Star Trek: Discovery (TV Series) The Butcher's Knife Cares Not for the Lamb's Cry (2017) User Reviews

Decent enough episode but not without problems

[snoozejonc · 6/10 · 11 January 2021]

I fairly enjoyed this one for the intrigue around the captive life form aboard the Discovery, the Klingon scenes and some of the character moments for Burnham.

The plot generates most of its interest through Burnham's interaction with the creature and the treatment it receives aboard the Discovery, which isn't good. This situation is compelling because it feels totally alien to Star Trek. How it plays out in the overarching series narrative will be key to whether it will be fondly remembered as something that fits into the Trek vision of the future, but for me currently it is a bit early to tell.

I enjoyed the Klingon scenes and have somewhat got over the shock of how different they look as the scenes with the house politics are getting quite compelling.

Burnham as a main character is fairly understated, but you can see quite a bit of feeling in her eyes and facial expressions. This works well for the character as a human raised by Vulcans.

I struggled with some of the dialogue, particularly some of the humour which fell a bit flat for me and one scene towards the end which is a fairly emotional moment done in a quite cheesy way. There was also one sequence where someone does something so stupid it isn't even remotely plausible. You kind of get the impression it was contrived just for the shock value of what happens to the character.

All performances were to a high standard and the visuals/effects were excellent as always.

I am willing to view the whole series before passing too much negative judgement on how this fits into the franchise. Yes, it continues to be way out of sync with established canon but if at the end of it all we have a story that was enjoyable and doesn't completely contradict of Roddenberry's vision, I'll have no real problems with it.

For any hardcore Trek canon purists watching I see why it is so universally despised by you because it just totally disregards what came before it. As annoying as it might feel, you need to just live with it or stop watching, because it's only likely to cause you more frustration the more it goes on.

Satisfying the trek in me...

[vlaukin · 8/10 · 15 October 2017]

Honestly, I almost gave up after the first episode. I've never been a Klingon fan and so it was a chore to sit through all that screen time...

The good things: highly polished visuals and opening production. Casting is also good, with some interesting twists and back stories. Love the theme music!

After episode four, i'm in for the long haul. This is Trek universe with new elements and some from the past.

Watch at least the first 2 or 3 episodes before you cast this one aside. In my mind, It's one of the top 3 productions for TV this fall.

JD

Whaaaat is happening???

[nexx-43314 · 6/10 · 12 October 2017]

This show is losing cohesion really fast. First, in the last episode, we find out that the show we watched a pilot for isn't really going to be the show we would be watching for the rest of the Season. I'm still on the fence about the Discovery crew. To this point, they have been all really annoying, moody, hostile and pouty. At some point, I felt like I was watching the "So Cosmo" reality. I guess on all the other Star Trek series they've been really lucky to find such a nice crew, especially Voyager. If I had to travel with these people through the whole galaxy to get home I would kill myself. But wait...I wouldn't have to because I'd have spore drive to get me home. That's one of the things that is starting to bother me more and more with this show, the lack of continuity. I am really friendly towards the idea of revamping the show and changing the style to fit current times, but why does it have to include changing the cannon and messing with the continuity. Star Trek movies did the same thing with introducing time traveling and ridiculous teleportation capabilities. If they wanted to do their own thing why didn't they just start a new franchise, why mess with the legacy of Star Trek? This episode also didn't shed light on the Klingon situation. I keep waiting for some more explanations because I really, up to this point, don't understand what these Klingons are on about. WHat is a Torchbearer? Why is he so important? Why is T'Kuvma so bent on war with the Federation? Did they do something to him? And why does he get to be the messiah? He is just a person who flashed all the Klingons and they met him for 5 seconds and now he has the status of Kahless. How did he pass his teachings, telepathically? Episode 4 and they keep talking about him like he died years ago. And what is with this purity??? Klingons disappear for 200 years and suddenly they return to wage war with Federation because they want to remain pure? And they speak about it in such a boring way with those stiff masks that don't allow them to make any facial expressions.

The Butcher's Knife Cares Not for the Lamb's Cry

[Prismark10 · 6/10 · 9 October 2017]

The Klingons now led by Voq have been stuck and now starving after their ship was damaged with the battle with the Federation. Voq refuses to use parts from the USS Shenzhou but he had no hesitation in eating the corpse of Captain Georgiou. Somehow the Federation failed to salvage the important parts of the Shenzou and left it at the mercy of the Klingons.

