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Star Trek Discovery Now on Paramount +


Max Headroom

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Hi, John.

 

Thanks for the reply. To be honest, after all that I've read about the Mandalorian, I am not expecting to be blown away. If it is reasonably entertaining and has some decent action scenes, then I reckon it will probably do for the long winter evenings. I like the idea of having an IG-88 droid actually fighting, considering that he barely moved in Empire Strikes Back. 

 

I will be interested to see what they do with the Ben Kenobi TV series next year, although I never found Ewan Macgregor all that convincing as a younger Alec Guinness. He's a good actor, but the physical resemblance was not great. Still, Star Wars, innit?

 

I'm sure I will be casting my opinion on the new Discovery episode come Friday, but I have a feeling that it will just confirm my worst fears. We'll wait ands see on that one. When you boil it down, it's just a TV show (one of thousands out there). There's a very strong argument that we should all find something more worthwhile to do with our lives than watching telly. Having said that, I'm a very lazy personality, so lounging on the sofa watching TV suits me down to the ground, if I'm honest.   

 

Anyway, talk to you later, Sir. 

 

Chris. 

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7 hours ago, Max Headroom said:

@spruecutter96 if you’re looking for Amazon recommendations there’s always Picard (outside the USA), although I found it a bit underwhelming tbh. American Gods is.....weird. Season 1 was ok but season 2 was weirder! My favourite thing on Amazon was nothing to do with sci fi and is called Turn. All about the American War of Independence. Four seasons of solidly good tv. All I’ll say is look out for Captain Simco- seriously unhinged!

 

Trevor

Thanks for the "Turn" recommendation, Trevor. I'll have to check it out. Watched Picard recently - decent enough, but not exactly life-changing. Rather preachy, though. I found the idea of of Seven of Nine finding some lady-love very pleasing, indeed. I am an adolescent trapped in a middle-aged man's body and am very proud of it!

 

Chris. 

Edited by spruecutter96
Amending some information.
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On 11/10/2020 at 1:12 AM, spruecutter96 said:

 

 

I'm sure I will be casting my opinion on the new Discovery episode come Friday, but I have a feeling that it will just confirm my worst fears. We'll wait ands see on that one. When you boil it down, it's just a TV show (one of thousands out there). There's a very strong argument that we should all find something more worthwhile to do with our lives than watching telly. Having said that, I'm a very lazy personality, so lounging on the sofa watching TV suits me down to the ground, if I'm honest.   

 

Anyway, talk to you later, Sir. 

I thoughts tonight's was seriously good.

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3 hours ago, Mick4350 said:

I thoughts tonight's was seriously good.

Hmmmm.... we might have to agree to disagree on that one, Mick. An improvement on the previous episode, but in no way a "good" one. Have we reached a point in which someone has to cry in every episode? I hope not. For me, the only good scene had the line from Stamens which went something like: "Dis-functionality is how we work".

 

I'll be watching next week, but - at the risk of just repeating myself - this series of Disco has been a chore to watch (thus far). 

 

Chris. 

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I’m firmly in the camp that the latest episode was the best in a long time. I think with this episode, it’s now found its feet not just for this series but for the rest of its run. I suppose rather like it took DS9 to series 3 too - not that I’d know as I found it too tedious to find out!

 

Trevor

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18 hours ago, Max Headroom said:

I’m firmly in the camp that the latest episode was the best in a long time. I think with this episode, it’s now found its feet not just for this series but for the rest of its run. I suppose rather like it took DS9 to series 3 too - not that I’d know as I found it too tedious to find out!

 

Trevor

I agree with you, the last episode is the strongest and most cohesive of season three so far and indicates it might go somewhere.

 

I have my misgivings though, I found the previous episode was tedious and almost unwatchable at times. Mind you, the Trills have never rated as my favorite alien species in the Star Trek universe so I've never really been able to get into stories that had them at the heart.

 

If you think about it, the first couple of seasons of TNG were pretty laughable at times. They didn't get it right straight out of the blocks, but survived to a respectable run.

 

I've been bingeing on original series Star Trek and Enterprise on Nextflix recently and it's been an interesting experience as I have not watched either in years.

 

Watching the original series really brings home where the most recent series in the franchise really miss the mark in keeping with the "spirit" of the original. Social comentary has always been at the heart of Trek, but the original gave you something to think about and let you make up your own mind, while the latest series are more preachy and tell you what to think.

 

I would say in many ways, Enterprise doesn't get the credit it deserves. It wasn't perfect, but it did an admirable job of exploring the societies of the founding worlds of the Federation. I particularly liked how the fleshed out the Andorians and examined the internal frictions in Vulcan society at the time.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Discovery Season 3 Episode 8 - ARE THEY SERIOUS??

 

Warning: SPOILER AHEAD!

 

So, the boredom-fest continues. With so much money and "writing-talent" available to them, how can this series be so fundamentally wrong? On the plus side, at least Tilly didn't start crying in this one...

