The first Star Trek Discovery trailer hit yesterday and we keep getting asked what we think. So here goes:
First and foremost, we at Axanar LOVE Star Trek. I have personally been a fan for 50 years, longer than anyone at CBS or Paramount has worked on Star Trek. The lawsuit didn’t make me lose one ounce of love for this beloved franchise, as I can separate the current owners of the IP from the franchise itself. So I am looking forward to the new Star Trek as much as any fan. I have my reservations though.
First of all, CBS fired Bryan Fuller. Huge mistake. Fuller has already proven that he is one of the best show runners in Hollywood with both Hannibal and now American Gods. Letting him and a bunch of the creative team go handicapped the new Star Trek from the start. Can it recover? We hope so, but we will always wonder what it could have been with Fuller at the helm (Just look at the rave reviews Fuller’s American Gods is getting.)
Second, this is NOT the Prime Timeline. This is a reboot or an alternate timeline like JJ created. You can say all you want that Discovery takes place in the Prime Timeline but the fact is the Prime Timeline has been defined by TOS, TNG, DS9, Voyager and even Enterprise.  Discovery doesn’t even remotely look like any of those shows, and doesn’t try to. It clearly looks more advanced than Voyager, and the Klingons aren’t Prime Timeline Klingons. So this is a reboot.
And that in itself is FINE! We have no problem with a reboot, and I am huge fan of the fact that JJ Abrams and his team made their movies an alternate timeline. That was genius and why not just say that CBS? Let’s be honest, this is a reboot, embrace it. There is nothing wrong with that. The problem is trying to tell us this is prime timeline when it clearly isn’t. I LOVE the idea of the Star Trek multiverse. FASA, the novels, the comics, these are all alternate timelines and that is what makes the Star Trek universe great.
Third, if this takes place 10 years before Kirk, then the crew should NOT be wearing the Starfleet chevron, which Gene Roddenberry himself stated was only adopted by Starfleet after the return of the Enterprise from her first 5 year mission (see the TMP novelization). We all know this. The Discovery crew ignored this fact (as did the JJ movies it is only fair to point out). We specifically address this in Axanar by using different patches for different ships which is one of the things fans love, our acknowledgement of the minutiae of the universe. It would have gone a long way to winning hard core fans if Discovery did the same thing (but OK if you acknowledge it is a reboot like JJ did).
I really think most of the things hard core fans have an issue with all would have been solved by NOT placing this 10 years before Kirk. The ships would look right, the chevron would have been correct, the fact that everything looks like it takes place years after Voyager would have been fine! Why go back when fans want to see the story move forward? (Let us fans deal with the past in our fan films, since we frankly do a pretty good job at it). I bet we would even let the Klingons slide! (though we really all would have loved to have seen JG Hertzler as the Chancellor Martok!).
OK, that being said, I am looking forward to Discovery. How could a Star Trek fan not? Give it a chance. I know many of you are pissed about the JJ movies, or Enterprise, or whatever. But remember we are Star Trek fans and there is that idea that we live by certain enlightened values, one of which is IDIC: Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations. Is this not the perfect opportunity to try and live by that value?
No one says you have to shell out the $ for it. The premier will be on CBS, so you can watch for free. After that, go watch at a friend’s house.
Meanwhile, we will be watching on the bridge of the USS Ares at OWC Studios in Atlanta, and you are ALL invited!
Alec
Touché! Well said, Alec. Honestly, one of the best, most accurate, postings I have read of yours. Agree with you on every point 100%.
Thanks Eric! Appreciate the feedback.
Alec
You are welcome! 🙂
While I am definitely willing to give it a shot, I, like many others, am unwilling to pay for yet another video service. I pay for DirecTV, Amazon Prime Video, and Netflix. Why do I want to pay $5.99 to CBS (and at that price I still see commercials) to watch one TV show? Wait… I don’t. lol
I understand that CBS is trying to create something that has broad appeal. They figure the average person is not going to be a hard core Trek fan and look at all the little details that you did with Axanar. Would it have killed them though to try and flush out the little details. Things that would have gone unnoticed by the casual viewer but things that hardcore fans would have said,”Look at what they did there! That is so cool!”
