What I’m Watching: Star Trek: Discovery

Star Trek: Discovery: Season 1, Episode 10 “Despite Yourself” (B-)

I said that I wasn’t sure if I’d continue watching this show when it returned from its two-month hiatus, and though this debut installment wasn’t all that terrible, I think I have my clear answer. Let me preface this by saying that the mirror universe is probably my favorite concept in all of “Star Trek.” Having each of the characters take on a different role and often encounter the regular version of themselves was fun, and often led to some great storylines. But in this case, we’re a mere ten episodes into the first season of this show, and we don’t really know – or like – our characters well enough to be ready to meet alternate versions of them just yet. Sure, it’s a blast to see Tilly – nicknamed Captain Killy – in the captain’s chair pretending to be a badass when she’s anything but. Everything else feels all too convenient. Worse still, the unfortunate Klingon obsession continues to dominate things, with Ash not only hallucinating his Klingon captor-lover but now acting with a separate personality. Stamets was in bad enough shape, now Ash has killed Hugh. Not only does no one know yet, but I can only imagine that things will get much worse from here. It’s bold – and not in a good way – that this show wants to set itself entirely in the mirror universe (or whatever this is supposed to be) for multiple episodes, and a quick look at the sneak peek at the rest of the season indicates that characters will, understandably, be irreversibly transformed by their experiences. I’m happy to let them do that on their own – I’m out.

What I’m Watching: Star Trek: Discovery

Star Trek: Discovery: Season 1, Episode 9 “Into the Forest I Go” (B)

I thought that this show was going off the air for months before I saw that it will actually return in January, which really isn’t that far away. I’ve wondered why it is that I continue to watch this show since it hardly boasts the same exploration-based energy that previous incarnations of this franchise have. But I feel like it’s usually worthwhile to stick with a show like this even if it doesn’t provide the desired level of excitement. I am pleased to report that this episode was more fast-paced and enthralling than usual, thanks to the intensity of the 144 jumps that they made in order to stay out of the line of fire from the Klingons and use the trackers planted by Michael and Tyler to decode their cloaking technology. I really do wonder if there’s a point in our society where we’ll actually develop something like transporter technology, and if there are going to be issues picking up the wrong heat signatures, like, say, if someone is midair when they’re whisked away or if they have a Klingon wrapped around their neck. Fortunately, Michael made it off with a memento of her old captain, her traumatized boyfriend, and the admiral that we thought might have been dead. Now, after Lorca rightly determined that Lieutenant Stamets should be the recipient of an honor for his bravery, they’re lost somewhere in space. I would have hoped for a slightly more emphatic conclusion, and I can only hope that time travel or a mirror universe is involved. This show needs something to make it feel like the old series.

What I’m Watching: Star Trek: Discovery

Star Trek: Discovery: Season 1, Episode 8 “Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum” (B-)

This episode picks up right after the events of the sixth hour, forgetting entirely the time loop that everyone was stuck in last week. That is, except for Lieutenant Stamets, who Tilly is noticing is starting to act a little weird, something he can’t quite describe but is definitely cause for concern. I’ve grown very, very tired of all these Klingon antics, namely the extra-large subtitles and my inability to distinguish any of the Klingons from the pack. Admiral Cornwell appears to have met her end pretty quickly during an escape attempt she didn’t even engineer, though I suppose it’s possible that she’s actually still alive, not that she has any true hope of getting off the ship. Michael really is one for procedure, and not being able to use the technology of a species not really capable of communicating normally without getting their express permission was inconvenient to say the least. It was interesting to see Saru turn on Michael and Ash when the serenity of the planet and its music-inclined species got to him, and for him to use his abilities to realize that Ash was lying to him. Ash had a far more relaxed position about this war, ready to leave the transmitter so that the war could continue to prioritize the needs of the few instead of him going back to his lake house and her going back to prison. After she successfully got them rescued, Michael also managed to have the planet of Pahvo put out a call to bring the Klingons to the Discovery’s doorstep, which should make for a moderately enticing fall finale.