Poor Landry killed by that strange creature. She thought she was cast in Alien: Covenant given how stupidly she acted.

Burnham at least tried to use Vulcan logic to figure the creature could not be used as an instrument of war, not by conventional means but can be used to navigate by some means of communicating with the magic mushrooms.

This was useful as only the Discovery could reach a colony in time that was being attacked by some Klingon war-birds, the mining colony produced forty percent of Dilithium crystals used by the Federation and seems to be insufficient protected.

This was an uneven episode and some of it was bizarre such as name checking Elon Musk alongside the Wright Brothers, a man who so far seems to spout corporate BS.

There was some good action, Lorca is mysterious even untrustworthy, what is he doing commanding a science vessel? Yet the episode had too much glaring lack of logic.

I feel ashamed to be a star trek fan

[judstakickass · 9/10 · 9 October 2017]

You people make me feel ashamed, quickly dismissing this show because of the silliest of reasons. Give this show a chance. Remember how everyone wanted Enterprise to be cancelled... well by the time it was being cancelled WE ALL BEGGED FOR IT TO CONTINUE! Remember TNG's beginning and how average it was? Can you imagine if they pulled the plug before season 3???

The silliness in "This isn't Gene Roddenberry vision" is just plain stupid. But you're right, he definitely wouldn't like this show, but you know what else he didn't like? The wrath of khan, probably wouldn't of liked Deep Space Nine.

I respect if you legitimately don't like the show, if it's not your cup of earl grey. But the amount of 1 star reviews for silly bullshit just sickens me.

Anyway I thought this episode, just like episode 3 is feeling more and more trek-like. The crew interactions are warming up, and Michael's getting better. I can't wait to see whats next.

The latest Star Trek series is actually rather good!

[paul-950-653543 · 7/10 · 9 October 2017]

Firstly - I have a very low tolerance for movies, or movie style production. So few on Netflix I want to actually watch, and those that I do are invariable disappointing.

It was this in mind I found myself watching the new Star Trek Discovery series. I was around for William Shatner's first outing and have followed them all, with only a few that just didn't sit right with me.

I didn't like Deep Space 9 that much, and missing the odd episode didn't annoy me, and Voyager faded for me after a few episodes. The new movies I quite liked, excepting of course the totally out of place Scotty - who unlike everyone else who are quite believable characters, Scotty is ridiculous and totally unbelievable. Perhaps the amateurish way he is played contributes to my dislike. Oddly, I quite liked Pegg in other movies, but he really is lost i Star Trek. The Original TV Series, and TNG were watch every episode creations, and maybe at some point, I'll complete watching Enterprise, but this new series is showing promise. I've watched 4 episodes now, and am getting to grips with who is who, the differences between the old and the new, and the different 'feel' of the organisation everyone belongs to. I quite like the flawed personalities some have, and frankly, the series has promise. It's dark in feel and often quite dark in light level too - so it isn't an easy watch sometimes. Production value seem high, and I'm getting used to needing subtitles to know what the Klingons are saying - BUT - I have noticed that like Shakespearean plays, the language is sometimes less important than the way it is said - so the subtitles are not a chore.

It says something about acting when you don't recognise actors. As I really don't like modern movies, it was a shock to find that the Captain is in fact English, and the guy from Harry Potter. Amazing what a wig and accent do!

I've heard some negative comments about the stories, the characters and even the sets, but frankly I like it. Star Trek has always had complex plots with massive sink holes in them. Facts established in one episode trashed in another - kind of normal for Trek, but I've not noticed this. I have also read about perceived race or sexual orientation issues - but after 4 episodes I have no stick out memory about anyone being 'unusually' gay, and the issue of race only came to mind on reading somebody else's comment on it. I watched and enjoyed without even needing to take these things on board, which is an indication of a good product - no tokenism, or playing the equality game. Plenty of scope to run with the character's quirks and personal hangups. The only real problem I have is with the Klingons - the old established houses, honour and nature are all there, but in this episode, I started to feel sorry for one of the characters, and I've never felt sorry for a Klingon before.

Maybe the reason I like it is because it doesn't feel like a typical 2017 movie or TV programme. Perhaps if it did, I'd not like it, like all the others stuff!

