Paramount has made the first four episodes of ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ season 5 available to members of the media in advance of the April 4 premiere. As per usual, TrekMovie will post extensive recap/reviews and podcast discussions for each individual episode, starting on April 4. This is an early review (mostly) without spoilers to give a first impression of the new season.
I’m making this up as I go
It seems like every season Discovery goes through a sort of rebirth. These updates add new elements, but have also served as course corrections. While some of the changes for season 5 may not be as obvious as jumping into a new century or giving Klingons hair again, they are perhaps more profound, presenting a fresh, new perspective. A new spirit of adventure is evident from the first scene in an action-packed season opener. But Discovery still remembers where it came from and holds on to the emotional core of these characters who (for the most part) seem to be well settled into the roles in this new century. The end result isn’t perfect, and some of the show’s lingering issues remain, but the combined effect is a series that feels more confident than ever and should be a welcome return for fans—and could even bring back some who may have left after previous seasons.
Sonequa Martin-Green as Burnham in Star Trek: Discovery season 5 (Paramount+)
One thing fans will notice about season 5 is an improvement in the pacing. Even though the producers didn’t know this was going to be their last season, it feels like everyone was aware they were running out of time. Cutting down from 13 to 10 episodes is likely helping keep it tight. The show remains highly serialized with a single arc holding it all together, but so far each episode stands on its own, giving it a bit more of an episodic feel. Rarely does the new season drag, although the series still can’t seem to nail the art of weaving the character stories and plot seamlessly; moments that can be sweet and pay off years of emotional connection can also feel out of place while a ticking plot clock gets louder. This show always wears its heart on its sleeve and so these emotional beats are in its DNA. Season 5 certainly delivers, and again, you get a sense that these characters can feel that their time together is limited.
L-R Sonequa Martin-Green as Burnham and Doug Jones as Saru in Star Trek: Discovery season 5 (Paramount+)
That belongs in a museum
That new arc holding the season together is an epic search for an ancient power. This galactic treasure hunt is the core of the new Indiana Jones-style adventure. Just like Indy, Captain Burnham and her crew travel far and wide going from clue to clue. This helps form the self-contained structure for each episode — as well as getting this Star Trek show to actually do some Trekking to some strange worlds, including new ones. In the first four episodes, we get visits to unique locations in three, and the fourth makes up for it with a delightful new take on an old sci-fi setup. And while previous seasons seem to relish in drawing out some of the plot mysteries, season 5 doesn’t waste time and starts opening up its presents right away.
One of the ways this adventure works is by giving the good guys some competition in the form of the 32nd century’s Bonnie and Clyde: L’ak (Elias Toufexis) and Moll (Eve Harlow). Discovery has been a bit hit-and-miss when it comes to the villains, but this pair is something new and different. Instead of a galaxy ending superevent or a moustache-twirling bad guy, these two are just a couple of former Emerald Chain couriers making a go of it on their own, they have plenty of tricks up their sleeves, and are always just ahead or right behind the Disco gang in the race to the season’s MacGuffin. And even with just four episodes, they are already showing some dimensions beyond just being clever foils.
Elias Toufexis as L’ak and Eve Harlow as Moll Ravel in Star Trek: Discovery season 5 (Paramount+)
The other new character this season is Callum Keith Rennie as Captain Rayner. The pointy ears may appear Vulcan (this deep-cut species may actually a better match), but he is very much not driven by logic. Fans of Battlestar Galactica will be familiar with Rennie, who brings an intensity to the role that shakes up the crew of the Discovery and brings a new gruff energy to the season, something missing since the departure of Jason Isaac’s Lorca (and Stamets’ injection of tardigrade DNA). As a veteran of the fallow “Burn” years, Rayner has a lot to teach the wide-eyed optimists of the Disco, but they may have more to teach him about learning to trust in each other. One thing is for sure, you will pay attention in any scene with Rayner in it.
Callum Keith Rennie as Rayner in Star Trek: Discovery season 5 (Paramount+)
I followed you on many adventures, but into the great unknown mystery, I go first
An emerging theme of the season is one that has been a part of the show since the beginning: the connection between people and how together they are always stronger. Discovery is first and foremost about the journeys of its characters, with a focus on Sonequa Martin-Green’s Michael Burnham. She continues to be a strong performer in season 5, settling well into her role as a captain to a crew she sees as a family. But like any family, there are some issues, including the return of Cleveland “Book” Booker, who took a bit of a dark turn in season 4 and paid the price. Theirs has always been one of the best portrayals of a couple in Star Trek with all the relatable ups and downs, even when they are being chased by plasma-spewing space monsters.