Just wishful thinking I guess.
You said it better than I ever could have Alec, and what you think is EXACTLY what I think. Well said!
I am not sure if all the points are ‘110% correct’. The remaining of the Klingons: I believe over the years we have gotten used to Klingons having cranial ridges and long hair. Although the ridges are there the JAbramsverse, and apparently this reality as well, diverged from that image. That aside, to say that these prequel Klingons are different may be premature. I feel the the most prominent reason they seem different is because they have little, if any, hair. If someone were to superimpose Klingon hair over the provided image they might see that these Klingons are not that different after all. I do not have such an image; I am just seeing it in my minds eye. Klingons are going to look different from each other just as we Humans look different from each other. That being said, I do agree this appears to be a veiled attempt to continue the JAbramsverse continuity.
Oops. Typo on the first two sentences. ‘100%’ & ‘reimagining’.
Sorry Alex.Appreciate that you are trying to be encouraging on this.But I just can’t swallow even as a reboot how modern it is compared to how most of the fans think of what a PREQUEL should be.Not to mention the butchering of the Klingons..Should have moved this Trek into the future more so and Supported Axanar and all would have fitted in better.My opinion.Cheers.Live long and prosper from Australia..
Nicely put… Star Trek fandom could be well served by using “IDIC!” as our rallying cry!
Involving IDIC was brilliant Alec. A standard all true fans should embrace. While I do have my doubts, I will be giving Discovery a welcoming chance.
You are beyond gracious. I am still furious at CBS.
Thanks Alec! I was skeptical at first but after seeing the trailer and adding some willingness to gloss over the issues you mentioned, it does look like it has great potential.
Abso-freaking-tively! 100% agreed, Alec! Thankees for your words of wisdom!! 🙂
I’m afraid that, even though I consider myself a “hard core fan”, if this series fails, it will not trouble me. Star Trek, as I have known it since first watching TOS as a kid, that ST is now deceased. CBS has killed it when they attacked Axanar and the other fan films. They would have to pay me to watch this garbage. #BoycottDiscovery
Yep, gotta agree, CBS Is going to Kill Star Trek with this Crap !
Its not meshing in with the shows that according to the time, line follow after it, & lets not mention the Klingon Re invention !
Star Trek is not deceased. What Star Trek has become is that band that you loved back in the 70’s that is still touring (and actually selling out some shows) with the one original guitar player and five other guys 15 years his junior. The good news is that Mr. Guitar Player has been clean for 20 years and sounds better than ever. Is it exactly the same band? No. Are they still fun to hear and remember the music? Yes! So play on, Star Trek, play on.
So I guess that makes Axanar the cover band that is so good you go to see them? 😉
Well done! So glad to get your “All things Trek” perspective. Let the haters sit in a corner and be unhappy, we’ll enjoy instead.
Great editorial on the new show. I agree with everything you said. When I saw they had a picture window on the bridge instead of a view screen, I assumed it was either the JJ universe or an alternate universe. Like you, I have no problem with that but just state it. It does lools visually stunning for a TV Star Trek. (As did the scenes in Prelude to Axanar) I will look forward to seeing it and hope it’s good solid Trek. Also happy you are in Atlanta. I am up the road in South Carolina and it would be great to visit the studios sometime. Keep up the great work and Live Long and Prosper.
I agree. I also love Star Trek and really wish they would have moved the story forward.
After Voyager.
Remember Guinan said in time humanity might be able to establish a relationship with the Borg.
Let’s see how that plays out.
Since we’ve seen the future in several of the shows, we know humanity survives. Lets take the story forward a hundred years or so. New ships. New tech. Strange new worlds.
Let’s see what’s out there.
