^ There's nothing smug about that post, as everything in it is cold hard fact as demonstrated by every element of televised and cinematic Trek we have ever been given since the 1960s.
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Explain to me then using cold hard facts why Riker is not a primary character?
Period
No-one has ever said that he wasn't.
Star Trek has always been driven by a small set of principal characters who receive the lion's share of story focus or through whose eyes the narrative is driven. The only thing DSC does differently than its predecessors is that it trims that "set" down to 1 single character.
What you are trying to castigate DSC for not being is a series that devotes equal narrative focus to its entire cast of characters even though this is not something that any other Star Trek series has ever been.
TOS --> Three main characters. Four secondary characters. A few recurring characters. Of the three main characters, there's a definite pecking order: Kirk, then Spock, and then McCoy. Episodes focus on Kirk's decisions guided logically by Spock and emotionally by McCoy. Most episodes that are character-driven focus on either Kirk or Spock. Anything else is the exception, not the rule.
TNG --> Seven to nine main characters, depending on when in the series we're talking about. Not as many character-driven stories in the early seasons as later on, but every character had at least one episode focused on them every year. Several recurring characters eventually get the spotlight on them as well. Despite all this, the characters who get the most emphasis eventually emerge to be Picard and Data. When the series switches to movies, everyone besides Picard and Data gets the shaft. Which is one of the reasons why so many people complain TNG didn't translate as well to the big-screen.
DS9 --> Eight or nine main characters. Several recurring characters who are just as important as the main characters. Their stories overlap, intertwine, and become more elaborate from there. Sisko is the main focus but everyone else is equally important. When an episode focuses on a particular character or set of characters, the other characters drop into the background or aren't even shown. This is the most ensemble series.
VOY --> Nine main characters. During the first three seasons, it was ensemble similar to TNG and DS9. From the fourth season on, the main focus was on Janeway, Seven, and The Doctor. The other characters got some focus and sometimes they had episodes devoted to them, but there was never any doubt that the Big Three on this series were Janeway, Seven, and The Doctor. So this is literally a blending of the TOS style and TNG style.
ENT --> I didn't watch this show in its original run, binged through it really quickly 10 years ago and, other than "In the Mirror, Darkly", haven't seen any of it since. So my memory on this series is extremely rusty. But I think the approach was similar to VOY's from S4-S7, just make it Archer, Trip, and T'Pol who were the main focus while the other characters got something sometimes. I think Mayweather got next-to-nothing and Sato didn't do much better.
DSC --> Burnham is the main focus. There's no question about that. But Saru also gets plenty of focus and a character arc and so does Tilly. Burnham, Saru, and Tilly are the Big Three. Stamets had more to do in the second season than the first and Culber got more to do once he "came back to life" for lack of better terms. Tyler gets a good amount of focus when he's on Discovery. The Captains of any particular season also get a good amount of focus, such as Lorca during the first season and Pike during the second. Georgiou's increasingly had more to do. And so did L'Rell whenever she was around. So while it's clear Burnham is the main focus, she's not the only focus. Not even close.
PIC --> Well, we won't get into that because of spoilers. Moving right along...
So I'd say DSC is an ensemble, but it's just that there's a pecking order. The distribution isn't equal. But that's also the case on TNG and early-VOY. The only one where the distribution was anything even remotely approaching equal was DS9.
TNG --> Seven to nine main characters, depending on when in the series we're talking about. Not as many character-driven stories in the early seasons as later on, but every character had at least one episode focused on them every year. Several recurring characters eventually get the spotlight on them as well. Despite all this, the characters who get the most emphasis eventually emerge to be Picard and Data. When the series switches to movies, everyone besides Picard and Data gets the shaft. Which is one of the reasons why so many people complain TNG didn't translate as well to the big-screen.
DS9 --> Eight or nine main characters. Several recurring characters who are just as important as the main characters. Their stories overlap, intertwine, and become more elaborate from there. Sisko is the main focus but everyone else is equally important. When an episode focuses on a particular character or set of characters, the other characters drop into the background or aren't even shown. This is the most ensemble series.
VOY --> Nine main characters. During the first three seasons, it was ensemble similar to TNG and DS9. From the fourth season on, the main focus was on Janeway, Seven, and The Doctor. The other characters got some focus and sometimes they had episodes devoted to them, but there was never any doubt that the Big Three on this series were Janeway, Seven, and The Doctor. So this is literally a blending of the TOS style and TNG style.
