With just one week to go CBS just released their most revealing Star Trek: Discovery web promo so far, featuring a lot of new footage and dialog.
Discover a future worth fighting for. Stream the world premiere of #StarTrekDiscovery in 1 WEEK—Sunday, Sept 24: https://t.co/UQuwf1KdyC pic.twitter.com/x0C18YO8wh
— Star Trek: Discovery (@startrekcbs) September 17, 2017
Closer look
Here is what is new from this latest promo.
USS Shenzhou faces off with Klingon fleet with voice over from Capt. Lorca (of the USS Discovery) saying “We are at war….”
T’Kuvma (Chris Obi) lights a torch as Lorca voice over continues with “We kill them, or they kill us and everyone we care about.”
USS Shenzhou under attack by Klingon ships
Captain Lorca (Jason Isaacs) continues his speech saying “And we have one chance to get it right.”
Discovery bridge crew listen to Lorca (note crewperson in bottom right with side of head shaved and what appears to be some kind of device on her head, played by Emily Coutts who is credited as “Keyla Detmer” on IMDB. She was seen closer up in preview earlier this week)
Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) on recon mission observing an unknown object, accompanied by her voice over saying “The outcome of any Klingon interaction…is battle.”
Burnham battles a Klingon atop of “the obelisk”
USS Shenzhou’s Captain Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh) talks to Burnham saying “If they attack, we are the only line of defense.”
A Klingon Bird of Prey approaches the Shenzhou
On board USS Shenzhou (Note: this appears to be the same same crewperson played by Emily Coutts but without the shaved head and head appliance seen on USS Discovery, likely she is injured during the USS Shenzhou Klingon incident before being re-assigned)
Captain Georgiou looks concerned
Michael Burnham responds to Georgiou warning “Not if, when.”
Lorca strides across the bridge saying “on my orders…”
Lorca uses his catchphrase “Go!”
Saru (Doug Jones) talks to Burnham saying “You are a valuable asset, but you are dangerous.”
Burnham fights a Vulcan
More from Vulcan fight
Burnham says to Georgiou “Thousands of lives will be lost!”
What appears to be another Walker-class ship (like Shenzhou) doing a roll mid-battle
Holographic Sarek talks to Burnham saying “You must find a way to help those who need you.”
New cast promo
CBS also released a brief promo with members of the cast reminding fans there is just a week to go.
The voyage of the U.S.S. Discovery begins in 1 week! Stream the world premiere on Sept 24: https://t.co/9RcbDFG1Vq #StarTrekDiscovery pic.twitter.com/vOiAOtHItc
— Star Trek: Discovery (@startrekcbs) September 17, 2017
[NOTE: Videos are region-locked. When international version becomes available we will update]
Star Trek: Discovery premieres on September 24th on CBS with all subsequent episodes on CBS All Access in the US. In Canada Star Trek: Discovery will premiere on Bell Media’s CTV and the Space Channel on the same night. Netflix will launch Star Trek: Discovery on Monday, September 25 to countries outside of the U.S. and Canada.
Keep up with all the Star Trek: Discovery news at TrekMovie.
Is if September 24 yet?
No.
Is it now?
Very nice IMO. But this is very much a war story, at least initially, and I can certainly understand it not being everyone’s cup of tea.
I can understand war isn’t everyone’s cup of tea either ;)
War, the Final Gritty reality, these are the battles of war criminals…
Dosen’t have the same ring.
The thing is, war does not immediately = grim, dystopian, depressing.
Some of the best war stories, from last year’s Hacksaw Ridge, to classics like War & Peace, For Whom the Bell Tolls, Red Badge of Courage, and the Last of the Mohicans use war as a backdrop to examine some very Trek-like themes of friendship, family, bigotry/intolerance/acceptance, and the exploration of the human spirit.
War can be a very effective vehicle to explore these themes as it is an easy way to push characters to their limits and forces the writer expose their inner selves. Some war stories are downright uplifting and inspirational.
Oh, I agree, and if this show truly aligns with how Trek has previously dealt with this subject (e.g. “Balance of Terror”), what is nominally a war story ultimately will turn out to actually be antiwar. Still, for those who bonded with Trek during the era of TNG’s heyday, I can see this as being a bit of a shock.
“But this is very much a war story, at least initially, and I can certainly understand it not being everyone’s cup of tea.”
