Personally, I think it’s the best season so far, however the bar was not very high to start with. I wish Discovery started like this season, instead of the way it actually did.

Dukat. I don’t like him a person, but he’s a great character. No other Trek character has ever been written as richly or layeredly as he.

At first you assume he’s your basic racist bent on hatred and power. Then you realize his obsession with Kira isn’t just about destroying an enemy, but his secret love-hate for Bajoran women. We meet Ziyal whom he mostly loves, but is ashamed of. He goes mad, starts a cult, makes himself appear Bajoran and starts a relationship with Kai Winn (ostensibly with other motives, but I think he reveled in it), and ultimately dies for and in his mad faith.

DS9 is lower on my list when I rank the various series, but some of the characters, and defininitely Dukat, top the list of characters.

I’ve been shipping them since Rutherford told Badgey, “I was just trying to impress Tendi. I mean, look at her, she’s so cute!” Earlier that same ep they’re in the holodeck in the EV suits and they accidentally embrace (due to mag boots) which mirrors the B’Elanna and Tom scene where B’Elanna told Tom she loved him.

But if you really think about it, they’ve been hinting at the crush since the beginning. He was willing to change his career to make the time to watch a pulsar with her (which was episode 2). When Tendi thought T’ana was transferring her off the ship, they tell each other how much they love the ship and hug. Later that ep he tells Billups he’s been triple backing up memories with her because he doesn’t want to forget her again. (Notably he doesn’t mention backing up memories with Mariner or Boimler.) They’ve always just a little closer than best friends, and damned if it isn’t adorable!

Also, did I hear right that the Ferengi Lower Decker was in communication with the mysterious vessel?

That’s what I got too. He was both expecting them, and also said they told him they’d make a lot of profit.

Also… Parliament :) Canadians see the word often 😄

It’s nice that “new” Trek wants to portray things like equality for LGBT people as a given; hopefully we can reach that one day. And I think it’s good that LGBT people can “see themselves” on the screen without having their queerness be the focus of the drama. People just want to live their lives, and they want to see other queer people just living their lives.

On the other hand, showing the struggle and making it the focus of the drama, as Orville does, is the thing that helps people understand and confront the issues themselves. The whole story around Topa is very strong. Societal misogyny. Klyden’s entire journey (his own sex reassignment, hiding it from Bortus, their separation, his rejection of Topa when she transitioned back, the family’s eventual reunion). Bortus’ struggle to make the right choice as a loving husband and father. Bortus having the choice taken away from him. Topa lacking female role models.

These kinds of things are still very real issues that a lot of people don’t think about unless presented to them on this way. These kinds of stories help people imagine how they might need to support their own children, families, and friends.

It’s not really possible to compare Star Trek vs Orville because Trek is an entire franchise (even now there are 4.5 shows) and Orville is just one. But if I had to say of the current shows, which one does society need the most for social progress, I’d actually say Orville.

Mariner even gestured to the facial Scar and outlined the shape of the chair with her hands.