January 10th, 2019
More about: Trekathon
It’s a bit unfair to treat this as a complete season – it’s shorter even than The Animated Series Season 2 (which I also said it was unfair to treat that way). But I’ll do it anyway.
This is a good experiment that I hope continues. While none of the four first tries are a complete ‘home run’ of an episode, they’re all enjoyable and offer something at least a little novel. With the exception of The Escape Artist all of them had to make what felt to me like damaging compromises to story logic to fit into the time constraint. I wonder if a little bit more time (say 20 to 25 minutes) would help that.
Overall I’d put this little bracket of four episodes towards the middle of the ‘Mixed Bag’ category, mainly for the strength of the production values and the willingness to try something completely new for Trek.
That takes the rankings to:
The very best of Trek:
- TNG Season 6
- DS9 Season 2
Strong performers:
- DS9 Season 5
- TNG Season 3
- TNG Season 5
- TOS Season 2
- ENT Season 3
- TNG Season 4
- VOY Season 4
Mixed bag:
- TOS Season 1
- DS9 Season 4
- DIS Season 1
- DS9 Season 1
- ENT Season 4
- ST Season 1
- VOY Season 5
- ENT Season 1
- VOY Season 1
- TNG Season 7
Not good:
- DS9 Season 3
- DS9 Season 6
- VOY Season 6
- VOY Season 3
- TNG Season 2
- ENT Season 2
- TAS Season 1
Really just awful:
- VOY Season 7
- VOY Season 2
- DS9 Season 7
- TOS Season 3
- TAS Season 2
- TNG Season 1
Next up, the return of Discovery on January 18 (probably January 19 Australia time).
January 10th, 2019
More about: Trekathon
The last of the first batch of Short Trek. Spoilers ahead.
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January 10th, 2019
More about: Trekathon
Short Trek number 3. Spoilers ahead.
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January 10th, 2019
More about: Trekathon
Short Trek number 2. Spoilers ahead.
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January 10th, 2019
More about: Trekathon
We’re back with an entirely new format for Star Trek – 15 minute live action episodes. While these are all clearly part of Discovery continuity, Memory Alpha counts them as a separate series, so shall I. But as they’re short episodes, it’s back to the one paragraph reviews of The Animated Series. Spoilers ahead.
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January 10th, 2019
More about: Trekathon
Well, I guess I didn’t get around to that rewatch… With Season 2 about a week away, it might have to wait. Spoilers below (but you’ve had your chance, so I won’t put in the break).
Discovery took a while to get going, and didn’t really hit its full potential until the Mirror Universe episodes. The initial prologue was OK, but it was followed by a few episodes that struggled to find much of a core to most of the characters.
About halfway through the season things clicked for the first time with Magic to make the Sanest Man Go Mad, and the mostly strong Mirror Universe sequence was the best story of the season.
(The worst bit of the season was the TyVoq plot. While they crept past the line, it was just too much straining of credibility for really no result. What was the point of any of that?)
Where Discovery has really shone is in the characters. I feel that much more than the other series the show has found what’s interesting and unique about the characters quickly. All of the main Star Fleet personnel are fully realised and interesting characters who can provide for interesting reactions in the stories that are being told.
There were quite a few bumps along the way though. So overall I’m going to rank this just ahead of Deep Space 9 Season 1.
The very best of Trek:
- TNG Season 6
- DS9 Season 2
Strong performers:
- DS9 Season 5
- TNG Season 3
- TNG Season 5
- TOS Season 2
- ENT Season 3
- TNG Season 4
- VOY Season 4
Mixed bag:
- TOS Season 1
- DS9 Season 4
- DIS Season 1
- DS9 Season 1
- ENT Season 4
- VOY Season 5
- ENT Season 1
- VOY Season 1
- TNG Season 7
Not good:
- DS9 Season 3
- DS9 Season 6
- VOY Season 6
- VOY Season 3
- TNG Season 2
- ENT Season 2
- TAS Season 1
Really just awful:
- VOY Season 7
- VOY Season 2
- DS9 Season 7
- TOS Season 3
- TAS Season 2
- TNG Season 1
Next up, the four Short Trek episodes, and then Season Two of Discovery.