Ok show but at times overdramatized. Also the moderators (historians) seem to be easily impressed at times marveling f.e. in awe at a simple concrete wall. I sometimes wondered if they really were where there claimed to be. But it is still interesting to see the amont of construction that took place. That is really mind-boggling.
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@finfan I am in total agreement with you. I also CANNOT fathom how in the war machine they managed to get the resources and engineers to build some of this stuff when now in this day and age simple bridges and malls etc fall apart brand new..!!!... I thinks it shows the desperation during wartime maybe? [sometimes seems unbelievable?]
Who else waited for Anthony Hopkins appearance? xD
And that epic quote
We weren't here to code the hosts.
We were here to decode the guests.However, in my mind, this episode full of flaws, like what the guard did and caused the cradle to get destroyed! really WTF! and how everyone is just getting killed almost without a fight! Shame on you HBO, we didn't expect those mistakes from you!!
I only gave it 7 because of Anthony Hopkins appearance.
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@ahmedhamdy90 I really hate that. Hosts wiping floor with those special forces with such ease, even though they have far more better equipment. That scene of Clementine killing alone a dozen of people was so stupid. They're like lambs going to slaughter, no thinking, nothing, just standing still out of cover, and letting being killed by hosts.
According to imdb.com the DVD has 20 min of restored footage that wasn't included in the theatrical release. To be honest, they should have left it out. Because it lengthened the movie and leads to logical errors.
Still, as the first feature from Laurel and Hardy it is worth watching.loading replies
@finfan "Pardon Us" isn't one of my favourites. They apparently lost the sound for that extra 20 minutes of footage, and tried to restore the sound with actors, music, and voices from previous films, such as Stan saying: "wait there!", but it doesn't really work. The film feels dragged out. If they left it out, it would be a much better film.
One of the best Laurel & Hardy movies. The piano transport is a classic on its own
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@finfan Completely agree! Love this one. :)
Two of my favorite comedians. I've always been a huge Steve Martin fan but Martin Short ruled this show. But I do think this was shortened because there was very little of Steve.
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@finfan Am guessing you felt a little short-changed!
The movie that propably had the most impact on my life.
I was little over 10 at the time I saw it first. My dad brought it home on VHS. From the first second my eyes were glued to the screen. Immediately after it was over I rewound the tape and watched it again which up to today, close to 35 later, I haven´t done with any other movie. I recorded it on audio tape so I could listen to it, even wrote down the whole thing on paper (that was well before the internet, folks). We re-ennacted the scenes, I had memorized every line. I cannot recall how many times I`ve seen it since then.
I would give it 11 if possible.loading replies
@finfan I am sorry to hear that, if you have the chance to see the movie in the future, please let me know what you think, I am interested in your opinion :) Have a nice day
Kudos to Marvel/Netflix for, again, making me watch a show I didn´t particulary enjoy to the end by tying it all loosely together and calling it a Universe. It´s the fear to miss something and not the quality of the show.
The whole setup doesn´t work for me. All that black gangsta hip hop style isn´t hitting home. The villian makes the hero and that Cottonmouth is just a smalltime wannabe. I mean, he just doesn´t have it. All those gangster types are so cliched that it hurts. And at the bottom of the story is a bad guy with daddy issues. That´s thin
Luke Cage, while he seemed to be interesting as a secondary in Jessica Jones he doesn´t carry a show. He just don´t, he´s boring after a short while. That indestructible thing kills all the drama. A character like Daredevil f.e. he can be hit, he bleeds, he can die - with Cage you know he enters a scene, get´s shot over and over then hits some guys and that´s it. When there finaly was the means of him getting hurt it became slightly better but there I lost interest already. And I am sure (up to now I haven´t finished the season) they will find a way to make him invincible again. What´s the point? Even Superman has his Kryptonite.loading replies
@finfan as usual, I agree (though Infinity War was marvellous). I will boost Punisher to the top of my Marvel shows watch list, though I am quite tempted by the second season of Jessica Jones, because that first season is still my favourite Marvel show until now. But I will definitely start being more picky when it comes to Marvel shows, there are things that are definitely not worthy of our time.
The movie that propably had the most impact on my life.