Along came this episode

[knoopgat · 8/10 · 9 October 2017]

I liked this episode just as the previous one. Nice acting, the IHMO solid production, the incredible CGI, the weird Klingons that actually speak Klingon, the nice idea of the organic spores. Sci-Fi with all the wonderful nonsense. I hope that all the negativity around STD does not harm the continuity of the series. I am not going to see this episode five times to give a line by line of my liking or not liking. I plop down in my easy chair and turn on Channel 2, I mean Netflix and enjoy the show. Better than all this zombie stuff around. If you do not like STD then stay away from it, no problem. I just hope that Silvia Tilly is going to be a bit less silly..

A better but unremarkable outing

[wolfstar_imdb · 7/10 · 8 January 2018]

The characters are improving (plus the one character who was a complete knucklehead - the security officer - has been written out, and Saru is still solid) and I thought this was the show's best storytelling so far. The main, huge, caveat for me continues to be the science: to say it's bad science is euphemistic, it's anti-science, ridiculous make-believe magic presented as science. It was nice to see the show settle into something like a groove this week and tell its story confidently - I was never bored, and I liked and engaged with all of the characters more than last week (when they were presented as much more one-note and needlessly abrasive) - but the more I think about what actually happened in this episode (to disperse a Klingon attack on a colony, they instantly teleported across the quadrant using magic fungus spores interfaced with a giant water bear whose brain contains a map of every star system in the galaxy) the less I like it in retrospect. It's well-executed but preposterous.

The Klingon part of this episode was the weakest aspect. The fact that executive producer Alex Kurtzman said that the Discovery writers want "to humanize the Klingons" can be responded to in one word: Worf. For Kurtzman to say something like that makes it sound like he's never seen any other Star Trek. The Next Generation put a Klingon on the bridge 30 years ago, and we spent a decade over the course of The Next Generation and Deep Space 9 exploring Worf, his culture and society, and his troubled relationship to it. He's one of the most beloved and hallmark characters of all of Trek. Worst of all, while Kurtzman says the aim is to "humanize" the Klingons, the material actually showing up on screen is pretty much the exact opposite - they ate Georgiou???

Discovery's biggest overarching problem is that it really looks like they just took the protomolecule from The Expanse, the monster from Stranger Things and Jason Isaacs as the mad scientist from The OA, threw in the Orcs and Elves from the LOTR and Hobbit films (here repurposed as Klingons and Vulcans) and baked themselves a show. That and the unlikeable and inconsistently characterized protagonist. It really feels like a show inorganically cobbled together from various haphazardly borrowed elements, or like it started life as another show and was adapted into the Star Trek brand by changing a few of the names and elements. I appreciate they're not just trying to do business as usual, but I'd easily take episodes 3 and 4 of Deep Space 9 or Voyager over these past two episodes.

An Amazing Re-imagining of the Prime Universe - Despised by "Purists"

[zinkyre · 10/10 · 18 October 2017]

When I was four years old my dad was watching an episode of a show I didn't understand but I remember experiencing a new feeling, an urge to explore what was beyond our skies and spread love and justice wherever I go. That was TNG and I subsequently never missed an episode of Trek no matter what. TOS, TNG, DS9, Voyager, Enterprise, All of the movies. I love them all (okay so maybe not Beyond but that has more to do with formulaic plot mechanics than the acting or what the movie stands for).

That is exactly the feeling that Discovery gives me, especially this episode. I felt the wonder of a child but received the modern storytelling I expect.

Don't listen to the bad reviews unless of course all you care about is keeping things the same. If all you want are more episodes of TOS done by the exact same actors in the exact same way, go watch it again and let the freaking studio bring the world up to date just like TNG, DS9, and Voyager all looked and felt slightly different.

Trek has never been shy to cast away its past limitations and bring us something new. This series is doing exactly that. It's still a shiny show but with darker undertones and (spoiler!) a mind-bending new way to travel.

If you like good story telling and you don't have a stick up your ass or a hard on about how the way things used to be, treat yourself with new Star Trek that actually focuses on character development.

Want to comment and be mean to me? Please take a moment to think about whether or not you would say these mean things in person and if they align with Mr. Roddenberry's vision. Also it will be completely one-sided since I will never look at this again.

Live long and prosper.

The series loses a little momentum here.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 6/10 · 11 October 2020]

It was decent, not a patch on the previous episode. The problem for me here, is that Michael is turning into some sort of oracle, they are guilty of lazy writing here, whatever the problem or scenario, clever clogs is right, and everyone around her is wrong, it's starting to become a little annoying, surely for her to develop she must get things wrong at some point?

