S3 theories/wishlist

[eschaton]

Honestly, I'd be fine with a "fall of the Federation" scenario, as long as the season arc basically was about the Discovery crew picking up the pieces and getting the different factions to build trust in one another and begin working as a coherent unit. Sort of like what we began seeing in a halting fashion during the fourth season of Enterprise, as they began unrolling what was supposed to be the origin story for the Federation itself.

What I really, really don't want to see is another existential crisis to the galaxy, with a singular villainous antagonist who needs to be defeated in order to move the plot forward. Cliche villains don't belong in Trek anyway.

 

[Fateor]

Honestly, I'd be fine with a "fall of the Federation" scenario, as long as the season arc basically was about the Discovery crew picking up the pieces and getting the different factions to build trust in one another and begin working as a coherent unit. Sort of like what we began seeing in a halting fashion during the fourth season of Enterprise, as they began unrolling what was supposed to be the origin story for the Federation itself.

What I really, really don't want to see is another existential crisis to the galaxy, with a singular villainous antagonist who needs to be defeated in order to move the plot forward. Cliche villains don't belong in Trek anyway.

How exactly does the super advanced future Federation fall when any guy with a replicator can rebuild it given a decade or so?

 

[Krandor]

Discovery will get to the future and will meet a new alien race we haven't met before. This is a race that will have heard of the battle to protect sentient life fought by "the michael". They are under attack by a powerful race but are not afraid because they are a prophecy that at the time of their greatest need "The michael" will return and lead them to victory. When Discovery shows up, it is the sign that they have been waiting for that the chosen one has returned.

 

[eschaton]

How exactly does the super advanced future Federation fall when any guy with a replicator can rebuild it given a decade or so?

Fall might be a bit too much of a statement. But no matter how advanced the Federation is, human (or erm...alien) nature hasn't really changed in a fundamental sense. The residents of the Federation are still flawed, imperfect creatures. Why couldn't the Federation become rife with factionalism, move in a more authoritarian direction with some breakaway groups, or sort of degrade into a "state in name only" like the Holy Roman Empire?

 

[FreezeC77]

Discovery will get to the future and will meet a new alien race we haven't met before. This is a race that will have heard of the battle to protect sentient life fought by "the michael". They are under attack by a powerful race but are not afraid because they are a prophecy that at the time of their greatest need "The michael" will return and lead them to victory. When Discovery shows up, it is the sign that they have been waiting for that the chosen one has returned.

The villain then travels back several millenia and attempts to wipe out life on Earth to stop humanity's hero from ever thwarting it. Burnham follows with the last time crystal in existence and manages to force it back into the future. A random ancient earther is pulled along and witnesses the battle and is returned to the past to not change the timeline.

Thus becoming the basis for the book of Revelations and Archangel Michael defeating Lucifer.

 

[Fateor]

Fall might be a bit too much of a statement. But no matter how advanced the Federation is, human (or erm...alien) nature hasn't really changed in a fundamental sense. The residents of the Federation are still flawed, imperfect creatures. Why couldn't the Federation become rife with factionalism, move in a more authoritarian direction with some breakaway groups, or sort of degrade into a "state in name only" like the Holy Roman Empire?

That's completely counter to Star Trek as a setting.

 

[eschaton]

That's completely counter to Star Trek as a setting.

I'm not sure about that. I mean, in general, things do get better and better over time in the Federation, but there are absolutely cases of corruption and conspiracies within it - like the group of hawks working with Klingons to sabotage detente in TUC. I don't think a rocky period where institutions degrade for a century or so really means that much in the longer run, so long as the arc ultimately bends toward justice once again.

 

[donners22]

I'm not sure about that. I mean, in general, things do get better and better over time in the Federation, but there are absolutely cases of corruption and conspiracies within it - like the group of hawks working with Klingons to sabotage detente in TUC. I don't think a rocky period where institutions degrade for a century or so really means that much in the longer run, so long as the arc ultimately bends toward justice once again.

Exactly; we've seen plenty of examples of bad eggs in the upper echelon of Starfleet, thwarted only by our heroes. It's not unreasonable that there will come a point where those bad eggs prevail, and it is up to others to try to pick up the pieces.

I thought post-DS9 would be a great opportunity to call out Starfleet for its bad actions (attempted genocide, biological warfare, assassination, false-flag attacks) and have disaffected members leave the Federation, but doing it in the far future is fine with me.

 

[cultcross]

Cliche villains don't belong in Trek anyway

Well, not in the TV version, I'll grant. They are pretty standard in the movie franchise. But nonetheless, I agree, we have to have more sensible stakes this season.

My wishlist:

1. This new era is actually new, and interesting. It's not just a redesign of the hand phaser and comm badge again. This is a thousand years hence, the difference between us and the Norman Conquest. There really should be some major differences.
2. The story is properly plotted out before they start and makes logical sense right to the end
3. Only characters needed for the story feature, like s1.
4. Tell stories with weight and meaning and a bit of thought to them. I'd like my Trek to feel chewy again, if you know what I mean. Something to discuss other than Klingon prosthetics [God how are they doing future Klingons? That's a thread waiting to happen].

Not a wish, but a thought: if they don't do Fall of the Federation, there's got to be a question as to why the ship and crew would stay together. If a ship from a thousand years in the past pops up, the Starfleet of this era isn't going to just casually absorb them into the ranks and send them off exploring. And if they did, why be in the future at all?

 

[ScottJ85]

I heard somewhere that rebuilding a fallen Federation was one of Roddenberry's ideas for a post-TNG Trek series.

 

[cultcross]

I heard somewhere that rebuilding a fallen Federation was one of Roddenberry's ideas for a post-TNG Trek series.

It's certainly an idea that he used a lot. He was one for recycling.

 

[ScottJ85]

It's certainly an idea that he used a lot. He was one for recycling.

He certainly was the kind of man who'd never let a good idea go to waste, even if it meant using it multiple times.

 

[guyute03]

My only guess really is that S3 somehow links up with the 'Calypso' short.

 

[Infern0]

Michael Burnham being killed off and Saru becoming the main character

 

[Krandor]

Michael Burnham being killed off and Saru becoming the main character

That isn’t happening.

I’d be happy with one season where Michael isn’t some kind of special unique chosen one.

 

[Delta Vega]

My only guess really is that S3 somehow links up with the 'Calypso' short.

I think the "Calypso" short will be set after the crew have abandoned Discovery and somehow got back to the "present", not after they had long died.
Hence the computer, Zora, acting on orders given by whoever the Captain was.
Discovery, the ship, can't go back because there are underlying remnants of Control still on board.

 

[Cyrus]

I like to see an episode where Discovery uses the spore drive to visit the ancient Deep Space 9 station.

 

[Unicorn]

I'd like more Nhan, Reno and the bridge crew (give Detmer more stuff to do!) and crew hijinks. The dizzyingly fast pace is fun but I think the show would be helped a lot by having more quiet moments where nothing of galactic importance is happening - there were a few this season and I really liked them. Also, I'd love to see Saru as Captain, and some cool completely new aliens

 

[starbuck]

its going to be like quantum leap jumping thru time fixing problems, if they are stuck in the future would the ship not be outdated to any fuutre ships, like taking old wooden sailing ship and using it in battle today would not hold up

 

[Soong-type Android]

It all turns out to be a Riker Holodeck program.