 

They have attempted to introduce a proper villain in this episode (Mizz Green Skin and British accent). Not too sure she fits the bill, but we'll see on that one. 

 

SPOILER:  The scene in which Book and his "brother" telepathically link-up with the floating jelly-fish is one of the silliest, most ridiculous things I have EVER seen. 

 

I hate to say it, but - so far - Disco Season 3 has been one of the best cures for insomnia yet invented. It's just plain dumb, boring and pretentious. People are paid good money to write this drivel..... REALLY??

 

Chris.

  

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On 11/8/2020 at 9:05 AM, spruecutter96 said:

Knowing me, I will continue to pay for Netflix for some time, in the (vain?) hope that they will produce / invest in some better programming. I can dream , can't I

If you like playing chess, watch The Queen's Gambit on Netflix.

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I have to say I'm warming up to the Admiral character they've introduced this season.

 

He seems he could be a no-nonsense type who knows what being military is about. Something Discovery needs desperately.

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2 hours ago, upnorth said:

He seems he could be a no-nonsense type who knows what being military is about. Something Discovery needs desperately.

All I can say about him so far is that he’d not be the life and soul of a party.

 

Trevor

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BIG SPOILERS AHEAD!

 

I thought this was the season finale - it isn't!

 

So, the third series of Discovery wheezes and stumbles to a deeply tedious anti-climax. I don't know what the production-budget on this series was, but every cent was utterly wasted. Boring, over-preachy, deeply "woke", made-to-agenda, sign-of-the-times, CRUD. What a great opportunity this was and they just threw all the potential good-stuff into the wind. They took enough story-line for 3 or 4 episodes and spun it out to fill nine - not unique to Discovery, admittedly, but still not a good sign.  

 

I have a feeling I won't be bothering to watch the next season, if it ever gets made.  

 

So, what was the most annoying aspect of the last episode...?

 

The guy in the bowler-hat. As in the previous episode, one of the silliest things I've seen EVER. A character who exists entirely just to push the story in a particular direction (a script-writing technique which has been frowned on by screen-writers for DECADES - don't believe me? Read "Adventures In the Screen-Trade" by William Goldman, which I think was written in the late 1970's. He had a lot of say about this lazy, cliched ploy and it's NOT complimentary). This character was obviously part of Trek lore, as he revealed his true name at the end, but I don't have any clue what the significance was (or care, for that matter). 

 

Giorgiou's (not spelt properly) "departure" - by that point, I really couldn't have cared less. I have no doubt we'll see her at a later date. I was hoping Lorca might at least make a "special-guest appearance" as everyone was talking about him, but no such luck. Also, the part of the storyline where she becomes a better. more merciful person.... WHY??

 

I think my biggest objection to Series 3 was it was just so BLAND. With the benefit of hind-sight, you now know that no major (or even secondary) characters are gonna die and any jeopardy they encounter is going to be very easily overcome. One thing that occurred to me recently... there's been no swearing in this series at all, IIRC- a sure sign that the scriptwriters have been instructed to make it as "inclusive" (and boring) as possible. Even when characters are even a little bit rude or nasty to each other, they have to have a big group-hug and a cry to make up, afterwards. Utter Cobblers! If people really have to look to a show as low-quality as this one to see how to treat their fellow-man, then they've got bigger problems to resolve!

 

Additionally, the quality of the acting in this series. NOT good. Far too many characters who have only two acting "modes" - completely over-the-top or virtually sleep-walking. Yes, Mike Burham..... this one's for you! The poor quality of a lot of the dialogue really didn't help, but dear me, Lordy.... Also, the science-officer who "pilots" the spore-drive. I sense he's a good actor, but here he's really not given much to work with.

 

What does anyone else think?

 

Chris. 

 

  

 

 

Edited by spruecutter96
Amending some information.
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31 minutes ago, spruecutter96 said:

 

 

What does anyone else think?

 

 

Good to see Hannah Cheesman make a reappearance in season three ( Lieutenant Commander Airiam ).

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On 12/18/2020 at 2:49 PM, spruecutter96 said:

BIG SPOILERS AHEAD!

 

So, the third series of Discovery wheezes and stumbles to a deeply tedious anti-climax. I don't know what the production-budget on this series was, but every cent was utterly wasted. Boring, over-preachy, deeply "woke", made-to-agenda, sign-of-the-times, CRUD. What a great opportunity this was and they just threw all the potential good-stuff into the wind. They took enough story-line for 3 or 4 episodes and spun it out to fill nine - not unique to Discovery, admittedly, but still not a good sign.  

 

I have a feeling I won't be bothering to watch the next season, if it ever gets made.  

 

So, what was the most annoying aspect of the season finale...?

 

The guy in the bowler-hat. As in the previous episode, one of the silliest things I've seen EVER. A character who exists entirely just to push the story in a particular direction (a script-writing technique which has been frowned on by screen-writers for DECADES - don't believe me? Read "Adventures In the Screen-Trade" by William Goldman, which I think was written in the late 1970's. He had a lot of say about this lazy, cliched ploy and it's NOT complimentary). This character was obviously part of Trek lore, as he revealed his true name at the end, but I don't have any clue what the significance was (or care, for that matter). 

