Discovery premise rumors

[TheUsualSuspect]

I hope this isn't accurate - I'd like the next Star Trek to be about exploring new worlds and boldly going where no one has gone before, not spy missions and political intrigue. On the other hand, I dearly love DS9, which was often, even predominately, about things other than exploration. I've also enjoyed shows like 24 and Homeland, so maybe a Star Trek take on espionage would be great. It certainly seems like it would fit with the current times and tastes of many viewers.

One thing that makes me cautious about the veracity of this rumor is the idea that the premise was crafted to let the creators get around continuity issues. It seems to me that they're more likely going to simply ignore continuity issues when they get in the way of good stories rather than trying to construct the whole series in a way that let's them say "This is what really happened, Kirk and his crew (and everyone else) just never knew about it!"

 

[Balok's Decoy]

It seems to me that they're more likely going to simply ignore continuity issues when they get in the way of good stories

This is how continuity should be treated, imho.

 

[Sci-fi fan]

The show may change name. It would make sense to the severe delays since they may not be really unexpected delays, but a conscious decision of the production to change the initial premise entirely. That would be an answer to those in this thread posing the name of the show to be a proof of it being fake.

</unlikely>

 

[Balok's Decoy]

The show may change name. It would make sense to the severe delays since they may not be really unexpected delays, but a conscious decision of the production to change the initial premise entirely. That would be an answer to those in this thread posing the name of the show to be a proof of it being fake.

</unlikely>

I think it's far more likely the rumor is unfounded than that it's true and they're planning on a new name.

 

[dahj]

Assassin ship? Where'd you get that idea?

It's hard to keep things "off the record" if you leave live witnesses

 

[Ometiklan]

I figured its kind of like; Cloak is made; Cloak is beaten. Cloak is upgraded to a new type; Cloak is decrypted. Same reason why TNG cloaked ships can't fire while cloak... Kirk beat that tech in VI. The cloak we deal with in Discovery would be a much earlier prototype then the one they stole during TOS, but would be a much newer prototype then the stuff seen on ENT.

I agree. I wish it were that way. Any martially applicable technology should be that way (shields/weapons, sensors/cloaks, etc.) I think the writers of TOS should have treated the idea of a cloak as nothing new as I am sure it appeared in science fiction before then, but they didn't. They were crafting a new fictional universe (without really caring too much to keep it consistent or have a fleshed out backstory) so they introduced a cloaking device as a new technology only previously considered theoretical as a surprising plot point (surprising to the characters if not the audience).

I guess what I am realizing is that I need to be more flexible with what I am open to accepting as plot points in new Star Trek. Hopefully they won't retcon something very explicit, like not knowing what Romulans look like, without really good explanations (ahem, "Marauders"), but I will try to be open to more bending of the "rules".

 

[BillJ]

This sounds rather fanwanky, secret Section 31 ship doing off the record stuff and all. But overall, I kind of see potential in the concept. One thing's for certain, if this is the way things go, the arguments about whether Starfleet is a military or not are about to become a lot easier for the "is a military" camp.

Never was a hard argument to begin with.

FWIW, Klingons had cloaking devices during the Pike-era in the novel "Children of Kings" and one timeline over in 2258 (and 2233 in deleted scenes) in "Star Trek"

Doesn't The Children of Kings take place in an alternate timeline. Pretty sure it is mentioned in the forward of the book.

Honestly, Discovery sounds more and more like a stealth reboot if these rumors are to be believed.

 

[Mudd]

All of this sounds like #alternativefacts.

 

[The Wormhole]

If true, you need a fungus expert why?

Because he's a fun guy.

I'd like the next Star Trek to be about exploring new worlds and boldly going where no one has gone before

Since the other Star Treks actually had very little of that going on, why should this show be any different?

Doesn't The Children of Kings take place in an alternate timeline. Pretty sure it is mentioned in the forward of the book.

My understanding is that the intent with that novel was to make it sort of "continuity neutral," it could be in the Prime Universe, some other timeline, maybe even in the Kelvin timeline. It was written at the time when Pocket thought they were allowed to do Kelvin novels, and indeed it was released one month prior to the first Kelvin novel's scheduled release. Pocket wasn't really sure what direction to take 23rd century novels in, and decided to test the waters. The later fiasco with the Kelvin novels made the decision for them.

The author does mention in his acknowledgements in the novel that he actually wrote it with Bruce Greenwood in mind for Pike, which is odd given the rest of the crew from The Cage is in the novel, the Enterprise is described exactly as it was in The Cage to the point that they even have paper printers on the bridge, and there is even a reference to Robert April being the ship's previous captain. On top of all that, the cover of the novel uses a picture of Jeffrey Hunter.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

LOL wow that is a huge leap from outright speculation based on an unconfirmed rumor to prediction of the show's impending doom.

