I don't understand the hate Disco gets / still gets.

[TedShatner10]

And while I don't have any of the current shows ranked as high as TNG or DS9, I truly believe all 5 are better than Voyager or Enterprise IMO.

Discovery, Picard, and Lower Decks at their best are hard to compare to the very best episodes of TNG/DS9/VOY/ENT, but they're a little more consistent in quality, more experimental, and broader in general audience appeal (their weaker writing is just shallow at worst).

Most of the critiques aimed at them does feel like astroturf gate keeping, the low audience scores on Rotten Tomatoes the fandom equivalent of dodgy regimes over stuffing the ballet boxes.

 

[Brainsucker]

1. Black woman lead.
2. Features the gays prominently.
3. It's a Star Trek prequel (originally) that plays loose with continuity.

Nope.
For me, what make Discovery fall short are :
1. Rushed ending in season 1. The Klingon War ending solution was so absurd.
2. Less and less powerful characters that was the gem of the show in season 3 forward. Look at what happen. We saw so many characters from season 1 and season 2 departed from the show. They were replaced by more generic characters that previously considered as background.
3. There is no interesting / powerful captain since season 3 forward. Lorca, Pike, and Georgeau give us a very powerful atmosphere of leadership. But Saru is... a NO. While Burnham..., well, I don't know. I feel weird when she becomes some kind of mild character in the bridge. In early season, Burnham had a very powerful character aura. She was some kind of wild horse that hard to tame, but very capable and even over powered. But later on, she lost her aura. maybe because there is no comparable tandem afterward? No Queen, No strong captain, etc? Dunno.
4. Saru. He should be the Mr. Spock, Mr. Data, Odo kind of character in Discovery, but I feel that his character is so weak and less interesting, if we compare him with his predecessor.
5. Stamets. He started strong, capable, and smart man. But later on, I don't see Stamets so much, beside his focus on his love story. It seems that all heroic moment that should be shown by Stamets has been replaced by Adira and Reno.
6. And yes, and lastly Spore Drive.

 

[Richard S. Ta]

I really like the Spore Drive and everything about it.

I can't be the only one?

 

[fireproof78]

I really like the Spore Drive and everything about it.

I can't be the only one?

I like the idea of it.

 

[JoaquinSlowly]

I really like the Spore Drive and everything about it.

I can't be the only one?

‪‪‪‪I’ve enjoyed it from the beginning of Discovery, and continue to be a fan. For me it doesn’t stretch my suspension of disbelief any more than most of the previous science fiction bleeding into fantasy elements in Trek.

If ‪‪I can accept the semi-omnipotent Q Continuum, or Apollo and his giant green space hand, I easily can deal with folks in Trek exploiting a network of space fungus that exists in more dimensions than we perceive.

 

[fireproof78]

‪‪‪‪I’ve enjoyed it from the beginning of Discovery, and continue to be a fan. For me it doesn’t stretch my suspension of disbelief any more than most of the previous science fiction bleeding into fantasy elements in Trek.

If ‪‪I can accept the semi-omnipotent Q Continuum, or Apollo and his giant green space hand, I easily can deal with folks in Trek exploiting a network of space fungus that exists in more dimensions than we perceive.

Indeed. The spore drive doesn't strike me as any more outlandish for anything that Trek has done. I just would like the spore realm itself to be explored more, possibly as different native beings fight back against the intrusion in to their space.

 

[Ray Hardgrit]

My thoughts on the spore drive:

I have nothing against the idea of a secret jump drive that was invented in the 23rd century and then forgotten, because finding crazy technology and then never using it again is just what Starfleet did back then.

I think having a drive that can take you anywhere in the Star Trek universe and then basically only visiting worlds that are a couple of days away with warp drive is pretty disappointing. It's like having a TARDIS and then only visiting Earth!

