Spoilers Season 3 Comic-Con reveals

[Gonzo]

Burnham says in the trailer she spent a year looking for a single event that led to this future but couldn't. It seems like there are a lot of factors leading to the Federation's decline, more than can be spotted by studying history.

Really late to the thread and trying to catch up.

Nothing lasts forever and I never expected the Federation to either, sooner or later they fall to corruption, hubris or just being too big and bureaucratic to be able to function, it falls and something new rises from the ashes.

Then when its existence is threatened you really find out what a group or organisation is made of, just how far are they willing to go to keep all the plates spinning when they realise they have peaked and members want to leave rather than join.

With a whole galaxy/universe of races the potential for growth is exponential but thats assuming that everyone agrees with you, which is never going to happen, all it takes is one dissenting voice which appeals to just one or two others and all of a sudden you are faced with a rival organisation who wants to poach your members.

Its always the same with Utopias, everybody wants it but once they have it they dont appreciate it until its falling apart around their ears, Utopias have to be maintained and above all defended from those who would gain from its fall.

 

[eschaton]

They have said they don't want overlaps, so they won't have more than one series going live.

I think they eventually want 4 Trek series (one could be animated) to cover the entire year. If each series has 13 episodes then it covers the entire 52 weeks without any gaps. But that is going to be expensive, and as you say people won't cancel unless there is no Trek for an entire month. So more likely each series will be 10 episodes and 3 week gaps between each. And that gap can even be filled by the much less expensive Short Trek mini-episodes, though Short Treks hasn't been used like that so far. While CBS AA is not a broadcast network it likes to behave like one, so they want to start their season in September/October. And Short Treks so far has been used to kick off their Star Trek season in October as Discovery and Picard were not ready to go until January.

Yep. And remember there is also the possibility that we'll get some random feature lengths and miniseries (maybe Discoprise) to round years out.

The real threat for Discovery in the longer term is once the Trek queue is mostly filled up, they're going to have to consider dropping some Trek content out if they want to introduce new Trek content, and unless any one of the new series totally bombs, it's far likelier they'll cancel Discovery after a fourth season than pull the plug on another show after its first or second.

 

[The Habs Fan]

Anyway, then we're on to 2021. Current plans suggest there will be another season of Picard, and the first season of the Section 31 show in production well before Discovery even has a chance to ramp up for a fourth season. Between these two shows, CBS should have enough Trekkie programming for six months. Pad that out with some Short Treks, and you easily have nine months of content. Yeah, they could premier Season 3 in late 2021 - if it's actually finished - but it might make sense for marketing purposes to hold it back until 2022, where they might have less content besides perhaps the second season of Lower Decks ready to roll.

I mostly agree with everything you have to say. The producers have said that Section 31 will begin production as soon as Discovery season 3 is finished production. No break in between. Usually there is a few month break between seasons of the same show, so Discovery being pushed back because of Section 31 might not be an issue.

Also, Section 31 will be filming at the new CBS Studios Canada soundstages in Toronto while Discovery will continue at Pinewood. So soundstage availability will also not be an issue.

My guess is going forward: Picard will be filming in LA, Discovery in Toronto at Pinewood, and both Section 31 and another live-action Trek series (maybe Pike) at CBS Studios Canada. There's also the rumoured Starfleet Academy show but the rumoured showrunners for that are currently the showrunners on Marvel's Runaways, so if it were to happen it probably wouldn't until Runaways is complete.

All that being said.. I expect this to be the release order: Picard S1, Discovery S3, Lower Decks S1, Section 31 S1, Picard S2, Discovery S4. With Short Treks dispersed throughout (and maybe some movies and mini-series as well).

I purposely left out the kids animated show since it'll be airing on Nickelodeon and not CBSAA.

 

[The Habs Fan]

Yep. And remember there is also the possibility that we'll get some random feature lengths and miniseries (maybe Discoprise) to round years out.

The real threat for Discovery in the longer term is once the Trek queue is mostly filled up, they're going to have to consider dropping some Trek content out if they want to introduce new Trek content, and unless any one of the new series totally bombs, it's far likelier they'll cancel Discovery after a fourth season than pull the plug on another show after its first or second.

