I’ve been looking forward to the final season, but I’m already kind of disappointed two episodes in. I think what I wish DSC would be and what it is just don’t match on a fundamental level, and I keep expecting too much/wrong things from it.

Things I didn’t like:

– Saru and Lak’s full head and Reynor’s ear prostethics look so rubbery! I could’ve sworn that Saru’s been more real looking in the previous seasons, but I can’t be bothered to go check and might be wrong. I think it’s the texture or lack of it – the prostethics seem too smooth to my eye.
– yet another Soong mention and android. Pray they only stay a mention and a stray character. PRAY Brent Spiner doesn’t show up.
– in 5×01, the bit about Burnham space flying to the raiders’ ship was really bad CGI
– what was happening with Lak’s face around his mouth as the raiders took off their helmets?? It seemed to change shape? I thought it was just bad CGI but I read reviews which thought he might be a shapeshifter or something is going on. The CGI looked bad anyway in that bit.
– that chase on sand bikes was a complete bore: nobody, not the good guys and not the bad guys, were in danger of death or even severe injurity (because the plot would have stopped in its tracks right there). It was much too long and was shot almost completely in close-ups and semi close-ups of the heroes against a fuzzy beige background. There wasn’t actually even a much of real sense of speed because of that and very little was shown from a distance so we couldn’t admire or be impressed or even see if the characters had any skills on driving the sand bikes. Such a boring scene, with bombastic but underwhelming music track that sounded like it’s been played in a 500 other action movies already.
– sigh. another universe destroying threat. Or at least a threat to the existence of all sapient humanoid species, and likely to other life too. I knew to expect it but I’m disappointed anyway.
– Eve Harlow seems to be playing the kind of character she’s already played several times before in the recent years
– Tilly and Adira needing help figuring out the power source thing based on a very basic thing: what technology did the long-dead species used in its time, not what we are using now. They should have thought of that themselves pretty much immediately being smart science geeks. I’m choosing to think that they are both still rather inexperienced and there was a time pressure and needed some guidance from a more experienced officer.

And the things I liked:

+ Saru and T’Rina
+ Admiral Vance’s expressions in 5×01! He’s clearly thinking “these kids” about his officers. And in 5×02 he had a little humanizing touch with his kid.
+ Progenitors. This could be interesting.
+ some cool space and starship images
+ that one guy from the bridge whose name I don’t remember because he never gets to be or do anything despite being in the bridge crew probably from the first season… actually got to go on an away mission in 5×01. And we learned that his rank is a commander! I kept waiting for him to die.
+ Saru’s resigning from Starfleet, leaving Discovery, becoming an ambassador with an important job and is marrying his lady love… he’s sure to die this season.
+ Callum Keith Rennie.
+ Book is back!
+ Grudge!
+ best Data make up and manners since TNG!Data.
+ Raynor for Number One
+ seems Raynor is a bit of a jerk who can be too single-minded about a mission but has a good moral compass and not evil Starfleet like, example, Burke (VOY) was. But in 5×01 he acted very un-Starfleet, wanting to risk the lives of thousands of people in favor of the two people he was chasing. I’m looking forward the dynamics he brings in!
+ 5×02 action scene with Saru and Burnham with the stone security system was actually exciting. Probably because Saru will surely die this season because he has all these great near-future plans he is planning to do. But the music of that scene was again bombastic and underwhelming and heard 500 times before in other action movies

I got this really random thought as I was watching 5×01 – that if TPTB want to really fuck with the all the people who have been complaining about DSC from the start all they have to do is write a decisive and dark conclusion to DSC by having Discovery completely fail its mission, either knowingly and unable to do anything about it or accidentally, by having thought they had stopped it but didn’t just when suddenly the universe ends with the destruction of all life without the possibility of life ever re-kindling ever again anywhere in Star Trek Universe. Maybe with a final, ultimate lens flare.

TPTB: “You don’t like my Star Trek? Fine, no Star Trek ever again because I killed the universe. I’m going home and taking my toys with me” or “These particular heroes have been up against the fate one time too many. The Lesson of DSC is you can try you very best every time and succeed again and again and again… until that one time when, despite all your work and effort and best intentions, you fail. 99 times out of a 100, failing doesn’t mean that the universe ends but as random luck would have it this particular time…”

I don’t think it’ll happen, but it’d be really funny if it did!