This being a war story is not the problem. DS9 was a war story during seasons 6+7, ENT’s arguably best season number 3 was some sort of war story as well. TNG’s and VOY’s dealings with the Borg was pretty much a war story. War has played an important role in Star Trek and it’s better they start this new series with a big bang instead of taking another 3-5 seasons to get started…
But as you know, the only real issue I have is the TV-MA rating. All the other shows had war elements, NuBSG was all about war and survival, so was Lost, and Gotham is a full-on crime story but none of them got a TV-MA rating. This has to mean something. You don’t get a TV-MA rating for a couple of explosions and dark sets. And this “something” I am afraid of to the point of losing it entirely…
I hope it’s hyperbole that you’ll “lose it entirely” otherwise I’d advise seeing a therapist.
You’re still obsessing over this “TV-MA” thing? What’s your fear?
I will say this for smike, he’s consistent.
Well I can at least respect consistency, something critics like @Achmed have not been.
We are now entering the Mutara Nebula.
Its what people who want to push a negative narrative do – chose one thing and belabor it.
For one thing, we dont know for fact its TVMA. Nor do we know why, if it is.
In my neck of the woods, its not rated yet.
My God… are you still going on about the rating? Get over it smike.
Dude you are becoming annoying now. We get it you don’t like the rating. Its not going away chief. You have the option not to watch. My guess is you will do the opposite of that anyway.
Just cover your eyes during the scary parts, and yell out ‘LA LA LA’ really loud if there’s some language that bothers you. It’ll be ok.
Sorry to be a bit of a d*ck, but this show has made it a point to compare itself to Game of Thrones, which is very Rated R. It’s going to be gritty. Either deal with it or not. There’s plenty of softer things to watch on tv.
Michael Hall
The problem is not that it’s a war story.
The problem is that there’s nothing remotely interesting or compelling going on here.
Honestly, what’s interesting about this? How much more cookie-cutter could you get? “We need to win.” Seriously? This is what you feel I’ve been giving short shrift? What’s even remotely thought-provoking, intriguing or emotionally moving about this? What about this, in just the slightest degree, is supposed to even hold my attention? There’s not even the faintest whisper of an interesting theme here. It’s just a collection of action-movie tropes spliced together, ffs! There MUST be better DSC footage than this to show. There MUST! Or, else, what the hell have they been doing for all these months? Shooting TV commercials? You’re giving me a hard time, and this is what you think I should be raving about??? I’m willing to withhold judgment until I see a full episode, but for crying out loud. . . How can you possibly think that I’m being insincere in my lack of excitement for the likes of this?!?
Everything about this promo seems better than what we’ve previously seen. From the acting, to the FX, to the tone, and the overall story even.
I credit the fact that we’re getting closer to air date, which means they’re probably closer to having the final cut, with the best takes, editing, FX, and feel for the episodes. This ultimately leads to better trailers.
It’s why most early trailers are vague, with just the big action.
I agree, this just seems much more polished than the trailers we saw initially. Still expect complaints from The Usual Suspects ™, but I’m fairly jazzed. Is it what I’d put together, given the chance? No, but it still looks (and sounds; some nice background music there) pretty cool.
Those predicting that September 24th premiere of Discovery heralds the “end of Star Trek” might not have anything to worry about… http://www.news.com.au/technology/science/space/is-the-world-going-to-end-on-september-23/news-story/bd22a208cf5f2b251fb332543fa48758
Ugh, why would you post that garbage here.
I was making a joke.
u can’t polish a turd
Makes sense why you’ve never gone in for a polish.
…yeah, not liking the war-mongering, or much of anything else
thank god for the orville! =)
cuz nu-trek sucks
Just out of curiosity, why do you feel the need to troll? Do you think “cuz nu-Trek sucks” adds anything constructive to a conversation about this show, even if you choose to be critical? What are you, five?
I’d bet good money that Seth MacFarlane would not be pleased to have you as a fan.
There’s a bunch of these “Down with Discovery – All Hail Orville” trolls in the youtube comments sections too. The really are desperate for DSC to be bad and fail.
Go and enjoy Orville if you want ( impo it was an entertaining first episode, that is more or less knocking-off Star Trek TNG without being all that funny ).
The trolls will be disappointed. DSC is on Netflix in most of the world, where it can’t help but be a hit. Netflix subscribers will see the recognizable brand name and hit play. The barrier to gaining interest will not be high.
The barrier will be far higher domestically, where CBS expects the audience to sign up for a damn streaming service they never heard of. That’s all going to be a huge cluster, no doubt about it, but Netflix’s money alone could keep Star Trek in production while CBS figures out how to do this streaming stuff right. They’re getting a lot wrong, starting with the notion of doling out episodes on a weekly basis. Nope, not how it works. Lose the ads too.
