Star Trek: Discovery debuted last night. The show has taken a lot of backlash from the very start, (from production woes, to timeline inconsistencies, to complaints regarding diversity, and finally issues regarding CBS’s choice to air the program (after last night pilot episode) on their stand-alone streaming service, CBS All Access. Despite all of this, it is my contention that the producers have a solid installment of the franchise on their hands, and I, for one, am happily on board for the ride.

The main reason I’ve remained cheerily optimistic regarding the future of Star Trek: Discovery is the quality of the production values and the wealth of talent the production brings to the table. That level of craftsmanship is immediately evident in the show’s opening title sequence. It’s really fantastic! Steering away from the classic, and let’s face it completely overused, shots of a ‘starship zooming through a starfield’ opening motif, the new sequence begins with what looks like diagrams and 3-dimensional illustrations of classic starships, gadgets, and planets, overlayed with the opening credits. It’s a cool, modern take on the phenomenon that is Star Trek. The visuals are paired with an equally impressive new score by composer Jeff Russo, that harkens back to the original theme music even more so than any of the last four installments in the franchise, yet still has its own unique feel.

Star Trek: Discovery debuted on CBS and CBS All Access last night. The base price for the service is $5.99 a month, but that comes with a one-week free trial. CBS All Access is available through your PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4, as well as a few other options. While I question the motives behind putting this show behind a paywall with the streaming service, let’s face it, $5.99 is less than you’ll pay for one meal eating out. Considering you also have access to all of CBS’s current programming on top of a vast library of classic series and movies as well, it really becomes a non-issue.