Spoilers A lack of uplifting optimism and cerebral stories will kill this show

[Arpy]

There was definite grimness, and I don't think it's just the nature of this one story. The first officer is Tom Paris/Ro Laren, fresh from the stockade in the next one and Harry Mudd, playing the honest jester, says the Starfleeters are too removed from the little people who make up most of the world in the preview for future eps. That may be true (I'd love for them to show how it's not -- i.e. Sisko literally dirtying his hands in the DS9 premier to show Kira she has it all wrong), and it's certainly interesting, but I don't know how or if they'll tackle the more uplifting parts of the Trek saga.

17 episodes is a lot, so there's room to, but is that to be the filler episodes? We got that line from the guy in the brig before being sucked into space lamenting how they're supposed to be explorers, but, well, it's their show -- explore. I hope this isn't the Christopher Nolan effect on Trek, as on Superman -- that is, drearifying something that's strength is the uplifting.

Especially as, visually, they did an amazing job of showing how spectacular space can be. And in showing unusual lifeforms. I'd love for them to do exploring better than it's been done in a while -- and, again, I could do without bodycounts in the billions. Honestly, IDGAF about Klingon douchery, but I'd love to see a more visceral exploration of some of those hinted-at "unknown possibilities of existence."

 

[urbandefault]

antipathy in fandom

= fantipathy.

 

[cultcross]

I've seen some pretty "grimdark" stuff on TV over the last few years. This ain't that.

Absolutely agree. Discovery has some sets which are dimly lit (although not that many, really) and it is reasonably serious in subject matter. That's about it. It isn't 'grimdark' particularly. Watch something like Top of the Lake or The Handmaid's Tale for something properly dark and horrid or negative about humanity. The latter claws at your very soul you hate the characters so much. The former is grimly 'real' about horrible subjects. Discovery is just way too manufactured an environment to be that level of dark or gritty. It's a sterilised clean future where we build free wells to save dying planets without telling them and get all excited over going to look at an artefact. The nastiest thing we do to each other is a vulcan nerve pinch or a disappointed glance.

= fantipathy.

Well played.

 

[CardassianAssassin]

a Chinese actor as Captain and a ship named after the PRC's first spacecraft. I don't have to open a cookie to figure out whose fortune this episode is targetting. They should have just called the it "Vulcan Nee Hau".

I'm frankly surprised that TPTB would have chosen to market the show at China in such a clumsy way, without trying to understand the market, or go beyond: "We'll put a Chinese person in it, they'll like that for sure!"

Why is it a bad thing to target a Chinese audience? Seems to me that Star Trek wouldn't be hurt by a billion new fans...

Well it's a bad thing if done in a hopelessly clumsy way that won't work.

There's two major issues that ensures STD won't be a hit in China. The most important one is Sonequa Martin-Green as a main character.

The other one is choosing ultranationalist Klingons as a main antagonist.

 

[cultcross]

I'm frankly surprised that TPTB would have chosen to market the show at China in such a clumsy way, without trying to understand the market, or go beyond: "We'll put a Chinese person in it, they'll like that for sure!"

Well keep in mind that that's something Gary Fox made up. There's no indication from any other source that it was intended as an appeal to the Chinese market.

 

[CardassianAssassin]

Well keep in mind that that's something Gary Fox made up. There's no indication from any other source that it was intended as an appeal to the Chinese market.

Oh rly?

http://ncc-1031.com/news/set-phasers-to-stunned-michelle-yeoh-in-star-trek-discovery/

If you look around, there's plenty of sources and people speculating along the same lines.

 

[Jedi_Master]

Speculation is just that, speculation. It's not worth basing an argument on.

 

[Bgt]

All it showed of the main character made them seem like the most unlikable twit on television. Remember broadcast viewers didn't see episode 2. They HATE her by the end of the first episode.

I was still hating her by the end of the 2nd episode. And the season trailer didn't help either.

 

[zar]

Number One is utterly unbelievable as a mature, Vulcan trained, star fleet officer. She's more like an overly emotional space cadet. I got the feeling that she maybe spent a weekend at the Vulcan academy.
After the Klingons turn their blindingly bright device on, Number One calls Serak. He immediately knows about the "new star". The starships may travel at warp speed, but light propogates at (you guessed it) the speed of light. Serak shouldn't know about the "new star" for several years.

You've got these wrong.
- She was raised from childhood by people who are afraid of emotions and taught her to hide them, until she met Georgiou who encouraged the opposite for 7 years. She has the emotional maturity of a 7-year-old. Also, PTSD.
- Their communications are also faster than light. Sarek didn't say he looked through a telescope and saw a new star, he said a new star was reported.

 

[zar]

I don’t think you perhaps grasp what the words “Star Trek” mean. There’s got to be some exploration otherwise it ceases to be Trek (and before anyone says it, DS9 has plenty of exploration off the station).

But was DS9 Star Trek on the station too, or not? I need to know your answer to this before I decide whether to take you seriously.

How do we not know we are going to get this?

"I thought there was going to be a whale." --- guy who stopped reading Moby Dick two chapters in.

