For now, this show can't be mentioned in the same breath as GOT or The Expanse. It just isn't as good, and it's not even close. The special effects are stunningly good, GOT level or above, but not the characters.
First Impressions?
- Thread starter johnar
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For now, this show can't be mentioned in the same breath as GOT or The Expanse. It just isn't as good, and it's not even close. The special effects are stunningly good, GOT level or above, but not the characters.
Despite all my enthusiasm for the show before and after seeing the first two episodes, I'm afraid I would have to agree with this. This is not quite on the same level of quality and artistry as some premium streaming and cable shows. As a Star Trek fan I will continue to watch, but at this point I'm rather sceptic that this could be the hit with non-fans that it needs to be. I'm optimistic, though, that it might get there at some point.
Pretty good, visually I like where they're going with it. The tech on display was awesome. Storywise it's good, but not great. Not sure if this is something that people would be signing up to CBS all access with. But it's Star Trek and it seems like it's going to get better so I'll definitely stick with it.
Not for me. They set the story up on Klingons. It was obvious.
I'm still floored over how insanely good Sonequa Martin-Green is. She's perfect, absolutely perfect. What a performance. No one I talked to who had seen The Walking Dead thought she was this good. That casting could make or break a tv show and it's going to be the making of Discovery. Having finally seen her I get exactly what Bryan Fuller meant when he said that they were willing to wait on her schedule to clear up no matter how long it took.
I was pleasantly surprised, too. I think she pulled off the whole 'human with Vulcan influence' thing really well. Not too quirky, not too rigid, just the right balance between emotion and logic.
Alright. As with all Trek series, lots of potential. I like the characters. I don't like the uniforms, but that's probably the least important aspect of the show. Being a slave to continuity, I'm having a problem with the appearance of the Klingons, but I won't let that stop me from watching, and hopefully really enjoying it. As with all shows I ever watch, I WANT to like it, so I will give it more than a fair chance.
I loved it. I intentionally went it knowing very little. I knew the captain wasn't the lead, Lucius Malfoy was going to show up and the Klingson look funny.
I love love love the Captain. And she is dead. Not happy.
The science dude was cool. It's early days but I think I'll like him.
Visually, very impressive.
I felt the characters had personality. They weren't perfect and that was ok. I want that.
Plot: Not what I expected but it was strong. I rarely watch a tv show without playing something on my phone. I didn't pick my phone up once through both episodes. I wanted to know what happened in the second episode and I want to know what is happening next week. I can't recall the last time I was this excited about a show. I was hopeful but I didn't think I'd be this pleased.
And I liked the uniforms. They're probably my favourite uniforms of all the series.
Yep. If we want trek to last another 40 years we need to get new viewers on board. Trek no longer has the core base to get it through. Not for the cost.
I love love love the Captain. And she is dead. Not happy.
The science dude was cool. It's early days but I think I'll like him.
Visually, very impressive.
I felt the characters had personality. They weren't perfect and that was ok. I want that.
Plot: Not what I expected but it was strong. I rarely watch a tv show without playing something on my phone. I didn't pick my phone up once through both episodes. I wanted to know what happened in the second episode and I want to know what is happening next week. I can't recall the last time I was this excited about a show. I was hopeful but I didn't think I'd be this pleased.
And I liked the uniforms. They're probably my favourite uniforms of all the series.
Yep. If we want trek to last another 40 years we need to get new viewers on board. Trek no longer has the core base to get it through. Not for the cost.
I loved it, I wasn't floored as with some pilots (bsg, for example, which has the luxury of time), but I certainly felt the stirings of deep feelings - and I'm not a purist, this is far less revolutionary than some of the brilliant stories in treklit, but it changes the screen world, and that's great.
As for it 'being Trek', I loved what Alan Sepinwall (a Trek fan) wrote in his review on Uproxx. Sepinwall is, of course, a significant figure in television criticism:
As for it 'being Trek', I loved what Alan Sepinwall (a Trek fan) wrote in his review on Uproxx. Sepinwall is, of course, a significant figure in television criticism:
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A little ambivalent, to be honest.
I enjoyed it, but wasn't blown away like I was hoping for. Maybe that's just me, though. It's obviously taking a lot of visual cues from the JJverse films, while putting their own stamp on things (like the uniforms, the Klingons etc) but also still honouring the original ideas of Trek.
A lot of my theories regarding certain characters were proved true. Has it been said that the episodes would be more serialized then usual? That's what it ultimately felt to me.
I dd enjoy what we saw of the characters though. I felt Sonequa portrayed a good balance of human instinct and emotion vs her cool Vulcan-trained logic. I loved the sparring interplay between her and Saru at the beginning - very Spock/McCoy evocative. Sad to see certain characters bite the bullet so quickly, but the show is set during a war - like Enterprise kind of touched on during the Xindi arc, and like Phillippa said, to paraphrase, "war is bloody".
