Spoilers Star Trek: Discovery 5x01 - "Red Directive"

[eschaton]

Honestly, I miss the 26-episode seasons. Sure there was filler, but there was also crazy, throw everything against the wall experimentation. We also got entire episodes where focus pulled away from the lead (on DS9, a few, like It's Only a Paper Moon, focused on those not even in the main cast).

I think a lot about what DS9 would be like with modern short seasons. The answer is, a lot shallower, with less time spent fleshing out the characters.

 

[fireproof78]

I can't imagine going back to 26 episode seasons. I'd probably give up again because I have barely time for ten.

 

[Quantum21]

Honestly, I miss the 26-episode seasons. Sure there was filler, but there was also crazy, throw everything against the wall experimentation. We also got entire episodes where focus pulled away from the lead (on DS9, a few, like It's Only a Paper Moon, focused on those not even in the main cast).

I think a lot about what DS9 would be like with modern short seasons. The answer is, a lot shallower, with less time spent fleshing out the characters.

But we'd get 10 great episodes, 5 good ones, 5 avg ones, 6 awful ones.

In contemporary trek, with a straight through-line on most stories, an easier build-up and resolution, complete self-contained stories, lots of planning, more time to film, and a bigger budget, we rarely get anything awful, and certainly not any filler.

 

[eschaton]

But we'd get 10 great episodes, 5 good ones, 5 avg ones, 6 awful ones.

In contemporary trek, with a straight through-line on most stories, an easier build-up and resolution, complete self-contained stories, lots of planning, more time to film, and a bigger budget, we rarely get anything awful, and certainly not any filler.

I don't think the episode quality is that much higher overall TBH. Okay, maybe we don't get truly terrible episodes much, but most modern Trek seasons tend to be a mix of good and mid. And most seasons of DIS and PIC had filler episodes anyway.

Not to mention with the serialized shows when they flub the total arc/ending, it makes even the good episodes less enjoyable. Like I really liked If Memory Serves when it came out, but the Control/Red Angel arc was so awful overall for Season 2.

 

[Nerys Myk]

I’ve always hated this idea that an episode like “Trials…” or even “Relics” don’t count because they were fan service to TOS. There were plenty of episodes that were never mentioned again.

I love “Trials…”, it’s a fine episode. The best of the tribute episodes. And very cleverly done.

 

[fireproof78]

Okay, maybe we don't get truly terrible episodes much, but most modern Trek seasons tend to be a mix of good and mid.

Good! So, I'm getting a mix of episodes I like, and some that are just ok, while not rearranging my damn schedule to accommodate 26 episodes?

Sign me up!

 

[Tuskin38]

funky 80s Romulan shoulder pad uniform

Minus the actual shoulder pads.


The music in the scene where Discovery arrives at Q'Mau just feels very TOS.

 

[Cr0sis21]

Good! So, I'm getting a mix of episodes I like, and some that are just ok, while not rearranging my damn schedule to accommodate 26 episodes?

Sign me up!

Since when did one have to rearrange their schedules for television?

Look, I get some of you really, really like Discovery, Ave that's great, but you are saying some stuff that defies logic. You'd rather have less of something you like because it wound take too much time? I don't get it, but oh well.

The idea that there's no filler in a serialized show like Discovery? Demonstrably false. We spent a whole episode inching thru the galactic barrier, remember?
And a terrible story, stretched out, makes a truly terrible season (See: Picard Season 2).

 

[fireproof78]

Since when did one have to rearrange their schedules for television?

Since I started doing basically 4 jobs.

 

[Tuskin38]

You have to think about the actors as well.
I know Anson Mount has said he prefers filming shorter seasons.

I also prefer watching shorter seasons. Especially when doing re-watches.

 

[Cr0sis21]

You have to think about the actors as well.
I know Anson Mount has said he prefers filming shorter seasons.

I also prefer watching shorter seasons. Especially when doing re-watches.

I see the appeal. And I'm sure it will stay that way.
But an episode like "It's Only A Paper Moon" doesn't happen with ten episodes a season.
So I will miss it. But I know I'll just have to live with it.

 

[fireproof78]

You have to think about the actors as well.
I know Anson Mount has said he prefers filming shorter seasons.

I also prefer watching shorter seasons. Especially when doing re-watches.

Also this. Longer seasons takes me back to my teen years of hoping to keep up and being left out.

 

[Firebird]

Something I find interesting is that shooting schedules seem like they’ve gotten longer with these shorter episode orders. Some shows will be going for 6 months to film 10 episodes, when it would’ve been 10 weeks back in the days of 26 episodes a season.

I guess it all goes toward that barrier between film and television continuing to break down.

 

[Lord Garth]

I prefer 13-episode seasons. 10 is too short. But it really depends on the series.

I miss 26-episode seasons, but that means fewer series, so I'd be less likely to get the series of my choice.

 

[Cr0sis21]

Something I find interesting is that shooting schedules seem like they’ve gotten longer with these shorter episode orders. Some shows will be going for 6 months to film 10 episodes, when it would’ve been 10 weeks back in the days of 26 episodes a season.

I guess it all goes toward that barrier between film and television continuing to break down.

Yeah, it's been, what, two years since season 4? To get our shortest season yet? Id rather have less time spent in post on effects, and more episodes that maybe give attention to someone like Detmer or Reno.

 

[Kamen Rider Blade]

Ah, ok.

Fascinating. I've never seen anyone abbreviate a Star Trek series like that. Otherwise it would be like:
STT
STT
STD
STV
STE
STD
STP
STN
STP
huh.... no wonder it's confusing.

Edit: forgot about STT and STS and STL.

There's a reason why we have Abbreviations with more than a single letter for differentiation.

TOS
TAS
TNG
DS9
VOY
ENT
DSC
PIC
LD
PRO
SNW

And SHO for the series of Short Treks.

Clarity, ease to figure out what you're talking about.

• TOS – Star Trek: The Original Series
• TAS – Star Trek: The Animated Series
• TNG – Star Trek: The Next Generation
• DS9 – Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
• VOY – Star Trek: Voyager
• ENT – Star Trek: Enterprise
• DIS – Star Trek: Discovery
• ST – Star Trek: Short Treks
• PIC – Star Trek: Picard
• LD – Star Trek: Lower Decks
• PRO – Star Trek: Prodigy
• SNW – Star Trek: Strange New Worlds
• SA – Star Trek: Starfleet Academy
• AT – After Trek
• TRR – The Ready Room
• VST – Star Trek: very Short Treks

 

[TRON JA307020]

You mean character development, subtext, etc? Got it.

TOS and TNG were more like a procedural show. It was all about the job. Yeah we get side convos of a personal nature every now and then but in STD it's constant. It's like they are all in a constant emotional conversation. You know the kind were people get teary eyed. It's a little over the top. I don't want a weepy soap I want star trek. SNW has thankfully done a better job. I haven't seen a lot of tears in that show yet.

 

[fireproof78]

You know the kind were people get teary eyed. It's

Finally. This defines my young adulthood and was mocked for it. I'll take Discovery normalizing actual emotional conversations.

 

[jackoverfull]

It slows down the story. It's Ike a super long movie with bad editing

this is actually a great description of most of discovery and the first two seasons of Picard!

 

[Captain Jollydark]

And a terrible story, stretched out, makes a truly terrible season (See: Picard Season 2).

I thought the same thing about Picard Season 3.