I get they want to do prequels, but they have to atleast mesh with the following series, Enterprise at least tried to do that , They are using transporters, before they were deemed to be safe for human transport & Geez, where to start on the Klingons, at least with Enterprise, they gave a reason why they looked like humans in the Original series & how they looked like they did in the Next Gen & DS9 & Voyager .. Think CBS has lost the plot !
Doesn’t seem right. To much assurance in transporter. Klingons seem to alien to reptilian. More like a vast confusion of mish mash under s Star Trek logo and music theme. If it doesn’t tie in then it’s gonna be viewed as a bust. Final thoughts withheld until I seem more to judge from.
Started watching Trek in high school. 65-69 think it came out in 1966.
Yep, too much inconsistency, to fit with the existing Series & Movies, cant say im impressed with the hype about it & then be seeing this !
Gene Roddenberry was all about going forward. Assuming TOS was the “Center” of Roddenberry’s Trek Universe, the creators of ENTERPRISE positioned the events of their experience in the past, at the dawn of the Federaton. To me, that was a mistake, it ought have been an adventure past TNG, DS9 and Voyager. Discovery may suffer some of the same timeline whiplash. Why can’t these people create a forward Star Trek adventure. Write some new future history, rather than past future history. Okay, now I’m giving myself a time paradox migraine. At any rate, I will view the show with anticipation . . .
I hate temporal mechanics.
Axanar was by far superior in concept that what I am seeing in Discovery. very sad.
I totally agree. Its a reboot, its actually a executive “fan film”… too bad they don’t have to follow the rules.
I will say [Thank you CBS] your saving me a lot of money on trying a subscription.. it just has no interest for me now.
And.. it means i watch zero CBS programs now, not because of this.. but they really have been in decline for a long time, very out of touch with the rest of America.
Speaking as a life long fan, I agree with everything you have said sir. Again as a fan, if they want to claim that it is Prime Timeline, they need to check the Trek facts. From what I have seen, Discovery is close to 0 on the cannon facts. Just had to say the last comment. Good luck on Axanar. I hope you will be in production soon!
You make some good points but I am reserving judgment untill I see first episode. The differences between the initial ship design and this one…well there must be a back story there.
So CBS All Access is a paid subscription I believe. So we have to pay $ to see this!
Excellent summation of CBS treatmemt of the franchise and call to rally to the fandom; I agree with the IDIC point of view, although part of me still mourns for what could have been had more care been given. LLAP
Kinda have a few Issue’s with this if your sticking to the Startrek Universe Series timeline, So this is a Pre Enterprise/Archer Star Trek ?
.. In the Enterprise series prior to the Enterprise Transporters, were not used for Human Transport, until Enterprise, they kinda mentioned that in the Pilot Episode & no one was keen to use it also, the Federation didn’t get formed until the End of Enterprise, Last Episode .. just saying these are some inconsistencies that i picked up on without doing any research & from memory ! ..
& way to go re do the Klingons, Yet again & change what they look like Again, sorry, but the Next Generation & Deep Space Nine & Voyager version of Klingons, where way cooler, than the Revamped Star Trek Movie’s version or these Ones !
It’s not pre-Enterprise. It’s 10 years before TOS.
Well… as much as I agree with most of those points, I don’t agree that it looks more advanced than Voyager. The special effects do (as they should), but the ship and the space suit do not. Not to me. What I see is more texture and more attention to detail, but the structure itself and the HUD images (while being rendered more believably than VOY did in the 90s) don’t seem any more advanced than the information we saw projected onscreen in VOY. I see a lot MORE of it than we saw in VOY, but that’s just added quantity, not quality.
The ship itself seems to have “borrowed” Axanar’s downward-swept nacelles. But other than that, it looks like a direct descendent of the NX-01 to me, and considerably less streamlined than the TOS Enterprise.
