Short Treks - re:View

oh hi rich Evans hey what's up have you heard from Ellen yet I thought she was gonna invite you on her show by now so that her audience could see what happened to dick the birthday boy she was but then she saw what I look like now and didn't want to depress everybody I I got to live long enough for Julia Roberts to be horrified by me you know this conversation is is much funner than the conversation we're about to have but we're here today to talk about Star Trek discovery like what's what's what's all the setup here this is different well rich I'm glad you asked because for this video and all of our future Star Trek Discovery videos I invented the CBS all access canceled Metron this device is directly wired to your CBS all access account and whenever you're ready to cancel it all it works [Music] so rich are you wait what I know I invented this device but every time the light goes off and on does that Rhys absque Ribe you or yeah okay okay if it goes off a tree subscribes yes this is a bit because I canceled my CBS all access the second I finished watching season one that's not a joke it was it was the first thing I did when I didn't have to watch discovery anymore shamefully I I just forgot like all their their bean counters hoped for and I just let it lapse and didn't watch a single [ __ ] thing on it for six months until the release of the Star Trek shorts called short treks starting October 4 get ready for the exclusive new stories short tracks they're released three short tracks so far there's gonna be a fourth one in January of which I didn't even know about I thought they were just doing three yeah or else I would have waited to make this show but I think the fourth one's coming out right before the premiere of season two so whatever I don't even need to watch the fourth one I don't care I really don't care I like Rainn Wilson but I really owe ya his version of Harry Mudd that's right it's a Harry Mudd one yeah short trucks continues with the escape artist January 3rd on CBS all access so why do they make short tracks to give to desperately look for a reason to have people hold on their CBS all access accounts if there's something for you to watch you just watch the trailer the full trailer for season 2 just a minute ago captain 10 century ships on an intercept course I risked everything to help you you assume every burden is yours alone first time watching it what were your initial reactions I the same reaction I have I've had to discovery before it's it's Star Trek made by people who don't like Star Trek and they're desperate to turn Star Trek in do something that is not yeah we don't like this optimistic hopeful view of the future we want drama action drama looming threats people who are miserable and angry at each other that's what Star Trek discovery is and that's exactly what I don't watch Star Trek for aren't you excited about the Red Angel that made me sick these signals typically followed the arrival of a being we call the Red Angel to syndrome showed me an apocalyptic Asian someone or something is going to end all sentient life in a galaxy the Red Angel made me sick I think I rolled my eyes I did something what I was watching that trailer when they brought up the red Angel because it's such a such an awful idea for a Star Trek show here's a super villain for this season no it's just like Thanos go explore that interesting world you [ __ ] it's a giant [ __ ] galaxy of discovery and opportunity your shows called discovery stop blowing things up but the red angel of doom is coming I don't care it's just like Thanos someone or something is going to end all sentient life in the galaxy you have Star Trek which is this this niche franchise it's always had a fairly small but loyal fan base and you're making something for this niche fan base that specifically does not appeal to that niche fan base you want star wars fans the brand name is important and that's all that matters unfortunately I think they miscalculated because the brand it's not just the brand a Star Wars fans are I think a little more like if it's got that logo on it it's got that logo on it you know but Star Trek fans I think I'm not saying one group is smarter than the other they're saying they're a little more on particular yeah about about the product um the Star Wars is is Walmart [Applause] Star Trek is like Neiman Marcus I think they know what they had with the brand name and they don't care about the small niche market or audience you know and they're trying to turn it into so they tried to turn it into something bigger that would appeal to Star Wars slash Marvel fans we're on a collision course with a pulsar literally thought we were all gonna die wherever our mission takes us have a little fun along the way this new trailer to me was very much like an Avengers movie like yes it's coming like like there is like four or five opening lines that are like the the world is changing basically those kind of lines yeah there is a great responsibility at hand this could be the defining moment for multiple civilizations millions of lives the future may be determined by our actions I think it backfire though it did not catch on with the wider fan base I don't think I don't think discovery is that popular with the general populace and the niche fans are just watching the Orval there Orville's where I'm getting my Star Trek fixed now yeah I don't know if you noticed this but in the did you watch the first trailer for Star Trek discovery season 2 that's right yeah but I think I forgot about it there is a shot at the end when there's like five or six characters standing in the turbolift it's like Michael Burnham and somebody and