Star Trek Discovery review

Both the shows and the episodes. Which right now is only 2 episodes of a show that I own the first 3 seasons of.

Star Trek: Discovery (2017–2024)  7/10

Valid complaints but doesn't deserve the hate 5 August 2024

Burnam is emotional. And stiffly self-focused. Yes it's grittier more intense, both visually and in plot than most Star Treks But it is as much star trek as the politically correct, over-simplified increasingly random Star Trek Voyager was Star Trek. I whole-heartedly agree that season 4 and 5 completely suck. But until you get there, it's a pretty fun ride. Season 3 was actually pretty decent. And no matter how the plot arc of the burn ended, the journey everyone took trying to figure out what happened and find thier place in the future was worth watching. I don't know why people think of Burnam as the main character. They don't have one single main character or lead. Instead they have so many supporting characters with thier own lives, story lines, discoveries to be made and journeys that they're on.  The main characters are Captain Saru, Lt. Stanments, Michael Burnam and Ensign Silvia Tilly. For the first two seasons Captain Lorca/Captain Pike and Lt. Ash Tyler are the core of the show, outside of the Kelpian Mr. Saru. Interest dropped off in season 3 because the most compelling characters were gone. I do not believe the show immediately decreased to the childish level so many people talk about. Season 3, while immensely different and taking place in a strange new world of a future, was at least consistent...until the Burn's cause was revealed. that's when things went truly infantile.

I could not stand to watch more than a couple episodes of season 4. Everyone was almost a caricature of themselves and there seemed to be no genuine connection between the characters anymore. Which I found excruciatingly confusing. That said, the Mirror universe and the Terran empire is explored more here than in any other show. I say it that way because while Ds9 explored that dark universe, the Terran Empire had already fallen and an even darker monster had risen in its place. Mirror Saru was a darling, Saru himself was a treasure and I will die on that hill.  TERRA FIRMA. Which originally meant “May the Earth stay strong under your feet.”

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Star Trek: Discovery: The Sound of Thunder (2019) Season 2, Episode 6  8/10

Better than Most of its Kind 23 May 2024

Pike and Saru reach new levels of kick-a**-ary. Getting that out right now. In all of Star Trek from Encounter at Farpoint onward we never really saw Pike or learned much about him. Anson Mount dwarfs anything Bruce Greenwood did with the character in the Abrams movies and he does so with a single line. When the Ba'ul ask if Pike is really willing to risk the lives of his people for a single Kelpian, Pike flat out says "This Kelpian IS my people. And I will use every means in my power to defend him." Anson Mount as Pike has an uncanny ability to be respectful and restrained even as he is saying in no uncertain terms "You screwed up and now you need to shut up." Something I really don't think we've seen in many Star Trek leads...with the possible exception of Captain Picard.
Saru keeps himself as restrained as he possibly can given the circumstances and the conflict he feels in himself while he's returning home, but not for any reason his people can understand. The uncertainty, the power, conviction and most of all the anger at the lies his people swallow are all there. The most cliché and simplistic of his realities, the one that is stated and usually would be the main focus of the actor or even the episode is how to unravel a lie that is the foundation of your peoples culture. And that is blessedly minimal here. Also this is the second time Saru's vision (Kelpian vision) is mentioned and I'm glad they didn't wait until it became a game-changer to mention he even had it.

Star Trek: Discovery: If Memory Serves (2019) Season 2, Episode 8  10/10

The timeline actually fits...here's why 23 May 2024

The original TOS pilot 'The Cage' happened 12 years before the season one episode Menagerie. Pike will soon start counting down the number of months until he lands in the chair. But Pike and Spock have been to Talos the first time. An episode summary said Tyler works to overcome the crews *Suspicions* of him because of his time as Voq. Which isn't quite true. He works to overcome Dr. Culberts' feelings over having been *killed* by him. In a pretty powerful and explosive scene in the mess hall. Afterward Pike and Saru share a little time together on screen which has its own kind of quiet camaraderie. Emperor Georgiou is being a classic military general in this episode, and inmost of the episodes in this part of the season.

The episode opens with scenes lifted from the original TOS pilot but leaves one piece out -- why Vina didn't go with Pike in the first place. Vina's reveal to Burnam is that explanation. I think they give and keep just enough information so that if you've never actually seen "The Cage" you still know plenty about what's going on. Most things with Section-31 are kept to a minimum in this episode. Which leaves a kind of anticipation for the upcoming stretch. And the best thing is Captain Pike FINALLY learns where Ash Tyler stands on everything and that his being part of section 31 doesn't make Tyler a bad guy. They'd gone through things together personally in the previous episode, so Pike is at least willing to listen. And when Ask leaves the ready room for the second time Pike's quiet smile of 'He's not such a bad guy after all slash 'I really DID misjudge him' is positively gorgeous.