Poll Should Lower Decks acknowledge modern Trek?

[lightspeedbear]

The less references to other shows, the better. I don’t need any more small universe syndrome.

This. Enough with the references. It feels like the entire point of the show is for McMahon to show his love for Trek instead of telling interesting new stories.

I watched the first episode of season 1 again tonight, that last scene was really bizarre, it was just Mariner mention a bunch of names at random thad had nothing to do with their circumstances. Kirk, Spock, Sulu, Troi, Gary Mitchell, Worf... really weird.

 

[dinzy]

The less references to other shows, the better. I don’t need any more small universe syndrome.

Have you actually watched the show? If they stopped referencing other shows & the movies, it would not be the same show.

This. Enough with the references. It feels like the entire point of the show is for McMahon to show his love for Trek instead of telling interesting new stories.

I watched the first episode of season 1 again tonight, that last scene was really bizarre, it was just Mariner mention a bunch of names at random thad had nothing to do with their circumstances. Kirk, Spock, Sulu, Troi, Gary Mitchell, Worf... really weird.

That kind of is the point of the show. It's supposed to be an animated show targeted towards adults with a lot of humor. It is essentially Family Guy in Trek that can only reference Trek culture instead of pop culture. It "tells new stories" but it does so to have fun with them, not to be a cartoon version of live action Trek.

I am really confused by the people who want to take this show seriously. The plots are insane. The captain is one of the lead's mother ffs, that is so ridiculous it is basically forbidden in most leadership structures.

It's ~24 minutes or so of zaniness that may or may not make you laugh a few times. If it fails to make you chuckle a lot, which it has for me, then maybe it's not worth watching. I found a few gags good enough to risk wasting 24 minutes on and felt that it got better as it went on.

 

[Dukhat]

Have you actually watched the show? If they stopped referencing other shows & the movies, it would not be the same show.

I watched the first episode and quickly realized that I was not the target audience. I have not seen the rest.

 

[Tuskin38]

I watched the first episode and quickly realized that I was not the target audience. I have not seen the rest.

Episode 1 is the worst episode of the season imo. I think you should at least give the next few a try. If you don't like it after those that's fine. I just don't believe in judging a show off trailers or a single episode.

I mean, would you keep watching TNG if the first episode you ever saw was Code of Honor?
LDS Episode 1 is not that bad. That was just the first bad TNG Season 1 episode that came to mind.

 

[Dukhat]

I’m sure that at some point in time I will eventually watch the rest. But the Mariner character just annoyed the hell out of me, and I didn’t find the humor all that funny.

 

[Quinton]

I’m sure that at some point in time I will eventually watch the rest. But the Mariner character just annoyed the hell out of me, and I didn’t find the humor all that funny.

I very nearly tuned out after the first episode. In fact, I technically did -- for several weeks. Animated adult comedy stuff has never done it for me. I'm not sure I'd go so far as to say Lower Decks has changed my worldview to any considerable extent, even, but I will add my voice to the chorus and say the show improves dramatically from the second week forward.

In fact, heck, I'd go so far as to say it may be the only season of modern Star Trek thus far that has had an almost entirely upward trend in episode quality, heh. It's still hardly my "thing" but I've warmed to it for sure.

 

[fireproof78]

I chuckled a couple of times but honestly stayed on for Mariner and Tendi. They are the most interesting characters of the lot, but it definitely is hit and miss.

 

[Mogh]

If it involves Mariner watching Discovery in the holodeck and revealing it was all just one of Felix's latest holonovels, I'd be game.

 

[Sakonna]

Awhile back, I saw a comment elsewhere on this board speculating that the Borg/Romulan battle we see in the LD opening credits is the source of the Artifact in "Picard." I loved that theory.

 

[XCV330]

Awhile back, I saw a comment elsewhere on this board speculating that the Borg/Romulan battle we see in the LD opening credits is the source of the Artifact in "Picard." I loved that theory.

I love that little scene. You can almost hear the ship saying "nope nope nope"

 

[Jadeb]

As a much older Classic Star Trek viewer, it is at times, the only thing that keeps me interested and looking forward to watching the new shows/episodes.

I was under the impression you quite liked Discovery early on. Did I have that wrong or is the bloom off the rose?

In fact, heck, I'd go so far as to say it may be the only season of modern Star Trek thus far that has had an almost entirely upward trend in episode quality, heh. It's still hardly my "thing" but I've warmed to it for sure.

