Star Trek Discovery. [SPOILERS WITHIN]

POSSIBLE SPOILERS! I SAID POSSIBLE SPOILERS BELOW!

I WARNED YE!




Strong start. I like it. This feels almost like a reboot, in a sense, of the show. New uniforms, new ranks, new positions, new characters in so many respects. Nice bits of philosophy tucked into the action and drama, and this time no overbearing and heavy handed message.

Of course, there is a - b i g p r o b l e m - at the end of the episode, but it's not on a universal scale (maybe?), and if so I think I can handle that. No more need for galaxy wide mayhem, please.

I like the Federation president, she's pretty straightforward. I can appreciate that.
Honestly, Michael is almost Kirk-like in how she approaches the Captain's chair, the rejection of the no win scenario, and I strongly approve of that.

Nice to see everyone again, great visuals as always, good characterization, good story, good way to get this season rolling. This is very good Trek, IMO.

Easy 8/10.
I hope the rest of the season can keep this kind of consistency.

Damn... I'm surprised Tilly herself doesn't cause gravitational lensing.

Hey... leave my girl alone.

Here's my thoughts with very little Kurtzman bashing.

Book's ship is totally unrealistic. Said that last season too.

The opening sequence reminded me of Into Darkness.

Octopuses Head is back.

Kaminar reminded me of Gungan city, I half expected Boss Naas to show up.

Tribble sighting.

Starfleet is an Earth organization, is Earth back in the Federation now?

The Federation was reduced to 38 members, now its up to 59. That's still quite a loss.

Starlet Academy was closed for 150 years, how were people trained then?

Archer's theme!

They mention ticking off boxes, hmmm.

They just had to throw, "shit show" in there, but at least no further profanity for no reason.

Looks like the writing staff has done some Trek homework. Good for them.

Did Tilly and Adira have their away mission uniforms beam onto them as they beamed away?

Since the title of the episode is "Kobyoshi Maru", I kept wondering if it was an elaborate simulation to test Burnham.

This episode reminded me a lot of TOS/TOS movies/DS9, that's a good thing.

Nice smackdown from the Federation President.

Kurtzman just loves blowing up planets. Something tells me it's not really destroyed though.

This was by far the best season premiere this show has had so far, good job guys, keep it up. It actually felt like classic Star Trek.

I hope with all my heart it's a crewman.

Starfleet started as an Earth organization, but was later spun off into an organization controlled by the Federation. That's how they get away with the NX Enterprise counting but never being mentioned before, since it was pre-Federation.

Hands on apprenticeships? Every surviving ship and station with kids drafting them into service? Volunteers with prior relevant service signing up with minimal training required?

There was a short scene in one of the TNG relaunch novels where a brand new ensign programs an algorithm that helps the Enterprise track down a bunch of refugee ships quickly, it's so good that Picard sends it out to the rest of Starfleet for general use. When Picard goes to thank the ensign in person, she turns out to be an elderly former librarian that decided to spend her retirement seeing the galaxy. I liked the idea that 24th century Starfleet could be sort of a beer league where anyone with the desire to serve and any sort of useful skill or basic competence could sign up, the "Picard and Wesley couldn't even get in on their first tries" era was silly considering how many mediocre officers we've seen over the years.

People swear in real life, especially when they're under stress, that's reason enough.

I was pleasantly surprised, usually whenever the test is brought up it's in reference to Kirk beating it, or in other fiction some other hero character beating it. (The short story where Nog beats it by trying to buy off the enemy captain and ends up lecturing his professor for displaying narrow minded Federation thinking is fantastic.) I like that there wasn't some "Michael beat it too" revelation, or some "Kirk beat it, Michael is cool and awesome just like Kirk" back patting.

She definitely feels more Kirk like and I respect her as a captain now, it feels earned.

I was annoyed in the opening scene that she went on such a sensitive mission with only Book instead of a proper away team, but seeing how mistrustful of the Federation that planet was made the choice actually reasonable.

Why is Michael the only one wearing red? Is it a captain-only colour now? Command/operations used to share a colour no matter what it was.

Sulu and Chekov wore the same colour as Kirk.

Worf and Laforge started out wearing the same colour as Picard and Riker.

Worf wore the same colour as Sisko when he became strategic operations officer.