Exactly, this is only part of the story. There is no happy resolution because we aren't there yet. Did people complain about previous cliffhanger endings killing Star Trek? ...Oh who am I kidding, of course they did.

 

[CardassianAssassin]

I was still hating her by the end of the 2nd episode. And the season trailer didn't help either.

The most uplifting part of the episode was when the tribunal found her guilty and sent her to the slammer for a looong time.

Part of me was hoping that was the last we'd ever see of her, but alas that's not the case.

 

[CardassianAssassin]

She has the emotional maturity of a 7-year-old.

That doesn't really make it any better. Just raises even more questions: Like what the hell is Starfleet doing, letting somebody like that aboard a starship?

Did she just slip through the cracks? Does she know the right people? Why did they let someone "with the emotional maturity of a 7 year old" near photon torpedoers snd warpdrives?!?

- Their communications are also faster than light. Sarek didn't say he looked through a telescope and saw a new star, he said a new star was reported.

I dont think he was referring to a real star, but to the changes among the Klingon leadership, which he somehow predicted with near clairvoyant insight.

 

[Ithekro]

One gathers that Michael was highly capable as an officer and had done well for herself the last seven year. But she hadn't had to deal with her inner demons in the shape of the Klingons. It is entirely likely that her career would have been fine, and they would have given her a starship within the year or two had they never encountered the Klingons.

 

[sedef122003]

No. It isn't. It is a vehicle to make money, always has been. Right now? Dark makes money.

Shame it is not that dark then. Darker than past iterations of Star Trek does not make it Game of Thrones in space.

 

[Captain of the USS Averof]

A lack of paying subscribers and a lack of content in CBSAA is what will kill this show.

 

[zar]

That doesn't really make it any better. Just raises even more questions: Like what the hell is Starfleet doing, letting somebody like that aboard a starship?

Did she just slip through the cracks? Does she know the right people? Why did they let someone "with the emotional maturity of a 7 year old" near photon torpedoers snd warpdrives?!?

As opposed to pure Vulcans, who have no emotional maturity at all?

I dont think he was referring to a real star, but to the changes among the Klingon leadership, which he somehow predicted with near clairvoyant insight.

Huh? Where did you get that? And why would he describe his insight as a report?
It wasn't a real star, but it wasn't clairvoyance either. The Klingon object lit up with a "billion lumens per square meter". She called Sarek immediately after that happened. Obviously this is what he's referring to.

 

[DarthPipes]

I remember one of the producers of Discovery getting upset over Seth MacFarlene's comment that all sci-fi doesn't have to be grim, saying he hasn't even seen their show yet. Seth is definitely right. This show seems like it will be dark, not just in terms of story but LITERALLY dark with most of the show taking place in dimly lit starships.

 

[Gray Fox]

Okay, it's Gray Fox. I don't know who Gary is.

I also don't know CBS' marketing plans. I just stated the blatantly obvious, i.e., horribly written plot device.

Additionally, the Shenzhou was at battle stations and might be transmitting tactical reports of a bright Klingon warship at faster than light, but the only way a "new star" would be reported is if someone instantly saw it on Vulcan light years away.

Meanwhile, was anyone actually shocked or even surprised that Yeoh's character got whacked? I mean, right from the ep. 1 credits she was listed as a special guest star. This was just another blatantly obvious sign that she was going to suffer the fate of the infamous Crewman #6.

Here's another "shocker" the writer's may be clumsily telegraphing in advance. Perhaps "Michael" used to have the traditionally appropriate gender for that name.

You read it here first.

 

[zar]

Okay, it's Gray Fox. I don't know who Gary is.

I also don't know CBS' marketing plans. I just stated the blatantly obvious, i.e., horribly written plot device.

Additionally, the Shenzhou was at battle stations and might be transmitting tactical reports of a bright Klingon warship at faster than light, but the only way a "new star" would be reported is if someone instantly saw it on Vulcan light years away.

Meanwhile, was anyone actually shocked or even surprised that Yeoh's character got whacked? I mean, right from the ep. 1 credits she was listed as a special guest star. This was just another blatantly obvious sign that she was going to suffer the fate of the infamous Crewman #6.

Here's another "shocker" the writer's may be clumsily telegraphing in advance. Perhaps "Michael" used to have the traditionally appropriate gender for that name.

You read it here first.

Well Gerry Fox, I'm not sure you know what a plot device is. Casting a Chinese actress as a Greek captain of a ship with a Chinese name could be many things, but it's certainly not a plot device.

You're still not letting go of the "new star" thing? So the only possible ways of receiving visual information is a) tactical reports from starships and b) the naked eye. Really? I wonder why they bothered to send Shenzhou to repair that interstellar relay at all, since they're apparently just for show. Plus there must have already been a starship out there to alert them in the first place, because long-range sensors aren't a thing. No wonder Georgiou has a telescope! Did you forget which show you're watching?

Anyway, it's already been made clear that Burnham is a woman. The naming is Fuller's signature.

 

[Kevman7987]

At least the Klingon blood is magenta...