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You'll miss it in 10 years. Like you do Enterprise.
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00:00Star Trek Discovery. What can we say about you?
00:04We can say a lot, actually.
00:06We are not blind to the criticisms on this show,
00:10nor are we determinedly sitting here with our fingers in our ears going
00:15la la la la la la la, you can't say no bad about this show, la la la la.
00:19It's got its issues.
00:21What is a little bit unfair is how much this show has been judged overall by some of these issues.
00:27The point of this article, it may not succeed in completely changing one's mind
00:31about Discovery in general, but it is absolutely about highlighting
00:36some of the great things that Star Trek Discovery has done,
00:40both for itself as a show and for Star Trek as a franchise.
00:44I'm Sean Ferrick for Trek Culture, and here are 10 reasons to stop hating Star Trek Discovery.
00:51Number 10. Let's go, Disco!
00:54It's a bit of a truism by now to say that Star Trek Discovery was responsible
00:58for the return of the franchise to the small screen, but it's one worth the reiteration.
01:02Nevertheless, it can't just be lauded for that fact alone.
01:05As Star Trek by another name could have ushered in the new era,
01:09what Discovery did in that sense is not nearly as important as how it did it,
01:14but it's the how that seems to divide most fans.
01:16The tone was off, it's too dark and pessimistic,
01:19it was serialised, it was emotionally overwrought, and so on and so forth.
01:23With the retrospective of about 6 years and the hindsight of knowing the plot,
01:27and putting aside what happened to the Klingons,
01:29that look is burned into our retinas more than that time Lorca watched the suns rise in a trinary system.
01:35We can safely say that Discovery Season 1 did the how a lot better than we may originally have thought.
01:42It was dark, in tone, because it needed to be.
01:45The captain was from the Shadyverse, the mood is always set from the top,
01:49there was a war on as well.
01:51Speaking of eyes, the whole season was a feast for them, more on that later.
01:54And for anyone tempted by a, this is not Star Trek,
01:58Discovery was pretty faithful to the original from the very beginning,
02:01all whilst attempting something new.
02:03For the new, we got a bounty of beautiful ships for the canon,
02:06for the familiar, there were some very recognisable tricorders and phasers,
02:10Harry, Mud, time travel, Spock's parents, the Mirror Universe,
02:13the Enterprise, and yes, even those Klingons count.
02:17Still need convincing?
02:19Let's take a visit to the props department.
02:21Number 9.
02:22But to connect.
02:23When you pop on an episode of any television series,
02:26especially since the advent of streaming,
02:28it's easy to forget just how much work went into making it.
02:31If you are fully immersed, that means they've done their job,
02:34but it pays to pause for a second and consider the efforts made behind the scenes.
02:39When it came to designing the props for Season 1 of Star Trek Discovery,
02:42an almost forensic amount of care and attention
02:46was put into ensuring a connection and continuity to the original series.
02:49As shown in the Season 1 DVD Blu-ray special featurette, Prop Me Up,
02:54devices such as the phaser and tricorder were, in essence, reverse-engineered,
02:58keeping the core 60s aesthetic,
03:00while accounting for a logical progression in the in-universe interim.
03:04The tricorder was a particular challenge
03:06given the advancements in medical technology in the real world.
03:09As property master Mario Morera described it,
03:12We started thinking about gloves, smart fabric, holograms on the wrists,
03:16but that failed the concept of reverse-engineering from the original series.
03:20Executive producer Alex Kurtzman also stated,
03:23Obviously, we look far more modern than the original series,
03:26but it would be strange if something had been really advanced
03:29and then suddenly went backwards ten years later.
03:31Whether they were entirely successful at that is up for debate,
03:34but the communicator still flipped,
03:36and phasers still had a stun setting.
03:38Number 8. A vision for Gene
03:41No matter what you think about Star Trek Discovery,
03:44you can't say it doesn't look good.
03:45In fact, with the boost in CGI technology since Star Trek Enterprise,
03:49Discovery set the bar as the most visually spectacular Star Trek we'd ever seen on television.
03:55Each episode felt like a mini-movie from day one.
03:58Perhaps we're all just a bit more discerning.
04:00Perhaps we're all a bit spoiled.
