Season 3 vs previous two - Is it worth it?

[Lord Garth]

I guess there is a wide range of opinions.
Was hoping for someone who disliked the first two seasons like I did and has returned to check it out.

I guess I might have to volunteer to be that person ....

Here's the thing: the people you're talking about are very stubborn and very cautious. The only people I've seen who didn't like the first two seasons but do like the third tend to also be Picard fans. So they already had one foot in the door to begin with. I don't see anyone who didn't like either of the two seasons of DSC or PIC suddenly embracing this.

I think some of them are out there, but they're taking a looooooooong time to say so. I can see it if I try to look at it from their point of view. They got burned by DSC S2 and PIC S1 after what they thought were promising starts. So they're probably not going to give their seal of approval until we've reached the Season Finale.

 

[The Wormhole]

I never got people who ask if they should watch a particular show. If you have a strong enough interest in a particular show, then watch it. If you care enough to hang around a discussion forum dedicated to that show, you care enough to watch it. So rather than starting threads asking people if they think you will like the show, go watch the show and find out if you like it or not.

 

[BillJ]

So they're probably not going to give their seal of approval until we've reached the Season Finale.

Where I’m at. So far season three has plenty of pros and cons, have to see how it shakes out.

 

[Kzinti]

the denigration of the opinions of viewers.

oh and which opinion would that be?

 

[Nerys Myk]

oh and which opinion would that be?

And by who?

 

[fireproof78]

I never got people who ask if they should watch a particular show. If you have a strong enough interest in a particular show, then watch it. If you care enough to hang around a discussion forum dedicated to that show, you care enough to watch it. So rather than starting threads asking people if they think you will like the show, go watch the show and find out if you like it or not.

Same here. I see that so often now around the Interwebz and I'm like "It is possible to have your own opinion." But, my default answer of "Watch it and find out for yourself" comes across as a bit too dickish so I dial it back.

 

[gblews]

I think my reasons for saying "nah, bail" are basically self-serving. I'd rather not add one more angry person to the discussion mix....haha!

Exactly what I thought after reading the original post. Recommending season 3 also gives the viewer (who hates it) cover for providing negative opinions consisting of “but you guys told me season 3 was an improvement over the previous 2.”

 

[fireproof78]

Exactly what I thought after reading the original post. Recommending season 3 also gives the viewer (who hates it) cover for providing negative opinions consisting of “but you guys told me season 3 was an improvement over the previous 2.”

Kind of like people who said ROTS was better than the rest of the PT.

 

[Sarcastic Vulcan Salute]

People's mileage may vary. My reaction to S1-2 was mainly tolerance. I don't feel like either season had very high points, didn't really enjoy Burnham as a quasi-Vulcan, thought the notion of the Federation in a shooting war with Klingons just before Kirk's time didn't really jibe with previous Trek, thought the whole spore drive tech didn't make sense because there's no sign of it elsewhen in Trek, etc.

But I watched it.

S3 is the first time the series has felt enjoyable to watch and where I'm looking forward to new episodes.

The season may still crash and burn, and it may be when I go back to the previous seasons that I judged them too harshly. Or it may be that, like most of modern Trek, it took the writers a while to find their voice.

I don't think there's anything in S3 that one really needs to have seen S1-2 to get, other than a quick plot/character summary.

 

[Kirby]

Is it worth it? I don't know, dude, you're not buying a new car, or contemplating slamming steroids here. Just watch a couple of hours and find out.

 

[ScottJ85]

Give it a shot, you might be pleasantly surprised. Just keep in mind that all Star Trek productions since time immemorial have taken a flexible view of canon, and if it turns out you still don’t like it, don’t be a dick about it.

 

[Lord Garth]

Exactly what I thought after reading the original post. Recommending season 3 also gives the viewer (who hates it) cover for providing negative opinions consisting of “but you guys told me season 3 was an improvement over the previous 2.”

All theoretical. I doubt he's actually going to watch it. 95% of the time, these type of threads don't go anywhere. No matter which series we're talking about. Historically, the people who start these threads never say if they went on to watch it or not.

The ones to really look out for are the "I'm watching this for the first time" threads. Or their cousins, the "I'm revisting this series for the first time in a long time" threads.

 

[The Wormhole]

Is it worth it? I don't know, dude, you're not buying a new car, or contemplating slamming steroids here. Just watch a couple of hours and find out.

But if one were contemplating slamming steroids, what would you suggest? Asking for a friend.

 

[Lord Garth]

But if one were contemplating slamming steroids, what would you suggest? Asking for a friend.

Hey, don't knock steroids. They did wonders for Arnold Schwarzenegger in Commando.

