Spoilers Did Picard finally ''right the ship'' with Picard season 3?

For I must not be a true believer in The Matalas. He has not granted me the blessed sight of his vision. Oh, Lord Terry, what must I do to honour thee?

 

It's really not that different to TOS though... Over the course of three seasons Sulu and Uhura get very little to do... Chekov similar. TOS had three leads, the closest to a fourth being Scott.

 

That's more how I approach Discovery and it has been helpful to recognize it as closer to TOS, with the bulk of the character and problem solving focused on the mains, and the bridge crew serving in ancillary roles, at most.

 

As mentioned above, Uhura didn't even have a damn first name for over 40 years.

 

But we have lingered with them in a few scenes and know their names. Plus, there were the Paramount + press releases talking about 'getting to know Detmer' and the others, mentioned above.

It just feels contradictory to go to all that trouble to say 'this is our bridge crew, and let's get to know them' and then they just get basically relegated to glorified extras.

For a show that touts itself as being very inclusive (and it really is overall), this gives the appearance of exclusion of those characters.

 

It doesn't though. It just makes it the same as any other show which has both lead and ancillary characters.

 

I get people feeling that way and it does make sense. It's just, I don't know, not as bothersome to me as it is to others. Some characters get the focus and other's don't. I think having names is better than not. But, as I said, I remember Detmer, Bryce, Rhys, Owo (can't spell her name worth a damn) and Ariam from Season 1 on. So they don't bother me because I was already liking those characters.

As always, mileage will vary. And I know I'm weird because I like Commander Giotto, Commodore Wesley (no relation), Tomilson's death makes me cry, and Shras is my favorite Andorian. I don't need full episodes to care about characters.

 

Okay, that is a very valid point, and I agree. But then we get those 'get to know...' segments by Paramount + and the writers aren't doing anything for those characters. It sends mixed messages.

In this case, I can blame the studio more for the disparity. But once those presses happened, the writers could have just added a few more scenes. Doesn't even have to be fancy flying or problrm solving.

 

Owosekun.

 

Unless the writers were not consulted on the presser.

Also, I would imagine that there are many "Get to know you" style segments, even with Season 3 and the Titan's bridge crew. How much did we really learn?

Thank you. Os are my nemesis in spelling.

 

You're welcome.

O is your kryptonite, huh?

O....

kay.

 

This would have been one of the first things filmed, when Matalas did have the highest amount of influence in the season. Plus this reflects the hiring of Dave Blass.

&

Bryan Fuller got many of his ideas into DISCOVERY season 1. We likely won't get the full story about what happened with PICARD season 2 for years. But what has slipped out... that executive interference prevented Laris from traveling back in time, that the season changed course mid-production when executive leadership at Paramount+ changed, Terry saying by the time the season got to its final portion he was basically watching it as a fan... Season 2 likely went through multiple fluid permutations. Some from the first draft outline must have made it through, others would be completely unrecognizable.

So I see it a nuanced situation with many cooks in the kitchen. I can point to four seasons of 12 MONKEYS showing why Terry Matalas can do a good job as showrunner. Akiva Goldsman has a much more variable track record.

A while back, Matalas discussed the independent film THE TV SET on Twitter, saying such to the effect that it's not a comedy, but a horror film. In the US you can stream it for free with ads on YouTube. Has David Duchovney and Sigorney Weaver. Maybe he identified with PICARD season 2 (or his stint on MACGYVER)?

Spoiler: Trailer for THE TV SET

Spoiler: The film on YouTube

 

Matalas doesn't get carte blanche.

 

Right, because DIS is not a show about the bridge crew.

It's really that simple. TNG, VOY, and ENT were about the bridge crew; DIS is not. DIS is about a combination of some bridge crew and some lower deckers and some civilians.

Expecting that DIS ought to be about the bridge crew because of what other ST shows did is just creatively arbitrary. Like, the fact that Dragnet was about two police detective partners doesn't mean Law & Order was breaking some rule by being about a combination of police detectives and prosecutors. The fact that E.R. was about hospital emergency room personnel does not mean House, M.D. broke some rule by focusing on diagnosticians.

Expecting Detmer and Owosekun to get development is like expecting Margaret, Bonnie, Carol, or Ginger to be developed on The West Wing. They're day players; the show is fundamentally not about them.

Plenty of well-written shows feature ancillary characters portrayed by day players who do not get much development. That doesn't make them badly-written shows. The West Wing was not a badly-written show just because we never learned much about Margaret.

 

It seems like the same tired talking point that if every single character that we see on screen with a name doesn't get a comprehensive and complete backstory its "lazy and stupid writing" filled with plot holes.

Its a tired, braindead criticism that has no connection to reality

 

I never said it was lazy, stupid, or braindead. I was saying it feels like mixed messages when you have Detmer and co. getting names and some dialogue along with 'get to know...' specials and there not being much done with them afterward.

If you're not going to give us a meal, don't tease us with crumbs.

Especially when you can just add a scene or two here and there. No need to spend a full episode.

 

I wasn't meaning you in particular, just an overall statement of a trend.

 

Ultimately, it goes back to expectations, and what Trek has done in the past vs. what was done with current shows.

I don't think it's always tired or braindead, any more than Discovery is lazy for not developing the characters because they are on the bridge. Again, it's managing expectations.

 

I have no problem buying that there was weirdness behind the scenes in S2. I think people over-estimate S2s badness...it actually started pretty damn good if I remember...and then it kind of meandered and fizzled. I don't regret watching it, and can see why people say it isn't that great, but it's not as dire as some make it out to be.

 

Yeah there are lot of "rules" that fans hold the creators to that seemingly come from nowhere. I like the DSC bridge crew a lot (which is a credit to the actors and writers!) and wish we could see more of them but the fact that we don't doesn't mean the show is fatally flawed.