04:01The sheer amount of love and care that goes into making every frame is undeniable.
04:06One relatively short sequence alone from the series' debut episode,
04:10in which Michael Burnham leaves the Shenzhou to go to the artifact,
04:14represented around five to six months of work for the creators.
04:17The Vulcan Hello was quite rightly nominated for a Visual Effects Society VES award
04:23for outstanding visual effects in a photoreal episode.
04:26The word vision has another, now very loaded, Trekly defined meaning.
04:32What would Gene Roddenberry think has been the natural light motif for all those wanting
04:37to respect the creator's ethos, but this is not Gene's vision can also work to dismiss
04:43out of hand any element of Star Trek that we please.
04:47However, as Gene himself once said in the Star Trek saga from one generation to the next,
04:52I would hope there are bright young people growing up all the time who will bring to
04:57Star Trek levels and areas that were beyond me, and I don't feel jealous about that at all.
05:03It'll go on without any of us and get better and better and better, because that's the,
05:09that really is the human condition.
05:12It's to improve and improve.
05:15Number seven.
05:16Hello, Vulcan.
05:18Bryce.
05:19Hails from Captain Pike, sir.
05:21Burnham.
05:21It's the USS Enterprise.
05:23I mean, come on, people!
05:24The very last scene of Star Trek Discovery's first season was pretty jaw-dropping.
05:28A priority one distress call from the pre-Kirk captain of the ship that began it all,
05:32and the Enterprise looked good.
05:35Resituate this within the context of the time of the first broadcast of
05:38Will You Take My Hand?
05:40Kelvin timeline notwithstanding, we'd not heard so much as a peep from Pike in canon since the menagerie.
05:47So, to hear his name alone was thrilling.
05:49This was yet another example of Discovery honouring Star Trek history, really as far back as you can go, whilst
05:55moving the franchise forward.
05:57In the episode, there was also a knowing stare between Michael Burnham and adoptive father Sarek on the bridge, undoubtedly
06:03meant to match that between the viewers.
06:05Season 1 had begun with the Vulcan Hello method for Klingon diplomacy, but Season 2 was sure to be greeting
06:12a certain half-Vulcan.
06:14Millions of Trekkies, both young and old, have absolutely loved Anson Mounts Pike and Ethan Peck's Spock, and their portrayal
06:22of these iconic Star Trek characters.
06:24We know it's coming to an end, and we want more, read part of the Change.org petition launched on
06:29the 4th of April 2019,
06:31eventually gathering 30,067 signatures.
06:35So popular was this Season 2, it essentially got its own show.
06:39As Alex Kurtzman said in a statement upon the announcement of Star Trek's Strange New Worlds,
06:44when we said we heard the fans' outpouring of love for Pike, Number 1 and Spock last season, we meant
06:49it.
06:50Number 6.
06:51Millennial Pause
06:52Whilst not all fans have appreciated the jump by nearly a millennium to the 32nd century,
06:58the fact that Star Trek Discovery has managed to pull double duty as a prequel to the original series,
07:02and then a sequel to everything else, is pretty impressive.
07:06We often talk about the growth between the first seasons and three, four other Star Trek seasons,
07:12but none have leaped as far forward as 930 years.
07:16Discovery should be applauded for doing the bold in the mission statement with such panache.
07:21It's far more than just A for effort.
07:23Season 2 was a particular excellent season,
07:27but the move to the 32nd century has, to our minds, been a fruitful one and fascinating to watch.
07:32With the near millennial pause to start, the crew of the Discovery were out of step,
07:38having to learn to play around with programmable matter, beam and scan with Tricom badges,
07:43get to know a new Nivar, readjust to centuries of history that was once their future,
07:48and process the trauma from their trip.
07:50We won't be bereft of the 32nd century either after Discovery's final season.
07:55We will continue to see the era in what appears to be a direct spin-off,
07:58the long-awaited and much, much-talked and written about Star Trek Starfleet Academy,
08:04with Tony Newsome of Mariner fame in the writer's room, no less.
08:08Number 5, Rillick & Co.
08:11Lyra Rillick, no relation, played by the incomparable Sheila Horstel,
08:15is an integral part of season 4, putting politics squarely at the heart of Star Trek.
