Octopus Overlords

is it maybe possible to change the thread title to something not out of date?

i actually watched this on OTA broadcast TV, and i even set up the VCR to tape it. i would keep watching, but i assume no further episodes will show up on KIRO 7, CBS Seattle...

You still have a working vcr?

Daehawk wrote:You still have a working vcr?

i have three, actually (one i don't use since it's mono sound only - probably need to unload that one)

I picked one up at a yard sale for .25 cents but dont know if it works because I dont have any cables. We still have a bunch of old VHS tapes.

I thought it was just so-so. The worst part is the Klingons. God awful Klingons who sound like they have cotton balls in their mouths. Considering that they're the main antagonist in this series, that doesn't bode well. They just don't jive on screen. They're not very convincing.

Watching the first two episodes, they should have really made them both available as a 2 hour pilot movie as it's pretty much a prologue. I watched with my Dad and after both of those episodes, he still was rather unconvinced about wanting to watch more.

Kraken wrote:I know; I didn't want to watch the first episode of a show I'll never see again. That's just masochism.

Same here. This show is aimed towards me, I'm a long time ST fan, but I'm not paying $6/month for a single TV show, especially when it is on free networks oversea - Canada and Netlficks International. That really ticks me off, because I live in the US I'm getting screwed. So I don't need it, I'll wait until it eventually becomes available.

McNutt wrote:Spoiler

I have no idea how the first officer is going to still have a career. No matter what she does after this, she still attempted a mutiny. Unforgivable.

That’s what I thought after finishing Episode 1. Have you seen Episode 2 and the trailer for Episode 3? After watching the two of them, so far I’m satisfied that this is being properly dealt with.

I'd like to watch it but as others pointed out, not if I have to pay for it. Sooner or later it will turn up on Hulu or Netflix. I have plenty to watch in the men time.

ydejin wrote:

McNutt wrote:Spoiler

I have no idea how the first officer is going to still have a career. No matter what she does after this, she still attempted a mutiny. Unforgivable.

That’s what I thought after finishing Episode 1. Have you seen Episode 2 and the trailer for Episode 3? After watching the two of them, so far I’m satisfied that this is being properly dealt with.

No, I haven't. If the word is that the season is solid then I'll watch it afterwards.

tgb wrote:I'd like to watch it but as others pointed out, not if I have to pay for it. Sooner or later it will turn up on Hulu or Netflix. I have plenty to watch in the men time.

Considering that this is being shown directly on CBS All Access, I doubt that it will.

Rumpy wrote:I thought it was just so-so. The worst part is the Klingons. God awful Klingons who sound like they have cotton balls in their mouths. Considering that they're the main antagonist in this series, that doesn't bode well. They just don't jive on screen. They're not very convincing.
.

That was the main thing that bothered me in the episode as well. Presumably, that main Klingon dude was supposed to be giving some emotional, rah-rah speech but everything he said was just so monotone that it was distracting. He sounded like the Klingon version of the teacher in Ferris Bueller's Day Off.

I kept wondering how their bridge crews worked in combat when they talked... so... darn... slow. With cotton balls in their mouths.

Found this, major spoilers of course:
Review: 'Star Trek: Discovery' takes off despite bumps

I would be interested in watching more of this for sure but I don't want to pay to do so right now.

Grifman wrote:

Kraken wrote:I know; I didn't want to watch the first episode of a show I'll never see again. That's just masochism.

Same here. This show is aimed towards me, I'm a long time ST fan,

I'm not so sure the show is aimed at you. The Orville seems more aimed at long time Star Trek fans. Discovery is more like an attempt to leverage Star Trek to cash in on the success of shows like Game of Thrones, possibly also intending to leverage the fanbase of the Star Trek reboot movies. The first two Discovery episodes felt more like a movie in the same way a long Game of Thrones episode sometimes felt like a movie.

We'll see if things change once we get into episodes 3 and later, but right now it doesn't look like Discovery is going to have much philosophizing about ethics or the meaning of life. So far it looks like it'll be an action adventure spinoff miniseries taking place in the Star Trek universe.

Zaxxon wrote:That's rookie mode, guys. Watch the premiere via CBS. Then wait for finale week, sign up for the All Access trial, and complete the season for free.

Indeed. That's what I did for American Gods.

Suitably Ironic Moniker wrote:

tgb wrote:I'd like to watch it but as others pointed out, not if I have to pay for it. Sooner or later it will turn up on Hulu or Netflix. I have plenty to watch in the men time.

Considering that this is being shown directly on CBS All Access, I doubt that it will.

I agree. I think if it’s successful, it’s likely to stay exclusively a tent pole for CBS All Access. I suspect it will be available for purchase on Blu-ray and DVD at some point though, and likely will show up on the digital pay services like iTunes and Google Play.

