Episode Review - Heart of Glory (Next Generation, Season 1)

For those who are new to my episode reviews, you can find the post where I establish my point criteria here

Overview – The Enterprise rescues a trio of Klingons from a disabled Tallarian freighter. They instantly form a connection with Worf, the lone Klingon Starfleet officer. As Picard and his crew study the wreckage, Worf learns that Korris and his companions are renegades wanted by the Klingon Empire. When Picard and the crew learn of this, they imprison the survivors, who attempt a prison break. In the end, Worf is torn between his duties as a Starfleet officer and his Klingon sense of honor.

On board the Tallarian freighter

Score: 7/10 – This is our first look at Klingons in the Next Generation era. We had Worf before then, but we were not sure as to how the Klingons were faring as a people or a society. We learn that the alliance between the Federation and the Klingons is not without its detractors, but appears to be relatively stable at the time. Korris (the first of many Trek roles for Vaughn Armstrong) feels that the Klingon people have lost too much by being at peace. This will come up again in future seasons of TNG as well as Deep Space Nine. With the episode being about Klingons, it is only natural that Worf gets the center stage for this story. This is definitely foreshadowing the eventual conflicts between the culture he was born into and the one he was raised in that Worf will wrestle with for many years to come. We get some great “shoot ‘em out” fights and are given insight into the Klingons that is long overdue. While this is the first time we see them in TNG, the Klingons come across a bit two dimensional in this episode, but if you are new to the franchise you will be relieved to know that they get deeper into exploring Klingon culture throughout the series. We also are treated to a visual representation to how Geordi “sees” with his VISOR, as it is connected to the bridge view screen during the rescue mission. It would have been nice to see a bit more of this, but as soon as the Klingons arrive on the scene it is forgotten, almost as if it was used as time filler. That was unfortunate.

Riker, as seen by Geordi

Relevance – 2 points. One point for the use of Geordi’s VISOR. We will see how Geordi things a few more times in the future. It will even lead to a bad experience in the film “Generations”. A second point is scored for the introduction and explanation for the Klingon death howl, which will resurface several times in the future. It warns the dead that a warrior is about to join them.

The death howl, or the Klingon Tabernacle Choir

Continuity - 2 points. This is definitely getting a point for character continuity, as I think that everybody acts as they are expected to. This is still early in the series, so I get that Picard’s wide-eyed wonder at seeing what La Forge sees might seem a bit much compared to years down the road, but I really think he has always tried to see other people’s perspectives and this fits him. Worf is very much like the Worf we have come to know and love. Story continuity works as well, as there will often be rumblings from within the Empire that their vision of peace leaves a longing for the “good old days”. Where I am going to deduct a point is a couple of incidents on universe continuity. First, Korris states “I would rather die than let the traitors of Kling pick the meat from my bones!”. This infers that he is referring to the home world, which is later named Qo’Nos, not Kling. Also, when we see the scenes from the Klingon vessel, the Federation symbol is side by side with the symbol of the Klingon Empire. I found this an odd choice, as when I first watched it seemed to imply that the Empire was a part of the Federation, or at least strongly influenced by it. This is not the case, as the series will later develop, so what may have seemed like a cool idea at the time does take a little bit away from continuity and the overall story.

Why is the UFP symbol there?

Character Development – 2 points. While definitely a Worf-centered episode, the fact that we get a glimpse into what Geordi sees is important for the future chief engineer’s development. In season 1 this is about the most focus we have on Geordi, so it is worthwhile to mention. Our resident Klingon is the star of the show, however, and we establish a strong foundation that will come into play throughout the rest of the series and into DS9. Worf is torn between two worlds, which makes for rich story lines. In this episode, that inner struggle of his is shown, but not fully. This is good as it allows the character to grow and develop a bit more naturally.

Worf, caught between his heritage and his duty.

Social Commentary – 2 points. Honor and being true to one’s roots or heritage is the main message behind this episode. It is something that we often feel when we are removed from our more familiar cultural surroundings. It is, however, something that is difficult to explain to someone else if they have not had a similar experience. This means that the biggest impact from this episode is not necessarily universally received.

Worf announces to the dead that Korris is coming.

