During our February issue, I reviewed the beginning of season two of Star Trek Discovery. Compared to the 1st Season, I was relieved and happy with what I saw. The first season did not stick to Star Trek canon (the timeline and rules of Star Trek). Happily, the second season does.
The first episode opens with the USS Discovery answering a distress call from the USS Enterprise. Remember, this is set about 10 years prior to Captain Kirk. The commanding officer of the Enterprise is Captain Christopher Pike, played by Anson Mount. He actually is playing the character in a similar fashion to Bruce Greenwood’s portrayal in the movies. He has a great sense of humor and takes command of Discovery to go on a special mission for the Federation. This is where the fun begins. As an aside, my wife, Connie, thinks that Captain Pike reminds her of former Governor Bob McDonnell because he is handsome (her words), a great leader and has a good sense of humor. That is a different discussion for another issue.
Over the course of the season, a plot develops and it plays perfectly into Star Trek canon and at the same time, allows for the updating and freshening of technology (as you would expect). The special effects are big-screen movie theater quality. The story line sets up the integration of Discovery and the Original Series. There were some episodes where I was sitting at the edge of my seat in disbelief on how spot-on the writers were! When it comes to Star Trek, I do not impress easily.
The final episodes of the season set up a potential new series featuring Captain Pike, Mr. Spock and the Enterprise. We can only hope that is what the writers and producers were thinking. The good news is that since it is on CBS All Access, you can watch Star Trek Discovery at your convenience at anytime and anywhere.
Until the next new Star Trek program, “Beam me up Scotty”!
By Bruce Meyer