That moment when they're examining Fred's body, and Culber is like "we don't have anymore wires :(" and Stametz is like, "hold on, I got this..." that sound you heard was everyone who's got a box of random old cables turning to their partners and saying, "SEE? SEE?! THAT'S WHY I KEEP THEM! YOU NEVER KNOW!"

You under sold that proposal it was so out of the blue and matter of fact business like. The most Vulcan proposal so adorable I love it

@Donnagata1409

2 ай бұрын

It was just lovely. They're the cutest couple!

RE: Bloodthirsty Kovitch: That absolutely stood out to me as well. Right at the start when he pushed for phasers-to-kill and Burnham was visibly uncomfortable I knew we had to look closely at this. Kovitch is WAY too smart and far too skilled a psychologist to give orders that he knows won't be obeyed. There's gotta be a reason for it. Throughout he keeps pushing the mission-at-all-costs, ends-justify-the-means mentality. At multiple stages Burnham puts the preservation of life above the mission. Especially at the end where she declares that the thousands of people in harms way ARE the mission right now, and nobody can argue with her. She then goes to Kovitch and confronts him, asking how many more innocent lives he's willing to risk? I could almost hear Kovitch answer: "I haven't risked a single life. I have you working for me." He KNOWS that Burnham is the one Captain can will move heaven and earth to complete the mission without losing a single soul. He's leaning on her to put the mission first, while knowing that she's incapable of letting someone die when there's any other way. She's the perfect choice.

@lcflngn

2 ай бұрын

Love yr take, I believe it!

@alanpennie

2 ай бұрын

​@@lcflngn Me too.

@rjhshalom127

2 ай бұрын

Me 3

And, uh, Tilly, when Lt. Jax asks if it's too "hot in here?", go ahead and say yes! He is scrumdiddlyumptious!

Very Cool! FYI - your retro review of Discovery Season 1 was what got me into Star Trek as a whole... and I have to say, I'm converted! It's an amazing franchise!

Cronenberg gets to unleash his own creepiness! I am all in for this

When they were doing the autopsy on the android I was thinking "surely they can just fix those couple of holes and ask him!"

@antney7745

2 ай бұрын

Yeah, if his positronic net is intact, why couldn't they just reactivate him?

@generalilbis

2 ай бұрын

​@antney7745 Could be the same problem as Culber thinking Discovery didn't have any compatible data cables for connecting Fred's positronic brain to Xhora: he's a Soong-type android built at least 632 years prior to S01E01, but centuries after Discovery's home time period. His tech is too new for Stamets, Reno or even Culber to fix but far too old for any "modern" member of Starfleet to have any practical experience with fixing. Culber had to research building a golem body for Grey, and that technology is definitely more advanced than Fred's design.

@kuro68000

2 ай бұрын

@@generalilbis In Trek there seems to be a concept of "forgotten tech". Like nobody re-discovered the spore drive in the 900 years since Starfleet classified it. They never figured out how to make eugenics work safely after WW3. After the events of Picard season 1, they canned AI and robots for good, and nobody anywhere in the galaxy ever tried again. I think we just have to accept that it's very light sci-fi.

@gearandalthefirst7027

2 ай бұрын

@@kuro68000 To be fair, "they" (Illyrians) did very much figure out how to do genetic manipulation safely (also whoever did Bashir's edits). I think that particular law stayed on the books mostly to avoid the social catastrophes of eugenics, not because it was actually impossible. Also, Moll and Lak's immediate recognition of Fred as a synth implies that there are still a good number out in the world, just understandably not very many given how difficult they are to make vs organic reproduction. There's probably entire mining planets entirely staffed by synths (for better or worse).

I have always loved Callum Keith Rennie, back since his his days in Canadian indie projects. The evolution since punk guitarist in Hard Core Logo to sexy grumpy Star Trek captain is quite a career journey

@GSBarlev

2 ай бұрын

15s into the video, and I'm screaming, "THAT'S where I know him from!!!" I honestly love the character of Capt. Rayner (esp. in E02). I'm as excited to see him as the new No. 1 as I am for Saru to explore his new career.

Now I'll be disappointed if we don't see Zombulans in the next season of Lower Decks.

Just once, I'd like an adventure series where the heroes are chasing clues to some long-lost treasure, and when they finally get there, they discover that someone else already discovered it (by chance) decades ago.

@alanpennie

2 ай бұрын

The end of Treasure Island is rather like that. Also George Birmingham, Spanish Gold, a jolly romp which should be adapted.

Flerkin is now free of Lorca, happily roaming the ship

@lcflngn

2 ай бұрын

Omg, and when they feel off the ceiling?! Loved it.

@generalilbis

2 ай бұрын

Is Flerkin the fan name for Lorca's pet Tribble? Never heard that before 😅

@johnm.osborne5972

2 ай бұрын

@@generalilbis It's the name that Jason Isaacs used at a fan event - I forget which - so that's what I've called it since :)

@generalilbis

2 ай бұрын

@@johnm.osborne5972 Just amusing that Isaacs named the Tribble after the Marvel species of aliens that look like house cats...till they project tentacles from their mouths and devour things numerous times their size ;)

I'm glad to see that there's still Soong-type android still functioning in the 32nd century. But I'm hoping that we'll be seeing Coppelius androids before the seasons end, I've been wondering what they've been doing after Picard.

