S1 was awesome, S2 is a yawn fest

[darthjerro]

What the heck happened!
Season one was awesome.
It was dark, scary, actually made for adults.
Reminded me a bit of event horizon and the expanse.

Fast forward to S2 and we have gone back to star trek : disney edition.
everyone is happy, everything is A OK.

Honestly , i couldnt get enough of season one and was so looking forward to season two.
But now ive watched all the recent episodes, its actually quite boring. Same old, same old.

Why was the( rated m ) theme taken away?
Now we are back to another soap opera in space.

Sad days indeed (

 

[darthjerro]

I actually watched the recent episode today and felt i needed to see if anyone else felt like i do

 

[Mudd]

The writing in season one was bordering on professionally incompetent most weeks. That is not true of the two second season episodes I've watched.

 

[Longinus]

It's just you. The season one was an utter clusterfuck; the season two is a massive improvement.

 

[NewHeavensNewEarth]

Prepare to get LOCKED!

 

[urbandk]

Glad that every opinion under the sun is represented on here.

 

[Lord Garth]

What the heck happened!
Season one was awesome.
It was dark, scary, actually made for adults.
Reminded me a bit of event horizon and the expanse.

I agree with your sentiment, but not to the extent that you take it...

Fast forward to S2 and we have gone back to star trek : disney edition.
everyone is happy, everything is A OK.

Culber sure isn't. And neither is Spock towards Burnham.

Honestly , i couldnt get enough of season one and was so looking forward to season two.
But now ive watched all the recent episodes, its actually quite boring. Same old, same old.

They made the Spore Drive and the Mycelial Network trippier. Whatever you want to call that, it wasn't "same old, same old" and it definitely wasn't boring.

Why was the( rated m ) theme taken away?
Now we are back to another soap opera in space.

"Point of Light" earns its MA. For the rest? I don't think it's needed unless the plot or the characterization actually calls for it.

 

[PiotrB]

What the heck happened!
Season one was awesome.
It was dark, scary, actually made for adults.
Reminded me a bit of event horizon and the expanse.

Fast forward to S2 and we have gone back to star trek : disney edition.
everyone is happy, everything is A OK.

S1 was about the war and MU so seemed darker than a typical ST, but there was no lack of optimism. As for TV-MA rating, it was an American specificity. In Europe in many countries 12+ would be enough. Season 2 is tonally brighter because it has to be such that it harmonizes with the story told. This is the whole secret of the difference.

 

[CommanderRaytas]

Actions have consequences, and basically, everyone is dealing with some sort of emotional hick-up. I don't see how "everyone is happy" applies at all - to any of the focus characters. Burnham has family issues (and has feelings of guilt clouding her judgment). Pike has man-pain over sitting out the war. Tyler feels guilty and lost. Culber is going through a pretty major identity crisis. Stamets's private life is crumbling. Spock has the same issues as always. Also, the universe is about to conk out. How is that happiness? The stakes have seldom been higher. They'll muddle through and overcome their issues, no doubt, but they do have them.

 

[zar]

This thread's a bit of a mess, isn't it?

Season one was awesome.
It was dark, scary, actually made for adults.
...
Fast forward to S2 and we have gone back to star trek : disney edition.
...
Now we are back to another soap opera in space.

Today I learned: soap operas are made for children who like cheerful Disney stories.

 

[Relayer1]

I really liked season one.

I like season two even more.

I'm looking forward to season three !

 

[KennyB]

Season 1 < Season 2

 

[ITDUDE]

Season 1 was very meeh. Season 2 is slightly less meeh. I wouldn't say there is a huge difference (for better or worse) between the two seasons.

 

[Vger23]

I loved S1. But I loved it because it was unique and a very different spin on the Star Trek universe. Lots of people disliked it because of how different it was. My own tastes and hopes led me to a very different conclusion.

I love S2. But I love it because it's considerably different from S1...enough to keep the audience on its toes and enough to continue to keep me interested.

If S1 had been "ENT / VOY Redux," I would have been fairly disinterested. Likewise, if S2 had been a re-do of S1's tone and approach, I would probably have been fairly disinterested as well. I'm in a mode now with my personal following of Star Trek where constant change is very welcome. The franchise was far too stagnant for far too long. I like seeing the franchise take risks and try to stretch the boundaries.

I am even more hopeful that the Picard show and S3 of DSC will continue to push and challenge our perception of "what REAL(tm) Star Trek is."

 

[Commander Richard]

For me, season 2 is a vast improvement.

 

[BeatleJWOL]

Now I'm sad most of the ardent Discovery haters have gotten themselves banned. The fireworks in this thread would have been amazing.

I thought it was a general consensus that S2 has been more "authentic" Trek from the start.

I'm just a freakazoid that's loved it all so far, of course.

 

[Tuskin38]

S1 was about the war and MU so seemed darker than a typical ST, but there was no lack of optimism. As for TV-MA rating, it was an American specificity. In Europe in many countries 12+ would be enough. Season 2 is tonally brighter because it has to be such that it harmonizes with the story told. This is the whole secret of the difference.

In Canada, one of the Season 1 episodes, I don't remember which, caused a complaint to be filed against the channel airing it, because the content was too graphic (and language) for the time slot it was airing in.

Edit
Ah, it was Choose Your Pain

https://www.cbsc.ca/space-re-star-trek-discovery-choose-your-pain/

Lmao someone wrote in their complaint that Roddenberry probably rolled over in his grave because of the 'Fucking cool' line.

 

[Lord Garth]

Now I'm sad most of the ardent Discovery haters have gotten themselves banned. The fireworks in this thread would have been amazing.

I for one am glad I didn't have to constantly fight with them about how "The Cage" was followed up, and my interpretation of TOS versus their interpretation. Because that's what would've happened.

 

[Saul]

I'm undecided. I was very hot and cold with season 1 but it surprised me in ways I didn't expect. At the end I enjoyed it.
Season 2, is different, it's consistent, with most episodes I enjoy them but they haven't grabbed me in the same way. It's a better put together season but it's missing the misdirection and out of the left field things of season 1. Well, I'm waiting for season 2 to do something wacky like the mirror universe again.

 

[Vger23]

I've said in other threads...

S1 had very clear, straight-line episodes populating a somewhat muddled and over-populated Freshman season arc.

S2, on the other hand, has a very clear, straight-line overarching arc, but some of the episodes (Obol for Charon, Point of Light, Saints of Imperfection) are muddled and over-populated, despite being entertaining in their own way. Obol for Charon, for example, could have been a "10" but it was such a busy, break-neck-paced episode that a lot of the emotional resonance that could have been build up was lost in the frenzy.

I think / hope the back half of S2 will be populated with a little less hyperactivity in the individual episodes (see Brother, New Eden, Sound of Thunder, If Memory Serves), and continues to have a clear arc. If that happens, S2 will potentially edge-out S1. A lot will depend on how they wrap things up, too. Unfortunately S1's finale, while entertaining, really could have used an additional episode to flesh-out the wrap-up more neatly and effectively.