Annoying (yet complicated) Timeline Confusions

Discussion in 'Star Trek Movies: Kelvin Universe' started by F. King Daniel, Aug 3, 2009.

  1. F. King Daniel

    F. King Daniel Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    I’ve heard a few people say that the new Star Trek timeline was somehow different to the ‘prime’ one prior to Nero’s incursion in 2233.

    They say that, since in this new timeline Picard and co.’s adventures either don’t happen or “happen differently”, all the times previous Treks go back in time (like First Contact, City of the Edge of Forever or Time’s Arrow) didn’t happen either, thus changing the past as well. This is wrong.

    If it were the way things worked in Trek’s version of time travel, then Nero would have erased himself and Spock Prime the minute Vulcan was destroyed – without Vulcan in the future the chain of events would completely change (for starters Red Matter, which created the black hole sending him back in the first place, was a Vulcan invention).

    In most Treks (with a couple of exceptions - it’s hardy consistent in these things), what happens in the past stays there.

    Theoretically, if STXI Kirk went back to the 1980’s, he might bump into STIV Kirk. Sounds crazy? From STXI Kirk’s perspective, STIV Kirk is an orphan of a future that no longer exists. No idea what STIV Kirk would make of STXI Kirk (“WTF?” might sum it up).

    You can see this in a couple of Voyager and Enterprise episodes, where alternate versions of Captain “I never experienced that timeline” Braxton and Crewman Daniels visit the crews, often in the same episode.

    All that said, although Enterprise technically ‘happened’ in the new timeline, I can’t see Paramount wanting to tie their successful new film franchise to the failed TV series too much. And I’m 100% sure Captain Archer was *not* this Kirk’s childhood hero (or the old one, for that matter!).
     
  2. L1A1 Rocker

    L1A1 Rocker Lieutenant Commander Red Shirt

    Joined:
    Jun 11, 2009
    I've seen a couple of graphics that explained the time line. Perhaps someone that has them would be kind enough to post them?