@fairycat23

2 ай бұрын

I assume Betazoids like to take vacations on Coppelius because it would be so quiet there for them.

@generalilbis

2 ай бұрын

​@fairycat23 Caught "Descent, Part 2" on TV and Troi indicated she could feel Data's anger and hate that Lore was feeding him. I think that Betazoids would find Coppelius to be less than quiet if the androids there a step between Data and Golem!Picard in technological complexity.

@fairycat23

2 ай бұрын

@@generalilbis Yet in "Tin Man," there is Tam Elbrun, whose empathic abilities are so strong that he struggles to block out and ignore humanoids he can read. However, he's surprised to meet Data because he can't read him at all. "It's like you're not there." Tam even describes Data as "restful."

@generalilbis

2 ай бұрын

@@fairycat23 Hmmm...interesting. Maybe three seasons' worth of character development equated to Data becoming more readable to empaths and telepaths? Or Deta is "silent" to a telepath because only his emotions were noticeable...and Data didn't have many/any at the time? I dunno...probably just more proof Trek showrunners didn't really shoot for 100% continuity if it would dunk a story or plot point.

I think it is obvious at this point that the Progenitors' plan has always been to fill the galaxy with salamanders 😌

The cutest touch I've noticed so far is that Moll and L'ak's ship looks to be very much based on the generic TNG-era alien wedge ship with a 32nd century free-floating nacelle upgrade.

I need those "force field prison things" for... reasons

The Antares was already in on the mission, and indicated to be on its way to the "scrapyard", arriving after Discovery. Her arrival at that moment wasn't that much of a jarring surprise - it just didn't appear in the "flash-forward" at the very start.

@AceOThorns

2 ай бұрын

Oh, and the "sandbikes" were shown to have some kind of shields, so maybe that reduced any wind effects?

I'm so sad that we don't get to have a Rhys and Bryce call out episodes/moments like we did with Owo and Detmer, now I'll never be ever to tell them apart. Also the alien planet felt Tatooine coded to me, I mean they had freaking podraces.

@alanpennie

2 ай бұрын

Definitely a Star Wars vibe.

hey Jesse, sorry your retro reviews of season one didn't get the traction they deserved! TBH I myself didn't watch them, (some personal stuff kept me from watching too much youtube) but I've now made a mental note to go watch them and leave a comment on every single one! You're doing great work as always, recently watched your videos on Sir Terry Pratchett's first few books as I reread them myself. I know you're a filmmaker and all that great stuff now, but please don't forget to keep up with your great youtube videos! We love it ♥

@Donnagata1409

2 ай бұрын

Watch them if you can, they're worth the time.

They set up Rayner’s ship the Antares a couple times before it appeared. At HQ, someone said they’re sending another ship with Disco, and the bad guys mentioned it when they were on the Romulan ship. Btw I’m saying “down to clown” from now on in all my sexual situations!

@oladeji15

2 ай бұрын

Agreed. They definitely set it up in dialogue. A more fair criticism is that we never saw the inside of the ship or any of the crew.

@WestcoastAudiGuy

2 ай бұрын

I came to say this... It was quite clearly setup that he was going to show up a bit later due to needing to warp in vs jump...

Hey Jessie, just wanted to say that as someone who's followed your retro review of DIS S1, you've really enriched my understanding of the show, from behind the scenes info like the Battle of the Binary Stars possibly originally being told in flashbacks, to the very consistent and well founded themes of fascism vs connection, thank you. I've been watching and I'll keep watching because I genuinely love your insights and perspective.

Endless praise for Enterprise... Praise for Discovery... Why, I'm beginning to think Jessie is a champion of the underdog!

@Donnagata1409

2 ай бұрын

Perish the thought! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

During the speeder chase, my girlfriend said it felt like Star Wars. But then, when the ships came down to work together to save the village, I thought now it feels like Star Trek

@alanpennie

2 ай бұрын

There's definitely a sense of merging franchises atm. The first few episodes of Prodigy were a bit Star Wars too.

@DarthTingleBinks

2 ай бұрын

I mean, Clone Wars literally had a whole arc that was just a Star Trek episode. It was a fantastic arc, too.

Starfleet can accelerate matter to near lightspeed, has a ship that can jump anywhere in the galaxy in seconds, and Genesis torpedos. I would be amazed if the progenitors have any kind of tech that would be significantly stronger.

@generalilbis

2 ай бұрын

I'm sure the Progenitors would have thought the Genesis Device design to be quaint but painfully crude for creating life.

The in medias res opening felt kinda pointless to me. It was like, "Oh Burnham is standing on the outside of a ship that has jumped to warp, how did this improbable set of circumstances come to pass?" Then we cut to four hours earlier, and learn that like, it happened pretty straightforwardly.

@michaeltonus3888

2 ай бұрын

Also, at this point if you're going to throw in a surprisingly dangerous cute little creature rolling around as an easter egg, just go all in and give us the Moopsy! I want live action Moopsy and I will not be denied.

@alanpennie

2 ай бұрын

I suppose they wanted a cool opening, and it was pretty funny.