 

[SJGardner]

Seriously? If you're already going in with a mindset where you hate it as a blanket judgement, I don't think you'll find much for your liking in it. I've seen many people declare that the writing in Season 3 is different, more "mature", the character interactions "more natural" etc, but I'd say that even with the change of setting, it's fundamentally the same series with fundamentally the same characters. Just by considering how many people seem to voice complaints along the same lines they did during the last two seasons, I don't see anything significantly different.

I'd still say the best course of action is simply giving it a shot. If you like it, it's great, if you don't, then you don't; there are lots of other Star Trek productions out there, past and present. I've seen people who hate Discovery heap praise on Lower Decks or even on Picard. One doesn't become any less of a Star Trek fan just because they don't like one of the series. Just because I'm completely indifferent about much of Voyager or Enterprise, I still consider myself a fan.

Of course, this comes from personal experience, but I think it also helps a lot if one doesn't treat Star Trek as a historical documentary and expect productions from 2020 to look the same as ones from 1966. At least for me, they're just different interpretations of the same concept made in different eras. Of course the bridge of the Enterprise would look different in 2020 than in 1966, they're separated by half a century after all. A Star Trek series shot in 2020 would also find different topics important than one made 50 years ago, and so on.

 

[fireproof78]

Of course, this comes from personal experience, but I think it also helps a lot if one doesn't treat Star Trek as a historical documentary and expect productions from 2020 to look the same as ones from 1966. At least for me, they're just different interpretations of the same concept made in different eras. Of course the bridge of the Enterprise would look different in 2020 than in 1966, they're separated by half a century after all. A Star Trek series shot in 2020 would also find different topics important than one made 50 years ago, and so on.

Indeed.

 

[tomalak301]

I think Season 3 has made Discovery into an entirely different show. It's like it's found a confidence level and each episode has been better than the last. Of course they are finally dealing with Detmer and that has a lot to do with my enthusiasm so far but Burnham has this new glow to her that I'm finding pretty great. Like I said the last few weeks, the Sisko effect is a real thing.

 

[TimeIsAPredator]

People's mileage may vary. My reaction to S1-2 was mainly tolerance. I don't feel like either season had very high points, didn't really enjoy Burnham as a quasi-Vulcan, thought the notion of the Federation in a shooting war with Klingons just before Kirk's time didn't really jibe with previous Trek, thought the whole spore drive tech didn't make sense because there's no sign of it elsewhen in Trek, etc.

But I watched it.

S3 is the first time the series has felt enjoyable to watch and where I'm looking forward to new episodes.

The season may still crash and burn, and it may be when I go back to the previous seasons that I judged them too harshly. Or it may be that, like most of modern Trek, it took the writers a while to find their voice.

I don't think there's anything in S3 that one really needs to have seen S1-2 to get, other than a quick plot/character summary.

This sounds like me. I'm not a huge fan of the new artistic style but it would never annoy me enough to stop watching it and I still loved PIC despite it. I also don't mind Klingons or whoever looking a bit different

I hated certain things about DIS that completely turned me off
I hate prequels especially when they mess with things like surprise sisters.
I hated Lrell, Clem Fandango, S31 and all the mirror people.
I like to at least know who the senior crew are
I could not stand Burnham or Tilly.
And CBS Trek has botched every big reveal finale

All of this has been addressed by season 3 with the exception of Georgiou and obviously the finale as it hasn't happened yet. So for the first time I am actually excited on a Friday to see new DIS when it comes out

 

[Tirius]

^^
While I cannot comment on the former group, as a member of the latter I feel season 3 is very different in tone from the previous 2, at least so far, and that is why I am finding I enjoy it much more. Season 1 was a real slog for me, I didn't like the whole war theme and have never been a fan of the mirror universe stuff, but all those I can generally live with if the story is good. However, the whole execution felt so different from previous series that I just did not feel like I was watching Star Trek. It felt, I'm not sure, too dark and gritty? Trying too hard to be different? Season 2 was a bit better, when it focused more on character development and exploration, and the additon of Anson Mount's Pike was a godsend, but it was still weighed down a bit by the baggage from season 1. Right now I feel like I'm watching a whole different series. Certainly there are still things I disliked or would have done differently, but I am looking forward to new episodes again each week. The last episode (4) in particular, I felt was done very well, but the whole story feels lighter and more hopeful than before. It feels more like old-school Trek.

Having said that, it might still not be your cup of tea. I'll second NCC-73515 above and suggest you try an episode or 2 and see for yourself. I'd say the best sample would be your reaction to episode 2, where the story really kicks off.

 

[Vger23]

Chances the OP is even paying attention to any of these responses: ROUGHLY ZERO.