CBS wouldn’t allow any pre-reviews of the newest addition to the Star Trek stable and its uneven history might have a hand in that. It might also be wariness that regular tv viewers would jump on board for a series known to be headed to a streaming service. Whatever the reason, the reviews are rolling out only now after the sport-talk-delayed first episode… so here we go.

CBS has clearly written a massive check to get this ship up and running with top-tier visual effects and creature work. Too bad the first episode is so heavy with exposition and establishing this version of the Star Trek universe. Sarek, the well-known Vulcan who’s appeared on nearly every Trek incarnation, is in Discovery as a younger man raising/mentoring the human First Officer Sonequa Martin-Green. Oooooh, backstory.

Star Trek: Discovery is very good looking (and I don’t just mean Martin-Green and her Captain Michelle Yeoh) with the notable exception of the new Klingons. They’re… moist. They’re also not quite as cranial as you might recall from the various Trek incarnations but still come with the literal trial by fire penchant for battle. Will I click over to CBS All Access to see more? I’m a life-long Trek fan who reviews tv shows professionally, so there’s a better than average chance, yes. Will you? Only time will tell.

Really, really short review: Doesn’t boldly go but I’ll keep an eye on the horizon.