Spoilers Star Trek: Discovery 5x08 - "Labyrinths"
- Thread starter Commander Richard
- Start date
Are you being facetious? Because one of the ongoing complaints this season has been that there ISN'T much focus on other characters.
Stamets is sidelined. So is Tilly. Adira is a cypher. Culber's big moment was when he was possessed by someone else. Book's whole character arc this season has been feeling useless and finding something to do. Owo and Detmer never even showed up. Rayner is almost satirically one-note. L'ak is dead (for now), and Moll is surrounded by literal faceless minions.
No, I'm making an observation. I have seen the comments about the lack of focus. I don't share it, but also am a person who is more interested in Burnham than most others. So, while I get your comment, I don't share it.
- Actually I think the original idea from Bryan Fuller was the show would expand decades so maybe new crews every few years. I also don't think Burnham was ever suppose to become a captain. I think she was suppose to be more of a Jack O'Neil type. A show that is kind of a cross between Lower Decks the TNG ep and Stargate SG1
Yeah, I DO like Burnham.
But, since we're probably never going to see these other characters again, I would have liked a chance to get to know them better as well.
But that wasn't known. So, to my mind, these complaints are amounting to "I wish the show were completely redone to my satisfaction." Which, while valid, is not actually enjoying the show, nor recognizing the limits put on it, either due to contracts, or the decision to end, or focusing on non preferred characters.
At this point, it feels like people should just rip Discovery down and build up, write up, their own preferred model.
When I say "We'll probably never see these characters again", I mean outside of DSC period. Regardless of what season they ended on.
And to that extent, they could have modified it somewhat. Heck, it USED to be that way in the beginning. Characters interacting with one another, having unique relationships. We had a good feel for the Saru/Tilly relationship, Tilly/Stamets, Ash/Culber, and so on. But as the series progressed, those moments fell more and more to the wayside. So now the best we get are teases of things. Oh, Stamets might have to struggle with what he should do with himself now that the spore drive is being sidelined. But we won't see any of that. Book is supposedly trying to make amends for his past crimes, but we won't really see much of that beyond pure lip service. Culber has a spiritual awakening and...nothing else really happens.
Instead we get a deep introspective dive once again on Burnham.
Sometimes I wonder, why even bring these things up? Why make Book and Burnham split up (off screen) just to have them behave mostly the same around each other? Why point out that the Spore drive research is done if we never see Stamets deal with it existentially? Why give Adira a Trill symbiont if it is never, ever addressed? Why start Rayner off as a Captain, then demote him to commander, if it changes almost nothing about his character? Why kill L'ak only to immediately announce you plan to resurrect him (Picard did the same silliness)?
I'm a writer, and a creative writing teacher, so when I see things like this, I want to pull my hair out. But I suppose when you've got a writing team that includes multiple first-time screenwriters and the genius writer behind Elektra, Iron Fist, and Heroes Reborn, that's to be expected.
I get pissed because Discovery could have been SO MUCH BETTER. And it was. But then Michelle Paradise took over and nosedived it into the ground.
I don't recommend that.
I'm a little more standoffish on this for a couple of reasons. One, I had that burned out of me majorly with Voyager. Voyager was promoted heavily as one thing, and ended up something else. I had kid's magazines on Voyager and the different characters (even as a young teen) and was all in. And it left such a sour taste because I went all in.
So, I step back and I try not to pull my hair out (I don't have much to pull anyway, as a client observed this week: "Fucking baldy.") and instead take it as it comes. If I were to rework Discovery I would do things differently and maybe someday we'll have a thread on "What might have been with Discovery" like I've seen with Voyager or Enterprise from time to time.
Honestly, all the points you, um, point out, would be best served in a book. Discovery has many characters, as does other Trek, that I would rather sit down with a book and unpack. Except for Adria...never cared for Trills.
So, I can either take it as it comes, and find a measure of satisfaction in what is explored, like Burnham, and repeating the cycle of self-actualization, or I can be upset and demand more. I choose the later.
May you find your way as pleasant.
I'd like to know, who are all these other characters that aren't getting enough storytime because of - "it's always about Michael Burham, wah!"
I haven't seen any requests for WAY more stories focused on Stamets and Culbert, or more stories about Adira, or even more stories about Tilly. And Saru has had as many stories focused on him as Spock did in TOS. Do any of you really care if Owoseku, Detmer or Rhys get their very own stories? Or is it merely because a black lady is breathing too much air?
Michael Burham is the James T. Kirk of Discovery. She is supposed to be. Okay? But unlike Kirk in TOS we got to follow along from the beginning of her hero's journey. And Labyrinths showed that, like many of us, she's still on it.
I haven't seen any requests for WAY more stories focused on Stamets and Culbert, or more stories about Adira, or even more stories about Tilly. And Saru has had as many stories focused on him as Spock did in TOS. Do any of you really care if Owoseku, Detmer or Rhys get their very own stories? Or is it merely because a black lady is breathing too much air?
Michael Burham is the James T. Kirk of Discovery. She is supposed to be. Okay? But unlike Kirk in TOS we got to follow along from the beginning of her hero's journey. And Labyrinths showed that, like many of us, she's still on it.
Damn straight!
I suspect that some genuinely do (I know I enjoy random people, like Rhys and Bryce) but I also am just as concerned that it's because there is zero interest in the lead character so any other character would be preferred, and it doesn't matter who.
Culturally, politically, and linguistically, California is not considered a southern state. I tend not to hear accents unless they're extreme, but I'm not sure there is a specific California accent.
I'm sure others have told you the actors had other commitments. This happens in the business - as I'm sure others have mentioned.
One would hope by now such broad statements would be regarded as one's own observations, but since it requires clarification:
No, I'm not speaking for fandom. I am speaking for the reactions I saw and read about at conventions I went to and from friends. No, that doesn't encompass all of fandom because...*checks notes, does math* that's fucking impossible.
Hyperbole is hard in text.
Um...no. It does not. And who's we?
And seriously, how much time would it take for Jones to promote the movie? That's the type of thing that gets worked around the bigger stuff.
Agreed. It doesnt make much sense.
And how much promo stuff did he do for Hocus Freaking Pocus 2?
I don't mean to tell others their business, but how much time would he need? More than a week? More than 7?
No, it makes no sense.
This would RULE
Yes, I know, but I also know that's exactly the type of sarcastic response you'd make to anyone else who sounded like they were speaking for all of fandom.One would hope by now such broad statements would be regarded as one's own observations, but since it requires clarification:
No, I'm not speaking for fandom. I am speaking for the reactions I saw and read about at conventions I went to and from friends. No, that doesn't encompass all of fandom because...*checks notes, does math* that's fucking impossible.
Hyperbole is hard in text.
You're definitely free to have your opinion about DS9 as long as it is that DS9 is the pinnacle of Star Trek so far!
Similar threads
- Poll
- Poll
- Poll
