Star Trek - Strange New Worlds has landed and it's amazing

[johnnyboy]

Long-time admirer of Star Trek. Favourite iterations are the original series, Voyager, and Discovery.

I am particularly excited about the coming 4k Blu Ray release of "Star Trek: The Motion Picture", my favourite film of the franchise (although I know most people apparently dislike it).

But I am even more excited by the launch of Strange New Worlds. I loved Captain Pike and his team when they featured in Discovery and they should make for a great series. Apparently, they are casting for James T Kirk for series 2 - very exciting.

TREKLAD has kindly put all current Strange New Worlds trailers together in a mega-trailer...

https://youtu.be/aEivoIq6gik

I would never describe myself as a Trekkie but I do have a lot of time for the Star Trek universe and its various spin-offs. I am even persuaded to try DS9 and Enterprise which never grabbed me at the time of broadcast.

[mdta]

Deep Space Nine is some of the best Trek ever made.

[johnnyboy]

Deep Space Nine is some of the best Trek ever made.

My best mate who is a proper Trekkie says that too.

May I ask, in your opinion, what makes it stand out from other Trek franchises? I think the thing that put me off it in the first place was the idea that it was set on a space station instead of roaming the galaxy like TOS and TNG.

[mdta]

Deep Space Nine is some of the best Trek ever made.

My best mate who is a proper Trekkie says that too.

May I ask, in your opinion, what makes it stand out from other Trek franchises? I think the thing that put me off it in the first place was the idea that it was set on a space station instead of roaming the galaxy like TOS and TNG.

I have been a Trek fan since watching TNG in the 90's

I avoided DS9 for many years, believing it to be the wrong vibe or the wrong setting. It was regarded as the black sheep back in the day. But the fact it has to follow the same set of characters, the same geo-political goings on, and the slow build up over many seasons of the storyline that would come to establish the show - means watching today, in the day of more serialised television, demonstrates how forward thinking it was.

The characters are explored more deeply than any other Trek show.

[wonkey_monkey]

I am particularly excited about the coming 4k Blu Ray release of "Star Trek: The Motion Picture", my favourite film of the franchise (although I know most people apparently dislike it).

I don't! I really, really hope they try the more sci-fi direction for the next film, because since 2009 we've had 1: Man with a grudge wants to destory the Federation, 2: Man with a grudge wants to destory the Federation, and 3: Man with a grudge wants to destory the Federation.

Now, will anyone else admit to liking Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, that's the real question...

Discovery has been hit-and-miss - it's so boringly earnest most of the times, with the characters constantly battling their doubts like cadets and having whispered conversations about feelings instead of getting own with their jobs, and some of the plotting has been sub-par. Picard's much better, but I'm really looking forward to the more episodic Strange New Worlds.

I've been going through TNG on blu-ray recently - it holds up extremely well in all aspects, looking like it was shot yesterday and with the beginnings of "arc" - something the production team had to fight for against Gene Roddenberry's wishes (syndication demanded that episodes should be broadcastable in any order). DS9 took that further, Voyager dialled it back a bit, then I think part of Enterprise's problem was that it tried to do both at once - individualised episodes and plots, but which mostly still tied to the ongoing (and pretty boring) multi-season arc. Discovery's gone even further, particularly with the last season feeling like a TNG two-parter stretched to 13 (the last two episodes were pretty good though).

[johnnyboy]

I avoided DS9 for many years, believing it to be the wrong vibe or the wrong setting. It was regarded as the black sheep back in the day. But the fact it has to follow the same set of characters, the same geo-political goings on, and the slow build up over many seasons of the storyline that would come to establish the show - means watching today, in the day of more serialised television, demonstrates how forward thinking it was.

The characters are explored more deeply than any other Trek show.

I'll definitely give it a go and thanks for the tip. My mate says the first two series are watchable but then it really picks up from the third series onwards.

I don't! I really, really hope they try the more sci-fi direction for the next film, because since 2009 we've had 1: Man with a grudge wants to destory the Federation, 2: Man with a grudge wants to destory the Federation, and 3: Man with a grudge wants to destory the Federation.

Now, will anyone else admit to liking Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, that's the real question...

