dramaticwords

One day, someone may adapt JRR Tolkien's rich and detailed history of Middle-Earth for the screen in all its majestic grandeur... but it is not this day. The producers of this show seem to have taken Tolkien's works, cut them into slivers, thrown them into the air, caught a small handful, and randomly assembled them into a new story they can use as a platform for 21st century themes. Then they hired amateur "writers" who can't write dialogue, characters, or plots of any quality or consistency. Some pretty pictures though.

There should be a limit to the number of times a producer is allowed to fail when rebooting a series. This is Alex Kurtzman's fourth attempt, and he has clearly learned nothing. Bad writing, bad continuity, and unlikable characters continue to be the hallmarks of modern "Star Trek."

The best episode was the first. The longer this series goes on, the worse job it does adapting the original works. Meaningful parts are excluded. Relationships are rendered superficial. Characters are reimagined in worse ways, or wasted, along with the franchise's potential. The general quality of writing declines the further the show gets from its source material, which in season two is completely abandoned.

It's one thing to satirize something, but when it's your own brand you're tearing down, that makes little sense. Lower Dreck tries to push the message that Star Trek was stupid, and fans who found it inspiring were stupid. Rather than put Starfleet officers in funny situations, it tries to mock Starfleet in the most juvenile and condescending way. Fans will hate this show. Non-fans won't get the references. Too many naked men for a kids show. Not smart enough for adults. Who is this for?

Dumbed-down version of a formerly great franchise. Plots and character motivations make no sense. Continuity is nonexistent. So much money wasted on such bad storytelling.

Too preachy. Too many weak stories. And an ending that ruins the Time Lords and rewrites the Doctor's history badly.

Episode 2 and Capt. Picard still has not made it off the ground (literally, he still doesn't have command of a starship). Instead, Picard is held back by a Starfleet that seems to have lost so many of its traditional values that it feels like this episode takes place in the Mirror Universe. Typical of Alex Kurtzman productions, the episode features absurd dialogue and salty language that makes it less than appropriate for family viewing. While the episode begins lively enough, it peters out halfway through and by the end is just boring.

Like all Star Trek written or produced by Alex Kurtzman, this show has good production values but is handicapped by ridiculous dialogue and a plot that makes little sense. It's supposed to be a mystery story (who is the mysterious woman named Dahj), but has none of the investigative curiosity or diligence that typified similar stories in other incarnations of Star Trek. Instead, we see a jaded old Picard who relies more on supposition than evidence. Worse, the show has none of Star Trek's traditional spirit of optimism for the future, its thirst for adventure, or its exploration of strange new civilizations. Long time Star Trek fans will be disappointed. Anyone new to Star Trek would be better off watching reruns of Star Trek: The Next Generation, or even Star Trek: Enterprise.

This show absolutely ruins one of the most popular characters in the Star Trek franchise. If you like Capt. Picard, avoid it at all costs. Worse, the plot is a mishmash of several undeveloped plotlines and science fiction cliches that together make no sense. Not like Star Trek at all. Not good.

This is what SF should be: a vehicle to explore issues with optimism for the future of humanity. (I am so tired of seeing bleak futures populated by immoral people.)