Jumping the shark is also used when a story or plot point is way, way past the point of being ridiculous that it takes you out of what you are watching. Now, perhaps all of my points may not fit that bill to others, but they all fit that definition to me. Particularly the Red Angel and the cause of The Burn. Absolutely stupid.
I mentioned what I thought changed earlier. But both can be true, some things changed and others stayed the same. But the change in the tone of the series is huge. The change isn't surprising given the changes behind the scenes. Compare the first season to later seasons. Others have remarked on how they divide several eras within Discovery in this thread. See their comments on that. It's changed over time. And that's fine. I'm not even sure what point you're trying to make? I never said that everything changed. But lots has. The recent time traveling episode really drove that home.
I find the tone consistent. Even in dark times it's always positive. Especially once Michael get's her groove back.
Definitely. Discovery embodies the quote about stories and their purpose: stories don't teach is that dragons exist but that they can be beaten.
Ok. Many will disagree with that assessment but you're entitled to your opinion and no one here is right or wrong. I think it's the series that has changed perhaps the most (or maybe that was DS9). S1 seems almost unrecognizable compared to S5.
The time travel trope (though to be fair, I am very tired of it being used) with the Red Angel wasn't the problem. It was all the extreme small universe syndrome of it happening to be her mother, who was supposedly dead for most of her life, and then all of a sudden Burnham has to be the one to use the suit. It was a terrible plotline compounded by the ridiculous galaxy ending threat of Control. And The Burn... caused by a crying child on a planet made of dilithium? A child from a species that has shown no sign of any abilities approaching anything that caused the Burn? Absolutely stupid. You think those were fine... good for you. I saw them as nothing other than stupid on just about every level, and nothing is going to convince me otherwise. And I'm pretty certain I'm jot the only one with that opinion on those two plot points.
That drives me nuts about Discovery. To me, the show is at its most interesting when it introduces new characters, new places, new problems. I really liked characters such as Osyraa and figuring out the state of the galaxy with the Emerald Chain. Where it becomes a melodramatic mess is when it feels the need to connect EVERYTHING to someone familiar. And it started back in season 1 by making Michael the adopted sister of Spock. I never thought it added much to the character, and you could have achieved a similar backstory that hit on similar themes while not wedging her into Spock's family. I always felt Fuller or others involved in season 1 thought they needed some connective tissue to the rest of Star Trek and that's the reason she becomes Sarek's daughter. Plus it's not like Michael's backstory is all that original. It's just a variation of Worf's ... except Sarek and Spock tacked on so the audience recognizes some familiar names. It's also part of a pattern where the writers always feel that every crisis has to connect to the character's personal lives in some way. It just can't be these characters, with their qualities, confronting new weirdness and how they deal with that weirdness shows something about who they are. Instead, the writing has to make their emotional states explicit by giving them some personal connection that says their fears and problems out loud instead of just showing it. When Michael gets to Ni'Var in the 32nd century, who's there as an important part of the story? Her mother, who's wedged into the candor nuns in the most awkward way possible. The reveal of what caused the Burn can't just be about the Burn as a mystery. It has to be a Kelpian child so that Saru can reflect on his identity as a Kelpian. The quest to find out what's going on with the DMA can't just be an exploration of weird alien shit that people don't understand. It has to also be a dispute with Book that's about their love life.
Completely agreed. All of this is one of the reasons why DISCO is dead last of all series (live action and animated) in the franchise for me.
Irretrievably with the introduction of the mirror universe and the revelation that Lorca was Evul Lorca. Cartoon narrative, and not in a good way.
Trek has always used "small universe" to drive drama and make things "personal". Which is why the franchise has an endless parade of parents, siblings, lovers, mentors and rivals at the center of so many episodes and films. It's a feature not a bug. Might be a cheap ploy but's it hardly unique to DISCO, Star Trek or entertainment in general. Since when is that a requirement to getting "psychic powers"? You can be taught them (Charlie Evans), get them forced upon you (Gary Mitchell) or just take a pill (James Kirk). We knew nothing about Kelpians' ability (innate or other wise) to develop psychic powers until we did. Just like any other species in Star Trek. Though the MA article indicates Kelpians are highly empathic, have a sixth sense for danger. perhaps that was heightened through exposure to exotic radiations and dilithium.
Again, good for you. I still think they were stupid. We obviously will forever disagree, so I'm leaving it at that with you.
Yup. This was the first thing that pop in to my mind was with TOS. Now, maybe TOS is a poor model to build a show off of, but that has always been Trek's way, at least to me. Remote colonies and we find random people from our past? Par for the course to me. Mileage will vary.
Agree that Discovery is in dead last place amongst all ST series for me. It's a lot like Voyager in that I kind of enjoy it at the time despite it's shortcoming but it's not something I'll ever go back to rewatch. PIC is in the same boat too. A very mild disagreement here. The 1st season was my second favorite DIS season with the 2nd season being my favorite. I kind of like Evil Lorca. Yeah, sure, a bit cartoonish but entertaining. And they totally did way too much with the MU. Unfortunately, that was almost the high point of Discovery for me.