The Chocolate Hellraiser box NEEDS to (a) be a tease for an appearance by the Easter bunny, who as you know is trans now if they weren't before, b'cuz of our secret Calendar Gambit having just successfully annexed Easter; and (b) be a tease for Pinhead getting assimilated and an entire Borg cube being turned into a giant puzzle box. Also: Since Shin Hati from Ahsoka has changed her name to Moll, and is still alive for Star Trek events, we can assume she ended up apprenticing with Darth Maul after Baylan Skoll's actor passed; and that she unlocked that immortality thing that Palpatine used to use as bait.

The reason they stopped development of the DASH drive (Displacement Activated Spore Hub), is two fold, first and chiefly, the new Pathway drive basically supplants it, (at least, I surmise) and secondly they never solved the requirement for a genetically compatible navigator, there's only two people in the whole galaxy that operate a Spore Drive.

@jamesknight3070

2 ай бұрын

Well.........they could supersize an army of Tardigrades and put one on each DASH equipped ship, though that may cause as many problems as it solves! XD

@KayleighBourquin

2 ай бұрын

@@jamesknight3070 animal torture is not a viable solution

@kaitlyn__L

2 ай бұрын

I do wonder how many engineers and scientists would volunteer to join Stamets though. Like, I'm anti-eugenics, I do think their stance is _overall_ a good one... but also his Being Navigator kind of always reminded me more of getting calluses from playing guitar or.. I don't know, the ways dancing changes how your feet grow, than actual eugenics. I understand why the rule just says "no GM humans" and so he ran afoul of it... but still. Especially if the changes he made aren't "germline" alterations, but I don't think it's specified either way (though some earlier Trek shows seem to assume any genetic alterations automatically become germline which.. is a whole other problem).

@jamesknight3070

2 ай бұрын

One thousand years of technological advancements combined with Book's/ Buck's ability to commune with animals should allow for a more "humane" approach to be undertaken. Remember, Warp Drive is destroying space and all beings who naturally reside therein, thus the Federation has been killing "animals" for centuries (life, but not as we know it).

@alanpennie

2 ай бұрын

​@@KayleighBourquin Good explanation. I was puzzled that The Spore Drive was being junked.

I am convinced that L'Ock is a Breen.

@jmarquiso

2 ай бұрын

One that hates helmets

@Donnagata1409

2 ай бұрын

Either a Breen or an offshoot Klingon.

@Cdr2002

2 ай бұрын

I think he’s a Na’Kuhl

@annieworroll4373

2 ай бұрын

The helmets gave me a Breen vibe. They certainly aren't like what we had in DS9, but I got that vibe from them all the same. The Breen did get mentioned this episode.

Eve Harlow's Moll reminds me of Daryl Hannah's Pris in the original "Blade Runner".

@Seal0626

2 ай бұрын

THAT'S who she reminds me of! I've been trying to work it out!

@aaronbourque5494

2 ай бұрын

If Pris had more of Roy Batty's character traits...

@DeannaGilbert616

2 ай бұрын

Or Chiana from Farscape.

@BritneyLaZonga

2 ай бұрын

What about Shin Hati?

@garyp5437

2 ай бұрын

@@BritneyLaZonga I can see it.

So glad to see these reviews back again!

Glad to have Discovery back. Glad to have you reviewing new Discovery.

CKR is how as an actor you can say you have been in a Canadian production. You can see the DISCO character story-arc coming from a kilometre away while CKR steals the scenes. Linus on the bridge was my favourite fan moment.

I spent so much time saying if anything bad happens to Saru and T'rina I'll be soooo angry- these two deserve all the happiness in the universe and this is the hill I'll plant my flag on

Every time I see Callium, I see Stanley Kawalski on Due South.

Your reviews are another great part of discovery coming back on the air!

4:25 god i wish moll and l'ak actually had mustaches that they twirled, that would add SO much to the characters, i promise

This premiere was amazing. It was lots of fun. Saru and T'rina ❤. Th scene with Tilly and the guy was funny. Michael and Book are my heart, so I hope they reconcile. I really enjoyed the action scenes. I'm excited for this season.

Enjoyed it. I noticed the hair in the cycle sequence. Loved Fred, alas poor Fred. Raynor is an interesting character, apparently a rogue individual, this shall prove interesting. Good old Grudge, and Book, love a man with a cat. A dead Romulan and a puzzle. Have to admit I’m intrigued. Didn’t like the man made disaster that would destroy a town and its people, and Raynor’s dismissal of it, but the federation is there to save the day. Seems to be a nice beginning for a story arc.

The Antares, Rayner's ship, whose name is said multiple times, is introduced when Moll and L'ak see two incoming ships, one by warp and then Discovery popping in. That other ship is the Antares.

L'ak is played by Sam Coe from Starfield and he has the same voice and idt I'll ever be able to take him seriously as an alien. I just can't stop seeing him with the cowboy hat.

I think you're much more optimistic about the wedding than I am. As soon as the proposal happened, my immediate thought was "Ok, one of them is gonna die this season."

@DawnDavidson

2 ай бұрын

Agreed!

Nice to finally see someone appreciating Callum Keith Rennie - he goes so unappreciated for how amazing he is in EVERYTHING

I love ST: DSC! So many characters I really like i.e. Georgiou, Lorca, Reno, Pike, younger Spock, Culber and Tilly to name a few.

