Finding comprehensive reviews of the complete season is difficult; the full 15-episode Season 1 is accessible on Netflix in Europe. Access in the United States is currently through other paid services, though American viewers might eventually be able to watch it on Netflix if they travel. Initial reactions were largely positive—perhaps overly so—influenced by the simple excitement of a new Star Trek series appearing. By the end of Season 1, however, the show feels uneven. There are promising concepts at play here, but also significant shortcomings: pacing problems, some instances of poor acting, and noticeable limitations in the production budget. Highlights include: Jason Isaacs’ portrayal of Captain Lorca stands out as one of the best Star Trek captains to date—he's tough, bold, decisive, and commanding, while still feeling human and flawed. Sonequa Martin-Green delivers a strong performance as the protagonist; it's noteworthy that she isn’t the traditional captain character. She convincingly portrays an upright, capable, yet insubordinate figure throughout her arc, and everything feels believable. It is disappointing that aspects of her Vulcan upbringing don't feature more prominently in later episodes. The romantic relationship given considerable screen time involves two men—a timely update to Star Trek’s history of diversity. This storyline is handled well; the depth of their loving connection is evident, and a subsequent injury to one of them has a significant emotional impact. Subtitles are available in Klingon. On the downside: The Klingons have been reimagined as slow-moving, religious figures, and their appearance bears little resemblance to previous versions. The notion that these beings are the galaxy's fiercest warriors is hard to accept. This feels like a serious misjudgment in design. Despite being set roughly 10 years before the Original Series, the Discovery appears to possess more advanced—and seemingly more reliable—technology than the Enterprise ever did, which will likely frustrate fans. The uniforms also look too modern. Across the entire 15-episode season, the crew only visits three planets. While this may minimize production costs for location shoots, it severely restricts the sense of exploration and adventure. Even a lower-budget sci-fi series like Killjoys (which is highly recommended) offers more planetary destinations. Michelle Yeoh's performance is problematic; I’m unsure if she was unwell or not, but her presence detracts from many scenes. Her delivery is off—she mispronounces lines and stresses the wrong syllables. If this is an intentional effect, it’s poorly executed. Her character is supposed to have a Malaysian accent (established by her mentioning being born in Langkawi), but her English doesn't reflect that. It’s unfortunate: a substantial portion of the acting budget was likely spent on securing her involvement, and she easily becomes the weakest performer in the series. The special effects are inconsistent; the ‘mycelia’ sequences are visually striking, and the space scenes are generally pleasing, though they tend to feel static. The bridge and ship interiors lack detail—Engineering doesn't convey a sense of powerful forces being controlled by sophisticated machinery. A particular camera trick—moving from outside the ship through the view screen to the Bridge interior—is overused. Overall grade: B. It feels like a missed opportunity to modernize this beloved franchise. Viewers who aren’t already fans are likely to abandon it before the season's end, and I can’t fault them for doing so. Existing fans will certainly be disappointed. There have been other recent disappointments among popular geek franchises, even those with substantial budgets and well-known actors—Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice is a prime example. The underlying problem seems to be that studios place individuals in key roles—producers, directors, writers, casting directors—who simply aren’t passionate about the source material. Some people mistakenly believe that sci-fi fans will accept anything; this is patronizing and shortsighted, especially with so many viewing options available. Fans dislike being treated as such. They want movies and TV shows made with integrity, respect, and genuine affection for the subject matter. Productions demonstrating those qualities are sure to attract new, younger audiences—Star Wars: The Force Awakens exemplifies that success. Star Trek: Discovery aimed for this standard. It gets some things right (Captain Lorca delivers a wonderful Scottish accent at one point). But ultimately, it falls short.

Source on TMDB