DAMNIT JIM

James Doohan was an actual badass in real life.

Landed on Juno beach with the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division as a lieutenant. Was wounded in action and decorated with the Royal Victorian Order. Doohan was hit by six rounds fired from a Bren Gun by a nervous Canadian sentry: four in his leg, one in the chest, and one through his right middle finger. The bullet to his chest was stopped by a silver cigarette case given to him by his brother.

During filming, Doohan often conceals the missing finger of his right hand.

Dubbed "the crazy pilot in the Canadian Air Force" even though he never served in the Air Force. In the late spring of 1945, on Salisbury Plain north of RAF Andover, he slalomed a plane between telegraph poles "to prove it could be done"***8212;earning himself a serious reprimand.

I enjoyed the pilot. It was very similar to one of the new star trek movies. Obviously different feel compared to The Next Generation but that's okay, its a new thing.

The one thing that bugged me was the main character Michael's actions either weren't explained well enough or were just stupid. I guess maybe we are seeing her rash mistakes as a young officer so that later we can see character development and maturity?

On a risky scouting mission with no comms to get visual contact only on what is likely a hostile ship? Better go land ON it and walk around...?!

Later, trying to instigate what would be a giant war based off only a general knowledge of how Klingon / Vulcan relations worked a hundred years ago? And quickly jumping to mutiny, assaulting her captain, lying to her crew, and trying to start a battle that would almost definitely cost the lives of their whole crew...

But yeah, maybe we are just being shown her stupid mistakes and prejudice so that later we can see character development. Could turn out to be a good start depending how they go forward.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RVf01en-YA

I agree with the idea that the first 75 minutes were just a prelude/pilot, and the actual story begins in ep.03. It was just to establish a backstory to set up the redemption spin on Commander Burnhams character.

Burnham is just an implausible character that is difficult to accept. I don't how people keep pinning the start of a war on her, she really didn't do anything to actually trigger a conflict. She wanted too, she tried too... but she never got the chance. It's pretty clear the Klingons were going to start a war regardless, including trying to assassinate Burnham on her little space scouting mission.

She did mutiny though... which is one of the implausible aspects of her character. A senior
officer and supposed trusted protege of the Caption, loses her composure and decides she knows what's best and everyone be damned. "I was just trying to save you all!" (from yourselves, apparently).

They said "****ing" on the show tonight....twice.

yeah. twice in a row lol. good episode i thought. can do without the fags but the ending was creepy

Science-fiction is about humanity. It's the world we live in - it's the future that we hope to have, could have, don't want but will have if things don't change... It's about our own morality. How we treat others. Our own motivations and aspirations. Star Trek's foundation is that it takes place in a future where there is no poverty. No money. No war. Earth is practically utopian. The struggle comes from outward; Space anomalies, alien encounters, etc. The science on the show was usually theoretically possible; warp drive, replicators, teleportation, phasers - all of these things could exist, the franchise didn't just pull tech out of their ass (which is why the JJverse was so ****ing dumb with the red matter bull****).

Understanding that, if you watch Discovery the immediate question you ask yourself is; "wtf is this?"

First off; the show doesn't appear to have an ensemble cast. It's the Michael Burnham show featuring Yeoh/Issacs. None of the characters come across as believable. They all seem to make dumb-as-**** decisions that no person would make. Most of the character choices and interactions are hamfisted to advance the plot.

One of the things that bothered me from the pilot was Burnham's escape from the brig. She depressurizes her cell in order to shoot herself across open space to reach the pressurized hallway on the other side - The problem being once the door to the hallway opens; the hallway too would depressurize and she would be blown out into space. But I guess the sound logic for propelling herself out of her cell is supposed to be forgotten 5 seconds later when she effortlessly scoots into the hallway.

The show is a flashy action/drama set in space. It has nothing to do with either Star Trek or good sci-fi. Everything that the characters deal with are not meant to make commentary on ourselves but rather to advance a plot.

Just compare the first 2 episodes of Discovery with the BSG mini-series (another modern take on sci-fi) and you will see the stark contrast between great Sci-fi with great characters and a real human element.... and a garbage space action series whose sole existence is to push a digital platform that is 5 years too late to be relevant.

So is it going to crash and burn?

I like it. Mostly because it isn't the same exhausted Trek crap we've been rehashing over and over again.