Cool Stuff – 3 points. One point for Vaughn Armstrong, who will go on to appear as a dozen different characters throughout TNG, DS9, Voyager, and (most notably) Enterprise. If you ever get a chance to talk to him at a convention about it, he has some humorous insights. Another point is scored for the disruptor that Korris and Kommel build out of components from their uniforms. That was a cool way for them to escape the holding cell. Final point goes to being able to see things the way Geordi sees. 

Vaughn Armstrong as Korris

Rank – Captain (18 points). While the first season definitely has some growing pains, this episode is one worthy of viewing, even repeatedly. If you are a fan of Work and Klingons, you will want to watch this. 

Yar and her security detail

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Episode Review - Anomaly (Enterprise, Season 3)

For those who are new to my episode reviews, you can find the post where I establish my point criteria here

Overview – Early into their mission to find the Xindi home world, Archer and his crew encounter a region of space that causes severe disruptions to the ship. While they are trying to figure out how these disturbances are being caused, the ship is ambushed Osaarian pirates. Archer’s crew captures one, but one of the Enterprise’s crew members is killed in the attack and most of their supplies have been stolen. As Archer and his crew try to retake that which has been stolen, they encounter a mysterious sphere that seems to be the source of the disturbances. Captain Archer starts to take more drastic measures to find the pirates, especially when he learns that they had recent contact with a Xindi vessel.

Score: 8/10 – I really felt that this episode kept up the intensity and action that was supposed to be a mainstay in this season. Some great action right out of the gate, and for the first time a crew member is killed on Enterprise. Say what you will about Archer’s command style, but he went two whole years before losing a crew member. Speaking of Archer’s command style, we see that in order to protect Earth and complete his mission he is willing to push the boundaries of what is morally acceptable. He goes as far as to threaten Orgoth, the Osaarian pirate they captured, by tossing him in an airlock and proceeds to depressurize it. They find the first sphere, which we will later learn is a significant piece to the whole reason for the Xindi conflict. Strong acting and story-telling in this episode makes it difficult to not be excited for what is to come.

Relevance - 3 points. The sphere is going to play an important role in the entire Xindi story arc. That scores us a point. A point is scored for the update on Trip’s pressure treatments with T’Pol that will further push these two characters together. The databse that Archer eventually steals from the Omaarians will eventually take them to their next stop in the next episode.

Continuity – 3 points. A point is scored for the universe continuity. At one point, the Omaarians were supposed to be Orions, which would have marked their debut on Enterprise. However, to have the Omaarians originally be traders that were forced into piracy in order to survive made more sense here. Story continuity is intact here. Character continuity was a little more difficult. Archer goes to some far lengths towards succeeding in his mission, and takes him to a dark place personally. Archer has had some questionable developments as far as his character goes (thinking specifically of “A Night in Sickbay” here), but this one actually makes some sense. Earth has never been more vulnerable, and it is up to Archer and his crew to protect it. He loses his first crew member on this episode, and he is very much aware that death will be a substantial part of this mission. To prevent further tragedies and fatalities amongst his crew, Captain Archer shows how far he is willing to go. It’s likely a good thing that this is not the Starfleet and UFP that we knew in other incarnations of Trek, but Archer’s choices here fits the Starfleet of this era, so I will score the point for character continuity here as well.

Character Development – 2 points. This episode is all about Archer and his command. It is about what he will do to succeed at his dangerous mission. He pushes the boundaries of what is acceptable. With such a focus on Archer, the only other development we see is with Tucker and his neuro-pressure therapy that masks his reluctance to continuity something so intimate with T’Pol.

Social Commentary – 1 point. How far do you go to protect your people? What cost is too high to ensure the survival and success of your crew? These are questions that are focused on in this episode, specifically around Archer. However, in the episode itself these concepts are not well addressed. It’s there, but will become more of a focal point later in the series. So while this may start the discussion that will be carried on throughout the entire season, it is not enough to score more than a single point here.

Cool Stuff – 2 points. The sphere gets a point here, especially since it will become more significant in future episodes. An intense battle between the Enterprise crew and the Omaarians also scores a point, as we get to see how the MACO and Archer’s regular crew fight together (in the previous episode it is the MACO unit that engages in the combat sequence). Plus, Trip has a unique way of keeping people out of his engine room.

Rank – Captain (19 points). A great second chapter in this season-long story arc that delivers great action and some interesting character developments that will set the tone for the rest of the season. 

