Star Trek: Discovery shouldn’t be penalized for taking risks

Star Trek: Discovery shouldn't be penalized for taking risks

As a long-time Star Trek enthusiast who has witnessed the evolution of this iconic franchise since its inception, I must say that Star Trek: Discovery has carved out a unique niche for itself amidst the galaxy of Star Trek series. Like a rebellious teenager testing the boundaries, it dared to stray from the beaten path and take risks – much like Deep Space Nine did before it.


When Star Trek: Discovery premiered in 2017, its creators were well aware of the high expectations set by previous series. They could have simply imitated Star Trek: The Next Generation to please more viewers, but as time has shown, everything evolves. No Star Trek production has been identical since the original series. In fact, each one had aspects that some audience members found less appealing.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine dared to break tradition by basing the series on a space station rather than a starship, an approach some believed Gene Roddenberry would have disapproved of. Yet, this bold move attracted and retained dedicated viewers who continue to follow it today, demonstrating that taking risks is indeed the way forward – much like what Discovery did.

Indeed, there were ups and downs, successes and failures. This is true of every Star Trek series, without exception. Some viewers have never warmed to Captain Jonathan Archer, portrayed by Scott Bakula, and their dislike persists to this day. However, his casting was a significant coup for Star Trek: Enterprise, just as the casting of Sonequa Martin-Green was for Discovery.

While some viewers find it hard to accept Captain Michael Burham as Spock’s half-sister, this doesn’t necessarily mean they dislike the overall outcome, which was Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. However, they do have reservations about her actions in the pilot episode, particularly her mutiny, but similar criticisms were directed towards Captain Janeway’s [Kate Mulgrew] decisions regarding Tuvix. It’s worth noting that other Star Trek captains have also made debatable choices in their time.

Absolutely! While Discovery may have had moments that left fans feeling less than satisfied, it doesn’t mean the show as a whole is subpar. It had its fair share of positive aspects, just as every other Star Trek series has had its share of flaws. No version of Star Trek can be considered flawless – there are episodes we might want to skip over, but also those that bring us joy, laughter, tears, and even discomfort. Each series has characters we initially didn’t connect with, yet we kept watching due to the appeal of other characters.

In Discovery, there was an abundance of characters that kept viewers engaged, though some resembled Neelix from Star Trek: Voyager. However, it boasted exceptional fight sequences, character evolution, camaraderie reminiscent of a unified family, and the unwavering spirit to persevere – traits shared by all Star Trek productions.

Primarily, we had the opportunity to explore uncharted realms, uncover advanced technologies, and witness the operational dynamics of Starfleet in the 32nd century. Granted, it wasn’t consistently excellent entertainment, but neither was it all negative. In fact, it improved significantly once you moved past the inaugural season, which, to be fair, could use some improvement. However, isn’t this pattern familiar? It seems to characterize a number of Star Trek series.

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2024-09-12 17:23

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