L-R Doug Jones as Saru and Sonequa Martin-Green as Burnham in Star Trek: Discovery season 5 (Paramount+)
Any scene with Doug Jones’ Saru is always like a warm embrace, but season 5 shakes things up for the Kelpien as the show remembers he is an interesting alien and puts him through the paces from spine-shooting action to romantic tension and political intrigue with his love interest, Ni’Var president T’Rina. Its good to see Jones stretch, although hopefully, the T’Rina romance doesn’t end up dominating this fascinating character for the season.
The return of Mary Wiseman as a series regular is very welcome as the show has had a Tilly-shaped hole since her departure for the Academy early in the fourth season. While she still serves as that point-of-view character who can break up a tense moment with just the right quip, the character has also grown in her time away.
Mary Wiseman as Tilly in Star Trek: Discovery season 5 (Paramount+)
Stamets, Adira, and Culber are still a heartwarming space family, but they, too, have some clear arcs, especially as Paul is trying to find a place for himself, albeit with a bit of a retread on his season 4 arc. Adira is finally growing out of their shell, no longer defined by their relationship with Gray—who is now on Trill. As for Wilson Cruz’s Culber, who went through some stuff in season 4, there’s a whole new chill vibe to this character, who gets to experience some really cool Star Trek stuff in early in the season. All together, the regular characters are all building on their established histories and still finding new challenges. Oh, and Jett Reno is back, and she is more Jett Reno than ever; Tig Notaro elevates any scene with her unique wit, but in season 5 she also adds a bit more depth to her acerbic engineer.
Blu del Barrio as Adira in Star Trek: Discovery season 5 (Paramount+)
Not as easy as it used to be
While there have been many welcome changes, updates, and evolutions in season 5, the show still holds on to some frustrating elements. For example, Discovery has never been interested in the details for things like understanding how the ship’s hierarchy works and defining character roles and responsibilities, and that trend continues. Thirty-second century technology continues to blow right past technobabble to simply become magic. The bridge crew gets little moments here and there, but they remain mostly in the background to make room for the main cast. And while there has been some improvement, the series often forgets the axiom that it is better to show than to tell. And, as noted before, if you aren’t a fan of those scenes when they stop the action to have a sidebar about their feelings, you’re out of luck: This show is just never going to let those go.
One thing that can help you would be to rewatch the season 4 finale just to get back into the Discovery style and mindset. It also doesn’t hurt to get a reminder of where all these characters were and the state of the political worldbuilding as they begin this new storyline, especially as it has been a couple of years since that finale aired.
Anthony Rapp as Stamets in Star Trek: Discovery season 5 (Paramount+)
You have chosen wisely
Frustrations aside, what has been shared so far of season 5 is thoroughly entertaining. While remaining true to what Discovery is, the new season is full of fun sci-fi adventures you can tag along on with these great characters. It really feels like Discovery is getting into a cool new groove. The shifts both big and small feel like the show is picking up some of the best elements of the other new Trek shows. There are more ties into Trek lore, à la Picard, a lighter tone with more episodic elements like Strange New Worlds, and even some of the optimistic enthusiasm of Prodigy. This all comes together to make something new for the show that started this era of Star Trek.
Regular fans will certainly embrace the new season, and if you haven’t checked out the show in a while, it’s worth giving it another shot.
David Ajala as Book, Sonequa Martin-Green as Burnham and Wilson Cruz as Culber in Star Trek: Discovery season 5 (Paramount+)
April 4
The fifth and final season of Discovery debuts with two episodes on Thursday, April 4 exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S., the UK, Switzerland, South Korea, Latin America, Germany, France, Italy, Australia, and Austria. Discovery will also premiere on April 4 on Paramount+ in Canada and is also expected to be broadcast on Bell Media’s CTV Sci-Fi Channel in Canada. The rest of the 10-episode final season will be available to stream weekly on Thursdays. Season 5 debuts on SkyShowtime in select European countries on April 5.
Keep up with news about the Star Trek Universe at TrekMovie.com.