I was little over 10 at the time I saw it first. My dad brought it home on VHS. From the first second my eyes were glued to the screen. Immediately after it was over I rewound the tape and watched it again which up to today, close to 35 later, I haven´t done with any other movie. I recorded it on audio tape so I could listen to it, even wrote down the whole thing on paper (that was well before the internet, folks). We re-ennacted the scenes, I had memorized every line. I cannot recall how many times I`ve seen it since then.
I would give it 11 if possible.loading replies
@finfan are you going to watch Solo? I really liked it (while I didn't like Rogue One at all, even if it is considered one of the best one). I finally had fun watching a Star Wars movie, like I did 26 years ago when I saw Episode 4 for the first time (I was 5 back then, a similar experience to yours, in VHS, a gift from a friend).
It's not a perfect movie, but I enjoyed it.
Quit watching after about 40 episodes because quite frankly I couldn't stand it any longer.
I love science fiction but this I could never really get into. It had some good episodes but they were almost always followed by a bunch of bad to mediocre ones. The budget couldn't have been much because it looked cheap on every corner - sfx, masks, props - the sound effects were almost comical at times. I could have stand all this if they had at least decent writing or some science in science fiction. They had neither. And some admittingly good looking girls in tight outfits are not enough.
If other people like - fine by me - but I was hugely dissapointed.
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@finfan Very much agree. I remember dropping this show in the 60s episodes (though i really can't remember) around 5 years ago. I remember liking the first season but can't remember much after that. I do remember some of the combat scenes would just go on and on with lame background music, and the stories weren't that good and nothing much was being done for the characters either. I remember looking online for answers why it was so different and to give some more perspective to how i was feeling about the show. I read a wonderful review that i would read after each season and i shared in excitement of the first and agreed as the seasons went on that it got worse, and simply it got to the point where the reviewer dropped the show, they said they weren't enjoying it anymore. It was like i had woken up or something, because then when i watched an episode or few more i realized i wasn't really enjoying it either, and dropped the show. Yeah so turns out the main writer/showrunner left after season 1 or midway through season 2 which explains the difference. Real shame because i remember really liking the first season, such potential. The main writer wrote some comments on a forum of how we would have continued the show after season 1 and it actually seems pretty good. Been a long time though so mabye if i rewatch the show i'll have a different view.
Edit: So, i've been rewatching this show for a while, and i'm in the middle of the third season. It's been a lot better than i remembered. The first season is good and then yeah it drops off, probably because the showrunner left, but it's still pretty decent, and there's some good episodes now and then.
Ya, I´ll admit, after following for 11 years there was some moist in my eyes.
And about time Mark Hamill showed up.
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@finfan I almost screamed like a little fangirl when Howard opened the door and Mark Hamill was standing there!!
Shout by FinFan
Is there really a difference if Hannah wears a badge or not? She breaks in with a loaded weapon, commits bodily harm, and she simply calls Aaron and comes free. Also Kendra and Trey, where does this come from? No chemistry, if you ask me. It seems it's only there to add a romance. Finally, the mysterious candidate - what a surprise. As if that was a big secret.
But it's good that the campaign is likely to start in the next season. I only see two possible scenarios. Kirkman is re-elected and we get Season 4 or he loses and the show ends after Season 3.
Despite what I wrote above, I will come back next week.
Suplemental May 12:
Doesn't matter any more, I just read ABC has canceled so next week will be the last episode.loading replies
You forgot the third possible scenario. The first scenario could happen and the show could still be canceled.
I would have wrote the above had I seen it earlier. In either case the show is canceled. But the above is still possible because show runners want to leave the possibility of renewal on the table.
You’re right about the forced romance. I didn’t see that coming at all. We saw them in those meetings for Alex like one time.
Shout by FinFan
Is there really a difference if Hannah wears a badge or not? She breaks in with a loaded weapon, commits bodily harm, and she simply calls Aaron and comes free. Also Kendra and Trey, where does this come from? No chemistry, if you ask me. It seems it's only there to add a romance. Finally, the mysterious candidate - what a surprise. As if that was a big secret.
