A decent start to the season, but it is more of this show moving away from Star Trek and just being action in space. For more hardcore fans than me I don't know if that is what they want.
144 Reviews
Star Trek meets Andromeda
oszajcakk15 October 2020
Warning: Spoilers
It's not a bad start. It's definitely entertaining and I am hoping that rest of the season is going to as good as this episode. We finally got some new tech, new interesting premises and no restrictions whatsoever. It's a new beginning for the show, let's hope that they will not screw it up.
Star wars
rutger-845-63739717 October 2020
Warning: Spoilers
I was hoping for some exploration, some mystery and some science theories incorporated into an episode which were the main drive of the older series. Just some cosy bridge with multiple characters diving into new and strange parts of the universe. After Picard and the first seasons of Discovery they owed me.
But no. The federation is gone and replaced by Star Wars. Rey needs the help of Storm Trooper Book when they are on a desolate planet and visit a Blade Runner city with Star Wars Cantina aliens. They escape Rambo style, dodging everything and shooting multiple, after which a Sarlacc eats the foe's and they take off to meet the Matrix Architect which has for no reason wasted his life in some office cubicle in a space relay wreck (where was it in the wreck?). First though they drop the Sarlacc on the Ewok planet for some nice scenic views.
I can't wait to see episode pew pew 2, for some explosions sfx, where they go look for the Millennium Falcon and restart the Rebel Alliance.
Star Trek is dead.
But no. The federation is gone and replaced by Star Wars. Rey needs the help of Storm Trooper Book when they are on a desolate planet and visit a Blade Runner city with Star Wars Cantina aliens. They escape Rambo style, dodging everything and shooting multiple, after which a Sarlacc eats the foe's and they take off to meet the Matrix Architect which has for no reason wasted his life in some office cubicle in a space relay wreck (where was it in the wreck?). First though they drop the Sarlacc on the Ewok planet for some nice scenic views.
I can't wait to see episode pew pew 2, for some explosions sfx, where they go look for the Millennium Falcon and restart the Rebel Alliance.
Star Trek is dead.
Honestly..
Geedeeb15 October 2020
Honestly.. Whatever else happened in this episode, seeing Burnham get completely spun out on truth serum and lampshade her character's reflexive need for being a savior while cackling like a madwoman was *chef's kiss* and a series highlight.
People miss the point - Star Trek heart is here
brandonadam-2884617 October 2020
Warning: Spoilers
I'm pretty sad that alot of people are giving this episode bad reviews. I'm seeing a lot of reviews saying this isn't Star Trek. The thing is, people forget that each series of Star Trek has always had its own personality. There is no specific formula from Star Trek aside from the heart of what it represents. Did this episode have a stand-a-lone exploration and plotline? Nope. Star Trek Discovery is something else. The reason I know this is Star Trek is the end of the episode. That moment of knowing Starfleet is gone in the future, but there are people still carrying the torch. To try to go forth and rebuild it almost 1,000 years in the future is an exciting premise for the season. To know what it has been like for Starfleet to exist, and to see what it's like without them around.. it's a COOL plot.
Did anyone miss the new character and his communication with plants and animals and him saving a sentient lifeform because it deserves to live? How can any of you say this isn't Star Trek? I sometimes think everyone expects Star Trek to still look like it did in the 90's or something. It is 2020 and we can do a lot more with special effects and cgi. And what is so bad about Star Trek having a little action? Remember this Star Trek took place in the time of a war and Starfleet has gone to war numerous times. There was action in previous Star Treks too, fight choreography and technology has just improved. Please stop hating on Star Trek Discovery just because it utilizes modern effects and doesn't fit a stand-a-lone episode format. It has brought Star Trek back to television and sparked so many more new series again. Discovery has its own place, and if you'd just stop living in the past, you could see that there is something really great about Discovery and it's crew.
Did anyone miss the new character and his communication with plants and animals and him saving a sentient lifeform because it deserves to live? How can any of you say this isn't Star Trek? I sometimes think everyone expects Star Trek to still look like it did in the 90's or something. It is 2020 and we can do a lot more with special effects and cgi. And what is so bad about Star Trek having a little action? Remember this Star Trek took place in the time of a war and Starfleet has gone to war numerous times. There was action in previous Star Treks too, fight choreography and technology has just improved. Please stop hating on Star Trek Discovery just because it utilizes modern effects and doesn't fit a stand-a-lone episode format. It has brought Star Trek back to television and sparked so many more new series again. Discovery has its own place, and if you'd just stop living in the past, you could see that there is something really great about Discovery and it's crew.
