What would you change about this series?

[Worf2DS9]

I would say that previously, the longest Klingon-language scenes were those in TSFS and TUC. Even then, the characters would often just say a few lines in Klingon and then start speaking English mid-conversation, a phenomenon known in linguistics as "code switching."

They also did that to very great effect in The Hunt For Red October when the camera zoomed in on one of Sean Connery's Russian crew members as he was speaking Russian, then he'd switch to "English" -- letting us know they're still speaking Russian, but now we can understand what they're saying.

I like the idea of the Klingons speaking Klingon exclusively -- it adds to their alienness; but I don't think it entirely works. As someone mentioned earlier, your attention is drawn to the subtitles and not fully on the characters themselves most of the time.

 

[Prax]

I wouldn't have reimagined the Klingons as racist Americans lead by Trump. That's immature and in atrocious taste. Instead, I would have reimagined them as cultured warriors with beliefs and behavioral characterists comparable to the Norse (Vikings). I would have also modeled them after Kor and Chang. These were men who very much hinted at intellectualism and were cultured, even quoting Shakespear. You can be savage warriors and still very much be civilized. I regret that these new Klingons still appear to lack the depth of the TOS Klingons, so far anyway

I much prefer the more sophisticated Klingons. This Kol guy is apparently related to Kor. I'm thankful they didn't actually Kor, and turn him into a monster.

 

[the Sisko]

I would kept the characterization/crew of the Shenzou in PT 1, have the Captain give an impassioned speech (needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few... even my crew), inspire Burnham to look for weaknesses and prepare for battle while she tries to make peace. Remove mutuny. Add her working with Saru on a plan to cripple the ship. Add 5 redshirts and remove Georgiou from boarding party. Everybody dies except for Burnham who is wounded and saved by Saru's beaming, who's mission control role and threat ganglia sees a phaser coming for Burnham. Still abandon ship. Have Burnham's recovery take over a month to keep her out of the loop a la episode 3.Crew Reassigned to discovery, under Fleet Captain Lorca who runs the fleet in command of a battle cruiser and too often, comes on board and pulls rank. Stamets and Tilly still on discovery. Landry assigned to discovery, obviously as Lorca's eyes and ears.

 

[BillJ]

Is the situation with the spore drive contrived? Perhaps, but Discovery isn't doing anything more or less contrived than other Star Trek series have done.

The difference is that we get 13 episodes about the spore drive and its failure.

 

[Roald]

The difference is that we get 13 episodes about the spore drive and its failure.

The spore drive is a story element, but we get 13 episodes about PEOPLE, about their choices, their part in a war, their struggles, hopes and dreams....
what would I change..? Nothing.

 

[Kor]

I wouldn't have reimagined the Klingons as racist Americans lead by Trump. ...

They aren't. This show is being marketed more toward international audiences than previous Trek series, and the populist vs. globalist conflict (as represented by the Klingons) is occurring in many more places on Earth than just the USA.

Kor

 

[eschaton]

The spore drive is a story element, but we get 13 episodes about PEOPLE, about their choices, their part in a war, their struggles, hopes and dreams....
what would I change..? Nothing.

So far, we've gotten four episodes about Burnham, not people in general. Every Discovery crewmember seems to exist only to either further along the plot or to interact with her, and hasn't yet been given room to just be themselves.

 

[Prax]

The background characters are used like mood lighting, or musical score. When the situation is dangerous, the camera keeps panning back to random bridge crew making "nervous face." When dire, they all make "scared face," which is "faster, more intense" than "nervous face." In the most recent episode, they all make "happy face." It's like an Ewok party on that bridge.

You could make really fantastic mashup/parody videos with these episodes. I hope someone out there is already working on it.

 

[Navarro]

They aren't. This show is being marketed more toward international audiences than previous Trek series, and the populist vs. globalist conflict (as represented by the Klingons) is occurring in many more places on Earth than just the USA.

