GRIM RUMOURS ABOUT NEW STAR TREK:DISCOVERY SERIES

[von Boom]

Can we all agree that Michelle Yeoh was simply dreamy? *sigh*

[Goaty]

Can we all agree that Michelle Yeoh was simply dreamy? *sigh*

Same in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

[Professor Bear]

I got used to the new Klingons in about 30 seconds (I mean, why not a bit of racial diversity in a clan-based interstellar species?)

(No spoilers) We see the Klingon houses' representatives in the next episode and they all look like the new Klingon design.  There is no racial diversity to the point that - as seen in the first episode - albinos are outcasts.

[blackmocco]

Most criticisms made above are vaild: the JJTrek leanings undermine claims to be in the 'Prime' timeline; Martin-Green's over-acting as Burnham is proving bit wearing;  Sarek-On-Demand feels very wrong; the subtitles are unnecessary and offputting for (my) kids; AND we've only watched the first episode, BUT...

I enjoyed it rather a lot.

Failures to hold the camera level aside, it looked great, the Shenzou is a lovely design - much nicer than the horrid 2009 Enterprise - and the lead it takes from NuTrek actually seems to be from the superior entry of the reboot trilogy, ST: Beyond. I got used to the new Klingons in about 30 seconds (I mean, why not a bit of racial diversity in a clan-based interstellar species?), the bridge banter (while forced) was welcome, and I thought the whole thing conveyed the Starfleet ethos rather well, while still somehow feeling like it was in 'the past'. 

Yeah, this has more than earned a chance.  Many times better than 'Encounter at Farpoint' or 'Broken Bow' anyway.

Watched 'Broken Bow' last week and was pleasantly surprised by it. Didn't remember it being quite as entertaining.

As for Discovery (the second episode is great too, by the way), there's no reason it has to be Sarek as Burnham's ward. It could have been any Vulcan but I get they're trying to have some literal recognizable attachment to the original show. In saying that, and particularly in part 2, I found the relationship quite moving and - dare I say it - emotional.

Didn't mind the sweeping camera movements. That's just a part of modern movie-making. After five series of static camera placing they've earned the right to indulge themselves and yeah, the visuals very much harken to JJ, but honestly they were the parts I enjoyed most of those movies anyway.

Found a lot to enjoy: I liked the rapport the bridge crew shared. Burnham's spacewalk was a gorgeous throwback to Spock pissing around inside Vejur. The dynamic between Saru and Burnham was a nice reminder of the Spock/McCoy banter. [spoiler]I loved her outwitting the Shenzou computer from the brig too. Very Kirk-ian. Yeoh getting killed gave the right sort of emotional wrench too.[/spoiler]

If my biggest peeve with it is I wish the phasers were still a beam as opposed to a bolt, I'd say they got more right than wrong.

[auxlen]

Enjoyed the first episode but fell asleep during the second.
what with all the wonky Battlefield earth camera angles?
also i find the actor playing the[spoiler] older vulcan serek[/spoiler] a really strange chhoice

[Mardroid]

I caught up on the first episodes yesterday night. I enjoyed that a lot, but then I've always gravitated towards the conflict battle stories than straight exploration. I'm not much into the original series for example, but love the films, particularly the even numbers (and I've a soft spot for The Search for Spock) and I really like Enterprise, but I'm not that keen on the Next Generation. (Borg, Klingon and Romulan episodes aside.)

I'm not opposed to new species and discovery episodes, but I do find them often a bit preachy. This is how we do things in the federation. We're so great, etc. I know that's a but of a sweep, and they're not all like that, mind.

I liked the design of the Aliens at the start of the episode. Kind of humanoid and clam like in one. What looked like a hood could be a shell, etc.

[Smith]

What,no love for DS9?

[TordelBack]

I liked the design of the Aliens at the start of the episode. Kind of humanoid and clam like in one. What looked like a hood could be a shell, etc.

They were cool alright, and the stormclouds etc on the planet looked great too. However, the dialogue was the worst kind of nonsense:  radiation (?) from a meteor mining (why would you do such a thing?) project accident (?) had dried-up (?) the water sources of a species that had lived in that area for 1,000 years, and now they were facing an 89 year drought starting right now, which would somehow also strand two Starfleet officers on the planet, until someone blasted a hole in the bedrock at  the bottom of one single well, and then made a Nazca-lines version of the USS Enterprise insignia?  And despite the fact that the aliens were clearly and visibly watching all this going on, it wouldn't violate the Prime Directive. You wot?

Not that this matters, it was still good fun, and a pleasant reprise of the best bit of Into Darkness and several TNG episodes.

[Professor Bear]

That giant metal craft covered in multicoloured neon lights that flew out of that lightning storm and teleported two hairless apes away before rocketing loudly into the sky leaving only a giant symbol of alien origin carved into the sand could have been anything.

[PlanetReplicas]

Watched it last night-
Having followed many doomsday threads on it I thought it was great fun....

I thought the Klingon makeup was stunning, the only negative was their dialogue was a little muffled - needed some cleaning up in post I thought. Im also very used to watching subtitles ;-)

All the characters ( who survived!) seemed watchable - [spoiler]Lt Saru basically sounded just like Red Dwarf's Kryten[/spoiler] and James Frain (Sarek) was possibly a liitle on autopilot...especially if you watched Gotham- although in some ways this made him perfect for the role.
Lovely visual designs, would have liked a little more ambient light in the battle scenes, but thats just me...
[spoiler]I did think the escape from the prison holding was a very overused idea, especially noting the clever conversation with the ships computer earlier, could have been more imaginative?..[/spoiler]

Certainly the end of the second episode wasn't how I was expecting things to pan out so I will def be watching - regardless of peoples personal classic/JJ views, I think the show will win or loose on the writing...
8/10 ;-)

[PlanetReplicas]

That giant metal craft covered in multicoloured neon lights that flew out of that lightning storm and teleported two hairless apes away before rocketing loudly into the sky leaving only a giant symbol of alien origin carved into the sand could have been anything.

Battlestar Galactica did it better ;-)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JpaAGcT3QE

[Goaty]

"Let us discuss a new Star Trek that people have to pay for instead of watching for free. One in which the Klingons have been completely redesigned, one in which the technology looks completely different from what we would expect, as do the uniforms—all without a word of explanation. One in which one of the main characters has to reconcile human and Vulcan values. And one in which the production was fraught with behind-the-scenes difficulties.
I am, of course, talking about Star Trek: The Motion Picture in 1979."

[blackmocco]

"Let us discuss a new Star Trek that people have to pay for instead of watching for free. One in which the Klingons have been completely redesigned, one in which the technology looks completely different from what we would expect, as do the uniforms—all without a word of explanation. One in which one of the main characters has to reconcile human and Vulcan values. And one in which the production was fraught with behind-the-scenes difficulties.
I am, of course, talking about Star Trek: The Motion Picture in 1979."

I have a real soft spot for TMP, even if I agree with Nimoy who says it's a Trek movie with none of the correct characters. That Klingon opening is still awesome.

[dweezil2]

That giant metal craft covered in multicoloured neon lights that flew out of that lightning storm and teleported two hairless apes away before rocketing loudly into the sky leaving only a giant symbol of alien origin carved into the sand could have been anything.

Battlestar Galactica did it better ;-)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JpaAGcT3QE

On the evidence of the first two episodes of Discovery, BSG did everything better! 

[Tjm86]

Battlestar Galactica did it better ;-)

Nobody does it better!