First Impressions?

[Jedi_Master]

First impression? Solid A.

Highlights: Stunning visuals, interesting aliens, some decent action.
Lowlights: Dialogue, uneven characters, clunky flashbacks

The flaws are something that can be corrected, and the incredible visuals and the interesting story arc should carry a solid first season.

 

[James T Kirk]

WHat is up with the Vulcan chick looking and acting like a human anyway, and then mutiny. Would never happen. And how did the captain wake up so quickly after she put her to sleep with the Vulcan grip.

This show had years to prepare and absolutely fell flat on its face. Then they build up the Klingon only to kill him at the end of the first episode.

 

[cultcross]

Not that I liked it at all, but I'm surprised it's getting such a rough ride on here. If a large percentage of the die hards don't like it, STD is certainly already in the abyss.

Is it getting a rough ride? The pilot's got 70% of poll respondents grading it 7 or higher, rising to 8 or higher for part II. A number of posters who were quite anti before the show are saying quite positive things.

I was actually thinking I was surprised how little flack it was getting.

 

[Admiral Bear]

Also can Saru possibly be any more of a coward. Not a good look for one of the main characters.

He rather reminded me of the snivelling coward that was Blackadder in the first series. Either him or Percy.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

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.

Except the Federation doesn't seem to be multicultural. On the contrary, it seems human-centric/human-dominated with various "aliens" here and there. And the Klingons are complaining specifically about humans moving out into space saying that they come in peace.

This was pointed out to me when I mistook the Klingon speaking English in the teaser for a transition from subtitled Klingon to unsubtitled English instead of the Klingons quoting English-speaking humans in their own language. At first, I found that confusing for numerous reasons, two of which were that: 1) the quote was in fact not subtitled, instead of subtitled with quotation marks or an italic font to indicate how the whole thing reads in Klingon;* and 2) it was rendered in English instead of actual Klingon. Why specifically English? Then it dawned on me as others were pointing this out: it is because that is literally what the people who the Klingons had a beef with were saying in their native language. That excludes Vulcans, Andorians, and all the other aliens. The Klingons are being motivated primarily by human behavior.

* - For example, fully subtitled it could have been something like: These people who say, "We come in peace." So, subtitling the English too, to emphasize that the Klingon is borrowing English words, but still speaking in Klingon.

 

[Admiral Bear]

I was actually thinking I was surprised how little flack it was getting.

Because of the general public antipathy over the last few months, or because you think it's not very good?

 

[Jedi_Master]

Is it getting a rough ride? The pilot's got 70% of poll respondents grading it 7 or higher, rising to 8 or higher for part II. A number of posters who were quite anti before the show are saying quite positive things.

I was actually thinking I was surprised how little flack it was getting.

I agree. I expected a firestorm, instead the worst complaints are fairly mild and could disappear later in the year.

 

[shapeshifter]

I feel I liked more about the first 2 episodes than I disliked and am looking forward to more so my first impressions are good.

 

[cultcross]

Because of the general public antipathy over the last few months, or because you think it's not very good?

Because it's the TrekBBS Discovery Forum and we like to moan. I was expecting a meltdown of nerdrage. Instead, the general consensus seems to be trending toward 'promising start, with stuff to improve on'.

The polls for both episodes are averaging higher ratings than I gave the episodes, and I considered myself quite positive.

 

[Admiral Bear]

I might've made the decision to carry on watching STD if Michelle Yeoh hadn't been killed off. She was the only good thing about it for me.

 

[Udat]

I loved it! It going to be great!

 

[John Clark]

Overall, I thought it was pretty decent. I did have a couple of minor quibbles but nothing that'll stop me from tuning in next week

 

[Ethros]

I never really thought about it during ENT, but yeah, why didn't the Vulcans just tell the humans how to deal with the Klingons. They only had 100+ years to mention it.

 

[MvRojo]

WHat is up with the Vulcan chick looking and acting like a human anyway, and then mutiny. Would never happen. And how did the captain wake up so quickly after she put her to sleep with the Vulcan grip.

This show had years to prepare and absolutely fell flat on its face. Then they build up the Klingon only to kill him at the end of the first episode.

Wait, i'm confused. Do you think she's a Vulcan or a Human? Because she's clearly a human.

 

[MvRojo]

I never really thought about it during ENT, but yeah, why didn't the Vulcans just tell the humans how to deal with the Klingons. They only had 100+ years to mention it.

I think ENT and TOS have established that Vulcans are not super helpful unless they really need to be.

 

[skip bittman]

C-. Bit dreary and dull, not much spark of life or humanity in it. Patchy acting but I'd fault the director more on that one. The Klingons had a really tough time acting under that makeup, should've just had Doug Jones play every last one of them. The man is a consummate professional!

But ultimately, nothing in it worth getting worked up about for or against. Which is why I'm having a lot more fun reading you folks getting worked up for or against. You guys have that spark of life! Passion is nice. We should fedex a box of passion to Kurtzman with a friendly note and a hypo for easy injection.

 

[Seven of Five]

Loved it. Probably an A- just because of the Klingon monologues being a bit much here and there. I'm revved up and ready to go for more now.

I'm hoping for some slower paced stories/arcs in the mix as well, though I have a feeling we will. We're only two episodes in and I feel they're drawing viewers in.

 

[Phily B]

I really liked it, 8/10 for me. Most Trek pilots are pretty crap and not indicative of the rest of the series, so this is good surprise.

Michelle Yeoh was really really good too, wouldn't have minded if she was the permanent captain.

 

[davejames]

My overall impression was that it was fantastic and gripping as hell. The character conflict might have felt a bit forced, but it definitely made for compelling viewing, and the dialogue thankfully had more depth and complexity than what we had gotten in the Abrams movies.

I admit the new Klingons will take some getting used to though. I have no problem with the show reimagining them, but this design just isn't working for me as well as the Into Darkness redesign did. Not to mention how painful their language is to listen to after awhile. Lol

As for Burnham, I really liked the idea of the character, and there was something cool and different about seeing a human talk in the same precise and scientific way as a Vulcan. But she did come across as a bit of a hothead at times, and I'm hoping she won't be angry and tortured like this the entire season.

 

[EnderAKH]

WHat is up with the Vulcan chick looking and acting like a human anyway, and then mutiny.

She's not Vulcan, she's a human raised partially on Vulcan.

And how did the captain wake up so quickly after she put her to sleep with the Vulcan grip.

She's not Vulcan, she's a human. Not as strong.