Is this show actually "character driven" at all?

[Noname Given]

I think she can act. I just don't think she's been given very good material to work with.

So she faced no difficult decisions serving on a starship for seven years? No colonies being attacked, no situations where a sneak attack from an enemy may come?

She served with Georgiou for seven years and never came unglued in a situation? I don't think that vets of the Iraq or Vietnam war have to actually see those people to be triggered into having problems. PTSD doesn't work that way.

^^^
I'd say probably not. - IE no, they had probably not encountered a situation that escalated in the same way this one did in the past 7 years.

The fact it was Klingons didn't help, but I don't think the fact it was Klingons was something that 'triggered' anything. It was the whole situation:

- It was a setup (IE the relay was destroyed to bring a Strfleet ship here)

- After seeing the Klingon on the Beacon Burnham was tyerying to understand what the setup was

- After seeing 24 ships (and she knows the Klingons have 24 houses) she runs off the Bridge to consult with Sarek. (Because he's a Vulcan Ambassador she can tap who may have more info on klingon motivation as she knows Viulcan has had diplomatic relations with the Klingons before the Federation.)

- Once she consults with Sarek, she has (in her mind) a clear idea of why the Klingons have set this up and relates that to Captain Georgiou; INCLUDING an action Burnham believes will ultimately end the situation and save everyone on the ship. She further believes that if they DON'T take said action, everyone on the ship will die from a klingon attack - and a war VS a unified klingon Empire could be the result.

It isn't PTSD that drives Burnham to mutiny once Captain Georgiou decides against the Vulcan Hello; it's Burnham's internal (and to her logical although it's driven by her 100% emotional connection to her Captain and crew) decision that the Vulcan Hello is the ONLY thing that will save the ship.

It also isn't PTSD that drives her heat of the moment decision to kill T'Kuvma. If a Andorian/Tellerite/<insert favorite alien species here> had killed Captain Georgiou under similar circumstances - Burnham would have done the same thing.

 

[BillJ]

I think this would have been a much better show if it focused on those 7 years when Michael served with Georgiou prior to the Klingon incident.

Even if they had given us just a season of them working together, it would've been better than what we got.

 

[Tesophius]

Those first 10 minutes of the Pilot episode show a much better team dynamic and the overall ambiance than anything that followed later..

 

[Kemaiku]

I think Discovery is fitted with a prototype "You must be this much of an asshole to get on this ride" forcefield that repels most people from entering.

Except Tilly for some reason. Unless she's a serial killer and none of them have caught on yet.

 

[BillJ]

Except Tilly for some reason. Unless she's a serial killer and none of them have caught on yet.

She's a deep cover Klingon or Romulan, or from the Mirror Universe. Maybe it is her that uses the spore drive to get home to the Mirror Universe.

 

[Burning Hearts of Qo'nos]

Even if they had given us just a season of them working together, it would've been better than what we got.

Maybe the next series will be a prequel to the prequel to TOS. The campy episodic adventures of the Shenzhou! I know I'd watch the hell out of that too.

 

[Hey Missy]

I bet the likeable Tilly's next to be killed off. Isn't that what the "modern audience" wants?
Actually I was rooting when

Spoiler: Episode 4

Landry

was killed, though, she was a mega b*tch.

 

[Noname Given]

And how many people who aren't Trekkies - who don't have an intimate understanding of Trek canon - are going to be able to figure that out from what is portrayed in the show?

IDK - by paying attention and listening to the dialogue in the episodes. It''s all there. She's a HUMAN who was raised by Vulcans. In the flashbacks of her in the learning Vulcan learning center and all her other interactions with Sarek; and Burnham's own reactions to meeting Georgiou for the first time, it's spelled out and easy to follow if you don't have a Trekkie next to you screaming "OMG! No! That's not right!" every 30 seconds.

 

[Kemaiku]

She's a deep cover Klingon or Romulan, or from the Mirror Universe. Maybe it is her that uses the spore drive to get home to the Mirror Universe.

Of course, only a Romulan would need a wig like that to cover all their scalp tattoos!

Wait...why didn't the breathaliser recognise hints of Romulan Ale on her breath?

The computer is in on it!

 

[Sir Stewart Wallace]

It's like everything is written in shorthand.

Script guide:

Pew pew
Lens Flare
Nod to TOS
Pew Pew
Pew Pew
Lens Flare
Emotional Moment
Ending out of nowhere

 

[BillJ]

Script guide:

Nod to TOS
Pew pew
Nod to TOS
Lens Flare
Nod to TOS
Pew Pew
Nod to TOS
Pew Pew
Nod to TOS
Lens Flare
Nod to TOS
Emotional Moment
Nod to TOS
Ending out of nowhere

Fixed it for you!

 

[Kemaiku]

No, wait, still missing 'Sudden swerve towards Enterprise or TNG, can't make up it's mind which'

 

[Sir Stewart Wallace]

Fixed it for you!

That's what real collaboration looks like.

 

[Tesophius]

Maybe the next series will be a prequel to the prequel to TOS. The campy episodic adventures of the Shenzhou! I know I'd watch the hell out of that too.

I would def watch it.

 

[Sir Stewart Wallace]

How can we forget "Klingon scene that stops the pacing dead in its tracks"?

 

[Cake]

DS9 had In The Cards - one of its best light comedy episodes - immediately prior to the Dominion occupation arc. You can mix together the light and the darkness and still have a coherent show.

DS9 was less serialized and while they did some dark episodes the series was overall lighter. They even had with Quark a main character who was mainly used for comedy. It was part of DS9 from the start to let the characters occasionally have some fun.

DIS seems different. It just appears to me that the producers/writers want to create a super serious series and think any fun would counteract their dark and depressive vision. They seem very averse towards light and fun likely because it would make their series less pretentious. So while other series have successfully mixed light and darkness, I don't think it is in DIS's DNA.

 

[Hey Missy]

^ Exactly. Ever since DIS was announced nearly 3 years ago, many fans were almost BEGGING them to balance "light" and "dark" and not be afraid to do wacky stuff like TOS/DS9.

 

[eschaton]

I think this would have been a much better show if it focused on those 7 years when Michael served with Georgiou prior to the Klingon incident.

I wondered if they chose seven years in particular since it was the run of TNG, DS9, and VOY. It has no special significance otherwise.

 

[GeekUSACarl]

^ Exactly. Ever since DIS was announced nearly 3 years ago, many fans were almost BEGGING them to balance "light" and "dark" and not be afraid to do wacky stuff like TOS/DS9.

I think many fans were also hoping to not retread all that, chasing tng and tos gave us ent /shudder

 

[Long Syntax]

No it takes place in 2256 - 2 years AFTER the events of TOS - "The Cage" . ST: D takes place 10 years priior to the first missions with Kirk/Spock which began in 2266. TOS - "The Menagerie" (which also occurs in 2266) stated the incidents of "The Cage" depicted in "The Menagerie" took place "12 years ago" - thus in 2254.

ST: D starts two years after the events in the TOS unsold pilot "The Cage". (This has been confirmed by the Production staff of the show itself.)

See, I told you I was reading it wrong