Being a Star Trek fan can be frustrating, but a new series is finally here after zero delays and no controversy whatsoever. I have a number of jumbled thoughts about the first episode. Here they are:
1. Klingons, Klingons, Klingons
One of my favorite species: Klingons. They are expressive, badass, and honorable to a fault. It is what makes them Klingons. How can you not respect Worf for dedicating a mission to Jadzia Dax in order to ensure her entry into Sto-vo-kor? Who doesn’t feel Kruge’s urgency when he yells for his men to get off the Enterprise before it self-destructs? The excessive makeup and shimmering paint of the Klingons in Discovery don’t seem to lend themselves to evoking the same visceral emotional reaction within an audience. With all that makeup, how can we read their faces? The Klingons’ appearance has changed over time, “we do not discuss it with outsiders” as Worf states in Deep Space Nine, but this is an extreme makeover that makes me nervous for the future of Discovery’s warriors.
2. Female presence on the bridge
After the Klingons make their appearance in the universe of Discovery, we meet two female characters: the captain and her first officer. These two women are solving a problem; these two women are obviously close, and these two women are not in competition with one another. There is a level of trust between the two, as when number 1, Michael Burnham, advises the captain, Philippa Georgiou, to go to red alert after her Klingon encounter, and she does so. These women are in charge of their own fate.
I am curious to see how Michael develops as a character over the course of the season. My dad is a hard core James T. Kirk fan and he was INTO it when she Vulcan nerve pinched her way into taking command. I was too.
3. Backstory
This episode really tried to pack in some backstory for Michael and to give the viewer some insight into her motivation. I am curious to see how the Klingons killed her family, and why. I’d also love to see more of her time growing up on Vulcan.
I don’t know if this really falls under backstory, but I’d love to see more Bat’leth action. The Klingon on the side of the ship just left me wanting more.
4. Race vs. Culture and Past vs. Present
Conflict makes the world, and a TV show, go round. Both of these conflicts were at least touched upon during episode one. Does our race define us, or is it our culture? How will this be addressed in terms of Michael’s past? How do the past and present work together? How or what do we learn from the past? As a Federation or as an individual?
5. Star Trek’s utopian vision
Star Trek has given me – and thousands of others – a positive view of the future, and has only strengthened the idea that people of all cultures and races can find a way to get along. This is something we need, even today, in 2017. I hope Discovery delivers.