The good stuff, I am liking The Klingons, I am finding them very interesting, Jason Isaacs continues to be great, and I quite liked the monster on board.

There are one, and ten star reviews for this one, I don't understand either extreme point of view, it doesn't bring out such extreme views in me, it was just ok, 6/10.

Better Than Most Stuff

[Hitchcoc · 8/10 · 6 February 2020]

Once again, all this whining about TOL, STNG, and Voyager and so on. It's a new series. Quit living in the past. This has intriguing characters who are just developing their roles. There has been considerable action and an intriguing plot. No, Picard is not there. No, Kirk is not there. No, Scott Bakula is not there. And on and on. So, there is some Star Trek trademark. Perhaps someone should sue. Oh, and the it's too dark. And it's too light. And people are stupid. It has great special effects, lots of cool technology, Klingons being Klingons, and much more. I would suggest that one stop watching and quit throwing tantrums.

Why such a focus on making it dark and grim?

[TheDonaldofDoom · 16 January 2018]

I agree with other reviewers. Discovery seems so intent on keeping up with the current trend of making TV shows dark and gritty. But the problem is, whereas a good dark, gritty show has the darkness and grit for a purpose, Discovery appears to do it because it's the trend. A bit of levity wouldn't do any harm as what the creators see as 'grim' I see as bland and boring.

The Klingon plot is honestly stupid. I couldn't care less about Klingon relationships and am I really supposed to feel sorry for the Klingon being hurt by another Klingon? They're all the enemy, I don't feel any sympathy for any of them, so it's baffling that the writers would think it's a good idea to draw out their conflicts.

Not that much actually happens in the main plot. The woman releasing the creature is maddeningly illogical so what can I do when it kills her except laugh? Let's analyse her actions. There was no need to rush. If she really wanted to experiment with it, she could have gathered other crew members and prepared properly. After all, this thing even killed Klingons and lasers don't work against it so what she did makes no sense at all.

So in the end they manage to use the creature to warp to the mining colony and save everyone... that's it.

Episode 4

[bobcobb301 · 6/10 · 10 October 2017]

The Klingon scenes were good even though they require full focus as you have to read the translations and the scenes with the unknown alien creature were good, but this show continues to be a tad boring. It's Star Trek, there is so much material to cover and yet they struggle to fill the run time in the 4th episode, and did so in the 3rd episode too.

We need to learn more about the supporting cast. That's part of the problem. Everything so far has been Michael's story. Let us learn about the stories of others.

I can't even

[zach-tiefling · 3/10 · 9 October 2017]

Characters

While the third episode felt a little bit more promising, this one is a complete disaster in my eyes. At least Michael Burnham feels a bit more like an actual human being in this and less than a robot - yet she still is a rather unlikable character. I am not sure what her character is supposed to be, but 'Human with a Vulcan upbringing' it is not. The rest of the Discovery's crew is there to gravitate around Michael and the Captain. The latter of whom I am not sure what kind of character they are aiming for, apart from 'shady'. Strangely the only thing that got me somewhat invested was B-Plot with the Klingons. At least some form of a character arc happened there and "two misfits trying to reunite a broken empire under the example of a misguided martyr" sounds light years more interesting than the A-plot.

Dialogue

The dialogue feels strange - again. Characters still seem to want to one-up themselves when it comes to say something awesome, funny or clever. This makes entire conversations feel unnatural, as if everyone wants desperately to have the last word.

Here and there a character says some "emotional words of wisdom", as if the writers hoped that this would give the show some philosophical gravitas. It doesn't and completely failed the mark with me. Often times lines like "These are some of the deadliest weapons in the galaxy." made me roll my eyes and I asked myself, if lines like this were written for a trailer in mind.

They even name-dropped Elon Musk as 'great inventor' like "the Wright Brothers" and "Zefram Cochrane" and also have a throwaway line about a character named "Zaphod" ("Zaphod Beeblebrox", is a character from "The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy") having died. Not only are these lines not funny, this is cringe-worthy, fan- fiction-level writing, ripping the viewer directly out of the action and making them ask themselves, if the character just really said that.

Especially giving a character, who died horribly due to Klingon bombardment, the same name like a character from a world-famous series of comedy novels and trying to make some emotional impact with that, has to be the epitome of "being tone-deaf".

