6.7 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
After answering a distress signal from the USS Enterprise, the USS Discovery welcomes aboard Captain Christopher Pike and begins a new mission to investigate the meaning behind seven mysterious red signals.
Starring: Sonequa Martin-Green, Doug Jones, Shazad Latif, Anthony Rapp, Mary WisemanSci-Fi | 100% |
Adventure | 73% |
Action | 50% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.00:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
German: Dolby Digital 5.1 (448 kbps)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (448 kbps)
French: Dolby Digital 5.1 (448 kbps)
Italian: Dolby Digital 5.1 (448 kbps)
Japanese: Dolby Digital 5.1 (448 kbps)
English SDH, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Spanish, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish
Blu-ray Disc
Four-disc set (4 BDs)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 3.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
This review contains some spoilers for both seasons one and two of 'Star Trek: Discovery.'
Star Trek: Discovery's sophomore season is an exercise in narrative frustration, excess complexity, and slow-drip reveals, so slow that for
every time the season seems to give an answer it asks two more new questions that cloud the previous response. Its also rewarding in the aggregate,
from its fan service to its bold
choices as the season reaches its apex. It's also a bit derivative, seeming to borrow many of its season arc storylines from James Cameron's Terminator universe and molding many of that franchise's ideas into this
universe with a decidedly Star Trek spin. It's jumbled but generally joyful to watch play out. It's Star Trek after all, and still the most
forward thinking and bold of any of the series yet (a title previously bestowed on Deep Space Nine which at time of writing remains the
superior show in all of Trek canon in this reviewer's opinion). Discovery is certainly unafraid of the slow burn draw and forays into
both narrative excess and drawn-out vacuousness with an eye on its
own long game rather instant gratification from sequence to sequence or episode to episode.
Star Trek: Discovery - Season Two arrives on Blu-ray with a 2.39:1 widescreen aspect ratio rather than season one's 2.00:1 "in between"
ratio. The more cinematic scope suits the show well. Season two appears to have been shot on video and is densely noisy in general, most obviously in
lower light, which
is in truth much of the season. Discovery is a show made predominantly of blues and grays, cast in somewhat low light but obviously offset
by clusters of high luminance in key areas such as the bridge, where various digital readouts and lights add some critical brilliance to the presentation.
The colors as they are generally please, with good depth to the blue Discovery uniforms and the accenting gold and silver trim thereon. The
Enterprise
uniforms, familiar in color but reworked in texture, are amongst the season's most prominent highlights for tonal depth and intensity. Details please,
with good, firm facial textures the norm, from various pores and freckles to Spock's dense facial hair. The uniforms present with strong, consistent
visual
density and clarity while props and envionirments, including digital landscapes and support, shine in high definition.
Getting back to that noise, or perhaps artificial grain inserted in post production -- it's difficult to tell -- there are numerous examples of weird, globular
frozen chunks thereof
around the 16 minute mark of episode two and holding very dense for
several minutes thereafter around a fire. The frozen grain/noise actually carries over later in the episode (see a scene in the ready room at the
36-minute
mark). It occurs again on Talos IV in episode eight around the 16:00+ minute mark and again at 27:00 where it actually moves in globular sync with
characters.
See again the six minute mark of episode ten in a Discovery turbo lift. At the 12:30 mark of "Through the Valley of Shadows," the entire upper
portion of the frame bounces with the flames in a Klingon monastery. These are just a few of far too many examples where the noise behaves strangely,
almost
like it's adhered to the characters rather than an independent marker of the low light video shoot. There's certainly been some sort of unsightly
processing that often renders the image unpleasant and at a few points nearly unwatchable.
Star Trek: Discovery - Season Two beams onto Blu-ray with a DTS-HD Master audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The track requires a modest volume adjustment but sounds by-and-large good once turned up. Even in the most demanding and complex sonic scenarios the track finds harmonious balance and excellent clarity in its dealing with all of the Sci-Fi sonic elements, some familiar within Trek lore, some unique to this show. The track uses all channels available to it fully and with care for presentation detail, offering fine imagining and properly realized directional effects as needed, notably in the chaotic space battle that defines much of the final episode. The low end is not timid, either. Listeners will note very strong bass as Disco orbits a planet in episode two and again in episode six when Michael and Saru are forced to beam off of a familiar planet. Additional strong cracks and low end response greet listeners when a shuttle is caught in a time rift in episode seven. Musical engagement pleases. Width and detail are excellent and surround integration is balanced. Dialogue is by-and-large free of issue, but there's a sharp edge to it in engineering in episode four, chapter two, and once or twice elsewhere throughout the season.
Star Trek: Discovery - Season Two contains extras across all four discs. Each episode save for the first also include a Promo (1080p,
various runtimes) that previews the season and individual episodes. Audio commentaries and deleted and extended scenes can be found with each
episode's selection tab while
most other extras can be located under the "Special Features" tab. No DVD or digital copies are included with purchase.
Disc One:
Discovery's second season is too invested in pulling strings rather than telling its story in a more straightforward and satisfying fashion. While the writers pull it all together in the two-part finale there's too much clutter, manipulation, and teasing along the way. It's an entertaining ride, by-and-large, with some satisfying character moments and fan service, but it's ultimately a mild disappointment in the aggregate. Season three looks to be taking the series in a brand new direction but could be derivative of Voyager if it plays out as the tease suggests. CBS/Paramount's Blu-ray release of Star Trek: Discovery - Season Two features troubled video, decent audio, and a large assortment of extra content. Recommended.
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