Awesome review, and good eye regarding so many easter eggs. Season V. Let's Fly 🖖

There’s a lot of symmetry to how these two episodes are presented, when compared to how the series premiere was presented, back in September 2017. It’s two episodes, at once, with the first episode title using a word with a lot of Trek resonance (“Vulcan” in 2017, “Directive” this year), and the second episode title describing a spatial feature in binary (“Binary Stars” in 2017, “Twin Moons” this year). It’s apropos for a final season, but even before they knew this would be the final season, this already feels like a reflection, a retrospective, of the series as a whole, particularly the second of today’s episodes. It’s also often instructive to see what gets recapped as a season or episode begins. The most important stuff is what happened to Book, the relationship between Saru and T’Rina, and Tilly’s transfer to the Academy. As much talk as there always is about the looming problem of each season, it’s really how these problems affect the characters we follow. That was DS9’s approach, and that’s been the approach for all the shows of the current era. So, that means, we get a little check in with everyone at a party, which is also similar to how DS9 would end some episodes, particularly “Emissary,” “The Way of the Warrior,” and “What You Leave Behind,” episodes that demonstrated massive shifts in the status quo. They’re shuttering the spore drive program, leaving Stamets without a legacy. Saru’s been offered an ambassadorship, but his reticence puts a strain on his relationship with T’Rina (by the end of the episode, Saru decides to take the ambassadorship, so T’Rina proposes to him). Tilly catches the eye of someone at the party whom we later meet and see as a potential partner for her later in the season. And Kovich summons Vance and Burnham to an Orb-like cone of silence for a “Red Directive,” which I guess is a super secret mission. Trek’s always had a habit of just inventing fancy new terms for things. They need to grab an artifact from a Romulan ship of a vintage circa TNG. Kovich has always been enigmatic, but he’s being cagier and even colder than usual. It’s a point of contention that puts him in a bit of conflict with both Burnham and Vance. We also get introduced to Captain Rayner, Moll, L’ak, and…Fred. So, let’s take a look at these four: Every season, we’ve seen a new character introduced that’s an expert in psychology and emotional intelligence, that’s served as a mentor for Michael Burnham, and for others (Cornwell, Pike, Vance, Kovich, and Rillak, with Stamets and Culber kind of growing into those roles). But I think the twist this season is that Rayner might be someone that is going to be the one that needs that kind of mentorship. It’s tricky to introduce characters that start out from a place of conflict. You have to give them a prickly first impression, but you also have to give them a runway for meeting partway with our heroes, or the audience. I believe that’s worked with Pulaski, Ro, Sisko, the Discovery crew in season one, Dal in Prodigy, the Picard season one characters, and did not quite work as well with Shaw or Jellico. Personally, I think Rayner hits that Goldilocks zone and hits just the right note. He’s someone that clearly gets frustrated and pushes back, but usually ends up doing the right thing at the last second, even if he peppers it with a curse word or two. In the second episode, he even goes out of his way to help Tilly, Adira, and Stamets. That’s a really good sign for the character. Basically, he’s someone who’s used to a pre-Burn style pragmatism and has trouble adapting to a more peaceful Federation. In that way, he’s a bit like Balthazar Edison, from Star Trek Beyond, but we’re able to diagnose and intercept him much much sooner than Kirk could. In episode one, Moll and L’ak are kind of mysterious. They seem to have a code of honor, but they’re also not afraid to kill for what they want. To me, the use of the name “Moll” conjures up Bonnie and Clyde imagery, a…phaser moll. I’ll get to her later. L’ak is a bit more opaque, for the moment, as he looks vaguely Kelpien, but the characters can’t seem to identify his species, so I’m guessing it’s not so clear-cut. Fred is fantastic. He’s performed to perfection by J. Adam Brown, with delightful quirks in his observation of linguistics, speed reading, and even use of the word “intriguing” that evoke Data in his prime. We even find out that he’s created by someone inspired by Altan Inigo Soong. The clue that he opens is a puzzle box reminiscent of the Tan zhekran Narek had in Picard season one, so that’s two PIC season one references in one scene. There’s a diary in that box that provides some of the same clues Tilly finds. When Rayner pops in to help Book and Burnham find that diary, it sets up the second of two action beats where Rayner does that “right thing at the last minute” thing, again. Like I said, I think that’s a good sign for the character. When the Klingon sarcophagus ship designs got leaked, and when the teaser for the first season promised new ships, plural, I imagined that season as a treasure hunt, much like this season is turning out to be. I thought of episodes like “The Chase,” and the TNG PC game “A Final Unity,” as potential models. When the premise of this season was revealed, I gathered that premise would finally come to fruition…but I didn’t imagine it to be quite so literal as it is. They’re literally going after the technology used to seed humanoid life in the universe from “The Chase.” As in TWOK, any godlike, life-giving technology like that could also have profoundly destructive power in the wrong hands.

Very good analysis!

LOVE Discovery! To me it’s the DS9 of New Trek, the under-appreciated series that will age like a vintage Château Picard. Trek is reenergized, revitalized because of Discovery. Especially because it’s proudly progressive as Trek should be, needs to be. The stories are usually interesting… even if sometimes jumbled together… but that’s what you get with season-long story arcs. 🔹I LOVE all the 32C tech. Especially here shown not just for the wow! factor but also because they’re practical, things alluded to or imagined before but now they can be shown. The opening credits are still mesmerizing. 🔸Cronenberg: he’s the revelation of the show. Compelling, scene-stealing, dramatic but with tongue firmly planted in cheek. Very Canadian! 🇨🇦

Jessie - that combadge is awesome- where do you get them?