But I’m having a really hard time getting over how different the Klingons look. Maybe they think the Nineties mullet Klingons were a tired aesthetic, and maybe they thought audiences were past alien characters who didn’t look alien enough… but I really hope they’re not the Klingons we know. I hope they’re an off-shoot of the species, as different from traditional Klingons as the Remans were from the Romulans.
I made a quick assemblage of photos outlining the timeline of Klingons we’ve been presented with so far (remember when Worf devolved?) and then, take into account the reason why they look different in TOS (human DNA introduced from the augments to avoid being wiped out by a plague… or somethin)… I’d say that the Klingons discovered CRISPR and have been augmenting with Humanoid species… more so and for longer than they’d like to admit.
(it’d be similar to how modern humans share some Neanderthal DNA…)
CRISPR would explain how they change drastically within a generation/ decade.
[That said: I mostly agree with your post here and the assessment that this is a reboot. I’ll simply take Star Trek Discovery at entertainment value now… much like how James Bond is ‘the same guy’ over 50 years…]
I consider myself to be a big star trek fan as I’ve been watching nearly 30 years and the only one I didn’t get on with was Deep Space Nine as I found it too dark.
I enjoyed Enterprise right off the bat and couldn’t understand why so many fans didn’t like it, I also believe it was killed off far too soon as it had much more mileage left.
I enjoyed the prequel films although I found Star trek Beyond to be pushing it a little, almost like it was rushed and the film wasn’t as good as it should’ve been.
As for Star Trek Discovery I will wait and see, although I won’t pay for extra channels no matter how much a fan I am.
thank-you I like your points and agree it is not 10yrs before Kirk or Enterprise, heck Enterprise wasn’t 10yrs before Kirk, look at the Klingon in the pilot saying it was 10yrs before the new timeline of JJ’s would of been more honest. thanks
Watch the trailer to Seth McFarlane’s, The Orville and the trailer for Discovery side by side and tell me which one captures the spirit of Star Trek more.
The Orville captures the color palette of TNG, but the spirit of Galaxy Quest. Which is fine, but it’s less “Star Trek” than the Discovery trailer, to me. Still can’t wait to see the Axanar short films, though.
Prelude to Axanar was the greatest fan film ever. I am looking forward to see what the team comes up with next.
Get a 2016 LG 4K OLED TV (last year for 3d) for The Bridge, uses passive 3d glasses like the movies.
Prelude and TOS look amazing.
Looking forward t watching the Orville on mine:)
Wont be buying CBS Streaming, but I hope STD is good, and I can binge watch later.
How is this 10 years before Kirk the tech is way to advanced the Klingons don’t even look like the reboot discovery has a lot to prove I wanted axanar and getting force feed this reboot of a reboot
I will give Discovery a chance, but my optimism is REALLY low for this show… P
It looks pretty but too mamy inconsistencies. It is a completely different universe. Like mirror mirror. Tech is off, aliens are off, ship interior is off. All looks like a different temporal progression.
Also would prefer axanar over what i saw on that preview.
No paying for CBS All access.
Yep, good summary. They didn’t even try to make it fit with Prime timeline. From ‘The Menagerie’, it was established that Enterprise NCC-1701 was in service at least 10 years before TOS, uniforms looked like ‘Axanar’, and Spock was a senior bridge officer (I suspect he was older than he looked in TOS, but, hey, Vulcans). All in all, Axanar nailed it (except for that female captain thing, contra ‘Turnabout Intruder’, anyone care to explain?). ‘Discovery’ would have been better to stand on its own merits rather than trying to co-opt Star Trek. After seeing both trailers, I’m much more looking forward to seeing ‘Orville’ – missed the sense of fun we haven’t seen since the original and brilliant ‘Firefly’.
The NX-02 had a female captain. I think that the fact that she was not a captain had a lot less to do with the fact that she was a woman and a lot more to do with the fact that she seemed to have mental issues.
Got to admit – gave me goosebumps 🙂
Thanks for sending this out. I feel better. I’m just curious have you ever read Star Trek: New Frontier by Peter David? It’s a excellent series.
