Star Trek Discovery

[Drunk Monk]

JULY 20, 2018 3:00PM PT
‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Gets Miniseries ‘Short Treks’
By ELLIS CLOPTON
During the Comic-Con panel for “Star Trek: Discovery,” show co-creator and executive producer Alex Kurtzman announced the upcoming launch of a four-part miniseries titled “Star Trek: Short Treks” this fall.

Rolling out on CBS All Access on a monthly basis, each of the four “Short Treks” episodes will be approximately 10-15 minutes long, and dig deeper into specific characters and themes explored on “Discovery.”

Rainn Wilson will return to play Harry Mudd in a short he will also direct, while Aldis Hodge will star in another as Craft, a man who finds himself as the only human on board a deserted ship. Additional episodes include a deep dive into Saru’s (Doug Jones) backstory as the first Kelpien to join Starfleet, and Tilly’s (Mary Wiseman) journey aboard the U.S.S. Discovery and her friendship with an unlikely partner.

In addition to the announcement, “Discovery” fans were treated to the first trailer for the upcoming second season, which came days after images from Season 2 were released, depicting Michael Burnham aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise and Linus, a Saurian officer.

The trailer links “Discovery,” which is set roughly a decade before James Kirk takes the bridge of the U.S.S. Enterprise, with former Enterprise Captain Christopher Pike taking command of the U.S.S. Discovery, due to a Federation regulation that takes effect in times of imminent danger. Red flares are popping up throughout space and the Federation can’t determine whether they’re friendly greetings or malevolent declarations. To top it off? Vulcan icon Spock may be involved.

The trailer also offers a first look at the show’s spiffy throwback uniforms, with Pike’s duds giving fans a flashback to the gold shirts of the original series.

[Drunk Monk]

Just watched the first Star Treks - short methadone shots to keep me from jonzin until S2 takes off next year. It was too short and ultimately unsatisfying.

[Drunk Monk]

[Drunk Monk]

Star treks e2 was great. One of the best Disco eps so far. Brilliant short story telling and an ominous foreshadowing for season 2.

[Drunk Monk]

Treks 4 was ok. I don’t really care for Saru so his backstory doesn’t interest me. And this made little sense except that he’s not the logical Spock/data character. He’s more of a noble savage. But it won me with Michelle.

[Drunk Monk]

[cranefly]

So...  Is Red Angel going to be the Red John for this series?

[Drunk Monk]

The final treks short is The Escape Artist spotlighting Harry Mudd. Usually in these sorts of shows, I like the call backs to the OS, but not for Disco so far. I don’t like Sarak or Mudd in S1. Mudd is played by Rainn wilson and he comes off too psycho, not enough con man charm. This mini-ep had a good mcguffin tho, one that called back the OS in more ways than expected. Plus there was a Tellurite, which is now far more boarish and tusky than the OS ones. Took me a minute to even figure out it was a Tellurite (the new Klingons are worse). I ended up enjoying the ep but I’m ready to move on, away from Mudd. S2 starts in a few weeks and I’m worried for Spock, although hopeful for Pike. As long as Emperor Phillipa is in, and she is, I’m beaming down.

[Drunk Monk]

Season 2 takes off with a rollicking opener, a tad too special effects heavy for my taste as the tech is now far beyond any of the previous ST shows or films with crazy gyro space pods and iron man cgi space suits. It’s visually impressive for tv, but too much for ST really. They need to bring it back to the characters. I like Tig - her dry wit could really add a lot. Sarek has improved a tad and Pike is okay so far. The enterprise was away for the Klingon war on a previous 5 year mission under Pike, which I guess fits in the canon.  I’m not that into the Spock story arc and the red angel has a long way to go. The primacy effect has worn off but I’m still invested, mostly for this section 31 arc, but that’s not launched yet. It’s a pleasant watch after Kung Fu practice. Stacy beamed out by the first commercial break tho.

[Drunk Monk]

S3E3 brought Trek on track.  I decided I don't really care for most of the new crew characters except Stamets. Given how Sulu came out, Stamets is one of the best gay characters in fiction.  Burnham doesn't do vulcan well, Saru's gait really bothers me, Ash is so fucked up that he almost works (the Klingon/human thing was in ST: TOS Trouble with Tribbles), and Tilly is the nerd nod, which is now standard since ST:TNG and I've never appreciated.  The new Capt. Pike is good though - he captures that spirit of Starfleet captains. And really, for me, it's all about Georgiou. S2E3 marks her return as well as the set up for Section 31.  Section 31 was alluded to in S1 at the very beginning, and I so want one of those S31 black starfleet com badges.  

The advanced tech of Disco is befuddling in context of the tech in ST: TOS, especially because this comes between Enterprise and TOS, but I accept it. It reminds me again how the tech in the real world got more advanced than the tech of ST:V particularly with the width of monitors.  The constantly evolving Klingon heads is annoying too.  I'm glad they decided to grow their hair out this season and even bothered to explain that a little, but I'm annoyed that the Bat'leth have gotten so ornate.  

I think I'm going to be annoyed with how Spock is portrayed.  Amanda makes her appearance in S2E3 and reveals that Spock's already messed up childhood was even more messed up.  And the Spock/Burnham relationship makes the Spock/Uhura relationship in the Kelvin timeline a little awkward. They should go with more obscure characters, like say some of the other TOS starship captains, or siblings of other TOS crew members - Chekov's brother or someone.  Oh wait, Chekov didn't have a brother.  He just made that up for Day of the Dove.  Now that episode needs to be remade.

[Greg]

Congratulations! Since you are the only person who receives CBS All Access, you can watch the TV show filming in my neighborhood. It's called Strange Angel. Please enjoy. Just know they are dicks of a production company.

[Drunk Monk]

Maybe I'll tune in just to see your soon-to-be old hood.  

Maybe I'll just wait for the new Twilight Zone to start.

[Greg]

Option 2.

[Drunk Monk]

A symbiote blob that spews psilocybin? Yeah, that was fun. Tig is one of the best ST characters since, well, Georgiou.

[Drunk Monk]

Caught up with an all-too-short respite in the Cruz.  

The constant swirling camera work and lens flares do get tiresome, and I really don't care for some of the characters (Tilly's nerdyness gets cloying, Stamets gayness gets a bit overdone) but then DISCO tosses some great reference to TOS - a nice throwback to Talos IV and Pike's origin story (although I thought the new Vina could've been better cast (Susan Oliver in the TOS was such a unique classic beauty; Melissa George just didn't capture that).  And of course, there's still Georgiou (the 'with feeling' line was such a great shout out).  And I'm still hooked.  It still feels rushed in each episode - like they're trying to cram in the episode conflict with the season story arc and it's too crowded.  And no, DISCO Spock is not working for me at all.  It's all about Georgiou & Pike for me.