Agreed on V. I can take or leave the "new" Star Trek. I'm pleased they exist because they definitely kept the franchise alive in ST's second TV wilderness years.

Discovery has been hit-and-miss - it's so boringly earnest most of the times, with the characters constantly battling their doubts like cadets and having whispered conversations about feelings instead of getting own with their jobs, and some of the plotting has been sub-par. Picard's much better, but I'm really looking forward to the more episodic Strange New Worlds.

I do like Picard but I am one of the seemingly few who love Discovery. I think Michael Burnham is excellent as captain with Saru as her calming influence.

With both Discovery and Picard, the budgets on them are massive and they both have a very cinematic quality to them.

[mdta]

I'll definitely give it a go and thanks for the tip. My mate says the first two series are watchable but then it really picks up from the third series onwards.

As with most Trek, it "grows the beard" with the third season. You may want to skip the season 1 episode "Move Along Home". Many episodes were TNG scripts repurposed, and it wasn't until the end of Season 2 that Steven Ira Behr became the main showrunner.

Agreed on V. I can take or leave the "new" Star Trek. I'm pleased they exist because they definitely kept the franchise alive in ST's second TV wilderness years.

Star Trek V is a good character piece for most of the characters. Spock's relative, the lacklustre ending, and bad VFX can be overlooked. Don't forget the scene when Sybok tries to take away their pain - Poor McCoy...

I do like Picard but I am one of the seemingly few who love Discovery. I think Michael Burnham is excellent as captain with Saru as her calming influence.

With both Discovery and Picard, the budgets on them are massive and they both have a very cinematic quality to them.

Discovery uses its story and settings as a way to tell character stories. It is not in keeping with the established visual designs of the 60's and has improved so much in the more recent series!

Picard season 1 was a mess with interesting moments, season 2 and 3 is back on track.

[Blubatt]

Star Trek is one of my all time favourite shows. I watched TNG on BBC 2 when I was still a Toddler, and always viewed Picard, Riker, Data, Crusher, et al as a part of the family. Captain Picard was my hero as a little boy, and he still is. From there, I have watched at
least one episode of each Star Trek series (except Prodigy). My favourites are TNG and DS9.

I am one of the people, however, who does dislike Discovery, and I gave up on it in Season 3, because I just couldn't get into it. I feel like a lot of the people who hate on Disco do tend to go on the whole 'Woke' and 'SJW' bandwagon, but I don't believe that. I like most of the characters, but I don't like each series being its own arc, and each arc being really boring at that. I also don't like the direction of Michael Burnham's character, and I think she didn't need to become captain. I believe that's the antithesis of what the show started as. But that's just me.

I am not a hater of new Trek. I do like Picard, even though it does share some of the same problems of Disco. I am really looking forward to Strange New Worlds, as a return to what I like most about Trek: the exploration and episodic story telling. While I've not had a chance to really check out Lower Decks or Prodigy, I am up for it (I think the former is quite funny)

[wonkey_monkey]

Star Trek V is a good character piece for most of the characters. Spock's relative, the lacklustre ending, and bad VFX can be overlooked. Don't forget the scene when Sybok tries to take away their pain - Poor McCoy...

Oh yeah, those scenes are great - then Kirk refuses because he understands and needs his pain. And Sybok's a great, sympathetic antagonist.

But mostly I love it just because Captain Kirk talks back to God. I'd have greenlit production on those six words alone.

"Excuse me..."

While I've not had a chance to really check out Lower Decks or Prodigy, I am up for it (I think the former is quite funny)

Lower Decks is fun, particularly if you know Star Trek inside out. I've actually found some of the character development on Prodigy, even though it's definitely aimed at kids, far more interesting than Discovery!

[mdta]

What does God need with a starship?

I've actually found some of the character development on Prodigy, even though it's definitely aimed at kids, far more interesting than Discovery!

Discovery was originally going to be an anthology series by Bryan Fuller - so Discovery would cover the Klingon war, then season 2 a new crew and ship.

The showrunner left at the studio behest, and the pieces had to be picked up with designs already greenlit and story points written.

Then season 2 was the start of responding to feedback. So Pike comes in, and the Klingons "course corrected"

Season 3 throws them far in the future, so they could be freed from maintaining continuity with The Original Series etc.