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Episode Review - One (Voyager, Season 4)

For those who are new to my episode reviews, you can find the post where I establish my point criteria here

Overview – Encountering a nebula that has deadly effects on the crew, Janeway is forced to make a difficult decision. She can add a whole year onto their journey home by traveling around the nebula, or put the crew in stasis for a month with only Seven of Nine and the Doctor left to care for the ship and crew as they travel through it. Taking the shorter route, Seven finds her sudden solitude quite disturbing and more challenging that she had anticipated. As the nebula starts to have a debilitating effect on both her and the ship, Seven must make a difficult decision of her own.

Score: 7/10 – This episode is very similar to a future episode of Enterprise, “Doctor’s Orders”. Swap out Seven of Nine for Doctor Phlox, change the setting a bit, and it is essentially the same story. I would have to say that I liked the Enterprise version better, but this is an OK episode in and of itself. I really only have one issue with it, and that has to do with how some of the hallucinations were executed. I find that often, when a character is hallucinating their crewmembers, the way it is presented seems a bit cheesy. I am not sure if it is the writing/dialogue, or the acting, but it just did not seem to work for me. Some of the “whispers” were a bit over the top. When I compare it to “Doctor’s Orders”, nothing that happens in “One” was surprising to me. I was able to figure out that there were several things that were supposed to be a surprise or twist, such as the alien captain that Seven imagines up, that were too easily telegraphed. Regardless, it is a heavy Seven of Nine episode that shows a lot of growth for her. There is some great banter between her and the Doctor, and we get some nice moments. We have some fun, mostly at the expense of Tom Paris. There are some notable plot holes, which I will touch on shortly, but overall the episode is good.

Relevance - 0 points. Try as I could, I just could not find anything that connected this episode to anything else in Star Trek. We had allusions to things like Torres’s reasons for joining the Maquis and Seven having been separated from the Collective before, but there is not a whole lot that makes it relevant to the overall Star Trek story.

Continuity - 2 points. Character continuity checks off here. Chakotay expresses concerns to Janeway (in private, of course) as to having Seven in charge of the ship for a month. Janeway returns with a feeling of trust and faith in Seven. Seven herself responds to the situation in a way that shows the great turning moment for her character. Universe continuity seems to check out as well. I am going to dock the story continuity a point for a couple of things. First, how could a nebula so large not be detected by the ship sooner, and the fact that Tom Paris had escaped from his stasis chamber on several occasions should have caused some significant damage as they were in the thick of a nebula that on the outskirts of it killed a crew member after being exposed for a mere couple of minutes. Both are plot holes that can be easily overlooked for the sake of the story, but not for the scoring of points in continuity.

Character Development – 3 points. Definitely a turning point for Seven of Nine. For the majority of the season leading up to this episode, she had been very much at odds with various members of the crew. Each time, she grew a little. Here, she grows up a lot. The Doctor also shows how much he has grown since the beginning of the series and the relationship between him and Seven are greatly developed. I think that this is an essential episode for Seven’s progression, and for that alone it makes it a must see episode for fans of the character.

Social Commentary – 2 points. The weight of solitude for someone who is so accustomed to being connected to others is a heavy one to bear. Seven went from being one in a collective to one among a crew of individuals to simply one (hey, that’s where the episode’s title came from!). Seven must deal with the intense loneliness and isolation for a month. Many of us may experience a day or so, but I think we all would struggle with such isolation.

Cool Stuff – 1 point. I scored a point for the cool alien pilot that we see in Seven’s hallucination. We never learn if he is based off of an actual species or if he is purely the product of Seven’s imagination.

Rank – Lieutenant (15 points). There are definitely some great moments in this episode, and fans of Seven of Nine should definitely watch this episode as it provides a great turning point for her character. However, I think that “Doctor’s Orders” from Enterprise is a far better telling of the isolated crew member dealing with hallucinations. So, you may skip this one and not miss on much that is important, but you would miss out on a fairly solid story.

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Episode Review - Sons and Daughters (Deep Space Nine, Season 6)

For those who are new to my episode reviews, you can find the post where I establish my point criteria here.

Overview – Worf must learn to work with his estranged son, Alexander, who has joined the crew of the Rotarran on the eve of a vital and dangerous mission, Meanwhile, on Deep Space Nine (Terrok Nor), Ziyal has returned to the station, putting Kira at odds with Dukat.