Things could change big time for CBS if they invest in 5-10 new shows in the next 24 months, and continue to add to their back catalog. If they have Season 4 of Twilight Zone (Netflix doesn’t), all the Trek movies, more of their classic shows (that are conspicuous by their absence), many more could could be convinced to add CBSAA to their streaming catalog.
Right now, I completely understand the “I won’t pay $10 a month to watch one show” group. But get enough content on their, and I bet that group shifts to the “this app is worth the price” column.
I wonder what CBS’ plan is. I know they intend to have more of their current network shows available. But they must have original content to survive. But its very expensive.
Looking at The Good Fight and Star Trek, that is trading on two successful properties. I wonder if they’d create a new CSI or NCIS for All Access. Spin off successful properties to lure in subscribers.
CBS does not expect traditional Star Trek viewership for Discovery. Any suggestion that they will be dissapointed that all Trek fans dont sign up is just silly.
Didnt Enterprise draw 12 million for its premiere? And CBS was talking about getting 4 million subs to All Access “over time”.
CBS is consciously sacrificing eyeballs to help build their OTT service.
You have a low opinion of Star Trek fans assuming they will just watch anything, no matter what.
If you like Orville, go enjoy that show. If you want to have an adult discussion about your issues with Discovery, you can do that too.
But you’re just being childish.
What a thought provoking meditation on a new series you’ve never even seen yet. You must be 100% correct!
Lots of comments on TV-MA rating. Is it confirmed? Is it equivalent to an 18-CERT in the UK?
kids will watch anyway (and be corrupted) =(
Eh.. Kids don’t watch Star Trek anymore in my xp
Well, there was a TV-MA logo in some of the trailers. I don’t think it has been confirmed whether the whole show has a TV-MA rating or maybe just individual episodes. I don’t know the UK rating system but apparently TV-MA is kind of similar to an R rating for movies in the US. However, if you take Germany as an example, an R rating from the US can translate to anything from as low as a 12+ (if it’s just a raunchy comedy) to 16+ or 18+ rating. Netflix doesn’t seem to show a rating yet.
Interesting.
The UK RATING SYSTEM GOES U (Universal Viewing), PG (Parental Guidance), 12A (UNDER 12 SUPERVISION RECOMMENDED), 15, 18.
The MA in TVMA is for “mature audiences”. This typically means content intended for viewers 17 and over.
There is no rating attached to my info guide here in Canada, as of yet.
I dont believe it has been confirmed at all. My program guide shows no rating for the show, which is odd this close.
Lovely stuff! I will actually ( finally ) be signing up for NETFLIX UK because of Discovery.
And THAT is why DSC will be a hit. Netflix will see an influx of new subscribers because they now have a globally renowned brand name to tout. Netflix has made unknown titles like Stranger Things into hits, this will be a rare luxury for them. They will keep throwing money at CBS, which will need all the help they can get because their plan to get Americans to sign up for a streaming service is going to be very rocky for a while.
Yes its like their Marvel shows. The name alone brings them instant subscribers and being attached to MCU gives them more branding and hence why their deal with Disney, which originally only called for 5 seasons of shows (Daredevil, Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, Iron Fish and Defenders) has expanded to a major way where now all those shows have multiple seasons (they rushed DD into a season 2 after how big season 1 was) and now added Punisher to their roster.
If Star Trek does anything close to what Marvel did for that site, they will be begging CBS to produce more and will throw money to make it happen. Discovery still needs to be successful on AA for that site to work but my guess is if AA lives or fails Discovery will be living long and prospering if its big outside of America because they have a partner who not only wanted Trek for themselves but now bending over backwards just to have this show.
And the usual regionlocked crap!! This is just lame at this point. But as usual,I’ll find it elsewhere. They’re not making it easy to watch all this good stuff though.
In this case, there’s a very good reason. CBS is only making Star Trek because they have a streaming service they need to salvage. They know broadcast and cable are headed for oblivion and they don’t want Netflix and Amazon to steal all the paying customers without at least trying to do something about it.
Their long term plan here is to use Star Trek and then many other new shows (I’m sure they know one show won’t inspire many subscriptions) to build their service domestically while they let Netflix build an audience for a Star Trek TV series on streaming globally. Then as CBS figures this stuff out, they start expanding globally.
Either they will let Netflix keep DSC and make more Star Trek series for their own service or they will pull the rug out from under Netflix and take back DSC too. Depends on how their deal with Netflix was written. Either way, there will be a parade of new Star Trek shows, and they will be on CBS All Access everywhere that the service exists, which if they play their cards right, will be everywhere that Netflix exists. They are mimicking Netflix as best they can.
It’s still annoying and kinda lame though. But like I said,ALWAYS ways to watch this,lol! And it really was great! Best one yet.
