Weirdly, I’m not approaching it as a comedy. For me it’s the best Star Trek content since TNG. I’m actually enjoying it as a Star Trek show. Sure it’s silly and surreal in places because it’s a cartoon, but the ship and the uniforms and all the TOS and TNG references make it exactly the Trek I’ve wanted since TNG went off the air. Rather than inventing a whole new style of starship and new aliens and planets and a whole new region of space, it’s taking established races and tropes and drilling down into them and expanding upon them. Because of this, it feels really familiar. If you remove the cartoon silliness it’s the show I would have liked Discovery to have been.
That’s generous of you.
He doesn’t have to like the show and he doesn’t have to watch it. But I think that approvingly quoting his kid by saying it’s for stupid people is not a choice I’m going to respect.
BC
Appreciation for Lower Decks, like any other piece of Art, is subjective to the individual. As with all Art, it is designed to evoke reactions, positive and negative, sometimes strongly. Lower Decks does not get a free pass, not even in today’s overly sensitive social climate. As you appeared to have ignored the entirety of my statement, I will do as you have done and quote a fragment of my statement:
I don’t think it is Star Trek for stupid people as much as it is a product for those who aren’t engaging with Star Trek already but are engaging with Rick and Morty. I think CBS recognized that Rick and Morty is connecting with a lot of new fans/consumers and they want to offer something that sells Star Trek to them. At the same time they want to provide a more broad show that can be a jumping in point. Discovery went deep into TOS lore when it added Spock, which can be intimidating to new viewers. Picard is a sequel to TNG, which kind of requires you to have knowledge of that series. Lower Decks is a bitesize Star Trek experience, with a focus on humor (which is more inviting) that looks like an already popular sci-fi series.
It is only three episodes in, I am refraining from judging it too harshly. Especially, when you consider that almost no Star Trek series has ever had a flawless first season. And you are free to not like it, but disparaging people who might like it is a very non-Star Trek attitude to take.
And many fans really hated nearly every new Star Trek series (except TOS and TAS) in the beginning. It always takes some seasons until all that hate vanishes.
At this point it is a very generic comedy show that is riffing on Star Trek because there has been almost no time to set up the dynamics and plots that will eventually make it a great show or a lame show.
They could barely settle on who was going to wear what colors (sometimes green), at the beginning of TOS. Those early plots of TNG were recycled TOS ones until their character dynamics were set up. The early O’brien/Bashier dynamic was the opposite of where they ended. I didn’t stick with Voyager enough to figure that one out. And look at the slow burn of Trip and T’Pol in Enterprise.
A comedy series is a new direction for Star Trek and that feels different and that can be scary. It is too soon to judge it too harshly.
No, in essence he’s saying they are writing down to their intended audience, more a criticism of the writers than the audience.
Well, doesn’t the same apply to you? You can disagree and choose not to read what he writes… but instead you’re insisting he stop writing.
I am criticizing his media analysis as simple name-calling. I think this is my last post on this topic.
BC
That’s normal for the first episodes of the first season.
I have watched 3 episodes, and although they aren’t my favourite Trek ever, they are enjoyable.
I have enjoyed all the Trek sounds, looks, in-jokes, stories, and seeing the ship from the literal bottom-up viewpoint. I can fully expect that there would be individuals on many ships who act similar to the Lower Decks characters (not caring about promotion, smuggling, arguing, being totally ignored by senior staff etc).
Yeah some of the humour is a bit meh, but its still Trek; and its clearly establishing a position - its Trek for the non-refit Excelsiors, the Oberths, the Mirandas, the run-of-the-mill Federation; not in the sleek Galaxy class, or the Intrepids, or the edge of the unknown.
@bcholmes just out of curiosity how far did you watch into The Orville? I’ll admit that the humor isn’t always there but there have definitely been cases where it has been on par for some of the better Trek stories for good drama (especially in season 2).
Just my two cents on it
Best show I’ve seen in years, the similarity to our games is uncanny. Probably the most realistic Trek ever made.
Ive enjoyed each episode progressively more; the 5th one was great!
I also want the stats to a Parliament class ship, now!
In this system, it is likely little different from a Nebula-class other than not having a swappable module.
I have the same headcannon!