“And as noted before, if you aren’t a fan of those scenes when they stop the action to have a sidebar about their feelings, this show is just never going to let those go.”
Thank you very much, TrekMovie. You’ve told me exactly what I need to know.
Exactly
Hey, by sharing your feelings to make a judgement this quickly, aren’t you kind of just doing the same thing that Anthony pointed out Discovery is doing?
;-)
The only real complaint I’ve had about Discovery is just how damn weepy it is. Someone cries in every episode. Every conversation is emotionally fraught. It drives me batshit insane.
Not forgetting those seemingly endless conversations that contain lots of whispering and hushed tones, despite the situation…
It’s especially frustrating when there’s a clock ticking to some disaster, and yet *minutes* are wasted in teary farewells. You’re wearing *uniforms*, people, and in a very, very dangerous job.
Hyperbole much. Anyone who actually watches the show knows that not every episode has someone crying in it….
Now I do agree about the fact that the show does tend to stop mid action for an emotional scene. But those scenes don’t necessarily equal crying.
And I generally don’t have an issue with emotional exchanges during dramatic scenes (it does tend to be a time when emotions come up), its when it stops the drama of the moment that it impacts me.
Where the events around them seem to freeze to allow the emotion.
Been around hundreds of war time veterans, and they (even the ones who keep a stoic demeanor) had experience with people around them having emotions during the most intense of events. But its will crap is still happening all around them.
One of my favorite examples of this. Is the Tilly with the cadets under assault scene, where when being chased she has her talk to them. The words of the scenes, the emotion of the scene. All of that is fine. It the fact that they stop their forward motion, and have that exchange while the danger chasing them seems to just pause to allow that conversation.
Doing that scene correctly has the conversation and emotions happening while still making progress away from the threat and the drama of that happening at the same time as the threat. Without the two happening together you lose the weight of the threat and the cause of the emotional stress.
Now all Trek has done this, but it is one thing that Discovery tends to do more often then the others, for the number of episodes they have produced.
Agreed. I will eventually watch Disco S5 only because I will watch anything labeled “Star Trek,” but I am not racing to do so. I will probably catch up over the summer, maybe. Or maybe next year.
People like you are exactly how we wound up with 5 seasons of this show in the first place :P I stopped watching after 2 episodes of season 2. I skipped all of Picard S2 and most of SNW at this point. I have much, much better things to watch, and just slapping “Star Trek” in the title isn’t enough for me.
I think this criticism of DISCOVERY is a little unfair as TREK–especially TOS–has always stopped the action and suspense for character moments, theme and plot details. That’s exactly why I like it more than STAR WARS, MARVEL and the DC UNIVERSE. Because DISCOVERY does it more for character and emotion doesn’t bother me.
Couldn’t agree more! I’ll give season 5 of this soap opera a pass.
“This show always wears its heart on its sleeve and so these emotional beats are in its DNA.”
Yes. This has always been Discovery’s biggest problem. The writers just don’t understand how to balance emotional scenes within a narrative.
I think they do understand that, it’s just that this is how they choose to do it.
If this is the way they chose to do it, it follows that they don’t understand that. But we shouldn’t assume Discovery writers are competent, as the last four seasons attest, so you may be right.
The two most recent of the four seasons prove that the current batch of writers (and the showrunner) are INcompetent.
Completely.
As opposed to OUTcompetent?
Agreed.
“Theirs has always been one of the best portrayals of a couple in Star Trek”
Snort. Yeah, OK. Book is great, but their portrayal as a couple never worked because of how weakly Burnham has always been written and acted.
You mean never worked for you, right?
Sounds like S5 will be another great season of a show that has been great from Day 1. I have always loved how Discovery journeys/dares/ to try different things that other Trek shows that where afraid/weren’t allowed to do.
Hopefully future Trek shows follow in Discovery’s footsteps and continue to journey/dare bringing new elements into the franchise and continue to make a path into the future of new stories with new characters.
I don’t know if you’re serious or trolling.
Why wouldn’t he be serious? I agree 100% with his comment.
That small but very vocal group here that continually lambasts this show I believe are largely ageing Berman-era fans — I do not believe they are representative of the much larger, younger and diverse audience who love this series.
Which is exactly why he may not be serious. Trying to troll those fans of which you speak.
OK, I see where you are going with that. Possibly.
