There ’s a weird problem that keeps popping up with Star Trek : Discovery and I ca n’t tell whose fault it is . Is it diarist writing about the show who do n’t know its background ? Is it that the mass involved in the show are tough ambassador for it ? Is it the way the show ’s being promoted ? Is it just the news wheel ? Whatever the reason , the effect is that Discovery is constantly marketed as groundbreaking when it should be market as postdate in Star Trek ’s footsteps .
Part of the issue is definitely that it ’s hard to tell who Star Trek : Discovery is for . Is it persistence porno for hard-core fans who eff Star Trek enough to pony up for CBS All Access ? Is it a brand new thing that simply has name recognition and stands on its own for hoi polloi who do n’t already love Trek ? The selling and PR for the show are seek to present it as both , but the result is that the show does n’t particularly feel like it ’s intended for either audience .
Executive producer Alex Kurtzman trumpeted the fact thatTribbles would appear in Discoverybecause they ’re one of Trek ’s most universally darling elements , and are sure to draw in casual witness ( even if their inclusion makes no sense , timeline - Stephen Samuel Wise ) . But then there ’s the appearing ofHarry Mudd , a con human race and criminal from The Original Series whose inclusion here is purely fan servicing . Protagonist Michael Burnham ( Sonequa Martin - Green ) wasraised by Spock ’s parent , which join the fresh show to one of the dealership ’s most well - known fictional character . But this is deeply confusing for those fans who have already allot with asurprise siblingin Spock ’s past times .
This rumor may or may not turn out to be true , but it ’s symptomatic of the confusedness fence Discovery that clouds it even more than the changeless delays and production proceeds . In attempting to please both master , it ’s failing to entice either — not sports fan who have been break down to get Trek back with all its rich history and creation - building , and sure not people who may have enjoyed the late movies , but can only be intimidated by the monolithic , complicated traditional knowledge of the original Trek canon .
But the sports fan are absolutely part of the problem , too , because far too many of them do n’t seem to commend what Star Trek did and what it ’s supposed to be . This was unmistakable when a vocal contingent of “ fans”complained about diversityin the Discovery cast , apparently forgetting that Star Trek has not only always celebrated diversity from the very first TV serial , but that it ’s a hallmark of the franchise .
This was evident again whenheadlineafterheadlinewas made out of the idea that Discovery would “ trench ” Gene Roddenberry ’s infamous “ rule ” that members of Starfleet should n’t be in conflict with one another — a pattern he created in approach of Next Generation , and one that its writer seek to get around immediately , since conflict make for right stories . The late shows may have adhere to the letter of the rule — Deep Space Nine featured many non - Starfleet characters , Voyager coalesce a Starfleet and Maquis crew , and Enterprise ’s principal conflicting work party member were the non - Starfleet T’Pol versus , well , everyone — but not the spirit of it .
But the existent quotation showrunner Aaron Harberts gave clear up the “ ditch ” indicates Discovery may be getting it correct : “ We do have our characters in struggle , we do have them contend with each other , but it ’s about how they encounter a solution and work through their problem . ” It ’s adhering to the emotional state of the formula , rather than the letter , and the show will belike be good for it .
Then again thing got unearthly when an anecdote from setindicatedthat a writer on Discovery had look at Roddenberry ’s sight of humanness without faith to mean that the Word of God “ God ” as a colloquialism did n’t exist for humans . Once again , a showrunner ’s words show a proficient apprehension of the show than this representative would seem to . Showrunner Gretchen Bergfollowed that narration upwith a statement that makes it look like Discovery has a good handgrip on how it ’s break down to limn faith : “ On a show about variety and with different pointedness of horizon , I palpate like you have to accept that some people believe in God , some the great unwashed want to hero-worship a potato , and some people do n’t desire to believe in anything . I mean there is room for that on Star Trek , ” she said , bring that “ God ” would be used in the show with some frequency .
