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PLEASANTLY SURPRISED BY THE NEW STAR TREK: DISCOVERY SERIES

Started by Jim_Campbell, 10 October, 2017, 06:53:24 PM

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blackmocco

#30
Quote from: Professor Bear on 13 October, 2017, 10:53:45 PM
As has been noted, the first Trek reboot movie did great and brought in many new fans.  Who promptly fucked off by the third one.

Quote from: von Boom on 13 October, 2017, 08:03:29 PM
Quote from: blackmocco on 13 October, 2017, 06:46:57 PM
Quote from: Professor Bear on 13 October, 2017, 06:31:05 PM
Orville - because I'm going to derail this thread too - covered this very topic this week.  With the creature designs for their own Klingon-types being quite close to Discovery's, it was hard not to think of it as a potshot, even though with USTV production schedules being what they are, I know it probably wasn't.

I doubt CBS gives two shits what Orville is doing at this point...

Nor Fox.

That's where you're wrong - Fox will be taking careful note of when to cancel it.

Ratings are stabilizing around the 1.0. Three million viewers, give or take. Hard to tell what happens next. Can't see it doing much better than that. Hard to see a second season with those ratings.

Have to be honest, I do not get this show. I've been a good boy, I've watched every episode so far thinking maybe something will click, I'm seeing people who's opinions I trust say they like it and I'm just not seeing it. Last night's was supposed to be the best one yet and I found it utter fucking torture to finish.

And yes, I realize there's an Orville thread but it only has six comments. Unless it's getting compared to STD (unfairly for both shows...), no-one wants to talk about it.
"...and it was here in this blighted place, he learned to live again."

www.BLACKMOCCO.com
www.BLACKMOCCO.blogspot.com

blackmocco

*whose opinions I trust. Sorry. Realized I've been mixing up my who's and whose lately.
"...and it was here in this blighted place, he learned to live again."

www.BLACKMOCCO.com
www.BLACKMOCCO.blogspot.com

Professor Bear

Fair play to you for sticking with a show you don't like and giving it a fair chance even when you get disappointed by it every week.
I dunno about the latest being "the best", but it was definitely the episode that benefited most from lowered expectations.  The forced and largely unfunny banter between characters made the sudden swing to mass murder more of a turn-up than if it was an entirely straight-faced show, and I didn't even mind that the plot hinged on aliens installing deadly death lamps in their ships instead of light bulbs.  Aliens might do that.  Who am I to judge?

QuoteThere's an Orville thread but it only has six comments. Unless it's getting compared to STD (unfairly for both shows...), no-one wants to talk about it.

The Orville thread is Tips asking where he can watch it legally.  What was to be said about the show itself was pretty much already said in the Grim Rumors thread.  And now here.

I actually followed a bunch of random YT Trek channels like Trekyards, Crimson Sin, Major Grin, Irish Trekkie etc to keep up with the weekly STD chatter, and they all seem to have regular Orville round tables/review vids now.  Most of them are well over comparing the shows or picking sides, too, though there's always Midnight's Edge if you fancy your chatter a bit more partisan, or The Dave Cullen Show if you want your Trek reviews from a right wing headcase conservative.

JOE SOAP

Quote from: Professor Bear on 14 October, 2017, 02:14:01 AM
or The Dave Cullen Show if you want your Trek reviews from a right wing headcase conservative.

–puke–


blackmocco

Quote from: Professor Bear on 14 October, 2017, 02:14:01 AM
Fair play to you for sticking with a show you don't like and giving it a fair chance even when you get disappointed by it every week.
I dunno about the latest being "the best", but it was definitely the episode that benefited most from lowered expectations.  The forced and largely unfunny banter between characters made the sudden swing to mass murder more of a turn-up than if it was an entirely straight-faced show, and I didn't even mind that the plot hinged on aliens installing deadly death lamps in their ships instead of light bulbs.  Aliens might do that.  Who am I to judge?

QuoteThere's an Orville thread but it only has six comments. Unless it's getting compared to STD (unfairly for both shows...), no-one wants to talk about it.

The Orville thread is Tips asking where he can watch it legally.  What was to be said about the show itself was pretty much already said in the Grim Rumors thread.  And now here.

I actually followed a bunch of random YT Trek channels like Trekyards, Crimson Sin, Major Grin, Irish Trekkie etc to keep up with the weekly STD chatter, and they all seem to have regular Orville round tables/review vids now.  Most of them are well over comparing the shows or picking sides, too, though there's always Midnight's Edge if you fancy your chatter a bit more partisan, or The Dave Cullen Show if you want your Trek reviews from a right wing headcase conservative.

Well, I know most of the main heads at Orville fairly well from Family Guy. They're all good people so I wish I felt better about it. David Goodman actually worked on Enterprise and I know Seth's enthusiasm for Trek (particularly TNG) is the real deal. Just wish the show was more solid. I get what they're trying to do, just don't think they're pulling it off successfully.