As much as I liked Axanar and still do I think it’s hivh time to pull the plug on trying to foster conflict within the fandom of Star Trek. ST has chaged alot more than this before when they jumped to the big screen in STTMP way back in 1979 and fans really didn’t mind the loss of much of the look.I’m thinking the principles, philosophy, and message are what’s important to ST not the window dressing. I don’t like what CBS did to fan productions but for the health and future of the franchise It’s time to let it go. I’m looking forward to this and also your production as well but all these arguments have been made before and It’s time for ST fans to unite again and become the force they use to be instead of fostering negativity over small things about an updated production 51 years later. Trust me for every argument anyone has made about this I can give you a counter argument that will stick ( I’ve been doing all day over this). Let’s just be excited There’s a new Star Trek production on Tab with a larger budget and updated production values. Here’s to the ongoing voyages!
ST:TMP was a rework of the Star Trek Phase II pilot, if memory serves. And it almost killed the franchise.
Those costumes, though. The writing of ST:TMP was very Trek, but the look was intentionally Kubrickian. And against all odds, the mashup of Spielberg and Kubrick actually worked a whole lot better in AI than Kubrek (I just made a thing!) IMO.
As to uniting around IDIC and the like, nuTrek isn’t Trek. Trek has a soul. JJ does not. It’s hard to unite around a singular concept when that concept’s definition is always in flux, or in this case, has become its own antithesis. And nobody should be expected to.
No one should be expected to support something they do not have genuine excitement or confidence in, simply for the health of a franchise. This would force them to disregard, or repress, what they truly want or need from the franchise. And that is not fair to them.
The responsibility lies on the leadership to demonstrate worthiness and inspire that confidence. If a populace is not made majority confident and/or in-trust, it’s not the populace’s responsibility to accommodate and adjust what they need and hope for.
And of course you cant please all of the people all of the time. But for whoever you fail to please, those people are not required to change their view to please the leadership or those who are pleased.
“on the Bridge of the Ares”
“Captain we have a incoming transmission from Starfleet Command”
Captain Peters “Punch it up on the big screen, and Ensign, get me some popcorn”
My first impressions of the trailer are neutral and I will see where this heads. Also, I agree with you fully Mr Peters, if it is a reboot, I am fine with that, even though i would prefer a continue from voyager. But if it is a re-boot, just tell us outright. We trek fans, are alot more accepting than CBS thinks of us, as long as they don’t treat us like idiots, and just own up. We will be cool 🙂
Cross fingers this boosts the community again. Been far too long since a Trek TV series
Everyone is so ready to condemn every little detail seen in the trailer. C’mon, it’s a trailer!
You may not like all of the design choices they’ve made, but the production values are obviously very high.
What you can’t tell from the trailer is the level of writing. THAT is what concerns me, not whether the Klingons don’t match ST Prime Klingons. Because the storytelling is what made Star Trek what it is. Tell compelling, human stories and the audience will be there. Try covering bad writing with big explosions, flashy editing, naked women, and a threat to the entire universe every show and “Discovery” will quickly be forgotten…
You have a good point. Right now, what I know for sure is turning me off is the possibility of intrusive lens effects and moving cameras for 15 hours. However, if, -IF-, that can be see through, the writing should be a major consideration.
When the trailer for the new Power Rangers movie came out, I had to keep myself on the fence with it to be fair. I knew that it would be different, but the costumes and other designs where so different that I didnt know what else was changed. Or if the production -got- the spirit of Power Rangers. I didnt feel comfortable with what I was seeing, and that got me scared I’d be walking into a disappointment. Come movie night, I was pleasantly surprised to have had fun, and was satisfied with the spirit it maintained.
I think it’s a bit different here as there’s already been some disappointment with the Kelvin films, and this trailer is showing some Kelvin tenancies. Not to mention the other bad PR. There is alot going against this show, some which may or may not be fair. But all the same, just like any show, it has much to prove, attached to a franchise or not. And it deserves that chance.