I really hope Anubis doesn't get his hands on the weapon at Dakara!

I saw this and thought "I bet Jessie loves this one because the mystery box is a literal box"

In addition to Invincible, the Infinity Room also owes Angel. It just needs a big cat. Maybe Wolfram & Hart joined the Federation. (And probably other shows before, if I had to guess.)

What fab commenters you have, wish I had time to read them all! Each one I did read is so super smart, reminds me of college lol. “All the smart kids” no kidding. From the tribble to the sudden mission, to the well-done (& finally well-timed) emotional side convos (my own pet peeve) etc this one felt the most Trek-like of all the Discos I can remember. I mean, I’ve always enjoyed it, and I’m glad we’re all back, but it just had a fun romp atmosphere that took me back in time. ‘Fraid to say saving the retro review til I have time, but looking forward!

Jessie I didn't get the purpose of the secrecy of not telling Burnham and Vance about the progenitors tech other than to drum up unnecessary dramatic tension. Burnham saved the galaxy on more than one occasion so I think she earned everyone's trust? I fail to see what would have changed if she knew what she was going after in the first place.

@alanpennie

2 ай бұрын

It did seem rather dumb.

Jessie, it used to be that starships needed a sizeable crew to operate but over the years it seems that they can now be operated by just 2 people and do either Moll and Lak know how to repair their ship after Burnham phasered it or does AI run the ship as well as repair it? Also I am not jiving with Moll and Lak's motivation to go to such lengths for this quest when they are supposed to be just couriers. Aren't they expending a lot of resources for no pay? Wouldn't they rather go for smaller scores rather than galaxy shattering tech? How did they even know about the romulan ship? What is their motivation in all this?

@alanpennie

2 ай бұрын

I'm slightly concerned about them considering that magic box/book looks cursed. It has a Hellraiser/Darkhold vibe.

That’s the “problem” with filming Star Trek in “Hollywood North” (Toronto); there are relatively few Canadian actors compared to NY, California, or (ugh…) Georgia, so of course some BSG alums are going to pop up. And the problem with casting Callum Keith Rennie is they’re never going to cast him against-type so we know where this is going. At least he’s great at what he does. The problem with the Disco premiere was it was so incoherently fast-paced and over-saturated with CGI, I was incapable of caring about anything that was happening. Not a single scene was allowed to breath and build tension. A prime example was when Tilly got busted by Starfleet Security and literally a second later Vance walked in and bailed her out! In any other ST series, Tilly getting busted would’ve been the “dramatic turn” that marked a commercial break, but in this episode, it was a WASTE OF TIME and utterly devoid of tension. It’s ridiculous how much $$$ Paramount+ apparently spent on CGI “action” in the Season 5 premiere that was pointless, like Burnham standing on the hull of the bad guys’ ship trying to disable it with a hand phaser while engaged in an inane argument with Captain Rayner. A NORMAL paced ST episode would’ve at least introduced Rayner prior to his starship intervening to help Burnham, putting a face to the voice, and providing some insight into his character. Instead, the audience is left wondering “Who the F is this a-hole? And why is his lame CG ship c***-blocking Discovery?” The worst problem is that there are NO STAKES anymore in Disco because everyone and everything is moving too fast and there’s never any tension or thrills because whatever “danger” is encountered will be immediately resolved by 31st-century magic-tech, and then the scene changes to the next incomprehensible sequence. This is the OPPOSITE of what Disco needed to do in its final season: SLOW DOWN and develop its characters. Instead, they’re apparently doubling down on mindless Jar-Jar Abrams-style action sequences, epilepsy-inducing flashy CGI, and a literal MYSTERY BOX! 🙈 I wish Paramount+ had unceremoniously cancelled Disco and given us a 20-episode Season 3 of Strange New Worlds instead.

Hnnngghh, gonna wait to watch this fully till I can see it, but I hope this new season is good! Cause at first I was upset that they weren't making more episodes.... 😂 Now I'm nervous that they are! Discovery has brought so much freshness to the series -- TRULY going forward into a future, instead of going, 'Oh, you know, our same 'ol mainstream culture with all the same generational curses and corrupt institutions we expect, but in space lol'. And the conclusion up till now was so very satisfying. It just seems like a trope across the board that, when any movie or series from _anywhere_ really makes it a point to depict a healthier, more science-based, more autonomy-based culture, the very next movie or season gets written with a kind of 'well, but not really tho, just kidding' vibe, in order to appease and comfort the more conservative viewers. Whatever the overarching story is this season, I hope they don't wind up betraying the vision they've built or go back on the solid values they've shown. Hope they end off with more of an 'I said what I said!' type of vibe. 🖖🏾✨

We did get a shot looking up at the ships approaching.

I get what you're saying about the effects. On the Tatooine world I couldn't tell where the people were in relation to the avalanche. It didn't make sense at all why the people were actually in danger or how the people could see what was going on.

Hello, @Jessie. I have seen the double-episode season five premiere and I must be honest: I though it was pretty decent overall--neither bad nor great--you're more braver than I have been. Great review.

I want to see the wedding! Wouldn't it be funny if the reason Moll and L'ak are seeking Progenitor technology is they want to have a baby but their species are reproductively incompatible, and they've tried reproductive technologies all across the galaxy? They're running from the Federation all wrapped up in a TOP-SECRET mission with ACTION and DRAMA, so I think it would be funny if they simply want a baby that's genetically related to both of them.