In other news, the Trek Yards lads are something.
"...and it was here in this blighted place, he learned to live again."

www.BLACKMOCCO.com
www.BLACKMOCCO.blogspot.com

blackmocco

"...and it was here in this blighted place, he learned to live again."

www.BLACKMOCCO.com
www.BLACKMOCCO.blogspot.com

Jim_Campbell

Quote from: Jim_Campbell on 10 October, 2017, 06:53:24 PM
Thought, per comments on the GRIM RUMOURS thread, that we could do with a more appropriately-titled thread!

(Also, I thought it would be nice to talk about the show without endless diversions into discussions about The Sodding Orville, but plainly not...)
Stupidly Busy Letterer: Samples. | Blog
Less-Awesome-Artist: Scribbles.

Professor Bear

Quote from: blackmocco on 14 October, 2017, 06:12:15 AMIn other news, the Trek Yards lads are something.

Forget it, Jake.  It's a Youtube channel.

blackmocco

Quote from: Jim_Campbell on 14 October, 2017, 08:57:31 AM
Quote from: Jim_Campbell on 10 October, 2017, 06:53:24 PM
Thought, per comments on the GRIM RUMOURS thread, that we could do with a more appropriately-titled thread!

(Also, I thought it would be nice to talk about the show without endless diversions into discussions about The Sodding Orville, but plainly not...)

I agree. Sorry. My bad. No more Orville. It's dead, Jim. Promise.
"...and it was here in this blighted place, he learned to live again."

www.BLACKMOCCO.com
www.BLACKMOCCO.blogspot.com

Jim_Campbell

Quote from: blackmocco on 14 October, 2017, 02:25:09 PM
I agree. Sorry. My bad. No more Orville. It's dead, Jim. Promise.

No apologies needed. I was just tetchy this morning. Sorry!
Stupidly Busy Letterer: Samples. | Blog
Less-Awesome-Artist: Scribbles.

Hawkmumbler

Quote from: JOE SOAP on 13 October, 2017, 08:32:01 PM
For the first time in my life I'm regularly watching Star Trek, so it must be doing something wrong.
Two episodes in and THIS is my sentiments exactly. Resoundingly solid sci-fi indeed.

TordelBack

So a great episode this week, not least because it showed that the show can sucessfully have a non-Michael focus, and that the various crewmembers have more going on than just background colour. Assume new pretty boy will be oyr new security chief? Also a nice bit of Mudd that bodes well for the future.

However, two completely gratuitous "f*cking"s make me wonder who this show is aimed at. Am I the only person watching this with young kids? Isn't Star Trek a family show anymore?

Professor Bear


blackmocco

#43
Quote from: TordelBack on 16 October, 2017, 09:23:09 PM
So a great episode this week, not least because it showed that the show can sucessfully have a non-Michael focus, and that the various crewmembers have more going on than just background colour. Assume new pretty boy will be oyr new security chief? Also a nice bit of Mudd that bodes well for the future.

However, two completely gratuitous "f*cking"s make me wonder who this show is aimed at. Am I the only person watching this with young kids? Isn't Star Trek a family show anymore?

The f-bomb was a little shocking but it was so playful, I'd find it hard to get offended. Can't imagine we're going to be hearing it too often. [spoiler](Was it worse than Starfleet officers being gutted with bayonets and Klingon women having half their faces melted off? Or worse still, according to the internets: The Klingon D7 cruiser didn't look like the one from TOS...)[/spoiler]

Yep. Best one yet. Show's finding its groove now, gathering strength every week. Have to confess, grew so fatigued by technobabble on TNG and VOY over the years but really enjoyed Tilly, Burnham and Stamets doing their take on it last night.

I loved Wilson as Mudd. He fit the part without any issues for me. Wasn't much of a stretch to envision him as the same character. I think anyone doing a rewatch of Mudd's Women would see there's nothing terribly whimsical about the character in that one.

[spoiler]Burnham and Saru's exchange at the end, Saru's attempt to find common values between the greatest Starfleet captains as reference for himself, the ethical debate (and drama arising from) regarding the tardigrade and its subsequent release were all perfect Trek. [/spoiler]The show's too dark? Nonsense. Someone may have turned the lighting down but the show's spirit is aligned towards hopeful solutions.

Acting's top-shelf in this one. Doug Jones in particular gets to shine but Isaacs is so, so great. You can tell he's having a lot of fun. [spoiler]io9 were bitching this morning about him leaving Mudd behind on the Klingon cruiser means Star Trek's lost its soul but that's not true at all. Lorca's lost his soul. Seeing now how deep his wounds go.[/spoiler]

If I've some minor nitpicks...? The plotting's still a bit clunky. It's an issue with a lot of episodic TV. Game of Thrones suffered a lot this season with this – the feeling of characters being moved around to service the plot like chess pieces rather than characters making decisions themselves to push the plot forward.

I wish we could get some nice money shots of some of these ships. Everything moves around so fast, it's hard to get a sense of what they look like.

These are minor compared to the positive aspects though. Show's warping now. So happy it seems to be in good hands. More, please!!
"...and it was here in this blighted place, he learned to live again."

www.BLACKMOCCO.com
www.BLACKMOCCO.blogspot.com

Goaty

Anyone notice the list of Captains include Jonathan Archer and Christopher Pike!