Seasons 3 and 4 were big improvements - and felt more "trek like" with some of the things they experience and deal with.

[XIII]

I alway found it interesting that Star Trek TNG and the film series got better once they shuffled Gene Roddenberry into a less hand on role. I think Roddenberry's idea that everyone in the future got along nicely is good idea on paper but makes incredibly boring television.

[johnnyboy]

I am one of the people, however, who does dislike Discovery, and I gave up on it in Season 3, because I just couldn't get into it. I feel like a lot of the people who hate on Disco do tend to go on the whole 'Woke' and 'SJW' bandwagon, but I don't believe that. I like most of the characters, but I don't like each series being its own arc, and each arc being really boring at that. I also don't like the direction of Michael Burnham's character, and I think she didn't need to become captain. I believe that's the antithesis of what the show started as. But that's just me.

I must admit that I have loved Michael Burnham's ascent from troubled prodigy to having all that responsibility in her hands. I think she is one of the strongest and most compelling characters in the Trek universe.

The whole "woke" and "SJW" thing is something I don't get with Disco, personally, but I can see why other people do.

To me, the gentleness and genuine love in the relationship between Stamets and Culber is beautifully portrayed by two fine actors as is the more fiery and fun relationship between Burnham and Book. Having a black lass as captain isn't new territory for Trek after Janeway and Cisco. The whole Adira/Gray non-binary/trans thing did feel at first a tacked-on to me but the show benefits from the people they are because Adira's growth into their professional role is interesting and how they cope without being in each other's company constantly. I think Jett Reno is one of the wittiest, driest characters even seen on the franchise and she fills up the screen when she's on.

I think "woke" drama often suffers from characters being shoe-horned in for the sake of it and being given no interesting story lines but I think Disco has dodged that bullet particularly well.

On the whole story arc thing, I can definitely see where you're coming from. Doctor Who under the brilliant Peter Capaldi was mainly story arcs through the show and they often confused the hell out of me. Disco is much easier for my apparently simple brain to follow :-)

I am not a hater of new Trek. I do like Picard, even though it does share some of the same problems of Disco. I am really looking forward to Strange New Worlds, as a return to what I like most about Trek: the exploration and episodic story telling. While I've not had a chance to really check out Lower Decks or Prodigy, I am up for it (I think the former is quite funny)

Like you, I am very excited about Strange New Worlds. My first love was Kirk, Spock and Bones and I'm kind of hoping for some of that vibe from SNW.

I don't think I'm going to check out Lower Decks or Prodigy - animation is not my bag anymore unfortunately although I did love the animated Star Trek when it made an appearance on daytime CBBC1 during the school holidays of the 1980s.

[CantGetIn]

I really could never get into DS9 or the original series, the rest of the pre modern series I like. Picard is ok, I didn't like the first series but the second has been ok....but it's not really proper Star Trek and has lost the innocence a bit.

[XIII]

I don’t think there’s such a thing as proper Star Trek, the franchise has had to evolve from its original Incarnation and I would say a lot of the elements of the spin offs like DS9 actually were a benefit.

[wonkey_monkey]

The whole Adira/Gray non-binary/trans thing did feel at first a tacked-on to me but the show benefits from the people they are because Adira's growth into their professional role is interesting and how they cope without being in each other's company constantly.

I was so relieved when they shipped Gray off. He was just dull, and I think the intensely soppy and inwardly-focused relationship stuff was holding Adira's character back.

I feel like they missed out by not making Adira's being non-binary a result of the joining with the symbiote. That would have made for some interesting avenues to explore as they came to terms with their new joined status (and it just seems like such a clear path to take, given the Trill's unique biology), whereas "just" being non-binary should not be any kind of deal at all by the 24th or even 23rd centuries (as indeed it hasn't been). They could have explored the current real-world issues faced by non-binary people by way of allegory, whereas this way there's nothing to explore in the world where Discovery is set.

As it is, being joined barely gets any kind of a mention. DS9 established that it usually gave young hosts an "old soul" vibe, whereas Adira is still portrayed as an uncertain teenager.

On the subject of Picard, rumour has it that

all of the TNG series leads - Wil Wheaton not being mentioned - will be reprising their roles in the final season.