But it's good that the campaign is likely to start in the next season. I only see two possible scenarios. Kirkman is re-elected and we get Season 4 or he loses and the show ends after Season 3.
Despite what I wrote above, I will come back next week.
Suplemental May 12:
Doesn't matter any more, I just read ABC has canceled so next week will be the last episode.loading replies
@FinFan I completely agree. I kind of always thought it’d get canceled and there’d be no season three. The ratings for season two were worse than season one and season one ratings weren’t great to begin with. And frankly this plot always had an expiration date. It was nice while it lasted though.
Shout by FinFan
Is there really a difference if Hannah wears a badge or not? She breaks in with a loaded weapon, commits bodily harm, and she simply calls Aaron and comes free. Also Kendra and Trey, where does this come from? No chemistry, if you ask me. It seems it's only there to add a romance. Finally, the mysterious candidate - what a surprise. As if that was a big secret.
But it's good that the campaign is likely to start in the next season. I only see two possible scenarios. Kirkman is re-elected and we get Season 4 or he loses and the show ends after Season 3.
Despite what I wrote above, I will come back next week.
Suplemental May 12:
Doesn't matter any more, I just read ABC has canceled so next week will be the last episode.loading replies
@jbaby_9783 you are right, that is another possibility. I was looking at it under the assumption that a) there is a 3rd season and b) they don't cancel with only one episode left. Then a 3rd season could focus around the campaign and the end could have gone either way. To be honest, although I like the show, I never saw it going much longer that one more season anyway.
Kudos to Marvel/Netflix for, again, making me watch a show I didn´t particulary enjoy to the end by tying it all loosely together and calling it a Universe. It´s the fear to miss something and not the quality of the show.
The whole setup doesn´t work for me. All that black gangsta hip hop style isn´t hitting home. The villian makes the hero and that Cottonmouth is just a smalltime wannabe. I mean, he just doesn´t have it. All those gangster types are so cliched that it hurts. And at the bottom of the story is a bad guy with daddy issues. That´s thin
Luke Cage, while he seemed to be interesting as a secondary in Jessica Jones he doesn´t carry a show. He just don´t, he´s boring after a short while. That indestructible thing kills all the drama. A character like Daredevil f.e. he can be hit, he bleeds, he can die - with Cage you know he enters a scene, get´s shot over and over then hits some guys and that´s it. When there finaly was the means of him getting hurt it became slightly better but there I lost interest already. And I am sure (up to now I haven´t finished the season) they will find a way to make him invincible again. What´s the point? Even Superman has his Kryptonite.loading replies
@finfan I'm soooo lagging behind on Marvel shows... There's too many of them! But I will gladly skip season two of Luke Cage. I actually had more fun watching Iron Fist (which is considered to be the worse Marvel show, I think) than this. Still need to watch season 2 of Daredevil and Jessica Jones and Punisher and The Defenders... I definitely need to be more picky when it comes to Marvel shows.
Kudos to Marvel/Netflix for, again, making me watch a show I didn´t particulary enjoy to the end by tying it all loosely together and calling it a Universe. It´s the fear to miss something and not the quality of the show.
The whole setup doesn´t work for me. All that black gangsta hip hop style isn´t hitting home. The villian makes the hero and that Cottonmouth is just a smalltime wannabe. I mean, he just doesn´t have it. All those gangster types are so cliched that it hurts. And at the bottom of the story is a bad guy with daddy issues. That´s thin
Luke Cage, while he seemed to be interesting as a secondary in Jessica Jones he doesn´t carry a show. He just don´t, he´s boring after a short while. That indestructible thing kills all the drama. A character like Daredevil f.e. he can be hit, he bleeds, he can die - with Cage you know he enters a scene, get´s shot over and over then hits some guys and that´s it. When there finaly was the means of him getting hurt it became slightly better but there I lost interest already. And I am sure (up to now I haven´t finished the season) they will find a way to make him invincible again. What´s the point? Even Superman has his Kryptonite.loading replies
@finfan this is the most accurate description/review of this show I've read around here. I started watching Luke Cage with mild interest (I liked him in Jessica Jones) but then I realized it took me almost a year to finish the first season and I actually had to struggle to watch it to the very end. It got boring very fast. I'm definitely not coming back for a second season, should there ever be one.
