Although I understand the critiques I have seen, I cannot walk away from this episode expressing anything other than love. This season wasn't without flaws, but it was also the most fun I've had with Star Trek in quite some time. For that reason alone, I offer a sincere and heartfelt thanks to Terry and the cast; it was a blast from start to finish.
As mentioned above, I have seen a bit of negative commentary regarding this season and I hope we're all now adult enough to accept that not everyone is going to agree with one another. Not only is that fine, but it is an absolute fact of life. With that being said, I did find some of the comments a bit aggressive or lacking in compassion. For those raging, try replacing the phrasing of "fan service" or "fan-made" with "making loyal fans happy". For example, "I cannot believe so much of this season was dedicated to 'making loyal fans happy'. I mean, why would they waste their time on that!?"
Makes it sound a bit odd, right? Well, I personally think we all need to face the fact that sometimes it's not unreasonable to try and make people who have supported a franchise and/or business for years "happy". Should media be approachable for broader audiences? Of course. Should we aspire to bring new and creative ideas to TV? Absolutely! But I'm still confused as to when it became a sin to take care of a dedicated audience and throw them a bone sometimes. "How dare they try to take care of their core audience. The audacity!"
Listen, rant aside, this season was the best thing I've watched in a long time. I walked away with a huge smile and a sense of hope. I cannot remember the last show I watched where hope was the ultimate outcome.
Thanks once more to Terry Matalas and crew. You gave us something better than we deserved. I can confidently state that we will all remember and appreciate this season for years to come.