Score: 7/10 – This episode was a bit slower than what we have come to expect in the opening season arc. This episode seems to have been done to move character development along more than overall story plot, and because of that the pace seems a bit slower. We do see more of Worf and Martok than in the previous episodes, and hardly anything from Sisko’s crew. We see the return of Alexander Rozhenko, Worf’s estranged son. He’s all grown up now and has enlisted in the Klingon Empire’s forces, which leads to some tension between him and his father. Alexander has difficulty fitting in with the crew, at first, and his desire to prove himself costs him. Aside from what the wedding episode that will follow the multiple episode arc, this is the only time we will see Alexander. On the station, things for Kira become more complex as Ziyal arrives on the station, and Dukat uses it to his advantage to get to Kira.

Relevance - 3 points. A point is scored for showing us how Sisko’s crew was rescued from the planet they were marooned on in “Rocks and Shoals”. A point is scored for the barrel of bloodwine bet that will be settled in the final episode of this arc. A point is scored for addition of Ziyal into the mix, as her fate will factor into how stories and characters develop in a huge way. Additional points could have been scored for many other aspects of this episode, but we hit the limit here, and that is sufficient for me.

Continuity - 2 points. To score this section, I would have to say that a point had to be deducted for the sudden accelerated growth of Alexander. He was born eight years before this episode aired, and he is a young man. Now, this does not come from the character continuity, as the way that the story is told it makes sense that Alexander would take this path, even if it goes against all the issues he had with Klingon culture in the past. I deduct the point from the Universe section, as they have shown teenaged Klingons before. The reason for this was given as a combination of two factors. One, to cast a younger actor would have been difficult for filming, as there are laws as to how long a youth actor can be in front of the camera. This would have placed huge constraints as to the filming sequence. Second, the writers and producers felt that if Alexander was younger, Worf would have come across as being border-line abusive towards his son. So, while the change works for the story, I still had to take a point off. Oh, and story wise, everything seems to fit.

Character Development – 3 points. Two main characters get quite the extensive treatment. Kira almost gets pulled into Dukat’s web as she tries to be supportive of Ziyal. She eventually sees through his ploys and puts her foot down. She shows some great wisdom and fairness in telling Ziyal that she will not force her to choose between Kira and her father. Meanwhile, Worf gets a solid, though not original, story as the negligent father forced to confront the results of not being there for his son. They argue, they make mistakes, and get into trouble, and eventually they reconcile. Some of the recurring characters also get some good development. Dukat, Damar, and Ziyal on the station all see some notable development. Meanwhile, we also see Martok show some wisdom as he confronts Alexander in the training hall. Martok tries to get Alexander to admit the reason he joined the military, and Alexander only gives a slogan-type answer. I like the line that Martok uses after Alexander pleads for a chance to prove himself, to which Martok responds “I just gave you one! And you failed!”. A great Martok moment.

Social Commentary – 3 points. Two different lessons on parenting in this episode. First, from Dukat, there is the tale of using your child as a part of your game of manipulation. Second, Worf learns the consequences of not being there for your son. Neither man is likely to win the “Father of the Year” award with this episode. We also see with Kira how to not hold the sins of the parent on the head of their child without driving a wedge between them.

Cool Stuff – 0 points. Sadly, one of the prices of trading in action and intrigue for character focus is that there is not a lot of cool stuff to experience. While this episode is a decent enough episode, there is nothing that stands out as being a “wow” moment. The speech that Martok gives Alexander comes close, but beyond that, not much. This is not necessarily a bad thing. With everything that happened in the last episode, it was good to slow things down a bit. We just have to accept that cost that often comes along with this direction.

Rank – Captain (18 points). I would say that this episode is likely the weakest of the six that we open this season, but it is still a worthy episode. It’s always nice to see how things progress on the Klingon ship, and we get some good and important character development. Obviously, you should not miss this episode, but you would almost be able to get away with skipping it if not for the key element of adding Ziyal into the Kira-Dukat angle.

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Episode Review - Who Watches the Watchers

For those who are new to my episode reviews, you can find the post where I establish my point criteria here

Overview – The Enterprise is sent to Mintakan III to assist a three-man anthropological mission that are studying a primitive culture. When a mechanical malfunction disrupts the mission and it is observed by some Mintakans, the crew must try to set things right. In doing so, one of the Mintakans mistakes Captain Picard as a god, and now Picard must rectify the situation.

