Apparently the STC crew have their script for Episode 4 and should start shooting sometime by the end of the year, or so I understand. On Facebook they made some sort of vague allusion to the episode "All Our Yesterdays." It might have been a red herring and/or totally meaningless. Or it could be a hint. But until some other tidbits come to light anything we might assume would be just mere speculation. I do know that I would be disappointed if STC does yet another callback to a previous episode. As much as I enjoyed "Fairest Of Them All" I still believe that it's not something TOS would have done. In that light STC's Mirror Universe story was pure fanfic even if it was fun. Something like "Lolani" would again be much more in keeping with the kind of stories we could expect to have seen from TOS. So I can only hope we get to see something fresh again. For now we can only wait and keep our ears open...
Whether they do a sequel to All Our Yesterdays or something else, I'll definitely look forward to it.
I do hope they do something original, but even if it is a callback, of all the fan series to do callback episodes, I think STC feels the most genuine.
I'm personally divided on the whole thing: should fan films act like fan films and do fannish stuff, or act like "real" series? There's room for both, but I'd argue if you're aiming for "professional" (as a load of groups seem to do these days) you should steer clear of the fannish. Having said that, ultimately its up to these fan producers what direction they go in, one way or another.
True, but we still can express our druthers just as we would with series actually broadcast on television or films screened in the theatre.
Oh I'm not disputing that in the slightest. As I say, I personally agree that the more professional groups should aim for more professional, less "fannish" ideas (by which I mean that fannish ideas in storytelling tend to go for sequels, overt references, things like that, whereas professional work tends to avoid that pitfall - if it's doing it's job). I was merely stating the obvious: they're going to do what they want, as is their right and prerogative. In any case, I tend to like films of either approach, provided they're done well, so that should be the first priority for any group's effort.
I'm intrigues by the forthcoming production Axanar that will be telling the story of the conflict only fleetingly referenced in TOS. In my view this is a good approach as it it's not a call out to ground already covered in a previous episode. They're expanding on something only briefly referenced with no other detail given whatsoever. There are lots of things that can be explored in the TOS universe without going back and rehashing characters and places the series has already been to. Amen.
None of which changes the fact that all of it is still "pure fanfic." I agree on the latter point however. Though I imagine definitions of what's fannish may vary. Again, depending on your sensibilities.
There's - possibly - a question of whether something is pure fanfic when it isn't regarded as pure fanfic by those making it: when, for example, they set the bar for themselves to aim for a "professional" standard. But that's ultimately a question of differing perspectives, and the objective truth is it's all just fanfic, the pretensions (for want of a less inflammatory word) of the makers aside.
I consider a lot of the published novels to be basically polished fanfic. A lot of them are thinly veiled fan indulgences and none of it counts as "official." That doesn't take away from the fact there have been some quite interesting stories published some of which would have made decent televised episodes. For me that's a distinction. STC's Mirror Universe episode was very well done and quite enjoyable, but not for a moment can I see the TOS production staff ever doing a story like that. They had visited the Mirror Universe and then it was done and on to explore other things. "Pilgrim Of Eternity" skirts the line because there was precedent of a character introduced earlier (Harry Mudd) being brought back for another story. TAS also delved into revisiting past episodes for a followup, but your mileage may vary on whether you acknowledge those or not. "Lolani," however, took a little explored element of TOS with the idea of Orion slave women and explored a wholly new aspect to it. This felt like genuine TOS in subject matter and execution. Given STC's stated intent this is the direction I hope they lean to more often than not.
Hmm. Mariette Hartley is still alive and lovely. It would be nice to see her onscreen again. STPII is supposed to be doing Joanna McCoy soon, perhaps STC is doing Zar. They also recently posted a Harry Mudd photo. I thought that might be a clue. I think the chance of an original story is pretty slim.
Well I did say it might be meaningless. It's just that posters started talking about a possible followup story and sometimes (often times?) you don't know who is posting and what they might know. What I do recall from some time ago during a podcast was the allusion that Eps. 4 could well be a planet story. I hope so.
I will say that in some respects I find STC too good to be true. I mean that in the sense that after years (and years) of disappointment I was highly cynical that I would ever again see new Star Trek that would interest me. The films since the first six have left me in degrees of disappointment ranging from general disinterest to outright outrage. The last three televised series left me largely disinterested to generally pissed with it all. Yet now out of seeming nowhere STC comes along and manages to capture so much of TOS' appeal unlike any other fan production I'd ever seen. In my estimation they also resonate in ways thoroughly absent from official Trek since early to mid TNG. And seeing how it feels almost too good to be true I keep expecting everything to implode and vanish in a puff of smoke.