hamstersinwigs
Joined Apr 2019
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Reviews11
hamstersinwigs's rating
There is no fandom like the Star Trek fandom when it comes to complaining about change. It was the original. It is one of the loudest. Ironic considering that an ongoing theme throughout every single series is the idea of keeping an open mind, but we humans are an emotional race, of course.
There is fair criticism: it being very focused on Michael Burnham being the most accurate. It is much less of an ensemble than previous Treks have been, which in my opinion leaves it feeling like more of a spin-off than anything. In addition, they have taken unnecessary and somewhat off-putting visual direction in places, particularly with the Klingons - I mean just why? It's as though they just did it to troll their most trollable followers. Then there's the wobbly camera, the jaunty camera angles, the dingy sets...It's trying too hard to be down with the kids and missing by a mile.
However, all that said, a lot of the complaints are just reactionary nonsense. "IT'S NOT STAR TREK!!1", I see repeated over and over, and that's really very unfair. Just a few episodes into the first series you're dealing with themes of racial identity, racial tension, corrupt power, not judging a whole person based on single factors, the ethics of animal testing for scientific development, the treatment of prisoners of war, the effects of PTSD...I could go on. They're just not presented in the in your face "this is the issue we're looking at today children" way that they would have been in the older series. If people are missing these things then it being dumbed down is not the issue.
As for it being "dark", honestly that's laughable. It's darker than TOS and TNG definitely, but that's really not hard. I'd put it on par with DS9 which was full of war crimes, grey morality, rebel sympathy, religious bigotry, eugenics, racism, the whole bag. Of course it broke that up with the "comic relief" like Quark's disgusting objectification of women, the ambiguous relationship between Bashir and O'Brien being played for laughs, the toxic masculinity Worf repeatedly threw at Jadzia, but that was just good fun right?
Anyway, I'll stop, I think you've probably either got my point or furiously downvoted me by now. I would certainly not be put off by the most critical of critics here though, make up your own mind, be objective, THAT is Star Trek.
There is fair criticism: it being very focused on Michael Burnham being the most accurate. It is much less of an ensemble than previous Treks have been, which in my opinion leaves it feeling like more of a spin-off than anything. In addition, they have taken unnecessary and somewhat off-putting visual direction in places, particularly with the Klingons - I mean just why? It's as though they just did it to troll their most trollable followers. Then there's the wobbly camera, the jaunty camera angles, the dingy sets...It's trying too hard to be down with the kids and missing by a mile.
However, all that said, a lot of the complaints are just reactionary nonsense. "IT'S NOT STAR TREK!!1", I see repeated over and over, and that's really very unfair. Just a few episodes into the first series you're dealing with themes of racial identity, racial tension, corrupt power, not judging a whole person based on single factors, the ethics of animal testing for scientific development, the treatment of prisoners of war, the effects of PTSD...I could go on. They're just not presented in the in your face "this is the issue we're looking at today children" way that they would have been in the older series. If people are missing these things then it being dumbed down is not the issue.
As for it being "dark", honestly that's laughable. It's darker than TOS and TNG definitely, but that's really not hard. I'd put it on par with DS9 which was full of war crimes, grey morality, rebel sympathy, religious bigotry, eugenics, racism, the whole bag. Of course it broke that up with the "comic relief" like Quark's disgusting objectification of women, the ambiguous relationship between Bashir and O'Brien being played for laughs, the toxic masculinity Worf repeatedly threw at Jadzia, but that was just good fun right?
Anyway, I'll stop, I think you've probably either got my point or furiously downvoted me by now. I would certainly not be put off by the most critical of critics here though, make up your own mind, be objective, THAT is Star Trek.
I'm giving this one a 10 it doesn't deserve to counter the 2's it doesn't deserve. Choose to be Dax 😉
On a semi-serious note, there is a little chat towards the end that gives some nice insight into the stick up Worf. It deserves some credit for that at least. The rest of it is just silliness.
On a semi-serious note, there is a little chat towards the end that gives some nice insight into the stick up Worf. It deserves some credit for that at least. The rest of it is just silliness.
I find this episode very difficult to watch, but not for the main plot; it's Deanna that gets me.
I don't know if it was intentional (probably not due to when this was made), but Marina Sirtis portrays a sensory overload as perfectly as I've ever seen on film. I'm autistic, I've felt that feeling. Even if Sirtis had little awareness of autism at the time I'll bet whoever she used as research / reference suffered with it, whether they had an official diagnosis or not. She nails it perfectly; the way her response to stimulus builds from her looking just a bit distracted, to uncomfortable, to rattled, to screaming, to meltdown; the way she becomes clearly disorientated, the pain and desperation on her face, the need to stay grounded in her room. Been there. Have spent 30+ years learning to hold that feeling in for the comfort of others. Been accused of being oversensitive or histrionic or just plain nuts when my barriers break and it comes out anyway. I can imagine some people would apply that assessment to Sirtis' performance as well, but that says more about their understanding of what's going on. Personally, I applaud her very, very much. Doesn't make it any easier for me to watch though.
I'm 8-starring it. I loved her performance, I'd max it for that, but I barely recall the rest of the episode in comparison so I can't really. There was a really nice looking matte painting when the away team landed - that stuck out. The rest of the reviews suggest that it was good overall, so go by those.
I don't know if it was intentional (probably not due to when this was made), but Marina Sirtis portrays a sensory overload as perfectly as I've ever seen on film. I'm autistic, I've felt that feeling. Even if Sirtis had little awareness of autism at the time I'll bet whoever she used as research / reference suffered with it, whether they had an official diagnosis or not. She nails it perfectly; the way her response to stimulus builds from her looking just a bit distracted, to uncomfortable, to rattled, to screaming, to meltdown; the way she becomes clearly disorientated, the pain and desperation on her face, the need to stay grounded in her room. Been there. Have spent 30+ years learning to hold that feeling in for the comfort of others. Been accused of being oversensitive or histrionic or just plain nuts when my barriers break and it comes out anyway. I can imagine some people would apply that assessment to Sirtis' performance as well, but that says more about their understanding of what's going on. Personally, I applaud her very, very much. Doesn't make it any easier for me to watch though.
I'm 8-starring it. I loved her performance, I'd max it for that, but I barely recall the rest of the episode in comparison so I can't really. There was a really nice looking matte painting when the away team landed - that stuck out. The rest of the reviews suggest that it was good overall, so go by those.