Wow - Star Trek done right
hunterjhnstn16 October 2020
Haven't really been into Discovery through the first two seasons, which is why I can't believe I'm saying this but... This is one of the best episodes of Trek in a VERY long time. High hopes for the rest of the season!
Got in with a fresh mind.
rusafetlknme19 October 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Totally putting aside the fact that there was no reason for this plot since they accompliced their goal of killing the bad guy in the last season and still chose to go ahead with the plan, I though I would just take it in and treat it as a fresh start.
It starts good ends mediocre as a first episode.
As always the visuals are top top noch, while the plot itself and character progression seems slow and in Michael's case non existent for this episode. Some new characters which I liked, like our pilot smuggler Doctor dolittle, some stupid plot points like the unoffial star Fleet guy who for forty years looks at a wall and waits for someone to hang a flag on it it (loser).. who by the way monitors a portion of space and assumes things for all of it.. Burnam seems really unprofessional, question to computer, are their life signs here? Yes. Michael proceeds to cheer.. what if it is just animals ? you never specified, it is the details that matter and the details are what Mr. Kurtzman is missing.
I will continue watching since I have Netflix but I am not gonna waste any more time debating if its star trek or not. If you want to feel as you did with TNG hell no, go watch orville instead.
On a good note as a series, I consider it better than picard, which took it way too far by raping my childhood heros and this series offers more entertainment value.
I will continue watching since I have Netflix but I am not gonna waste any more time debating if its star trek or not. If you want to feel as you did with TNG hell no, go watch orville instead.
On a good note as a series, I consider it better than picard, which took it way too far by raping my childhood heros and this series offers more entertainment value.
That Hope Is You: Part 1
Prismark1017 October 2020
Warning: Spoilers
The third series of Discovery. It continues where Burnham left off from the previous episode as she went inside a wormhole.
It is now far into the future, Burnham lands somewhere and discovers that the Federation no longer exists. The Discovery is nowhere to be seen.
Burnham meets up with Cleveland 'Book' Booker who at first comes across as Han Solo lite. He gives Burnham enough exposition and comes across as shifty. Book later reveals himself as someone who is saving endangered animals.
It all leads Burnham to an isolated Federation relay station manned by Sahil in the hope that one day he will make contact with someone from the Federation.
The Star Trek universe is busier than it ever was. All thanks to Discovery which led to Picard, a cartoon series and more spin offs to follow.
The futuristic special effects were great. The location filming in Iceland made it stand out. It really does look like a different type of Star Trek.
The writing could had been better and this has been a weak point on both Discovery and Picard. At times it reminded me more of Star Wars with the type of writing George Lucas was known for, that led to Harrison Ford making a caustic remark.
Still the scenes with Sahil were wonderful, you must have a heart of stone not to be moved as the Federation flag was unfurled.
It is now far into the future, Burnham lands somewhere and discovers that the Federation no longer exists. The Discovery is nowhere to be seen.
Burnham meets up with Cleveland 'Book' Booker who at first comes across as Han Solo lite. He gives Burnham enough exposition and comes across as shifty. Book later reveals himself as someone who is saving endangered animals.
It all leads Burnham to an isolated Federation relay station manned by Sahil in the hope that one day he will make contact with someone from the Federation.
The Star Trek universe is busier than it ever was. All thanks to Discovery which led to Picard, a cartoon series and more spin offs to follow.
The futuristic special effects were great. The location filming in Iceland made it stand out. It really does look like a different type of Star Trek.
The writing could had been better and this has been a weak point on both Discovery and Picard. At times it reminded me more of Star Wars with the type of writing George Lucas was known for, that led to Harrison Ford making a caustic remark.
Still the scenes with Sahil were wonderful, you must have a heart of stone not to be moved as the Federation flag was unfurled.
Hope is a great feeling
weiss430715 October 2020
Same old - same old
ewaf5817 October 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Firstly I am not a hater - I really like this series and have posted many positive reviews previously.
I was hoping that - being hundreds of years in the future - would mean a clean slate with new exciting exploration.
Instead we got the Orions and some Dude who spoke colloquial 2020s English. Was he an Historian perhaps studying ancient idioms and sayings?