Sorry, Chris, I believe you’re vastly outnumbered in your positive appraisal.
I can’t think of a single place where Discovery is loved lol. It’s the lowest ranked Trek show on every review board and social media is much worse on the show than here.
Pretending it’s just a few vocal people when the show has been dumped on for four seasons now to the point even SMG recently acknowledged how much hate it’s gotten as recently as a few weeks ago are just people in serious denial.
Sure it has fans, everything in Star Trek has fans. There are people who love Nemesis or TFF, they are still in the minority just like people who love Discovery.
It’s nothing personal, the show is just badly written. That’s been said every season now.
Yeah. Pretending it’s only regulated to this site is bizarre. Go to YouTube, Discovery is slammed there and that place is thousands of times bigger with a wide range of views.
Yeah it doesn’t mean it doesn’t have its fans but they are clearly in the minority. For some reason SNW has no problem getting loved everywhere and it seems to get praise from all corners even if others don’t like it. The animated shows are really popular too by once again all corners. Even Picard turned the tide in its third season and as noted people were truly mixed on that shows first two seasons as well.
Maybe Discovery will pull an Enterprise and go out on a high at least in terms of fan reception but I too remain skeptical for now.
“Stamets, Adira, and Culber are still a heartwarming space family” when were they a heartwarming space family?
At least it’s good to hear that the character of Adira isn’t defined by their box-ticking relationship with Grayzzzzzzz.
I’d say the idea of them all together is heartwarming. And I think Stamets and Culber started out as a sweet, aspirational and believable couple.
The execution over the last 2 years has been wanting. Anthony Rapp is seemingly always saddled with having to declare out of nowhere the state of his relationship with these two adopted young adults. That’s a proper show don’t tell issue. Never rings true to me, but again the idea of this found family unit is lovely at least. As with most things Discovery, the hearts are in the right place.
“Show don’t tell” is seemingly impossible for the Discovery writers and producers. Everything needs to be told with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer to the face.
Agree to disagree on Stamets and Culber. They’re a pretty standard television couple, nothing more. “Sweet, aspirational, believable”? Not really imo. There’s barely any depth to their relationship, and once again an example of Discovery doing things to tick boxes rather than have it be in service to the story itself. The out of nowhere adoption and Gray’s sudden departure when he’d served his purpose, are two examples.
Shouldn’t you be celebrating that these are not legacy characters at least?
No because Emily hates the new characters too, including those three for (checks notes) being openly LGBT+. Really think the only way to make Emily happy is to not make new Trek at all.
The only way to make Emily happy is to agree with her. Misery loves company.
Don’t put words in my mouth, thank you.
I wasn’t. You said basically that yourself on another article. And also in this comment. With all of your comments about ~SuBeLtY~
With respect, those conversations often get derailed by people equating a preference for dramatic subtlety with some sort of effort to put anyone Out and Proud in a corner where their relevance and message can’t be broadcast loudly. There’s a big difference. I for one don’t want to see any of Discovery’s minority characters get marginalized, I just want to them to be portrayed in a way that help them stand the test of time better. For my tastes, that means employing more subtle writing techniques, which means everything from less out of the blue declarations of feelings that stop things dead, less blunt metaphors that won’t age well, less undercooked relationship development that involves characters telling and not showing.
It’s the difference between TNG slowly eking out things like Picard and Wesley’s or Bashir and O’Brien’s friendships over time vs unnaturally telegraphing Paris and Torres getting together or Stamets announcing he suddenly cares enough about two young people he’s barely had any scenes with but now wants to adopt. It’s nothing to do with the ideas which are usually laudable, it’s all in the execution. That’s where employing subtlety pays dividends later.
And it’s not like stylized fantastical allegorical Trek is a hallmark of that, and Lower Decks delights me while navigating a heightened reality most of the time. But the way Discovery bluntly handles its messaging and characters just has never rung true to me.
It would be one thing if she said that in those exact words. But she doesn’t. So she comes across in different ways entirely. I would have no way of understanding what she means otherwise.
Also, man, all of the fuss makes it sounds like Stamets just walks into a room and says he’s gay multiple times a season. When from what I know about Disco, it seems like that’s very much not the case.
