Star Trek: Lower Decks (animated series)

pixelburp · 01-02-2021 11:26pm

It was honestly the smartest, best use of the holodeck in years. Maybe even ever? Was also the episode that crystallised Mariner as a properly empathic character, through that brilliant application of the holodeck. None of that arsing about in earth history cos they had access to the costume department, but a proper use of the suites possibilities.

GSPfan · 01-02-2021 11:37pm

I watched episode 10 just now and I had forgot how much happened in that one episode. As someone else said it was great that they were able to put so much action and consequence into a non universe ending scenario.

I had to laugh at Riker at the end saying he was on the holodeck watching Archer and the crew of the Enterprise. He says something like “those guys really had a long road, getting from there to here”. Brilliant. Ha.

ilovesmybrick · 02-02-2021 10:06am

GSPfan wrote: »

I had to laugh at Riker at the end saying he was on the holodeck watching Archer and the crew of the Enterprise. He says something like “those guys really had a long road, getting from there to here”. Brilliant. Ha.

"Give me warp in the factor of five, six, seven, eight!"

Stark · 02-02-2021 10:45am

Watched it through again on Prime.

First four episodes : "it's fun but I wouldn't recommend it unreservedly". Laughed at a few jokes I missed first time round so that was good.

Episode 5 onwards: "This is awesome". Episode 4 had a good story driving it (and I enjoyed the B-plot with Tendi a lot) but was pretty much peak Mariner annoyingness. Episode 5 was where she grew more likeable for me with the overprotective big sister vibe and the backstory to explain that.

Inviere · 02-02-2021 12:11pm

Stark wrote: »

Watched it through again on Prime.

First four episodes : "it's fun but I wouldn't recommend it unreservedly". Laughed at a few jokes I missed first time round so that was good.

Episode 5 onwards: "This is awesome". Episode 4 had a good story driving it (and I enjoyed the B-plot with Tendi a lot) but was pretty much peak Mariner annoyingness. Episode 5 was where she grew more likeable for me with the overprotective big sister vibe and the backstory to explain that.

This must be why I bailed after three episodes. I'll go back to it soon enough, & give it another go.

pixelburp · 02-02-2021 1:21pm

I'll say one thing against the show, the comedy never quite landed for me. The characters, arcs and overall feel really took off as the season progressed but the comedy writing generally floated around the "meh, 's all right" level. A few chuckles here and there but generally very boilerplate stuff.

If Lower Decks just dropped the pretence towards comedy altogether I think I'd be fine with that; lean more as a straight-drama with comedic elements (arguably it is that on balance, but you can see the tension between the tones all the same)

santana75 · 02-02-2021 11:44pm

pixelburp wrote: »

I'll say one thing against the show, the comedy never quite landed for me. The characters, arcs and overall feel really took off as the season progressed but the comedy writing generally floated around the "meh, 's all right" level. A few chuckles here and there but generally very boilerplate stuff.

If Lower Decks just dropped the pretence towards comedy altogether I think I'd be fine with that; lean more as a straight-drama with comedic elements (arguably it is that on balance, but you can see the tension between the tones all the same)

I really enjoyed it myself but I do see your point. I think it could actually be an improvement if they dispensed with the out and out comedy and just focused on story telling.

~Rebel~ · 04-02-2021 4:38pm

santana75 wrote: »

I really enjoyed it myself but I do see your point. I think it could actually be an improvement if they dispensed with the out and out comedy and just focused on story telling.

Yeah, there’s a few shows that did well by honing in on their strengths. The Orville actually got a lot better once it stopped trying to be a comedy in those first few episodes. Upload on Amazon is similar - it stayed very much a comedy, but stopped reaching for every cheap gag in sight and instead used moments of humor where it worked best.

TheValeyard · 04-02-2021 8:11pm

~Rebel~ wrote: »

Yeah, there’s a few shows that did well by honing in on their strengths. The Orville actually got a lot better once it stopped trying to be a comedy in those first few episodes. Upload on Amazon is similar - it stayed very much a comedy, but stopped reaching for every cheap gag in sight and instead used moments of humor where it worked best.

Ah the Orville has had some very funny moments though. The leg prank was brilliant.