ENT --> I didn't watch this show in its original run, binged through it really quickly 10 years ago and, other than "In the Mirror, Darkly", haven't seen any of it since. So my memory on this series is extremely rusty. But I think the approach was similar to VOY's from S4-S7, just make it Archer, Trip, and T'Pol who were the main focus while the other characters got something sometimes. I think Mayweather got next-to-nothing and Sato didn't do much better.
DSC --> Burnham is the main focus. There's no question about that. But Saru also gets plenty of focus and a character arc and so does Tilly. Burnham, Saru, and Tilly are the Big Three. Stamets had more to do in the second season than the first and Culber got more to do once he "came back to life" for lack of better terms. Tyler gets a good amount of focus when he's on Discovery. The Captains of any particular season also get a good amount of focus, such as Lorca during the first season and Pike during the second. Georgiou's increasingly had more to do. And so did L'Rell whenever she was around. So while it's clear Burnham is the main focus, she's not the only focus. Not even close.
PIC --> Well, we won't get into that because of spoilers. Moving right along...
So I'd say DSC is an ensemble, but it's just that there's a pecking order. The distribution isn't equal. But that's also the case on TNG and early-VOY. The only one where the distribution was anything even remotely approaching equal was DS9.
^ That is a false analysis for everything other than TOS.
* TNG is absolutely Jean-Luc Picard and Will Riker's show (which is why their actors receive "Starring" credits)
* DS9 is Benjamin Sisko's story but uses its cast of Series Regular and Major Recurring Guest Star characters beyond him in order to tell that story (this is the reason that an episode like Far Across the Stars was able to exist)
* VGR puts forth the illusion of spreading out its character focus in its first few seasons but ultimately becomes the Kathryn Janeway/Seven of Nine/EMH show
* ENT is the Archer/Trip/T'Pol show from the very beginning in what is almost a direct mirroring of TOS
* And DSC puts the focus squarely on Michael Burnham while also dispensing with the formula of having a cast of supporting characters who are in senior positions of authority or prominence within the command hierarchy of the ship on which it is set
* TNG is absolutely Jean-Luc Picard and Will Riker's show (which is why their actors receive "Starring" credits)
* DS9 is Benjamin Sisko's story but uses its cast of Series Regular and Major Recurring Guest Star characters beyond him in order to tell that story (this is the reason that an episode like Far Across the Stars was able to exist)
* VGR puts forth the illusion of spreading out its character focus in its first few seasons but ultimately becomes the Kathryn Janeway/Seven of Nine/EMH show
* ENT is the Archer/Trip/T'Pol show from the very beginning in what is almost a direct mirroring of TOS
* And DSC puts the focus squarely on Michael Burnham while also dispensing with the formula of having a cast of supporting characters who are in senior positions of authority or prominence within the command hierarchy of the ship on which it is set
I disagree.
That's what the opening credits say. The episodes themselves tell a different story.
I think I said this. Please re-read what I said about DS9.
There are episodes from the fourth season on that focus on the other characters every year.
Are you trying to say Burnham is the sole focus of any episode on DSC? Because that's not true. I'm actually re-watching the second season right now and it most definitely isn't the case.
I'm watching "Point of Light" right now. The Tyler/L'Rell/Kol-sha storyline has nothing to do with Burnham. And Georgiou is the one who saves the day. Not Burnham. Amanda is also the one who goes to Burnham with Pike and when Pike communicates with the starbase Spock was at, Pike's the one who makes all the calls, and then Amanda's the one who decides to go find Spock. Burnham doesn't really do much of anything in that episode.
In the next two episodes, the main focus was on Tilly and Stamets trying to figure out what was wrong with Tilly and then trying to get into the Mycellial Network to find Culber. That's not a Burnham storyline.
After that, in "Sound of Thunder", that's a Saru Episode through and through.
Burnham isn't really much of a focus during the first half of the second season at all. She doesn't come back into prominence again until the latter half of the season. When she does, it's with a vengeance, but it wasn't the case throughout.
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I think you got this pretty spot on
The Wormhole called it the Picard and Data show
Im not castigating DSC I am saying it works better for me when it branches out to the other crew.
Yeah look how many Geordie episodes we got over 7 years... Oh, wait...
Seriously, sorry but the "ensemble" aspect of the TNG era is overrated. The majority of the stories revolved around Picard, Data and Riker.
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And Worf got some serious time too. Geordie got 1 or 2 a season on his own and also was a large part of many Data episodes, Troi also gets 1 a season usually about some sort of mind issue ans Wesley gets an episode for each season but most episodes in TNG dont have a single centre point and are about the team figuring a way out of a jam.
But I agree the guys you mention get the most but its nothing like DSC where seasons arc around 1 person
^^^
Yeah...
