Review- Star Trek: Discovery is a bold new Trek

The first two episodes of Star Trek: Discovery really helped to set the stage for the series, but perhaps not in the way you might expect.

As a longtime Trekkie, I’m always excited about new Star Trek projects. I’ve expressed my trepidation with Star Trek: Discovery previously and really wanted to separate my feelings about the production side of things, which were the root cause of frustration, and focus on the show itself.

After viewing the first of the two premiere episodes I wasn’t sure what to think. Something was missing. I wasn’t connecting with the crew because they were more like set pieces for a larger act. I didn’t quite understand the relationship between First Officer Michael Burnham and Captain Georgiou.

By the second episode, the pieces started falling into place. Michael Burnham lost her parents and was raised on Vulcan by none other than Sarek, Spock’s father. Burnham was the first human to graduate from the Vulcan Science Academy and her time spent among Vulcans made her more Vulcan, it seemed, than the Mr. Spock of the Kelvin-universe Star Trek. This explains why she is the way she is.

Tonally, this iteration of Star Trek is a lot darker than many of the other versions. A freak accident has instigated a war between the Federation and the Klingons, and there are major casualties on both sides. (This, incidentally, is why we probably didn’t connect with the crew…they were goners already and they weren’t even wearing red!)

Moving forward, the decisions made in the two premiere episodes, coupled with actions taken, will drive the series forward in a point in Starfleet’s history when the Federation is at war. We haven’t seen this yet. Starfleet is known for being focused on peacekeeping and exploration, driven by the Prime Directive that states that the Federation will not interfere with other cultures or other plants unless asked to do so. Star Trek: Discovery begins with the Klingons lamenting the fact that Starfleet does not, ever “come in peace.” And thus the stage is set for tension and open hostility between the groups.

The newly envisioned Klingons are a lot more willing to attack the Federation than some of their predecessors, but we’re also getting a really fascinating look at their society. These Klingons are spiritual and some members are more eager to seize power than others.

Since the cast will be shifting as we move into the third episode, I want to really focus on two characters at this point: Burnham, and Sarek. Sonequa Martin-Green is a gem. I will miss her on The Walking Dead, of course, but I think that her role as Michael Burnham is really going to give her room to have some fun. When she is in Vulcan mode she’s an intellectual badass, but she also knows how to kick some butt, too. There’s no doubt that Burnham will be fun to watch as the season continues.

James Frain is perfect as Sarek. He has the perfect blend of gravitas that we expect from the Vulcan elder, but Frain is able to show another side to Sarek when it comes to young Michael. As Michael is his human ward, he’s raising her as a Vulcan when she isn’t Vulcan at all. Sarek seems to vacillate between staunch paternal figure and warmer avuncular figure when she needs a little boost.

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The scenery and effects are stunning for a Star Trek television series, so my hat is off to the people who made the decision to delay the premiere in order to get those details right.

The bottom line is that Star Trek: Discovery has a lot of potential and room to grow. It will be fun to see it develop in front of our eyes.

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