Star Trek: Picard

[nx01a]

Discovery has some lighter material too, at least past the first season I think.

I think that the entire first season [apart from the first ~15 minutes of the first episode] was darkness and depression with very few moments of optimism, same as PIC.

[WebLurker]

...and this was followed by an episode where Odo consults a holographic lounge singer about his relationship with Kira. The whole season wasn't depression and darkness.

Neither are DSC or PIC. Heck, the whole point of them is that optimism wins in the end, we just see more of a journey to get there. As befitting the times we're living in, the Federation and Starfleet are shown to be flawed organizations that don't live up their ideals all the time (unlike how prior, they were the "big good" we never questioned). Still, those ideals are still shown to be what should be strived for and are what carry the day. There's room for darkness in Star Trek and has been for years.

Or you can just watch Lower Decks, which fully embraces the lighter side of the franchise.

[CosmiComic]

Borg Queen, eh? So we'll see Old Man Locutus?

I guess we'll at least see references to BoBW and ST:FC

Depends how the invisibility is being achieved, I suppose. If it's merely bending photons but you're getting hit with an anti-proton beam, probably not. :P

I guess so. Although does anti-proton count as DEW?

[ChrisIII]

I think that the entire first season [apart from the first ~15 minutes of the first episode] was darkness and depression with very few moments of optimism, same as PIC.

Think it ended on a fairly night note as well, with the rousing starfleet speech and slightly TMPesque solar system flyby before the Enterprise "cliffhanger".


The time loop/second Mudd episode, "Magic to make the sanest man go mad" is also kind of a fun episode (although of course Lorca goes through a few painful deaths) and the plot is pretty much the closest to a "traditional" Trek in that season.

[CosmiComic]

Think it ended on a fairly night note as well, with the rousing starfleet speech and slightly TMPesque solar system flyby before the Enterprise "cliffhanger".


The time loop/second Mudd episode, "Magic to make the sanest man go mad" is also kind of a fun episode (although of course Lorca goes through a few painful deaths) and the plot is pretty much the closest to a "traditional" Trek in that season.

Why didn't they bring Mudd back for the finale?

[Vic Vega]

The late 60s were. Early to mid, the majority were still kidding themselves pretty hard.

Star Trek began airing episodes in '66. Americans knew they were in a real war by then. There are more than a few anti war episodes that reference Vietnam directly. A Private Little War comes to mind.

Americans might be more downbeat than they were in the 60's. This time we don't have an Apollo program to distract us from how shitty everything is, and many of the advances of the era are being walked back right in front of us. See Roe v Wade.

People have reason to be downbeat, is the point. Why shouldn't Disco and Picard reflect that reality? OG Trek reflected the reality of its time.

So did DS9 which had a WAY, WAY, less optimistic view of Starfleet. Section 31, anybody?

P.S.: If the guys who wrote the 2 parter episode of DS9 where a terrorist attack gets Starfleet to suspend Civil Liberties in the entire Federation walked around saying "We told you so!" for the rest of thier lives, we'd have to give it to them.

[nx01a]

I'm watching the Star Trek Day live event now. Fun so far.

Neither are DSC or PIC. Heck, the whole point of them is that optimism wins in the end, we just see more of a journey to get there. As befitting the times we're living in, the Federation and Starfleet are shown to be flawed organizations that don't live up their ideals all the time (unlike how prior, they were the "big good" we never questioned). Still, those ideals are still shown to be what should be strived for and are what carry the day. There's room for darkness in Star Trek and has been for years.
Or you can just watch Lower Decks, which fully embraces the lighter side of the franchise.

I actually find Lower Decks too juvenile for me, too slapstick.
Darkness has its place in Star Trek. We see planets get blown up, plagues wipe out civilizations, the bad guy teleport into a sanctuary and murder a praying fan favourite with a flick of his hand, a man deal with PTSD while raising his son alone... Take your pick. I found the overall tones of DIS season 1 and PIC season 1 to be overwhelmingly negative, and wrapping it all up quickly in the last 15 minutes of the final episode don't make up for 10+ episodes of rape, murder, suicide, PTSD, drug dependence, mental trauma and illness, and torture porn. DIS s2 and s3 were vastly better in balancing trauma and optimism, and I genuinely hope that continues in s4. We've had enough real seemingly unending trauma in 2020 onward; let's not have it in Star Trek every single episode. The stated different tone in SNW is also encouraging, as well as the more episodic nature will hopefully mean that there won't be a 10+ episode dark storyline.