My big issue with the season premier was having Michael and Book essentially break up off camera. Now, this isn't the fault of the episode per-se. I think the idea of them breaking up (or at least hitting a rocky patch) makes for good drama. However, last season one of the key themes was the undying love and trust between the two. Even when Book turned his back on the Federation and joined up with the closest thing the season had to a villain, Michael still didn't give up on him, and they ended the season rock solid. Now a few months of not returning calls, and they have 'issues?' This speaks to the major problem in Discovery with long-term character arcs. They don't plan enough from season to season. It feels like the writer's room reconvenes and shoots darts against a wall sometimes trying to figure out new arcs for where the characters are going, rather than building logically on what came before. Really, it's Season 4's fault for having that consequence-free finale, but perhaps they believed the show was going to be canceled and wanted a happy ending? Regardless, this choice was so artificial it took me right out of the story.

Jessie, your hair is fire in this video!

My only gripe with this show is that they write Michael as a cop on a procedural, not as a Starfleet captain. For me her character is the weakest in the show.

What could have saved the first action scene was cutting in Moll and Laks, response to their ship being damaged by Burnham, then in the tractor beam.

Thanks for doing only season 1 here, have not had chance for season 2

Hello Jessie, it’s so very good to be watching your reviews of Discovery again. I have missed your distinctive insights and style so much. I hope you have been well. Perhaps it’s my age, but I don’t really enjoy the action scenes that much, and would be perfectly fine if there were less of them, which I know is blasphemy. Also, in some of the action scenes, it’s hard for me to follow what’s going on, so I have to rewatch in order to keep up. (Looks like you were also confused by some of the sequences.) Still, I enjoyed the episode because I like the storylines that are being set up for the characters. I also like how Burnham and Saru’s friendship has evolved over the years, although it was a tad sappy how the episode dwelled on it. Looking forward to your review of episode two. All the best.

so excited for this season but also, where did you get this sweatshirt???

Others have said the outstanding performance was Cronenberg you know he's hiding so much more, I've had issues with the show owing to them not giving other bridge crew much attention I read some comments "this changes in episode 1-2" well it looked exactly the same in those episodes. The Book connection felt so contrived I actually feel the character should have been dropped after the last season. The Sand bike bits just needed JaJa as a Cameo in the background. If they greenlight Legacy they have to learn one lesson from Disco and that's make sure all the characters they want to be actually part of the show not background noise get the character development they need, When Culber kept asking book "are you okay" If he wasn't do you really think he was going to admit it? i know its brutal but it needs to end, If you asked me to list the weaker shows Discovery is number 1, The entire reason for the Burn just made me zone out.

@alanpennie

2 ай бұрын

It's rather indicative that Steve Shives doesn't review it. It's fine but all the episodes seem really padded. All that happened in this one is that Book and Michael got back together and someone found a magic mcguffin.

So far I rate Rainer above Moll & L'ak as interesting new characters... but they all pale in comparison to Fred. It seems very Picard to create such a fun character and then kill him off immediately for plot reasons. Pretty much everything else in this premier worked well for me.

@alanpennie

2 ай бұрын

I very much doubt that Fred is dead. He did seem the most interesting of the new characters.

I'm getting Genesis Device vibes here.

They setup Rayner's ship arriving twice before it finally did... So it was at all a surprise moment for me 🤷‍♂️

Pretty much agree with your analysis of the ep, esp about the action sequences. Discovery REALLY loves chucking Burnham through space debris and every single time it looks goofy. However I will say that Rainer's ship, the Antares, IS mentioned as being in the area numerous times before it tractor locks Moll'ak's ship. Kovitch says he has another ship on route, the two mention there being a ship BEFORE Discovery arrives, and various bridge crew mention the Antares not being in range yet on their approach to the derelict. Which is still honestly a really small part of the overall problem, just want to give the writers credit for that part. I think more of the issue was on the VFX team for that. And the budget not allowing for another bridge set for the Antares I guess?

I first saw CKR as a regular in due South, the 90's cop show about a Canadian Mountie in Chicago, during it's last season, so I don't automatically think of the creepy Cylon. Though his due SOuth character was also a bit of a hot head.

The infinity badge was not the logo for a secret organization. It was only the key to the room to talk in (which looked a lot like Q space or T'Pol's mediation space in her mind). I think perhaps some of the things you wished they had done with the action might have been too expensive but I get what you are saying.

I love a good old fashioned McGuffin.

The way I described it is Star Trek meets Indiana Jones and it works better than I expected.

Huh, I didn't have as much trouble with that Burnham riding the spaceship scene. I thought it was great fun.

