TV Show review
Review basis: 5 seasons · through May 30, 2024
September 24, 2017 · TV-14 · Canceled
Woke Score
Lower is better
Review
Star Trek: Discovery follows the USS Discovery crew, starting with Commander Michael Burnham during a Klingon war in the 23rd century and later jumping to a fractured 32nd-century future after a galaxy-wide disaster called the Burn. The five-season series mixes space exploration, personal trauma recovery, and rebuilding efforts with a focus on crew bonds and diplomacy. It features a Black female lead who rises to captain, a main gay male couple, and later non-binary characters, alongside creator statements stressing diversity and inclusion as central to the storytelling.
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for Star Trek: Discovery.
Woke representation / casting
Prominent Black female lead and captain, main gay couple with visible relationship focus, later non-binary character, and marketing that spotlighted diversity as a strength; visible to audiences even in futuristic setting.
Woke political dialogue
Some scenes and arcs stress empathy, unity across differences, and tolerance; season 4 includes a clear partisan cameo; not constant preaching but noticeable in character moments and creator framing.
Identity-driven story themes
Burnham's personal growth centers on identity and belonging; queer relationships integrated into main plots; recurring acceptance of "the other" with modern inclusion language in later seasons.
Western institutional / cultural critique
Critiques of war, bureaucracy, and exploitation appear through Federation struggles and Mirror Universe; some progressive takes on cooperation, but mostly standard sci-fi conflict rather than targeted modern activist attacks on patriarchy or Western norms.
Woke character or canon changes
Major retcons like Burnham as Spock's sister, secret spore drive, and 900-year time jump alter established lore to fit new stories and characters; fan complaints often tie changes to diversity priorities.
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
Widespread and sustained criticism from fans and online commentators calling out girlboss elements, identity focus, "lectures," and political signaling; enough to shape audience scores and ongoing fandom debates.
Creator track record context
Multiple key voices, especially Fuller and Paradise, show strong patterns of queer and diversity-first work; Kurtzman and early showrunners explicitly tied stories to contemporary politics and inclusion; overall supports elevated emphasis.
Production
