Can we say that delivering ending episodes are not a strong characteristic of Discovery (and Picard season 1)?
Looking at the episode polls, it seems that people here thought S1's ending was below average, S2's ending was great, S3's ending was kind of disappointing, and S4's ending was very good. Personally I thought Such Sweet Sorrow was one of the best Trek episodes I've seen.
Well, it is not just delivering ending episodes. If you make 9-13 episodes that all say "there will be great things coming, absolutely terrific things!", then it is not the final episode alone that sucks because it can't deliver all the promises. It is really season arcs that are not a strong characteristic of DIS (and PIC season 1). That said, DIS season 4 is the first time they actually delivered something. The pacing was not perfect, especially the first half was slow in regards of the season arc, but the last couple of episodes and the ending were great (clearly the best of all of Streaming Trek season arcs).
I found the whole second half of season 4 awful and boring. On the other hand, I liked the first half.
If we're ranking Season Finales, then for me it would go, favorite to least-favorite: "Coming Home" "Will You Take My Hand?" "Such Sweet Sorrow" "That Hope Is You, Part II"
DIS can do standalones, two-part finales and 5-part arcs well though. They should stick within those parameters.
I voted Sesons 3-4. Here's my hot take: Season 1 - Big, bold and brash, but clearly suffering from TNG Season 1-itus to a large extent, with the Terrans standing the test of time better than the redux Klingons, while the finale was contrived and underwhelming. Season 2 - A big improvement generally speaking and it was when Kurtzman era Star Trek properly established itself successfully in the post-2000s TV streaming era. But behind the scenes bickering and hiring then firing still inflicted a toll on the season's direction. Season 3 - A rock solid season overall and on hindsight it strongly reminded me of the equally rock solid underrated earlier seasons of DS9 ultimately. Not unlike early DS9 it was a big shift to another status quo and setting that's not everybody's cup of tea but works out fine for the most part, plus the Emerald Chain are the best attempt at new bad guys since the Xeelee. Season 4 - Still fresh in the mind, but ties in with 2 as the overall best series, with a looming galactic menace, truly alien aliens, and inter galactic travel, so a win in my book.
seasons for me 2 3 1 4 So although 3 was a very good season (2 wins out only because of Pike) 1-2 wins because I just really didn't enjoy season 4
Seasons 3-4 i like better and i like the idea of the time jump.. i just wish the show looked like they jumped 900+ years into the future. It seems there has been 0 advancement other then programmable matter and small advancement to transporter tech.
I think I can summarize my feelings with the fact I have rewatched 1 multiple times and would probably do the same for season 2. Maybe 3. But 4? No, never.
I prefer the subject matter of seasons three and four more—being in the far future and helping rebuild the Federation. It’s new ground for Star Trek and it’s felt wonderfully Trekky. However, seasons one and two, in spite of the behind the scenes chaos, had the edge in terms of execution; the pacing was generally better and the show had an edge and grit to it which felt fresh and compelling, at least to me. That edge is definitely blunted in the recent two seasons. The characters are a little too comfortable with each other now and there is far too much focus on them counselling each other (I never want to hear the words “you got this” on Star Trek again, as it’s far too contemporary an expression anyway). It’s a great cast, although I don’t feel they’re being particularly well utilised at the moment.
Season Four was, sadly, a season I just couldn't get invested in and I can boil it down to Saru and Tilly being sidelined. They are the reason I watched the show and Michael's ascension to captaincy also felt unearned when she had spent the previous three seasons breaking every conceivable rule in Starfleet. She was also needlessly hostile to the President of the Federation and acted as if she wasn't subordinate to the civilian government.
Season 1 was great. It got off to a rough start but I loved it by the end. Season 2 was good but there were things in it I started not to like and I thought the season arc storyline was a bit dragged out. Season 3 & 4 were awful. I'll never rewatch these seasons again.
I like them all, but seasons 3 and 4 are my favourites. Disco really hit its stride once it jumped into the future.
I just binged S2 so I could understand the start of SNW. The heavy serialization, and the universe-ending danger aside, S2 is fairly good. Sure, I think DS9 handles season long arcs a little better. There were too many secondary characters with little to develop them; the cyborg who died was basically a redshirt. I knew nothing about her, knew nothing to care about her. Overall though, nothing wrong with it.
No, She is a Mary Sue... She is a Fan Fiction trope character that does no wrong and at the end of every episode is shameless praised by her fellow crew members reaffirming her greatness... She is like Rey in Star Wars... They both ignore their superiors and run off doing their own things... Here is a 10min video about Mary Sues...