Star Trek: Discovery - 8 Reasons Why It's The Best Series Since TNG
2. ...As Does The Series' Relevance
CBS
Star Trek has always been a vehicle for tackling contemporary issues, and Discovery is no different. The rhetoric spouted by that initial Klingon in that opening pilot bore the echo of the new and very resurgent fascism currently sweeping its way across Europe and the States, and the Federation itself isn't the clear cut protector it's meant to be.
The fact of the matter is that we're living in troubling times, and Star Trek - certainly no stranger to turbulent periods - is the perfect outlet in which to dissect them. Whether it be through the introduction of a radical Klingon with fascistic undertones, or through the introduction of protagonists that diversify the series' cast and proclaim (boldly) that representation matters - an ethos that has pervaded each and every Trek series since its introduction - this is what Trek should be about.
Time will tell what other issues Discovery sets its sights to, but it's already alluded to some pretty heavy themes to begin with. Context is for Kings seemingly set up a whole storyline regarding technological advancement and conflict, and like the complexity of the series' protagonists, it feels like a topic of imperative importance; not just for Star Trek, but for today as well.
WhatCulture's very own resident movie guy, Ewan has been working in the content creation biz for over 10 years now, having started as a freelance contributor to WhatCulture Gaming all the way back in 2015. After graduating with a First-Class Honours in History from Northumbria University in 2017 (where he won a prize for a totally killer dissertation on the Watergate years), Ewan took on the role of Comics Editor at WhatCulture and quickly developed WhatCulture Comics into one of the biggest superhero-focused channels on YouTube. He followed this with a brief hiatus at Screen Rant in 2021, where he worked across the Gaming and Film sections as a writer and editor, before returning to WhatCulture as a Senior Content Producer / Presenter in 2023. He started his own podcast, We Love Dad Movies, in 2022, and has contributed several written pieces to the Eisner-nominated comics website Shelfdust as well.
In his current role, Ewan incorporates his love of cinema, comic books, and history into written pieces and video essays for WhatCulture's Film & TV channel, as well as WhatCulture Gaming and WhatCulture Horror, with a particular focus on nineties-era Dad Movies, old school Westerns, and Golden Age Hollywood Noir. John Carpenter is his fave, and he thinks Batman Beyond should never have been cancelled. If that's your vibe, you'll probably like his stuff.