GSPfan · 05-02-2021 12:44am

~Rebel~ wrote: »

Yeah, there’s a few shows that did well by honing in on their strengths. The Orville actually got a lot better once it stopped trying to be a comedy in those first few episodes. Upload on Amazon is similar - it stayed very much a comedy, but stopped reaching for every cheap gag in sight and instead used moments of humor where it worked best.

I completely agree. In fact my wife had no interest ever in watching TNG and only agreed to watch The Orville cause she knew it had a Seth McFarlane comedy slant to it. She loved the first few episodes and she got hooked. I actually didn’t warm to the early episodes but as soon as it started to tone down the gags she still loved the show and I loved it more. I think they lured people in that way. Very clever.

~Rebel~ · 05-02-2021 6:51pm

TheValeyard wrote: »

Ah the Orville has had some very funny moments though. The leg prank was brilliant.

It’s still very funny, but they shifted their focus. In the earlier episodes they went for comedy beats first and foremost, at the expense of drama and character. As they went on they used it more cleverly, and better integrated it into the narrative to reinforce story and character development.

pixelburp · 05-02-2021 6:57pm

I'd have been willing to give The Orville another chance if I knew Seth McFarlane had left the show. Just cannot abide by his presence in anything (almost ruining some otherwise good films like Logan Lucky), let alone in a starring role. I'm not usually that turned off by the presence of an actor, but McFarlane's a definite exception. Was never that enthused either about its almost slavish adherence to an off-brand TNG look; too pandering in its nostalgia. The flat compositions and staging might be period accurate, but some of us don't miss that drab soap-opera era of TV

Cookie_Monster · 08-02-2021 8:02am

I just binge watched the whole thing. I love it, its brilliant!

FGR · 08-02-2021 3:20pm

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

I just binge watched the whole thing. I love it, its brilliant!

My heart stopped for a second as I thought I was on the Discovery thread and that Cookie Monster had been brainwashed by a Kurtzman.

But thankfully that I was wrong. :pac:

pixelburp · 08-02-2021 3:41pm

FGR wrote: »

My heart stopped for a second as I thought I was on the Discovery thread and that Cookie Monster had been brainwashed by a Kurtzman.

But thankfully that I was wrong. :pac:

Not to be That Guy, but if the buck stops with Kurtzmann, then surely we must at least give him props for Lower Decks? He is still executive producer on that show

Can't speak to his involvement in either this or Discovery, but if he's the head honcho that gets the damnation, fair's fair he gets the praise the odd time he strikes gold!

Goodshape · 08-02-2021 3:51pm

pixelburp wrote: »

Not to be That Guy, but if the buck stops with Kurtzmann, then surely we must at least give him props for Lower Decks? He is still executive producer on that show

Can't speak to his involvement in either this or Discovery, but if he's the head honcho that gets the damnation, fair's fair he gets the praise the odd time he strikes gold!

He's also got the co-"Created by" credit on Discovery and Picard, though. And various writing credits on each of those, which he doesn't have on Lower Decks.

He still sucks.

Rawr · 09-02-2021 10:23am

pixelburp wrote: »

Not to be That Guy, but if the buck stops with Kurtzmann, then surely we must at least give him props for Lower Decks? He is still executive producer on that show

Can't speak to his involvement in either this or Discovery, but if he's the head honcho that gets the damnation, fair's fair he gets the praise the odd time he strikes gold!

It's a good point to be sure.

However with a distinct lack of many of the problems that dogged both Discovery and Picard, I can't help but wonder if Kurtzman's involvement was minimal or in name only. He may have dismissed this as a silly side-project that paled in comparison to mose important task of producing Discovery (in his mind, probably).

The result appears to be that these animation folk were given free rein to produce what they wanted with the characters presented. Fortunately for us these people appeared to be actual Trek fans as well.
My main fear is that if Kurtzman was missing before, he might feel inclined to interfere with Season 2 now that the show has received well. If that is the case I fear for the quality of what we might get.

pixelburp · 09-02-2021 12:00pm

I agree, it's very likely Kurtzman was more backseat on Lower Decks than the other projects but AFAIK we don't know his involvement in any of the shows - and how much control he has on the writing room. The only candle I might keep lit for Kurtzman is for creating Fringe - arguably one of the great Sci-Fi shows of the 2000s - but by and large, he's a terrible writer who has failed upwards in Hollywood. But if we're being totally fair some props are due to greenlighting Lower Decks. He obviously saw potential as Trek's Kingmaker. Stopped clocks n' all.

