Discovery 1x04
Oct. 8th, 2017 08:05 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rivendellroseWell, that was unquestionably an episode that happened.
- Kitty really is a tardigrade! There was also a brief attempt at giving Kitty another name (Ripper), which, both since Kitty is not being played by Anthony Stewart Head and also For Other Reasons, I don't think is a name that will stick. More on this, well...
- Oh my fucking god, they killed Landry. More to the point, oh my fucking god, they killed Rekha Sharma. After 2 episodes. This is not just unfortunate because I love Rekha Sharma and have a bit of a crush on her, but also because that's 2/3 of the women of color on this show that they've managed to kill within 2 episodes of their arrival on the show. Now, fortunately, the third is Michael Burnham, and I doubt we'll be losing her any time soon since she's the lead (and so help me god if we do lose her I will be throwing a fit loud enough to be heard all the way in Toronto). But... now Burnham is surrounded by white people. And Saru, but, let's be real, Saru is played by a white guy. The actor is what matters here. And it's not like Landry was an ally for Burnham, because who is, at this point, except poor Tilly? But... ffs, guys. Can we please keep another woman of color around for more than 2 episodes? Please?
- Yes, I'm biased because I am on record as having crushes on both Rekha Sharma and Michelle Yeoh. I don't care. I am also right, here, regardless of whether my id is involved in matters as well as my sensible mind.
- Also, hey, let's play a game I like to call "reactions during Captain Georgiou call-outs for this episode":
- Is it just me, or did these new Klingons learn how to Klingon from Worf? No sense of humor. No singing. So fucking serious. Look, don't get on me about how Klingons were a more serious threat in TOS, I've watched TOS, and the Klingons were all about calling Enterprise a garbage scow and getting in a bar-fight with Scotty. I suppose there were more serious moments that are just slipping my mind, but in general Klingons, to me, are Martok and Gowron and K'Ehlyr and Sirella. They're loud and drunk and they fight a lot but they also sing a lot and knock their heads together and then get drunk again and laugh about how they made those stupid Humans follow their rituals and wasn't it hilarious? They're often boring and the shows have always focused too much on them, but at least they're sort of fun at the same time that they're boring. These Klingons are... not fun. They're just boring. I knew they were going to get on my nerves being such a big part of the show, and I was officially not wrong.
- Also, Voq is a creepy son of a bitch and I am super sick of him, and I don't love the "special crazy albino" thing, and, just, do we have to?
- I'm totally not just angry because of the face-eating thing, but, let's be real, that didn't help.
- Lorca's still crazy. Saru's still pissy. Tilly's still cute. Stamets is every engineer (software, mechanical, or otherwise) in the world, trying to keep up with what the CEO promised and can't provide, and I feel for him. I like that he threatened to take his toys and go home. Like that's going to work, but, hey, he tried.
- Burnham, you have officially, once again, done a Bad Thing For The Right Reasons.
- Poor Burnham.
- Poor Kitty.
Next week: Lorca gets kidnapped by Klingons! Are... we supposed to want him back? I... hope they come up with a compelling reason for us to want him back? Because so far my reaction is sort of "So that puts Saru in charge. Okay! We're now significantly less likely to win the war, but also infinitely more likely not to commit genocide or some other equally horrible thing!"
Of course, that wouldn't last once Section 31 got their hooks into Saru and his fear ganglia, so I guess it might be good for us to get Lorca back in charge, if only to spare Saru from the truth. I dunno. We've been watching some really great episodes of Enterprise, lately, and after this one I'm actually gonna be pretty glad to go back to that. Less death. Less angst. Less feeling of impending doom. ...And this is the Xindi War arc... Fuck, by the end of this I feel like I might go back and do the Dominion War arc just to see something familiar and less exhausting... I'm not giving up, and I still want to love this show, but... man, this was a tough one for me.
- Kitty really is a tardigrade! There was also a brief attempt at giving Kitty another name (Ripper), which, both since Kitty is not being played by Anthony Stewart Head and also For Other Reasons, I don't think is a name that will stick. More on this, well...
- Oh my fucking god, they killed Landry. More to the point, oh my fucking god, they killed Rekha Sharma. After 2 episodes. This is not just unfortunate because I love Rekha Sharma and have a bit of a crush on her, but also because that's 2/3 of the women of color on this show that they've managed to kill within 2 episodes of their arrival on the show. Now, fortunately, the third is Michael Burnham, and I doubt we'll be losing her any time soon since she's the lead (and so help me god if we do lose her I will be throwing a fit loud enough to be heard all the way in Toronto). But... now Burnham is surrounded by white people. And Saru, but, let's be real, Saru is played by a white guy. The actor is what matters here. And it's not like Landry was an ally for Burnham, because who is, at this point, except poor Tilly? But... ffs, guys. Can we please keep another woman of color around for more than 2 episodes? Please?
