Those first seasons were really hamstrung by the terribleness of the Kazon as main villains. They're almost as bad as Ferengi as primary adversaries. I wish they had done more with the Vidiaains instead. That was a truly creepy aliens species.
Filming Seasons vs. Broadcast Seasons
- Thread starter Daddy Todd
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Those first seasons were really hamstrung by the terribleness of the Kazon as main villains. They're almost as bad as Ferengi as primary adversaries. I wish they had done more with the Vidiaains instead. That was a truly creepy aliens species.
I would rather have the show down with the vidians than the Hunan system, planet episode where you felt no hardship and yet again-waiting for their "time out" to be over.
There's absolutely nothing wrong with the Kazon.
Interesting argument, but that's in conflict with several of the producers and actors on the show (i.e. Taylor, Braga, Russ, Phillips, Picardo, Beltran, and Piller) who are on the record stating that the Kazon are everything from "half-baked Klingons" to "not that exciting" to not very intelligent. So, yeah, I'd say that when the production crew and actors are virtually unanimous in believing that something sucks, it probably sucks.
Just because an opinion is shared by a majority doesn't make it correct, and I personally feel that there was more than a little bit of pandering going on when those kinds of comments were made.
I don't think it's pandering for writers to admit their mistakes. Identifying and correcting one's mistakes is a fundamental part of the writing process. And a lot of writing is trial and error, tossing out ideas and seeing which ones work and which ones don't. So you can't get anywhere as a writer if you aren't able to listen to valid criticism and revise unsuccessful ideas.
doubleohfive
Fleet Admiral
1) In Hollywood, there's a very finite list of people you "have" to listen to when it comes to suggestions about what works and what doesn't. I imagine people were as vocal about what they didn't like about the various Treks back then as they are now, so it stands to reason that despite whatever people on the inside might have said or felt, they probably weren't concerning themselves too much with what Joe Q. Fan was kvetching about week after week. I'm not saying anyone was right or wrong, I'm just saying I doubt very much that fan opinion was at the heart of concern on most matters.
2) The Kazon looked like they shampooed their hair with Italian salad dressing. That can only take you so far.
2) The Kazon looked like they shampooed their hair with Italian salad dressing. That can only take you so far.
In the UK, those four holdover episodes from season one were released by CIC Video as part of season one (its through these VHS releases that I originally saw the show; never seen beyond season 2, but have fond memories of buying up those early releases).
Sky One (who premiered the show here) ran them in that order, as did BBC2 when it began showing the series in 1996 (interestingly, the repeat order switched to "Learning Curve" as season one finale).
Michael Piller had some very good ideas for Voyager - he wanted season 2 to have more of an arc, continuity between episodes etc - and he really pushed for the Kazon. When it all felt, he basically walked. It was Jeri Taylor who was fed up with the Kazon.
My own opinion - and this is based on watching the episodes years ago - they weren't too bad; it was an interesting premise, but I do agree it was time for them to go by the end of season 2, as it was giving the impression Voyager wasn't actually travelling all that far!
Sky One (who premiered the show here) ran them in that order, as did BBC2 when it began showing the series in 1996 (interestingly, the repeat order switched to "Learning Curve" as season one finale).
Michael Piller had some very good ideas for Voyager - he wanted season 2 to have more of an arc, continuity between episodes etc - and he really pushed for the Kazon. When it all felt, he basically walked. It was Jeri Taylor who was fed up with the Kazon.
My own opinion - and this is based on watching the episodes years ago - they weren't too bad; it was an interesting premise, but I do agree it was time for them to go by the end of season 2, as it was giving the impression Voyager wasn't actually travelling all that far!
So, I got as far as Threshold, which I was able to finish (on my third attempt) about the first of November.
I've been unable to force myself to watch another episode since. I started Meld 2 or 3 times, but shut it off after a couple minutes.
I just can't.
I've been unable to force myself to watch another episode since. I started Meld 2 or 3 times, but shut it off after a couple minutes.
I just can't.
Good. More for us.
Dude. We all have.
Meld was a great episode, as it introduced one of Voyager's more "interesting" crew members.
I cannot get past the eyes. All the betazoids didn't have them so obviously they were all about being a sociopath but no one else noticed this?
What do you mean? Lon Suder had the same black irises as every other full or half-Betazoid we've ever seen. Black irises are to Betazoids as pointed ears are to Vulcans and spots are to Trill. I checked all the photos of Betazoids on Memory Alpha, and the only ones without black irises have been the 3/4-human, 1/4-Betazoid blends Devinoni Ral from TNG: "The Price" (blue eyes) and Walter Pierce from TNG: "Eye of the Beholder" (light brown eyes).
I noticed. Not sure if that's what they were going for. In my opinion, the scariest criminal is one who appears "normal". Suder had the whole villain plot going for him with the eyes. bummer. Had no shock value. Deanna had dark eyes and it made her less attractive than her alter ego Sirtis, but not a sociopath.
What? Again, dark irises had been established as the defining "alien" trait of Betazoids since "Encounter at Farpoint." The only thing they were "going for" was to establish that he was a Betazoid. How in the heck does eye color suggest that someone's a villain? (Unless it's Meg Foster's pale ice-blue eyes. Those are just creepy. *shudder*)
It shouldn't but in story telling, particularly Disney, there are characteristics used to distinguish hero and villain in a stand out way. I can't speak for Teacake, but it probably is my mind seeing a pattern surface. Dark eyes equals to a varying degree, suspicion, paranoia, distrust, and/or black heart. This villain may possess one or none of these. it's interpretation of the artist's imagination. I'm not implying it's law in fiction. I've just observed this in cartoons in particular, even comic movies. I use a lot of symbolism in my art and look for it in others. It again, doesn't mean I am correct. Could merely be my interpretation. Did I make sense? I hope I didn't go off on a tangent. lol.
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