somebody else that it looks brighter it looks more vibrant the colors of their uniforms and stuff yeah and then there's like a goofy alien and I want to say he burps or farts or something and it's a flat comedy shot of all these characters and an elevator something funny happens I can't remember but but it is it looks very or valium which to me wreaked of desperation it's like it's like all the people behind the scenes like hi the word vote is doing better and let's throw in this shot to kind of make it look like this is them it's just like a like a Frankenstein's monster of like parts and things like this red angel threat now it's just it's very marvelous yike and now it's like oh that was all that [ __ ] success and put that in there and like nobody knows what they're doing Marie has rightly absolutely do first they got rid of Brian fuller and then now the the previous two show runners that were doing discovery got fired and then now alex kurtzman fully in charge because you know he did very well with this the amazing spider-man Cinematic Universe as well as launching the dark universe Cinematic Universe with with a with the successful Mummy film [Music] [Music] that ultimately wasn't a success though all these things rich they're like they're like Chinese Rockets start off and then eventually they just blow up and fall back to earth you know what I mean but I would have figured that bad robot was past the it exploded the stage and that luster was now gone and I would not ask Alex Kurtzman to head my Star Trek series if you have a big success in Hollywood you can ride that your entire career and have numerous failures one after the other and I was raised to believe this service was my purpose yeah I think also to like with the opener they like blew half the budget for the entire season on the first two episodes and then they had to like scale it back then they had stopped production and then they fired everybody and then they had to make short tracks because they had to push the season to back nine months you know it's all detailed in other videos all over the internet and and who knows what is completely true and what is not sure tracks let's talk about the short tracks all right short tracks I don't know what order they came out in but the first one i watch was called Calypso okay sure Trax continues with Calypso on November raid on CBS all access that was an odd duck wasn't it you you have the Star Trek you have this short Trek short trucks and the the only thing it has in common with the Discovery Series is the the sets right none of the the show's regular characters are there in any way whatsoever and for some reason the ship is now sentient and you know what it's probably the single best piece of discovery media I've watched it definitely was the best of the short treks it felt like a sci-fi short that they had adapted to fit into the discover universe man wakes up or man is is an escape pod yeah comes to a ship that's abandoned for a thousand years and essentially falls in love with the AI more or less and then leaves because he's gotta go find his real family it's a little little teeny tiny character study of this one man and I don't know if he's supposed to be a human or an alien I think he's supposed to be a human but it's just so far in the fuse so far in the future thousand years in the future I guess the Federation's dead I don't I don't know knows yeah it doesn't it doesn't really matter and at some point you know they installed an an AI on the ship if if the ship weren't the discovery III would describe it as like a a pretty good episode of the Outer Limits except for the part when he looks out into space and sees a shooting star oh that doesn't work that way a way we're talking about Star Trek discovery there's a magical moment though it was just like a Walt Disney film yeah for the 1% of you out there who don't know what we're laughing at or shooting stars basically like a meteorite burning up in the atmosphere and you wouldn't see that in deep space but if you don't know that you're exactly the audience they're aiming for what Star Trek discovery wait wait rich what did I misspeak a meteor is as it's falling a meteorite is when it's on the ground and found meteoroid I believe is out in space in the atmosphere yes a meteor is when it's falling because the word meteorology or meteorologists means things falling from the sky so when you say I'm a meteorologist like I'm a weatherman that just means I catalogue things falling from the sky meteoroid floating in space meteor falling meteor right on the ground I found a meteor right in the desert I think you're right okay but you should probably say it the other way too just case you're wrong you know what I'm gonna roll the dice on this one Oh Mike's taking a chance it's taking a chance everybody cuz we're we're being snobby and we're making fun of discovery where present a shooting star in the middle of outer space I guess it could have been like like a comet traveling at light speed no that's not how comets work either or maybe it was it was no you know what it was stupid that's my Dickie pentas that's that good old dick the birthday boy honestly that's a great idea yeah so the one the one takeaway I have from the Calypso the one blunt question I have now the discovery has that that AI Zora do you think that was just a throwaway because we have no cast members to use and that that AI is never going to come up ever again or do you think this is going to be something that happens in the second season where they the ship develops an AI and they have to abandon it for a period in some kind of time travel episode the former yeah you just didn't have anybody and they just