I really liked it a lot, except the Klingons which I thought were horrible and I agree with @Ralph-Wiggum their speeches were all monotone and mumbling, except at a loud volume. Very jarring in contrast with the rest of the show which was very well done.

The acting of the Star Fleet officers was all top notch. The show looked amazing — definitely movie quality sets and effects — as impressive of a TV show as I can remember ever having seen. Which makes sense since apparently its the most expensive TV show on a per-episode basis ever made.

I agree with the Game of Thrones analogy in terms of scope and direction on where their headed. But I don’t agree that it was all action. The whole conflict between the first officer and captain was a question of ethics. And I think the central question of what happens when a group that values peace and exploration runs into one that values war and considers a desire for peace a sign of weakness is a very interesting issue.

It seems tedious how there is an alien guy aboard the Fleet ship whose sole job seems to whine and question what everyone else says.
"There's Klingons over there!"
"Meh, you're radiated and have a concussion."

"Lock our phasers on that structure!"
"And threaten another culture, unprovoked?!"

Someone please tell me that in Episode 2, the entire ship and crew from the first episode is annihilated by the Klingons and the show is really about the relief/vengeance crew comprised of a far more likable cast that arrives to deal with the situation.

Moliere wrote:It seems tedious how there is an alien guy aboard the Fleet ship whose sole job seems to whine and question what everyone else says.
"There's Klingons over there!"
"Meh, you're radiated and have a concussion."

"Lock our phasers on that structure!"
"And threaten another culture, unprovoked?!"

I actually thought his was one of the most interesting backstories for a Star Trek alien. He’s evolved from a herbivore, prey-animal. So he has a very defensive mind set, very different from what a carnivore or omnivore with hunter ancestors would have.

It’ll be interesting to see if they develop this idea further and if so where it goes.

Ralph-Wiggum wrote:

Rumpy wrote:I thought it was just so-so. The worst part is the Klingons. God awful Klingons who sound like they have cotton balls in their mouths. Considering that they're the main antagonist in this series, that doesn't bode well. They just don't jive on screen. They're not very convincing.
.

That was the main thing that bothered me in the episode as well. Presumably, that main Klingon dude was supposed to be giving some emotional, rah-rah speech but everything he said was just so monotone that it was distracting. He sounded like the Klingon version of the teacher in Ferris Bueller's Day Off.

Yeah, and the other thing is, they look oddly reptilian that it made me think more of the Gorn who are also warriors. But overall, it was weird to see Klingons that weren't more identifiable. There's the leader, but I'd be hard-pressed to really spot him as such as they're all too similar looking. It's a far cry from other iterations.

wonderpug wrote: We'll see if things change once we get into episodes 3 and later, but right now it doesn't look like Discovery is going to have much philosophizing about ethics or the meaning of life. So far it looks like it'll be an action adventure spinoff miniseries taking place in the Star Trek universe.

Yeah, that's exactly it. This is J.J Abrams style Trek all the way, only made for television. It's only the prologue, but we can already see that it's hyper and the kind of direction it's heading in. This will focus on the Federation-Klingon War, but unlike the exploration of the Cardassian War in DS9, I doubt there will be much in the way of sentimentality or humanity.

I was already rolling my eyes at the reason why they get into a war. It felt so forced. Oh, accidentally meeting up with a Klingon while on a mission and kill him? Then you want to fire on their ship?? Please!!!!!! With that line of thought, of course it's going to lead to 'pew-pew-pew!" It's all shoot first, ask questions later.

And speaking of battles, that felt a lot more like Star Wars to me. I felt that it really took me out of it as a result. How the heck does a ship like that, nevermind the entire fleet, have access to advanced phasers of that sort??? They were more like Turbolasers from SW or ion cannons that DS9's Defiant often used. That's not Pre-TOS. I smell shenanigans, like future interference.

As far as these episodes go, I'm glad I was able to watch the 2nd one via Space. If I had only access to that 1st episode like a lot of people do, that first episode on its own would not be making me want to sign up for their service. It's simply not a good first-impression the way these episodes are structured. It'd be like watching Encounter at Farpoint, but without the second half of the episode, as it's essentially a two-part prologue. Even then, watching them back to back was not really enough to convince me that it's worth watching.

Are they using those stupid bolt type weapons instead of solid beams?

I saw the last 3/4 of this first episode on TV. I'd like to see how it goes - but I'm not paying for it.


I assume that the 'targeting and weapons power up' against the Klingon ship will be the One thing that the Klingon's communicate they respect and that is how this #1 survives mutiny charges...

I hope I can learn what happens, going forward - but I'm not signing up with them to find out.