I never minded the threats of the past seasons, because the show regularly built up good will, in that it would always end with hope and peace between factions. And as with DS9 and all the other current shows, the problem of the season is there as a context onto which to hang the REAL stories of the season, which are the character arcs. TV now just treats each season like a movie. If you want the more run-of-the-mill stuff, that's what happens between seasons, not during seasons. The premiere takes place at least several months after the previous season. Season four took place like a year after season three. Season three's "Far From Home" took place a year after "That Hope is You, Part I," leaving room for a year's worth of courier stories. Only seasons one and two took place back-to-back. So, since they're of very specific moments, it's no more frequent, in-universe, than the threats during the TNG era. Every TNG season had major galaxy-ending threats: "Conspiracy," "Q Who," "The Best of Both Worlds," "Redemption," ""Unification," "Time's Arrow," "Descent," "All Good Things...," The Circle Trilogy, "The Maquis," "The Jem'Hadar/The Search Parts I&II," "The Adversary," "Improbable Cause/The Die is Cast," "The Way of the Warrior," "Homefront/Paradise Lost," the Klingon/Cardassian War, the Dominion War, the entire Emissary arc (especially the trilogy of "Destiny," "Accession," "Rapture"), the Borg arc in VOY, the Xindi arc, and all the two and three parters in ENT season four (each one of which had really high stakes).

04:00 I am pretty sure the guy is named Elias Toufexis ;)

I did really appreciate your review of the first season! Made me appreciate just how much they did get right! I'm pretty certain Callum Kieth Rennie pronounces his last name "REN ee" (rhymes with Denny), not "ren AY" (rhymes with say).

Why was the arggo not used in the desert chase. As cool as tje bikes are they really do feel a lot like star wars hover bikes with wheels

Also why does the ships have crews at all with Burnim sending herself on 2 very dangerous away missions one of featured none of her actual crew AND the new also sent their captain

@alanpennie

2 ай бұрын

Pike also sends himself on every away mission, but I suppose he has more excuse.

Lak reminds me a lot of Idris Elba's alien design.

I loooooved these episodes (ik you're only talking about the first here) it gave me tomb raider/uncharted meets star trek vibes and I'm so hyped

Seeing Callum Keith Rennie as anything other than a (often creepy) bad guy is a surprise, but a welcome one. This was a solid start to this final season (only just got access to the episodes a few days ago, watching through now, have seen 6/10). Wasn't as sure on the "bad guy" duo in the premiere, but (spoilers) definitely came to appreciate them more over time. I liked the idea of a treasure hunt but the idea of this being a super high priority mission did set off alarm bells for me, which got worse by the end...not a fan of what they're searching for and later episodes confirmed my fears about stakes and just...dull idea of the prize. Still, a fun start to the season.

As soon as I heard L'ak's voice, in one of the trailers before the premiere, I was like "Hey, that's Adam Jensen!" He has a very recognizable voice, it was cool to see him again here.

Just FYI, as far as I'm aware, Elias Toufexis's surname is Greek and is therefore pronounced as it's spelled, too-FEK-sis

I’ve tried, but I have such a difficult time getting invested in Discovery. It’s the first show I’ve grown bored as I’m watching. I’ll finish watching this show to the end, but I wished it had better execution and story.

I really liked these first 2 episodes and am bummed that it’s a last season just as they seem to have finally figured out how to make a modern serialized Trek show. The Season 4 finale was strong and ‘felt Trek’ in a way much hadn’t and they seem to be building on that, avoiding a lot of the poorer aspects of Disco (so far): 1. Actually About Discovering: The ‘quest’ this season is a great exploration premise that’s as you say more Indiana Jones and about uncovering an amazing existential secret rather than simply a Marvel style threat. 2. No Melodrama (yet): When Booker came aboard, I was braced for the usual “Disco Melo” that was a key element I disliked: the frequent crying, hiding secrets because of personal trauma and personal agendas, dereliction of duty because of their demons etc. But I was pleasantly surprised at how it was handled - like they were responsible, emotionally stable professionals dealing with larger concerns. Booker even IMMEDIATELY REVEALED he knew one of the couriers as a child. 3. Not Nostalgia-Bait: I get that this season does springboard off a previous setup, but it’s not egregious here because it’s taking an interesting premise that could have been it’s own season but wasn’t due to the episodic nature of TV at the time and expanding it into the ‘feature length and look’ budget it should’ve gotten. And beyond the initial bit, I don’t think they seem to be leaning on callbacks at all. Frankly, it’s why SNW isn’t as interesting: I’m tired of looking back in Trek. This shows how Discovery could have been had they had the bravery to set it in a forward timeperiod from the start (not necessarily a full-on 1000 years). Heck, it would’ve solved a lot of continuity problems too: the more futuristic look, the use of a ‘Spore Drive’ (which btw makes more sense in a universe where Warp was known to be causing problems), the social backslide of the Federation as seen in Picard. Even the ‘New Klingons’ because their story *and look* would’ve been perfect for a post-Dominion Jem’Hadar struggling to find their identity and falling back on xenophobia. 4. No JJ MYSTERY BOX: I get that there is a very literal ‘mystery box’ in Ep1… but they opened it and discovered it’s secret immediately thus setting their goal for the season. There’s still some mysteries, but that’s reasonable suspense akin to wanting to find ‘The Ark’ and not a JJ style mb. In fact, I think they might have used that box imagery as a bit of tounge in cheek fun way to tell us that’s not what they’re doing this season. 5. Trek values: This was why S4 finale was great: it involved solving problems without just phasering it, an interesting concept and a desire to understand. The first 2 episodes of this season seems to be continuing that. Even while creating a understandable and well-setup conflict between those values and various figures forged in the less peaceful and ‘enlightened’ 31st century in a way that makes sense. *As a note, as much as Picard S3 was an improvement, the casual murder, officers phasering a disabled opponent in the head etc. had always bothered me even in a context where the Fed was supposed to have backslid on it’s ‘enlightenement’ a bit - because it wasn’t commentary, it was our TNG characters seemingly being ok with casual brutality. Lorca in S1 Disco was similar: he was supposed to be a Mirror captain, but it was telling most of Disco’s crew was ok with his actions (his behaviors similar to STV’s Equinox etc). - and never questioned this Terran Empire guy.