08:20Rillick is a no-nonsense and no-fool type character, but she clearly cares about the cause.
08:25Indeed, the symbolism of having a woman of human, Bajoran and Cardassian heritage
08:30placed in charge of healing a fractured federation that was without founder members Earth and Vulcan,
08:36Nivar, is not lost on anyone with so much as a copy of Galactic History for Dummies on their shelf
08:42or pad.
08:43Whether you agree with her decisions or not,
08:45watching Rillick deal with the political turmoil of the 32nd century
08:48through one catastrophe after another is easily one of the best things about Discovery.
08:53Shortly after her inauguration as president,
08:56Rillick unveiled the brand new Archer space dock to a group of fresh Starfleet Academy cadets,
09:01the Academy having reopened for the first time since the burn about 120 years prior.
09:06As Rillick speaks of a return to scientific exploration for Starfleet,
09:10Archer's theme from Star Trek Enterprise begins to play and the camera moves to view the eponymous space dock.
09:16Unless your heart is colder than a lab on Psi 2000,
09:19you can't hate such a hopeful moment.
09:21You simply can't.
09:22Number four, rad dad and lovely to know.
09:25Who doesn't love a good dadmoral?
09:27Well, maybe Tom Paris, but he and his father both found a path to healing eventually.
09:31Tell him I miss him and I'm proud of him.
09:34Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry.
09:36Sorry, back.
09:37Booking the badmoral trend,
09:38season three of Discovery gave us Fleet Admiral Charles Vance,
09:42the Starfleet CNC and loveliest, most delightful bearded dad of them all.
09:45I think most of us fell into the assume-all-admirals-are-pure-evil-until-proven-otherwise trap
09:50at first with Vance.
09:52Beards can work both ways, after all.
09:54Vance was a little standoffish at the start,
09:57but then wouldn't you be a bit suspicious if a 930-year-old supposedly destroyed starship
10:01that was technically breaking the law against time travel and using an unknown piece of propulsion technology
10:06suddenly rocked up at your door?
10:08The Admiral was a good and decent man, however,
10:11in the bad situation of having to head starfully through one of the Federation's worst periods post-Burn.
10:17The dangers he faced had also separated him from the wife and daughter he loved dearly.
10:21Thanks in largest of parts to the USS Discovery,
10:25Vance was back with his family by the season four opener Kobayashi Maru,
10:29and all of our hearts were a bit better for it.
10:31That's not to forget that touching toast with Tilly as the world was ending in Coming Home.
10:36Vance is not the only dad the show has to offer.
10:38Don't forget to check out our list on Hugh Colber for another heartwarming family story.
10:44Number three, multi-talented multiverses.
10:47We've touched on this, but there is most certainly one thing you can't hate about Star Trek Discovery,
10:52and that's its all-round-everything-bagel of outstanding talent everywhere, on and off screen.
10:59Discovery has attracted exceptional actors from the get-go,
11:02with Sonequa Martin-Green, well-known for The Walking Dead as Michael Burnham,
11:06and movie star Jason Isaacs as Captain Lorca.
11:09Sci-fi worlds then collided when renowned director David Cronenberg came aboard in season three as Dr. Kovic.
11:16For real-world science, the theory of parallel universes is just that, a theory.
11:21But in science fiction, the idea has long been a boon to storytellers,
11:25and most importantly here, it gave Discovery two versions, if one all but brief, of Philippa Georgiou for Michelle Yeoh
11:32to play.
11:33Unless you've been living in the Mirror Universe all this time,
11:36you'll be aware that Yeoh recently won an Oscar for her performance in another universe-hopping tale,
11:41and will be returning to Star Trek in 2024 in the Section 31 original movie event.
11:47The behind-the-scenes talent and creativity on Discovery also spans universes.
11:51Just as gaudy medals had adorned the chests of the original series and Enterprise's despotic counterparts,
11:58for Star Trek's return to the Mirror Universe in season one,
12:01the props department creating a whole list of dastardly Terran commendations,
12:04and the regalia pins to match, including Master of Poisons, 50 kills, 100 kills, and Mortal Wound Survivor.
12:12Number two.