And there’s very little marketing outside the US,which is odd as I KNOW there are a LOT of Trekheads outside the US as well!
It doesn’t matter, it’s a global economy now. There is nothing to gain from region locking this content. If people can’t see it then they also can’t rally for it, be excited for it. It’s corporate politics from ten years ago that shoots itself in the foot.
My favourite thing is everytime there is a new video, we have the same people going crazy about region locking. Heres a hint: the next video released will also be region locked. Prepare yourself for it.
“This media could not be played”
Yeah, I’m so impressed on how this has been promoted outside North America
Are you a Netflix subscriber? I would think that Netflix is promoting it to their own subscribers. They might be holding off on heavy marketing to non-subscribers until there are several episodes since Netflix subscribers would expect binge watching as an option, regardless of CBS’s archaic notions.
I thought I saw a new Starfleet ship in one clip but I think it’s the Shenzhou or another Walker Class ship flying upside down.
Me too, I had to look at it closely. I agree, I think it’s another Walker-class ship, as it doesn’t seem to have the maroon markings of the Shenzhou. I added it to the screenshots in the article.
There’s another one in the lower left that looks similar to a Miranda class, plus another in the back in a similar configuration to the main ship in the frame. This is so freakin’ exciting!
You can see a Miranda-like ship in the July trailer too
Oh yeah. The USS Europa!
I don’t think it’s a Walker class…. the Shenzhou has these antenea or something stick out of the middle of her nacelle pylons. This ship doesn’t.
Plus when the Europa is ramming the Klinggon vessel, it’s still upside down? Don’t believe that…
This geoblocking nonsense is really getting on my nerves. Everytime they post something I have to look for the alternative link to watch it.
Why the international block on the videos all the time? The internet and Star Trek is a global thing, something CBS seems to be forgetting.
These previews end with the US launch date and platform. Since Netflix paid for a lot of money for the international distribution rights, they want advertising that is shown in their regions to be branded with netflix
Despite all the kvetching, I think this is going to be a big hit for CBS. I won’t be watching till next spring – don’t even wanna start if I can’t just blow thru it at my own pace – but I’m willing to wait to watch this right.
I don’t think this will only be about war. But I can’t fault them for coming out with blasters blazing. They need to gain a lot of attention to get everyone over the shock of not being able to see the whole thing on broadcast. Most of the audience for this won’t even be aware of that little fact until the 24th when I assume the premier episode will end with very unwelcome instructions for finding more.
What if CBS All Access crashes during the second episode? What about all the old people who don’t understand computers and all the rural people without decent internet connections? This is gonna be a cluster, no doubt about it, and the quality of the show itself will be the least of it.
The crashing wouldn’t surprise me actually. I know that with HBO GO, if u try to access Game of Thrones the same night it airs, some people can’t get the episode to stream. It’s caused by too many people trying to access the same thing. However if you wait a little bit, even 24hrs, the problem clears up. Patience might be the key for a little bit while they work out the kinks.
@nerdrage,
CBS All Access did crash during the Grammys Awards last year.
Ahmed… key words… “last year.” You don’t think they have upgraded since last year?? The tv station I work at are constantly upgrading servers and software. And I’m not at a powerhouse like cbs.
Honestly, I’d be very weary of All Access on Sunday night. I’ve seen these services have all the confidence in the world…and then crash. Hopefully they are planning for it.
I’ll be surprised if it doesn’t crash, actually expecting it to.
Its a bad thing if it crashes. Although it means way more people than they expected were accessing it.
The crash point would be right as the premiere ends. Get ready folks!
I’m not going to be in a position where I can see it premiere night anyway, but it should be interesting to see how that shakes out. You’re right, in one way it’s good if it crashes (demand), but also bad if it crashes (people will get turned off and may abandon it).
I like the Lorca scenes they are showing. He may not be what everyone wants in a Captain but I like that about his character. Shows they are willing to push some boundaries. At least what they are showing so far. The actual episodes themselves will of course be the final answer.
Glad it is only one week left to the premiere. At this rate they would spoil the entire episode if it took more than that.
SQUEEEEEEEE!!!!
Was the USS Discovery understaffed at the beginning of the show? There are around 3 or 4 of the Shenzhou’s bridge crew who have been reassigned to ‘Discovery’.
The Discovery is brand spanking-new when the series begins, so the four reassigned officers are very likely part of its initial crew. That said, I’m guessing your question was a rhetorical one (i.e. more fault-finding).
@Michael Hall,
Oh, boy! Are you getting triggered by a simple observation?