What I’m Watching: Star Trek: Discovery

Star Trek: Discovery: Season 1, Episode 7 “Magic to Make the Sanest Man Go Mad” (B)

Anthony Rapp has been in the news all week for his identification of Kevin Spacey as the actor who made a sexual advance on him when he was fourteen. He was also a very big part of this episode, with Lieutenant Stamets’ link to the spore drive making him an invaluable savior of the ship and all its crew. It seems to be almost a requirement for shows either set in space or some other science fiction construct to feature episodes that deal with repeating the same day or block of time over and over again, and I didn’t find this hour to be as strong as the recent “Dark Matter” spotlight of the same subject. A big part of why I didn’t love this episode is that I wasn’t a fan of Mud the first time we saw him, and having him back here as a man who, over and over again, disintegrated Captain Lorca and self-destructed the ship, only to be reunited with his somewhat clingy, somewhat scary love with barely any consequences for his many acts of temporary murder. I’m also not sure that we’re familiar enough with many of our characters to spend only a few splintered moments with them and then rejoin them when they don’t remember any of it, and their development suffers as a result. Why a dance like this would happen on a starship with officers present is puzzling to me, though maybe I don’t know enough about military culture in general, and the awkward conversations between Ash and Michael were pretty uncomfortable and not all that informative. I do like Tilly and hope that we see her featured more going forward. As long as we never have to see Mud again. I think I’ll have to rewatch some of “The Office” to be fond of Rainn Wilson again.

What I’m Watching: Star Trek: Discovery

Star Trek: Discovery: Season 1, Episode 6 “Lethe” (B)

This episode filled in some helpful information that proves I’m not a true Trekkie. Most loyal viewers of the franchise would have known right off the bat that Sarek was Spock’s father, but I just assumed that there was more than one Vulcan family in this universe. It turns out that’s not really the case, and though we haven’t yet and didn’t now see him, Michael was indeed raised as Spock’s older sister, and his status as a half-Vulcan forced Sarek to make the unfortunate choice to have Michael rejected from the Vulcan Academy. It’s interesting to see the strength of their bond play out as Sarek was nearly killed by a faction of his people against negotiation with the Klingons, and his mind was powerful enough to eject Michael from it even as he was dying. Michael’s conclusion was an important one, that she expected something from her father that she was never going to get in the same way that he held expectations of her that would never come to fruition for much more logical reasons. I hope we get to see of Mia Kirshner as her mother Amanda - I like the “24” and “L Word” actress, especially when she’s playing a normal character. While Sarek’s situation was regrettable, the rebellious Vulcan agents were correct to some degree, in that the Klingons truly can’t be trusted. It was brave of Admiral Cornwell to go to the negotiations in Sarek’s place, and now she’s become their most valuable prisoner. It’s good timing for Lorca for his boss to get captured, though I hardly think that now is the time for him to start asking for orders when boldly charging ahead without giving any thought to the consequences has worked so well for him in the past.

What I’m Watching: Star Trek: Discovery

Star Trek: Discovery: Season 1, Episode 5 “Choose Your Pain” (B-)

I’m becoming less and less enamored with this show. I know that it’s just the name of the ship, but I still feel like we should be getting to explore and feel a sense of wonder from the many different alien races, cultures, and planets that the crew meets. Yet this show seems completely obsessed with the Klingons, who in this version are terribly uninteresting, and the being aboard the ship that Michael managed to prove felt pain and wouldn’t be able to do well with so many quick jumps that Saru ordered. Lorca was taken captive by the Klingons pretty easily, and not once did he seem to sweat his situation, which speaks partially to his fearlessness but also to the predictability of him being rescued. Now, he did do more to help his situation than most might have, and teaming up with Lieutenant Tyler to escape worked pretty well, though it didn’t seem like they had to put up much of a fight. I immediately recognized Rainn Wilson from “The Office” as Harry, and I’m not entirely sure what that character’s contribution to the episode really was. This whole “choose your pain” thing didn’t impress me too much either, and given that it’s the title of this episode, I don’t think that’s an established Klingon tradition in Trek lore. Tilly’s excited reaction to the fact that she’s not the source of Michael’s annoyance was endearing, as was learning that the increasingly likeable Lieutenant Stamets and Dr. Culber are a couple.