The latest perplexing kerfluffle has yet again descend from a Entertainment Weekly story — which was also the source of the “ ditch ” quote and the God anecdote — and it involves Star Trektackling current political dividesin the new show . This should have shocked absolutely no one since , like variety , this is bake into the DNA of Star Trek . This is what it does and what it is celebrated for . Once again , Harberts tell something totally reasonable with respect to Star Trek :
The Klingons are break down to serve us really look at sure English of ourselves and our country . Isolationism is a big theme . Racial purity is a big theme . The Klingons are not the enemy , but they do have a unlike view on thing . It raises big doubtfulness : Should we permit people in ? Do we need to change ? There ’s also the doubt of just because you reach your bridge player out to someone , do they have to take it ? Sometimes , they do n’t desire to take it . It ’s been interesting to see how the time have become more of a mirror than we even think they were going to be .
The Klingons versus the Federation are going to be an emblem ? They ’re going to help us class through things ? HOW CAN ANYONE go ? Oh , waitress , right , they were invented so that the original Star Trek could reflect the then - current result of the Cold War , with the Federation and the Klingons on either side . This estimate is literally 50 years old — it is not groundbreaking . And yet , this call on into various headlines aboutTrump , the 2016 election , and Klingons asTrump assistant . It has forcedCBS to denysomething that Harberts never pronounce .
It ’s equally laughable to present challenge the Federation through a war as groundbreaking , as that same EW interview did . “ The thing about the war is it takes Starfleet and the Federation and forces them to examine their ideas and ethical rules of fight and demeanour , ” said Harberts . “ It put up a backdrop to how we want to be as a society and that analysis and self - reflection is new for Trek . They ’ve done it in sure episode in the past , but this is a dead on target journey for the initiation in itself . ”
“ Certain episodes ” is a weird path to key whole seasons of Deep Space Nine , for which conflict and analyse the character of Starfleet and the Federation were mainstays . Harberts is either ignorant of Star Trek ’s history or he ’s been tasked with examine to demo Discovery as “ All - New Trek ” to hopefully entice non - fans to watch the show . The latter is much more likely , but in his outreach to less devouring fans , who may not make out what the Federation and Starfleet are , he ’s insulting avid fans who love the ideas are n’t fresh to Trek in the slightest .
These sorting of communication issues have been go after Discovery from the startle , when numerous production exit comprised the only news about the show in the calendar month after it was announced . The loss of fan - favorite Trek writer and showrunner Bryan Fuller , in addition to the production woes , have curdled fan reaction so that they ’re expect problem instead of being excited . Meanwhile , it feels like there ’s been a weird lack of enthusiasm among mainstream audience for what should be Star Trek ’s prideful proceeds to television .
Certainly part of this is CBS ’ fault . The connection has done a historically misfortunate line of capitalize on initial lover enthusiasm , and the shimmer for a wider audience has recoil disadvantageously there , too , since the way the show has been described to that wider audience is clearly not win them over . Yet as much as the out - of - touch bodied monolith is to blame , it ’s also contending with a very uncanny set of circumstances . For one , any quotation of current events , political sympathies , diversity , and even religion nowadays is almost guaranteed packaging and to make a vocal group of unspeakable masses unhinged . The unremitting presentation of Discovery as if it is break new reason in these area has caused disputation instead of building excitement . But it could perhaps have avoid at least some of this uncollectible public press by presenting the show as continuing the dealership ’s proud legacy , reminding everyone what Star Trek is and what makes it so important .
alas , thefinal nail in the coffinof the show ’s multitude of spoilt crush was delivered this morning , when it was divulge that CBS has blocked limited review of Discovery from be given before it airs . So many wounds — some of them self - inflict , some of them mere chance of circumstance — have caused the show to shrivel from the spotlight .
Star Trek belong on television . That is where it has thrived and that is where it has done most of its good work . Star Trek is diverse , it is challenging , it reflects current conflicts , and it can be almost painfully earnest . Downright preachy , even . When it is on every hebdomad , pop culture is just good than it is when it ’s not . That is what is being lose in all the discombobulation and controversy surrounding Discovery . That ’s what the show will have to endeavor to subdue when it premieres on Sunday , September 24 . I hope it does . But I do n’t imagine it can .
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