Life, Itself

While there were minor improvements with the story telling, it galls short on many levels. The ending implies over the top power and understanding to be discarded without a minute of introspection.

Some of the characters should have been written off, the actors were poor. While others who were minimized with great skills for the lesser actors.

Long dialogue during emergencies has plagued this series.

The constant pandering to spacific groups instead of finding great actors for episodic support.

What should have been an easy slam dunk, was given 5 seasons only to ruin this and almost bury the entire franchise.

Well I kept saying after season 3 that I just want to see how they end this series. No offense to the actors but Burman's character, how she acts, and he loud whisper talk is nothing but annoying. I one episode of season 5 Burman and Tilly are on a secret mission, consideration disguised as the indigenous people of the planet. But yet they're walking and openly talking about their problems things that they wouldn't want local people hearing. In this last episode The shaky cam was also extremely annoying. As so many other people I've read here saying this is a series that they will never rewatch and I'm the same way. Absolutely no desire to ever watch this again. Really hope if there's going to be a future of Star Trek that they do better than this. The third season of Picard and with Star Trek Strange New Worlds, shows they can do better.

I gave myself a few days to think and reflect before writing this review. That's the best way for me to get the best analysis for a Star Trek series when it ends.

First the episode: worst final trek episode EVER! I'll watch Star Trek Nemesis and the final episode of Enterprise before I rewatch this one again. If you want to go out in an action packed bang in Star Trek see the final episodes of Voyager and DS9. If you want to go out with pure trek, see Next Gen. I couldn't help but think this was thrown together and no one knew how to end it. So, they ended it like three times in the most boring ass anti-climactic way. I would Say five minutes were worth seeing when we find out Kovich's real identity (though if I had written this it would have been one of about three or four other characters). I am so happy this is over and have no plans to watch the Academy series.

The series as a whole: waste of time, money, resources. The only good thing that came out of this series is we ended up with Lower Decks, Picard, and Strange New Worlds. There are three characters I enjoyed and would want to see show up in other Star Trek movies or series, Saru, Detmer (preferably her mirror counterpart), and Reno. The rest need to go away forever!

Let's review: Star Trek (TOS): Pure Star Trek

Star Trek (TNG): Star Trek with varying doses of adventure and philosophy.

Star Trek (DSN): Star Trek with a lot of philosophy.

Star Trek (Voyager): Star Trek with western, philosophy and family.

Strar Trek (Enterprise): Star Trek mode everything is old but I love it.

Star Trek (SNW): Pre Pure Star Trek with Decisions

Star Trek (Picard): Star Trek closing TNG as Q commands.

Star Trek (Discovery): A boring Star Wars. Nobody empathizes with anyone. Maybe Saru is the redeemable one, but the rest of the crew comes and goes and no one cares. The only saga of the franchise that one is grateful for is over.

And Michael Burnham... Well... What can we say about the least expressive person in the universe? That he doesn't deserve to even be a floor cleaner on the deck of some ship.

It's over. Hallelujah.

Life, Itself is a mostly Burnham focused ending that for me has more good points than bad, but struggles to deliver the momentous scenes of a satisfying finale.

The intro scene hooks me into wanting to know the outcome, so does its job well. After the opening credits and throughout the conclusion to the Indiana Jones narrative of season 5, the Burnham and Moll focussed scenes are hit and miss.

I like that Burnham has to use her brain to overcome the main obstacle and the decision made late on works well. However, the fight scenes feel included for the sake of spectacle. Slow motion action with characters jumping about and landing in Marvel poses feels tiresome. Mol frustrates at every moment as an irretrievably one-note character.

The space battles are suitably energetic, when not pausing for heart-to-heart dialogue nor shouting annoying woohoos. I raised a smile at the "ignite the plasma" tribute to TNGs The First Duty. The spore drive related manoeuvre is a typically Star Trek moment of technobabble that I think works well, particularly as it shows all characters in unison.

It is hard not to be disappointed by the Breen portrayal. As much as I like Saru having a strong moment of limelight, they are not depicted as particularly competent antagonists. For me I wonder (as I have with several other of Trek's alien races over the years) how did they ever become a spacefaring civilisation?

The epilogue (Saru and T'Rina aside) feels long-winded due the focus on Burnham. This for me is the expected conclusion to a show centred so much around one character.

Easily the most enjoyable moment is the reveal involving the character Kovich.

Visually there are some great sci-fi designs, particularly the portal scenes. Most actors give strong performances, particularly Doug Jones and Sonequa Martin-Green.

I think the negative reviews are excessive, but I empathise with the frustrations of many viewers. It is not as flawed as Turnabout Intruder nor as ill conceived as These Are The Voyages. Yet, it has falls notably short of the standard set by All Good Things. I also preferred What You Leave Behind and Endgame.