I hope this weapon is not meant literally but rather as some kind of metaphor.
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@finfan I think the satellite might have to do with all the hosts across each world. Being able to upload code to all hosts ever created throughout each world. I'm guessing Dolores is trying to get there so she can wake up all the hosts in the other parks.
The Abernathy data smuggle confuses me as well though.
I hope this weapon is not meant literally but rather as some kind of metaphor.
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@finfan I believe its the place where William showed Dolores the construction at the end. I'm guessing it has to be where all the guests' data is stored.
I really don't know why this show has such a hold on me. All they are doing is taking recent events and spinning them around fictional countries and people. And it is almost inconcievable that every decision Kirkman makes, turnes out to be the right one, after all the dust has settled.
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Because it’s what we wish would happen. Kirkman is competent. We don’t have a competent president IRL.
So did the writers played on a hunch when Kim Raver was casted as Andrea Frost that everybody would assume she would be romantically involved with Kirkman and therefore ignoring her as a suspect ? Interesting.
Also, does this mean we have seen the last of Damien ? Because I never liked the character and he really was not contributing much.loading replies
I truly hope he’s gone for good! I never liked him. Even before we knew he was a bad guy.
Now, this is a difficult episode to write about. On the one hand its an acting tour-de-force and pushes characters in new directions. On the other hand it sometimes tips into really silly territory and turns Dukat into a comic book villain instead of the nuanced, multifaceted character he's been up until this point.
I can't help but feel that it's trying to evoke a similar feeling to the amazing episode 'Duet', which was way back in season 1. It doesn't come close to that overall, but it does achieve a very satisfying back-and-forth between two strong characters. Sisko and Dukat get to really go at it and explore all the aspects of their relationship, finally letting the truth burst out. The actors both give it their all and along with the script they manage to create some truly captivating viewing.
But it's sprinkled throughout the episode rather than being consistent. The lulls are made up for by the excellent scenes with Dukat and his "demons", those being the exaggerated imagined versions of Damar, Kira and Weyoun. These three really move the episode along and provide gorgeously over-the-top caricatures of the real characters - and so much of what they say is true to the real ones while being far more honest and direct.
The episode fumbles things a bit with an unsatisfactory ending in which Dukat just becomes unhinged and accepts his new evil ways. It's hard to not see it as Benjamin pushing him towards that rather than trying to reign him in. At the same time, the truth is liberating and there's a morbid fascination in seeing Dukat admit that he should have killed every single Bajoran when he could.
The scenes on board the Defiant are also troublesome, notably from Bashir and O'Brien who seem to think that Sisko is more important than the thousands of Federation troops their supposed to be protecting. O'Brien even looks disappointed when the find two survivors and they aren't people he knows. It does all lead to a great moment when Worf gets to casually, and authoritatively, put Bashir in his place.
An episode that was aiming higher than it managed to reach, but is still quite captivating. On a side note, I'm watching Voyager alongside this and I can't imagine it ever producing something of this ambition or substance. The writing and characters on that show are just laughable in comparison to the complexity that has developed here.
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@finfan Yes, I feel the same. I understand why some people love it - it's very easy to watch. But it's so lacking in substance for me that it's probably right down at the bottom of my list.
It's a typical normal-man-gets-into-impossibe-situation thriller that follows the blueprint for the genre. If that is what you're looking for than that is what you'll get. As long as you don't expect the world out of it you'll be fine.
Oh, and Liam is actually close to being 66 and if you ask me it doesn't show. I'll hope he does some more movies.loading replies
@finfan His age was also on my mind. Especially since the character was 60 years of age :)
According to the votes people obviously like this one but as far as stupid Star Trek episodes go this has a shot at being right at the top. The general idea is good but the excecution is - shall we say - to artistic for my taste.
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@finfan I don't think the average score means that much for most shows. It seems to always be in the 70-80% range, roughly, for episodes with a statistically significant vote count. It's almost like Trakt ratings follow a regression toward the mean(ingless).
An away team mingling with different cultures? Oh my, for a moment there I almost thought I was watching a Star Trek episode!
