Star Trek: Short Treks

A great bite-sized episode that has some wonderful character interaction, that brings some more insight into a fan favorite character. I've been watching Trek on TV since TNG originally aired, and have thoroughly enjoyed everything Discovery has put out.

Don't listen to the haters, give it a watch and decide for yourself. It might not be for everyone, but as a lifelong fan, I'm loving every second of this Trek resurgence.

With a wealth of imagination surrounding both back stories and new development in the 'Entire' Star Trek universe (as imagined by all who contribute), you can just keep on expanding the limits and this is a perfect example.

It's always so refreshing to watch little gems like this, because they treat your mind to a short pause from the central plot "Where the odds are against us and the situation is grim", whilst somehow remaining connected. I think it's imperative, to help the modern generation get a sense of how forward-thinking Star Trek is to the world of sci-fi. So here it is... We develop as much supporting material as possible surrounding all the characters, their strengths, their fears, their histories and more. These are not simply cold, flat, generic science fiction characters that fit the profile of the overall genre, no, they are human beings (mostly), who represent the sheer determination of the human race to try and get it right no-matter the situation.

OK so this is only a mere snippet in the overall story-line, but it's an additional means by the creators, writers and visionaries to build on something solid, that is reliable, believable, inspiring and comforting that will stand firm and bond completely with Gene Roddenberry's vision.

In terms of the acting: Mary Wiseman is superb on every level. Her reaction to what for her is a 'First Contact' situation, is exactly what you'd expect from a young officer who understands protocol but has the ability to read a situation with natural restraint and heaps of humility as Jean-Luc Picard does. She makes it possible for us to put ourselves in the same situation, where we can see that we are dealing with a serious issue but that defensive overkill is not necessary. Sylvia Tilly is the best crew member on the ship to encounter this young queen who is confused, undecided, subject to seemingly overwhelming events that are 'bigger' than her. These two characters are a perfect match and I sincerely hope they meet again down the line.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed the superb acting, the dazzling sets and it definitely feels like you're aboard a Federation Starship. When you are creating something that connects to the Star Trek universe you need to ensure you get it right both in the foreground and in the background, and I feel the cast and crew have done a superb job throughout. Ten stars from me.

I'm not sure why the reviews of this have been so negative. Logically, it is very difficult to develop an enthralling story within such a short amount of time. At least, that's what spock would say. As a Trekkie who enjoys all the iterations, I must say I do enjoy Discovery. These shorts (of which only the first have been released) are not only compelling, but add to the overall atmosphere of the Star Trek Multiverse. For something so short, it packed a punch, and left me looking forward to the next.

Noticeably, you've two types of reviewer here, the 1/10 anti-Discovery trolls who spam all review sites with their "It's not James T Kirk" nonsense. (My response to these haters is 'why waste your time spamming the net with your drivel? Just DON'T watch it then!'. The other reviews tend to be true-Trek fans giving 10/10 reviews to counterbalance the haters' reviews.

To actually review the series, I would start by saying that it IS taking Star Trek in a different direction, but in one that it needed to go. Keeping the franchise alive means evolving, and the addition of Trek Shorts is part of that process. These 15minute shorts allow us a glimpse into other aspects of the characters' lives or the ship itself (Discovery). It's great to have 'filler' whilst we wait for another exciting series (season 2) and with news of new Star Trek series in production (with Sir Patrick himself) and even an animated comedy - I'm thrilled to see the franchise evolve like the Marvel world or DC world has in recent years.

The only downsides to these shorts (so far) is their length (I'm just hungry for more!) and that they feel (due to their length) a little 'rushed' in moving the storylines forward. Otherwise, looking forward to this becoming a regular intra-season feature!

The Mudd episode of Short Treks is the best one. The rest are hit or miss. Rainn Wilson needs to be in more episodes as I think he did a fantastic job.

I also don't get all the hate this series receives from Trek fans. I'm a life long fan, watched and loved every TV series (even Enterprise) and hate the new movies because I feel like they are not real Star Trek, but Discovery doesn't come anywhere close to those movies. I will admit, I was not a fan of the Klingons in the new series at 1st and some of the plot doesn't hold up to much scrutiny, but I felt it did a much better job at capturing the spirit of Star Trek than the new movies and even the last couple of TNG movies. I disagree vehemently with all of those who say this TV series is destroying what Gene Roddenberry created. Stop being so emotional about it and accept that there are people who like this show. I think people need to be a little bit more open-minded and not hold the favorite things from their childhood so close to their heart and crap on everything that isn't exactly that. Nothing will ever be exactly that. This one is close enough for me.