What is Star Trek Discovery's rewatchability?

Now with the Blu-ray, DVD release out, it is a good time to discuss Star Trek Discovery's re-watchability, vote and discuss.

Me: I originally wanted to binge watch the entire first season a few weeks after the series concluded, up to that point i had been watching it one episode at a time as it was released, but found myself only rewatching a few episodes and not really having an interest in rewatching the entire season again. I found the season disappointing. And I didn't find the episodes interesting enough to rewatch already knowing the outcome. I would rate this season/series as having a low rewatchability factor.

 

I watched it four times. Pre-Blu Ray release. Now that I have it on Blu-Ray, and I can see it in all of its uncompressed glory, I can say this is how it was meant to be seen. Not behind some computer. And not with a computer hooked up to a TV monitor with stupid pop-ups and other nonsense. Just on TV.

So, since I'm basically on my fifth rewatch and I highly, highly, highly doubt this'll be the last time I watch it -- otherwise I wouldn't have bought the Blu-Rays in the first place -- let's just say I find it very re-watchable.

Incidentally, it is the only Star Trek I have on DVD or Blu-Ray other than TOS. I probably won't even buy the Picard Series on Blu-Ray when it's out. I put my Star Trek flag with Discovery now.

 

I'm on my second re-watch of Season One right now.

 

I watched it weekly on Netflix as it was made available and recently rewatched it on blu ray and then sold it on.

Thoroughly enjoyed it both times, but that's me done with the first season. If we get 4 to 7 good seasons I might buy the complete box and rewatch everything one day.

However if I ever needed a Discovery fix, the second Harry Mudd episode and the Mirror Universe arc would do the job nicely.

 

Pretty good right now since it's the newest of all the Trek shows and people haven't watched it so much they know ever scene by heart. Curious what the answer will be in 20 years or so. Depends on how good the later seasons are I suspect.


Jason

 

I've done two rewatches.

 

I'll probably never watch the first season again, other than maybe the Mudd episode.

 

I'm on my 3rd rewatch. Watched it weekly as it dropped...watched it again on CBSAA in the late spring. Now watching it a third time on BR disk.

In contrast, I've never rewatched DS9 (which I loved) or ENT. I basically saw each of those episodes once. I have yet to finish / see all of VOY...just doesn't hold my interest because the episodic / weekly reset format is so stale at that point. I've seen each TOS episode countless times, and will continue to do so. I've seen each TNG episode at least twice. Some many, many more....just depends on whether it's BoBW or Sub Rosa. So, I've already re-watched DSC more than any of the other spinoff series. There are episodes of DSC I've seen more frequently than TNG, all of DS9 except the pilot, VOY or ENT at this point, which is actually pretty amazing.

There's enough going on in DSC where I catch different things each time I've rewatched. I've been able to be a bit moere critical this time through...but at the same time, I think I'm enjoying it more each successive time.

I've come to realize that I'm happier these days with Star Trek that changes and challenges the format. I can't stomach VOY or early ENT because it was just the same old shit. I can barely care about The Orville for the same reasons. I don't DISLIKE that stuff...but I don't care about any of it either. DSC makes me care because it is different than what we've had in the past. I love it for that, warts and all.

And if S2 shows the improvement leap most Trek shows make after their first season, DSC will be making a clear run at my favorite spin-off series.

 

Why no repeat viewings of DS9? I get the reasons for the others but DS9 I think has a great deal of value as rewatching goes because of how much focus it has on characters over plot.

Jason

 

Rewatching a serialized show with 13-15 episodes per season is a helluva lot more reasonable than doing it with a show that has 26 per season for 7 years.

And as much as I love DS9 (my favorite after TOS), the first season is HORRIFIC (IMHO of course) and the second is not that great either...so I just can't bring myself to wade into that just to get to the good stuff.

 

Extremely rewatchable for me, both as a full story and as selected episodes. I find that the twists of the season make rewatching it linearly a pleasure, as I get to track the little tells in Lorca and Ash, as well as the careful development and character growth of Burnham, Stamets, and Tilly in particular. But I've also gone back and watched selectively; because the series tells a single story, I find that the climatic moments are all the bigger and more satisfying to return to.

 

I'm not a big rewatcher (except for TOS), but I treated myself to the First Season on Blu-Ray for Christmas. Looking forward to watching it again.

 

I've never done a complete rewatch of DS9, but I've rewatched certain episodes and story arcs at least half a dozen times. It's the one show I'll always dip back in to.

Just a shame it doesn't look great on modern large screen TVs, but I've kept my old plasma TV just for DS9

 

I haven't done a "season" rewatch, ever, but my average on individual DSC episodes is probably around 2.5 times. I watch for checking up on things to nitpick; for contrasting early episodes with late ones; for great acting performances or cool bits of VFX; and, on two or three eps, for the overall compelling plot (this mainly applies to "Magic" and "Lethe" and perhaps the double pilot arc).

I trust I'll be doing more rewatching of S1 as the seasons mount, just for the contrast.

Timo Saloniemi

 

When it was releasing weekly, I watched each episode about 2-3 times on release. I purposely did not watch it again since then, in anticipation of the Blu-ray release.

I had the Blu-ray as a Christmas gift, and finished it two days ago. Incredible binge watch experience, and you don’t realise just how well it works as prestige serialised television until you watch it in mass episode viewings. Given how wel I thought it also worked as a weekly show, I think I have to commend the show for being able to do what many shows can’t quite balance these days: being compelling viewing for binging, but also serving viewing of one episode per week.

I thought the show looked good on Netflix as it was, but seeing it on Blu-ray is something else entirely. The colours pop off the screen, the CGI holds up better, and even details such as blood squirts are much more noticeable (such as the poor Starfleet guy who gets his head crushed by a Klingon boot in episode 5).

I’d twigged to Lorca’s origins during the actual airing of the show (once I’d heard rumours of the MU appearing, everything about Lorca seemed to point to what was indeed his true backstory), but seeing it unfold during a binge? You genuinely sit there, grinning, and shaking your head at how smartly written and performed he was. Go back to Lorca’s facial expression whilst the Admiral is fondly talking about one of their precious experiences years earlier, and you can’t help but marvel at how good that character was. He genuinely had NO idea what she was talking about, and you can see that in a rewatch, but on first viewing you just put it down to him being somewhat disinterested in her reminiscing.

There are a lot of layers to this show, which I don’t think get enough recognition (too many in the vocal minority doing their best to criticise the writing!). Even my lady, who refuses to watch any other Trek, dipped in and out with me on this and has said she now needs to rewatch the whole season herself before Season 2 airs.

 

I'll watch the Mudd episode again because it's the only one that felt like a real Star Trek episode. The rest of the season was misery porn.

 

I rarely rewatch anything although I do collect stuff on DVD and Bluray.

 

What an odd thing to say.

I just skip the episodes I don’t like.

 

The one where the focal point is one guy murdering another guy over and over again in increasingly horrific ways?

That ranks right up there with Inner Light, dunnit?

*Please note: This is not meant as a criticism against Sanest Man but to emphasize the concept of Real Star Trek is complete and utter bullshit.