On a third note, there’s nothing wrong at all with being blunt to me. And I doubt I’m the only one. So far being subtle about as gotten the sexuality of characters erased and ignored. Even then being blunt about it can lead to that too. See Dirk Strider from Homestuck. He only had a relationship with another man but Andrew Hussie tried to be subtle about it and as a result it’s very common to think that he isn’t actually gay when it’s very heavily implied that he is.
To use more examples for franchises we’re known to like: Transformers!
Arcee was said directly to prefer women in a comic and from then on she was written as bisexual. Knock Out from Transformers Prime was seen as gay and from then on he was written as gay. On the other hand, Hot Rod was stated to be gay as a joke and it was treated as being ~sUbTlE~ and as a result, he still gets treated as being straight. See the difference being blunt about it makes?
I’ll take your word for it, I am unfamiliar with Transformers beyond G1 and the movies. I think the place where that applies to Trek is something like DS9 where Garak was gay/bi-coded until the writers specifically pushed him into a quizzical pairing with Ziyal. Subtlety either was ignored or used as an excuse to subvert what at the very least we know the actor was working to portray.
I wouldn’t want anyone to feel they are being marginalized in how their sexuality or gender is being portrayed. My only concern is that it’s artfully used. That can be as simple as depicting a very normal couple or making a big statement that’s purposefully profound. It’s all in the execution, because the sentiments and good intentions of the writers have usually not been the issue.
Thank you. Very well said.
She said no such thing.
Not that you are saying anything wrong, but man, you really like to try to police people on this site? Just an observation.
Causal accusations of bigotry shouldn’t go uncountered.
Agreed, but if Anthony ever holds interviews for Vice Principal of this site, that dude would be the perfect candidate. ;-)
“causal accusations of bigotry” which we already addressed in another reply in this same thread. Can’t even begin to count the number of times that we said something that came out wrong online and was accused of bigotry because of it and just was told it was our fault and had to deal with it. Other people can experience the same things. After all others interpret what you say in different ways. It’s on both parties. Because yes this is just as much our fault too.
And explained our feelings on the subject at length. Being “subtle” doesn’t work at all in our opinion.
Also Paul Stamets is no different than any straight character but Emily here is the one that constantly reduces him down to the boxes he checks off and people just go with it instead of thinking twice about it like they do when she complains about legacy characters.
At the end of the day, he’s just a guy who loves another guy. He is just as much of that as he is a scientist. In fact his role as a scientist is the more important thing there. The fans are the one reducing him down to sexuality. And if they’re complaining about it, then maybe they should be questioned because in the words of Garak: with the fan complaints in one hand, and how he’s portayed in the show in the other, I ask you:
What conclusion would you draw?
Right — I don’t disagree with you. I think you meant your comment for Ian though — my comment was directed at Ian sort of policing you and others on the site. My comment was not on your post.
Sorry for the confusion. River Temarc and us are supposed to not be talking to each other and we were using your comment to address his.
🙄
Thanks for the balanced review. Although I have not always been the biggest fan of Discovery the criticism directed at it has the crossed the line at times. So to see someone try to bring both sides to the table is refreshing. I will definitely try to keep an open mind going into the final season as it seems like they are once again trying something new. Let’s hope it pleases their most devoted fans while giving its critics something entertaining.
I second that. I always found DSC an acquired taste, so I cringe about reviews where the show never could be wrong. I think it has had serious problems with its writing but also acting and direction. However, the show has a fanbase that adores the stories and characters. And I wouldn’t want to take it away from them The show has something for them that they love. More power to them! I’m glad you all get another season with your favorites.
Well put, Q-less. I hope all its fans will enjoy it.
^
Glad to hear about the changes; I hope the final season will be great!
I enjoy Disco for what it is, and mostly because of some great characters and actors. I really like Saru and Stamets, Still, i do think a better name would be
Star Trek: ( add echo) Space! Feeeelings!!!!
You had me at epic search for an ancient power traveling far and wide from clue to clue… but throw in hyper-emotionalism AND Silly Tilly® galore and I think I am about to set a course for… SQUEEEEE!!!
“Come fly with me.” -Captain Eo
Other than being “Star Trek” the one thing that has me coming back this season is the mystery behind the treasure hunt dating back to the TNG era. I gotta know what that is lol.
I enjoyed S1/S2. I was excited to go 900 years in the future after S2. My problem with S3/4 is that the future they envisioned for where humans should be 900 years later is the least imaginative future I’ve ever seen on screen. It’s lazy and dumb.