I'm guessing this first season of Discovery suffered from premature ejaculation, since it peaked a few episodes back and instead of ending with the bang it made us believe it was going to, it went out with a silent fart. Now I kinda wanted the over-the-top season finale I thought this was gonna be. It was the exact opposite of "over-the-top", if the war with the Klingons hadn't been (way too quickly) resolved in this episode I would even say this was a filler episode. It sure felt like one. That's no way to end a season.
Kudos for the mandatory season finale cliffhanger, though. I'm sure that kept around some folks for season two who had already decided to quit the show after the tepid finale. I'm a sucker for nostalgia, so of course I squealed like a little fangirl after witnessing such ending. Also thanks for the cute end credits song, now you've pissed the trekkies even more, something I didn't think it was possible for this show.
Discovery is kinda "meh" as a Star Trek series but (ignoring the lame finale), it's still too much fun to not stick around for the second season. I'll most certainly be back for another dose of this delightful space-opera!
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@finfan I'm a bit younger than you, so I'm sure I haven't been a fan of Star Trek for as long as you have (and our previous conversations already established that you're way more into this than I am), but I grew up with TNG, so I inevitably tend to compare all Star Trek series to that (and, in my opinion, none of them beats TNG, I feel that they perfected the formula with that show). It's obvious that they're trying to please old fans, but I feel that they're more focused in grabbing the new fans from the movies while riding the Netflix bandwagon that's so trendy right now (everyone watches TV shows, these days, thanks to Netflix). Due to the sheer amount of content currently available regarding TV shows, this generation tends to have an incredibly short attention span, so they need to focus on visuals and action to keep the target audience hooked. They have no time for moral questions or ethical dilemmas or detailed first time interaction between alien species, things that have always been at the core of Star Trek. That's how I see things, anyway (and I fear I may be rambling, again).
As for the renewal, I've read elsewhere that the ratings weren't that good (but, like you said, it was renewed when they were good enough to justify it). I may be walking on a limb, here, but I'm betting this show will get just another season and then be cancelled even before it finishes. They will most likely fail to expand the audience (who has to pay to watch the show) and the production costs (as you've mentioned) are just too high to keep the show going for just a smaller hardcore crowd of viewers. This reminds me that I have mixed feelings about that ending, it's like their pulling out the Enterprise card in the despair of trying to catch the attention of the old fanbase. Of course, it tickled with my nostalgia and I was screaming like a little kid when I first saw the iconic ship on screen, but now I've pondered about it and I'm almost sure they will manage to fuck that up for the old fans and maybe just keep the new ones interested.
Regardless of my rambling, your last sentence summed things up pretty nicely.
The movie that propably had the most impact on my life.
I was little over 10 at the time I saw it first. My dad brought it home on VHS. From the first second my eyes were glued to the screen. Immediately after it was over I rewound the tape and watched it again which up to today, close to 35 later, I haven´t done with any other movie. I recorded it on audio tape so I could listen to it, even wrote down the whole thing on paper (that was well before the internet, folks). We re-ennacted the scenes, I had memorized every line. I cannot recall how many times I`ve seen it since then.
I would give it 11 if possible.loading replies
@finfan Thanks for sharing this nice story with us. I was very young as well, I watched it the first time when I was 5. They gave me a VHS I still have in my collection. Still my favourite episode. What about you? Which one is your favourite?
Does anybody know if Natasha McElhone wanted out ? It does not make much sense to kill FLOTUS in what seems to be a random car accident.
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@finfan She got a role on another film opposite Sean Penn http://deadline.com/2017/09/natascha-mcelhone-cast-beau-willimon-the-first-hulu-exit-designated-survivor-abc-1202177797/
Contains major spoilers !!!!!
Huge and utterly dissapointing. After TFA I said this movie would make or break the story. For me it broke.
Where to begin? Let´s start with my biggest problem.
After that rebel cruisers bridge was hit and Leia was thrown into space we saw her drifting in the cold empty vacuum of space. This was a powerful scene and I had tears welling up in my eyes thinking that would be a great ending for the character dying how she always lived. Fighting. I did not realise, or care, that it would have been a huge coincidence had they written this scene at that point not knowing Carrie would pass away. But as I said powerful scene. And then she opens her eyes and floated back into the ship still beeing alive. At that point I was seriously considering leaving the cinema. It´s scifi but, please, without as much as a hint of an explanation that is just awful writing. It is Disney all over it. Anyway I stayed and watched the rest but in general I was done with the movie.