Given that we’ve only seen about two minutes of the new show, I’m going to be careful about forming any firm conclusions about it. For instance, the tech may seem too advanced for pre-TOS-era, and it may make no sense to set it in pre-TOS Prime timeline. BUT, once we see this footage in the context of full episodes, that may make sense. Remember, one’s theories, to have the greatest chance of being correct, must make the fewest number of assumptions, while explaining the greatest number of facts.
Alec
Hope you remember me from your volleyball days at Long Beach.
Your production values in the “prelude” was far more substantial than what I just watched.
Keep producing great stories and you will outshine this rubbish.
OMG Jeff! Of course I remember you! That was a long time ago. We need to catch up. Send me an email at alec at axanarproductions dot com
I don’t know if anyone specifically mentioned this as yet, I’m a truck driver, with limited time to read all the replies..
But
Am I completely wrong, if this is to be original time line, but would their be an AI able to assist in space suit?
From what I remember the suits from TOS weren’t that sophisticated, now I know this is years later, and advances in props plus cgi but you would think they would at least match the tech curve not surpass it, as I’M sure so many, including our own illustrious Axanar Captain Garth, has already mentioned.
Just my thought.
Kevin “Yankee” Hamilton
Sorry Alex not interested in giving this a chance sometimes you have to stand you’re ground.
What they have done to Axanar and fan films is the killing stroke. I would not waste a dime to
buy this crap. I loathe CBS I hope their sorry company folds and goes belly up.. Piss on the
Communist Broadcast System. You can afford to be forgiving and turn tail and run myself
I would have told them to go to hell and kept my word to my donors.
I truly believe that you guys need a show of your own. Axanar to me is one of the greatest plots that I have every seen Star Trek history. I am very disappointed that CBS wasn’t able to see this but, if you ever need any help on any project in the future, I am glad to contribute my services for free.
I want to echo that. If you guys ever decided to create your own sci fi universe free of CBS’s draconian restrictions, I’d donate in a heartbeat.
Thanks Darrin! We plan on exactly this!
Alec
no like button some I’m going to say Like
Hey, Alec!
I watched the trailer in passing, so I might have missed a few things, but I have a question: Are there any MALE captains in that trailer?
No, but that is OK!
Look, I know it’s politically incorrect to make sense these days, but are they really so terrified of the PC police that they cannot, must not show any man in command? Really?
I sure hope the show isn’t like that. In the context of Star Trek such an attitude would be absolutely brain dead.
This seems at first glance at least, to not be a Star Trek show, but a show about Star Trek, like the JJ – films.
I almost always agree with you Alec, but not on some of this. I don’t want a Trek made in 2017 to aesthetically look like TOS of the 60’s. Nothing in TOS looked like “the future”. The computers were ugly as were those 60’s uniforms among other things. This trailer actually looked futuristic; as it should for a time frame of 200’ish years from now. I’m one of the first people to cry foul when there is a major cannon snafu. I like cannon. But I won’t judge an entire series or creative team based on 2 minutes and 25 seconds of spliced footage.
If I were a betting man I’d wager that those Klingons have a backstory that a trailer cannot delve into. There is a reason there is a sarcophagus ship and I’d further bet they are either Hur’Q or an ancient version of Klingons. But we probably won’t know either way until the actual show comes out.
Discovery defiantly looks as if it’s set in the “Kelvin Timeline”. If that’s the case I’m fine with with that. In some ways it would give them more freedom with the stories they tell. If however Discovery is set in the original time line then I feel CBS has made a mistake in the look of the show. The show doesn’t have to look like it was made in the 1960’s, but the shot of the bridge and its look should of been toned way down.
I’m open minded to see what Discovery has to offer. For those hoping the show goes away, just remember its been since 2005 the last time a Star Trek show existed, if this show fails it could be even longer before another one comes around again.