Plot

The plot is horrible, what doesn't feel nonsensical or plot-hole ridden, seems to be cliché. I got the impression that the entire universe seems to stop unless the main-characters are around. Especially with the Klingon sub-plot this was obvious.

• The Klingon Plot

After the battle in the first two episodes, the Klingons had to repair their flagship and were stuck at the site of the battle for six months. They could repair their warp drive with parts from the USS Shenzhou, but their new leader refused to do that, because that would 'not be right'. Six months! In this time they neither called for help, nor encountered another Klingon, Federation or any other species' ship trying to salvage the wrecks floating in space. Also, the Klingons' ship has the only cloaking device currently available, so there is really enough reason to go and check them out - for both sides.

• The Spacemonster-Spore-Drive

The main plot is weak. The 'plot twist' most viewers figured out in the previous episode, but probably dismissed it as 'too obvious', is presented as some sort of clever revelation. The 'mystery', that the Monster was the reason why the other science vessel could jump longer distances with their Spore Drive, could have been solved by the Assistance Warp Coil Scrubber of any Enterprise, taking a sharp look at an unfinished report about the entire encounter. Every further piece of this already obvious puzzle presented just caused me another eye- roll.

Several developments in this 'plot' are exclusively driven by the idiotic and unreal behavior of the characters. This is best presented, as the Chief Security Officer kills herself by letting the monster from the previous episode out of containment, so she can cut off a piece of it. The idea behind that is that Burnham can do more 'science' with that piece, which then might somehow create some sort of bio-weapon from the data she gathers. There isn't even any form of time pressure behind that decision, the chief of security just decides that it is a good idea to face a monster with a rifle and a dagger, that killed an entire ship full of Federation Officers and Klingons without taking a scratch.

• The Mining Colony

The final act is also cringe-worthy. The Klingons attack a mining colony, that delivers 40% of the fuel for the entire Starfleet. This is also the reason why the captain of the Discovery tries to get their drive going, so they can jump there immediately. They finally manage to jump there, with help of the monster, destroy the three to four Klingon ships in a surprise attack and then jump away.

Here are the problems with that: Why does the Federation has a single colony producing 40% of their fuel? Why wasn't there an entire armada guarding it, if it is such an important, strategic location? Even if this mining outpost was so badly defended, that only three Klingon ships can break through, why can a science vessel like the Discovery destroy these four Klingon ships so easily? Why does Command endanger the science vessel, that has their last copy of a super-secret FTL-Drive on board?

This is the worst episode by now. Even if this entire series is set in the mirror universe or that the writers try to be smart by pulling "yes, they were the real bad guys all along" it can't be saved with this writing.

It's good, but more dark than the others

[kevincressard · 9/10 · 10 October 2017]

I'm really enjoying this series, yes it's a different feel, dark actually, and the special effects are a little dated, perhaps because it's a prequel of sorts. But today we see a little humanity from our heroine who discovers the creature Ripper real needs and character.

The Klingon's in this series are great, and far more complex which I like, but you do have to concentrate on the translations, and they certainly come over as very alien.

It's not a continuum of the previous series, but a stand-alone programme which if you view it without the baggage, and likes of the other series, you will enjoy the story, and continual development of the characters, and the struggle from the charges of mutiny to something more important on the discovery

Now, we know what the "holes" in Discovery's Saucer Section are about.

[XweAponX · 10/10 · 14 October 2017]

Last week, Discovery crew with Michael in tow rescued some gear from another Discovery class vessel.

One of these items needed a "Supercomputer" to work.

The form this Supercomputer takes was unexpected. "Nothing is as it Seems", especially with a Monster that eats Klingons. But, to make a Starship traverse 80 light years in an instant. How would you do that without ending up in some singularity?

"Tardigrade"- Look it up, then watch this and 'Choose your Pain".

Micheal's roommate is a lot smarter than she originally appeared, And even in Klingon world, what use is "purity" if it can't save you?

Those are some of the questions posed here. On one hand, we have Klingon's who adhere to a rigid warrior ethic - But it is not doing them any good. And on the other hand, we have a Starship captain who is willing to perform some dangerous experiments, driven by his need to do so. Because nobody else can do it, and we have one less Discovery class ship in the cosmos to do it with.

We are starting to see some personalities emerge with T'Kuvma's successor Voq. He has a "Kuvah'magh" - a Saviour, in the form of his lieutenant "L'Rell" from the "House of Mokai". Who sets him in the direction of thinking outside of his given box. But all Kol needed was a shipment of food to take over the only Klingon ship with a cloaking device- and a component from the U.S.S. Shenzhou's warp drive.