So no doubt the Discovery is going to appear and clean up what appears to be a rather ramshackle future.
They shouldn't find it too hard because the marksmanship of the Baddies is worse than the Storm Troopers from Star Wars - how could they miss with their disintegrator guns?
Burnham - having never fired one before - seemed to become an expert in no time at all.
Back to the Dude again - was he a Na'vi in a previous life because he certainly has the same touch with nature.
The writers have missed a big opportunity here to get off to a fresh start - however I'll stick with it for a while in the hope that the Discovery rescues Burnham and zooms her away to something more exciting.
I was hoping that - being hundreds of years in the future - would mean a clean slate with new exciting exploration.
Instead we got the Orions and some Dude who spoke colloquial 2020s English. Was he an Historian perhaps studying ancient idioms and sayings?
So no doubt the Discovery is going to appear and clean up what appears to be a rather ramshackle future.
They shouldn't find it too hard because the marksmanship of the Baddies is worse than the Storm Troopers from Star Wars - how could they miss with their disintegrator guns?
Burnham - having never fired one before - seemed to become an expert in no time at all.
Back to the Dude again - was he a Na'vi in a previous life because he certainly has the same touch with nature.
The writers have missed a big opportunity here to get off to a fresh start - however I'll stick with it for a while in the hope that the Discovery rescues Burnham and zooms her away to something more exciting.
Ok sci-fi, terrible Star Trek
stevemcotton16 October 2020
This is a show which cares more about, action than world building.
The writers are clearly want all the pew pews and not much else, no other Trek show would allow such a loss of life without a hint of grief, the characters are violent and inhuman, I can't even count the causal deaths in this one episode, there are so many.
The show is now over 1000 years in the future, the writers clearly have no comprehension of how long that is, the technology should essentially be magic to us by this point, can you imagine what a cell phone would look like to a medieval peasant?? Yet the best they can come up with is the tired idea of some nano tech.
Please put the writers from Lower Decks in charge, they clearly have a much better understanding of what Trek is, or better yet Seth MacFarlane
Amazing season Premiere!
ralphc15 October 2020
Wow!
This was an amazing beginning to what promises to be a great season!
Top notch Cinematography and effects! Great story and who does not love Grudge the cat!
Can't wait for next week!
Signed, Trekker since the 60s!
Can't wait for next week!
Signed, Trekker since the 60s!
Enjoyable Sci-Fi
girliefingers16 October 2020
I quite enjoy STD as a good piece of Science Fiction storytelling. Yes it struggles with not being pure Star Trek but it is still a good story in its own right. I see the haters and the lovers all rating at the extremes, fighting each other when in reality it's a solid 7.
Startrek discovery without USS Discovery
bartkaibartka17 October 2020
Warning: Spoilers
This movie is very well filmed, has great CGI and quite good concept comparing to other new scifi series. This is not startrek, it should have a title "adventures of brave Michael". No USS discovery, no crew, no federation only Michael Burnham everywhere with her suffering face. Showing long shots of MB's face with eyes bulging in suffering for humanity is the main idea of this series. I don't understand, why if they want to create movie about brave girl which saves the galaxy itself, they use for that startrek franchise.
Excellent new direction
ay616 October 2020
Haters are gonna hate; some people are hellbent on hating Discovery no matter what. Ignore those people, they're stuck in a rut, yearning to be reminded of the shows of their youth.
Discovery was fairly uninspiring for its first two seasons and attracted plenty of criticism, some of it justified; there was also some legitimate concern about canon, which is an understandable worry when shoehorning something new, shiny and different into the middle of an established storyline and timeline. Season three addresses this perfectly. We're now way beyond the events of any other incarnation of Star Trek, so interfering with canon is no longer a concern. In fact the door is left wide open for new futuristic science fiction, which may be somewhat removed from traditional Trek, but just existing in the same universe with species we already know.
This season firmly plants Star Trek Discovery within the realms of Andromeda, which isn't a bad thing. As creator of Andromeda, I don't think Gene Roddenberry would object to this at all.
Discovery was fairly uninspiring for its first two seasons and attracted plenty of criticism, some of it justified; there was also some legitimate concern about canon, which is an understandable worry when shoehorning something new, shiny and different into the middle of an established storyline and timeline. Season three addresses this perfectly. We're now way beyond the events of any other incarnation of Star Trek, so interfering with canon is no longer a concern. In fact the door is left wide open for new futuristic science fiction, which may be somewhat removed from traditional Trek, but just existing in the same universe with species we already know.
