Agreed! They could have done more of a musical revue, but they fully committed to reflecting on the genre's value and structure instead. Well done to the whole team. This is a standout achievement in the world of Trek.
@MLClark I thought it brilliant of you to notice the IDIC theme of the episode -- the harmony needed to save the crew, ship, and quadrant. That hadn't occurred to me.
As an aside ... I'm not a big fan of musicals either, but "La La Land" works for me because I'm from there. It's very much all about the best and worst of the entertainment industry. No happy ending, because their careers were more important to them than the relationship.
I know I'm not 100% averse to them because I do admire and enjoy a few productions... but some people just break out in full-bodied glee when they hear that there's a new musical coming to town, and that... has never and probably will never be me. To each their own!
But it's really nice to watch a piece from a place you know - so long as they get the feel right, and any anachronisms aren't too glaring!
(See: all the on-site errors in my poor, poor Toronto-based SNW episode. π )
@MLClark I'm struck that the writers and composers basically wrote a full-blown musical for a one-hour episode.