What on Earth is going on with the writing and dialogue in this show?
I'll start by saying that I don't mind ST:D. At times over the last two seasons and a bit it's been very good, others less so. It's not as good as Voy, DS9, TNG, or even ENT, but it's consistently better than ST: Picard. And I thought the first two episodes this season were very good - almost excellent. It was visually impressive and the decision to commit the crew to a far future where the Federation is a shell of its former self was bold and full of potential.
But the last three episodes have been an utter drag.
I can take the addition of a very uncharismatic, dull, and utterly unnecessary new crew member that has the hallmarks of Wesley Crusher 2.0.
I can take the fact that the casting seems driven more by the need to tick various boxes, rather than by the need to find 1) the best actors possible, and 2) people who have an aura of charisma.
I can also take the fact that most of the crew are written to be either utterly unlikeable or totally unbelievable in their roles. This is can take mostly because Saru is an awesome and interesting character, and Georgiou adds some more than welcome bitter sarcasm to proceedings, even if it is hammy at times.
I can even take, most of the time, the fact that Burnham has to be the centre of attention and constantly breaks the chain of command (something she's done since the very first episode, when she literally assaulted her captain and falsified orders). But this Burnham obsession starts to grate when it's totally illogical - as in this episode. Apparently Burnham is best suited to convince a Barzan of what to do, and not another Barzan - sure, ok. Just as Burnham was more suited than the doctor to accompany a Trill with apparent medical complications to its home planet last episode. Makes total sense.
But the schmaltz, it's becoming unbearable. Every episode is filled with motivational speeches, emotion-driven dialogue, sappy scenes of people 'connecting', of eyes welling up with tears, and a crew (of what is supposed to be a SCIENCE ship) that talks about 'believing' and 'hope' and 'belonging'. It is quite literally a sci-fi soap opera at present.
The sci fi part of this sci fi soap opera is becoming increasingly weak too. This episode, for example, we have the crew finally finding the Federation, only for them (I say 'them', I mean Burnham) to become fixated on saving some refugees who just so happen to be being treated in the exact location they beam in to make first contact with this far-future Federation. Naturally the Discovery is also the only ship capable of saving them, and a cure is to be found in a seed ship that's randomly floating around in space. Cue Burnham captaining Discovery and leading the mission (because Saru has to stay behind as a guarantee - uhuh). On and on it goes.
The last few episodes have had plots as thin as paper, and almost every scene where science fiction is actually involved has a hole in it the size of a wormhole. The show is becoming riddled with inconsistencies, lack of logic, and a tiresome sentimentality.
I hope things improve in future episodes. I doubt they do.
I'll start by saying that I don't mind ST:D. At times over the last two seasons and a bit it's been very good, others less so. It's not as good as Voy, DS9, TNG, or even ENT, but it's consistently better than ST: Picard. And I thought the first two episodes this season were very good - almost excellent. It was visually impressive and the decision to commit the crew to a far future where the Federation is a shell of its former self was bold and full of potential.
But the last three episodes have been an utter drag.
I can take the addition of a very uncharismatic, dull, and utterly unnecessary new crew member that has the hallmarks of Wesley Crusher 2.0.
I can take the fact that the casting seems driven more by the need to tick various boxes, rather than by the need to find 1) the best actors possible, and 2) people who have an aura of charisma.
I can also take the fact that most of the crew are written to be either utterly unlikeable or totally unbelievable in their roles. This is can take mostly because Saru is an awesome and interesting character, and Georgiou adds some more than welcome bitter sarcasm to proceedings, even if it is hammy at times.
I can even take, most of the time, the fact that Burnham has to be the centre of attention and constantly breaks the chain of command (something she's done since the very first episode, when she literally assaulted her captain and falsified orders). But this Burnham obsession starts to grate when it's totally illogical - as in this episode. Apparently Burnham is best suited to convince a Barzan of what to do, and not another Barzan - sure, ok. Just as Burnham was more suited than the doctor to accompany a Trill with apparent medical complications to its home planet last episode. Makes total sense.
But the schmaltz, it's becoming unbearable. Every episode is filled with motivational speeches, emotion-driven dialogue, sappy scenes of people 'connecting', of eyes welling up with tears, and a crew (of what is supposed to be a SCIENCE ship) that talks about 'believing' and 'hope' and 'belonging'. It is quite literally a sci-fi soap opera at present.
The sci fi part of this sci fi soap opera is becoming increasingly weak too. This episode, for example, we have the crew finally finding the Federation, only for them (I say 'them', I mean Burnham) to become fixated on saving some refugees who just so happen to be being treated in the exact location they beam in to make first contact with this far-future Federation. Naturally the Discovery is also the only ship capable of saving them, and a cure is to be found in a seed ship that's randomly floating around in space. Cue Burnham captaining Discovery and leading the mission (because Saru has to stay behind as a guarantee - uhuh). On and on it goes.
The last few episodes have had plots as thin as paper, and almost every scene where science fiction is actually involved has a hole in it the size of a wormhole. The show is becoming riddled with inconsistencies, lack of logic, and a tiresome sentimentality.
I hope things improve in future episodes. I doubt they do.