I guess we'll at least see references to BoBW and ST:FC
I guess so. Although does anti-proton count as DEW?

I'm looking forward to the alternate timelines, and obviously Q!
If the cloak is just bending light photons, it might not be bending the exotic particles in the DEW... so pew pew pew!

Think it ended on a fairly night note as well, with the rousing starfleet speech and slightly TMPesque solar system flyby before the Enterprise "cliffhanger".
The time loop/second Mudd episode, "Magic to make the sanest man go mad" is also kind of a fun episode (although of course Lorca goes through a few painful deaths) and the plot is pretty much the closest to a "traditional" Trek in that season.

Optimism? Maybe it was most of the first episode right up until the mutiny and the last episode from the speech to the end.

[WebLurker]

I actually find Lower Decks too juvenile for me, too slapstick.

I'd argue that "Crises Point" was one of the most mature stories the franchise has played with in a long time (as in having narrative depth), but I will freely concede that it's a show that

Darkness has its place in Star Trek. We see planets get blown up, plagues wipe out civilizations, the bad guy teleport into a sanctuary and murder a praying fan favourite with a flick of his hand, a man deal with PTSD while raising his son alone... Take your pick. I found the overall tones of DIS season 1 and PIC season 1 to be overwhelmingly negative, and wrapping it all up quickly in the last 15 minutes of the final episode don't make up for 10+ episodes of rape, murder, suicide, PTSD, drug dependence, mental trauma and illness, and torture porn. DIS s2 and s3 were vastly better in balancing trauma and optimism, and I genuinely hope that continues in s4. We've had enough real seemingly unending trauma in 2020 onward; let's not have it in Star Trek every single episode. The stated different tone in STW is also encouraging, as well as the more episodic nature will hopefully mean that there won't be a 10+ episode dark storyline.

I'd argue that DSC's turnaround was way earlier than the last episode, given that the mirror universe arc was the point where we see the wheels turning back. Course, Burnham's story arc follows her starting off advocating for an "ends justify the means" plan (admittedly for a sympathetic cause) and her subsequent search for redemption, to the point that she can be the one to say no when Discovery's superiors fall into the same trap she originally did after seeing no way out. It's a darker story, to be sure, but there was a point to it all.

I can follow that PIC did have a pretty big story to wrap up and did a little too quickly. That said, there was moments of relief before the end (e.g. the visit to the Rikers). Also, seeing as it's essentially a sequel story to TNG, one of the most positive series in the franchise, making it darker allows for some interesting perspectives.

[nx01a]

New Picard trailer! Don't time travel to 2020-2024, Picard! It ain't safe here!

[Nate Grey]

New Picard trailer! Don't time travel to 2020-2024, Picard! It ain't safe here!

Wonder how Guinan fits into all of this, but...looks cool. Guess they're going for a Voyage Home feeling minus the whales.

[Deathstroke]

And the show has been renewed for a third season.

[Beantownbrown]

[SJNeal]

Anyone hear why Stewart couldn't make it at the last minute?

I had a feeling someone was running late (I assumed Takei) when they stayed on the red carpet with those two kids chattering inanely and reading Tweets for 20 mins longer than was scheduled. When Jeri Ryan said Sir Patrick would not be joining them, gotta admit I got a little nervous.

[CosmiComic]

Just saw the trailer. Didn't really expect this kind of plot. Nice to see Q back.

[nx01a]

Anyone hear why Stewart couldn't make it at the last minute?
I had a feeling someone was running late (I assumed Takei) when they stayed on the red carpet with those two kids chattering inanely and reading Tweets for 20 mins longer than was scheduled. When Jeri Ryan said Sir Patrick would not be joining them, gotta admit I got a little nervous.

I would have preferred the orchestra play their previous pieces again... but that kind of stalling is even more obvious.
No idea why Sir Picard wasn't there. I'm sure he's fine.