did it and it's never going to come up again what a waste there's no value no long long lasting value to that short at least we know now that the discovery will never get blowed up it's gonna be around for a thousand years it's like that episode of the young Indiana Jones chronicles when they showed a 98 year old Indiana Jones at a donut shop screaming at a little kid you can't threaten to kill off Indy because you can't George Lucas won't let you cuz young Indiana Jones chronicles his cannon so don't try it that short Trek was one of the best discovery episodes and it's just ripping off Wally thousands of years in the future this this machine that has been left alone really loves this old musical movie funny falls in love the fat blobs are the people watching the show but yes I did watch it and I have my ID I want my floating chair with the view screen in front of my face when do I get that rich that rich Wally is your star tracker that's like your uh that's my utopian future [Laughter] don't miss runaway premiering October 4th on CBS all access okay so Tilly I don't know cuz I don't know if we could show clips I'm assuming that whoever if anyone figured out a way to upload these to YouTube the CBS all access police would shut it down yeah because this is their bread and butter yeah physically till he makes a friend well it starts that's it that's all that happens it's it's chilly the actress to play still II and about five or six extras and it starts off in the cargo bay and there's there's crew members walking around the cargo bay doing some kind of Star Trek business and then there's a line on the speaker that says all crew members report to decontamination because walking around the cargo bay doing something they all have to go and decontamination alone in their crew quarters so that Chile could be completely alone on the ship the entirety of the crew went into decontamination like they only had access to the one character okay so they add in a stupid premise how to Tilly wakes up in in the future a thousand years and oh wait we did that already you could have had or have a dream or something I don't know but anyways so there there's a like a predator type invisibility cloak on something that crawls out of a cargo container a stowaway essentially the stowaway creature cuts its finger and instead of bleeding bright fluorescent green blood she bleeds bright fluorescent orange blood that's fine however what's not fine is Tilly is in in the mess hall and even though she's a scientist and there's a strange glowing substance on the floor that could be radioactive or dangerous she sticks her finger in it she's in the command training program she's prime command material yeah she didn't taste it that would have been nice cherry on top wouldn't she she should have tasted it I mean she's in the mess hall it could have been food dripping from the ceiling I don't Oh somebody dropped their pudding on the floor yeah yeah yeah glowing substance on a starship don't put your finger in it all right so the twist is that this invisible predator animal monster there's an intelligent super hyper intelligent queen of the planet why does she tear up the mess hall like an animal huh but about the yeah well cuz you're supposed to think she's a dangerous animal until you discover she's intelligent so that's that's that's writing 101 right right in sequential order from left to right because your audience won't remember what happened a minute ago okay they don't think back and go wait a minute why did she tear up the mess hall like an animal she's she's apparently like seeking an asylum of sorts on a spaceship or escaping her planet so really she should just be like hi I'm so-and-so I'm from this planet I'm here I'm an extremely smart scientist and I'm also their queen I seek asylum aboard your Federation start except she's pooping on the floor and hiding in a cargo container women can be royalty and smart and invent science the messages is that apparently this this creature came from a patriarchal society run by evil business people that don't want her to share the the secret of recrystallizing dilithium because it's their booming business essentially the big a metaphor for the big oil companies and you discover a way to power your automobile with water the big oil companies would probably try to murder you well that's the old urban legend we could construct the device to collect their high-energy photons safely these photons could then be injected into the dilithium chamber causing crystalline restructure theoretically no they recrystallized the dilithium in Star Trek for so barely it's pretty easy I guess they just forgot about that someone didn't want their Star Trek who's writing start track that takes place like 25 years later but they use technology they use technology from the 20th century to recrystallize dilithium because all of a sudden she's like it's time to go back to your home planet and do something and then she left right yeah why did she go back if she was running away I don't really remember I don't think that was ever especially clear I think I fell asleep during the end I think Mike we just need 15 minutes to keep people paying for CBS all access I don't I don't know there is an especially strong storyline in the tilly episode there's not a real powerful character arc all around like what's Tilly's thing well I think I think it was it was her mother's her mother's down on her but I guess that's alright I don't care I guess I don't know it's not clear it feels like a like they had a like a like a high school right of sci-fi short competition I think Alex Kurtzman wrote it which is why it's confusing and muddled and I was raised