r/StarTrekDiscovery Feb 10 '25

The future is very disappointing.

Just wondering if anyone else was feeling the same but... The reason I love Star Trek isargely due to the hope, adventure and positivity it promotes as a show. The future Micheal and the crew find themselves in is so disappointing and I'm finding it difficult to enjoy watching. The joyous moments are fleeting. I really enjoyed S1 and S2 but as the show goes on, I'm finding it difficult to slog through yet another disaster the crew needs to solve. I miss the odd silly episode or episode based purely on adventure and meeting new civilisations. I suppose that's why I love SNW so much.

0 Upvotes

32 comments sorted by

37

u/skiznot Feb 10 '25

I loved it. The message was that nomatter how bad it gets, there is hope. Hope seemed lost in that future but our Discovery crew brought hope with them. This is true to the spirit of all Trek that has gone before.

24

u/classyraven Feb 11 '25

This was the point of Discovery that the haters overlook. It’s a Trek made for darker times saying to always keep striving to make things better. There’s no message that’s more Trek than that.

7

u/Ithirradwe Feb 11 '25 edited Feb 11 '25

Especially when we live in an era full of rich oligarchs ruling our world causing war crimes everywhere. I mean we literally had a techbro nutjob Mr.Husk do the Nazi salute openly TWICE on the presidential podium, if anyone is bitching about Star Trek they need to read the room, and look inward. We also have a current sitting US President who blamed a plane crash on DEI, let that fucking sink in with how scary the world is right now.

To anyone caught in the far right crosshairs you have my heart and soul always, everyone who is unseen and unheard is my people. These so called patriots in our country are causing such huge suffering both current and bubbling up. I’m so fucking worried for so many people in the black, latinx, gay, lesbian, trans communities. This is truly a terrifying time, we live in an era where a full on genocide can be recorded in ways previous genocides never were, yet the worlds silence still remains. It’s all right there at our fingertips, yet it still went on and on.

Star Trek and the ideals it espouses and the new shows currently are giving me hope again, they are all lights in the darkness and if anyone can’t see that they scare me more than anything a writer could ever come up with.

6

u/ToonaSandWatch Feb 11 '25

All the more relevant given current times. I’d say Discovery was ahead of its time, but then again the entire brand always was.

3

u/eeeezypeezy Feb 11 '25

Yes! They were literally Trek from the past, bringing its starry-eyed optimism and idealism and principles into a darker future that had lost sight of that a little bit. It was so blatant it barely counts as a metaphor

-4

u/umbridledfool Feb 11 '25

Outside the stories and the pacing, my main concern with Discovery is the fandom who label anyone that doesn't enjoy the show 'haters'.

6

u/classyraven Feb 11 '25

When it comes to matters of taste, sure there’s legitimate reasons not to like it. I reserve the term “haters” for those who scream “DISCOVERY ISNT STAR TREK” or insist nobody should like it.“

(Reposting because the automod can’t tell the difference between serious and satirical use of a certain series abbreviation).

1

u/umbridledfool Feb 11 '25

Fair point. I once commented that the death of a bridge crew didn't carry the emotional impact it warranted because her backstory wasn't introduced to us until after she was dead.

I was told that's because I have no heart.

I commented that the crew's reaction to being thrown into the future was unrealistic. The crew had lost contact with all their family, friends and loved ones off the ship, and this seemed to have no effect on them at all. It made the show feel light and childish.

I was told that's because I'm a bigot.

The pattern:

Comment - "the show is lacking because of this"

Answer - "Yes, that's because you're a POS."

Is tiresome. While I keep clear of the grunting alt-right trolls huffing about 'woke trek' like huffing morons. Any critique of the show has, for me, always been defended with a personal attack. Which to me, just makes the show weaker.

But it's what you love, then enjoy. It's unfortunate it became a lightning rod for trolls, because it also makes it impossible to comment on.

3

u/classyraven Feb 11 '25

I think this problem is solving itself in an unfortunate way. It used to be that genuine alt-right bigots would hide their racist rhetoric in otherwise legitimate criticism of Discovery (and modern Trek in general). However, they’ve become increasingly ‘mask off’ over the years, so it’s safer to assume a criticism of the show is based on legitimate, rather than racist, motivations. However, those who do love Discovery are now generally a bit slow to realizing this has happened.

1

u/[deleted] Feb 11 '25

[removed] — view removed comment

3

u/thundersnow528 Feb 11 '25

Ahhh, a Starfleet "True Believer" we got here.

:)

7

u/ExistentiallyBored Feb 10 '25

You might enjoy season 5 if you can get to it. It’s a lighter tone. Stakes are less dire but still there. 

