Star Trek: Discovery

[CosmiComic]

I know Culber and Gray meeting in S3 got a lot of warm fuzzy fan reaction (and rightfully so), but even the briefest moment of Saru meeting Gray elicited the same response from me, maybe just because Doug Jones is so good at acting with simply his eyes and body language. You could feel Saru's own amazement and Gray's relief both talking with each other in the air.

With that said, I really like how Saru started out (or at least was portrayed as) a stick in the mud and a by-the-book boy scout, when really underlying there is a pretty big heart and sincere concern for the crew. Jones evokes that so well.



Same. I want to like Michael, but dang she plays key roles in *other* characters' own personal arcs, and even her character flaws are painted as something that others have to get over, rather than something she has to work through.

I feel Saru really got more of a chance to shine. Really, all the crew got at least something more to do.

Burnham is very flawed and does get called out for it. I think her negative actions being "okayed" was more of a problem in earlier seasons. My problem is her just being so dramatic. She needs to tone it down.

[DrNewGod]

Oh, look, more new uniforms.

I like this one, it works better than the slate gray from the end of last season.

But the blue needs to be brighter, it conflates with the black too easily.

What is it with STD and uniform changes? Does the Costume Designer's Guild have pictures of the the executive producers on Epstein's private island or something?

[ZeroBG82]

What is it with STD and uniform changes? Does the Costume Designer's Guild have pictures of the the executive producers on Epstein's private island or something?

Apparently the costuming department developed the gray 32nd century uniforms with the fancy 32nd century sets in mind, where they looked good, but realized when the Disco crew adopted them at the end of the season that they blended too much into the Discovery ship sets under the show's lighting. So the new ones are meant to stand out better and pop against the Disco's bridge/quarters/etc. Sounds like a combination of ambition and poor planning, but honestly, the end result looks so nice it's hard for me to complain overly much. The captain's jacket in particular looks amazing, with the shoulder accents.

They still have the awkward collar pieces, which was really the weakest part of the 32nd century designs, but these feel RIGHT from the trailer. We'll see if full episodes change that perspective any.

[Cyke]

Re: the uniforms

Yeah, the sense I get from seeing these new uniforms was that the gray ones were either dress uniforms or some kind of variant (like how Generations, Voyager-flashbacks, and DS9 showed a mingling of DS9 and TNG uniforms before the big switch).

I wasn't a fan of the gray ones, though, for the same reason as I don't like the dress uniforms of the TNG movies -- too much gray, not enough color to pop, and compared to the already dark bridge of Discovery, it comes across as very bland; by contrast, the revised TOS uniforms, as well as the Kelvinverse uniforms, really pop.

I'm a little mixed on the newer uniforms, but it's good to see some color variety. I feel like a belt would help break up the tunic, with a little "skirt" from under the belt like the TOS-Movie uniforms (which both these and the gray uniforms already try to evoke with the right "flap."

I feel Saru really got more of a chance to shine. Really, all the crew got at least something more to do.

Burnham is very flawed and does get called out for it. I think her negative actions being "okayed" was more of a problem in earlier seasons. My problem is her just being so dramatic. She needs to tone it down.

I agree that the writers got better regarding Burnham (I'm fairly certain I've written so in previous review posts for S3), but it still ended with the Admiral basically saying, "I may not like your methods, but you get results," so there's a bit of a maverick cop vibe to her writing.

I have confidence in the writers, though, that they'll provide the proper outlet for Stamets next season to chew her out.

[CosmiComic]

Re: the uniforms

Yeah, the sense I get from seeing these new uniforms was that the gray ones were either dress uniforms or some kind of variant (like how Generations, Voyager-flashbacks, and DS9 showed a mingling of DS9 and TNG uniforms before the big switch).

I wasn't a fan of the gray ones, though, for the same reason as I don't like the dress uniforms of the TNG movies -- too much gray, not enough color to pop, and compared to the already dark bridge of Discovery, it comes across as very bland; by contrast, the revised TOS uniforms, as well as the Kelvinverse uniforms, really pop.

I'm a little mixed on the newer uniforms, but it's good to see some color variety. I feel like a belt would help break up the tunic, with a little "skirt" from under the belt like the TOS-Movie uniforms (which both these and the gray uniforms already try to evoke with the right "flap."



I agree that the writers got better regarding Burnham (I'm fairly certain I've written so in previous review posts for S3), but it still ended with the Admiral basically saying, "I may not like your methods, but you get results," so there's a bit of a maverick cop vibe to her writing.

I have confidence in the writers, though, that they'll provide the proper outlet for Stamets next season to chew her out.

Honestly it's something most "I don't play by the rules" protagonists get away with. I never liked it but it's not new.

I just hope the writers learn their lesson and make this show more of an ensemble

[DrNewGod]

Apparently the costuming department developed the gray 32nd century uniforms with the fancy 32nd century sets in mind, where they looked good, but realized when the Disco crew adopted them at the end of the season that they blended too much into the Discovery ship sets under the show's lighting. So the new ones are meant to stand out better and pop against the Disco's bridge/quarters/etc. Sounds like a combination of ambition and poor planning, but honestly, the end result looks so nice it's hard for me to complain overly much. The captain's jacket in particular looks amazing, with the shoulder accents.

They still have the awkward collar pieces, which was really the weakest part of the 32nd century designs, but these feel RIGHT from the trailer. We'll see if full episodes change that perspective any.

Hm. Can't even grouse about that. As I understand it, the whole 3-color uniform scheme (which rapidly breaks down under anything resembling logic informed by knowledge of military structures) came about because the network wanted to make more use of the (then kind of still novel) power of color television.

[Cyke]

Honestly it's something most "I don't play by the rules" protagonists get away with. I never liked it but it's not new.