to believe that service was my purpose I see him outside her the child molded by wisdom human compassion we speak about the objective hardness the Vulcan Hart I think Alex Pearson did write this yeah oh my god okay so so Tilly Chili's a possible love possible inspirational possible girl power I guess they had alien girl power episode I don't know what a we have a moment and that's a make sure them all that happens she beams are into space no I don't think Howard Kurtzman cares about the science of Star Trek I think she beamed her all the way to her home planet yeah at least they bothered to try to explain that and Star Trek oh nine when Scotty went on this like rant about like you know interplanetary beaming but how dangerous and crazy it was I told him that I could not only be Magritte fruit from one planet to the adjacent planet in the same system which is easy by the way I could do it with a life-form which I didn't notice until recently they made a little dig at Star Trek Enterprise yeah what do they do well he's like he's like I tested it on Admiral archers prize beagle and then how did it work I don't know I never found the Beagle so I tested it on AB milochka sprays beagle I'll tell you what it reappears I don't know I do feel guilty about all he said Archer yeah I know I missed it too I mean I didn't watch that movie like a hundred times I watch it a couple times what an arc should be like yeah exact 120 years old and it unless it's his 50th beagle you know but it's not the same gee gopher obviously it's it's hundreds of years a hundred years before but I think it was just a little you know wing yeah Trax continues with the brightest star on December 6th on CBS all access let's talk about our last short Trek sorrow species is pathetic that's the name I think it was called the brightest star but species is pathetic it's a better name yeah I think I think I like that shirt better than you did because sorrow is just a likeable character you know what I like I like I like the makeup and and the look like when they're in the water like collecting like seaweed or something yeah kelp sir kelp Ian's yeah and he's collecting sea weight in and there's like you know there's weird colors and they got these these crazy faces and I was like this could just kind of feel like real aliens you know Star Trek always has like there's gonna be a little appliance on your nose or your ear that's because it's lazy you know what they could do easily that's what they could do easily inaccuracy yes the the the kelp Ian's look like what real aliens might look like I'm happy with that but sorry it's an asaru origin short there's a there's a weird like obelisk alien upside down obelisks that either vaporizes well it it looks like there's an other race that is in contact with the kelp Ian's and just vaporizes random kelp Ian's every now and then for some reason that is never explained I'm gonna imagine it's not vaporizing its transporting them and they're like using them it's like slave labor on something like asteroid mining colony or something it'll that's the thing that might come up sometime later in Star Trek and Sarah wants to question this as a kin to questioning religious dogma he's like he's Copernicus the Sun does not revolve around the earth I think the Earth revolves around the Sun that's blasphemy Saru what's out in space maybe don't question the what's the old man his dad was like yeah keep the balance and like his easy old-timer you know but Saru and then and then and then the stupidest thing happens the the the the advanced alien obelisk sucked up 10 Cal pians but and then he's like what a piece of it fell off he goes to put a piece of it fell off as it sometimes does because they needed the Saru to play around with equipment that can contact Starfleet and so they did that in the laziest way about every every every moon cycle the the the obelisk powers down and then at night it all the lights go off in the obelisk and it floats and it goes to sleep then sorrow sneaks out of his house and goes and pokes around at it you know how about something like that that would have made for a far better story if seen like yeah and you know you have like research powering back up and sorrow like you know like removes a piece or like learn something about it runs back to his Hut and does it again the next night whatever but a piece of it falls off does it sometimes does how technically advanced are these aliens like I laugh out loud and he's like he's like here Saru go bury it in the desert or something and then sorrow just wraps it up in a burlap sack it keeps it this house and then that presses the buttons and even though sorrows like the limit of his skill set is collecting seaweed in the water he he somehow knows how to he's Mike he's naturally very intelligent and he played around with this thing and he just he just figured out how it worked my good so so sorrow is like God Leonardo da Vinci of his time yes he's just he's just that good and then he sends a little sick and then captain Georgia comes down to get him you never reminded me I remember remember it - you would like to speak and smell yeah yeah yeah hello let's go like it could display like five letters that's all we can do and then he goes to meet the little uh Starfleet craft that lands and I was like oh that's not a starship a Starfleet ship what and then captain Giorgio's gets out and I'm like wait a minute this is violating the prime directive and I 150 different ways and then she's like well yeah we have a lot of rules like the prime directive and stuff but you cost a lot of like debate or whatever just get in I guess I'm just gonna take you because you figured out how to