Take Three: Star Trek: Discovery

Star Trek: Discovery: Season 1, Episode 4 “The Butcher's Knife Cares Not for the Lamb's Cry” (B)

This show continues to be intriguing, but I do feel that it focuses too much of its time on the heavily-subtitled Klingons, which I’ve found to be relatively unengaging over the course of the past four episodes. Yes, I know that the alien race is important to Trek lore and that they’re deeply honor-based. But I think I’ve heard more than enough about House T’Kuvma, and every new conversation adds nothing. In a surprise turn of events, this show killed off one of its main characters, who I didn’t even realize was portrayed by Rekha Sharma from “Battlestar Galactica,” in a moment that was meant to prove Michael’s hypothesis that the beast they had caged up wasn’t actually violent in nature but far more peaceful than they all thought. It seems that every notion Michael has is unsupported by those around her, and only Captain Lorca, known for being quite reckless, believes in her and knows that having her around is a good thing for him, for his ship, and for Starfleet in general. I do like Lieutenant Stamets, who stood up to Captain Lorca when he charged him with plotting a jump that needed days of calculation time in mere hours and then stood by his stance when they nearly burnt up in a sun. This rescue mission seemed like a bit of a one-off exercise, but I imagine that they’ll be charging at full force towards the Klingons to wage war whether they mean to or not, and it’s a good thing given the way that they’re arming themselves with Starfleet technology.

Round Two: Star Trek: Discovery

Star Trek: Discovery: Season 1, Episode 3 “Context is for Kings” (B)

I want to like this show, both because I think it has potential and because I think it’s going to be very popular with audiences. This episode was decent, though I found it to be very expository, not quite getting to where it needs to be just yet. What struck me most about this hour is that the name of the ship is emblematic of this show’s style, which is to present exploration of the galaxy and charting new, untraveled territory that might in fact be quite dangerous. This reminded me of a really disturbing young adult novel that I once read which was supposed to exist in a Star Trek/Marvel crossover universe that had much darker themes than it should have had for its intended audience. Back to this show, there was no way that Michael was going to spend her life in prison, and now she’s back in an official Starfleet role thanks to Jason Isaacs’ Captain Lorca, who doesn’t let his life be ruled by fear and instead indulges his impulses to utilize talent around him. Isaacs is a great actor and this seems to be a superb role for him, with plenty of mystery to it as he tried to bait the captive beast that took out the Klingon after he convinced Michael to stay by showing her the potential of the work they were doing. I like Anthony Rapp’s Lieutenant Stamets, who is not a fan of Michael at all, and I think they’ll do good work together if they can manage to find common ground in the science of it. Mary Wiseman, who I guess I recognize from her role as Meg on “Longmire,” is another great addition as Cadet Tilly, and I enjoyed her direct reference to Michael’s unusual name, a Bryan Fuller tradition of giving female characters traditionally male monikers, and her unsuccessful plan to call her “Mickey” instead.

Pilot Review: Star Trek: Discovery

Star Trek: Discovery (CBS All Access)
Premiered September 24 at 8:30pm on CBS

This premiere is a pretty big deal for a lot of reasons. On the heels of the first streaming series winning a top Emmy prize, this is the flagship show of a major broadcast network’s premium subscription service, which could become a new model for television in the coming months and years. Though “The Good Fight” beat it to air, this was the first show conceived for the network, and the first “Star Trek” series in twelve years following the successful relaunch of the brand with three films in the past decade. In a lot of ways, this feels like classic fare, with a few important differences. Sonequa Martin-Green, of “The Walking Dead” fame, is an actress of color in the leading role, and she even has a male name, knocking out racial and gender stereotypes in one fell swoop, charging ahead by venturing into unknown space, knocking out the captain, and getting a computer to accept her ethical protocols in order to give her a fighting chance at survival. She’s a huge asset to her crew, using her learned Vulcan knowledge to her advantage at every turn. The all caps subtitles for the Klingon make them less accessible, seeming like a truly alien species, and going back in time yet again to a Cold War point makes them the natural enemies for the less war-oriented Federation. Unlike “Enterprise,” this show doesn’t address the novelty of space travel, but rather hones in on the adventurous exploration of deep space. I’m not sure that, if that wasn’t part of this universe, I would be compelled to keep watching, but I’m eager to meet Jason Isaacs’ captain following Michelle Yeoh’s memorable start and see where this show and its protagonist go, at least for a few more episodes.

How will it work as a series? This brand has never had a problem filling its episodes, and as long as it doesn’t stay too focused on the Klingon threat, there should be more than enough space to cover to keep it engaging for years. The characters are well-written and there’s a lot to be gleaned from this crew.
How long will it last? The reviews are very good, which is a positive. I think everyone would have expected that the buzz for this show would produce strong viewership numbers for the two-hour premiere, and the question is how many of those viewers will subscribe to CBS All Access, a statistic that will matter more than how many people are actually watching it. I suspect this will be a resounding success and wouldn’t be surprised if a renewal was announced very soon.

Pilot grade: B+