Seconded about the future seasons. Other than 3D Liquid Metal buttons and nacelles that are detached from the hull for *reasons*, I don’t see any new tech. And in fact they forgot tech the Federation has had for centuries that would have made warp irrelevant and saved the Federation from the burn. They don’t feel like they are in the future, they feel like they are in the past.
It’s happened though in history before though — from the Sacking of Rome though the Middle Ages.
People should not assume advances over time is linear history just because the last 600 years has worked out that way.
True but Ancient Rome didn’t have hard drives or the internet to store information on. And Rome may have been a huge empire but it wasn’t the entire Earth, let alone an entire quadrant of the galaxy.
We don’t know for sure, but there is no event we know of prior to the burn that would have caused Earth or other federation world to lose knowledge of such vital technology. In space in Trek, losing technology about how to FTL might as well be akin to forgetting how to make the wheel.
But it’s not so much that they lost *knowledge* of how to build warp drives; it’s simply that a major factor of production, dilthium crystals, became incredibly scarce.
Sure. But by Daniel’s time that was like 100+ years before DISCO he had iconican like technology that let him pass through time and space like walking through a door. I suppose that tech maybe needed dilithium to but if so I would imagine the galaxy would have run out long before the Federation
Also, I’ve always wondered, how did Zephram Cochran get dilithium on Earth in the 21st century LOL
It’s funny the 23rd century felt way too advanced while the 32nd century doesn’t feel advanced enough.
Welcome to Discovery.
One only need to look at the Spore Drive. 23rd century tech that gave you the equivalent capability of Warp 10 with no Warp drive. Then in the 32nd century, warp always warp, only warp.
It makes NO sense every ship isn’t equipped with a spore drive in the 32nd century. We’re not talking 50 or 100 years into the future. We’re talking 900 YEARS LATER. 🙄
Yeah, they made the mistake of listening to all the whiners and complainers here and elsewhere during the first two great seasons, and that got us the time jump.
Of course, you’ve never complained or whined about anything, have you?
Lol, dude, I think you’re the one who’s slowly turning to their old ways again here.
BTW, the key difference here is the shows creators “listened to the fans.” They’ve never seemed to care to listen to those of us who are critical on LDS. But given what happened to DSC, I am forced to admit that’s probably a good thing for fans of LDS.
Because Michelle Paradise is an awful show runner who should’ve been fired. They already fired the first three, what’s one more?
Coming from you, Tiger (who almost always has a positive attitude), that speaks volumes. Paradise and her poor and lazy writers have mave made the past couple of seasons unwatchable.
I wasn’t as hard on her in season 3 and I thought there was a lot of great potential in that season overall even if I still felt let down by the end. It was her first season and thought maybe season 4 will improve immensely. But I think it just broke me instead because it was honestly the first Trek show I didn’t fall in love with by this time. Not only that, it’s the only show that managed to feel even worse by its fourth season and I wasn’t a huge fan of the previous three.
End of the day she’s the one that guides it day to day and she has turned it into a tedious melodramatic bore. Season 4 is sitting at a 20% audience score on RT. I don’t care how much you try and spin it, nothing gets THAT low unless the fanbase overall has simply turned on the show. Just like I don’t think I’ll ever watch season 2 of Picard again, I feel the same way about Discovery season 4.
Well, I’d say envisioning the 32nd century requires more time than they had between seasons, hence how claustrophobic the exploration of the galaxy has felt. It’s the premise of an entirely new series, really. How that was handled is what gives me pause about the anthology idea – even under different showrunners, going outside the comfort zone of 2150-2400 is incredibly daunting.
I think a major missed opportunity that the writers never used the time skip to make a trek-like timely allegory: Something that the 23rd-century people do that is commonplace in their time is deeply backwards and offensive in the 32nd century.
They had a little opportunity to do that with Adira. Not that pronouns would be a big deal in the 23rd century, but it kinda felt a bit 21st century how much Adira worried about correcting Stamets when he kept misgendering them.
I mean trans people, including us, said how we felt about that particular thing.
I’d like to hear more about this if you can elaborate.