- Yes, I'm biased because I am on record as having crushes on both Rekha Sharma and Michelle Yeoh. I don't care. I am also right, here, regardless of whether my id is involved in matters as well as my sensible mind.
- Also, hey, let's play a game I like to call "reactions during Captain Georgiou call-outs for this episode":
- Will and Testament: OH GOD WHY, yes, Burnham, I am with you, throw it under the bunk and cry. Or just cry inside, it's okay, I know you're crying inside, because so am I. Also, clearly there is more to them than captain and commander, I was right, shippy little heart currently happy but full of angst.
- Klingons referring to eating Georgiou's face: OH MY GOD BRYAN FULLER, FUCK YOU, I HATE YOU RIGHT NOW.
- Actual Last Will and Testament: Everything is beautiful and nothing hurts except everything hurts and also apparently Georgiou loved her like a daughter so... I guess I could be okay with that maybe. And also telescope. Unfortunately, my mind keeps going back to the previous point.
- Is it just me, or did these new Klingons learn how to Klingon from Worf? No sense of humor. No singing. So fucking serious. Look, don't get on me about how Klingons were a more serious threat in TOS, I've watched TOS, and the Klingons were all about calling Enterprise a garbage scow and getting in a bar-fight with Scotty. I suppose there were more serious moments that are just slipping my mind, but in general Klingons, to me, are Martok and Gowron and K'Ehlyr and Sirella. They're loud and drunk and they fight a lot but they also sing a lot and knock their heads together and then get drunk again and laugh about how they made those stupid Humans follow their rituals and wasn't it hilarious? They're often boring and the shows have always focused too much on them, but at least they're sort of fun at the same time that they're boring. These Klingons are... not fun. They're just boring. I knew they were going to get on my nerves being such a big part of the show, and I was officially not wrong.
- Also, Voq is a creepy son of a bitch and I am super sick of him, and I don't love the "special crazy albino" thing, and, just, do we have to?
- I'm totally not just angry because of the face-eating thing, but, let's be real, that didn't help.
- Lorca's still crazy. Saru's still pissy. Tilly's still cute. Stamets is every engineer (software, mechanical, or otherwise) in the world, trying to keep up with what the CEO promised and can't provide, and I feel for him. I like that he threatened to take his toys and go home. Like that's going to work, but, hey, he tried.
- Burnham, you have officially, once again, done a Bad Thing For The Right Reasons.
- Poor Burnham.
- Poor Kitty.
Next week: Lorca gets kidnapped by Klingons! Are... we supposed to want him back? I... hope they come up with a compelling reason for us to want him back? Because so far my reaction is sort of "So that puts Saru in charge. Okay! We're now significantly less likely to win the war, but also infinitely more likely not to commit genocide or some other equally horrible thing!"
Of course, that wouldn't last once Section 31 got their hooks into Saru and his fear ganglia, so I guess it might be good for us to get Lorca back in charge, if only to spare Saru from the truth. I dunno. We've been watching some really great episodes of Enterprise, lately, and after this one I'm actually gonna be pretty glad to go back to that. Less death. Less angst. Less feeling of impending doom. ...And this is the Xindi War arc... Fuck, by the end of this I feel like I might go back and do the Dominion War arc just to see something familiar and less exhausting... I'm not giving up, and I still want to love this show, but... man, this was a tough one for me.
no subject
Date: 2017-10-09 05:53 am (UTC)Worf had his own issues, and I love him dearly, and I think he's remarkably stable for trying to integrate two wildly different worldviews and sets of ethics into one person... and even he had a hell of a lot more fun than this! Break out the painsticks already, guys!
no subject
Date: 2017-10-09 04:42 pm (UTC)Not that they easily could look happy or unhappy our doubtful or angry about anything, since some moron makeup designer decided to give them the most immobile facial appliance I think I've seen since the days of TOS. Ever since I saw in a behind-the-scenes thing that it's a one-piece appliance that covers the actor's whole damned face except the bit right around their eyes I've had no doubt that's what's happening. And if they'd had the sense to consult with someone from the previous series' makeup department, they'd know you can't do that with characters who are meant to be talking and emoting a lot, unless you hire an unusually skilled character actor like Rene Auberjonois to whom even an inch of latex is no impediment, or someone like Doug Jones who doesn't act with his face so much as his whole body to begin with. These poor Klingons can barely get their lines out past their prosthetic mouths and their prosthetic teeth, and that's not the actors' faults.
...Ahem. Sorry for the rant. I have feelings about creature makeup design.
Edited to add: In fairness to the production staff, looking over IMDB indicates that all of the three guys who are listed as head of the makeup department do have experience in sci-fi and fantasy, and significant experience in the field in general. One of them even worked as a makeup artist on DS9. IDEFK. Clearly it was intentional, I just can't imagine why they'd choose to make it nearly impossible for their actors to emote, or even speak clearly. But what do I know, I've just been a fan of sci-fi makeup design for twenty-odd years...
no subject
Date: 2017-10-09 07:02 pm (UTC)