Was it an observation, or a question? And if it was a question, how would any of us be in a position to know?
That said, my apologies if I misread your intent.
@Michael Hall,
In the picture where Lorca is addressing the bridge crew on Discovery; you will see that all three crewmembers on the right side of that picture were also on the Shenzhou.
There is also the POW, not in the picture, who was stationed on Shenzhou & now is on the Discovery.
As for not knowing the answer to a question, that’s why we are here on a discussion forum to speculate.
Speculation is fine. As I said, if I misread you, my bad. But I’ll bet, given the history of your commentary on this site, that no jury would find me at fault for misreading you. 😊
Wait wait wait, you’re criticizing MH for being triggered by minor stuff, but you go on a rant because of every minor detail of Discovery, from the episode title, to the color of the lights, to the shape of the props?
YOU are the special snowflake here, YOU’RE the one being irrationally upset by silly things, make no mistake.
@Ahmed – dude, you’re triggered by the mere mention of “Discovery”…
Yes!
Bad acting by the lead is going to be very hard to get around. Not even sure being raised on Vulcan can justify it. I’ll know more once I get a full hour of it.
Your talking about Seth MacFarlane’s acting, right? Because it really is horrible.
no…but I certainly could be. Orville is horrific.
Star Trek and its fans have endured wonky acting before. We’ll get by.
“Star Trek and its fans have endured wonky acting before”
..not by it’s lead. She’s carrying this thing. For better or worse.
*cough* Shatner *cough*
Overacting and bad acting are two different things. Sure, Shatner can chew up the scenery like nobody’s business, and his take on TJ Hooker was terrible. But make no mistake, the man can act. I’m having a hard time understanding why the editors at Discovery have somehow managed to cherry pick the worst moments of their lead actor’s performance if there’s better performances in the can.
Hard for me to liken what you can see in a few seconds’ worth of footage to anything like an actual “performance.” Maybe that’s just a lack of perceptivity on my part, especially as I didn’t really see anything amiss with her acting in this promo at all. But we’ll all get the full Monty in just a few days. Plenty of time to argue about it then.
It’s all delivered fairly flat and unbelievable as it comes off as something in a high school play. (a bad one…I’ve seen some really good ones!) “I’m here to save you all.” So lifeless. But…maybe this actress is just a boring person. lol Though I’ve been told her acting in Walking Dead was nothing to write home about either. And, you’re right. I need to finish the rest of the meal. I signed up with CBS yesterday, won’t be long.
Oh Shatner and Brooks had their wonky moments. And it took time for even Stewart to figure out his character. Give her a chance.
jonboc…. Seth MacFarlane’s acting is incredibly bad. But he’s the lead in his ego project.
Yep, it’s Seth’s sandbox. He has a lot of leverage at FOX with Family Guy. Which is a shame. Judging from what I saw, he could certainly use a few less “yes” men surrounding him and Orville’s production.
If I could live with Chris Pine’s Kirk*, you should be able to handle SMG. Only fair!
*Actually, I couldn’t. But, still.
Oh Pine can act, he has a really good natural style…just wasn’t acting like the Kirk, from another timeline, that so many are acquainted with. Granted, some…more than others…had a problem with that. There’s a difference between reciting dialog you don’t like and bad delivery of lines. I can even handle characters I don’t like. But silted, un-natural delivery, be it Gates McFadden, Jake Lloyd or Eddie Paskey…it’s just painful to watch.
Nu-Kirk was just awful, an unholy amalgam of Tom Cruise’s Pete Mitchell and a Delta House frat boy. I’m perfectly willing to grant that much of the fault for that was with the writing (and, believe me, Alex Kurtzman’s involvement is one of my biggest Discovery red flags for just that reason), not being familiar with much of Pine’s other work. But a bad performance is a bad performance is a bad performance.
That is actually a good point.
Wait a minute… To me the most interesting thing about this preview is the little “TV MA” badge in the corner. WTF? A TV MA Star Trek?!?! That just seems *WRONG*. Even the recent Battlestar Galactica reboot wasn’t TV MA!
The TV-MA logo has been in several trailers for Discovery. While it is not confirmed whether the (whole) show is really rated TV-MA (or maybe only parts of it) this has been discussed extensively in previous threads on this site. Basically, it’s unclear what the rating is based on (language, sex, violence or a combination of them).
I thought this was Star Trek. After that promo it looks like Star Battle.
Yes, because “Balance of Terror” and “Metamorphosis” are episodes from two entirely different series.
And The ‘Best of Both Worlds’ isn’t a beloved episode (both parts).
This is looking like a great new Trek. I’ll tune in.