contact us it's just like that episode penpals I know it's just as intelligently written as as the penpals episode I like Saru I like sorrow - now that I know his origins I don't like sorrow Starfleet violated the prime directive just so they could recruit him because he figured out how to use this weekend spell yeah what if one that got him he was just like really dumb and he just couldn't grasp anything would Giorgio's like then like make him like like a like a waiter she'd be very embarrassed she'd be out she just like drop him off at his home planet name it all the night they'd beam him back so he could be vaporized with the next group I thought he was going to be genius because he turns I was just an accident I can't figure out how to work the turbolift even you just say what floor you want to go to and then he lays down on the floor no no no no no there are decks on the ship decks oh [ __ ] go help in the kitchen kitchen and she just beams I'm in space you cook food alright why why are we doing what is this our fourth Star Trek discovery episode possibly our last why you know why rich why because as a profession you and I make Internet videos and it's people we love Star Trek and I thought hey the whole world out there knows I love talking about Star Trek so when they said there's a new Star Trek series coming out I thought oh boy I'm gonna make a video for every episode and I'm gonna talk about it but now I just want to die quite the welcome we have to in Georgia we joined section 31 fancy covert ops threat-assessment sometimes if the future of Star Trek is the trailer for discovery Season 2 action drama explosions I don't know that I like Star Trek anymore oh yeah I think I think I have to divorce myself from the brand I think I think the brand and I have gone in our own separate directions the trailer doesn't it the trailer makes it look like they're doubling down on stupid captain we are riding into danger is that a smile I see on your face yes welcome to Discovery I was willing to accept discovery up until a certain point I was okay with turning a blind eye to certain stupid things that happened in it and then kind of keep the good and then hope for a season two that maybe got a little smarter smoothed out some of the rough edges bulked up some of the cool characters but then they immediately jumped the shark like we joked you got that card in your back pocket that ace up your sleeve which is mr. Spock yeah and things we know it's the USS Enterprise [Music] here's our third incarnation of Spock and he looks like [ __ ] let it be Paul McCartney [Music] these characters you know a Spock and pike and then and the enterprise that's all window dressing we've we've talked about like you know the rough season ones of generate you know of TNG and Deep Space nine the thing is those two shows like their season soon they just needed to iron things out they needed to find their footing season two of discovery it needs to change what discovery is it's it's more the problem with discovery is more than finding their footing season two of discovery needed to be a different show and it looks like they're doubling down on everything that was wrong looks like from the trailers because their logic is that everything that is wrong to us is what is popular in other things long dramatic story arcs super villains action you know again like I said it looks like look I'm like the fan OHS movie like a Marvel Avengers thing like intergalactic space threat and running around with like space suits on and things blowing up and and yeah and that that works and in certain context but not as is there's no point to call it Star Trek and it's lost its identity as a brand there's only so many times we can say I wish it was like Star Trek you know you don't wanna sound like a broken record and you don't want to seem like the the bitter old man desperate for the old times you know like this thing and your Grandpa's Star Trek that sort of thing like I am I'm fully prepared and I am okay with just turning my back on discovery walking my other way and just saying you know what it's not for me maybe I won't watch it yeah you do that Mike I'm fine with that I'm trying to think like that that trailer gives me no hope I don't even you know what didn't bother me there bring it Spock back as long as they wrote like Star Trek episodes yeah i Brinks Brock back it's pandering but no the Red Angel you you packaged the show around all these like different diverse characters and now you're bringing in old characters that out of desperation you know it's and it's like that's not the problem the problem is isn't the fact that Spock's not on the show you know what I mean yeah it's that's not the problem so I don't know and I understand the times are a-changing you know yeah and I think that's why we have to to cancel CBS all access but also cancel our Star Trek discovery discussions because I just can't do it anymore I'm only here because you forced me to be unknown I know blackmail this better yeah you threatened to release the show bus beats a bear picture onto Ellen yeah I just did it anyways yeah even though you agreed to come on the show is that you I already signed the contract I know I just I'm pretty I'm a I'm a super villain like like the the Red Angel well rich January something the premiere of Star Trek Discovery season 2 I know you have it written down on your calendar actually don't you and I will watch it together oh okay we'll get some popcorn open a bottle of wine hold hands like we do and watch the season premiere of Star Trek discovery and we may or may not be back to discuss it on our our Star Trek discovery discussion set can somebody help me [Music]

