Caught up. Discovery, at this point, is what it is. A not particularly well written show that is enjoyable enough if you're not expecting more than disposable television that relies on impressive production values.
The DMA now feels predictable as an overarching existential threat in how it retreads familiar beats instead of striving towards the future by embracing the tenants of factions beholden to doctrine. I would've much preferred the DMA being a naturally occurring threat that functions as a problem on a finite scale with textured applications so that it actually forced Discovery to deal with the crises it presented instead of acting as a variable abstract. Having its origin being created from megalomaniacal desire and becoming an experiment gone wrong or representing an omnipotent attempt analogous to the Federation's creed is so boring in comparison.
I do like how Laira challenges Michael on a fundamental level that tests not only her resolve but also her partiality towards treating leadership as a binary zero-sum equation. Confronting shortcomings that shift responsibility onto others and put the many at risk in favor of a few does a great job deconstructing the pathological savior complex that defines Michael's character. Not boiling this down to an antagonistic clash of philosophies, principled notions or political expediency and instead forging a relationship tied to the backbone of a larger interconnected narrative about the Federation's evolution as an institution is appreciated. And it gives the audience the benefit of the doubt of possessing enough emotional intelligence to understand the conflict generated. Certainly a change for this show.
The one thing this season does do well is establishing an actualized sense of place and time for the 32nd century Federation through its technological advancement, diplomatic endeavors and reconstituted structural entities. Not only does it provide less ambiguity in terms of grounding the setting, it also streamlines the narrative by giving it more thematic purpose. So that much is appreciated I guess.
I have a major problem with the characterization on the show though and it comes down to the amateurish writing and plot advancement of characters the showrunners clearly have no idea what to do with. Using the dichotomy of present circumstances as a cudgel against metamorphosis gives most of the crew an opportunity to engage in the process of confronting terrifying propositions but the epiphany of rediscovering themselves and remembering what is essential to their experiences does little to make characters like Tilly or Adira or Stamets (as only a couple of notable examples) more intriguing because they lack the dimensionality that makes their introspection feel earned or affecting towards those around them. And they remain little more than inconsequential background characters that don't feel substantial enough to empathize with.
And why the hell is Zora becoming sentient such a throwaway one-liner here and there now? Isn't that kind of important and something that should be of interest to the Federation and Discovery's crew?
The DMA now feels predictable as an overarching existential threat in how it retreads familiar beats instead of striving towards the future by embracing the tenants of factions beholden to doctrine. I would've much preferred the DMA being a naturally occurring threat that functions as a problem on a finite scale with textured applications so that it actually forced Discovery to deal with the crises it presented instead of acting as a variable abstract. Having its origin being created from megalomaniacal desire and becoming an experiment gone wrong or representing an omnipotent attempt analogous to the Federation's creed is so boring in comparison.
I do like how Laira challenges Michael on a fundamental level that tests not only her resolve but also her partiality towards treating leadership as a binary zero-sum equation. Confronting shortcomings that shift responsibility onto others and put the many at risk in favor of a few does a great job deconstructing the pathological savior complex that defines Michael's character. Not boiling this down to an antagonistic clash of philosophies, principled notions or political expediency and instead forging a relationship tied to the backbone of a larger interconnected narrative about the Federation's evolution as an institution is appreciated. And it gives the audience the benefit of the doubt of possessing enough emotional intelligence to understand the conflict generated. Certainly a change for this show.
The one thing this season does do well is establishing an actualized sense of place and time for the 32nd century Federation through its technological advancement, diplomatic endeavors and reconstituted structural entities. Not only does it provide less ambiguity in terms of grounding the setting, it also streamlines the narrative by giving it more thematic purpose. So that much is appreciated I guess.
I have a major problem with the characterization on the show though and it comes down to the amateurish writing and plot advancement of characters the showrunners clearly have no idea what to do with. Using the dichotomy of present circumstances as a cudgel against metamorphosis gives most of the crew an opportunity to engage in the process of confronting terrifying propositions but the epiphany of rediscovering themselves and remembering what is essential to their experiences does little to make characters like Tilly or Adira or Stamets (as only a couple of notable examples) more intriguing because they lack the dimensionality that makes their introspection feel earned or affecting towards those around them. And they remain little more than inconsequential background characters that don't feel substantial enough to empathize with.
And why the hell is Zora becoming sentient such a throwaway one-liner here and there now? Isn't that kind of important and something that should be of interest to the Federation and Discovery's crew?
