After the failure that was Star Trek: Enterprise, the execs at Paramount were less than thrilled to do another Star Trek series. Television is a series of ebb and flow. That is why it’s rare to see a series last more than a few seasons; people get tired and want something new. As much as I love the Trek franchises, it was getting stale. The same writers and producers were working on all the series. They needed some new blood.

Just like with the recent rebooted film series, this is exactly what we are seeing with Star Trek: Discovery; fresh ideas and new storytelling styles. A lot of the traditionalist Trek fans are not impressed. They are saying the same things they did about the Abrams’ helmed films, “this is not Star Trek.” I’m a huge Trek fan and I’ve liked the new movies…for the most part. I also like Star Trek: Discovery. I am keeping a very open-minded approach to this more modernistic form of storytelling. Just like Admiral Kirk said to Scotty in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock when Scotty scoffed at the idea of transwarp drive:

Come, come, Mr. Scott. Young minds, fresh ideas. Be tolerant.

Star Trek: Discovery is set in the “prime” timeline, the same place as all the other television series. It takes place 10 years before Kirk commands the Enterprise on that fateful 5 year mission. We meet Captain Phillipa Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon) and her first officer Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green, The Walking Dead) as they assist a planet resurrect a well that will help them weather an on-coming 89 year drought. They are rescued from a dust storm by their ship, the U.S.S. Shenzhou and proceed to investigate a damaged interstellar communications relay.

Georgiou: set course for Starbase 121 Burnham: If she becomes a zombie, I am totally shanking her

As we come to find out, Michael Burnham is something special. She was the first human to study and succesfully graduate from the Vulcan Science Academy. She is the adopted daughter of Sarek, the famous Vulcan diplomat and father of the future first officer of the Enterprise, Spock.

Upon arrival to the coordinates of the relay, they discover an unidentified object that is covered in ancient markings. After an up close investigation courtesy of a space suit, Commander Burnham is attacked by a Klingon warrior. Burnham attempts to escape but kills the Klingon in the process. What ensues is a Cuban Missle Crisis-esque stand off between the Klingons (who were hiding in a cloaked ship) and the U.S.S. Shenzhou. I won’t spoil the rest of the story for you if you haven’t seen it. This is just the beginning of the 2 part premiere of the series and there are some seriously intense moments.

As we progress into future episodes, the series shifts to the U.S.S. Discovery, the titular ship of the series. She is captained by Gabriel Lorca (Jason Isaacs, Harry Potter films). Discovery is a science vessel that has access to some top secret tech. Not only do they possess some mind-boggling technology, the crew is not your average Starfleet collection. The best and brightest minds are on board the discovery, including Michael Burnham. When Burnham questions Lorca about their duties and role in the war with the Klingons, Lorca states, “Don’t worry about Starfleet. They gave me discretion to fight this war however I saw fit.” This is definitely a different approach than we’ve seen in previous Trek franchises and promises to deliver some interesting stories to come.

plus, Jason Isaacs was asked what he thought about the racist and sexist Trek fans who were bothered by people of color and women having prominent roles in Discovery. He said “they can go fu*k themselves.” Bravo, Captain.

I thoroughly enjoyed the premiere and third episode. It was smart, it felt fresh, yet it still felt like Star Trek. There were little things that I really appreciated as a Trekkie in the 2 part episode. The sound effects are from the original series and Next Generation. This gives it a familiar feel and let’s you know that it is in the same universe. The phasers look nearly identical to the original series as well.

This show looks different than any other Trek series, though. It has the look of a film instead of television show. That has been a common trend with the new direct-to-digital series we’re seeing on Netflix/Hulu etc. It is similar in look to the Kelvin-timeline movies; sleek design for the interiors of the ships, a lot of lens flare, and when there are space battles they don’t pull their punches. In previous series, they would tilt the camera, everyone would go flying and there would be some explosions. In Discovery, ships get obliterated, people get sucked into the vacuum of space and injuries are intense.

It has caught some flack for it’s storytelling, but I am enjoying the way it is done. It is a more modern aesthetic such as the use of flashbacks for exposition. That being said, just like the Trek series of old, there is political and societal commentary interspersed. I have been very happy with the way the Klingons are portrayed as a species and their point of view on the Federation’s desire for inclusiveness. In fact, I love how the Klingons mock the Federation’s “we come in peace” statement. It will be interesting to see the motivation behind their decisions and their point of view during this upcoming war.

In this 2 part series opener, we are introduced to the Klingons. If you’ve read online commentary of the series thus far, you’ve seen that the Klingons have caused a ton of controversy. They look almost unrecognizable from the original series or any of it’s successors. They look similar to the Kelvin timeline movie Klingons but are even further removed. Makeup has evolved a great deal since the mid 60s, even since the early 2000s and it’s not a bad decision to showcase this with some updated prosthetics and visual effects. Plus, to make your adversary look vastly different than humans could be part of the storytelling, but when pressed on this, producers say there is a reason.

I didn’t know they loved Baroque-era clothing as well! This explains why they love Shakespeare so much in Star Trek VI!!!!

Let’s be honest for a moment though, anyone who is nostalgic about the “original Klingons” are missing a huge ethical issue. The show essentially had the ‘barbarian’ race that’s brown in skin pigment played by white actors in brown-face. So before we defend the old aesthetics, let’s acknowledge that this has been an ongoing issue that needed to be updated. When TNG used Michael Dorn as Worf and Tony Todd as his brother Kurn, African American actors as a Klingons, it was a step in the right direction. I really just see these new Klingons as an evolution of that.

Now as far as the Klingon ships, I am not sold on their different design. The Federation ships look vaguely familiar to the original series. The Klingon ships of Discovery are completely different. I’ve always liked the design of the battle cruisers and birds of prey. These new ships are not my cup of tea but I suppose it fits with the new "very alien" concept they're using for the Klingons new look.

original designs on top, new on bottom. I'm not loving the new designs.

Overall, I love Star Trek: Discovery. I will stick with it through it’s entirety. The storytelling is great, the special effects are top notch, the acting is wonderful and I keep wanting more. It is a fresh take on the franchise. It uses bold new story concepts and is not afraid to push the envelope and try something new. It feels like Star Trek but it’s stepping outside the comfort zone that was the downfall of the Voyager and Enterprise. I will save a full rating for my review of the entire first season.

Mike is the editor-in-chief of GGR: The Great Geek Refuge. He also is a podcaster here at GGR and for ROCKDEEP ROGUE RADIO.

Movies and TV

Star Trek: Discovery Episodes 1-3 (*Spoiler Free*)

Star Trek: Discovery Episodes 1-3 (Spoiler Free)