From I’ve read over the past year I was not thrilled about Discovery. Well, having seen the trailer, if it is representative of the series as a whole then it’s going to kill the franchise. It appears to be an ‘issues’ wankfest with the ‘Star Trek’ label used to get fans watching it. Been a fan since 1967 and followed all the different series and movies. Probably in a minority but I love the movie reboots, the new cast have really nailed the characters and I love the fact they did not update the original uniforms but kept the ones we (me anyway) know and love. Enterprise was cancelled after three seasons and it was a damn shame. I thought it was far better than Voyager and now I think that Voyager will have been far better than ‘Discovery’. Oh and a Star Trek series where the captain is not the main character? Sounds like it’s going to be the 22nd Century version of ‘Last Year at Marienbad’.
What does “issues wankfest” mean, in English? Just curious.
Alec , I have never understood CBS / PARAMOUNT and there routine M.O. of ruining Star Trek !! Whilst a huge fan I’ve noticed a trend on not properly handling the franchise all the way back to its inception to present day. Axanar was a revelation and should have been picked up as a series instead of maligned by no talents at CBS! Discovery should of been an anthology series jumping back and forth thru cannon and beyond highlighting short stories ( standalones or even exploring stories from older shows I.e. Enterprise’s 5 th season or even concepts like Axanar or other fan films) it’s imensley frustrating to see a beloved franchise butchered by no talent yes men producers who obviously no nothing of Star Trek!! In hindsight I am looking forward to the show the trailer intrigued me and I loved your insight in the matter can’t wait to see Axanar continued!!!
Thanks Daniel! We appreciate your support!
I would definitely agree about the advantages of seeing the Trek franchise as a ‘multiverse’ at this point. Those who fret over whether a fifty year-old space opera and its various TV, movie, novel, and game spinoffs actually fit into the same fictional universe can doubtless find more worthy subjects to lose sleep over, should they care to. Personally, I tend to regard even the TOS movies as being their own thing, separate from TOS itself, as they were produced by other people under very different circumstances, and stylistically bear little resemblance to what came before. Anyone who’s read Nick Meyer’s interviews over the years would know how little Trek’s internal continuity meant to him when he directed THE WRATH OF KHAN.
That said, I don’t really follow how Discovery‘s updated tech is any more egregious or an affront to existing Trek canon than the ship designs seen in Prelude to Axanar. Make no mistake: I’m a big fan of Prelude, and of Tobias Richter’s visual effects work. But the self-lighting, “Aztec” hull plating and even window placement on those ships bear the signature look of the TOS film era (which in turn inspired the look of the Kelvin-verse), and not TOS, much less its two pilots that Axanar is supposed to predate. I personally thought this was a mistake, and even felt strongly enough about the issue to build my own CG model of the Ares, which is very close to the final product but also includes the “pilot-era” flourishes seen in Sean Tourangeau’s original design sketches. (Unfortunately I lost heart and abandoned the project when the lawsuit was announced, so it remains far from finished.) As fans we all make our own judgments about these kinds of aesthetic choices, but I’ll respectfully suggest that the decision of the Discovery producers to appeal to the widest possible audience by updating the “look’ of Trek circa 2255 is far more defensible than a fan film similarly choosing to jettison the design cues unique to that era at the expense of continuity, even as its intended audience would no doubt be willing to accept a more classic look for the sake of nostalgia.
I’ll watch the premier on CBS. Afterwards CBS can go to hell! I will never get CBS All Access.
I’m sorry, but I am sick of reboots, and prequels aren’t far behind on the list. For every one which works, there are nine which suck. Battlestar Galactica is the exception which proves the rule, and even then, I can still understand the fans of the old series being upset. IDIC can’t be used as an excuse for pumping out garbage and expecting us to lap it up like mindless zombies.