Channel: RedLetterMedia

Views: 1,352,994

Keywords: redlettermedia, red letter media, red, letter, media, plinkett, half in the bag, mike stoklasa, jay bauman, rich evans, star trek, discovery, star trek discovery, short treks

Id: 6d4iCa6h29c

Length: 36min 52sec (2212 seconds)

Published: Thu Jan 03 2019

Reddit Comments

[u/DarkGuts]

What stuck most with me: 3rd Incarnation Spock looks like Let It Be Paul McCartney.

[u/k_ironheart]

From past experience there's going to be a lot of criticism of this video, but they both make some very good points. The movement to make dark and gritty reimaginings of shows and movies hasn't been very successful. Sure, it worked for The Dark Knight because Batman leads well to that kind of atmosphere, but just look at how poorly the rest of the DC universe has been received, and how favorably viewed the Shazam trailer and the massive success of the Marvel franchise. It's clear that dark and gritty isn't what the general audience wants to see. I would also argue that it's not what Star Trek fans want to see.

I didn't hate season 1, just in case anyone reading this thinks I just want the 90's shows for nostalgia sake. I thought, for a Star Trek series, it was a strong opener. Sure, it had its issues, but I was hoping by the time the second season came around and they had dealt with the Mirror Universe stuff, we might actually see a show that was about exploration and scientific discovery. Then I read that Kurtzman had creative control over the series and basically gave up hope.

This is the guy who ruined the last two seasons of Fringe, destroyed a Spider-Man reboot, ran Sleepy Hollow into the ground, and gave us the failure that was Into Darkness. Beyond was a better movie because they finally got rid of his ass and went with a writer who knew and loved Star Trek (I'm not saying it was a perfect movie, but it was certainly light years ahead of Into Darkness). Looking at the trailers, I see his awful influences already.

And yes, I've seen people on this sub voice their hopes that this is a Beyond-like situation with the trailer -- that it's not representative of the show as a whole and is designed to make audiences think it's an action-packed sci-fi show with excellent visuals. Putting aside how manipulative and duplicitous that would be, I think the long line of failures from Kurtzman is evidence enough that trailer is probably representative of how the second season is going to go.

All I can hope is one of their spin-offs from this is going to be devoid of Bad Robot's influences.

[u/[deleted]]

"THE SHOW'S CALLED DISCOVERY, GO EXPLORE THAT INTERESTING PLANET, YOU FUCKS!"

[u/Drtikol42]

"Now, I just want to die."

- Mike Stoklasa after watching Star Trek Discovery

[u/[deleted]]

I really like what Rich Evans said at the end of the video, and I think it bears repeating.

“We talk a lot about The rough season 1s of TNG, and DS9, the thing is, those two shows needed to iron some things out. They needed to find their footing. Season 2 of Discovery, it needs to change what Discovery is. The problem with Discover is more than finding their footing. Season 2 needed to be a different show and it looks like they’re doubling down on everything that was wrong.”

That’s fundamental for me. The argument on this sub is “it’s the best first season of Trek yet, they’ve all been bad.”

I disagree. And unless season 2 radically changes what the show is like, I’m out.

[u/headvoice73]

All I wanna know is, why does Kurtzman keep getting work.

[u/alienfrog]

fingers crossed those explodey angely trailers were not 100% representative of season 2...

any news how us non-Americans can watch the Short Treks yet?

[u/Twat_The_Douche]

My biggest complaint about Discovery is that almost every episode felt rushed... like the episodes needed 10 extra minutes to give scenes a few seconds the bake in before jumping I to the next sequence. If it's made for a streaming service, then why limit yourself to old school TV airtime standards.

[u/pfelon]

"The ratings are nosediving... BRING OUT SPOCK!" -Mike Stoklasa, 9/28/17