That scene was just Adira saying that their pronouns have changed and Stamets accepting that. That was all there was to it. It was an absolute okay scene. It’s a fantastic scene to us because there was really no questioning and no fuss. There was no “but you have she/her on your record” or “but you’ve been a she/her for as long as I’ve known you” to which the reply should be “but I’m now a they/them”. There was just acceptance and that’s something we need to see as a community bad right now. “It’s very 21st century.” It’s almost like right now in the 21st century we’re getting policed back into the closet in general. Bathroom bills, efforts to ban hrt, little laws here and there saying that you have to go by the gender on your birth certificate. That scene, from the perspective of a trans person, was incredible.
And it’s not like Adira was born non binary. This was a new realization. Which is very much a trans experience still. And if a person is safe to tell, then you should tell them your pronouns if they change like that. Stamets shouldn’t just know someone’s pronouns magically. It isn’t how it works now and it shouldn’t be how it works in the 32nd century either.
Back to our original point: that scene is wonderful as it is and it’s how things should be more often. And as a trans person, it’s really nice to see it in Trek.
I definitely appreciate that significance to the community in the present day, thank you for sharing your POV.
In the context of this being a 32nd century character talking to a 23rd century character, where both of them should be beyond the stumbling way people today still deal with pronouns, I found it to ring a little less true. To me it would have made more sense for Adira to not seem worried about telling Stamets at all, to make it a more non-chalant and confident correction. His reaction was spot on though. It’s a question to me of if that scene felt truthful to the reality of the show. It wasn’t heavy handed, but I did think it felt very 21st century. Since it was trying to make a point about acceptance for today’s audience, maybe that’s more important though, and Adira’s anxiety was necessary.
Overall, I have just had difficulty with how Adira is portrayed as they start in the show so confident and assured and by the end of season 4 they are much more nervous and doing odd things like suddenly swooning over Detmer being cool (telling not showing, again). Not really sure how that character progression was designed to go.
This is the first review by Anthony that seems to be struggling. It reads as if the initial enthusiasm, excitement and anticipation of this final season was offset by the disappointment that it seems to be repeating many of the missteps of the first four with no time left to build on what it’s starting to get right.
Good observation Denny C.
The review is positive overall but sounds like the show still runs into some of its same problems people keep complaining about. Hopefully they are more at a minimum this season.
The worst of it for me being “when they stop the action to have a sidebar about their feelings”.
Agreed. That was the biggest eye rolls in season 4. Just way too much of that on this show.
Anthony is struggling? He provided a balanced review that covered what he liked and what he didn’t like. His writing style and messaging in this review did not come across at all as impaired to me.
I think it’s a fine review and done with his usual writing flair.
Anthony, THANKS!
I’ve always felt Discovery is attempting to tonally be Grey’s Anatomy within the Star Trek universe, as far as the relationships. The emotional conversations in hallways, and the hugging out problems before and after facing life and death decisions.
It just doesn’t work for me though because I don’t care about these characters, and the underlying situations aren’t as interesting or as well-written on a Shonda Rhimes level.
I also think that because of that when they have these emotional moments, it feels like they go back to that well too much. When a character breaks down and cries that doesn’t usually do it, the moment stands out and it’s something that’s meaningful. If it happens all the time, it doesn’t really mean anything because you accept it as just the way these characters are.
Good review overall and I’m happy to hear Discovery is basically reinventing itself for the third or fourth time lol.
I’ll stay positive but the beginning of EVERY season on this show has been seen as generally good, it’s the middle and ending where it constantly falls apart.
And I read another review that wasn’t as glowing and gave the opening episodes a 2.5/5. They made clear this was still nowhere close to Picard season 3 or SNW season 1 level of storytelling and felt like the same melodrama like past seasons.
But that’s just one review. I am happy the pacing issue is much better and it doesn’t have the end of the galaxy stakes for a change. And I hope this gives us a much stronger look of the 32nd century which it sounds like it is.
So we’ll see but sounds decent so far. I just want Discovery to be good in its last season.
It’s too bad we didn’t get “re-invention” as a method of character growth. Still, looking forward!
True
After this review and seeing another one on YT, I am cautiously optimistic about S5 (although I won’t be holding my breath).
Haha you are right, they have tried to re-invent the show multiple times in an effort to morph the show into something more familiar – something that will draw some ratings. Now that streaming numbers are released, it will be interesting to see if Discovery can get into the Neilson Top 10 like SNW and Picard. We shall see!
