Star Trek is any science-fiction junkie’s go to for feeling the beauty of our natural universe. Not only did Gene Roddenberry aim to bring a spark of intelligence to the final frontier, he sought to bring creativity.
The newest attempt at a classic has been brought to us by Bryan Fuller and Alex Kurtzman, and what an attempt they’ve made. Thankfully they both had experiences working on various Star Trek projects like Voyager and the J.J. Abrams movies.
Their experience really shows in how they approach this new series.
Does The Story Hold True To The Star Trek Standard?
Yes, and no. It’s pretty complicated so strap in.
We follow Michael Burnham, a science specialist turned mutineer as she becomes dragged into the affairs of the USS Discovery’s Captain Gabriel Lorca.
When you begin this intellectual and emotional roller coaster ride you hardly know what to expect. Humans and Klingons at war? Sounds like a recipe for a more action-packed Star Trek than previous iterations.
Thankfully, that’s a good thing.
Using the struggle of war between Klingons and Humans reminds us our struggles are perspective based. Though I may not agree with Klingons being inherently violent, they truly believed the survival of their species was at stake.
Add a pinch of multiverse theory and you’ve got a mix for more twists and turns than anyone crew would ever hope for. Granted there are times where you realize things don’t entirely make sense.
Michael was raised by Vulcans. Her logic shows at the beginning of her journey under Captain Philippa Georgiou, even in her attempt to save them causing her to be seen as a mutineer in the first place.
I understand those experiences harden a person. Even as they point out she is still human they fail to remind Michael of her Vulcan roots as well. Don’t even get me started on Ash Tyler.
Die-hard Star Trek have been noting some inconsistencies in Trek canon, though I went into this with the feeling that it would be it’s own canon anyway. I do believe that’s helped me appreciate it for it’s own story.
Despite these little things there is far too much on the positive side to outshine the negatives.
The Discovery Crew Got Most Of It Right
Star Trek has always been about the concepts that our future in space will bring. If that’s the criteria we’re going by, then by George we have a breath of fresh air for Star Trek fans and science-fiction fans.
Not only do we rarely see multiverse theory applied much, we even more rarely see it used as a story driving tool in such a beautiful manner.
Using a human to traverse the network of multiverse’s was a neat surprise. A massive Tardigrade was even more pleasant.
The USS Discovery was originally a science vessel to test the ship’s Spore Drive which allows them to utilize mycelium spores and a catalyst to jump from any point in space to another instantaneously.
Obviously, this new technology comes with a host of it’s own problems. It requires a space fungi that releases spores they inject into the engine for a power source.
Even after their own supply of spores dried up, it didn’t appear to be too difficult for them to create more. Which I believe watching them grow is worth a watch for the cinematic work alone.
I can’t begin to say how happy I am to finally have another Sci-Fi show to nerd about. Not since Firefly have I felt a need to sit down and just watch. Sure I’ve seen shows between then and now, but generally not with my full attention.
Star Trek: Discovery Final Verdict
9 New Frontiers Out Of 10
All in all, I was pleasantly surprised with how well this show kept me from caring about getting to bed at a decent time to get to work the next morning. Some may say that’s a sign of addiction. I would say it’s a sign of a great intellectual show.
I would also say that it’s not addiction if you’re ok with losing sleep. There’s only one season to binge so far. Don’t worry, there’s already a Season 2 in the works.
Andrew Uphoff is an independent author and blogger for ten years. When he’s not indulging his inner coffee nerd, he’s looking for new ideas to help push humanity towards the future. A love for fiction, video games particularly, has always driven him to expand on the ideas within the universe of another writer’s mind. Now he hopes to provide a thought-provoking dialogue both in fiction, and reality. www.chainedreality.com.