Ok.. but the cracks in showing the flaws directly in humanity in trek started in DS9... pretty much in the Pilot Cisco is shown to be "Damaged"... actually maybe even a bit in some episodes of TOS and TNG... though I wouldn't say it was a theme.
The truth is that even in the future people have pain, suffering, heartbreak.. etc. so why not express it in Trek? If one dislikes Discovery for this, then you need to throw out everything after TNG... which I think some people have espoused to.
Youre absolutely right! Pain, suffering, heartbreak is human and should be explored in Star Trek, But DS9 and VGR had first the luxury of being an expansion of the TNG universe and second in all of the 24th century shows as well as Enterprise, there was always a sense of levity, unity and family and optimism. It wasnt all war, it wasnt all bleak, there was always hope
Discovery may not end up being bleak or distopian and may end up being the perfect Star Trek show but i dont know if this story and the way its being told, is really necessary?
I keep going back to Doctor Who as an example here but I think its relevant.
Its not that Discovery is a bad show, its not. Its not even bad Star Trek but If Doctor Who were told as a serialised series like Discovery is, would it still hold true to what you want from a new doctor who series? Id have to say no because it becomes something fundamentally different.
From day 1, Star Trek was episodic Television that was about a crew of 7, that experienced pain, heartbreak and suffering, but always worked together to overcome an external force that involved moral dilemma reflecting the issues we deal with in real life. In every series though, the crew of the Enterprise or Voyager or Deep space Nine, they were what we should aspire to being. A model for humanity.
Yes Discoverys crew is diverse, yes they are interesting characters, but they are flawed, unlikeable human beings from the 21st century (with some exception), from our world today, not the 23rd or 24th and thats the problem. Its an interesting argument to have; This is Star Trek, it has Star Trek themes running through it but at the same time its not Star Trek, its a show that reflects a lot of Star Trek but it is something else entirely. Whether it evolves into Star Trek... thats another argument.