Star Trek Discovery premieres tonight

[Ken g6]

I thought season 1 was not great. I'm quite sure the "Klingons" were supposed to be Hirogen (Star Trek's knockoff of Predators) in the original development, before they decided to make it a prequel. I think that would have made a lot more sense.

Season 2 was better. Worth watching once.

I really liked the start of Season 3. It was based on some of Gene Roddenberry's original ideas. A lot of which were already used in the series Andromeda, but this was a good - if brief - treatment too. The ending felt contrived, though.

Season 4 was Season 2-quality. Probably based on this book, which was a continuation from Star Trek IV.

 

[pmv]

I liked TOS, even more so in retrospect, where it acquires a patina of comfort-viewing nostalgia for a happier time (both in terms of the political climate that produced the show and in terms of my life when watching it). It kind of qualifies as kitsch, though. TNG was OK in small doses, was never 'appointment viewing' but I've seen odd episodes and Patrick Stewart is intrinsically worth watching. DS9 I saw even less of but the little I did see was more sophisticated and interesting than I expected it to be. Voyager I couldn't get past how much I disliked "Captain Greenaway". It's hard to make that point without being mistaken for a "Critical Drinker" style anti-wokist/misogynist, but she was so bland. It was as if she was modelled on Margaret Thatcher with all the viciousness taken out (which was the most interesting part of Thatcher - sans that, all you're left with is middle-class cosy conservatism, like Angela Lansbury in Murder She Wrote, but in space).

Enterprise though, I really hated. I find Scott Bakula really irritating, though can't really explain why, and everything else about that show was also irritating, from the ugly design of the ship to the horrible theme song. Lost interest in everything Trek after that.

 

[igor_kavinski]

I find Scott Bakula really irritating

Oh no! You dislike nice guys

Anyway, the last anything Star Trek I enjoyed was Lower Decks. That also went downhill after about three seasons.

The Orville (for about two seasons) is great if you want something silly and thought provoking at the same time.

I was pleasantly surprised to see the original animated Star Trek. They took things pretty seriously back then, probably coz they didn't know that they could get away with a lot less because fans can be very forgiving.

 

[Farfle]

Star Trek needs a BREAK, a hiatus, like it had between TOS and Next Gen. Then it needs a fresh start, NOT another g*darn reboot. The TOS characters have been done to death, ever since J.J. "hack fraud" Abrhams' Star Trek 2009. ENOUGH with those damn characters.

 

[cytg111]

Star Trek needs a BREAK, a hiatus, like it had between TOS and Next Gen. Then it needs a fresh start, NOT another g*darn reboot. The TOS characters have been done to death, ever since J.J. "hack fraud" Abrhams' Star Trek 2009. ENOUGH with those damn characters.

Yea, like they did with Michael Burnham right?

 

[FelixDeCat]

Enterprise though, I really hated. I find Scott Bakula really irritating, though can't really explain why, and everything else about that show was also irritating, from the ugly design of the ship to the horrible theme song. Lost interest in everything Trek after that.

TBH, Enterprise was not my fave either but over time it grows on you. Its better the second time around.

The short tempered engineer was annoying when he acted like a hot head but was otherwise okay. Then they had to get him involved with Tpol. Ok.

And what was up with doctor constantly shrugging? Was that a nervous tick? If you watch closely he is either talking out of the side of his mouth or shrugging like his body language is speaking more than he is. Weird.

I liked the antique ship, loved the alternate universe episodes and enjoyed the Andorian's contributions to the pink skin's foibles in space.

Enterprise was short changed. It could have continued several more seasons and I would have enjoyed them despite the minor complaints.

 

[Exterous]

That's a bunch of fucking bullshit. I'm under no obligation to watch and/or enjoy something because they put a CorporateSticker™ on the box. I have every other Trek made from TOS to Prodigy, and I rewatch every one of them every so often. Some I like more than others, but they all have something to offer.

Then there's Discovery. It isn't even fucking close, where I'll think "Maybe one day I'll give it another shot when my head's in a different place". It's a huge POS that'll never be viewed by me again. They already owe me for the time I wasted watching it. I'm not gonna waste anymore time.

My friend harassed me into watching season 5 after quitting after half way through season 3 and she claimed it stands alone. It kinda does and I don't actively hate it. But it's not good, I won't watch it again, and its by far the worst Trek

 

[lxskllr]

My friend harassed me into watching season 5 after quitting after half way through season 3 and she claimed it stands alone. It kinda does and I don't actively hate it. But it's not good, I won't watch it again, and its by far the worst Trek

I agree. I thought s05 was... not as aggravating, and if they had promised a full seven seasons, I might've gone back on my word and checked out s06 to see what they were doing. More of s05 wouldn't have cut it, but if they had improved from there, it could've been worth the time.

 

[pmv]

Oh no! You dislike nice guys

TBH I don't even know why I dislike the guy. I'm being a bit unfair on him insofar as I can't explain why. He's just irritating.

But you might be on to something with the 'nice guy' thing. The character he played in Quantum Leap rather had those characteristics - affable and seemingly 'nice' but with a horrible paternalistic and patronising undercurrent. That show regularly featured the 'white saviour' trope - white guy showing a woman or black person or disabled person how they should be coping with their circumstances. I gather the guy who produced it very much had an agenda with that show.

Not that one should conflate the character with the actor who played him, but maybe that influenced my feelings about Bakula at the point where he 'jumped' into Star Trek?

There just must have been so many more interesting or characterful actors who could have been given that role (Shatner, for all the negative things that have been said about him - not least by his fellow Trek actors - absolutely gave that character a memorable and distinctive identity...I can't even imagine anyone doing a comedic impression of Bakula's captain, which surely says something?)

And, God, that horrible theme music, just wince-inducing.