Spoilers Star Trek: Discovery 1x03 - "Context is for Kings"

[Gepard]

It occurs to me that the Discovery's introduction in this episode, by rescuing a troubled ship via tractor beam as the camera pans up for a dramatic reveal, is an almost exact repeat of the moment in BotBS where the Europa did the same for the Shenzhou. I wonder if the Discovery's reveal was originally going to be in BotBS but got pushed to this episode after the rewrites/reshoots.

 

[Apparition B5]

I literally LOLed when the Klingon warrior shushed Tilly.

 

[CorporalClegg]

I literally LOLed when the Klingon warrior shushed Tilly.

Yeah. That was definitely the best moment of the episode.

 

[AaronMorse]

I literally LOLed when the Klingon warrior shushed Tilly.

Klingon Warriors should not "Shush!"

 

[Nerys Myk]

I'm pretty sure Ryan Stiles is one of Saru's people. Probably on an undercover mission to observe humans

 

[Vger23]

There wasn't anything even close to this quality by episode 3 in any of the "modern" Trek series.

 

[DigificWriter]

There wasn't anything even close to this quality by episode 3 in any of the "modern" Trek series.

"Past Prologue" says 'hi'.

 

[juventuz]

To me this felt like an episode taken from The Expanse, BSG and Event Horizon rolled into one. I think I’d enjoy it more if it wasn’t called Star Trek.

 

[Agony_Boothb]

No thanks. Good luck with your "steering campaign." I have found over the last 40 years as a fan that fans are best when watching. They are generally shit at knowing what they want and almost 100% of the time, I'm not anywhere near alignment on where they think the franchise needs to go. And nothing makes me sicker when some sub-segmentbof fans decides they can/should exert influence over the direction of the franchise.

I for one think the healthiest thing is always to change and challenge in this franchise. Take the risks. Don't listen to the fans. Make a great show and let audiences make their decisions.

This. I've seen enough fan productions to know that what most hardcore Trek purists consider 'trek-like' and it's usually outdated, conservative, risk-averse garbage that tries to carbon copy what came before and does it badly. The cancellation of Enterprise and failure of Nemesis at the box office was a clear sign that 90's trek was no longer relevant or relatable. Television drama has evolved in the last 17 years and Star Trek needs to adapt with it. Like Captain Kirk once said 'Risk is our business'. Risk needs to be Star Trek's business and I'm glad Discovery is taking risks.

 

[Amaris]

I literally LOLed when the Klingon warrior shushed Tilly.

Same here, and when a Klingon shushes you, you know things are about to turn sideways.

Am I the only one who liked Tilly? Sort of reminded me of Barclay. And I like that she's not a sexy, slim, "eye candy" actress there to attract teen boys. I like that the cast feels, generally, like real people i'd encounter out in the world.

I adore Tilly, exactly how she is.

 

[Vger23]

"Past Prologue" says 'hi'.

Not even close. I actually actively dislike Past Prologue and thought it was a massive let-down after a fun pilot.

 

[UssGlenn]

Well my namesake didn't last long. 14 years I've had this username, and when the Glenn finally shows up it immediately gets destroyed. Anybody catch the registry number?

 

[Vger23]

Well my namesake didn't last long. 14 years I've had this username, and when the Glenn finally shows up it immediately gets destroyed. Anybody catch the registry number?

NCC-1030

 

[DigificWriter]

To me this felt like an episode taken from The Expanse, BSG and Event Horizon roller iinto one. I think I’d enjoy it more if it wasn’t called Star Trek.

You must not have watched Star Trek Deep Space Nine, because DSC is the 23rd Century version of that show, albeit if that show had been set on a ship instead of a space station.

Not even close. I actually actively dislike Past Prologue and thought it was a massive let-down after a fun pilot.

Bite your tongue. Past Prologue is awesome.

 

[Nerys Myk]

To me this felt like an episode taken from The Expanse, BSG and Event Horizon roller iinto one. I think I’d enjoy it more if it wasn’t called Star Trek.

Star Trek has always been a show with a lot of variety, especially in TOS. It did dark, it did funny, it had the tragic and the uplifting. There is no one type of Star Trek story.

 

[David cgc]

The prisoners seemed to think she was brand new, too clean.

Sounds like maybe the Crossfield(?) class was built for this research.

With that low hull number, I'd think it more likely Discovery and Glenn were pulled out of mothballs, gutted, and refitted specifically for the mycology project. Besides, Stamets acted like he and his friend were the only people working on their project. It's possible there were more people involved who also went on to their own ships and he was being all need-to-know by saying it was just the two teams on two ships, but if he wasn't then the class name implies at least one more out there, the Crossfield herself, which is one more than they'd need. Plus, Stamets also said Starfleet only decided to put the pedal to the metal with this project when the war started. Six months is not a lot of time to design and build two specialized starships from the ground up.

 

[Kelthaz]

I'm finding it difficult to articulate my thoughts on this episode. I can't pinpoint anything that I disliked, but at the same time I just don't care about anything that's happening. So the captain is doing freaky and morally questionable experiments? Well, good for him, I guess. *shrugs*

 

[Tuskin38]

With that low hull number, I'd think it more likely Discovery and Glenn were pulled out of mothballs, gutted, and refitted specifically for the mycology project. Besides, Stamets acted like he and his friend were the only people working on their project. It's possible there were more people involved who also went on to their own ships and he was being all need-to-know by saying it was just the two teams on two ships, but if he wasn't then the class name implies at least one more out there, the Crossfield herself, which is one more than they'd need. Plus, Stamets also said Starfleet only decided to put the pedal to the metal with this project when the war started. Six months is not a lot of time to design and build two specialized starships from the ground up.

Registry numbers are not consistent in Star Trek, shouldn't judge the ships age by them.

 

[PixelMagic]

And I like that she's not a sexy, slim, "eye candy" actress there to attract teen boys.

According to my wife, Lorca is the eye candy of this show.

 

[M-Red]

Haven't posted about DSC yet but after finishing this episode and reflecting back on the first few episodes...


1 -- This just isn't the Star Trek show I wanted to see. The timeline setting, the tone....just not my preference for Trek. Having said that, I have to evaluate this show based on its own merits and not what I wished had been created.

2 -- This episode should have been the pilot shown on broadcast TV. For so many different reasons, chief among them being that the actual ship and crew the show is named for make an appearance. Furthermore, Michael's narrative is more intriguing if we don't know and see all the details that made her a mutineer/war-starter. We didn't really need to see either of the first two episodes.

3 -- Lorca is great, and he could carry the show through some rough spots. Burnham is okay, but she's not very likable as a character and there's really no need for a Spock connection given that nothing else in the series matches up with the Star Trek universe except for that one relationship. Saru is excellent.

4 -- I think it's a well-made show and I'll keep watching it because I'm a Trekkie and it has my attention. I think it could be good. But I already get the feeling that this take on Trek is unremarkable...at least for me. It's not re-watchable for me. TOS and TNG and other series are still shown on different TV networks at different points throughout the week. They're a fun, smart, optimistic escape that offers a positive and compelling vision of humanity's future. I don't really get that from DSC at this point. It might be slick, but it lacks that kind of timeless charm that makes Trek unique.

5 -- I don't mind the CBSAA platform, but CBS botched the roll-out of the series. I wish it would be on broadcast CBS or Showtime though. I feel like the franchise is siloed away in some obscure corner of the internet, and I just happen to be in that same silo. Still, initial reactions to DSC would have been better if they would have re-written the first few episodes in a more integrated and streamlined way. The general audience watching Star Trek on broadcast TV never even got a chance to see the characters of the actual series. Or even the ship. Strange decisions.