Poll After four seasons, what major change or changes would you make to Discovery?

[FederationHistorian]

Four seasons in, Discovery remains quite a polarizing show. Some love it, other do not. Some think the show is perfect as is, others think the show is weak, and some think it makes for a good sci-fi show but not a good Star Trek show. In any case, opinions tend to be very strong, regardless as to which side is taken.

Since everyone has different ideas as to what Discovery could be, should be, or what improvements would make the show better and more enjoyable to watch to a wider audience, I would like to know how you would change Discovery. if you would make any changes at all. It can be one change, or several, or no changes whatsoever, but I look forward to reading your thoughts on the matter.

 

[F. King Daniel]

Move the impromptu therapy sessions away from the crisis'. So many times from season 2's ending onwards (where, mid apocalyptic space battle, Michael and Spock stop everything for a heart-to-heart) it's happening and in real life you do not get time for that shit. Plus, people are literally dying hot phaser deaths while you're discussing your feelings. Season 4 did it worst when Tilly was giving her cadets a pep talk and the giant alien monsters were kind enough to pause their approach until she was done.

You're gonna teach a generation of kids to stop midway through crossing the road to discuss their feelings.

 

[The Knappos]

Stop doing one season stories. Keep arcs but make them shorter. Say a season can have 2-4 arcs and maybe even a buffer single episode adventure. The last couple of seasons the season arcs have been the worst part.
Also, save the soul searching whisper speeches for the lull before the action sequence or the denouement, not jam them into action sequences.

 

[Takeru]

I would have never rebuild the federation, it collapsed, it's gone, end of story. And no starfleet in the 32nd century.
Make the Discovery crew more of a family, just keep the main characters and the recurring cast (with the rest leaving at the end of season 2) and abandon the chain of command.

 

[Turtletrekker]

There doesn't always need to be galaxy-wide threats in every season. Smaller stakes would be nice. I would definitely NOT get rid of Burnham.

Also, the poll has too many options.

 

[Lord Garth]

None of the options. What I would've changed:

0. I'd have had DSC start off between TUC and TNG, then still have it jump to the 32nd Century.
1. I also don't like the Klingon redesign.
2. I wouldn't have killed off Osyraa so fast. The Emerald Chain seems like a good nemesis for the Federation to have.

Why'd I list my first choice as #0? Because going with that would've changed Pike and the Enterprise's involvement in Season 2. So it's something I would've done at the beginning of the series but, once you move passed the beginning, what's done is done. So 10 years Pre-TOS wasn't exactly my first choice, but I let it go early on. And now we have SNW, so there we are.

Tilly as a First Officer would've been something I would've changed, except it didn't stick, the characters knew it didn't work out, and it showed that Saru doesn't have the best judgement. Which is why it's better for Burnham to be Captain and not him. So it's not so much that the series made a mistake, more like characters who were too generous (Saru) and too eager (Tilly) made a mistake. I can live with that. Tilly's great, just not First Officer great.

 

[nic3636]

Stop doing one season stories. Keep arcs but make them shorter. Say a season can have 2-4 arcs and maybe even a buffer single episode adventure. The last couple of seasons the season arcs have been the worst part.

Completely agree, ENT S4 did this quite well and it’s a shame it was never attempted again. The season long story arcs are getting stale, they just keep repeating the same formula over and over.

They should pretend like they have this season long mystery box again but then fully resolve it by the third episode. That would be refreshing.

 

[The Knappos]

Also they should do a few episodes in the style of Who’s “Doctor Lite” episodes where they give the main characters an episode off and let the ensemble shine. Maybe do separate but parallel adventures, like Who kind of did with Midnight and Turn Left.

The ensemble needs to be given more prominence in S5. SNW is blowing DIS out of the water in this regard. And so did PIC and Lower Decks.

 

[The Wormhole]

The ensemble needs to be given more prominence in S5. SNW is blowing DIS out of the water in this regard. And so did PIC and Lower Decks.

When you say "ensemble" are you referring to the recurring support characters like Detmer, Owo, Bryce, Rhys and the rest? If so, SNW hasn't really established any similar characters yet, as everyone we've seen on the Enterprise so far with the exception of Transporter Chief Kyle have all been main cast.

 

[Mr. Patient]

I don't *need* the show to make changes -- I enjoy it fine the way it is -- but I wouldn't mind seeing ENT S4-style mini arcs, or some other format, just to mix things up. Also, the poll definitely has too many options already, but More Tilly is a box I would have gladly checked. I'd also be happy to see more of Detmer, Owosekun, etc., because I like what I've seen so far, but I also don't fetishize the bridge crew.

 

[Danny99]

The show was already behind the eight ball when they decided to focus on one character in a show that has always been ensemble based (even if TOS & ENT focused on the big three). The writing and characterization of Burnham has been inconsistent since day one and the rest of the characters exist only to deify her every time she lucks into a decision.