But where blatant treachery exists, so also does unexpected loyalty, in unconventional forms. We suspected Kol's insincere "help" and "allegiance" to T'Kuvma, but not L'Rell's trading Voq for mere food. Ergo, "Kuvah'magh".

A great sci- fi episode ,but not a great Star Trek episode.

[marian_the_nightman · 10/10 · 10 October 2017]

-The episode was a great one,now finally we can see Captain Lorca as a good character,because it as already too much controversy about the fact he secretly leaded the convict's shuttle in a dangerous zone ,because his mission and his project were top secret,we can see he cares about an unknown children and about those people more than he cares about his life or his crew.I still think the whole blink drive idea is very weird,because they could explore a subspace tunnel or a slipstream or something more common in Star Trek universe,the whole thing with some spores spreading in the universe is very weird.The new Klingons are still looking like a bad version of Unas,unfortunately,because a producer had the arrogance to think he is better than Gene and his expensive version of the Klingons will be better.I'm pretty sure they knew the old fans will hate them ,but they still did this ,because they don't really care about them and they forgot who will pay for the seeing show .I really think is weird how Michael(a)(it's obvious the producers don't like Dr. Quinn - Medicine Woman ,unfortunately) can cry after that creature ,if (s)he knows that creature killed so many people.

So dramatically better than the previous 3, it's hard to even grasp...

[jrarichards · 9/10 · 18 December 2018]

If the improvement in quality characterising part 4, as opposed to it's 3 predecessors is perhaps only really a sign that "Discovery" can produce "normally good" episodes, this is still a truth very well worth knowing! And a sign of some hope for those of us wondering if we would remain forever locked out of this unTreklike Trek.

In place of everybody hates everybody, we do have first hints of actual willing cooperation - not least between Burnham (whose character here takes a HUGE step towards further and fuller maturity) and Anthony Rapp's Stamets, who looks far more interesting than we might have imagined. There's also a genuine - if relatively simplistic - plot line and a mission, and these are being pursued here logically, somewhat more realistically, and with some fun developments on the way. Even Captain Lorca is looking a great deal more competent in this one, though part of this was down to Napoleon's famous "I like my generals lucky". In this episode, Lorca does indeed have a bit of luck, and somehow that endears us more to both him and his not-very-cooperative crew.

The thought of watching on with 5 is not now such a heavy one...

There was only one happy moment during this episode...

[nodlimax · 2/10 · 12 October 2017]

...and unfortunately it was when the "tactical" officer killed herself by acting like a complete idiot. So she tries to sedate an alien creature she knows nothing about. She doesn't even know whether the gas will be enough to sedate it. So instead of turning on the light and actually looking whether it's sedated or not she decides to shutdown the force field and walk towards an animal in an aggressive fashion with a gun and knife in her hand. I'd definitely declare this a suicide...

During the last episode i already thought that the captain is a maniac. My suspicions have been confirmed. You can see and hear that he likes war. And playing the screams of dying people to the whole crew? Definitely the signs of a healthy mind.

Btw. let's not forget the fact that a supposedly well trained Starfleet crew is unable to perform properly in a battle simulation. And we are not talking about a B-team here. That was the main bridge crew.

The plot twist with the creature having something to do with the spore drive is so easy to figure out. The show literally slaps you in the face with hints around it. When the twist comes it is like "i figured this out 5 minutes in. How come you didn't?" The retarded Klingons are back. These guys can't speak properly (This show is butchering the Klingon language) and I do not like the updated look. It's way to much make-up. You can't see any facial expressions. And in addition I can see how uncomfortable these uniforms are. I could easily accept the style they had in past shows, but this new stuff looks so forced. It looks like they can barely move in their clothes. And based on what you see on the Klingon ship they indeed cannot move very well. How are they supposed to be intimidating? Ahh yes, because they ate the Asian captain. The writers are spitting on everything established in terms of Klingon culture.

We know from DS9 that if it comes down to revenge Klingon's may eat the heart of their enemy. However we have never seen or heard anything in terms of Klingons eating sentient beings like humans or other races. This change was pretty much just introduced to make the Klingons look more like the bad guys. As a member of Starfleet I'd never accept a peace treaty with beings that would eat humans especially after they have eaten Starfleet crew members.

