I seriously recommend that fair minded ST fans re-watch a lot of DSC, all of it if they can. Since the end of season two I have been doing that and I have discovered two main things.: 1) There is a LOT of information packed into each single episode and 2) There are so MANY beautiful shots of space, too many to take in on first viewing.

PACKED INFORMATION Today, I started reviewing season 2 episode 2 'New Eden'. I believe this episode is going to prove to be a goal mine of information for season 3. I have barely gotten through the first half but already many things have occurred to me. In this episode, DSC goes to Terralysium in pursuit of the first of the seven strange lights of which season two is about. Terralysium is a colony of earthlings with pre-warp technology who appear to have been mysteriously moved to a planet 51k light years away form earth at the start of the 3rd world war. So far it is unclear who moved them that far but they do appear to be a kind of 'Noah's Ark' solution to the possible destruction of mankind because of nuclear war. First, *the nuclear war scenario seems frighteningly realistic with today's news, unfortunately the ST DSC (Noak's Ark) solution is not as realistic. * Second, in the early parts of the episode DSC invents a few theories about Religion and God which deserve a review. (Please review the episode) I recently read a discussion about whether "Q" should be encountered in DSC's 3rd season. An argument I made against this is that DSC already seemed to be suggesting that as 'gods' CAN BE explained as aliens not yet understood. The Q continuum is clearly NOT understood by SF not even in the way the Caretaker and his partner were understood in VOY. Therefore a Q vs Man encounter is no match and no drama, simply science FANTASY not science FICTION. Anyway, the reason I mention this is because had I recalled Ep 2 Season 2 correctly, I would have realized DSC already suggested exactly that view established in the canon of ST with references to a couple of theories established in our future about religion.

If you found that hard to follow just re-watch New Eden and listen to Pike.

Another issue 'New Eden' crystallized that I am sure MANY viewers missed is the issue of the 7 lights. I have read people complaining about season 2 saying they don't understand what all happened and why. Well, if you want to REALLY get season 2 and understand how Burnham was able to break the cycle of failure she ( and all of humanity) had been reliving New Eden is the place to start. I will explain some here now but to REALLY get everything you have to watch the entire season again.

First, in the episode, all 7 lights appear within a 24 hour period and alert SF's attention. Well, we know Burnham was ultimately responsible for sending all the signal, so how did this happen? why didn't she immediately know this?. New Eden explains or at least sets the premise. This premise is based on the same structure DSC's producers used in season ones Magic to Make the Sanest Man Go Mad. The same structure used in Groundhog Day and let me say, I hope DSC does NOT use in season 3. This premise is the situation where time loops and a character(s) is involved in TRYING TO GET PAST a specific moment in time. In DSC season 2, that point in time is when Control gets hold of the sphere data on DSC and wipes out ALL SENTIENT LIFE in our galaxy! Yes, that's how big the consequences were in season 2. Burnham and Co attempt several times (unclear how many) to avoid this end and in season finale, she is able to put everything together by going back in time BEFORE she goes into the future.

The lights appears with 2 days is the signal Burnham send to herself and SF to restart a new 'attempt'. Even though they all appear 'apparently' together, because of the distances and involved it is very likely they were all sent at different times to coincided AS VIEWED FROM the alpha quadrant as the same time. That is why the Spore drive had to be employed once more. Pike complained that at max warp it would be his grandchildren's children who would get to NE. This admission should be considered by those who criticize the concept of the 'spore drive', DSC is saying UNLESS we begin to travel in a way lie THIS, we (humans) have no hope of exploring space in the way we dream of on ST. It is physically IMPOSSIBLE to travel past the speed of light. So unless we discover ANOTHER mode of travel, we are STUCK. So Burnham goes through this battle to stop control over and over again AND finally succeeds in the finale.

The other nugget of information in New Eden that is crucial about Terralysium is that they are pre-warp. They have some mystified notion of Earth, but they have the pioneer spirit of wanting to do their own thing. Because they are pre-warp, they have deified the Red Angel who we know is just THEMSELVES, MORE ADVANCED. We already see hints that with the wrong leaders that type of faith can be disastrous. As of writing this I haven't finished my review of New Eden but I fell certain that DSC 's visit is gong to leave something with the Terralysimites which will advance their technology quickly. THIS I believe will be revealed as the genesis of the decade old war which DSC will arrive in the middle of in season 3. As a result of this, I think DSC will attempt to travel back to a future time to stop the development in Terralysium. This will be the basis of season 3 and in season 4 ( I HOPE) DSC will finally have a home at a future time ahead of VOY and DS9 completely free of canon restraints.

