Discovery Episode Named One of TV's Best for 2017 by IndieWire

[shivkala]

Granted, it's 21 out of 25, but still, great news!

Season 1, Episode 7, “Magic to Make the Sanest Man Go Mad’

• directed by David M. Barrett
• written by Aron Eli Coleite and Jesse Alexander

With this episode, “Discovery” proves itself worthy of being the newest series of this hallowed franchise. While the concept of a “Groundhog Day” time loop has been done before (specifically in “Star Trek: TNG’s” “Cause and Effect”), this episode utilizes it in the most logical and organic way possible. Scoundrel Harry Mudd (Rain Wilson embodying the role with such balefulness that he eliminates all Dwight Schrute-ness) is deliberately causing the time loop in order to learn vital information about the Discovery that he can sell to the Klingons. He needs each iteration of the loop to build on his information from the last, but of course, this means that once the crew figures out what’s going on, they have the same opportunity. What sets this episode apart from previous time loop narratives is how brilliantly it dispenses with the conventional repetition of events fairly early on and allows the characters to figure out ingenious ways to pick up the thread each time the sequence resets. Add a burgeoning romance that moves a couple of characters forward in the season, and you have a taut, emotional, and highly entertaining installment of TV.

It was a great episode, but I'm not necessarily sure it's the best of the half-season we've gotten. To me, it's sort of a Star Trek IV choice, in that it's the best episode for people who aren't die-hard Star Trek fans (and highly enjoyable by Star Trek fans).

I do agree that Rain Wilson knocked it out of the park. Being a fan of The Office, of course I was looking for signs of Dwight, but he showed his acting ability by making Harry Mudd his own character, with nothing of Dwight leaking through.

 

[gblews]

Very nice. Getting some recognition for an episode after only one half season, that's great. There were episodes I liked better than "Magic", and so far, I'm not all that into Mudd, but it was one of the most interesting episodes of the half season. I think the page count for this episode went to almost 90 pages in the 7 or so days the episode thread was up. And, actually, I think this episode has particular appeal to Trek fans.

Anyway, congrats to the cast, crew, and production staff.

 

[Vger23]

Awesome...

I thought "Magic" was quite good...definitely had a fun vibe coupled with a sense of danger and urgency. Maybe not my favorite of Chapter 1, but definitely worthy of praise.


"The Leftovers" is also one of my favorite shows...so I am glad to see that another high-quality program such as that is also recognized here.

 

[Greg Cox]

That was a great episode.

 

[donners22]

I would have gone with Into the Forest I Go, but that one wasn't far behind.

Great to see the show getting some recognition.

 

[Uhura's Song]

It was not my favorite episode, but I will take all the positive recognition the show can get. It was a highly entertaining one.

 

[XCV330]

The Anti Discovery Angry Brigade hasn't shown up to comment about "worst show every made I'll never buy All Access it's not prime timeline arglebargle" etc yet. They must send riders out from their fortresses in Facebook and Youtube.

 

[fireproof78]

I thought the show wasn't doing very well? O_o

Congrats to the team!

 

[Tim Thomason]

Interestingly, Magic is perhaps the only standalone episode of the season. It barely fits where it's at (per Stamets' personality), and has been speculated to be one of the later add-ons to the season because of this. Every other episode is more arc-heavy.

Maybe this will lead the Discovery crew to write in more standalones in future seasons.

 

[ihno]

Wow and I haven't watched a single one of those 25 episodes so far. And have never heard of some of those tv shows.

 

[Mage]

It really was a fantastic episode!!

 

[Fateor]

Looking at their full list, I wouldn't really put any stock in the ranking.

 

[fireproof78]

Looking at their full list, I wouldn't really put any stock in the ranking.

A genre show, on an exclusive streaming platform being recognized among other contemporaries in more popular genres?

Nope, nothing worthwhile there...

 

[JirinPanthosa]

For me it's between that one and the finale.

That list isn't the worst but Game of Thrones and Better Call Saul are curiously absent. As are Fargo and Orange is the New Black.

 

[Beagleman]

Yay, that one's my favourite so far.

 

[Fateor]

A genre show, on an exclusive streaming platform being recognized among other contemporaries in more popular genres?

Nope, nothing worthwhile there...

Except all of the shows on that list are trash.

 

[BillJ]

A genre show, on an exclusive streaming platform being recognized among other contemporaries in more popular genres?

There are other genre shows on limited platforms on the list. Including Twin Peaks and The Handmaid's Tale.

Except all of the shows on that list are trash.

Then you haven't watched The Handmaid's Tale. Powerful story about what can go wrong when a free society becomes desperate to solve its problems.

 

[Vger23]

Except all of the shows on that list are trash.

It amazes me the lengths people will go to rationalize.

 

[Fateor]

Then you haven't watched The Handmaid's Tale. Powerful story about what can go wrong when a free society becomes desperate to solve its problems.

By powerful you mean completely impractical and reliant on the writers lack of knowledge in concerns to reality for the plotlines and characters to actually work.

 

[Ovation]

By powerful you mean completely impractical and reliant on the writers lack of knowledge in concerns to reality for the plotlines and characters to actually work.

So that’s a no on having watched it, then.