Star Trek: Discovery - Season 1 - TV review
Star Trek: Discovery - Season 1
Plot: Ten years before Kirk, Spock and the Enterprise, the USS Discovery discovers new worlds and lifeforms as one Starfleet officer learns to understand all things alien.
Cast: Sonequa Martin-Green, Doug Jones, Shazad Latif
Number Of Episodes: 15
Channel: Netflix (UK)/CBS All Access (US)
Certificate: 15 (moderate threat, violence, infrequent gory images, injury detail, strong language)
Air Date: September 24th 2017 - February 11th 2018
WARNING: This review will contain SPOILERS for Star Trek: Discovery - Season 1.
"Captain's Log. Star Date: 2018. Starfleet has received word that a new and mysterious organisation has been kidnapping well-known films and television shows. The most recent hostage comes in the form of a new science fiction series revolving around the adventures of the U.S.S. Discovery." Star Trek has embarked on a new voyage with a brand spanking new series set just before the events of the 1960s original. Going to Netflix was a bold move for the franchise but after a troubled production and underwhelming trailers, my anticipation levels weren't particularly stratospheric. Fortunately, it turned out better than one could have hoped.
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| Now you see it. Now you don't. |
First thing's first, this is a very different Star Trek series compared to previous entries. Brought up to speed with the modern times, Discovery breaks new ground in the franchise containing its first F-bomb, first prominently openly gay couple and a spirit that didn't feel as if it had to play by a set of rules and that it could be whatever it wanted to. Admittedly, some Trekkies aren't going to gravitate towards this paradigm shift and they've made their grievances known. Fans have complained about how overly violent this show is and that it appears to be intended for the casual fans rather than the hardcore variety. Personally, I think Discovery was a very bold decision by the Trek overlords and admire some of the directions it went in because, as well as feeling like a revamped Trek series, it created a solid and entertaining story at the forefront. For the first time, the central character is not a Starfleet captain but instead, First Officer Michael Burnham (Martin-Green). The opening episodes lands us smack-bang in the middle of a confrontation between the USS Shenzhou and a Klingon fleet. This would eventually become the spark that ignites the infamous Klingon war that spans across nearly all Star Trek shows.
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| All she ever wanted was a chair. |
My first impressions of the show were a little mixed. It was certainly far better than the trailers had made it out to be but opening with a gigantic battle sequence that makes the two episodes feel like the third act to a movie, was off-putting. Also, it was incredibly heavy on the action and whilst I don't mind a plasma gun being fired occasionally in my Star Trek shows, the immediate priority should be exploration and discovery. Action usually comes in second depending on the enemy. However, looking back on the series as a whole, that opening mini-movie was necessary to set the characters in motion for how they would then progress throughout the season. As the episodes continued, the dust settled and the show became more focused on introducing us to this new crew and caring about their cause which was when I found myself getting extremely invested. Firstly, the performances by the largely unknown cast is particularly impressive. Martin-Green steps into the lead role with the utmost confidence and transforms a character that you initially don't trust, into a hero you would defend until your dying breath. Her overall arc of the season was the most compelling as she struggles to balance her Vulcan upbringing with her human needs and desires. She also kicks major ass when it's called upon her so Burnham covers all bases on being a great Star Trek lead. However, for me, the aspect that made Discovery go from a good Star Trek show to a great Star Trek show is the surrounding ensemble. Any ship is as good as its crew and this is a damn good crew. Anthony Rapp stars as Paul Stamets, the chief science officer, who began the series as a stuck-up, entitled and irritating snob but by the end of the fifteen episode run, my perception had done a complete 180° as he soon became a fan favourite. His groundbreaking relationship with the ship's Doctor was also a key component into our overwhelming admiration for Stamets.
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| Bae: "Come over." Me: "I can't. I'm in an asteroid field." Bae: "My parents aren't home." Me:... |
FACT: This series takes place in the prime universe, not the alternate universe, also known as the 'Kelvin Timeline.'
The two notable standouts of the Discovery crew are Jason Isaac's mysterious and war-driven, Captain Lorca, and the ever-impressive Doug Jones as the delightful Kelpien, Lieutenant Saru. Isaacs hardly gets any praise nor recognition in his general career but as Lorca he excels. As does Jones as he dons heaps of exquisite practical effects to create the endearing and sympathetic alien. Both of these characters are certain to become highlights in the Star Trek pantheon especially as future seasons air. If there is but a weak link in the cast, unfortunately, it's Shazad Latif who doesn't fit in as well as the other cast. Appearing later in the season alongside a brief cameo of Harry Mudd played brilliantly the cooky Rainn Wilson, Latif stars as Ash Tyler, a Starfleet officer that had been captured by the Klingons. Initially, he and Burnham strike up a romance but it took a little while before the chemistry truly clicked between them. Unfortunately for Latif, until the big reveal that he was experimented on to create a human-Klingon hybrid comes front and centre, his character is enormously dull and formulaic. You might as well have made him a young William Riker to then advance onto the USS Enterprise in his later life. Latif does what he can but he only gets a brief moment to shine when Tyler allows the Klingon personality to take over. Another gripe of mine is the overall structure of the season. For the first few episodes, the primary focus is on the Battle of the Binary Stars and the imminent fallout after that. The focus then switches to the Discovery crew developing a new form of hyperspace travel involving a kidnapped creature. This arc was possibly the most interesting because it allowed for the growth of individual characters and the dynamic to shift into a fully fledged Starfleet crew. After tampering with this new form of travel too much, Discovery is then inadvertently transported to a parallel universe where surprises are around every corner. Whilst an interesting premise, I couldn't help but feel that this portion of the season was simply one elaborate twist that took too many episodes to come to fruition. This could have easily been a compelling two-parter instead of taking up a good chunk of the season. Eventually, the crew escape this universe only to plunge into an immediate conflict between Starfleet and Klingon forces. It provided a satisfying conclusion to a season that certainly took its audience on a galactic adventure.
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| They look friendly. |
Discovery may be the most unique Star Trek show to date because it isn't afraid to bring some new ideas to the Trek universe. It is steeped in the law that the original series laid out and reinvents the entire franchise at the same time. The action and visual effects wouldn't go amiss in a feature cinematic film and I still get chills hearing that theme music. Discovery's cast is where the true magic is found with a incredibly diverse crew, each fully realised and brilliantly brought to life. It may have the odd stumble now and again, especially with its structure, but judging by the jaw-dropping ending, Discovery has got a bright and hopeful future ahead of it.
My Verdict: 8.5/10
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