This season firmly plants Star Trek Discovery within the realms of Andromeda, which isn't a bad thing. As creator of Andromeda, I don't think Gene Roddenberry would object to this at all.
Better and Better
info-354-54955916 October 2020
Wow, this is one of the only shows I have watched that has dramatically improved as it went on. Some of the first episodes of discovery were so boring, but then they kept getting better. Season 3 was coming and I was worried I was going to be bored out of my mind with more corny jokes and savior complex crap, but holy moley this really kept me interested. The scenery is just breathtaking like I usually work while I watch tv on a side monitor. I had to stop and watch since some of the scenery was so beautiful I moved off to my couch to my big monitor i couldn't justify just listening. What a great start please keep it going!
Ignore the hate filled whiners, Discovery continues to improve.
Jones_Dad15 October 2020
I enjoyed this a lot.
Pacing felt right, a great score, the sprinkling of clues as to what this season will be about kept me interested, great performances from the 2 central protagonists and a budget to back it all up.
Also, 100% Star Trek.
Enjoy!
Pacing felt right, a great score, the sprinkling of clues as to what this season will be about kept me interested, great performances from the 2 central protagonists and a budget to back it all up.
Also, 100% Star Trek.
Enjoy!
Interesting new premise, lame writing still.
isabellacheng18 October 2020
Producer: How do we make people believe it is the future?
Screenwriter: Everything floats in midair. Unnecessarily.
Producer: Stuff floating in midair is TIGHT.
(c.f. the "Pitch Meeting" series on YouTube)
If you throw logic out the window, like how the suit crashes into a ship then crash lands on a planet and a reboot fixes everything and Burnham is barely injured and immediately afterwards the suit still flies remotely, or that Burnham is a Mary Sue with 930-year-future technologies, the show is actually quite enjoyable.
I mean, the landscape looks great, the adventure vibe is there, the CGI is flamboyant but still it looks excellent compared with stock footage in Picard. The art design of the city is basically Blade Runner, but in Star Trek. Perhaps besides dilithium, creativity is also destroyed in the future.
The worst part though? The writing. So much logical inconsistencies and impossible situations. Instead of Mary Sue-ing it, is it so hard to squeeze one line where Book teaches Burnham how to use future tech? "This is how you make a phone call", "no, the trigger is over there", "stop! that is the ejection button! THIS is the helm." It can still be done with comedic effect while replacing scenes of contrived banter. Also funny how Book is sometimes a total a-hole and sometimes 100% a genuine good guy. Make up your minds, writers. Next, the Federation guy sounds great on paper, but the execution is contrived. 40 years guarding a flag? It makes him more like a fanatic than an officer (non-commissioned). By the way, there are many ways to achieve warp besides dilithium, in case the writers do not have the decency to memory-alpha.
Last but not least, it appears this season Burnham is setting out to save the whole Federation, yet again. After saving the whole galaxy last season. Just.... just stop, would you kindly? This is Commander Burnham of Starfleet, not Commander Shepard of the Systems Alliance. Understandably a franchise has to evolve with time, but this is not the way. It is beyond me how the writers could ripoff every SciFi franchise EXCEPT Star Trek.
Overall this first episode is kind of entertaining when you ignore everything logic, so I give it a 7/10 including bonus for cinematography and CGI. I hope the show can get better given a soft reboot, 930 years in the future. And hope, is all that remains for Star Trek fans.
If you throw logic out the window, like how the suit crashes into a ship then crash lands on a planet and a reboot fixes everything and Burnham is barely injured and immediately afterwards the suit still flies remotely, or that Burnham is a Mary Sue with 930-year-future technologies, the show is actually quite enjoyable.
I mean, the landscape looks great, the adventure vibe is there, the CGI is flamboyant but still it looks excellent compared with stock footage in Picard. The art design of the city is basically Blade Runner, but in Star Trek. Perhaps besides dilithium, creativity is also destroyed in the future.
