"Star Trek: Discovery" has been trading on Star Trek's good name for four series. Enough. Put an end to it.
There have been huge problems all along.
In the first season we were subjected to lengthy Klingon dramas. The Klingons looked different - for no apparent reason - and the dramas were delivered in Klingon, with subtitles, because we wouldn't want to offend any Klingons by not respecting their language. Klingons were dropped. Rightly so.
The series was placed in time just before the original Kirk/Spock series. 5 minutes of thinking would have revealed the problem here: in several areas tech in 2021 is more advanced than the tech Spock and Kirk played with. Cell phones a far more capable than communicators. Touch screens have done away with the need of rows and rows of mechanical buttons. Eventually, the producers figured this out and moved "Discovery" to the 32nd century.
In "Star Trek the Next Generation" we were introduced to Reginald Barclay, a man with problems, whose superior intellect enabled him to contribute despite his issues. Now, "Discovery" has an entire ship of Barclays - including the captain!
The current season is full of squishy emotions. In episode 2 of series 4 (Anomaly) the following characters had emotional scenes: Burnham, Stamets, Tilly, Adira, and Booker. The only two major characters that remain grounded are Saru and Dr. Culber.
"The First," "Away," and "Defying Gravity" are all TV sci-fi series. The have two things in common. Each series delved heavily into the emotions and personal lives of the characters while rolling out the actual sci-fi drama at a leisurely pace. Secondly, each series was canceled quickly, lasting 8, 10 and 13 episodes respectively. If "Discovery" was not wearing the mantle of Star Trek the plug would have been pulled long ago.
When it comes to sci-fi TV it has to be about the sci-fi. If you want the other, watch "Grey's Anatomy" as it does a much better job.
Then there is the character of Michael Burnham. Leaving aside the fact that Spock had an adopted human sister - something not mentioned in the first 50 years of Star Trek - Michael was raised Vulcan. Any semblance of her Vulcan upbringing is now completely gone as she stumbles and blubbers from scene to scene at a rate that would have embarrassed even James T. Kirk. This leaves Burnham unbelievable as Captain and unlikeable as a character. Likability of the captain has been key to every Star Trek series - even the less important/central Ben Sisko of "Deep Space Nine."
One last shot. The opening credits of "Discovery,", which are a dull as dirt, last 90 seconds. The original "Star Trek's" opening titles, with the immortal, "These are the voyages..." were 60 seconds long.
Do yourself a favour. Instead of watching the continuing calamity that is "Discovery," re-Discover a sci-fi/fantasy series, that in addition to being great, fanciful, and humorous, had opening credits were a breathtaking 11 seconds in length, "Warehouse 13."
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