What might happen if mycelia mushrooms being uses ad matter fuel for warp drives?

Have you spotted the Constitution class in the season trailer after episode one.

Was that a constitution class ship in the up coming previews?

THANKS for this!!! It's been so long I forgot how much I enjoyed your "Trek" reviews!!! Okay, I'm back since you are!! Yeah, did not like the Star Wars-type racing. And yep, I'm gonna like Rayner too, despite of his Rayner-ness :)

Well, I liked season 4. Maybe I'll like this one too.

I squealed with excitement! Loved Saru and T'rina! Wish them all the happiness. Downs: The desert pod races. I don't like SW in my ST.🤷🏻‍♀

At one point I literally said "Bloody volume" out loud. Also some of the uniforms were quite ill fitting in the neckline, but those desert ponchos were really good. Some people had zips others didn't but it highlighted social and economic differences between the population. Which made the Starfleet people standout with their closure choices. But I don't think most people notices the costumes as much as I do

The one thing that threw me out of the episode was why would the Discovery Crew be so familiar with Soong androids? Wasn't that after their time? So why would Stamets have nostalgia for Song's work when the guy wasn't even born when Stamets became an engineer?

@alanpennie

2 ай бұрын

Oh there was a different Soong around then, who looked exactly like all the others.

@sonicsean34

2 ай бұрын

Stamets had to do research for Grey’s new body last season so would’ve learnt all about Android victory and been amazed

@oolong2

2 ай бұрын

@@sonicsean34 I guess... But still the rest of the crew acted as if seeing a Soong android from 600+ years ago was just normal. I would expect a LOT more amazement from the rest of the crew. Instead they acted as if it was normal based on other shows the audience may have watched.

Ugh. So my problem over here is that while I LOVED this episode, I absolutely LOATHE 'The Chase'. And so the reveal at the end that the whole mystery/treasure hunt, for the entirety of this very serialized season, was gonna be a sequel to one of, in my opinion, the silliest TNG episodes of all time? I was SO MAD, lol. Cuz, look. Why DO all the aliens in Star Trek look like humans? Is it because humanoids are much easier and cheaper for television budgets? One hundred percent yes. But is there a deeper reading to be found in it? Also yes! At its core, Star Trek has always been about politics, sociology, and allegory. The aliens we meet all look human because on a metaphorical level, they ARE human. Our heroes' struggles to understand alien cultures are really about our OWN struggles to understand each other. So while the writers of 'The Chase' are in some ways correct to notice the scientific implausibility of how 'species' works in the Star Trek universe, they are utterly WRONG in their belief in the necessity of explaining it on a literal level. Sometimes you DON'T have to explain things, ya know? Sometimes it's better to leave it vague! We don't need to KNOW how the Harry Potter wizards went to the bathroom before Muggles invented toilets! We don't need to KNOW how Edward Cullen's, uh, ~manhood~ works when he doesn't have any blood! These stories were richer and more compelling BEFORE we knew these things! But they are nonetheless inside my brain now and I couldn't be more pissed. The idea of the Progenitors, in my humble opinion, is EVEN WORSE than Voyager+Enterprise's respective manglings of evolution that you mentioned. At least those stemmed from genuine stupidity. The Progenitors are a straight-up creationist narrative! Kovich even calls them gods in this episode because that's straight-up what they are! I have no doubt that there was no religious intent behind the episode, merely a misguided need to explain away what was better left unexplained. But it nonetheless throws a wrench into the whole Star Trek ethos. In an endless struggle to appreciate the infinite diversity of our fellow sentient beings, how does one square the idea that I guess the Mormons were just RIGHT the whole time? In a way, this episode is even more Indiana Jones than you describe. Because what are our heroes looking for this season, on a metaphorical level, if not the Ark of the Covenant? And I. . . don't like that! No THANK you good sir! Send it back to the kitchen immediately! And that's not even to get into the nostalgia p*rn of it all. I love the TNG era as much as anyone, but I am taking it away and putting it on a tall shelf until modern Trek writers go outside, touch some grass, and scrounge up some original ideas. The Resurgence video game did the exact same thing! What if this obscure loose thread from TNG turned out to be a huge, serialized threat to the Federation? Doesn't even matter if the original episode was ~good~ or anything, as long as it's from thirty years ago. And like. . . I LIKED this episode! It was really good! Well-paced, well-characterized! Exciting, moving, thrilling! All the things! But the last three minutes filled me with more than a little trepidation for the upcoming victory lap. Star Trek: Discovery was at its best when it cast aside its initial prequel-y nostalgic trappings and catapulted itself a thousand years into the future of the Star Trek universe, rather than remaining stuck in its past. I just hope that, in the rest of the season, they remember how they ~actually~ soared to great heights these last few seasons.

I need to see THE QUEEN!

I HATE that they killed that like 900 year old synth guy! That's such a tragedy! I also feel like he wasn't all that damaged, seems like they could have just fixed him up. Especially with tech being 900 years more advanced from when he was created.

Good haircut. Face has settled very nicely.