We got nothing about Captain Lorca or Phillipa Gergiou in STD S1... and STD S2 was all about Burnham, and did nothing with Christopher Pike or Mr. Spock...oh, wait...
Come on are you honestly saying that DSC doesnt revolve around 1 person
You mean like any past Star Trek series revolves around its lead character? Please. They are designated 'lead' characters for a reason, but the series have all delved into the other characters at some point; and STD was no different in that respect.
Your just talking out ur arse now even the DSC showrunners said it would be different because it will revolve aroud 1 characters story
To clarify what I meant with my DS9 analysis, I was trying to get the point across that DS9's Series Regular and Major Recurring characters serve as "players" in Sisko's story.
I also stand by my other comments:
* TOS is the Kirk/Spock/McCoy show; everyone else is just "window dressing", although the actors do their best to make the characters feel as important as they can with what they're given, and for the most part succeed
* TNG is the Picard and Riker show, primarily, with Data getting a lot of focus as well in an attempt to repeat the Kirk/Spock/McCoy triumvirate formula; the other characters get treated marginally better than their TOS counterparts, by and large, but the flaws shine through more because some of the actors struggle to always make the material that they're given work
* VGR ends up falling into the TOS/TNG formula of focusing on a character triumvirate, but strikes a better balance than either of those series with regards to making most of its other characters feel relevant
* ENT goes back to the TOS formula completely, but the supporting actors don't have the skill to overcome the shortcomings of the material they're given and so Archer, Trip, and T'Pol completely dominate the series
* DSC repeats DS9's formula of focusing on a single character and telling their story, with the other Series Regular and Major Recurring characters serving as "players" in that story, but also sets itself apart by dispensing, as previously noted, with the typical Trek formula of having its Series Regular characters all comprise the "senior staff" of the ship or base on which it is set
I also stand by my other comments:
* TOS is the Kirk/Spock/McCoy show; everyone else is just "window dressing", although the actors do their best to make the characters feel as important as they can with what they're given, and for the most part succeed
* TNG is the Picard and Riker show, primarily, with Data getting a lot of focus as well in an attempt to repeat the Kirk/Spock/McCoy triumvirate formula; the other characters get treated marginally better than their TOS counterparts, by and large, but the flaws shine through more because some of the actors struggle to always make the material that they're given work
* VGR ends up falling into the TOS/TNG formula of focusing on a character triumvirate, but strikes a better balance than either of those series with regards to making most of its other characters feel relevant
* ENT goes back to the TOS formula completely, but the supporting actors don't have the skill to overcome the shortcomings of the material they're given and so Archer, Trip, and T'Pol completely dominate the series
* DSC repeats DS9's formula of focusing on a single character and telling their story, with the other Series Regular and Major Recurring characters serving as "players" in that story, but also sets itself apart by dispensing, as previously noted, with the typical Trek formula of having its Series Regular characters all comprise the "senior staff" of the ship or base on which it is set
I think you're the one talking out of his posterior as what they said is that it would be the first Star Trek series whose story DIDN'T revolve around the Captain of the ship. <-- That was the difference.
Russo is writing the scores for the first 5 episodes now:
https://trekmovie.com/2020/04/03/interview-jeff-russo-on-how-scoring-star-trek-picard-is-a-dream-exclusive-soundtrack-clip/
Switching shows, Discovery season three is in post-production now. Can you talk about where you are in the process and the logistics of recording in light of the lockdown in California?
I am writing the scores for the first, second, third, fourth and fifth episodes. We’re full speed ahead. They wrapped production like six weeks ago, maybe even longer. I am not working at my studio. I am working out of my home because of the lockdown, where I am writing for the episodes as they come in. What it means for my ability to record with an orchestra, I can’t do it right now, but the moment that they let me, I will.
https://trekmovie.com/2020/04/03/interview-jeff-russo-on-how-scoring-star-trek-picard-is-a-dream-exclusive-soundtrack-clip/
Switching shows, Discovery season three is in post-production now. Can you talk about where you are in the process and the logistics of recording in light of the lockdown in California?
I am writing the scores for the first, second, third, fourth and fifth episodes. We’re full speed ahead. They wrapped production like six weeks ago, maybe even longer. I am not working at my studio. I am working out of my home because of the lockdown, where I am writing for the episodes as they come in. What it means for my ability to record with an orchestra, I can’t do it right now, but the moment that they let me, I will.
I wonder if they will create the music differently, if he can't get into a studio with an orchestra. Maybe more digitally.
Shit. This means we could be in for a long wait for the show unless they do go to digital sound creation. I wonder if there is a way to do remote orchestra that would work. I think not, but I don't have a clue.
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