I am very aware that historical movies are often as make believe as science fiction prequel movies are. In Hollywood, they don't care about the difference between the two you claim is all important, and never have.
If you want that type of Robin Hood movies: ...prepare for that type of unmidgated audience and box office disasters: https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=robinhood2018.htm Personally, I really would hate if all future Star Trek incarnations would be boxed in to never do something else but shitty, unfaithful prequels to the 33rd century continuity. But hey... you do love what you do.
Wow. People have such short memories. There have literally been dozens of Robin Hood series and movies and historical accuracy hasn't been what made the best the best. Star Trek has already had eps which have been to the future. That means, in continuity, everything is already a prequel to those futures which may or may not even still exist in continuity. I think its weird that some people feel the inclination to pre-hate future Star Trek incarnations that don't even exist yet based on a pre-hate of a 33rd century that none of us know is going to look like. I think its more in the positive vein that Star Trek is supposed to create in us to give them a chance to prove themselves.
The Voyager bridge was damaged by a fire, but I think all they did was change the colour of the carpet. Or I could be wrong and nothing changed because of the fire, I'm not seeing anything on google, yet.
The most notable change was in lightning. If you look at episodes from season 1&2, it has almost the same full, flat studio lightning that TNG had. They later changed that too a more "natural" lighting, where they enhanced the (already existing) lights built in the set itself to light the actors and scenes, makes a rib if difference in the "look" of the set. Apart from that only minor changes.
Lighting is just lighting. I don't think the ship is personalized enough that it would change from season-to-season unless I've missed something. And given the way the episodes keep picking up where the previous one left off, there's no real time to change up the ship. In other words: I don't think the look of Discovery, inside or not, would change between S3 and "Calypso". I'm also convinced that "Calypso" somehow takes place during Season 3. So "We'll know how the ship looks and they can't change it!" looks like a concern over nothing. It's presuming a change that we have no evidence of actually happening.
Zora was all retro. A mid-engined vette? No way. She'd be all about a 63 split-window with white wall tires and a taco replicator in the glove box for her main man Craft.
For design changes and even the 1,000-year abandonment, they could choose to resolve it in 1 episode or all season. The ship was pretty trashed from the final battle, so they could choose to modify it as they repair it. In the TNG episode "Timescape," time bubbles meant that Picard experienced weeks when the others only experienced moments when he touched that lil bowl of fruit, so it's really up to the writers how much time they want to give to either issue. Within 1 episode, the crew could ditch the ship and come back to it after a day, and have a pleasantly evolved A.I. to add to the family. Such is time in Trek.
Craft has gotten a lot of the attention from that episode, but he'll probably only be a side character at best, but we can probably safely assume Zora will be around to stay.
Correct me if I am wrong, but, without modification this scenario would imply that Georgiou was captain. I am pretty sure Zora said that the captain ordered her to stay there. Obiously modifications of this scenario could accomplish the same. Zora is acquired as an upgrade in the future. She is then ordered to go back to the past, drop off Georgiou and any others that want to and then park in a nebula for 10 or so centuries. But basically, yes that is one way to make it fit within the story and relatively likely given what we know or think we know about S31 and Discovery.
My secret hope is that Discovery jumps back in time to the late 23rd century, but after the TOS movies - as that is a pretty unexplored era of Trek history. The S31 show could take place then and neither show will step on established canon much and make people crazy.
Basically, then, we cater for two obvious plots: 1) "We only have enough time crystal power left for one jump. Shall we save X from a horrid end or send Captain Georgiou here back home for some R&R?" "Sir, there can only be one answer to that question." 2) "So the ship went to the past and then, from our point of view, should immediately appear where the autopilot will park, uh, has parked her for the millennium? That is, right here?" "Yes, Sir." "So where the hell is she?" Timo Saloniemi
Not sure why "R&R" would be a reason to send someone back. Trek has come up with countless reasons to send someone back, especially if they discover the future needs fixing. And if temporal tech isn't readily available at every kiosk & street vendor in the future, they could probably head to future Boreth and just grab another crystal.
Sure, but people got crazy about the period ENT took place in because their fanon was violated. They'll find a reason.