's the style of acting Green chooses that bugs me? The whisper-talking, which might be more of a result of modern technology than anything else. Better mics, etc. Somebody else here mentioned how the camera moves a lot in Discovery, maybe Picard and SNW, too, but the actors rarely do at the same time, which is something I've heard Berman didn't want in the shows he ran. The actors must be doing things and not just standing/sitting there like bumps on a log. I know the modern way of filming is more cinematic and perhaps that's the ultimate issue for me: Star Trek used to look a certain way, and that all changed after 2005, I'd say even more dramatically than when TNG premiered.
Also, aside from SNW, the episodic format has largely been dropped in favour of serialization, seasons are much shorter, and these things if not carefully balanced, which I think Lower Decks and Prodigy do wonderfully, will limit character and story development. I also think DISCO and PIC had multiple showrunners, which also didn't help smooth things out.
As I said above, Discovery unfortunately doesn't exceed the sum of its parts for me. Same with Picard, season 3. But I'll continue to watch new outings as long as I can because I'm a fan of the franchise. I only wish I could love all of it.
Fair enough. This is where I differ. I do not wish for an escape from real life. I wish for an inspiration to continue on. And Burnham is that and then some for me, and Saru too.
This again is were I differ. I struggle with episodic, especially from TNG or TOS, were stuff felt unimportant. Consequences carried no weight. That's not to say that serialized is the only possible way, but episodic burned me a lot on Trek and so the serialized is more my preference. But, I think Prodigy did the best with the balance so I would welcome that balance.
I would have to take your word for it. Camera angles, cinematography, or such are not things I notice unless I think they are absolutely awful or blow my mind. For the most part it's background noise to me. Same with Burnham's whispering. I love whispering. I use it a lot with clients and it appeals to my nature.
That's been my view for decades now. I can't stand most of TNG or VOY and don't have any love for ENT. I just don't feel any need to love every part of the franchise. I doubt I will jump in on Strange New Worlds this season, or will be skipping a lot of it. Discovery is a watch for me as the last season, as is Prodigy. There is something there but I don't love it all. But, that's been my experience for a long time.
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