Paris wore the same colour as Janeway and Chakotay.

Boimler and Mariner wear the same colour as Freeman and Ransom.

Or is Tilly still first officer but pulling a Spock by staying in science blue?

I don’t think it’s clear who the first officer is,. Rice and Tilly are both Lt.s, but Rice was in the chair while Burnham was away. It looks like division colors are all over the place. It looks like command is red, science is blue, medical is white and everything else is gold.

Well, as always I could do with less of the "kewl things going zip zip zip fweooowwwww!" aesthetic, but it was a good story.

I do wonder where Admiral Vance and the rest of Starfleet were trained, since they were presumably all born after the Burn.

Is Rhys the first officer now? Seems like he would be a strange choice since up until now he's been about as prominent as Lt. Ayala on Voyager.

There was that guy filling in for Bryce while he was on an assignment on another ship, maybe he's on a command training assignment? Seems weird they'd have him off the ship but still appearing in the episode unless it's setting something up.

I’d give it to Detmer.

I think I’ve figured out the dynamic Burnham is mostly Kirk, Spock is…Spock, Tilly is Bones, Culber is..uh..a combination of Bashir/Crusher and Bones, Rhys is Sulu/Scotty (read: in the command sense), Owo and Detmer are Uhurah, Brice is Checkov/Kim, Octopus Face is random navigator from TNG who barely has any lines, Booker is Han Solo/the outrageous okana/ reluctant hero, you name it/ Dollar Store Idris Elba, Staments is…Paul Staments, Idira and what’s their name is Jadzia, Vance is Worf, but not as cool, but constantly shot down,Federation President is Federation President from ST IV/Picard, and Reno is Scotty/ B’Lana. Saru is the audience.

THIS is Star Trek. Quibble at the details as you will, you can do that with any Star Trek, but that was an episode of Star Trek period.

This had a "that point when Sisko shaved his head (off screen)" feel, like it's a show that's completely found it's footing.

Favorite moment? "Mister Saru"

I agree. With all of my complaints, NuTrek is finally finding it's footing. Who knew, give the fans what they want and you'll make for good Trek? Oh right, I knew.

A very solid start to the season. I'm pleasantly surprised.

As others have said, the first few minutes were very derivative of Star Trek: Into Darkness (@Spaceturkey got the wrong movie).

I'm cautiously optimistic, but let's not forget that season three actually started fairly strong and then dropped right into the shitter.

EDIT: Also, why do contemporary Trek showrunners feel the need to consistently reference the two shittiest shows?!?

That was a great addition to the Trek lore. This show finally FEELS like Star Trek. To be completely honest, I was thinking of skipping this season. S3 started off really strong and really ended up being mediocre. I sincerely hope they can keep this up for the duration of the season.

I'd like to think it's a reminder that no matter ones current complaints, things could always be much, much worse.

It's more because we're all fucking old or geeks and most of the younger audience - if they even know Trek series existed before - only know ENT and VOY.

I had a PhD student who didn't know Trek had existed prior to the Kelvinverse movies.

The prerequisite for being first officer is being able to fit in the Captain's chair so that's why Tilly is seen elsewhere on the bridge or cruising the corridors in her electric mobility scooter.

She'll smother your mother. And your mother will enjoy it.

I don't think people like being smothered by an elephant! You're weird!

Tilly's trunk may have some junk but yo' fulla bunk.

We’ve learned a few things about the 31st century or whatever the fuck they’re at. First the food replicators must be really good. Second technology has been able to overcome Tillys gravitational pull so that the discovery isn’t destroyed upon departure from space dock.

Tilly Season 1:

Tilly season 4:

I leave these here with no comment.

(Happy to post before and after photos of Captain Kirk and Commander Scott if anyone thinks I'm being sexist.)

I read that the actress just popped out a kid before filming resumed... But yeah, if they don't address it at all in-universe then it's Matthew Perry level weird. Her jogging around the ship and worrying about nutrition was a whole thing in the first season.

Transporter malfunction duplicated her body mass?

There was that brief scene where Tilly awkwardly said she didn't know what she was going to do after getting off that station... Maybe they're leading in to a storyline where she's depressed and overeating.

OMG she's the Lee Adama of Discovery

Maybe she’s the Mac of Discovery and next season she’s super buff and secretly gay?