I watched the pilot. Here's what I came away with:
1. They managed to make Klingons, speaking Klingon, giving speeches that should be filled with foreboding, menace, and charisma...boring. All that expense in the redesign and frankly, they should've just knucked down and used Claymation, with the speech rendered via voice-booth and mixing. The Nu-Klingons were lifeless and stiff, more 'rubber suit' than TOS Gorn. For as visually busy as the sets were, the actors and extras in the background might as well have been animatronic statues.
2. T'Kuvma's four nostrils didn't communicate menace in the close-up, the pallid 'torchbearer' replacement scene was just...dead. The funeral scene was too long, and again, it was visually about as exciting as the observation of paint drying. The lines were delivered without emotion, or reverence. It was like listening to an expense report being read, or powerpoint.
3. The Main Character. the actress is absolutely beautiful, she's really gorgeous, hot even, really pretty. I'm told she's very talented, I don't know. I didn't see that. Maybe if her character wasn't written as an irresponsible moron, an educated idiot, "The very model of a modern starfleet Officer!!"(sung to the tune of "Model Major General" from gilbert and sullivan)
4. Space visuals and planet scene: outstanding visuals, really, really great visuals, amazing visuals, did I mention the special effects and external space visuals? Lovely, truly amazing work.
5. Supporting cast: Michelle Yeoh didn't disappoint. Probably the best thing in the show, perhaps because whatever blundering idiot wrote the main character didn't have enough time to make her a ****** idiot.
Outcome:
Special Effects Pron. Not worth catching part two, this is grocery-store-bargain-CD fodder or something you buy for someone you don't really like as a white elephant gift in the office christmas pool.
