Discovery Klingons: Flat or Bumpy?

[Kevin Wolff]

My guess is we're going to see a new look in almost every area. There's not much point is referencing past design now that Paramount auctioned/destroyed all the old props, costumes and sets. Everything from TV Trek is gone and like the movies they are starting fresh. It's gonna sting a little at first just like TNG did when it redesigned Trek for the 24th century. And even that was easier to accept because it was a never before seen era. Redesigning the TOS era, and then living in that era next to, if not alongside, the characters we know is gonna seem strange for a time.

 

[Kor]

Go a step further, and make all the Klingons look like the legendary "Fek'lhr."
http://memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/Fek'lhr

Kor

 

[starburst]

I don't mind either way; they can have smooth or bumpy or both... So I voted with "I don't care".

For me the portrayal is more important than the look and I want them to be much more the TOS series and film Klingons than the TNG onward ones. Yes they have always been shown to be aggressive, rather brutish and relish a fight but I want to see a return to them also being calculated, intelligent and at times charismatic.

Compare the likes of Kang, Chang and even in some ways Kruge to the majority of 24th century Klingons and to me there is a marked difference where you have examples of them growling and hissing like some sort of large cat. Also which ever way they go with the makeup I would welcome a return to normal teeth like they had even in The Undiscovered Country instead of fangs like Worf and co had.

Make them a feudal race obsessed with their own definition of honour but I would rather see them much more like the ancient Japanese than the head butting constantly drunk Vikings (and I think the popular comparison does Vikings a disservice) that they became in later series.

 

[rRico]

Smooth or bumpy?
Whatever makes you feel more pleased.

 

[Mudd]

My guess is we're going to see a new look in almost every area. There's not much point is referencing past design now that Paramount auctioned/destroyed all the old props, costumes and sets. Everything from TV Trek is gone and like the movies they are starting fresh. It's gonna sting a little at first just like TNG did when it redesigned Trek for the 24th century. And even that was easier to accept because it was a never before seen era. Redesigning the TOS era, and then living in that era next to, if not alongside, the characters we know is gonna seem strange for a time.

Pretty much all this.

 

[Kevin Wolff]

Go a step further, and make all the Klingons look like the legendary "Fek'lhr."
http://memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/Fek'lhr

Kor

Just finished The 50-year mission vol1 and when they talked about ST6, there was a part in the script at one point where they encounter a more barbaric tribe of Klingons. I forgot what they called him. It along with tons of other stuff was cut because of budget, but it occurred to me that this might be the way they intended to explain the differences between the surly but Shakespeare-quoting Klingons and the head-bumping, messy-eating, swearing all the time Klingons from TNG (whom I always liked better).

So the question goes beyond cranial ridges. Which version of the Klingons will we get? Wouldn't it be cool if we got different versions. Maybe the flatheads will be quoting shakespeare while the bumpies will be drunk and violent. Maybe Klingonese is another dialect than Klingon and that too adds to conflict.

I seriously disliked Nemeis, but the concept of the Remans was pretty cool and something like that (but not just like that) might work to enhance the Klingons too.

Admiral Pike: "Vice-Chancellor Fek'lhr (Flathead named ironically), please sit. We have an excellent vintage blood wine that you might like. Oh, we made up bowl for your dogs (bumpies), but they'll have to drink outside. We don't want their kind in here."
Obviously joking, but multiple races within a species sets up for a lot of drama as we humans know, and it would also provide deeper insight into Klingon culture and history.

 

[Dr. Bashirs protege]

I'm sorry but the two tribes of Klingons things won't be happening. Its already solid canon why their are bumps and flatheads, nothing you can do about it. Not mention there's TOS flatheads that show up in ds9 with ridges. They are not going to do two tribes. There is literally zero point. As far as some quoting Shakespeare and some being uncouth? Well theres a large variety in humans too. You cannot paint with a broad brush.