The worst part though? The writing. So much logical inconsistencies and impossible situations. Instead of Mary Sue-ing it, is it so hard to squeeze one line where Book teaches Burnham how to use future tech? "This is how you make a phone call", "no, the trigger is over there", "stop! that is the ejection button! THIS is the helm." It can still be done with comedic effect while replacing scenes of contrived banter. Also funny how Book is sometimes a total a-hole and sometimes 100% a genuine good guy. Make up your minds, writers. Next, the Federation guy sounds great on paper, but the execution is contrived. 40 years guarding a flag? It makes him more like a fanatic than an officer (non-commissioned). By the way, there are many ways to achieve warp besides dilithium, in case the writers do not have the decency to memory-alpha.
Last but not least, it appears this season Burnham is setting out to save the whole Federation, yet again. After saving the whole galaxy last season. Just.... just stop, would you kindly? This is Commander Burnham of Starfleet, not Commander Shepard of the Systems Alliance. Understandably a franchise has to evolve with time, but this is not the way. It is beyond me how the writers could ripoff every SciFi franchise EXCEPT Star Trek.
Overall this first episode is kind of entertaining when you ignore everything logic, so I give it a 7/10 including bonus for cinematography and CGI. I hope the show can get better given a soft reboot, 930 years in the future. And hope, is all that remains for Star Trek fans.
This is pure Star Trek!
micksatiar17 October 2020
Having watched Star Trek My entire life, discovery takes me back to watching the original series when I was a kid. It is trailblazing, it is new, it is dangerous, it is exciting. Everything a Star Trek series should be! I was a little disheartened where the previous series went with regards to parallel universes, but this for me, is pure Star Trek. New worlds, new civilisations and boldly going where no Star Trek has gone before.
Very excited for this series.
Very excited for this series.
For someone who grew up in a Vulcan family....
whooshbang16 October 2020
Burnham don't half cry a lot! It's the only only annoying thing about Burnham and STD..... She's tougher than that and when she's not crying actually enjoyable to watch! Glad to have some trek back on my screen! Looking forward to seeing the season develop!
the disaster continues
duncanidaho12317 October 2020
Good Start
johnny-7287817 October 2020
It starts like it ended
johnnychicago-7528516 October 2020
The new story begins as the old one ended. A compelling story is simply missing. Is it really that hard to tell a story that you can follow? Characters and locations are presented at random that nobody really cares about. Surreal twists that do not advance the story but just seems ridiculous. This is not Star Trek. It's a confusing science fiction story....
A pile of burning $hit.
starwarsromania15 October 2020
This was probably the worst episode of any show i have ever seen. Not even talking about Star Trek. This is childish,low budget,awfully written , bland toned and dread irritating no sensical bull$hit. It's horrendous. God damn. From every standpoint.
Hope wrapped in a cinema-level experience
guillermo7516 October 2020
This is Discovery's 30th episode and incredibly there are people posting here who have hated every prior episode and still watch (do they really watch?) just to post hate. Ignore them. This episode was fantastic.
It has made many attempts, but rarely has Star Trek (any Star Trek) delivered on its promise of racial equality, hope predicated on faith in a shared interspecies "humanity" and brotherhood, ecological consciousness, and the sheer joy of exploration better than in this episode.
I will grant that Sonequa Martin-Green's initial planetside scene was a bit overdramatic. But, if you can overlook an imperfect minute, the rest of the episode is a joy. In fact, other than that moment, her delivery is on point.
The action scenes are the best of any Star Trek, including the non-Abrams movies (that's the Abrams movies' only redeeming quality), tied perhaps with the mirror universe scenes in season one. Both the action and the effects are easily feature film quality.
The storyline ties-in well with the first four seasons of Star Trek: Enterprise, which was always a concern given Daniels and all that.
If this episode presages the season's quality, we're in for a treat.
It has made many attempts, but rarely has Star Trek (any Star Trek) delivered on its promise of racial equality, hope predicated on faith in a shared interspecies "humanity" and brotherhood, ecological consciousness, and the sheer joy of exploration better than in this episode.
I will grant that Sonequa Martin-Green's initial planetside scene was a bit overdramatic. But, if you can overlook an imperfect minute, the rest of the episode is a joy. In fact, other than that moment, her delivery is on point.
The action scenes are the best of any Star Trek, including the non-Abrams movies (that's the Abrams movies' only redeeming quality), tied perhaps with the mirror universe scenes in season one. Both the action and the effects are easily feature film quality.
The storyline ties-in well with the first four seasons of Star Trek: Enterprise, which was always a concern given Daniels and all that.
If this episode presages the season's quality, we're in for a treat.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