Liko discovers he is not alone

Score: 8/10 – This is a solid episode of storytelling. We see a little bit as to what it would be like for a less technologically advanced species to be introduced to the superior Federation. We are given a taste as to why the Prime Directive is so vital for space exploration. There is a good amount of action and intrigue, and the acting is great. This is one episode I would point to when I say that the third season of TNG is where the show really starts to shake off its training wheels from a rocky first couple seasons and gives us what Trek does best: tell good stories. Picard walks a difficult balancing act here, and it is a strong defining episode for his character.

Nuria meets "the Picard"

Relevance - 3 points. Lots that are tied into this episode. First, the procedure of memory wiping that was used by Doctor Pulaski in the previous season’s “Pen Pals” is used again here, only this time it is not effective. The events of this episode are referred to in a later episode “Allegiance”. We see Riker in his first of several undercover operations in a pre-warp civilization (although this one seems to go the best for him). Finally, the tapestry that the Mintakans give Picard at the end of the episode is seen in his ready room for the remainder of the series and most of the Next Generation movies.

This tapestry will be Picard's ready room for years to come

Continuity - 2 points. The characters all act as they should. There was one moment for Picard, when he shows Nuria her home planet from orbit, which is especially consistent with Picard’s character. He does this a few other times. In the movie “Insurrection”, Picard mentions that the first time he saw Earth from orbit was a significant experience for him, and he seems to enjoy giving others a similar experience. Universe continuity also score here. Where we see a problem with continuity is in the story part. When the duck blind is restored, a holographic projection of a rock face is created. Oji approaches where she saw the opening and touches the rock. Since this is not occurring on the holodeck, she should not have been able to touch the rock, and her hand should have passed through it.

Showing Nuria her home world

Character Development – 2 points. Definitely a strong Picard episode, and while other characters have things to do in the story, none go through the growth that the captain does. He works relentlessly to set things right again, knowing that the inadvertent interference of the observation team could be disastrous to the Mintakan culture. He even goes as far as risking his own life and being shot with an arrow to prove his point that he is not a god. This is where Picard shows his true strength of character, and thankfully his injury is only minor.

Arriving at the scene of the accident

Social Commentary – 2 points. So what commentary is being made in this episode? There is no doubt in my mind that this is a good episode with a great story, but I had to think long and hard about what the message was that we could take away from it. Likely the biggest message is the importance of not allowing yourself to be seen as a “god” in the eyes of those who may be in more humble circumstances. I think we can also appreciate a message of being responsible for your actions, even if the negative consequences were never your intention. Picard could have, justifiably, left Mintaka III with the away team and survey team members, not bothering to fix the confusion that he had caused. Too often we think that because we had good intentions, we should be absolved of responsibility when things take an unexpected turn. Not so with Picard.

The Mintakans have found Palmer

Cool Stuff – 1 point. I will give a point to the scene where Picard is willing to show how far he will go to prove his mortality. The scene where Liko, played brilliantly by Ray Wise, is tense, and we at home watching this for the first time all gasped when Picard flew backwards after being hit by the arrow. Lots about this episode is nice, but we are not given much else that would be considered “cool”.

Picard takes the arrow so the Mintakans can get the point.

Rank – Captain (18 points). I really believe that the third season of TNG is where the show really starts to find its stride. Yes, there are better seasons, but Season 3 really became a ground breaking time for Picard and company. “Who Watches the Watchers” is the first really strong episode that showcases this. Definitely in the Top Ten for this season, and highly recommended.

Troi and Riker as Mintakan traders

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The Discovery Canon Problem

For months now we have been waiting for news on Star Trek: Discovery. Last week, the first trailer was released, and Trekkies have been debating it incessantly on the World Wide Web ever since. One issue that had come up again and again is Discovery and its treatment of canon.Some have been very critical over the established canon that has come from five decades of television episodes and motion pictures. Some will claim, without having seen a single episode, that canon was being ignored and thrown aside by uncaring, non-Trek fan producers who are only looking at Star Trek:Discovery as a quick payday. The uniforms are too different, the Klingons don't look right, and the technology does not measure up to snuff. The shouts are deafening at times.