I think @Kemaiku was referring to the (unfounded) involvement of Section 31. If that were true, then "kill everyone without regard" would apply, as Section 31 does that whenever it suits them.

 

[ChristopherPike]

It's amazing to think there are currently sets standing on an official series - a bridge, corridors, a transporter room and all that - and will likely remain up for the foreseeable future. For the longest time since March 2005, when Enterprise finished on the Paramount lot. I suppose journalists are busy taking photos, noting similarities & differences from previous Treks and writing articles with a deadline to meet on when they're allowed to go to publication.

 

[Kemaiku]

I think @Kemaiku was referring to the (unfounded) involvement of Section 31. If that were true, then "kill everyone without regard" would apply, as Section 31 does that whenever it suits them.

Yup, they aren't known for breeding fuzzy animals or humanitarian missions. Their mission is to eliminate threats to the Federation by any means necessary. If Discovery is tasked out the door with stealing the Klingon Empire's only working cloaking device, and as the synopsis states, incorperate other stolen tech, it's for something nefarious.

 

[Ralphis]

Discovery itself is an advanced prototype equipped with a stolen cloaking device that the Klingons want back quite badly. The ship is highly advanced, and uses experimental technology along with traditional Starfleet technology.

While I'm not really crazy about this idea, the upside would be that with Discovery being a secret advanced 'prototype', the production team could give the interior and exterior of the ship an updated look and not be obligated to adhere to the look of The Cage and Where No Man Has Gone Before, or at least not 100% faithfully. There certinly should be a TOS-feel to the look though.

 

[The Wormhole]

the production team could give the interior and exterior of the ship an updated look and not be obligated to adhere to the look of The Cage and Where No Man Has Gone Before, or at least not 100% faithfully.

The production team shouldn't be obligated to adhere to the look of those episodes anyway.

 

[Lior .B.]

IMO, If they want to attract new viewers they can keep it TOS- feel.. They will have to update the look and feel to the newest movies level feel

 

[Shawnster]

I'm cool with Discovery being a prototype starship and this explains it's different look inside and out. I don't see the need for the convoluted fanwank of making Discovery connected to Section 31 and stealing a cloaking device the Klingons need back. Might be better as a movie idea but not a series. Why would Discovery keep the cloaking device? They would turn it over to the higher authorities for study. There would be no need for the Klingons to keep pursuing Discovery.

Geez, can't we keep it simple? Discovery is a (prototype) starship exploring space near the Klingon border. The Klingons, especially 1 Klingon in particular (or more) are recurring characters the same way Dukat or Wayoun or Kai Winn were recurring on DS9.

Explore strange new worlds, seek out new life forms and new civilizations. Encounter godlike beings and giant space animals or amoebas. Run into this same Klingon ship again and again through the course of the series. Travel in time a couple of times. Back to the basics!

 

[Ralphis]

The production team shouldn't be obligated to adhere to the look of those episodes anyway.

I agree totally. Fully. 100%. But I just know some people will get worked up the moment ANYTHING on DSC looks more advanced than what they saw on TOS.

 

[Markonian]

On the TrekMovie spreadsheet from 07 September 2016, S31 was excluded as possible topic for DSC, along with Axanar and something else I cannot recall.

 

[jaime]

I hope this isn't accurate - I'd like the next Star Trek to be about exploring new worlds and boldly going where no one has gone before, not spy missions and political intrigue. On the other hand, I dearly love DS9, which was often, even predominately, about things other than exploration. I've also enjoyed shows like 24 and Homeland, so maybe a Star Trek take on espionage would be great. It certainly seems like it would fit with the current times and tastes of many viewers.

One thing that makes me cautious about the veracity of this rumor is the idea that the premise was crafted to let the creators get around continuity issues. It seems to me that they're more likely going to simply ignore continuity issues when they get in the way of good stories rather than trying to construct the whole series in a way that let's them say "This is what really happened, Kirk and his crew (and everyone else) just never knew about it!"

To be fair, it all depends how you look at Ds9...from one perspective, the dominion war is totally about exploration. It's basically a first contact situation gone awry because they don't like being contacted. It's a big 'and this is why even our peaceful exploration Starfleet is armed well...because sometimes they don't want to know you, and decide the best way to not know you is to wipe you out of existence.' Every political even in Ds9 is about that to some degree...whether it's inducting a friendly race into the federation (Bajor) or making peace with your enemy and to keep turning that cheek and extending that hand (cardassia). But fans of certain aspects of Ds9 and it's detractors alike don't tend to think of it that way.

 

[Kor]

Much of TOS and TNG were not actually about exploring space, either. To me, the common thread of good Trek is that it explores the human condition, not necessarily always going out and literally exploring new places.

Kor