Why didn't they just keep their characters?

Discussion in 'General Trek Discussion' started by bbjeg, Jul 2, 2013.

  1. TheSubCommander

    TheSubCommander Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    Spock had to do a double-take when he first saw the Romulan Commander in BOT. He looks a lot like his dad!

    Sisko must have been shocked when he noticed his dad looked like a certain traitorous Admiral from TUC.

    I wonder what would have happened if Liquidator Brunt met Weyoun?!
     
  2. Pavonis

    Pavonis Commodore Commodore

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    If I recall correctly, a different actor was cast as "Gul Dukat" originally, but the producers didn't think the character was working out the way they wanted. I guess they decided to go back to Marc Alaimo, who originated the Cardassians with his appearance as Gul Macet. Alaimo managed to give both Macet and Dukat some charm with hidden menace, which I imagine is what they wanted from Sisko's sparring partner.
     
  3. Kevman7987

    Kevman7987 Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    I read somewhere that the writers originally wanted RDM to play Locarno again in VOY, but at the last minute decided that Locarno was too irredeemable to use. Not wanting to recast the role, they simply renamed the character and white-washed his background so that RDM could play him the same way.
     
  4. Belz...

    Belz... Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    That's not very nice.

    I did, by the way. Doesn't answer my question.
     
  5. Anwar

    Anwar Admiral Admiral

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    The rules about using characters like this was something like this:

    - If the character appeared once and only once, then it's the intellectual property of the writer and thus Royalties must be paid for further usage.

    - If said character/idea/concept was used more than once in the series it originated in, it's now the property of the series and not the individual writer.

    If Locarno had appeared more than once in TNG, he's be the property of the series and thus no Royalties would be paid.

    It's the same reason we rarely if ever saw the Tholians or Gorn or various TOS one-shot aliens again. We did see them in that ENT episode, but that was because they were willing to pay for short-term use.
     
  6. Shawnster

    Shawnster Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    We'd have to see the particulars of the contract to know for sure. Perhaps we'll be fortunate and some of our resident writers will chime in and help clear the mud.
     
  7. Greg Cox

    Greg Cox Admiral Premium Member

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    That could be interesting.

    For the record, I understand book publishing. I don't pretend to know how TV contracts work.
     
  8. Mr. Laser Beam

    Mr. Laser Beam Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Yep. They're cousins.
     
  9. JirinPanthosa

    JirinPanthosa Admiral Admiral

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    And Rom was actually that Ferengi in Captain's Holiday, and maybe Tuvok was actually that guy from Starship Mine undercover and he somehow transported away before the baryon sweep got him!


    I don't think Nick Lacarno was unredeemable. He was reckless and got a teammate killed, and then he covered it up. An act of recklessness followed by an act of fear. How many real people do you know who, if they really screwed up, would come forward and admit it? If he served his time in prison, then he learned from his mistake and worked earnestly to make up for it, he could absolutely be redeemed.
     
  10. R. Star

    R. Star Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Lacarno was a pilot who caused an accident that killed someone and then covered it up, but took responsibility when he was narced on by Wesley.

    Paris was a pilot who caused an accident that killed some people and then covered it up, but later confessed to it.

    Two way different characters!
     
  11. Mr. Laser Beam

    Mr. Laser Beam Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    ^ Exactly. Locarno only confessed because Wesley made him do it. If Wes hadn't spoken up, Locarno would have continued to cover it up.

    Paris came clean for what he did all on his own. That alone makes the difference.
     
  12. Anwar

    Anwar Admiral Admiral

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    That, and Locarno tried to pin the blame on the guy who got killed. Did Paris try to blame what he did on the folks he got killed, or just say "it was an accident" before he owned up to his mistakes?
     
  13. YJAGG

    YJAGG Captain Captain

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    with Dukat- he was the overseer of Bajor- and had established history to then Gul a ship from time just (to me seems odd)
     
  14. Captain Clark Terrell

    Captain Clark Terrell Commodore Commodore

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    Not cannon, but how do we know that Sisko's not related to Cartwright? Nothing's ever mentioned about Sisko's grandparents that I can remember. Maybe one of them was Admiral Cartwright's son or daughter.

    --Sran
     
  15. Third Nacelle

    Third Nacelle Captain Captain

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    I'm pretty sure they meant for us to think Vorik and Taurik are the same person, or at least identical twins.

    As for Locarno and Paris, Locarno was expelled from the Academy. Janeway would never have use for a guy like that. Paris having actual Starfleet experience makes more sense.
     
  16. Captain Clark Terrell

    Captain Clark Terrell Commodore Commodore

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    Attending the Academy isn't the same thing as earning a commission, but it should still qualifty as Starfleet experience. Lacarno would have basic knowledge of ship design and bridge operations. I don't know that he'd have been given a commission as quickly as Paris was, but he did have some experience.

    --Sran
     
  17. Dream

    Dream Admiral Admiral

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    I actually think it wold have been more interesting if Tom Paris had been more like Nick Lacarno.

    Tom always felt like a nice guy that made a mistake. They tried to paint him as the anti-hero in Caretaker, but after a few episodes he became just a nice as everyone else in the cast.

    Someone like Nick would have had a harder time on Voyager, maybe with more of the crew hating him, which would have been more entertaining. He could have been more of a bad guy trying to be a good guy. Also having Janeway mistrust him much more would have been interesting.
     
  18. Charles Phipps

    Charles Phipps Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Paris then became a Marquis terrorist. The whole point of Paris is he's a bad guy who becomes a hero.

    Where is the idea redemption doesn't exist coming from?
     
  19. Pavonis

    Pavonis Commodore Commodore

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    Were the Maquis really terrorists? They always came off as a paramilitary organization. Their goal was to fight the Cardassians as a military. They weren't killing civilians, were they? I certainly don't recall any obvious terrorism type attacks, something that Kira and Shakaar really did commit. With all the ex-Starfleet people in the Maquis, it's hard to believe they'd attack civilian targets.
     
  20. Dream

    Dream Admiral Admiral

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    The Maquis on VOY were the nicest terrorists ever.

    The Maquis from TNG and DS9 actually felt dangerous.