**Just finished re-watching 'New Eden' and the DSC crew reveals itself to a member of Terralysium who believes they were from Earth and that there is an Earth existing for them to return to. During the episode that same person, took away discoveries technology so the groundwork is set for some technology to have slipped into their hands which would advance their development. It also seems likely that The Red Angel (.i.e Burnham) had a role in their being evacuated from Earth in the first place. The Soldier's head cam shows the Red Angel appearing before the tape ends. So fixing the War and the Terralysium situation appears likely to be the Arc of season 3.**

Truly excited by the glimpses of the future's future as is shown in the trailers for DSC season 3. I believe the creative minds behind DSC have out done themselves...yet again!

@Thespear said:

Truly excited by the glimpses of the future's future as is shown in the trailers for DSC season 3. I believe the creative minds behind DSC have out done themselves...yet again!

Creative minds? On STD? Who?

If you have to ask, you wouldn't understand the answer! Move On fella!

@Thespear said:

If you have to ask, you wouldn't understand the answer! Move On fella!

Having seen the recent fifth episode of STD's third season, where Starfleet holograms from 9 centuries post-Voyager were taken out by blinking... yes, BLINKING, it's weird you cling on to the notion STD has creative minds behind it

Why do you bother to watch then? I've never understood the art of hating something so much but yet not being able to stop discussing it. Go watch 'The Orville' instead.

@Thespear said:

Why do you bother to watch then? I've never understood the art of hating something so much but yet not being able to stop discussing it. Go watch 'The Orville' instead.

Mostly to laugh at what passes for Star Trek according to the hacks who write this crap.

There was also another reason, because the same hacks who're in charge, along with Jonathan Frakes, swore STD's third season would be good, tacitly admitting the first two seasons had been problematic

Seriously over-thinking this show. There's nothing "beautiful" about it.

Beauty, like 'Handle Choices' is in the EYE of the beholder....Mr A-Arse!

@Thespear said:

Amid it's rocky beginning and it's much maligned first and second seasons, it is easy to miss what a truly beautiful and well thought out show Star Trek Discovery is. It should win any award for creative and beautiful presentations, anywhere on tv and even in the theaters. Each episode seemed to have the vision and scope of a full length movie. Even those who disliked the new look of the Klingons, have to admit that DSC Klingons look more extra-terrestrial than their kin of the other ST series. No one can deny the detail and beauty of the Klingon mother ship or the artistry of each Klingon house.

*DSC also beats it's sibling ST series in characterization, presentation and detail of almost everything.* We have seen more of the ship DSC than we did of the other vessels we spent many more years viewing. From more angles to more uses events, DSC (the vessel) seems far more useful than any other ST ship. We can easily imagine it as real! We know more about Saru, Tilly, Stamets, Culver, Tyler and L'rell after 31 episodes than we do about the supporting cast of any other ST series. As for the main characters, the very fact there is an outcry for spin off series for Spock and Pike is testimony to the careful creation of interesting, attractive and nuanced characters. One does not need to love alternate universe Georgio or Lorca to appreciate that they are uniquely impressive almost epic villains. Of course the much criticized Michael Burnham is the first, truly troubled but also truly gifted heroine we have ever seen in ST.

*The inspired writing in much of DSC comes into focus when its effects are obvious. * The 2nd episode with Harry Mudd is a thing of exceptional beauty. The way the love theme is intersected with death , destruction, and the normal party life of DSC, all the while interlaced with the dry humor of Mudd is itself a feat of writing. Again, in the penultimate episode of season 2, when there were several 'relationships' to be mended, the intersection of Spock, Burnham, Stamets and Culver in their search for reconciliation (each seeing the truth in the other's but not their own relationship) showed a great deal of forethought and skillful writing.

*Finally, the show just looks very distinctive and very beautiful. * Admittedly , I wasn't a fan of the flash/bang look initially but DSC more than made up for in it's presentation of the universe. The battle sequences were epic but realistic. The space walk scenes, asteroid landing, transporting scenes were the same; even the shots of vessels entering and exiting DSC were refreshingly new and just gritty enough to be entirely realistic. We saw things happen in space that we knew happened before, but in ways we have never seen before. The two final episodes of season two were in a class of their own as works or art! From the presentation of the Red Angel; to the depiction of the 'time' wormhole; to the presentation of time travel and the epic battle of myriad bots and the more brass knuckle 'rotisserie fight scene' with Georgio and Control, those scenes helped create the most impressive bit of cinematography, I have ever seen.

DSC seasons 1 and 2 are amazing works of artistic brilliance that have sadly been overlooked. I certainly look forward to this standard of work in season 3. If I could mention an area of opportunity going forward, it would be the soundtrack. Clever use of alternating tempo from slow to fast in many episodes however nothing really stuck out as 'the anthem' of DSC. Perhaps now that TOS has been linked and is in the past, there is a chance for us to get a truly distinctive DSC battle cry!

Thoughts?

Well I'm truly happy you like this version of "Star Trek" do the majority of fans agree is questionable but hey to each their own

Quality has nothing to do with numbers! It's their loss!