7 Things We Want to See In Star Trek: Discovery

Jorge Arenas |

Aug 25, 2017

Star Trek: Discovery is officially less than a month away now. On September 24th, audiences will again boldly go where no man has gone before. As the days continue to countdown till the premiere of the show, I want to really boil it down to the top seven things I want to see in Star Trek: Discovery. Of course the Klingon/Federation conflict is on the top of my mind, but there are a few others as well. Here’s my list of the seven things I am excited to see in Star Trek: Discovery.

7. The Fledgling Federation

It has been made official by showrunners and producers that we will get to see a Klingon Empire that is a stark contrast to what we’re used to. One that isn’t united by the Chancellor and the High Council, but one that is more tribal in nature. The Federation at this point in the timeline is still quite new and is nowhere near as large as the one we saw during the Dominion War during Deep Space Nine’s run. Like Star Trek Enterprise, space is still the wild west. I would like to see that explored in some way in the show. That danger combined with Gene Roddenberry’s philosophy could make for some very well done television.

6. Warp Drive Special Effects

Ok, so this is a bit of the child in me coming out. Ever since I started to watch Star Trek I’ve always loved to see the ships go into warp. The flying stars, the movement of the ship, and even that blast of light that is left as the ship zooms through space. Some of the Star Trek shows have changed it up a bit and how it looks. I’m wondering if Discovery will do that, or try something new. Either way, new technology is giving the show so much to work with compared to what was available with the other iterations of Star Trek.

5. Ship to Ship Interaction

Speaking of CGI and special effects. I cannot hit that tangent without talking about the ships and their movement in space. What I mean by this is, is how ships on the show would meet up with each other, face off and even move about in combat. In most instances on Star Trek ships have met up straight ahead of one another. It felt like space was treated as a two-dimensional space. A lot of this was due to the lack of technology and limited budgets the shows have run on. Discovery has on its side a vastly improved set of tools to work with. I would hope that the show takes advantage of this fact and enriches the show with a better treatment of space and ships movements.

4. Naval Life

The effects of long term outings of naval ships are well documented here on Earth. The cramped space, limited resources, and the general lack of immediate aid causes crews and commanders to be ready for things that normally aren’t a worry for other branches. I hope Star Trek: Discovery brings that type of tension.

Star Trek Voyager hinted at this a bit with the crews’ inability to communicate with loved ones back in the Alpha Quadrant while being stranded in the Delta Quadrant. This is something that Discovery can really explore and treat as a means to build up characters’ development. After a while not speaking or being near loved ones can do quite a bit to human beings. This is something the shows could explore as they seek to find motivations for the characters.

3. Federation Dynamics

It’s ten years before Kirk is a major tagline. It may not seem like it’s a lot of time, but the effects of the conflict between the Federation and Klingons played a major role in the canon for decades. I want to see how the war affects Federation technology, governance, and even colonial expansion during that period. It doesn’t have to be the main focus of the show, but all of those things can again play towards motivations of different characters.

2. The Klingon Federation War

One thing Deep Space Nine got right was how it treated the War with the Dominion. The space battles were great of course. What I’m talking about though is the interplay between factions and the interests of each character, as well as the effects of the conflicts, and how each of them coped with the war. DS9 held back on the dog fighting a bit, but it does so to shine a real focus on the characters and their stories during the war. I would like to see something like that unfold in Star Trek: Discovery.

1. First Officer Focused Story

For the first time that I know of, we will see a series mainly from the perspective and focus of a first officer, not a commanding officer. Though each series didn’t completely zero into the commanding officer, they were still the nexus of the plot and story arcs that drove them. From Captian Janeways desire to see the return of her crew to the Alpha Quadrant to Captian, Archers drive to explore the final frontier, the commanding officers were still the epicenter of each of the shows. In Star Trek: Discovery, we will get to see that change and I’m looking forward to see the focus on the first officer.

What are you excited to see? Let us know below!