I personally think Discovery will last at least 5 seasons but I have nothing to back that up other than it already has a 2 season head start. It of course depends on popularity, but it has the advantage of being first. I can't see the Section 31 show being as popular numbers-wise but it'll also probably not have as big of a budget.

 

[Cyrus]

I think Discovery is safe for now since they still consider it the flagship Star Trek show for CBS AA. But that mantle may pass to Picard once that premieres.

 

[eschaton]

I mostly agree with everything you have to say. The producers have said that Section 31 will begin production as soon as Discovery season 3 is finished production. No break in between. Usually there is a few month break between seasons of the same show, so Discovery being pushed back because of Section 31 might not be an issue.

This also seems to suggest to me - though I could be mistaken - that Georgiou's character is going to exit Season 3 relatively early. I mean, is Michelle Yeoh likely to want to do that much filming back-to-back without a break?

My guess is going forward: Picard will be filming in LA, Discovery in Toronto at Pinewood, and both Section 31 and another live-action Trek series (maybe Pike) at CBS Studios Canada. There's also the rumoured Starfleet Academy show but the rumoured showrunners for that are currently the showrunners on Marvel's Runaways, so if it were to happen it probably wouldn't until Runaways is complete.

All that being said.. I expect this to be the release order: Picard S1, Discovery S3, Lower Decks S1, Section 31 S1, Picard S2, Discovery S4. With Short Treks dispersed throughout (and maybe some movies and mini-series as well).

That's about the order I expect as well. Though it's possible Lower Decks Season 2 is ready before Discovery Season 4. Animated shows typically have over a year between seasons these days, but Lower Decks is going with short-style seasons of 10 rather than the 25ish more typical in broadcast, so it's possible that the first season wraps up production relatively quickly, leading to the second season being ready about 12 months after the first, while Discovery's longer post-production pushes it behind Lower Decks in the schedule.

I purposely left out the kids animated show since it'll be airing on Nickelodeon and not CBSAA.

I'm still kinda miffed about that. I'm not getting a cable subscription just to watch the show. Maybe I'll be able to catch some of it when my son is over my mom's or something.

 

[Cyrus]

I'm still kinda miffed about that. I'm not getting a cable subscription just to watch the show. Maybe I'll be able to catch some of it when my son is over my mom's or something.

With CBS Viacom merger, Nickleodeon shows may become available on CBS AA

 

[Lord Garth]

I'm not getting regular cable. I have too many bills already. And I'm not the audience for the Nick cartoon. I'm glad my niece will have a Star Trek series for her. If my brother recommends it, I'm sure I'll check it out at some point when it's available somewhere else.

 

[Takeru]

I think Discovery is safe for now since they still consider it the flagship Star Trek show for CBS AA. But that mantle may pass to Picard once that premieres.

Picard won't work as a flagship show, I doubt Patrick Stewart would sign a longterm contract so it'll be a season by season decision if Picard continues, the entire Discovery cast probably signed six year contracts. Discovery could also easily be retooled to focus on other characters should SMG leave, without Stewart Picard would be done.

 

[Noname Given]

Picard won't work as a flagship show, I doubt Patrick Stewart would sign a longterm contract so it'll be a season by season decision if Picard continues, the entire Discovery cast probably signed six year contracts. Discovery could also easily be retooled to focus on other characters should SMG leave, without Stewart Picard would be done.

Patrick Stewart stated that they had 3 ten episodes seasons planned in total (assuming the ratings/viewership numbers hold up) - and he felt that would be enough. There's also the fact he'd need to be alive and healthy enough to do those two remaining seasons now that Seson 1 is fimed and in post production.

But remember - he turns 80 in 2020 - so the fact he's able to do what he's doing in the first season is amazing.

 

[ThinkPanda]

With what, 6 members remaining (if that)? -- Yeah, right.

I wonder may be the Federation is splitted. That two "Federations" both claimed to be THE federation, and it turn out Michael met the "smaller" federation.

 

[Gonzo]

So it looks like they are going the Andromeda route then.

A smaller Federation that is slowly dying or multiple smaller Federations all claiming to be the real deal.

Shame really after all the civilisations (potential new members) that were encountered in the Delta and Gamma Quadrants you would have thought they could have come up with something with more potential.

They were very close to cracking Transwarp at the end of Voyager and had been given a taste of Slipstream as well so distance shouldnt be an issue in the future.