If the mycelium network isn't the most ridiculous concept in Star Trek it's got to be in the top ten. And I'm counting the Animated Series in that. I hate it so much. I hate it more than the redesigned Klingons. I hate it more than the DNA magic in Threshold and Genesis, and the probability machine in Rivals. It annoys me so much that they've just bolted this concept onto the Star Trek universe and now it's retroactively there in every single episode, lurking unseen. It's just a fact of Star Trek now. A mushroom dimension spanning the universe. I'm just shaking my damn head.

 

[fireproof78]

think having a drive that can take you anywhere in the Star Trek universe and then basically only visiting worlds that are a couple of days away with warp drive is pretty disappointing. It's like having a TARDIS and then only visiting Earth!

I would 100% use it for that.

It's just a fact of Star Trek now. A mushroom dimension spanning the universe. I'm just shaking my damn head.

The Traveler is still worse for me.

 

[Ray Hardgrit]

I'm not keen on the Traveler either to be honest, but the concept of someone manipulating reality with their thoughts has been there since episode 2 and 3 of the original series, so it's been a fact of this universe since the start.

 

[fireproof78]

I'm not keen on the Traveler either to be honest, but the concept of someone manipulating reality with their thoughts has been there since episode 2 and 3 of the original series, so it's been a fact of this universe since the start.

Still ridiculous.

So it goes.

 

[Richard S. Ta]

So it goes.

Vonnegut!

 

[Uhura's Song]

I have nitpicks here and there with Discovery but overall I loved season 1 to 3 and it was something new as well which was a kind of bonus. I really don't understand the level of hate this show gets, why can't some sections of the fanbase just let others enjoy this and not try and ruin their fun?

Isn't that the very spirit of IDIC, and of Star Trek?

I think each iteration has gotten some heat for various reasons. Sone more valid than others. But I think TNG, ENT, and Disco got it the worst. And a lot of the shows struggled to find their footing early, especially when compared to their predecessors, who had reached iconic (TOS, TNG) or beloved status (DS9) by the time the new ones aired.

Furthermore, I think most/all had their best year's S3 or later, except for TOS. Or even S4 or later. YMMV, of course, but my picks for best seaon would be: TOS1, TNG3-5 (can't decide), DS9, VOY4, ENT4.

TNG got a TON of heat early. New cast. Not my Trek. Not Kirk. It almost got cancelled after a wobbly S1, then Whoopi stepped in and it started to find it's feet, snd then, boom! Having Roddenberry at the helm meant it was hard to criticize it as not "real" Trek.

That started with DS9. On a space station. No ship. More of a palace intrigue type show. Black captain. Religious overtones. Had to bring Worf in to save it.

VOY had a woman captain. Non-Starfleet crew. Infinite shuttles. Berman Trek was out of ideas. Jeri Ryan saved it at the end of S3.

ENT had it rough. Rough start. Jolene in catsuit or bending over. Another Vulcan FO. Vulcans portrayed in bad light. Everyone rubbing oil on each other in decon. Canon violations! It really hit it's stride late S3 and S4, but it was already cancelled. Then the abomination of TATV.

DISCO is in our, ahem, polarized situation where half the country views anything that stresses equality or values/portrays the LGBTQ c9mmunity as some sort of woke threat to whiteness/straightness. A black female captain! Burnham as superhuman!

Each show certainly has flaws, and I am certainly not saying anyone who is critical is some sort of RWNJ or hater.

But I do think, without question, that Trek has always been run by folks who have respect and admiration for Trek, Gene, and what they consider Trek to be about. A better future, equality, humanity's progress, using sci-fi as a mirror from time to time.

There. Are. FIVE. Shows.

 

[Uhura's Song]

I'm not keen on the Traveler either to be honest, but the concept of someone manipulating reality with their thoughts has been there since episode 2 and 3 of the original series, so it's been a fact of this universe since the start.

Even earlier. And repeatedly. Depending on how you count it, I guess.