Agreed. The LD quality trajectory is the inverse of the other streaming Trek shows. I’d even consider the argument that the LD finale is the best, most emotionally affecting Trek produced in the streaming era. That’s a high compliment for a goofball cartoon.

 

[DaveyNY]

I was under the impression you quite liked Discovery early on. Did I have that wrong or is the bloom off the rose?



Agreed. The LD quality trajectory is the inverse of the other streaming Trek shows. I’d even consider the argument that the LD finale is the best, most emotionally affecting Trek produced in the streaming era. That’s a high compliment for a goofball cartoon.

I still like DISCOVERY, my comment was premised on the new shows/episodes I haven't seen yet.
(as I usually don't prejudge, this follows with my past comments)

Obviously TOS is my standard, hence I have a lot of leeway for judging new shows/episodes, but anytime TOS is actually referenced, I find a little extra joy in my viewing.

 

[Sakonna]

I’d even consider the argument that the LD finale is the best, most emotionally affecting Trek produced in the streaming era. That’s a high compliment for a goofball cartoon.

Oh, absolutely. I am still shocked -- SHOCKED! -- that the greatest space battle of streaming Trek to date was on a cartoon, against Pakleds. Who would have thought?!?

Also, as I watched LD season 1 I experienced it as a purely episodic show, and then all of a sudden the finale was paying off something from nearly every prior episode. Perfectly executed stealth serialization! Brilliant.

The problem in live-action streaming Trek is it's complete incompetence at serialization -- plot-wise, every season is an overloaded mess, resolved in incoherent gibberish climaxes.

Meanwhile, here's the cartoon making it look easy.

 

[fireproof78]

Well, maybe Mike McMahan will become the next creative director. Then it will be fan service the motion picture but at least they did serialized right




ETA: Misspelled a name. Hate it when I do that...

 

[Sakonna]

Well, maybe Mahon will become the next creative director. Then it will be fan service the motion picture but at least they did serialized right

Oh god, please yes. I want to live in that timeline, where Mike McMahan has the Kurtzman job. McMahan is the greater talent.

It's always odd to me when LD is being praised for it's storytelling or characters or action or message, and then the counter-complaint is the fan service, as if the mere presence of fan service is a negative. But the reason fan service can be bad is because it tends to gets in the way of the fundamentals. That doesn't happen on LD, they excel at storytelling and characters and action and message and fan service. If you're talented enough to do them all successfully at the same time, why the fuck wouldn't you?

 

[fireproof78]

as if the mere presence of fan service is a negative

It usually is. It's like eating too much chocolate and then being made at the store for selling you the chocolate. I'm done with fan service at this point and view as primarily negative. If McMahan wants to impress then its got to be done without the crutch of fan service.

 

[Mogh]

It usually is. It's like eating too much chocolate and then being made at the store for selling you the chocolate. I'm done with fan service at this point and view as primarily negative. If McMahan wants to impress then its got to be done without the crutch of fan service.

Hey, one man's delight is another's excess. See our thread on emoting!

 

[fireproof78]

Hey, one man's delight is another's excess. See our thread on emoting!

I'm respectful of that fact. And I think Lower Decks does well enough for what it is. I just would not want it to be all Lower Decks all the time. And, before I get the arguments that are pro-fan service let me state my position clearly: I like fan service occasionally. But, this has now become the age of fan service and I think rewarding that means we will only get fan service and then expect to praise them for their efforts. I will not. I like DS9 just fine and the episode that got me in to it was "Trials and Tribble-ations." That's a total fan service episode. But, I would not have enjoyed DS9 if every episode was "Trials." I would have grown fatigued.

LD is not there-yet. But, I'll not praise LD for fan service. Yes, I do view fan service currently as a negative because everyone is doing it. It isn't special, or interesting. Mariner and Boimler are special, and interesting.

 

[Mogh]

FWIW @fireproof78, I agree with you.
Some of the references - like the return to Beta III - are brilliant. Others are way too specific and make the universe too small.

 

[fireproof78]

FWIW @fireproof78, I agree with you.
Some of the references - like the return to Beta III - are brilliant. Others are way too specific and make the universe too small.

And to be fair, I think fan service is a spice. But, right now, fan service is reminding me of a local restaurant that advertises as a place for garlic lovers. You drive by it and you can smell the garlic emanating from the building. Which is fine but I don't want garlic on every meal.