I liked season two not because of just Anson Mount and Ethan Peck, but because they gave Burnham actual equals to play off of. Saru, even though he is the same rank, is still a submissive character and the rest of the crew are far too low in rank to have that kind of dynamic. There needs to be an elimination of her as the only central character who can make all the decisions.

Everyone remembers how Airiam got an episode of development just to kill her off at the end of it. Developing the bridge crew means you grow to care deeper about the characters and they are not just some kind of superfluous window dressing. They were going somewhere with Detmer last year with PTSD and brought that to an abrupt halt. They keep bringing Owo out every so often as a sidekick and show her as tough as nails, but that's it. Do we know anything about Rhys? Bryce, who I literally had to google the actor because I know his name better than his character? It should be okay for Burnham, Saru, Stamets and Culber to take a step back and let some of the other characters have moments.

Final gripe: every season has wrapped up in a nice little package. They don't have to be cliffhangers, but life is rarely as neat as is shown on Discovery.

 

[XCV330]

I think they should move to episodic or at least ENT-season 4 mini arcs. Hell even bring back Short-treks under the Discovery banner for a few episodes, like 4 Short-treks as an episode. They're at a point they can try different things and see what works. The cast is fine as it is. I don't think it needs any major changes. except:

Also, the poll definitely has too many options already, but More Tilly is a box I would have gladly checked.

This.

From her introduction onward, the show was really about Tilly and Burnham, in my mind. Both characters were in very different but complimentary arcs, roomies, friends, trying to figure out their place on the ship and their lives in general. It doesn't feel right without Tilly, and they didn't seem to know what to do with Tilly in season 3, either. Burnham was better with Tilly around.

If they can't bring her back for whatever reason, they need to at least figure out how to mend that tear.

 

[C.E. Evans]

New Starfleet standard duty uniforms. Make the jackets shorter, open-necked, and lose the asymmetrical angle that Philips always likes to have. Less jewelry on the jackets would be nice too, and maybe the Starfleet tricom badges should look less like a church lady's brooch as well.

As for the rest, I agree that season-long save-the-Galaxy stories have run their course. They don't have to go away completely, but we don't need them to span an entire season anymore, IMO.

And also more cowbell. Everything is better with more cowbell.

 

[Jedi Marso]

I would cancel it.

(Ducks for cover and flees thread...)

 

[fireproof78]

The main change I would make is one freaking showrunner. Reduce the BTS drama, and go from there.

Possibly move to the 25th century instead of the 23rd. But, I think consistency of BTS staff would make a bigger difference.

 

[Noname Given]

I say its time to go episodic. If we get another 'Galactic Threat' for a season...

 

[jkirk63]

Four seasons in, Discovery remains quite a polarizing show. Some love it, other do not. Some think the show is perfect as is, others think the show is weak, and some think it makes for a good sci-fi show but not a good Star Trek show. In any case, opinions tend to be very strong, regardless as to which side is taken.

Since everyone has different ideas as to what Discovery could be, should be, or what improvements would make the show better and more enjoyable to watch to a wider audience, I would like to know how you would change Discovery. if you would make any changes at all. It can be one change, or several, or no changes whatsoever, but I look forward to reading your thoughts on the matter.

first change for me would be some justice for books crimes. everyone who died after the first dma was destroyed is blood on his hands as well as the general from earth she should have died or been demoted for the betrayal on discovery not pretend she didn't betray everyone both characters should never come back. cmon how did he have override codes for discovery in the first place He's not a member of starfleet in truth burnham should have been disciplined as well for lax protocols.
there should be some episodes where the crew move to other ships to help the future learn as well as new crew coming on discovery to train and connect and learn and the main crew cycle back to discovery. like tilly teaching at Starfleet academy ect. as i am new here this is all for now

 

[DarKush]

There are changes I would've made from jump, but I'm not going to go back that far. I'm just going to take this question and imagine I'm the new showrunner for Season 5. Some of the changes I can think of:

-Focus more on exploring the Federation planets and species of the 32nd century.
-Don't throw away the Emerald Chain; they got good recurring bad guy potential.
-Finding out what happened to the Klingons, but also some other Trek species from the past.
-Give Saru his own starship, which frequently interacts with Discovery. The serialized nature of DISCO's storytelling makes it easier for them to do a big story that necessitates the involvement of two or more starships.
-Shakeup the cast more. I would have some of the DISCO cast go with Saru, but others would go to Starfleet headquarters, or across the Federation.
-Bring in new crew, from the 32nd century. They can be from familiar species, or new species, but I think it would be nicer to get more 32nd perspectives. Granted, Book, Adira, and Gray, have all been aboard Discovery, but I would like an officer, preferably Burnham's first officer to be from future Starfleet.
-Setting up a crossover involving all of the new Trek series.

 

[BillJ]

Shift to a more episodic format. The writers clearly don’t have the chops for an arc-based series.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Make Kovich the captain.

You probably think I'm joking.