 

[Kevin Wolff]

I'm sorry but the two tribes of Klingons things won't be happening. Its already solid canon why their are bumps and flatheads, nothing you can do about it. Not mention there's TOS flatheads that show up in ds9 with ridges. They are not going to do two tribes. There is literally zero point. As far as some quoting Shakespeare and some being uncouth? Well theres a large variety in humans too. You cannot paint with a broad brush.

I didn't mean a literal translation of the tribes. I meant that the flatheads might be the more refined due to their due to their human dna and would contrast against the bumpies in a way that either promotes conflict or has one dominating the other.

 

[Kevin Wolff]

Maybe the bumpies of the 23rd are even more barbaric than in the 24th. And the movie Klingons with reduced ridges are products of the flatheads mating with the bumpies. I'm never talking about structural change, only working within the framework to enhance a species who we still know little about in the this era. Nick Meyer says Trek is a bottle. You can fill it with different vintages (and boy did he) but you can't change the shape of the bottle.

 

[johnjm22]

Don't care as long as it's not the awful Abramsverse Klingons.

 

[m.lp.ql.m]

Ribbed, for her pleasure.

 

[Mudd]

I'm sorry but the two tribes of Klingons things won't be happening. Its already solid canon why their are bumps and flatheads, nothing you can do about it.

"Solid canon" gets changed all the time. Nothing you or I can do about it, but Fuller can.

Don't care as long as it's not the awful Abramsverse Klingons.

Based on Fuller's comments about pushing the designs of familiar aliens into territory that will be more challenging for fans to duplicate, it's a fair bet that the new Klingons will be more like the Abrams variety than the Westmore version.

 

[TheSubCommander]

"Solid canon" gets changed all the time. Nothing you or I can do about it, but Fuller can.



Based on Fuller's comments about pushing the designs of familiar aliens into territory that will be more challenging for fans to duplicate, it's a fair bet that the new Klingons will be more like the Abrams variety than the Westmore version.

I personally think a mix would be appropriate. I mean if this is literally 10 years before TOS, and at about the same time as Pike, why wouldn't some have smooth foreheads? Maybe we will see "half bumps" which give a new spin on the TOS and TNG\DS9\VOY look?

 

[Kor]

Some Klingons will be ridged on the right but smooth on the left. Others will be ridged on the left but smooth on the right. And they hate each other, and wage war, until there is only one of each kind remaining, and they chase each other around the universe in a brilliantly allegorical episode in which our heroes comment on how humanity overcame such differences centuries ago.

Kor

 

[Captain of the USS Averof]

Perhaps flat in the middle but with ridges all around. Really ugly mothe……

 

[Stewey]

In canon, it is specifically stated that first contact with the Klingons took place in 2218 and it is unknown if they had ridges at that time and became smooth until the motion picture. There is an explanation for this as alluded by Worf but has since never been explained in canon.

 

[Kor]

In canon, it is specifically stated that first contact with the Klingons took place in 2218 and it is unknown if they had ridges at that time and became smooth until the motion picture. There is an explanation for this as alluded by Worf but has since never been explained in canon.

The date of 2218 isn't mentioned specifically in canon.

Kor

 

[Mudd]

The Klingon thing was explained in Enterprise, which is canon by the only definition consistent with accurate use of English vocabulary. Fans don't get to vote on what's part of the official continuity - "canon" - and what's not.

The only reason for insisting otherwise would be a desire to provoke a meaningless argument for the sake of being provocative.

 

[Dr. Bashirs protege]

I feel like they'll have ridges, they just won't be as pronounced as TNG

 

[Commander Keiran MacDuff]

I'm realizing that as much as I like the various kinds of Klingons, I'd be just as happy with something new. It really doesn't matter to me though as long as they do something creative that serves the story.

The greatest mistake by far was when Enterprise tried to come up with an explanation of the visual disparities.

Just pick a great look and go with it.