1. Charlie X. 2nd aired episode.
2. Where No Man Has Gone Before. 3rd aired episode. 2nd pilot.
3. The Cage (I think Talosians qualify). Unaired pilot.
4. The Menangerie. Episodes 11 & 12.
5. Shore Leave. Episode 15.
6. The Squire of Gothos. Episode 17.

20% of S1.

 

[Skipper]

I have a simple rule: if someone talks about Discovery using the abbreviation STD, I immediately discard his/her opinion and stop reading. Because I'm honestly not interested in the opinions of someone who calls a television series as a venerable disease.

Every now and again I read a comment from those who use this abbreviation, and I always find in it the confirmation of the wisdom of my decision.

 

[ananta]

I have a simple rule: if someone talks about Discovery using the abbreviation STD, I immediately discard his/her opinion and stop reading. Because I'm honestly not interested in the opinions of someone who calls a television series as a venerable disease.

Every now and again I read a comment from those who use this abbreviation, and I always find in it the confirmation of the wisdom of my decision.

i agree. What makes it stand out is that none of these same people ever refer to Voyager as STV or Enterprise as STE. I’ve never seen that in all my years of being a fan. The “STD” thing is lame and puerile and, for me, immediately reeks of trolling rather than sensible and constructive discussion.

 

[Lord Garth]

I really like the Spore Drive and everything about it.

I can't be the only one?

You're not. The Spore Drive and the "Concept Car" Design are both what make Discovery stand out.

 

[Richard S. Ta]

I have a simple rule: if someone talks about Discovery using the abbreviation STD, I immediately discard his/her opinion and stop reading. Because I'm honestly not interested in the opinions of someone who calls a television series as a venerable disease.

Every now and again I read a comment from those who use this abbreviation, and I always find in it the confirmation of the wisdom of my decision.

Agreed wholeheartedly. We don’t include ‘ST’ in any other Trek abbreviation so doing this is pretty much confirmation that it’s a troll at work. It’s DSC. Just as easy to type as STD except it doesn’t piss anyone off.

 

[100Pic]

If someone uses the word "woke" in any way, shape or form — I disregard them and go find someone with actual thoughts of their own instead of generic, regurgitated internet hate.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

If someone uses the word "woke" in any way, shape or form — I disregard them and go find someone with actual thoughts of their own instead of generic, regurgitated internet hate.

You mean like the way you just used it? OK.

 

[Amasov]

At this point, I'm still convinced that Discovery doesn't know what kind of show it wants to be. It doesn't have a clear premise or well-developed characters. I've often asked people to just tell me the premise of the show and no one can ever truly answer it. The story changes each season, but, the overall premise of the series is practically non-existent.

You can boil it down to the most basic idea that it's about the crew of the USS Discovery in the 32nd century - but nothing else. The show has no arc.

It's not, "The crew of the USS Discovery explore strange new worlds in the 32nd century."

I've always said the show fulfilled its premise after the first season. The arc of season one is what the arc of the series should have been. Since then, this supposed journey that Michael is on has been chipped away with every new season.

It's so frustrating because I want to like the show, but, to me, the issues are so evident in almost every single aspect.

To compare: we are six episodes into Strange New Worlds and I'm invested every single character because the show spends time developing them. Strange New Worlds' stories are done in service of the characters. Things about the characters are revealed through the plots of the episodes and the actions the characters take.

On Discovery, the characters are just in service of the story. They just do what the story needs and anything we may learn about them along the way is often out of place or unrelated to what's taking place in the episode.

Four seasons in and I'm still not invested in any of these characters. The show tries to convince me they are all best friends by showing them buddying around enjoying each others' company in those self-congratulatory montages that are often shown after they've saved the galaxy for the umpteenth time. But Discovery has taken no time to actually develop and foster these relationships. They just exist.

The show repeatedly shoots itself in the foot because there have many MANY times where you see the potential for greatness, but, it just can't quite get there.

Absolutely nothing is earned. Story and emotional payoffs are often hollow and unsatisfying because they don't do the work in between to get there.