Should I give Discovery another chance?

[Mudd]

Sometimes I wonder if Star Trek still has anything to offer me at all. It’s not really my “go-to” series/franchise anymore when I want to watch something. Even when it comes on TV, I might stick around for a few minutes, but I don’t often stay to the end of an episode,

In this iteration it's completed a mutation into comfortable, rote, turn-off-your-brain entertainment, and a lot of other properties do that kind of thing better - it doesn't even require spaceships and rayguns.

But I have a childhood fondness for spaceships and rayguns, and for Star Trek.

 

[Smellmet]

I've just watched the series for the first time I'm a long time trek fan, from watching the 70s reruns.

I think star trek discovery is the best TV trek since the last few seasons of DS9. In fact I think it's better than that.

There's three twists in this show that make it soooo watchable.

The only caveat is that it takes 10 episodes for it to fully reveal itself, the show is good from the start but doesn't really grip until the mirror universe episodes, which surprised me because I normally hate mirror universe stuff in trek, but this is really entertaining and integral to the plot.

It's well acted, the sets and cinematography are mostly stunning and the music I think is excellent, the only thing I have doubts about at the moment (and I didn't expect this) are the visual effects, which I've found to be a little too stylised and need some work.

The rest though I think is great. It's just got better with each episode and I can't really ask for more at this point Bring on season 2.

 

[fireproof78]

I've just watched the series for the first time I'm a long time trek fan, from watching the 70s reruns.

I think star trek discovery is the best TV trek since the last few seasons of DS9. In fact I think it's better than that.

There's three twists in this show that make it soooo watchable.

The only caveat is that it takes 10 episodes for it to fully reveal itself, the show is good from the start but doesn't really grip until the mirror universe episodes, which surprised me because I normally hate mirror universe stuff in trek, but this is really entertaining and integral to the plot.

It's well acted, the sets and cinematography are mostly stunning and the music I think is excellent, the only thing I have doubts about at the moment (and I didn't expect this) are the visual effects, which I've found to be a little too stylised and need some work.

The rest though I think is great. It's just got better with each episode and I can't really ask for more at this point Bring on season 2.

It isn't perfect, by any stretch. But it slides in to the Star Trek niche with enough surprises to be keep me engaged.

Season 2 can't get here soon enough.

 

[Mad Jack Wolfe]

In this iteration it's completed a mutation into comfortable, rote, turn-off-your-brain entertainment, and a lot of other properties do that kind of thing better - it doesn't even require spaceships and rayguns.

But I have a childhood fondness for spaceships and rayguns, and for Star Trek.

My wife hates watching TV with me because, as a writer, I typically see the twists coming a mile away. The only reason why some of the wackier "twists" on DISCO have caught me off guard is that they don't make any damned sense.

 

[fireproof78]

My wife hates watching TV with me because, as a writer, I typically see the twists coming a mile away. The only reason why some of the wackier "twists" on DISCO have caught me off guard is that they don't make any damned sense.

I really don't need twists.

 

[Wowbagger]

Give Discovery a second chance? Nah, not now. Maybe in Season 2, if they retool... but everything that was wrong in the first half of the first season is still basically wrong in the second half, with the added frustration that it abandons all the interesting questions it started to set up in Chapter One in favor of TWEEESTS.

Give Enterprise a second chance? Yes, I think you should. Around the middle of Season 3 (so, right around where you stopped watching), Manny Coto began to take over as showrunner. The show pivots drastically. You can see hints of this as early as 3x12 "Similitude," but there's still some real clear "filler" episodes after that (CARPENTER STREET AUGH). I'd say the transition to CotoTrek is complete with 3x18 "Azati Prime." The Xindi plot gets substantially tighter from then on as the season builds to a climax. Season 4 opens with a (fairly weak) two-parter that was designed to put the Temporal Cold War arc permanently to bed, and from then on it's Manny Coto's show. For the first time since DS9 ended, Star Trek dared to try new things under new leadership, and Enterprise fully embraced its identity as a prequel that wasn't embarrassed by the rest of the franchise (which ended up giving it power to tap new stories that it couldn't tell in its early hold-continuity-at-arms-length days).

I'm not going to promise that you'll love the back half of ENT. (I did, but I am also fond of the first two seasons of ENT.) What I will promise you is that it's very different from the first half, and it sounds like it's different in ways that will ring your chimes. (Although you may still hate it, it will at least be for different reasons.) So, yeah, give Enterprise another try.

That goes for all y'all. If you never finished Enterprise, go back and give it a try now, especially if Discovery is making you frustrated.

 

[Mad Jack Wolfe]

I really don't need twists.

It's a shame DISCO's writers are addicted to twists rather than actual development of characters or storyline.

 

[fireproof78]

It's a shame DISCO's writers are addicted to twists rather than actual development of characters or storyline.

I enjoyed the characters well enough.

 

[CRM-114]

Give Discovery a second chance? Nah, not now. Maybe in Season 2, if they retool... but everything that was wrong in the first half of the first season is still basically wrong in the second half, with the added frustration that it abandons all the interesting questions it started to set up in Chapter One in favor of TWEEESTS.