Now, I will be the first person to defend a fan's right to criticize Star Trek. We all have our "Shades of Grey" and "Spock's Brain" episodes, our "Wesley Crusher" characters that we love to hate, and the little inconsistencies that have found their way into Star Trek. We chuckle at oversights that make us do the face palm, and then go onto making as many memes that we can to mock Trek's beloved imperfections. I have also known fans who, on various principles, will not watch various incarnations of the show as a protest to things they did not like. Yet, with Discovery, some fans are surprised with the venom that is being used in dissecting this new show before a single episode has been shown. Well, I have news for everyone, old fans and new alike, about this reaction.

There's nothing new here.

Standard Picard face palm photo

Indeed, when the Next Generation was in pre-production, critics and fans alike were tearing apart the new series before anything was put to script, let alone film. Among the fan circles (no internet in homes in those days), some familiar complaints were being made. An android and a Klingon on the bridge? Never! A  bald captain? Haven't they treated baldness in the future? No Vulcans in the main cast? The outrage! Have you seen those uniforms? They got the colors wrong! You can't have the captain wear red! The ship looks wrong! Blah blah blah blah blah. And then, the show aired. Many of us were happy to have Trek back on TV, so we watched and allowed things to progress. Yes, the first season was rough. "Code of Honor" was the second episode, and it stunk up the airwaves. It even turned fans off of the show. Wesley became despised by some fans to the point where his character was booed at every convention. Yet it would be hard to argue that TNG not only continued the franchise, but surpassed the Original Series in terms of popularity and recognition. It became a ratings juggernaut and gave us two spin-off series and a prequel series. With each of those series there was serious doubts and fears from the fans, and each time the show found a core fan base of varying scopes. 

This photo brought about many complaints as well.

So now we have Discovery, and the complaints resurface. Again, I find it humorous that so many have declared this to not be Trek without having seen a single episode. Loudest of the complaints are with respect to canon and how it is being ignored. Well, again, nothing new here. This is not the first time that canon has been ignored, and to be fair, we do not know that canon is ignored in this new series yet. Let me address a few of the "canon" infringements and let you decide from there.


First, the Klingons. Yes, Star Trek has had a storied history with this race of warriors. In the Original Series, we had distinctly human-looking Klingons. Then the movies were made, and the number one enemy to the UFP had forehead ridges. Some fans were outraged. The ridges were carried forward in the subsequent series, and we fans turned the outrage into a bit of an in-joke. You see, we got the fact that Star Trek in the 60s had a limited budget, to the point where Klingons, who would appear in several episodes. were just darker skinned than many humans. With improvements in budgets and technology, the 70s and 80s allowed the powers that be to give a more alien appearance to the Klingons. The thoeries, albeit not too serious, as to why Klingons looked different between the two eras would be a hot topic at conventions and later in chat rooms. Again, we didn't take it too seriously. The arguments were mostly out of fun. Deep Space Nine took a stab at explaining it in a way that was humorous and acknowledged the debate for decades. Later, Enterprise provided a very good explanation, involving Augments and genetic manipulation. Let us not forget that even specific Klingons have changed over time. How many different heads did Worf have? Now, the Klingons look different again, and people are once again up in arms. This time, the discourse has an angrier tone, and I get it. If canon was being followed with precision, the Klingons would look like the ones from the Original Series. They don't. They look more like modern Klingons. The explanation given by Enterprise appears to have been ignored. So in this situation, I would say that the arguments towards ignoring canon have been validated. Other examples, however, have not.

Klingon or not? Who cares.

There is a smaller argument being made that at the time of Kirk there were no female Starfleet captains, and it looks like Discovery will be going against that. This piece of canon comes from the final Original Series episode "Turnabout Intruder", in which Dr. Janice Lester says to Kirk: "Your world of starship captains doesn't admit women!". Lester had wanted to be a captain, and some felt that her use of that line mirrored the society of the 1960s where women were not seen as being capable of being leaders of the military and corporations. I would argue that interpreting that one line of dialogue (given by a character whose mental instability was the core of the plot) as to show that the gender gap still existed in the 23rd century is one of the weakest arguments in this debate. For a show who continually stood for breaking social barriers, Star Trek would not be so shallow as to keep a woman out of the Captain's chair. Was not the first officer in "The Cage" a woman? If we examine the line of dialogue in question closely, there are far more plausible interpretations. For instance, since she said this to Kirk, a man whom she was in love with, could she not have been saying this to Kirk himself, and not to Starfleet? It is Kirk's world of being a starship captain that does not admit women, which would explain the large number of romantic flings Kirk has had over his three years as the captain. Dr. Lester was upset that Kirk chose career over her, not that Starfleet would only promote men to the rank of Captain. Canon has not been ignored here.