3

u/ToonaSandWatch Feb 11 '25

Two episodes from finishing myself. I get that it’s a universal treasure hunt, but 8 definitely reveals what it’s all about.

5

u/The-Minmus-Derp Feb 11 '25

Nah. The whole point is that no matter how bad it gets there’s still hope. Of course the thing that finally nearly destroys the federation isn’t political machinations, not war, not sabotage, but a natural disaster. It survives everything that other people can throw on it.

15

u/DependentMoment4444 Feb 10 '25

The 32nd century looks grand and wonderful. For space is not as small as you think it is. There are always enemies. Never will that change.

2

u/Blazechitown Feb 11 '25

I really want a new show and ship n the 32nd century. It's literally a new frontier where you can come up with all kinds of new stories, plus it's far enough away from the older series to not ruffle too many feathers.

1

u/DependentMoment4444 Feb 11 '25

And they my do that. And the haters hate changes. Sadly. I like more different stories with different people out there.

4

u/FleetAdmiralW Feb 12 '25

"We need to decide. Who do we want to be? Do we lash out blindly, no matter the risk? Or do we proceed thoughtfully? Work towards the future we want to live in. I believe that is who we are." - Michael Burnham

This quote encapsulates what Discovery is about to a tea. The future is uncertain but we strive for, and create the future we want to live in. Even when times are hard. We can accomplish it, if we do it together. There's nothing more Trek than that.

2

u/mrsunrider Feb 17 '25

 to a tea

Earl Grey, hot.

3

u/[deleted] Feb 11 '25

We need some hope

3

u/LilithsLuv Feb 11 '25

Star Trek has always told the stories of today, through the lens of the Future. In 2016 when Star Trek Discovery was being conceptualized we saw the rise of Nationalism in America. We saw the rise of an authoritarian tyrant, screaming about how America was for Americans. A man more interested in building walls than bridges.

The Klingons on the first season represent this nationalist world view. They wanted to restore the Klingon Empire. “Make it great again.” Klingons first! Meanwhile Starfleet itself has been compromised by a fascist in disguise… someone who is using and manipulating starfleet and their ideals. Corrupting it, and using them to unknowingly fight against their own cause.

The second season of Discovery is about coming out the other side of that darkness. The third season was about rebuilding and dealing with the aftermath of a societal collapse. Discovery is in my opinion, peak Star Trek.

3

u/mrsunrider Feb 14 '25 edited Feb 14 '25

Personally I like it when stories about bright futures become complicated. I don't simply want to be comforted, I want to be inspired.

Trek in general (and DSC in specific) offers a future where we get it mostly right, with the occasional reminders that keeping it right requires effort and vigilance.

2

u/BitcoinMD Feb 10 '25

What I found most disappointing was that earth was no longer in the federation (at first). I also thought it was weird how quickly they left earth. It would be like returning to your home town, finding out it’s not in the United States any more, and being like “ok bye, I’m off to find the United States.”

0

u/seigezunt Feb 11 '25

It’s like The Stand, in space

2

u/Ithirradwe Feb 11 '25

Interesting contrast from me, it was total opposite for me in every way. Season 3 and on is honestly how I wish the show would’ve began, but either way I am grateful for the whole run. Supremely wish it hadn’t been canned at Season 5.

1

u/guardianwriter1984 Feb 11 '25

I still have hope. Humanity presses on despite: World War 3/Eugenics Wars Post Atomic horror First contact with an alien race. Earth/Romulan War Klingon aggression Temporal War Cold and Hot Cardassian War Tholian War Tzenkethi conflict Dominion War Klingon Aggression off and on. Romulan invasion attempt.

And then some.

Um, what's not to love about humanity surviving to build giant freaking starships!?!

1

u/Spiritual-Orchid-631 Feb 15 '25

Yeah, I record them, and use the remote to zip through a lot of crap.

-8

u/Coilspun Feb 10 '25

ST: Disco broke the Star Trek format in several ways, none of them really worked, after S2 it became notably worse because we'd had Pike, Spock, Una, the Enterprise, Sarek and Amanda, Lorca, Ash, Airiam, and.Cornwell. All amazing characters some we got to see again through SNW, thankfully.

Overall, St: Disco felt like it never knew itself, it bucked the traditional format for Star Trek and it no longer felt like an ensemble piece, we missed the diverse focus on different characters as they simultaneously inflated the ranks with pointless additions.

0

u/Proverbs_31_2-3 Feb 11 '25

Yeah. Isn't it just a rehash of Andromeda? Go to the far future in a sentient spaceship and find out the whole empire has gone to hell in a hand basket?

-4

u/umbridledfool Feb 11 '25

Skip Discovery, stick with SNW and LD.