I also loved the little audio-style easter eggs - the clear TOS bridge sounds of the Shenzou (wonder if that will carry over onto the Discovery herself?) and even the familiar chirping on the Klingon consoles.
I'm definitely invested enough to keep on watching and see where Michael Burnham story goes, and seeing how the other main characters will be introduced and how this conflict affects them. I've only just noticed in the other images/vids released, she's no longer wearing a gold-trimmed uniform but a silver-trimmed one. I'm curious to see how and why she ends up on the Discovery, and why some officers of the Shenzou are there as well.
I enjoyed it, but wasn't blown away like I was hoping for. Maybe that's just me, though. It's obviously taking a lot of visual cues from the JJverse films, while putting their own stamp on things (like the uniforms, the Klingons etc) but also still honouring the original ideas of Trek.
A lot of my theories regarding certain characters were proved true. Has it been said that the episodes would be more serialized then usual? That's what it ultimately felt to me.
I dd enjoy what we saw of the characters though. I felt Sonequa portrayed a good balance of human instinct and emotion vs her cool Vulcan-trained logic. I loved the sparring interplay between her and Saru at the beginning - very Spock/McCoy evocative. Sad to see certain characters bite the bullet so quickly, but the show is set during a war - like Enterprise kind of touched on during the Xindi arc, and like Phillippa said, to paraphrase, "war is bloody".
I also loved the little audio-style easter eggs - the clear TOS bridge sounds of the Shenzou (wonder if that will carry over onto the Discovery herself?) and even the familiar chirping on the Klingon consoles.
I'm definitely invested enough to keep on watching and see where Michael Burnham story goes, and seeing how the other main characters will be introduced and how this conflict affects them. I've only just noticed in the other images/vids released, she's no longer wearing a gold-trimmed uniform but a silver-trimmed one. I'm curious to see how and why she ends up on the Discovery, and why some officers of the Shenzou are there as well.
A pile of I am ready for bed after watching the free show on TV. Not going to pay money to see the rest. Disappointing to say the least in my eyes.
The show is call Discovery, but the show doesn't show up on the free one on CBS? How is this possible. You don't give background to the people on the show? Could help a little bit.
Totally unnecessary to drastically change the look of the Klingons.
The show is call Discovery, but the show doesn't show up on the free one on CBS? How is this possible. You don't give background to the people on the show? Could help a little bit.
Totally unnecessary to drastically change the look of the Klingons.
My first impressions? Meh. It has potential. And if this was a regular broadcast series I would happily watch it just to see how it settles in and develop. But there is nothing here worth paying for a new subscription service just to see. Especially when there is nothing else in CBS's library that I would watch.
The show is a decent standard sci-fi show. It would have been perfectly at home on the SciFi channel alongside Farscape and BSG. It doesn't feel or look like Trek. The Klingons in particular feel like something leftover from another non trek show.
After watching it I feel like I spent an hour exploring a new fairly generic Free to Play videogame, and slammed hard up against the paywall. It's not good enough to get me to pull out my credit card.
The show is a decent standard sci-fi show. It would have been perfectly at home on the SciFi channel alongside Farscape and BSG. It doesn't feel or look like Trek. The Klingons in particular feel like something leftover from another non trek show.
After watching it I feel like I spent an hour exploring a new fairly generic Free to Play videogame, and slammed hard up against the paywall. It's not good enough to get me to pull out my credit card.
My first impressions and I intentionally didn't follow any of the pre-release hype so I can get an honest first impression since everything is new and not spoiled. I thought the series to be solid overall and generally there isn't much competition in the sci fi genre as most is complete garbage. I'm glad this is competent but it's not excellent.
I did like the special effects, religious motivation behind the Klingons uniting, presentation of the Klingons with advanced tech, the action. The captain was nice. There was a little bit of discovery. The premise was decent. I did like they were trying to introduce some character
I didn't like the thinly vieled prejudice in the scene with the admiral and tribal klingon rhetoric that I suppose is supposed to be a mirror on real viewer sentiment but done with characters that no viewer would identify with as themselves so they won't see it as such. I don't appreciate this pointless stuff in Star Trek. When Kirk kissed Uhura, people watching could identify with the characters directly so it has impact. This is not the same.
I also didn't like how Star Trek ideals were painted as leftist liberal BS from people who don't understand how the world (universe) works. Supposed to be a fact based, high tech society depicted, so archaic "from the gut" assertions and notions should not be a theme on the show but here it is. I get a huge sense that the latest movie series, and this tv series is made by creators who just don't believe in the Star Trek premise and that's a problem.
