Star Trek: Discovery's first season had several positive aspects

Star Trek: Discovery took a lot of heat in its first season for being so different from the other series in the franchise. It had a lot of pressure on it to stand up to successful series like Star Trek: The Next Generation. Star Trek had been off of television since 2005, and viewers were expecting Trek similar to what they'd been used to seeing, certainly not an updated version that, visually, didn't look at all like the series we remembered.

I can usually find the good in any Star Trek series or movie, even those that didn't get a lot of fan positive feedback. The first season of Discovery was, for some, a bumpy start to the series, and the one consensus was everyone's dislike of the newly-designed Klingons. And I would have to agree. After knowing Worf (Michael Dorn) and the other depictions of Klingons from The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, as well as the Star Trek: The Orginal Series line-up of movies, it was difficult to see how they'd been recreated.

In looking back, though, Discovery's first season had many positive aspects, although I'm sure many fans won't agree. For me, though, the series had a uniqueness about it, and even though it was darker, considering it started with the main character's mutiny, there were several things that kept me returning for the entirety of the series.

The characters were a unique blend with Tilly's ebullient personality, Captain Lorca's edginess, and Michael Burnham's uncertainty. And though Lt. Stamets was bristly at first, he segued into one of my favorite characters by the end of the season.

The twists and turns of the plot differed greatly from any other Star Trek, and I found that to be a good thing. Though I was distracted by the Klingon aspect, the discovery that Captain Lorca had betrayed his entire crew was a both unexpected and perfectly executed. It was a move I never saw coming, and, in fiction, that's always the best kind.

The return to the Mirror Universe added a welcome aspect to the first season as did the revelation about who Ash Tyler really was. The scene where he tries to kill Burnham was both intense and devastating at the same time, especially considering Tyler was Burnham's first love.

Watching the first season with no expectations or comparisons to other series in the franchise, I was able to simply get to know the characters and let the plot unfold. Yes, I still disliked the Klingons and found them more annoying than anything, but overall, I found plenty of things to enjoy about the season.