Mike McMahan is the one most due praise for Lower Decks but in the same vein, just looking at Discovery, the head honcho there is Michelle Paradise: whose previous work was on The Originals - a spin-off from the 'effin Vampire Diaries on the CW. YIKES. Maybe in retrospect, the signs were there that Discovery's character writing would fall off a cliff when lead by someone previous to a station where Good Writing Goes To Die. Beautiful vampires brooding about being ridey & immortal.

I was mostly being contrarian in my previous point so ... *holds hands up*, but then in giving Kurtzman the loudest shellacking, we should also hang the day-to-day flaws around the necks those most deserving. While Kurtzman likely OK'ed the hiring of Paradise, she's the one churning out the chum.

09-02-2021 12:04pm

Well that explains the CW level of emoting and "FEELINGS"

Kirby · 12-02-2021 1:39am

This was great.

"Wolf359 was an inside job!" :P

corkie · 10-03-2021 2:20pm

Is 'Star Trek's Chief O'Brien "The Most Important Person in Starfleet History"? Colm Meaney Reacts

AMKC · 13-03-2021 12:39am

A Chief Myles O' Brian Show would be brilliant.
I think that could really work.

pah · 13-03-2021 1:46am

I always get the impression from Colm Meaney interviews that he could have been in any kind of a show, it was just a job to him. He has no investment in the lore or anything outside his own bubble of playing O Brien.

TheValeyard · 13-03-2021 1:12pm

pah wrote: »

I always get the impression from Colm Meaney interviews that he could have been in any kind of a show, it was just a job to him. He has no investment in the lore or anything outside his own bubble of playing O Brien.

Yeah think he was one of the highest paid actors because of that. He turned down directors roles for DS9 episodes. Always chose money instead

AMKC · 13-03-2021 1:47pm

TheValeyard wrote: »

Yeah think he was one of the highest paid actors because of that. He turned down directors roles for DS9 episodes. Always chose money instead

I suppose he did not want to end up like a bit character again like he was on TNG and maybe he knew nothing about directing or it just did not interest him.

Evade · 13-03-2021 3:04pm

Directing on TV, at least back then, wasn't something you could really do wrong, the worst it could be is mediocre because of how much of a the process was already established. A lot of actors seemed to use it as a kind of learning experience. I think Garret Wang is the only Star Trek regular to be refused when they asked to direct an episode.

pixelburp · 13-03-2021 4:20pm

When I saw one of the cast was directing and episode of (say) DS9 I always inwardly groaned. Tv in the 90s looked barely above a sitcom half the time anyway, but even by those standards the lack of experience and creativity kinda hurt those episodes.

Need a Username · 12-05-2021 3:07pm

Lower Decks is a disappointment.

Not at all funny with far too many random references and names drops to the other series jammed in just to create “easter eggs”.

A pity because there is comedy gold to be had if the show was actually about the people in the lower decks who are outshined by the Kirks and mourn the fallen red shirts.

a_squirrelman · 12-05-2021 3:56pm

Need a Username wrote: »

Lower Decks is a disappointment.

Not at all funny with far too many random references and names drops to the other series jammed in just to create “easter eggs”.

A pity because there is comedy gold to be had if the show was actually about the people in the lower decks who are outshined by the Kirks and mourn the fallen red shirts.

Each to their own but I thought it was savage. Watched it twice and will watch again. Probably after I finish the current run of Enterprise as there's no way I'm going back to Discovery.

Need a Username · 12-05-2021 3:59pm

a_squirrelman wrote: »

Each to their own but I thought it was savage. Watched it twice and will watch again. Probably after I finish the current run of Enterprise as there's no way I'm going back to Discovery.

You will watch Enterprise but Discovery is bad?

We will never agree on anything

Star Trek: Lower Decks (animated series)

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