The character of Burnham grates on me as well with her consistently bad judgment though I'm glad the series seems to be aware of that by giving her a harsh sentence (well deserved). She's still annoying as a first impression. I think the writers are aware of this as well so I won't dock too many points because she was an even harsher personality when first coming on board the ship in a flashback. I also didn't like the lack of common sense by the characters at various points. Couldn't they have withdrawn to a safe space instead of just hanging around to see what would happen. Decision should've been made when the Klingon was first spotted and almost losing Burnham.
So a mixed back, and the preview for the rest of the season is intriguing but like any Star Trek series, I really like the franchise so I'll give them a long time to get things together. Only time I dropped off from watching a Trek series was Enterprise early in Season 2, and didn't return until 17 episode into season 3. Ratings dropped off a cliff right when I stopped watching so I think a lot of trek fans did the same at the same time just when there was no hope of a turn around. I hope that doesn't happen to this series.
I did like the special effects, religious motivation behind the Klingons uniting, presentation of the Klingons with advanced tech, the action. The captain was nice. There was a little bit of discovery. The premise was decent. I did like they were trying to introduce some character
I didn't like the thinly vieled prejudice in the scene with the admiral and tribal klingon rhetoric that I suppose is supposed to be a mirror on real viewer sentiment but done with characters that no viewer would identify with as themselves so they won't see it as such. I don't appreciate this pointless stuff in Star Trek. When Kirk kissed Uhura, people watching could identify with the characters directly so it has impact. This is not the same.
I also didn't like how Star Trek ideals were painted as leftist liberal BS from people who don't understand how the world (universe) works. Supposed to be a fact based, high tech society depicted, so archaic "from the gut" assertions and notions should not be a theme on the show but here it is. I get a huge sense that the latest movie series, and this tv series is made by creators who just don't believe in the Star Trek premise and that's a problem.
The character of Burnham grates on me as well with her consistently bad judgment though I'm glad the series seems to be aware of that by giving her a harsh sentence (well deserved). She's still annoying as a first impression. I think the writers are aware of this as well so I won't dock too many points because she was an even harsher personality when first coming on board the ship in a flashback. I also didn't like the lack of common sense by the characters at various points. Couldn't they have withdrawn to a safe space instead of just hanging around to see what would happen. Decision should've been made when the Klingon was first spotted and almost losing Burnham.
So a mixed back, and the preview for the rest of the season is intriguing but like any Star Trek series, I really like the franchise so I'll give them a long time to get things together. Only time I dropped off from watching a Trek series was Enterprise early in Season 2, and didn't return until 17 episode into season 3. Ratings dropped off a cliff right when I stopped watching so I think a lot of trek fans did the same at the same time just when there was no hope of a turn around. I hope that doesn't happen to this series.
I liked the Klingons myself. I don't know how audience friendly they are though.
These guys aren't interested in canon, LOL. Not with any rigor anyway. So people who value that are gonna be very stressed.
The first episode was very, very vanilla, the 2nd one was good. However the acting from our heroes is stale and the chemistry between them isn't great. Yeoh is not impressive. The Burnham and Sarek characters relationship whilst somewhat preposterous -- nevertheless does work better than I thought it would.
It's entertaining and I'm cool with watching more of it. But the charm of Trek isn't there IMO.
These guys aren't interested in canon, LOL. Not with any rigor anyway. So people who value that are gonna be very stressed.
The first episode was very, very vanilla, the 2nd one was good. However the acting from our heroes is stale and the chemistry between them isn't great. Yeoh is not impressive. The Burnham and Sarek characters relationship whilst somewhat preposterous -- nevertheless does work better than I thought it would.
It's entertaining and I'm cool with watching more of it. But the charm of Trek isn't there IMO.
After watching the first two episodes, you get the feeling the show reflects our times. The multicultural Federation versus the Nationalist Klingons. A new leader uniting the various divided nationalists factions together in order to preserve their racial and culturial unity against the upstart Federation.
I half expected T'Kuvma to be wearing Red "Remain Klingon" trucker hats at the end of the show.
I half expected T'Kuvma to be wearing Red "Remain Klingon" trucker hats at the end of the show.
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It didn't really grab me, but I think alot of that is because it was basically reshowing alot of what was already seen in the trailers, and that here on out it's all going to be pretty new. The second episode was definitely better than the first, and it definitely looks like it's something that'll grow on me.
One question though, why are so many people still/already saying it's kelvin rather than prime timeline? There wasn't anything which specifically stated either way...
One question though, why are so many people still/already saying it's kelvin rather than prime timeline? There wasn't anything which specifically stated either way...
That's definitely the intent, although at least two Federation characters throw around racist remarks which is interesting.
Purely a visual thing - it's been visually updated and the closest thing we have to updated Trek is the JJVerse. It's not all that similar in most other ways, imho. If anything, it is its own entity, but if it fits anywhere, it probably sits best with the 'Meyerverse' of Star Trek's II, III, IV and VI. Not shocking, given the producers.
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