 

Giorgiou's (not spelt properly) "departure" - by that point, I really couldn't have cared less. I have no doubt we'll see her at a later date. I was hoping Lorca might at least make a "special-guest appearance" as everyone was talking about him, but no such luck. Also, the part of the storyline where she becomes a better. more merciful person.... WHY??

 

I think my biggest objection to Series 3 was it was just so BLAND. With the benefit of hind-sight, you now know that no major (or even secondary) characters are gonna die and any jeopardy they encounter is going to be very easily overcome. One thing that occurred to me recently... there's been no swearing in this series at all, IIRC- a sure sign that the scriptwriters have been instructed to make it as "inclusive" (and boring) as possible. Even when characters are even a little bit rude or nasty to each other, they have to have a big group-hug and a cry to make up, afterwards. Utter Cobblers! If people really have to look to a show as low-quality as this one to see how to treat their fellow-man, then they've got bigger problems to resolve!

 

Additionally, the quality of the acting in this series. NOT good. Far too many characters who have only two acting "modes" - completely over-the-top or virtually sleep-walking. Yes, Mike Burham..... this one's for you! The poor quality of a lot of the dialogue really didn't help, but dear me, Lordy.... Also, the science-officer who "pilots" the spore-drive. I sense he's a good actor, but here he's really not given much to work with.

 

What does anyone else think?

 

Chris. 

 

  

 

 

 

I've just got myself more or less caught up with Discovery after a bit away from it and I have to say I largely agree with your assessment.

 

The guy with the bowler hat talking cryptically was trite and lazy writing in its utmost.

 

I was hoping to have only the most fleeting of brushes with the mirror universe from here on, but it looks like we'll be subjected to more of that tediom than needed. I've always found the mirror universe based Trek episodes some of the hardest to sit through regardless of the series because they just felt like filler and padding getting in the way of the actual story.

 

While Trek has always had social conciousness and examination of the human condition as driving engines behind it, Discovery is "Woke" to the point of showing symptoms of sleep deprivation.

 

As much as I like having Michelle Yeoh in the mix, I feel she's more in the show for her "star power" attraction for the show more than anything. I often wonder if the other actors would shine more if she weren't there. She's listed as a special guest star in the credits, but makes the core cast look like supporting actors.

 

Watching Detmer fly Book's ship was a bright point in this season so far. They've had a good story line potential to explore with her PTSD this season, but have been sadly clumsy in how they've approached it and how they could have developed the character through it.

 

Our new Andorian friend, Ryn, has some potential to add something to the story and I hope he sticks around a while.

 

It's good to see where Admiral Vance is developing. He's loosening up a bit and showing a human side. Hopefully, he stays military enough to be a good example of officer material to Saru and maybe Tilley as well.

Edited by upnorth
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Blimme, it's only a Christmas Miracle.....!

 

Yep, they actually produced an episode of Discover Season 3 that was (very nearly) worth watching! Having said that, things very rapidly fell apart at the end.

 

HUGEY, GARGANTUAN SPOILERS AHEAD, FOLKS. 

Firstly, how did the Away Team transport down in to a computer-simulation?

 

If they were simulated version of themselves, why were they suffering from radiation-sickness? Wouldn't computer-generated holograms be immune to radiation? I'm sure there's some great bit of sciencey-whyency BS to explain all this, but I have no idea what it is. Oh, and the "embryo changed in response to the radiation as it was forming" sounds like some pure SF Convenient Cobblers, if ever there was such a thing. Having said all that, it was kinda cool that Doug Jones made a non-Kelpian appearance. 

 

Who knew that singing can get you out of a bad situation? More bovine-expellings. 

 

Now, did the nasties transport the Discovery inside their ship and then make the spore-drive jump? If they did, how did they know that the spore-drive field would also transport their ship? Lucky guess? Or very convenient / lazy story-telling? 

 

At least it ended on a good cliff-hanger.

 

Chris. 

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  • 2 weeks later...
1 hour ago, Max Headroom said:

So say we all

Agreed. Galactica has an air of believability that Discovery has never had. BG is real, relatable characters fighting against great odds. Discovery has characters that will become very cliched and tired in years to come. 

 

Chris. 

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At least it wasn't as bad as the ending of Raised by Wolves. 

 

I am not a fan of the Dilithium storyline. This season had some  focus more on character development which is what Star trek normally excels in. Previous seasons were more Star Wars than Star Trek which I found Picard to be as well.  This is not a bad thing for me. I did enjoy the ending and it felt like coming full circle. ( Which was probably why you got the original score as the ending credits score) 

 

Also I like the fan theory that Cronenberg is the federation president

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  • 3 months later...

I've been trying to watch the re-runs on BBC 2 of a Friday night (more like I've been falling asleep half way through and missing the 2nd episode!). It's such a bad time to bury them in the schedule.... I guess they're just using them as "fillers".

 

Chris. 

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