Star Trek: Discovery is basically what happens when you take Trek's optimistic vision of the future and run it through the prestige TV filter—think Game of Thrones in space, but with more hope and fewer dragons. It's gorgeous, thoughtful, and tackles big ideas about identity, diversity, and moral complexity.

The good: It's genuinely imaginative, features meaningful representation, and offers rich material for family discussions about ethics and humanity. The bad: It's darker and more violent than classic Trek, which will disappoint purists and rule out younger viewers.

That brutal audience score (34% vs 84% critics) tells the real story—hardcore Trekkies are mad this isn't their dad's Star Trek, while critics appreciate the modern storytelling. For families with teens 14+, it's solid viewing that can spark great conversations. Just know what you're getting: this is Trek for the streaming era, intense and serialized, not the episodic comfort food of TNG reruns.