Where I try to binge-watch all of Discovery, Picard, and Strange New Worlds in Seven Days (Paramount+ Trial)

[Snarf Zagyg]

So, I would up with a problem with the most recent season of Discovery, such that I haven't finished it yet. While usually I have found the modern short season prestige format to be positive, I think 4th season Disco hits one of the format's failure modes.

Which is this - drama requires characters face adversity. So, bad things happen to characters you like. That's okay. In long-season formats, these bad things can be spread out over time, but short-season formats must condense them. Which tends to lead to a whole bunch of bad things happening to several characters you like at the same time, and it turns into a misery-fest. I am sure those things get resolved, but it was hard to watch all that pain at once.

YMMV, of course.

Fair. It was rough sledding for a while (and I understand your reaction) but the payoff was worth it. IMO.

That's why serialized seasons are a tougher match for classic Trek - you almost have to trust that the optimism of Trek will be apparent by the end.

 

[Geoff Thirlwell]

As long as you watch the first two series of Discovery before SNW it doesn’t really matter. You may want to watch the pilot of the original series (The Cage) before Discovery S2

 

[MarkB]

So, I would up with a problem with the most recent season of Discovery, such that I haven't finished it yet. While usually I have found the modern short season prestige format to be positive, I think 4th season Disco hits one of the format's failure modes.

Which is this - drama requires characters face adversity. So, bad things happen to characters you like. That's okay. In long-season formats, these bad things can be spread out over time, but short-season formats must condense them. Which tends to lead to a whole bunch of bad things happening to several characters you like at the same time, and it turns into a misery-fest. I am sure those things get resolved, but it was hard to watch all that pain at once.

YMMV, of course.

Yeah, that's perfectly fair, plus some of it wound up feeling rather forced. And while I do like the show, I wish they'd try making a season or two in which the fate of the entire Federation / quadrant / galaxy isn't at stake.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

Yeah, that's perfectly fair, plus some of it wound up feeling rather forced. And while I do like the show, I wish they'd try making a season or two in which the fate of the entire Federation / quadrant / galaxy isn't at stake.

In fairness, that's a common problem for a lot of shows!

Heck, I just binged all of the Marvel Shows, and ...

4/6 of the miniseries had the earth/universe/all of time itself at stake.

 

[Umbran]

In fairness, that's a common problem for a lot of shows!

Heck, I just binged all of the Marvel Shows, and ...

4/6 of the miniseries had the earth/universe/all of time itself at stake.

Well, if stakes are small, it takes a lot of work to justify a sane, basically good person getting into violent clashes that might risk death. Putting your life on the line for tens of thousands of people or more? Easy to justify. Putting your life on the line for a stack of stolen laptops from Best Buy? Not so much.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

Well, if stakes are small, it takes a lot of work to justify a sane, basically good person getting into violent clashes that might risk death. Putting your life on the line for tens of thousands of people or more? Easy to justify. Putting your life on the line for a stack of stolen laptops from Best Buy? Not so much.

Yes, but you can have stakes that are between stolen laptops and the fate of the world! The Netflix Marvel series (for example) regularly did this. Heck, part of what made Hawkeye charming was the lower stakes. They were serious, but it wasn't the fate of the whole world (again).

And Star Trek regularly can have reasonably high stakes without having to go "full universe" or "full time line" or "the fate of the Federation."

Even "fate of the ship," or "violate the Prime Directive?" are pretty high stakes.

 

[Umbran]

Even "fate of the ship," or "violate the Prime Directive?" are pretty high stakes.

"Violate the Prime Directive?" is, in fact, fate of the world. That's literally the point - who gets to influence the fate of the world?

 

[Mercurius]

Good stuff, folks, and thanks @Snarf Zagyg for the extensive reply.

I started D1 last night - watched the first three episodes. It was better than I remembered from when I watched 4-5 years ago. Not great, but good enough to be quite enjoyable.

I'll watch seasons 1-2 first, then check out SNW and see if the lady wants to watch that, while I could continue with Discovery on my own time (like soon, as I continue to learn how to make fountain pen inks).

 

[GreyLord]

I'd skip most of Discovery. Watch Picard first , then SNW. After, Watch Lower Decks.

If you have time, then skip through various episodes and highlights of Discovery.

At least that's what I would do. If you must, watch the first, middle three, and last episode of each season of Discovery. The only one really worth watching I feel is Season 3 of Discovery. Haven't finished Season 4 though, but it seems to be pointless so far.

 

[Zaukrie]

We really liked the first two years of Discovery. Season 3 was interesting and had some really good stuff, but like what comes in 4, we would have preferred some different story choices. We did not like the last season as much, because we didn't like the story decision (we both thought they were well written and acted, but we would have preferred a much different story).