Disagree. The Klingons appear to have been heavily influenced by the American election, Trump as well as his supporters. STD's producer has already suggested as much in an interview. Though I'm sure you're already familiar with it, here's the link:

http://www.businessinsider.com/star-trek-discovery-klingon-slogan-similar-to-trump-maga-2017-9

 

[Tarek71]

T'Kuvma isn't Trump though. And certainly the "torchbearer" isn't either. T'Kuvma reminds me more of Sybok and his Galactic Army of Light. T'Kuvma is a religious right wing conservative, messiah-claimant, and charismatic martial cult leader. There is little similar to Trump: a rich, powerful, celebrity and lifelong Rockefeller Republican who appeals to nationalism and populism to gain popular support. That latter part is where I think they mean to channel the MAGA phenomenon. But T'Kuvma is more like a wannabe Caliph who wants to make the Caliphate great again, than a rich, non-religious, non ideological, vain, egomaniacal, womanizing billionaire.

 

[BillJ]

what would I change..? Nothing.

I said the same thing...

Nothing. Need to let the story play out.

 

[Michael]

I would also have not named the main character "Michael Burnham." The given name "Michael" is too obvious a nod to the SJW scene, which makes it over-the-top and cheesy.

I hope to dear god that when the day comes and I start seeing agendas in a fictional character's fucking name (!) there will be someone to tell me how completely off my rocker I am.

The spore drive is a story element, but we get 13 episodes about PEOPLE, about their choices, their part in a war, their struggles, hopes and dreams....
what would I change..? Nothing.

Yes, exactly. Like everyone (I guess) I find things to criticise about this show, but all in all I think they are off to a really good start. The last episode was certainly one of the best Star Trek episode I ever watched. Not the best, it isn't perfect. But pretty good. I love the setting, the characters, the look and the story.

 

[Sir Stewart Wallace]

The episode titles are a little much. Some of them are begging for parody.

 

[Agony_Boothb]

The episode titles are a little much. Some of them are begging for parody.

They feel pretty TOS to me. At least it's not like the old Berman/braga days with singular words for titles, it would be like this:

Episode 1: 'hello'
Episode 2: "binary'
Episode 3: 'context'
Episode 4: 'the butcher'

 

[GilmourD]

The episode titles are a little much. Some of them are begging for parody.

This is what I think of with the length of these episode titles:

 

[Yminale]

"Context is for Kings" is the perfect TOS title. I even liked Lorca's speech . Don't like "The Butcher blah blah SAVE RIPPER" it's way too long.

One thing I would change. Get your fact straight STD. Why is Burnham BLAMED for the war. She FAILED to fire. The Klingon's fired first. In fact there should be more people like Lorca who admire that she was willing to strike first to prevent a war and that she ultimately killed T'Kumva which probably disorganized the Klingons. I suspect there was an original draft where Michael did strike first and then the battle started. For some reason they changed it.

 

[Charles Phipps]

What would you change about this series?

"EVERYTHING."

 

[cultcross]

One thing I would change. Get your fact straight STD. Why is Burnham BLAMED for the war. She FAILED to fire. The Klingon's fired first. In fact there should be more people like Lorca who admire that she was willing to strike first to prevent a war and that she ultimately killed T'Kumva which probably disorganized the Klingons. I suspect there was an original draft where Michael did strike first and then the battle started. For some reason they changed it.

Blame isn't as simple as that - it's affected by all sorts of factors, and in this case an intergalactic war started, her Captain died, and her ship was lost, only a few hours after she staged a mutiny, and then ultimately shot the Klingon leader creating a martyr (the circumstances of which she is the only living witness). It's entirely realistic that suspicion and blame would go her way. By leaving moral and practical questions about her actual, objective, culpability, the show is much more interesting than if it was a black and white easy answer. Different viewpoints, including Burnham's and Lorca's, assign different levels of blame and importance to that blame, and that is highlighted in the episode appropriately titled Context is for Kings.

 

[Mechanoid1]

I would change the title to:
STAR TREK SECTION 31: THE BEGINING

 

[Mach5]

1. Wipe the slate clean. A complete reboot. No "alternate timelines" or anything.
2. Do what ever the hell you want with the show.
3. Watch the Internet burn.