While dipping into darkness here and there, I think that
"Picard" remained relatively true to Star Trek. The story is good,
the acting is outstanding, and the characters are real and believable. I'd give
it a 7 or maybe 8 out of 10 and considered it worth watching. "Star Trek Discovery" on the other
hand . . .
What to say that will get my point across without spoiling
it for anyone? I pretty much hate it.
They threw everything that Star Trek stood for, the very core principles, out
of the window. Not that I suppose I have
the right to speak for all Star Trek fans, but I’ve always felt that most diehard
fans weren’t just in it for the shiny space ships and “pew pew” weapons. Many
of us loved what the show and it’s characters portrayed and represented – that the
human race had grown up, devoted itself to worthy and lofty goals of Science, exploration,
and the betterment of all life, human and otherwise. These are the very core
principles of the Star Trek universe and “Discovery” threw them right out of
the window. We have Star Fleet officers who very quickly choose to commit
mutiny against their beloved captains when they feel that captain has made the
wrong decision. We have multiple occasions where officers totally ignore their
orders and duty when those orders got in the way of what they wanted to do.
Cases where they utterly disregard their oath, duty, and shipmates because they
thought their family issues were more important. What’s worse is that the show
repeatedly rewards this behavior, ultimately patting these people on the back
while whispering “There there! It’s all right that you threw your shipmates and
duty under the bus in order to chase after your mom/dad/sister/brother. Since
it was so personally important to you, we will act as if it’s acceptable and
tolerable that you forgot all about duty, honor, and integrity.” OK, so they
disregarded and degraded everything that was beautiful and altruistic about
Star Fleet and the people in it, so what about those shiny space ships that I
mentioned earlier? Yeah, they messed that up too. Now a starship runs on plants
and spores that permeate the universe on multiple dimensions and is essentially
the source of all life in the universe. Can you say “Use the Force Spock, use
the force?!” It’s now more of a fantasy
show than a science fiction.
I might have somewhat enjoyed this program if they had made
it in it’s own stand alone universe, but they didn’t do that. They defiled my
beloved Star Trek and its bright future with their petty people and their
fantasy star ship that runs on the force, and it pisses me off. When this is
all over, I expect most Star Trek fans will look back on this show and refuse
to acknowledge it, much like the way Ford Mustang fans look back at the
mid-1970’s abomination that Ford tried to call a Mustang. You can slap all of
the Mustang emblems on that little God-awful Pinto that you can fit, but it
still aint a Mustang, and this isn’t Star Trek. On a scale of 1 to 10 I’d give
Star Trek Discovery about a negative 3.
All right people, let’s make this shit happen. Let’s bring
about the future portrayed by Star Trek by caring for more than just ourselves.
Let’s reach for the lofty goals and be worthy of attaining them. Make it so . .
.