Captain on the bridge

Another complaint I hear is that the technology looks too advanced when compared to the Original Series. Well, that is because the two shows were made a half-century apart. Technology grew, allowing us to give more realistic props and sets. Why would we expect the show to give us the 1960s Enterprise bridge? I mean, from a nostalgia point of view it would be cool (look at the TNG episode of "Relics"), but that is not something to base an entire new series on. Face it, but if after the show is on and the only thing that is keeping you from enjoying Discovery is that the consoles look too new, then the problem is with you, not Discovery.

Hey, look! Buttons on the consoles!

When it comes to canon, Star Trek fans need to remember something: Trek has a history of ignoring canon in light of good story telling. History is rewritten to make the story work. The entire Trill species, as an example, contradicted itself. Trills were introduced to us as an alien species with bumpy foreheads that didn't want people to know about their being a joined species. When DS9 came around, the bumps were replaced with spots, and it looks as if either Sisko was the only Starfleet officer to know about the worm in Dax's abdomen, or it was just the crew of the flagship that hadn't gotten the Trill memo. Regardless of it, canon and history changed to allow a better story to be told. I think that many of these fans that are complaining about the disrespect to canon need to ask themselves is this: would you rather have canon overlooked in favour of good story telling, or would you rather get garbage and/or recycled stories just to stay true to your interpretation of canon? If you want the show to look like the 1960s, then watch the various fan films that do that. Do you want good Trek? Then learn to let some things go.

The real Star Trek canon

Ultimately, I think everyone should give it a chance first. I get the desire to voice your concerns. I have had them myself. I also understand when something that I grew up with and loved is not presented in a way that I thought was contrary to the reasons that I loved it. I also learned from those experiences that if I let it go, then my life is happier. We need to stop judging the people that are working hard to bring back Star Trek to the small screen (and the big screen, for that matter, but let's not go there just yet). One of my pet peeves is hearing that the people that work on Star Trek: Discovery have no real love for Star Trek. When I look at some of the names attached to it, like Bryan Fuller, Nicholas Meyer, and Eugene Roddenberry himself, I find it hard to believe that these individuals are just trying to destroy Star Trek. Seriously, you think that Eugene is trying to destroy his father's legacy? Nonsense. 

They've worked hard, let them have a chance

As fans, we need to stop thinking that we are the sole owners of Star Trek. Are we important partners? Yes. Are we a reason that Star Trek has remained relevant for half a century and more? Of course we are, but that does not mean that we are the only ones. We have to acknowledge that not everyone has the same idea for Gene's vision. Heck, if we had stuck with Gene's vision, we likely would have seen TNG end in a few seasons with nothing else to follow. Star Trek evolves because that is what good franchises must do. Those that become so rigorously married to canon are doomed to failure and disappointment. We need to stop acting like this belongs to us. It doesn't, at least not solely. There are other partners in this relationship that have a stake here. For any good relationship to work, there needs to be some give and take, and right now there is a small contingent of us that are just taking and giving nothing but negativity in return. We need to let Discovery happen, for better or for worse. Yes, it's a bit scary. Yes, it means that not everything will be the way we like it. I have my list of concerns, and if they are not met, I will be disappointed and likely not follow Discovery like the others. I may tune it out all together. Some have already made that choice. But to drag the rest of the fans down with you is illogical and goes against IDIC. We need to stop this idea that our own individual interpretation of Gene's vision about Star Trek is the only valid one. We need to stop forcing our belief as to what is Star Trek onto everyone around us. 

How I feel when people complain about Discovery

So let's wait and see. Stop the bitterness, open your minds and hearts to new possibilities. I think the truest essence of Star Trek is to not just seek out new worlds and new civilizations, but to open ourselves to new ideas and imaginations. Nobody is asking you to accept everything. You can enjoy what you enjoy and allow others to do the same. In the end, if all you can do is rage over and over that Star Trek is dead to you, and that your sole purpose in life is now dead and gone, then may I, in the words of William Shatner, humbly and sincerely advise you to "get a life".

Words of wisdom.