TV Review: Star Trek: Discovery (Season 3)

***This review contains some spoilers***

Watch the SPOILER review on YouTube

After two seasons of trying to be some type of “Star Trek” prequel, “Star Trek: Discovery” seems to have finally found its place in the Star Trek universe by essentially becoming a sequel series. However, it’s a bumpy ride, with an unfocused plot and some odd character moments.

The show took bold leap at the end of last season, and sent Discovery and its crew over 900 years into the future. We quickly learn that things took a few bad turns over the centuries, and something called “The Burn” essentially left the Federation as a shell of its former self. There’s some good material here for a season-long plot, but the execution is lacking. The focus moves from Michael trying to find Discovery, to the crew trying to find what’s left of the Federation to finding out what caused The Burn. And everything is driven by Michael’s almost-obsessive insistence that she knows what’s best. She goes rogue quite often, and oddly enough, reaps the rewards when it’s all said and done.

As far as the other characters go, not many of the regulars get a ton to do. Saru gets to step up and be the official captain, but we’ve seen him as acting-captain enough that it’s not that big of a deal. Ensign Tilly’s promotion to acting-first officer was an interesting choice, but it feels a bit unearned and the plot has to work extra hard to justify that choice. Empress Georgiou has always been a fun wildcard character, and continues so here. Her arc takes a strange twist, and while it’s interesting to see how much she’s evolved, the show bends over backwards to write her off the show. (Presumably to get her the Section 31 spinoff she was supposed to get.) There’s some odd character stuff with minor characters, like where it looks like something sinister is going on with Lt. Detmer, (only for it to turn out to be PTSD), or the Commander Nhan character getting added to the main cast and then just written off after not doing much of anything. We do get to see a much softer side of Lt. Commander Stamets, as he takes on a mentor/fatherly role.

The object of his newfound affection is the new character of Adira. While it’s a decent addition to the show, they bring a lot of baggage to unpack, and having them being able to see their dead boyfriend is an odd choice, even if it works within the joined-Trill logic. It takes almost half the season to introduce the big bad, and Osyraa was mostly underwhelming. While her ultimate goal ended up being fairly-noble, and the end of the day she ended up just being evil and the benevolent storyline seemed to get dropped. And even though he came off unlikable at first, Admiral Vance grew into a solid character.

By moving the stories to the far-future, “Star Trek: Discovery” no longer has to worry about contradicting established Star Trek lore. Unfortunately, an unfocused plot and a somewhat low-stakes mission keep things in first-gear for most of the season. A second-rate villain and a bizarre plot revelation for The Burn mystery almost cause the season to fizzle out at the finish line.

**1/2 out of *****

My Best and Worst Films of 2020

Due to the coronavirus, I only saw 6 films in theaters this year. I decided to just list them as my 3 favorites and 3 least favorites. (I decided not to add the handful of films I watched on streaming to these lists, but I didn’t think any of them would’ve done much to fill out my lists.)

Watch the more-detailed version on YouTube

Favorites:

3. Wonder Woman 1984– A solid concept that is torpedoed by poor execution and some nonsensical story beats. It’s only the likability of the main character that keeps you invested. A rushed and messy third act prevents the movie from redeeming its many missteps.

2. Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn– Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn, plus some colorful characters and brutal action sequences, make this a fun ride. But, an uninteresting plot and supporting characters that never get properly fleshed-out make it so that the film falls flat anytime Harley isn’t present.

1. Bad Boys for Life– Will Smith and Martin Lawrence are able to recapture the chemistry that worked so well in the beginning of this franchise. They bring their humorous banter, and some solid acting, while the film adds plenty of action. The plot just never quite clicks, and they seemed to be trying too hard to set up a Fast and the Furious-inspired franchise.

Least Favorites:

3. Tenet– Essentially a take on the James Bond formula, but without the inspired action sequences, memorable villains, charismatic lead or exotic locales. The time travel element takes a back seat for too long, and once we get it, it ultimately collapses under the weight of its overcomplicated mechanics.

2. The New Mutants– Mediocre characters, a predictable plot and a bad mashup of a superhero origin tale and a horror movie add up to a forgettable film. Thanks to tons of behind the scenes drama, we’ll never know if this ever had a chance of being any good.

1. Bill & Ted Face the Music– Bill & Ted’s latest adventure is still endearing, even if the jokes miss the mark most of the time. But, the half of the film where their daughters team up with historical figures is pretty lifeless. And the big payoff is a convoluted mess.