There are tons of other things I didn´t like.
way to much unnessesary and stupid humor. Most of the time it does not fit and just destroys scenes. Holding for General Hux - that might have been OK once but two or three times it just becomes goofy. And there is more of this througout the movie.
the writing was all over the place. So much things going on that do little to nothing for the general plot and just add playtime. Like that whole thing with the codebreaker, going to the casino. Just sugarcoating CGI.
and speaking of playtime - way too long. About five times towards the end I thought it was over. It could have ended when the reached the rebel base- no let´s add another battle. When they realised they where trapped. With Luke going out to face Kylo. At some point I would have been OK with the movie ending with the First Order defeating the rebels, everyone dying, and the franchise done with. But of course that is not happening and the movie ends.....no, just show us a kid with a broom looking at the stars and indicate he could be the hero of a future movie.
in many ways the continuation of storylines is not satisfiying. They introduce Snoke in the first movie without an explanation who he is, where he comes from and how he got there. Would have been OK, could have done later. So now he´s dead without so much as a fight and there are questions left to be answered.
what about Rey ? Are we really to believe her parents were some drunk and drifting scavengers that sold her for money like Ren said ? That would be very stupid because how in the universe could she master the Force in ways even the best Jedis or Sith couldn´t without as much as years of training. Another void in the storytelling.
too many, shall I call them, homage scenes ? A lot of times I felt I had already seen this movie. The scene in the throne room f.e. Snoke = Emperor, Rey = Luke, Ben = Vader, the destruction of the rebel fleet playing in the background and the Ben killing Snoke is like Vader killing the Emperor. I know that was said about TFA as well but I feel it´s much worse here. The Battle of Hoth reviseted would be another thing where they re-did some scenes to a T. All that was left was tow cables.
Those are just some examples of the things I disliked and maybe there could be satisfactory explanation later. There is a lot more but it would take too much time to write it down. But I doubt I will go to the cinema for the next one.
To be fair there where some positives in this movie.
I liked the scenes with Rey and Luke althought they did not really lead anywhere. But some nice insights into Lukes story after ROTJ.
The conversations between Kylo and Rey where very interesting and I thought there was really potential to steer the story to something new and exciting. Not happening.
So overall I was not satisfied. I really like TFA, it built some expectations that where all crushed with this. As far as I am concerned I am done with this new story. I am not not very eager to find out what else the canibalise and how they try to write themselves out of this. There is nothing left.
This is my view of the movie. If you liked it I´m happy for you.
May the Force be with us. Always.
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@finfan This is how I felt. Key annoying points for me where the killing off of Snoke with no build up or story, the weaponisation of light speed, the anticlimax of Luke's story, and the gravity bombs in space, to name but a few.
I've decided to pretend this movie doesn't exist.
Reboot this as much as you want Maguire was the best Spider-Man.
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Amen to that! Maguire was amazing!
"The Star Trek Without the Star Trek Within". Yes, silly title, it made as much sense as the episode itself (but, to be honest, Discovery does often feel like Star Trek without the Star Trek within). Well, at least they're gearing up for what it seems to be a fun (though most likely ludicrous) season finale.
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@finfan ooooh, now that would have been lovely! Yes, the admiral not only isn't interesting, she also isn't very convincing. Bad casting choice, in my opinion. Good (?) Lorca vs. Evil Georgiou, now that's a winning combo!
"The Star Trek Without the Star Trek Within". Yes, silly title, it made as much sense as the episode itself (but, to be honest, Discovery does often feel like Star Trek without the Star Trek within). Well, at least they're gearing up for what it seems to be a fun (though most likely ludicrous) season finale.
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@finfan thanks! The dullness of the "regular universe" inspired me. I miss evil Lorca.
This penultimate episode of season one was fantastic! The storytelling is clearly at it's best this season. Can't wait for next weeks finale!
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@finfan I can relate to what you getting at, but still I can't help but to love this show.