12:14In love with the shape of Saru.
12:17No one can reproach Discovery for not being creative when it comes to alien species.
12:22We've been thoroughly spoiled for novelty, see example, Osnullis.
12:26Exceptional makeup and prosthetics, for example, see Linus, a saurian.
12:30And some outstanding CGI numbers for the radically alien species, such as the 10th Sea.
12:37Speaking of new aliens, Saru quickly became a fan-favourite character.
12:41Although there might still be those who look at him and go,
12:44Ooh, fricassee.
12:46Saru is also played by the tremendously talented Doug Jones.
12:49So prolific an actor and creature makeup legend,
12:53that if you print off his IMDb page, you'll be charged with Echocyte.
12:56Because no one had ever seen, or heard of, a Kelpien before,
12:59Jones had free reign to create Saru's physicality quite literally from the ground up.
13:06In a 2019 interview, Jones told Starter.com that Saru's posture, stance,
13:10and signature sway of the arms behind the back
13:13came almost immediately from the delicious boots he was given to wear.
13:17The hoof of the shoe made the effect of pushing his frame forward,
13:21making Saru walk, as Jones put it, like a supermodel.
13:25Also, as the first Kelpien in Starfleet, Jones decided that Saru would be
13:29very polite, very mannerly, very gentlemanly,
13:32but always with an undercurrent of fear,
13:35until his vaharai.
13:36To get the mannerisms right, Jones said he channeled the butler from Downton Abbey.
13:41Number 1. The Tufexus Factor
13:44We don't know much at this stage about the upcoming fifth and, alas, now final season
13:48of Star Trek Discovery, outside of the first-look snippets for New York Comic Con 2022,
13:53an action-packed extended clip, and some behind-the-scenes goodies.
13:57The main thrust of the season, according to StarTrek.com,
13:59will be a mystery that will send the crew on an epic adventure across the galaxy
14:03to find an ancient power whose very existence has been deliberately hidden for centuries.
14:07That's certainly enough to whet our appetite.
14:09Let's fly.
14:10If you liked the tonal shift between seasons 1 and 2,
14:13then you'll no doubt appreciate the change ahead for season 5.
14:16As Jonathan Frakes, who has directed the season's penultimate episode,
14:19told Star Trek Explorer magazine,
14:21Discovery is Indiana Jones this year, instead of the heavy emotion of season 4.
14:27Discovery is back on track as an action-adventure show.
14:30The season 5 finale was also partly reshot to make it the series finale.
14:35In an interview for CinemaBlend earlier this year, Frakes said,
14:38I think they've got a stunning plan for a very satisfying ending.
14:42In anticipation, actor Elias Tufexas has also been teasing his role in season 5 as new buddy La'ak.
14:50Replying on Twitter to the question,
14:52Who's your favourite Star Trek couple?
14:53Tufexas posted an image of La'ak and partner-in-crime Maul with the line,
14:58You guys haven't even met the real answer yet.
15:01After the SAG-AFTRA strike had ended,
15:03Tufexas was also able to tweet visuals of La'ak's ship,
15:07Simply stating,
15:08I have my own Star Trek ship.
15:09That's absolutely bonkers to me brain.
15:11Tufexas and Frakes' unfettered enthusiasm is infectious,
15:15And we can't help but be swept up in it.
15:17Season 5 does look like one hell of a ride after all.
15:20For the show that restarted Star Trek,
15:22Discovery's final outing might just be the one
15:25To get the series the love it deserves.
15:29Thank you very much everyone for watching along,
15:32And hopefully you've taken something from this video
15:34That perhaps you didn't consider before,
15:36Or you were at all 10 bits and went,
15:39Yeah, yeah I'm on board with that.
15:41Thank you so much everyone following along,
15:42Remember we're over on Twitter at TrekCulture,
15:45We're on Instagram at TrekCultureYT,
15:46You're awesome,
15:48You are wonderful,
15:48Until I see you again,
15:49Make sure you look after yourself,
15:50Be kind to yourself,
15:52Lead with love,
15:53Lead with kindness,
15:54And put a bit of brightness out into the world.
15:57You're awesome,
15:58Live long and prosper.
15:58Thanks.
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