Overall: I still don't like the characters. I don't like the story. The writing is atrocious. The designs are horrible.

To me this is not Star Trek. I will not watch it anymore.

Have I missed something?

[tonycarr · 7 January 2020]

This ship is powered by something called a spore drive, right? A lot of mushrooms powered by an overgrown dung beetle. Since it appears to be able to arrive at its destination instantaneously why, nearly 200 years later, is Jean-Luc Picard still crawling around the universe at warp speed? And why has no one ever mentioned this before, ever?

Second time watching

[faithless4734 · 8/10 · 31 October 2021]

I am a huge fan of Jason Isaacs and of his character. It was a saving factor IMO for this show ( in my memory from my first watching). Now this is more like Star Trek. While I still am not a huge fan of the lead the show in general has improved over these first 4 episodes.

Good Moments Barely Outweighs the Not So Good!

[gab-14712 · 8/10 · 16 March 2022]

I have rather mixed feelings about the fourth episode, "The Butcher's Knife Cares Not for the Lamb's Cry." There is plenty of good stuff, but there is also some stuff that makes you scratch your head. Firstly, RIP Commander Landry, we hardly knew ye. I was disappointed she was killed off in such an uninspired way. She was one of the few strong female characters yet was ended by a creature known as the tardigrade, which will be pivotal for the Discovery's spore drive. Also, the Klingon scenes? Ugh. I still have mixed feelings about how they look. Voq and his second-in-command, L'Rell seem like they could have good storylines, but the writers will have to find a way to make them interesting. There are some great characterization scenes. Michael is still trying to settle in her new role as Saru and his ganglia, which senses death still mistrusts her. I am interested in Dr. Hugh Culber (played by Wilson Cruz). He seems to have some sort of relationship with Stamets. Otherwise, the episode is just Michael Burnham trying to get comfortable in her new position.

At the end of the last episode, the giant beast was transported in secrecy to Discovery. There is lots of time spent here around "Ripper" or the tardigrade which ultimately is responsible for the death of Lorca's Chief Security Officer. The beast may be the key for getting the spore drive up and running. Michael realizes that the creature is not a creature of destruction as she befriends it. Lorca pressures Stamets to get the spore drive running so he can use it to save a mining community. Meanwhile, regarding the Klingons, Voq is discarded from his ship and is sent to U. S. S Shenzhou where he is saved by L'Rell.

There is some decent stuff here, enough to give it a pass. I also consider the episode to be the first stumbling block of this new season. Still, I am very intrigued by the dynamic of this new crew. Everyone is so appealing. I do wonder what Lorca's purpose is. He is a man driven by a results-first approach but spent most of the episode squabbling over the spore drive. And the less Klingon scenes there are, the better. At least until they can refine their approach.

My Grade: B-

Start Trek abomination

[mariusz-lasota · 2/10 · 10 October 2017]

After the fourth episode I totally give up on the new Star Trek. The Discovery crew are anything but Starfleet. They are reckless morons with no principles. Where is respect for all known life? Alien creature is tortured and forced to work navigation on the ship. Like some half-wit, the security officer decides to deactivate force field to face and shoot the creature to harvest its claws for analysis (what a barbarian!) Captain carelessly stuffs his mouth with food while talking to an admiral like in a dive bar. There is no story, no moral compass. This episode is hopeless, there wasn't a single good moment in it. Terrible writing and acting is covered up with excessively flashy, unnecessary CGI. I think I am going to stop watching.

Too many wtf moments

[zidangus · 3/10 · 9 October 2017]

Lazy writing for the plot of Discovery. There are simply too many WTF moments when I watch this. Why would Landry do what she did ? Could someone in her position really be that thick ? Are the writers really this bad that they treat the viewers as if they are idiots. Seriously this is terrible sci-fi writing, though the CGI is decent, it is wasted on the poor writing and plot.

Bring me some Romulan ale I need to blot this mess from my memory

[imacmichael-978-717181 · 1/10 · 9 October 2017]

So I think the pitch for this show went something like this: "Let's see how quickly we can make some money while ruining a beloved franchise". I watched this mess utilizing a free week of CBS all access and I still want my money back. This is the reverse universe episode if it was allowed to continue. Everyone on board is a gigantic jerk. I root for the Klingons. Please hit pause and re-boot this series or we may never see another Star Trek show again. I'm switching over to The Orville now.......