Let's discuss the problems with Michael Burnham...

[Yukaphile]

You're nuts. Data was hardly a "supporting character."

[CharlesPhipps]

You're nuts. Data was hardly a "supporting character."

What do you think a supporting character is?

Patrick Stewart was the star.

Everyone else was a supporting character.

Spock was a supporting character.

[Mecha82]

I think that lot of us don't see Picard as central character way Micheal is. Sure Picard was important character but others also got enough spotlight to be considered central characters instead of just supporting characters. As named part of ship's crew with they own personalities and story arcs they were important part of story.

[Yukaphile]

TNG once it got going was an ensemble. In some of the best Data-centric stories, Picard barely appeared or didn't at all.

[BridgeConsoleMasher]

You're nuts. Data was hardly a "supporting character."

What do you think a supporting character is?

Patrick Stewart was the star.

Everyone else was a supporting character.

Spock was a supporting character.

You're a supporting character!

[Yukaphile]

It's so hilarious this dude thinks that SPOCK, the most POPULAR character, was a secondary character, lol.

[CharlesPhipps]

It's so hilarious this dude thinks that SPOCK, the most POPULAR character, was a secondary character, lol.

Tilly is the most popular character on Discovery. That doesn't mean she's the most important or prominent.

Mind you, it's also completely ignoring my point that Michael is a fine character. She just has a problem of being used to the deterrent of other character's screentime. Really, the biggest problem is Discovery is loaded with interesting characters and good actors that deserve a chance to shine.

Make Tilly's mom the time traveling goddess.

[BridgeConsoleMasher]

I'd say that Kirk has more distinction than Bones or Spock.

You can start to make a case that it's a show about the Enterprise and its crew. The captain is typically the main character by default. Only time it isn't is with Michael, and it's a conscious assignment.

[Yukaphile]

It all depends on your definition of what an "ensemble" show is. I don't think Trek is in that era anymore, given the way all franchises late into their years get exaggerated. With that said, though... I can't speak to the quality of present-day Trek since I'm not part of it past what I absorb online, but... I seriously doubt the KKK and neo-Nazi mindset of "this black woman is taking over the white man's show" is anywhere close to being mainstream, DESPITE what the media wants you to think. Not after all we've been through since the 1990s. So people who think she's being shoved into a central role past what has normally been done have to have some basis in truth. It's perhaps them trying something unique. What I think is that it's trying to explore the life of a first officer, and a black woman struggling against male patriarchy, which I could sympathize with, to an extent, especially since I think white privilege is a real thing, but... I dunno. I think the worst hate comes online. Then you get trolls and so on and so forth. IF the KKK and neo-Nazis really ARE gaining mainstream power and this is simply them trying to cover up their racism, we can blame the INTERNET for that. It fragments us and makes it harder to deal with reality Trust me, I know... I haven't watched a cable channel in like... five, six years. If I do watch TV, I stream.

[Darth Wedgius]

From what I've seen of Michael, she's not a bad character, IMO. She's just not enough to hang an entire show from the way they've been trying to do.

Picard is the most important character in TNG because it's his ship, but sometimes his role is little more than General Hammond's role in SG-1.

Look at the TNG story, "Interface," the one where La Forge meets an alien pretending to be his mom. Picard's role in that episode isn't much greater than giving the orders that La Forge is going to disobey. Even as early as "Arsenal of Freedom," I'd say Picard 's role isn't bigger than Crusher's, and that La Forge's role there is more interesting than either.

The Sisko is similarly the most important DS9 character, and Janeway is Voyager's, but the stories don't always have them in especially prominent roles. Kirk was way more prominent in TOS (and TAS)... Look how long it took for Sulu to get a first name. But even then, there were stories like "Journey to Babel" where Kirk is important, but Spock gets the journey.