Well, I can help answer questions on the Discovery front. I love all of Trek but Discovery is tied with TNG for my personal favorites.
A lot of people get put off by Discovery because it's a very different beast when it comes to Star Trek. First thing that irked people was a visual reboot. The show stays within canon/lore, despite complaints otherwise, but there are visual inconsistencies the same way there are with Strange New Worlds. However the Klingons got a pretty severe redesign, one that put me off too. I didn't bother watching Discovery until Season 2 came out and I had seen trailers of Pike. There is no real explanation for as to why the Klingons looked so different from what we know. You can argue that it's the same sort of genetic impact that made the klingons look like just dudes with eyebrows in TOS but it's a bit of a stretch. The second season remedies this a bit. They start to get closer to what we know for Klingons and by Strange New Worlds they're a really faithful adaptation. Also, while the Klingons play a pretty major role in the first season, it's not as much as you'd think. By Season 2 it's even less.
I would recommend trying Discovery. The first season is rough but up until really recently (SNW and I'd argue Lower Decks) no Star Trek show has had a solid first season. They're always rocky and trying to find it's footing. By Season 2 they're off running. The entire vibe and pacing feels different, a whole new fresh breath of life into the show. Each Season it finds its footing better. However the other thing to keep in mind is that it is very serialized. This isn't like TNG or VOY where you can watch a random episode and still get, generally, the same consistency. It's a story that's meant to be told with each episode being a part of that story. The stakes are also stupendously high in comparison to most of Trek. Like galactic level threats. That can also put a lot of people off and get very tedious/exhausting. I understand it but that's also just what the show is. The USS Discovery was bred for high stakes and she doesn't respond for anything less. As the only surviving example of her Class, she tends to take that seriously. Literally She, you'll know what I mean if you do watch it. Her crew feels the same. The Next Generation was boldy exploring but Discovery is courageously defending. Same Star Trek, different mission statement.
Sorry. I'm a fan of the show. It gets a bad rap sometimes because I think people just have their expectations set for something different. If you go in expecting high stakes Star Trek, with a dash of wonderful goofiness, then you'll probably have a better experience.
Thanks!
I have caught some (3 in our house, one watches Discovery one watches Enterprise, I have seen some of each with them) but Discovery I had no idea what was happening, as you mentioned it's meant to watch as a whole. Some of that second season did have me stuck looking even though I was lost, lol.
I'm wrapping up a couple other series I've been watching so I may go ahead and try it again when those are done. Since you did give it such a glowing review (and I have admittedly been curious about that spore drive too)!
Well if you've ever got questions, feel free to ask! If I can't answer then someone else can. There's a reason I chose the name Stamets. The spore drive also happens to be cool as fuck. Sure it's new and strange but oh my god does it look so fucking cool when the ship jumps. Also all the jokes about skipping along mushroom space are fantastic.
Well, I can help answer questions on the Discovery front. I love all of Trek but Discovery is tied with TNG for my personal favorites.
A lot of people get put off by Discovery because it's a very different beast when it comes to Star Trek. First thing that irked people was a visual reboot. The show stays within canon/lore, despite complaints otherwise, but there are visual inconsistencies the same way there are with Strange New Worlds. However the Klingons got a pretty severe redesign, one that put me off too. I didn't bother watching Discovery until Season 2 came out and I had seen trailers of Pike. There is no real explanation for as to why the Klingons looked so different from what we know. You can argue that it's the same sort of genetic impact that made the klingons look like just dudes with eyebrows in TOS but it's a bit of a stretch. The second season remedies this a bit. They start to get closer to what we know for Klingons and by Strange New Worlds they're a really faithful adaptation. Also, while the Klingons play a pretty major role in the first season, it's not as much as you'd think. By Season 2 it's even less.
I would recommend trying Discovery. The first season is rough but up until really recently (SNW and I'd argue Lower Decks) no Star Trek show has had a solid first season. They're always rocky and trying to find it's footing. By Season 2 they're off running. The entire vibe and pacing feels different, a whole new fresh breath of life into the show. Each Season it finds its footing better. However the other thing to keep in mind is that it is very serialized. This isn't like TNG or VOY where you can watch a random episode and still get, generally, the same consistency. It's a story that's meant to be told with each episode being a part of that story. The stakes are also stupendously high in comparison to most of Trek. Like galactic level threats. That can also put a lot of people off and get very tedious/exhausting. I understand it but that's also just what the show is. The USS Discovery was bred for high stakes and she doesn't respond for anything less. As the only surviving example of her Class, she tends to take that seriously. Literally She, you'll know what I mean if you do watch it. Her crew feels the same. The Next Generation was boldy exploring but Discovery is courageously defending. Same Star Trek, different mission statement.
Sorry. I'm a fan of the show. It gets a bad rap sometimes because I think people just have their expectations set for something different. If you go in expecting high stakes Star Trek, with a dash of wonderful goofiness, then you'll probably have a better experience.
tl;dr it good. plz try?
Thanks! I have caught some (3 in our house, one watches Discovery one watches Enterprise, I have seen some of each with them) but Discovery I had no idea what was happening, as you mentioned it's meant to watch as a whole. Some of that second season did have me stuck looking even though I was lost, lol. I'm wrapping up a couple other series I've been watching so I may go ahead and try it again when those are done. Since you did give it such a glowing review (and I have admittedly been curious about that spore drive too)!
Well if you've ever got questions, feel free to ask! If I can't answer then someone else can. There's a reason I chose the name Stamets. The spore drive also happens to be cool as fuck. Sure it's new and strange but oh my god does it look so fucking cool when the ship jumps. Also all the jokes about skipping along mushroom space are fantastic.