I enjoyed it. The consensus of people who have seen the first three episodes seems to be that the Thursday shows are a prologue of sorts, I'm definitely interested in seeing the direction the show takes. Six bucks a month for 4 hours of new material from my favorite franchise. Well worth it to me. (But I think anyone that pays the extra 5 bucks to skip the commercials is weird )

Also, I had cause to watch STTMP again last weekend. Damn, that movie is horrible after the first hour or so.

I liked it. I had hoped The Orville would capture the feel of classic Trek, but it doesn't. Instead it goes for cheap laughs and cliched morality tales that a mediocre writer thinks is edgy.

Discovery is more Abrams than Roddenberry, true. But I blame the times we live in. That kind of sentimental optimism doesn't play well with today's viewers. Still, it manages to capture the sense of wonder that Star Trek has also held dear. The thrill of discovery that doesn't need to be accompanied by ironic humor. It also reminds me more of the Star Trek motion picture era (well, post Wrath). Those were far more action oriented than TNG.

True, I don't like the Klingon facelift. Not being able to effectively see their rage through all that makeup somewhat neuters them. Same thing with turning their language into what sounds like a version of Forest K'Gump. Klingons are passion, not measured fanaticism. But they at least adhere to the basic history of the classic Klingons from Star Trek the Motion Picture and on.

I'm in. I liked what I saw and I plan on seeing where it goes.

p.s. I was amused that Sarek's hologram sat down though. That made me laugh. Did they bring a chair into his hologram room and then made sure it was in the exact same position and height as that console edge?

hepcat wrote: p.s. I was amused that Sarek's hologram sat down though. That made me laugh. Did they bring a chair into his hologram room and then made sure it was in the exact same position and height as that console edge?

Yeah, that was just weird.

By the way, is Michelle Yeoh just incapable of aging?

She's been doing it for me since the 90s.

McNutt wrote:She's been doing it for me since the 90s.

+1

Suitably Ironic Moniker wrote:

tgb wrote:I'd like to watch it but as others pointed out, not if I have to pay for it. Sooner or later it will turn up on Hulu or Netflix. I have plenty to watch in the men time.

Considering that this is being shown directly on CBS All Access, I doubt that it will.

It is on Netflix and includes Klingon subtitle.

Daehawk wrote:Are they using those stupid bolt type weapons instead of solid beams?

Yep, exactly, and so so stupid with their claims of it being Pre-TOS. Technologically just doesn't fit and I don't see how one could make a case for it. It's all rapid-fire, and I don't even think the battle was that great either. Everything about it was shown from a distance so you couldn't see much detail anyway.

Think Ill start writing some Captain Shran scripts and see if anything comes of it

Just finished. General reaction so far:

Victoria Raverna wrote:

Suitably Ironic Moniker wrote:

tgb wrote:I'd like to watch it but as others pointed out, not if I have to pay for it. Sooner or later it will turn up on Hulu or Netflix. I have plenty to watch in the men time.

Considering that this is being shown directly on CBS All Access, I doubt that it will.

It is on Netflix and includes Klingon subtitle.

Not on Netflix in the US.

Daehawk wrote:Think Ill start writing some Captain Shran scripts and see if anything comes of it

Are these the ones you shared a while back that all have the subtitle "Captain of My Heart" and usually end with some Ensign named "Sam Dayhok" getting a backrub from Shran after they solve various mysteries with the help of a talking Targ?

Does anyone know if there are commercials on CBS all access?

My plan is to wait for the series to complete and then sign up for one (1) month and watch the whole series via a bunch of mini-binges.

D.A.Lewis wrote:Does anyone know if there are commercials on CBS all access?

My plan is to wait for the series to complete and then sign up for one (1) month and watch the whole series via a bunch of mini-binges.

There are, unless you pay the higher $9.99/mo rate.

Then there still are, just fewer.

Zaxxon wrote:

D.A.Lewis wrote:Does anyone know if there are commercials on CBS all access?

My plan is to wait for the series to complete and then sign up for one (1) month and watch the whole series via a bunch of mini-binges.

There are, unless you pay the higher $9.99/mo rate.

Then there still are, just fewer.

I’m on the $9.99 plan and have not seen any commercials. Disclaimer: I have only watched Star Trek.

ydejin wrote:I’m on the $9.99 plan and have not seen any commercials. Disclaimer: I have only watched Star Trek.

Depends on the show.

Zaxxon wrote:

ydejin wrote:I’m on the $9.99 plan and have not seen any commercials. Disclaimer: I have only watched Star Trek.

Depends on the show.

Are you sure you’re not confusing it with Hulu? Hulu premium does have a few shows with advertisements.

CBS at $9.99 is marketed Commercial-Free and they have more control over their content than Hulu does.

Yes, I'm sure: https://cbsi.secure.force.com/CBSi/View ... 000000Ptab

'Commercial Free' is the CBS version of the mobile carriers' 'Unlimited.'