Give Enterprise a second chance? Yes, I think you should. Around the middle of Season 3 (so, right around where you stopped watching), Manny Coto began to take over as showrunner. The show pivots drastically. You can see hints of this as early as 3x12 "Similitude," but there's still some real clear "filler" episodes after that (CARPENTER STREET AUGH). I'd say the transition to CotoTrek is complete with 3x18 "Azati Prime." The Xindi plot gets substantially tighter from then on as the season builds to a climax. Season 4 opens with a (fairly weak) two-parter that was designed to put the Temporal Cold War arc permanently to bed, and from then on it's Manny Coto's show. For the first time since DS9 ended, Star Trek dared to try new things under new leadership, and Enterprise fully embraced its identity as a prequel that wasn't embarrassed by the rest of the franchise (which ended up giving it power to tap new stories that it couldn't tell in its early hold-continuity-at-arms-length days).

I'm not going to promise that you'll love the back half of ENT. (I did, but I am also fond of the first two seasons of ENT.) What I will promise you is that it's very different from the first half, and it sounds like it's different in ways that will ring your chimes. (Although you may still hate it, it will at least be for different reasons.) So, yeah, give Enterprise another try.

That goes for all y'all. If you never finished Enterprise, go back and give it a try now, especially if Discovery is making you frustrated.

I've been away from this thread for a while, but I think I'd be willing to give ENT another shot. I'm thinking I may also take your advice and come back at Season 2. If things that made me check out after six episodes are present to the end of the season, I probably would be doing myself a favor by skipping them. I'm aware of the general plot points, so I feel like I know what I need to know but skipping all the frustrating crap.

 

[Succubint]

I would recommend a binge watch just before 2nd season airs. I and my husband think it's one of the best first seasons of Trek ever. But, hey, tastes are subjective and maybe this show is just not your cup of tea and never will be.

 

[Nyotarules]

This is like a 'should I take my ex back' question, people who ask those type of questions normally want you to say yes so they can blame you if it all goes wrong.

 

[fireproof78]

This is like a 'should I take my ex back' question, people who ask those type of questions normally want you to say yes so they can blame you if it all goes wrong.

It's the Internet. Everything goes wrong.

 

[the Sisko]

I would say yes. Because the season is over, you can get all of Discovery S1 for $6/$10 and binge watch it. Episode 7 is particularly good. Episodes 9, 10 and 13 are fun and action oriented. Episodes 14/15 might make more sense in a binge mode as they payoff the early season but defy the expectations and mood after episode 13. Discovery has a long-arc story which may work better for you in one sitting as the payoffs aren't 4 months away. Burnham continues to have her character arc be the heart of the show, moreso with episode 3's comment that she lives and dies by SF values, which does pay off by the last 4 episodes.

 

[catshadowsi8]

First I should say I am a star trek fan but not rabid about it. I have enjoyed it over the last several decades but appreciate it is network tv and not say HBO. That said my husband loves Discovery. It is must watch tv for him and we've seen every episode. Me..I'm struggling. The stories are fine (I expected issues with canon so it doesn't bother me), the special effects great, but I'm just not feeling the chemistry between the characters. To be clear it is not the acting, it is something else. I'm just not sure what. For me Star Trek has always been about exploring space and, even more importantly, the characters and how they gel together. In discovery the story says they do but I don't feel it. Maybe it's just me but I'm not getting it. Maybe in season 2.

 

[Crazy Eddie]

I really don't need twists.

Neither did the crew of the USS Glenn. Life is unfair like that

 

[shapeshifter]

Me..I'm struggling. The stories are fine (I expected issues with canon so it doesn't bother me), the special effects great, but I'm just not feeling the chemistry between the characters. To be clear it is not the acting, it is something else. I'm just not sure what.

Hi, and welcome.

I believe the "something else" you are struggling with is, they do not sound like TNG era Trek characters.

Discovery characters sound more emotional compared to the mostly dead pan mannequin speak of the NG era series. Not that there is anything wrong with that, it is befitting the times in which they live, but to ears tuned to those methods, Discovery speak may sound a little jarring.

I am okay with it because it reminds me of TOS.

 

[Mudd]

They've really not done much to modernize the performance style of Trek, here - the occasional hard curse word doesn't compensate for the too-familiar old "hit your mark and declaim" line delivery.

 

[seigezunt]

I am okay with it because it reminds me of TOS.

Same. There was always a dimension of the TNG-era show that felt off in terms of feeling like "real" Trek to me, and DSC has a certain tone that reminds me of TOS (and the TOS movies).

 

[catshadowsi8]

Hi, and welcome.

I believe the "something else" you are struggling with is, they do not sound like TNG era Trek characters.

Discovery characters sound more emotional compared to the mostly dead pan mannequin speak of the NG era series. Not that there is anything wrong with that, it is befitting the times in which they live, but to ears tuned to those methods, Discovery speak may sound a little jarring.

I am okay with it because it reminds me of TOS.

I might agree with you except for one small problem. I absolutely loved the original series, followed by Voyager. DS9 was more a political drama so markedly different in style and presentation. As for Next Gen it was my least favorite. I made it through 1.5 seasons and gave up. I went back and watched it all a few years ago. Still was not a huge fan. There are absolutely some fabulous episodes (ie Borg) but I can't say I loved any one character on Next Gen or that the crew stood out for me. (please don't shout Data's name at me. Thanks.) Come to think of it the same holds true here. I'm not really pulling for any one character or even the crew as a whole. I feel like I'm looking at some potentially interesting puzzle but the pieces don't fit well. Hmmm. Something to think about.

 

[Mudd]

These characters don't talk any more like human beings than they ever have. They speak less formally than the 80s version of Trek, that's about it.