I do think the show will land in the top 10 because it is being marketed as the final season and also because the reality is there has been a huge lack of Star Trek for months on end now. There has been nothing since LDS finished and farther back for live action shows.
I think a lot of people will be watching because there is nothing else. We don’t have a clue when the next show even shows up after Discovery either.
And this one actually looks fun even if you hate the show.
Not exactly a ringing endorsement.
On one hand, I’m optimistic about the final season of Star Trek: Discovery. On the other hand, I’m more hyped about season two of my #1 current Star Trek show: Prodigy.
“Discovery is first and foremost about the journeys of its characters” – Wish it was true, but I still can’t even recall the names of the bridge crew.
Can you recall the names of all the successions of female ensigns that replaced Wesley in TNG? Even the ones that were named; do you spend time lamenting that we never learned ANYTHING about them? What about the poor souls who only got to stand around at the aft science stations? Why don’t you spare a thought for them?
This! I mean the only conn officers I can recall after Wesley are Ro Laren and Sariel Rager … but how many dozens of officers sat at that post … way too many
McKnight! What was her first name, you ask?
Mind your business!
I meant the main cast, the likes of Rhys, Detmer, Owosekun (had to google them).
That’s the thing, though: They are not main cast. The production set them up as bit players. They are basically listed after the episodes’ guest stars. I think that has hurt the characters because while they have appeared in the majority of episodes they rarely got more than a few reaction shots during bridge scenes.
So in terms of role setup they are like those ensigns that replaced Wesley.
Ricky can’t wait for Warner Bros to buy Star Trek and erase the Discoverse. Discuss!
So you want them to erase SNW as well? Strange i thought you were a fan of that show.
Ricky has only watched the SNW episode that had the crossover with LDS. The Spock character is being treated poorly by the writers, but Anson Mount is a huge bright spot for that show.
Ricky needs to check the news more often.
Ricky needs a cookie
Ricky needs to quit the third person gimmick.
And I’m going to tell you this right now — He better not lose that number!
Ricky should not refer to himself in third person.
Re-watched the S4 finale on the ST cruise reminded me how good it was.
As for the commenters here, you’d think they were Star Wars fans the way they dump on everything.
People dump on what they don’t like. Sorry if this offends you.
Speaking of old ways returning? ;-)
But those are good ways and I’m keeping them!
Since Disco was cancelled after production concluded, It’s possible Execs didn’t like how this season turned out, which is why I have very low expectations for the season.
TOS was supposed to be canceled after its second season, which many consider to be the best season of all the entire Star Trek franchise.
“ which many consider to be the best season of all the entire Star Trek franchise.”
We, uh, got some citations for that?
Yeah not for me although I generally like season 2 of TOS but it’s been surpassed long ago.
Because we all know what a great judge of Trek quality that Paramount Execs have always exhibited.
If the Execs don’t like S5, than I have high hopes — it’s the reverse for me.
It seems likely than the cancellation of Discovery was more an economic decision than a creative one. Once shows run for a few seasons they get increasingly more expensive to produce because you have to pay everybody more to produce them. A five year run for a streaming series is a good run these days.
Here is a secret kids, go back to the early reviews of every season of Discovery and it’s usually high praised. Hell I have praised nearly every season in the beginning lol. But as the show continues the cracks gets bigger and more obvious.
I’ll remain positive and it does sound like they are changing up the show yet again for the better, but I still have doubts this won’t be another turkey by the end.
This is a snippet from Trekcre’s review but this did excite more reading it:
“That also ties into another big improvement this season, as Discovery gives us a lot more 32nd century worldbuilding and insight into the state of the galaxy. Even though this is the third year spent in the 3180s, the last two seasons felt timid in how they expanded on what life is actually like in the far future, how most people live, and what’s happened in the 800 years since Discovery left Captain Pike’s era.”
This is what so many of us really wanted I’m the beginning and I why I was so excited for the season. Now I thought how they handled this aspect in season 3 was mostly fine. It was a decent introduction and it was mostly about the Burn obviously.
But it was a big let down in season 4 and when they really should’ve been doing a lot more world building instead of so much of the nonsense we got in the second half.
So another reason to be more hopeful that we’re going to get better insight into what the 32nd century is really like outside the Burn stuff.
I can’t wait to not watch this season.