communications relay login

Star Trek Discovery Season 3 - Midseason Thoughts [Potential Spoilers Ahead]

My opinion of Star Trek Discovery from Season 1 to 3

By Chris Wilkinson Sat 28 Nov, 2020 6:00 PM
Disclaimer: Before you start reading this, please note it may contain minor spoilers for the 3rd season of Star Trek Discovery. You have been warned!

Since Star Trek Discovery made it’s way onto our screens a couple of years ago, I spent the first half of Season 1 criticising it for a number of reasons as to how it contradicted the canon which we’d spent the past 50 years getting to know. It was upsetting to see holographic communication be the norm, especially as it seemed to be brand new when we saw it in DS9 with the Klingons. Although, I will admit that jump to the mirror universe was definitely the highlight of the first season.

As it moved forward and into Season 2 the showrunners did a great job dealing with these inaccuracies, and wove them neatly into the canon, leaving us with a show which was significantly worth the name Star Trek. As we moved to Season 3, we saw the biggest jump forward with us moving past even the furthest point we’d seen thanks to Star Trek Enterprise.

So far in this new season, we’ve seen a Federation which is a shell of its former self, planets that once stood as bastions of civilisation reduced to a small planet just looking out for itself.

Then we have the USS Discovery, a relic of what would be a forgotten time, a beacon within the dark and a crew who still hold the core ideals of Starfleet and the United Federation of Planets to heart.

The show’s been introducing us to this future slowly, delivering small crumbs as to what’s been happening with items such as the burn to build up the suspense. We’re not midway through this new season and we’re starting to gain a greater appreciation for what the galaxy is now going through.

We have had a number of possible threads opened up for stories from what has been happening to Detmer and Georgiou, how does a piece of music tie into everything to what caused the burn. I’m sure we’ve all got our theories for all of these questions.

For me, this season has been the peak for Discovery as while Anson Mount did an amazing job in season 2 as Captain Pike, the show has begun to feel less like it’s focused entirely on Michael Burnham and more on being a show about Star Trek. Sure, we’re still seeing her act a bit like that rebellious teenage daughter we all wish we could tell to calm down, but it’s much less pronounced than it was.

I think with 7 episodes left to go, this season has the potential to be explosive and very deep. It’ll all depend on where the crew decided to go with it. Perhaps we’ll find out the Romulans were the cause of the burn as their ships didn’t use Dilithium in the past, so they wouldn’t have been as affected. Maybe the Ferengi were trying to secure the market by limiting the amount of Dilithium available.

I know myself, I look forward to Fridays as it means I can see the next instalment of a show, which 2 years ago I disliked, but now, is a mustn’t miss.


I’d love to know what you all think about this season so far. Do you have any theories you want to share?



WRITTEN BY Chris Wilkinson
EDITED BY Silek
2 Comments
Sun 29 Nov, 2020 9:16 AM
Thank you for this great article, Chris! Thumbs up

While reading it I observed myself nodding all the time because I totally agree with what you wrote. I remember watching season one exactly two years ago now. I was skeptical after episode one and it reminded me of the Star Trek movies by J.J. Abrams which I never really enjoyed. So I wasn't convinced to be honest, especially after looking at the "new" Klingons. Yuck!

But... I went on and the "dark clouds" above my head quickly disappeared. I learned that the Discovery is quite a cool ship with its technologies and capabilities. I was also introduced to a pretty cool and "bad ass" Captain Lorca (well, by now we all know where he really came from...), etc. So I started to like the show and was sooo excited and thrilled when the Discovery was hailed by a well known vessel in the last episode of season one, the USS Enterprise 1701. Oh. My. Gosh!

Season two, now with the wonderful Captain Pike on the chair in the middle of the bridge, was phenomenal. I loved it. Spock, the signals, the Red Angel... just great. The only thing that made me skeptical again was the time jump that took place in the season finale. Almost 1000 years into the future? Wow, this will be interesting.

And it is indeed, because in my opinion season three is a blast - also thanks to Grudge! Wink

Like Chris I'm sitting here now unpatiently waiting for the episodes being shown on Fridays (in Europe). Sometimes I'm biting my finger nails while watching, sometimes I'm even having a little tear in my eye, always I'm enjoying every single minute.
Tue 01 Dec, 2020 5:08 PM
Excellent Article,

When they jumped so far forward into the future I was skeptical. I thought it was akin to jumping the shark. I was still going to watch but I was definitely more skeptical than I was in Season 1. I give credit to Michelle Paradise I think she has kept the show on a steady course. Balancing what we knew and what is new in this tragic future unfolding before us. Now like you and Alex, Thursdays (I'm in the US) are the day that I have to rush home and watch Star Trek Discovery.