I gave the first two JJ films a chance, and was extremely disappointed. Not going to waste my time on this unless reviews from people I trust come back saying it’s brilliant. CBS clearly doesn’t give a s**t about the fans. Why should I give one about their “work”? I’m looking forward to the day the likes of Netflix kill Hollywood off.
I appreciate your views Alec, but the way CBS/Paramount have pissed on fans before to also include the gaming community of previous years
I view Star Trek as being prime all the way up to and past Nemesis, the JJ crap while enjoyable I just cannot accept, nor can I accept this trash, your right it looks post Voyager.
But if CBS want’s to piss on the fans, I’m done with CBS period(not just Star Trek, ALL CBS Productions)
as far as Paramount, i’m not sure yet. but CBS i’m through with.
I think a lot of fans feel like you.
You are so correct! I’m also done with CBS and Paramount is not far behind. They only produce garbage and piss off the fans. I can tske my business else where.
I don’t know if anyone has pointed this out, but clearly, to me, this is set in the Kelvin Universe. This is 10 years before Pine/Quinto. The communicators closely match the ones used in the first reboot movie. Sarek’s mode of dress is clearly that of Ben Cross in the movies. They can easily reboot the Klingons because they’re never shown in the series of movies, unless it’s in the third one, which I haven’t seen. I may be off the mark, but I don’t think so.
Something I forgot to mention…even the style of filming (with the “screen glare” as I call it) mimics the movies.
I believe.. its been so long now.
When Bryan Fuller was in charge.. which its suppose to retain some elements from.. fleeting but a few.
This “multi-verse” edition has a special “kink” in it.. they’re all suppose to be members of Section 31, and thus had access to all manner of advanced or “secreted away” technology they didn’t think the public was ready for.. the “getting your own ship” was an experimental design not approved by or funded by star fleet.. it was something for covert missions.
And I don’t know where I read this.. but also the Zindi were back and crossing dimensions this time.. so they were on the fore front of an interdimensional “cold war”.. so the fact they are in “space” has less to do with it.. and that they are trying to protect the fabric of their reality is their charge.. so Exploration of Deep space is specifically .. of no interest to them.
And that its being present on pay per view is the storylines were going to be more dark and “walking dead” like those cable channels to draw a different audience. All sorts of questionable morals and suspect atypical actions were to be the regular flavor.. so this is about as far from Roddenberry Trek as you could imagine.. hence Fuller basically sped very quickly to the exit.
I stress this is hearsay.. and a collection of random quotes I have read on the Internet since just before Star Trek Beyond.. which in itself was taking a darker tone.. some place they got the idea that “dark” = “riveting” and that belonged on cable.. so they were taking it to all access.
Therein lies thebproblem with CBS/Paramount. They are no longer producing Gene Roddenberry’s Star Trek. They are producing their version of it, which frankly is just garbage.
This show will probably fail and it will in all probability be the very last time we’ll see Star Trek for many years.
Well said.
FYI, I made an unrelated contact on your contact page but it did not go through so I emailed it to you directly.
Peace and long life.
I agree with Alec probably 98% on this post. Thank you.
I still reserve the right to continue hating the lens effects, bright lights in the camera, and unnecessarily moving camera. They make me sick and dizzy, and dont add anything to the film making.
But.. your right. I do intend to give the pilot a chance. and if I find anything of value in it, 3 more eps.
Maybe this is selfish, and not entirely considerate of the production or company’s needs, but I -just- want some thing that I can easily, comfortably identify as Star Trek. I’m tired of having to adjust definition of what Star Trek is so CBS/P can exploit it for purposes it wasnt meant for.
And I feel like I’m going to get tired quick of 3 or 4 different ST universes to have to account for in discussions. I also come from comic books, and it get hard. Trying to explain to a friend that’s curious about Spiderman, but you have to explain that he was married, the Faustian-ed it away, but there’s another universe where is married with a kid, but that’s not the main universe. And by the end of that, my friend is either lost or turned off the idea.
Not sure what that is, but it’s not Trek. EPIC FAIL.