Convenient memory. We're celebrating a new show, always a cause for celebration, right? So I noticed a certain depression from some here: that the belt-tightening meant no more Trek shows. I knew that wasn't the case, it's simply an exchange from a more expensive show to one with younger, cheaper actors not adding to the overall cost-to-benefit ratio for the studio. More good news is likely, though the announcement schedule is a bit of a mystery. Since it's supposed to be a cheaper show, I think it'll be centered around earth and orbit, though my hope is some missions like they had in Discovery, expanding and deepening our knowledge of the 32nd century. "Diverse" in the announcement means more aliens probably but it's also a double meaning no doubt.
There’s a difference between making assumptions and acting like you have inside information. But honestly I don’t care all that much. And as I mentioned in another thread, I haven’t been this unenthusiastic about a new Trek show since ENT.
It's a very good low-key way to introduce all the Major Players without actually having to face them, like would've happened on Discovery.
I'm not particularly enthusiastic myself, but glass half-full - the belt-tightening isn't as bad as it might have been.
I’ve never been that interested in a Starfleet Academy series but I’m intrigued by this assuming it’s set post Discovery. It’s a rebuilding of SF and that’s more interesting than Starfleet at its heights. Hopefully a Discovery character winds up on the series. That would make me even more interested.
You know? With five seasons, shorts, and two direct spin-offs (SNW and SFA), if that's "failure", then that's how I want to fail.
Serious, genuine question: has there been an episode of DSC where Burnham wasn't the key to the solution/didn't come up with the main idea for the solution to one of the main plots? Closest I can think of is when they were stuck in the ice planet, but she comes to rescue them in the final 30 seconds.
So what if there isn't? She is the lead character, lead characters are supposed to be the show's Most Important.
If we need only one... in Magic to Make the Sanest Man go Mad, Stamets is the only one to realize there is a time loop.
Cutting-and-pasting something I said in the thread about "Anomaly" (DSC, S4 E2)... Bryce is the one who came up with what they should do. Without his suggestion, none of what followed in the episode would've happened. That makes him MVP. While we're at it, Burnham wanted Detmer to pilot. Book had to fight to go. Bryce's idea, Book's desire to want to go, Saru's suggestion to Burnham that she should let Book go, Stamets helping Book out.
Well the trouble is that in this kind of show, there's no good in-world explanation for why this person seems to be at the centre of everything. In other shows there is, eg the lead is the captain so important things get passed up to them, or because they are travelling from place to place having adventures. It's been awhile so I'm not 100%, but I'm dubious on this because from memory most of the episode was about her relationship and passing on a 'secret'? Yes ok, good call on this one!
Only applies to the first three seasons. In the fourth and fifth, she's Captain. Chalk it up to they were laying the groundwork during the first three seasons to show why she was eventually promoted to Captain. Even in "The Vulcan Hello", Georgiou said she thought Burnham would be a Captain one day. During the first season, Lorca was a foil. Everyone from the crew to the audience could tell something was wrong with him. During the second season, Pike was someone who needed convincing. During the third season, Saru was an example of a weaker Captain.
That's all fair, but I think it's at the root of why a lot of people call her a 'Mary Sue', not *all* of whom are sexist or racist. Besides the bizzare character background, there is a sense that she gets inserted into things where it doesn't really make that much sense. Eg going down into the caves with the human/Trill, or (I can't remember the details) when Culber tells her that she needs to be the one to talk to a certain person despite there being another more obvious (to my mind) candidate.
Except those rules are the same for the main characters in all the other shows. Kirk and Spock go undercover, Picard goes on a special operation, Troi is tapped to be a Romulan Tal Shiar operative, etc.
I think Kirk and Spock going undercover makes sense if they don't do it on Earth. Later TNG does get a bit silly about this too, I agree: Picard going on the special op made no sense especially. But Discovery feels more as if it was *always* Picard, every single time (or near enough).
Better example for me is JAG. Harmon Rabb Jr. goes under cover as a Marine Drill Instructor, goes toe to toe with a SEAL instructor, takes down South American drug lords and owns inner city gang members on their own turf. Main character syndrome. And in Discovery Michael Burnham is the main character. This isn't an ensemble show.