Star Trek: Lower Decks (animated series)

pixelburp

The thing about comedic cartoons - and this goes for for live-action too IMO - is that good comedy writing tends to be as much about the Human Condition as it is setting up a good punchline. It's not always intentional or obvious but while sometimes we're laughing at a rake in the face, we're often laughing as much at ourselves as the characters on-screen and their foibles; because we recognise their failings, successes, retrospections and fúck ups.

I'd make a totally genuine contention that the best acting & character writing is often found in comedies as much as it is in dramas. Sometimes even more so. Yet good luck any comedy ever winning an Best Picture / Actor Oscar. While good comedic actors often make an easy transition to dramatic acting - yet the reverse is not always as guaranteed. Comedic acting is based on good timing and emotional responses, while dramatic acting is sometimes too affected and forced to make the jump to comedy.

Point being: Lower Decks nails that balance of chuckles versus character depth & growth; to the extent that the most recent season kinda had very few moments of outright hilarity compared with past runs - but its balance of good characters meant in the absence of gags, the cast inside the show held it up by dint of their own dimensionality & being relatable people. Everyone in Lower Decks feel like broadly real people dealing with real workplace problems, Borg Babies n' all. Whereas Discovery feel like meat puppets positioned to emote requisite dramatic moments so the show can beat you over the head saying this is a dramatic moment, its totes emotional you guys.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121765529#Comment_121765529

Any time I see that new meme "he was in the Amazon with my mom when she was researching spiders just before she died" I think of the writing in Discovery.

It's a mix of terrible exposition and bad Jeff Winger monologues.

pixelburp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121765644#Comment_121765644

Discovery wishes it was that bad it became a meme and source of (ironic) hilarity for the internet generation. At least then people might be taking an interest in the thing.

flazio

Why do some people ALWAYS turn anything Star Trek related into a Discovery bashing rant?

Take this fan for example.

https://twitter.com/MikeMcMahanTM/status/929932596519231488?t=jfm-f5SMNdwHNtzcElD_BA&s=19

pixelburp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121765951#Comment_121765951

The obsession is probably because deep down we can't escape from how the latter-day resurgence of Trek is kinda all down to Discovery. Had it flopped and failed as CBS' streaming lynchpin, then Picard, Lower Decks, Prodigy and SNW wouldn't have happened - certainly no Strange New Worlds anyway, given it's a direct spin-off from Discovery.

And Disco has always played it so straight, so earnest at every juncture it kinda invites a constant ribbing for its poor execution. Plus it's the internet, negativity "sells". 🤷

Bobtheman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121765987#Comment_121765987

Was discovery a ratings success? I liked its first 2-3 seasons. Season 4 terrible beyond belief. 5 seasons seems short like it's cancelled?

Was it really a case that the "success" of discovery propelled the creation of Picard?

Given the popularity of the Character Picard it was always on the cards that he would make a comeback. In my view it was too late. Stewart is too old. Yes he is in good condition for his age but looks way too old for a action series. They screwed up the characters around him to boot.

SNW is a spin off but I think it was because captain pike went down so well. He was clearly old school and I think the hetro element/the semi kirk swagger was at the core of his popularity but others would probably disagree.

Pike was a good well rounded character in contrast to the poor majority of discovery characters. I think that's why he got his spin off.

I don't think they created SNW because of the success of discovery but because of its failure

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121766850#Comment_121766850

Practically all of the SNW is just you writing a narrative based on your personal bias.

For instance if they "created SNW because of the failure of Discovery" then why did Discovery get 3 more seasons.

Picard was probably more to do with Paramount milking their stronger IPs but it still relied heavily on effects and production in place for Discovery and probably would not have launched a limited series without that in place.

Discovery is crap, everyone here agrees so I don't see why so many people need to invent more reasons to kick it.

pixelburp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121766850#Comment_121766850

The hetero stuff again? I'm not even gonna reply to the rest cos frankly this myopic obsession with No Homo is a bit of a tedious mantra.

Actually. I will say given Pike has been routinely referred to as Space Dad in terms of his traits I'm not sure where you get this idea of Kirk style swagger. Half the time he's in his room cooking and giving pep talks.

Go with god etc.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121767073#Comment_121767073

One person who definitely didn't have swagger was Paul Wesley.

A sad bit of proof that the likes of Michelle Paradise have a say in SNW. People can blab on about made up gender politics but a look at the likes of her or Akiva Goldman's CV will point to all that's wrong with Star Trek right now.

I'm actually surprised SNW is at all good looking at their record. The cast are doing a lot of heavy lifting in my opinion.

Bobtheman

I take slight offence at the accusation of no homo. I have no issue with homosexual characters. It's just when a cast doesn't have one hetro male i begin to worry

I grew up in 80s Ireland where any kind male traits were called homo. Where it was illegal.

I'm not homophonic it's just the absence of a hetro male in discovery was noticeable

But I'm not moses coming down from mount sini on the issue.

It's just a personal opinion

The males on discovery pre pike seemed like eunuchs practically bar the gay couple.

Perhaps it was really the lack of charismatic male leads I'm getting at. Rather than the introverted males that seemed to populate the discovery bridge.

A male trait is to swagger. Females can do it too. In this year of 2024 let's celebrate the ability to pick male or female traits without having to silo

Bobtheman

Anyway let's move away from the woke arguments. Lower decks and SNW get it right. The characters. The writing. The humour.

There should always be a streak of optimism in trek and discovery avoided it.

SNW and Lower decks have it.

Let's celebrate that

flazio

Congratulations to Gabrielle Ruiz (T'Lynn) on the birth of her second daughter.

https://people.com/gabrielle-ruiz-welcomes-baby-no-2-with-husband-philip-pisanchyn-exclusive-8580650

Bobtheman

My apologies. I disappeard up my own proverbial there.

Bobtheman

Deleted

JustAPoorDreamer

Love this show.

It's the best new Trek on T V.