They could have created a greater Federation with the Romulans, Klingons and Cardassians as members, it would make sense after the Dominion War, the main military powers of the Alpha and Beta quadrants are now fully aware that there are other groups/organisations in the wider galaxy that can easily rival them in technology, numbers and military force.

It would make sense that such an understanding would eventually bring them together.

Unless this fallen Federation storyline is purely due to the Rogue AI and its actions in the past, which Discovery will need to learn about, identify the nexus points and go back to fix them.

No doubt the suit will be used as the crystals will still be available in the future to power it, plus we already know that Georgiou will be returning to the original time period for the S31 show.

 

[Bad Thoughts]

I don't see Discovery calling a hiatus. As it stands, the production seems to be at least three months behind delivering every new season. Should season 3 premiere after Picard, that means it would probably be May of 2020, and it's entirely possible it would be later than that. Given their track record, it just makes more sense to keep announcing delays rather than a hiatus.

And as @Cyrus notes above, it is still the flagship show: the one that the entire production is built around; the one with all the splodey-bang-band stuff, all the pew-pew. I'm sure that CBS feels that the ship has been righted. The show has a good cast of quality actors and characters who are becoming familiar. They may even feel good about ignoring the criticism of the first season and just plugging on.

 

[DaveyNY]

I don't see Discovery calling a hiatus. As it stands, the production seems to be at least three months behind delivering every new season. Should season 3 premiere after Picard, that means it would probably be May of 2020, and it's entirely possible it would be later than that. Given their track record, it just makes more sense to keep announcing delays rather than a hiatus.

And as @Cyrus notes above, it is still the flagship show: the one that the entire production is built around; the one with all the splodey-bang-band stuff, all the pew-pew. I'm sure that CBS feels that the ship has been righted. The show has a good cast of quality actors and characters who are becoming familiar. They may even feel good about ignoring the criticism of the first season and just plugging on.

They already had the money in hand for the first season thanks to Netflix.
Ignoring any "Fan" criticisms was a given from the get go.

Also, CBS All Access gained about 2 million more viewers then they would have without DISCOVERY, I really doubt the folks in charge are considering any "Fan" criticism as a valid reason to be worried.

 

[Bad Thoughts]

I really doubt the folks in charge are considering any "Fan" criticism as a valid reason to be worried.

So we agree?

 

[DaveyNY]

So we agree?

 

[Jayson1]

Instead of having a flagship show I feel each show is going for different audiences for varitey of options. Discovery is the young SJW show and Picard is going to be for the older,nostiga and prestige crowd. Section 31 is going to be the hip edgelord pew pew pew show. One of the cartoons is going to be for kids and the other is going to be a comedy. I also think they are holding back on the Pike show until Picard is over because they see it as it 's demographic replacement. Same with Starfleet Academy as the eventual replacement of Discovery for same reason. I also see this seasons short treks and last years Mudd one as them testing the waters for a 4th live action comedy. Also don't be shocked if a Mudd show takes up the edgelord slot when Section 31 is over. Jason

 

[rhllot]

I can't wait to see the hyper-advanced, time-travelling society we know exists around this period.

I mean, they wouldn't just ignore that, would they?

there may also be technological regression like western Europe 200 years after the fall of Rome was not technologically more advanced

 

[Rahul]

there may also be technological regression like western Europe 200 years after the fall of Rome was not technologically more advanced

The "dark ages" is a common myth. The Roman empire falling just meant the loss of a centralised gouvernement and more political instability. Technology, agricultural and militarily, knowledge both practical and theoretical, inter-cultural exchange and all that marched on regardless. People in the "dark ages" had better access to food, medicine, technology (like steel or carriages), goods and knowledge from other parts of the world than the Romans did prior.

 

[Yistaan]

I can't wait to see the hyper-advanced, time-travelling society we know exists around this period.

I mean, they wouldn't just ignore that, would they?

Saru: By the Ba'ul, did you see what happened to Captain Pike after we left??
Burnham: And Spock! He died all alone in an alternate universe after he was sent alone to start a black hole in his old age!
Tilly: Now that we know these things, we'll go back right now and stop them from ever happening! There are time machines all over here, let's take one!

Lucsly and Dulmur from Department of Temporal Investigations: Stop right there you nefarious time meddlers! You're all under arrest.