I just hope the writers learn their lesson and make this show more of an ensemble

It's not new, but in reflection, Kirk got away with so much and that doesn't look good in hindsight, either. It's something that doesn't sit well with me when compared to his successors.

For Burnham, I suppose the difference with her compared to other Trek protagonists is that she'll do what she wants in direct conflict with her own colleagues frequently, whereas if someone else like Sisko or Janeway make those types of rebellious command decisions, it's with the support of the crew and they're are down with them (and then add the power dynamic that she wasn't a captain and thus constantly risking insubordination). But then that calls into question her communication and leadership skills, which can indeed be built in character flaws that service the narrative, it's just that she keeps taking the wrong things away from those situations. Will she feel regret or ruminate on those wrongs? Sure, and that was a good bulk of S1, after all. But ultimately she believes the ends justify the means and there are limits to even that.

They're almost incomparable by nature but even taken straight with just the story beats and without the humor, Mariner from Lower Decks (who is fantastic imo) is almost like an indictment of Burnham. Both are idealistic (well, to a limit for Mariner), far more than capable, very driven, very stubborn, very insubordinate, very brilliant, very powerful depiction of a Black woman in a positive future. Her biggest flaws are her own cynicism and jadedness to temper all of that. Burnham doesn't quite have anything within to temper her other than the results of her own actions, which she ultimately benefits from (and those benefits are external, like vindication or promotion). Which then comes across as insincere when her superiors rally around her seemingly after the fact.

Of moving the show towards more of an ensemble, I'm reminded of how TOS suffered in hindsight imo by focusing too much on Kirk (of course, Shatner engineered that) and then Spock, and then a little bit on McCoy and Scotty, and should any of those three subordinates have a problem, Kirk will fix it. For me, that's a fault of Burnham's writing as well, to have that much weight even if the show is purposely structured around her rather than as an ensemble. I won't cite other Trek protagonists keeping distance from other storylines since they're more ensembles, but then I also think of shows with a clear central protagonist that isn't really an ensemble show yet *still* manages to flesh out its supporting cast with minimal involvement of the lead. As far as ensemble (which yes, I agree would be a good move), my biggest problem between lead vs. ensemble then was that everything was piled onto the lead, at least for S1-S2. S3 was slowly moving better about it. I was curious to see Trek with a central character (esp. as a non-captain) rather than an ensemble because that's road less taken in Trek and a more creative variation vs. the usual fare, but it just wasn't handled well imo.

(Sorry, I know the wall of text comes across as a rant, but I assure you that it's not! I just have a lot of thoughts on Discovery, a show that gives me hope, some WTF moments, and some doubts with each episode.)

[CosmiComic]

Interesting analysis. For me a major problem with Burnham was her being central to everything, at leasr in the first 2 seasons. But I feel she did lose a lot in this season

Although, isn't Janeway considered a questionable captain?

[Cyke]

Interesting analysis. For me a major problem with Burnham was her being central to everything, at leasr in the first 2 seasons. But I feel she did lose a lot in this season

Although, isn't Janeway considered a questionable captain?

Heck. Yes.

[Sutekh]

Interesting analysis. For me a major problem with Burnham was her being central to everything, at leasr in the first 2 seasons. But I feel she did lose a lot in this season.

I don't care for a central figure on any of these shows, so much as a fun supporting cast around them, so the relentless Burnham focus has been a bit annoying, but I particularly dislike when something really bad happens to someone else, and we have to spend a couple of minutes on how terribly upsetting this is *to Burnham.*

Yes, wonderful, I'm sure Lt. Airiam's *death* was terribly traumatic to you, polly princess, imagine how much it sucked *for her.* Every darn episode it seemed had another scene of Burnham crying over something that so terribly hurt her fee-fees (that was happening to someone else!), and I was a bit put off by it, which I don't think was the intended reaction.

I actually kind of feel bad for the actress, getting her weekly script to find another two page reaction shot of her grieving something else, *again.* "Guys, I am actually physically capable of laughing. Or being angry. Or expressing a wide range of other emotions... Can we try, maybe mixing it up a little?"

[ChrisIII]

The new red shirt Burnham has kind of reminds me of the cadet outfits from the Kelvinverse.

[CosmiComic]

Heck. Yes.

I've heard there's a right way, a wrong way and a Janeway, but that's usually the wrong way

I don't care for a central figure on any of these shows, so much as a fun supporting cast around them, so the relentless Burnham focus has been a bit annoying, but I particularly dislike when something really bad happens to someone else, and we have to spend a couple of minutes on how terribly upsetting this is *to Burnham.*

Yes, wonderful, I'm sure Lt. Airiam's *death* was terribly traumatic to you, polly princess, imagine how much it sucked *for her.* Every darn episode it seemed had another scene of Burnham crying over something that so terribly hurt her fee-fees (that was happening to someone else!), and I was a bit put off by it, which I don't think was the intended reaction.

I actually kind of feel bad for the actress, getting her weekly script to find another two page reaction shot of her grieving something else, *again.* "Guys, I am actually physically capable of laughing. Or being angry. Or expressing a wide range of other emotions... Can we try, maybe mixing it up a little?"

It would've been nice to actually get to know Airiam.

But I never thought of it that way. It would be nice for her to be less sad and dramatic every second.

[Beantownbrown]

[nx01a]

New trailer wrap up and non-US viewing link.

Is Michael gonna mutiny/disregard orders AGAIN?

Updated Ferengi look is acceptable, if a bit vole-like. Certainly far better than the Klingon travesty.

[Donald]

Updated Ferengi look is acceptable, if a bit vole-like. Certainly far better than the Klingon travesty.

Could be a Klingon/Ferengi.