8 Ways Star Trek Just Isn't Star Trek Anymore
4. Not Black Or White, But Shades Of Grey
Star Trek: Discovery has its flaws, but there's no denying that its premise poses a fascinating and uniquely important question to Star Trek as a whole.
Set in the years before Kirk, Spock and the rest would venture on their five year mission to explore new worlds, in a world drastically different to that one, Discovery's asks the uncomfortable question of just how, exactly, Roddenberry's humanistic, almost utopian future, came to pass. We find out that the Federation aren't all sunshine and rainbows, and with Jason Isaacs' Gabriel Lorca leading the way in terms of duplicity, we have a face to put to that mantra as well.
Yes, Discovery isn't like the Star Trek of old, but that's exactly the point. Utopias aren't conjured out of thin air, and while Discovery does take place in dire straits, it's a series built on hope. Every single character in Discovery is fighting for the kind of tomorrow we see in TOS and TNG and, while they'd undoubtedly be vexed by the fact the fight keeps going, the main thing is that Discovery has to exist in order for those shows to feel achievable, in the grand scheme of things.