As a kid growing up in Miami, I was fortunate to be introduced to Star Trek by my father. Although the original series was already in syndication, each week our family would sit in front of the TV in the den and watch the exploits of Captain Kirk (William Shatner), Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy), Dr. Leonard McCoy (DeForest Kelley ) and the crew of the Starship Enterprise. I was hooked! I became a Trekkie. I also attended my first Star Trek Convention at the Miami Space Transit Planetarium. They would show some of the classic episodes in the planetarium itself. You have not seen Star Trek until you have seen it play on the big screen the size of the sky.
Fast forward and after many spinoffs and sequels, Star Trek is back on the small screen. Star Trek Discovery – only available via CBS All Access.
Discovery is set about 10 years prior to the Original Series. It is about the crew of a special starship called USS Discovery. This ship, utilizing specialized spores, can fold space and cross the galaxy in minutes. The show integrates a modern look with the original plotlines. It is new and old at the same time.
Instead of viewing the show through the eyes of the Captain, you view it through the eyes of the troubled 1st Officer – Michael Burnham, portrayed by Sonequa Martin-Green. Discovery does a great job introducing us to characters from the original series. I will not mention any so as not to spoil the episodes. It is well written; however, since it is viewed via the internet or smart tv, it has more violence and sex than you would normally find on a typical Star Trek episode. To me this is not a great element of the story. A great storyteller can convey what is happening without the excess violence. I dinged them a star just for that. That said, the special effects are great and it is an interesting plot line.
Season two begins in a few weeks and it seems that they might get back to the vision of Gene Rodenberry, the creator of the Star Trek franchise. That would make the show even more enjoyable.
Since it is on CBS All Access, you can binge-watch the whole first year in just a couple of days.
Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars