Spoilers New Short Trek - Q&A

[BillJ]

I just get the feeling that it was not always the plan to delay it so long, perhaps the MU Georgiou going with them to the future was not always the plan, now they have to wait for her to come back before they can move forward with the show.

Or Yeoh is reconsidering her commitment to staying with Trek long term.

 

[Gonzo]

Or Yeoh is reconsidering her commitment to staying with Trek long term.

Hard to say but it could just be a case that they have to wait due to Yeoh's own prior commitments, to ensure that Yeoh is available I would have expected them to contract her up at the start but that would require a firm time frame to be in place, otherwise its very easy to lose cast members to other shows if there is a delay and in S31 case the delay has been considerable.

Commitment is a chain and has to stretch from the CBS decision makers connecting the show runners with the cast all the way along to the staff who build the sets and prepare the clothing in the show, any weakness in that chain will filter down to those further along it who also have to wait around for a show to begin production, its not just about the cast members.

The danger with shows that have long delays is that it has a tendency to open the door to further delays due to unforeseen circumstances, I have seen many a good show fall apart due to writers strikes, unexpected illness or injury and personal problems such as drink or drugs.

This is why most of the time show runners dont mess around and get on with it as soon as a window is available as delay can only hurt them.

While I appreciate that the show runners have been saying for a while that S31 wont be coming until after Disco S3 it still seems off to me, I can also think of quite a few shows that had extended breaks between seasons and that really hurt the viewing numbers when they finally did come back, a lot of momentum was lost with many viewers getting fed up waiting and wandering off to other shows, its even worse if the show hasnt even started yet as the viewers know its been in development for a long period of time with nothing to show for it.

CBS have the infrastructure and financial muscle to have multiple Star Trek shows in production at once if they so choose, its pretty much a necessity if they truly intend to have a Star Trek live action show all year round, the delays just make me think they got cold feet due to Discovery's problems in the first two seasons, they must have thought they could produce anything and the fans would lap it up as long as it had a Star Trek label on it (Disney made the same mistake with Star Wars and have paid dearly for it).

While I understand that some members of this forum are content to take everything at face value the whole situation feels very unstable and precarious to me and doesnt inspire confidence at this point, hence why I said 3 seasons for Disco in the other thread until I see them actually announce and commit to a 4th.

 

[Nenya]

Hard to say but it could just be a case that they have to wait due to Yeoh's own prior commitments, to ensure that Yeoh is available I would have expected them to contract her up at the start but that would require a firm time frame to be in place, otherwise its very easy to lose cast members to other shows if there is a delay and in S31 case the delay has been considerable.

Commitment is a chain and has to stretch from the CBS decision makers connecting the show runners with the cast all the way along to the staff who build the sets and prepare the clothing in the show, any weakness in that chain will filter down to those further along it who also have to wait around for a show to begin production, its not just about the cast members.

The danger with shows that have long delays is that it has a tendency to open the door to further delays due to unforeseen circumstances, I have seen many a good show fall apart due to writers strikes, unexpected illness or injury and personal problems such as drink or drugs.

This is why most of the time show runners dont mess around and get on with it as soon as a window is available as delay can only hurt them.

While I appreciate that the show runners have been saying for a while that S31 wont be coming until after Disco S3 it still seems off to me, I can also think of quite a few shows that had extended breaks between seasons and that really hurt the viewing numbers when they finally did come back, a lot of momentum was lost with many viewers getting fed up waiting and wandering off to other shows, its even worse if the show hasnt even started yet as the viewers know its been in development for a long period of time with nothing to show for it.

CBS have the infrastructure and financial muscle to have multiple Star Trek shows in production at once if they so choose, its pretty much a necessity if they truly intend to have a Star Trek live action show all year round, the delays just make me think they got cold feet due to Discovery's problems in the first two seasons, they must have thought they could produce anything and the fans would lap it up as long as it had a Star Trek label on it (Disney made the same mistake with Star Wars and have paid dearly for it).

While I understand that some members of this forum are content to take everything at face value the whole situation feels very unstable and precarious to me and doesnt inspire confidence at this point, hence why I said 3 seasons for Disco in the other thread until I see them actually announce and commit to a 4th.

I almost feel like (and hope) that the Section 31 show will go the same route as Phase II.

 

[Gonzo]

I almost feel like (and hope) that the Section 31 show will go the same route as Phase II.

I have no problem with a S31 show, I enjoyed the DS9 story lines that involved the organisation but it is going to really boil down to the quality of the scripts and so far they have been hit and miss.

It must be said however that of all the possible options available the S31 show is the weakest of them and interest has waned due to the extensive delay, to be honest if it was announced that Discovery was ending on S3 and the S31 show was canned I wouldnt be surprised in the slightest, I do enjoy some of the episodes but the show as a concept just hasnt grabbed me at all.

Some of the Short Treks are ok (Q&A was great) but they are no substitute for a proper series following the Enterprise under Pike's command, he doesnt have to be the focus as it could be shared between the three main cast members.

We shall have to see what actually happens, it really depends on CBS, is it still all systems go or are they having second thoughts, if I was them I would be pushing really hard for a Pike/Enterprise show so it can be used to build other shows around it, cant really use Discovery for that any more as they have time jumped, many were really hyped for a ToS era show but that has gone out of the window as well.

Discovery was given a lot of latitude due to it being the first Star Trek series in a decade, I very much doubt that any shows that follow will receive the same.

I am not so sure about Picard either although it is early days, it feels like a dead end to me unless they actually intend to launch more 25th century shows from it but if that is the case what about the ToS era.

 

[BillJ]

...what about the ToS era.

I’d be okay with them walking away from it, forever. They don’t have the writing chops to handle the 23rd century.

 

[Gonzo]

I’d be okay with them walking away from it, forever. They don’t have the writing chops to handle the 23rd century.

It wouldnt surprise me if they did, especially if they cant get Mount to play Pike in a full series.

The writing has improved (low bar) and the show does seem to have a direction now but adding time travel feels like an act of desperation to me and completely unnecessary.

I really cant see how jumping into the future solves any of Discovery's issues except for having a blank slate, the thing is many of the fans tune in because of the era the show was set in.

I hope they know what they are doing, at least the first two seasons had the era going for them now even that is gone.

 

[eschaton]

So, this new interview with Mount and Peck sure makes it sound like it's not Mount's reticence stopping the show:

io9: Part of the warm welcome your characters have been embraced with by the fandom has come with a lot of this demand of, “We’re getting a lot of Star Trek now, why can’t we get Pike and Spock and Number One, the show?” Do you both see Spock and Pike’s futures in a potential ongoing format like that, or are you satisfied with putting the uniform on every once and a while and doing something like these short films?

Mount: Would we prefer the appetizer or the entree? [laughs] I’ve learned to count my blessings. And as a Trekkie, it’s one of those things that’s actually not even on your bucket list because it just never occurs to you, even as an actor, that you’re going to be on Star Trek. Literally, almost every day, Ethan and I would look at each other and go, “Can you fucking believe what we’re doing right now?”

Peck: Absolutely. Every day, yeah.

Mount: Yeah. So...these decisions are made by people you and I have never met and will never meet. So, whatever the Network Gods determine, it doesn’t matter. I feel blessed to have had this experience.

Peck: Yeah, if that’s it then I’m so happy, thrilled, grateful to have been a part of it. If there’s more, I would jump at the opportunity to work with Anson and Rebecca and everyone else. Mostly Anson and Rebecca. And it would be an absolute joy and pleasure.

 

[Lord Garth]

I really cant see how jumping into the future solves any of Discovery's issues except for having a blank slate, the thing is many of the fans tune in because of the era the show was set in.

I hope they know what they are doing, at least the first two seasons had the era going for them now even that is gone.

While the 23rd Century was a large part of the draw for me for Discovery, it wasn't the only draw. And, at the end of the day, I was looking the most forward to "Not the Rick Berman 24th Century". So the new setting, while different, still fits what I want.

Picard is an interesting case. I'm looking more forward to it than I thought I would. I think the main thing I'm interested in there is how it's going to be different, since a lot's supposed to have changed.

 

[Gonzo]

So, this new interview with Mount and Peck sure makes it sound like it's not Mount's reticence stopping the show:

He will do it but only if the terms and pay is right for him, which is pretty standard for everyone in Hollywood.

Doesnt pay to play too hard to get as you will end up with nothing though and roles like this only come along once in a lifetime and Mount will be very aware of that, its hard to argue against a regular paycheck.

Everything I have seen from both sides looks like the usual contract bargaining game.

Its the usual issues over pay, workload, script quality and possibly some production control.

I really do wish CBS would stop fucking about though, all the talk about running a Star Trek show all year round has so far amounted to sweet bugger all and its been a few years now, everybody knows they have the cash and everyone knows they need a successful big name show to really push their all access platform.

Discovery is clearly not it but an Enterprise/Pike/Peck/Romijn series could be as long as they dont cock it up.

They have the three main cast members in their sights and many of the sets are already done including the CGI, all they need are some solid stand alone character driven episode scripts to fill the first season (Q&A Short Trek is proof they can do it) and to keep the technology correct for the era, no more attempts at taking the piss like trying to tell us a normal telescope is better than a starships sensors and no stupid holograms leaning against tables that arent even in the room with them.

Lightly sprinkle with cat and mouse battles with Klingon/D7's as they learn the ships capabilities, Romulan skulduggery, first contact with some races we met in TNG, unknown civilisations and maybe just maybe some actual exploration.

No time travel, no mirror universe, no shroom drive, no S31 and no AI of any kind thank you very much.

If they do it right and play it straight it could be a license to print money in merchandising alone.

 

[fireproof78]

If they do it right and play it straight it could be a license to print money in merchandising alone.

No, probably not. Trek merchandising is not the cash crop.

As for the rest, I am so amused by the idea that CBS is apparently just "fucking around" when it comes to show development. Never mind all the other contract negotiations, the current production of three shows, multiple shorts, and whatever impact the merger has on business.

Yup, sounds like "fucking around" to me...

 

[Gonzo]

No, probably not. Trek merchandising is not the cash crop.

As for the rest, I am so amused by the idea that CBS is apparently just "fucking around" when it comes to show development. Never mind all the other contract negotiations, the current production of three shows, multiple shorts, and whatever impact the merger has on business.

Yup, sounds like "fucking around" to me...

All of which was supposedly planned well in advance and its not like CBS doesnt have experience in getting multiple shows running.

I was amused at the mistakes, errors and delays as well at first but after a while it starts to look like incompetence especially when its handling a franchise like Star Trek, for a long time I was happy to sit on the fence and watch as the two opposing factions on this board argued themselves in circles over CBS handling of Star Trek with fair points made on both sides, however its got to the point where the arguments in defence just sound like excuses now.

It makes me think there is still problems behind the scenes, I have a horrible suspicion that all those who argued in favour of CBS and the show have done so in vain and I can only imagine the meltdown to come if so.

I want Star Trek on the TV but not if they are just going to mangle it or run it into the ground, its happened before with TV shows and films franchises.

That would be a shame.

 

[fireproof78]

It makes me think there is still problems behind the scenes, I have a horrible suspicion that all those who argued in favour of CBS and the show have done so in vain and I can only imagine the meltdown to come if so.

If they fail they fail. There is precisely zero I can do about it.

However, I do think there are still problems behind the scenes largely because there is a lot going on for CBS right now. As much as I would like to think that merger talk wouldn't impact the day to day its a big merger, involves a lot of money, and may impact budgets at some level.

Ultimately, I think the uncertainty of situation probably created way more fear than would likely be acknowledged.

But, again, I don't know. I'm willing to give CBS the benefit of the doubt.

 

[Gonzo]

If they fail they fail. There is precisely zero I can do about it.

However, I do think there are still problems behind the scenes largely because there is a lot going on for CBS right now. As much as I would like to think that merger talk wouldn't impact the day to day its a big merger, involves a lot of money, and may impact budgets at some level.

Ultimately, I think the uncertainty of situation probably created way more fear than would likely be acknowledged.

But, again, I don't know. I'm willing to give CBS the benefit of the doubt.

Yeah nothing we can do.

It is highly likely that budgets are probably being squeezed due to the merger, plus there will be changes in management as well which could benefit the Star Trek shows or potentially deal a fatal blow with a new plan put in place by whoever takes over.

CBS have always been able to handle multi show franchises just look at NCIS as an example even though its a procedural, did they make poor choices in regards to the original writing team and show runners or were they just not as prepared as they thought they were for a Scifi show as big as Star Trek.

Giving them the benefit of the doubt is all well and good but I think they have had more than enough time to sort themselves out.

 

[fireproof78]

Giving them the benefit of the doubt is all well and good but I think they have had more than enough time to sort themselves out.

I don't, is the thing. Mileage will vary.

 

[Avro Arrow]

This article came up in my Pocket feed, so I thought I would share it here. It's written by Michael Chabon, and talks about his father's final days while Chabon was writing the script for Q&A. He discusses the history of Star Trek, his relationship with his father, and both of their relationships with Star Trek.

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/11/18/the-final-frontier

(My apologies if this was posted elsewhere already. I tried a couple searches, and couldn't find it.)

 

[Cyrus]

This article came up in my Pocket feed, so I thought I would share it here. It's written by Michael Chabon, and talks about his father's final days while Chabon was writing the script for Q&A. He discusses the history of Star Trek, his relationship with his father, and both of their relationships with Star Trek.

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/11/18/the-final-frontier

(My apologies if this was posted elsewhere already. I tried a couple searches, and couldn't find it.)

That was a good article, thanks for sharing. Chabon is like us, even knows the episodes titles. btw, this Short Trek episode was dedicated to his father in the end credits.

 

[lawman]

Thread catch-up!

There's nothing to fix, the cage uniforms were thrown out for a reason after the pilots, TOS didn't want them so why should they be acknowledged now? ... The cage bridge is the main bridge and was redesigned and updated for a 21st century show with cinematic production values, that's all.

You're offering a Doyleist response to a Watsonian problem. What's the point of that?

Thank you......everything HAVING to have an in universe explanation just bugs the piss out of me the older I get.

Whereas, conversely, I find it more and more important. If I'm going to invest my (scarce) time in a creative work, I like to see evidence that the people creating it took the trouble to make it internally coherent. It's not my job to make "real world" excuses for them, and it detracts from my immersion in the work.

Two words: Bridge Modules.

The Constitution class was initially issued in 2245 with a Mark I module, containing the newest Duotronic systems befitting a ship so advanced. Problems, however, arised with the EPS relay systems shorting out in battle, causing dangerous electrical discharges and several injuries. ...

[Now] rumors have it that Starfleet might just scrap the Mark III entirely and refurbish the reliable Mark I bridge style. If only they could solve the EPS overload issue.

Brilliant! Now that's how you do it. Even accounts for all the showers of sparks in TOS. (My only quibble is the reference to "EPS" systems, which were only ever a TNG-era thing.)

I've never liked the TOS aesthetic.

Ack! Heretic.

Okay, so it may be more complicated than that, because Kirk's XO was both "Spock", "Mr. Spock" and "the guy from the family whose surname even his own mother can't pronounce particularly well". But it may also be just as simple as with Craft.

I could've sworn it was his first name that was unpronounceable. Isn't that what Leila asked about in This Side of Paradise?

Did we get an exact timepoint reference, BTW? Do we know which year this happened? Or how many years after a known event? Or on what stardate, failing all else? (I mean in-episode references, not deductive reasoning from our possibly false assumptions.)

Nothing exact was mentioned or shown in the short. So all we have is what we already knew from Menagerie: Spock served under Pike for 11y4m5d, and the events of The Cage were 13 years earlier. Obviously "Q&A" fits at the beginning of his service under Pike, before The Cage. Allowing for (a few, widely shared) assumptions about TOS dating, I personally put it in early 2253.

The Turbolift Funhouse kinda reminds me of the opening of ST'09, when Captain Robau comes down the turbolift to engineering. Pretty sure that's a massive shaft in the middle of nothing and nowhere too.

Captain Robau had a massive shaft? Yeah, that's what she said...

It does go to worlds offering membership in the UFP. Which in itself is a form of colonization.
The Prime Directive is about leaving less advanced societies alone...

WTF? The PD is all about avoiding imperialism. The Federation only offers membership to worlds it can treat as equals (i.e., within a reasonable range of cultural and technological evolution), and it specifically avoids interfering with the autonomy of any less-developed culture. This was made painstakingly clear in the TOS era. Even so-called "colony" worlds aren't subordinated; they're independently settled (only on planets with no intelligent natives) and self-governed.

(Granted, in TNG the PD apparently got perverted into a weird deference to some notion of cosmic fate, but that's neither here nor there.)

 

[KennyB]

Whereas, conversely, I find it more and more important. If I'm going to invest my (scarce) time in a creative work, I like to see evidence that the people creating it took the trouble to make it internally coherent. It's not my job to make "real world" excuses for them, and it detracts from my immersion in the work.

If your time is truly so scarce I wouldn't think you'd want to waste it researching theories on why things in a make believe show don't always perfectly align across 50 plus years.

 

[BillJ]

Giving them the benefit of the doubt is all well and good but I think they have had more than enough time to sort themselves out.

I tend to agree. It is an age where audiences expect shows to hit the ground running, versus going through growing pains like TNG did.

 

[fireproof78]

Wait a minute...

Whereas, conversely, I find it more and more important. If I'm going to invest my (scarce) time in a creative work, I like to see evidence that the people creating it took the trouble to make it internally coherent. It's not my job to make "real world" excuses for them, and it detracts from my immersion in the work.

Hmmm...how does the above lead to this....

Brilliant! Now that's how you do it. Even accounts for all the showers of sparks in TOS. (My only quibble is the reference to "EPS" systems, which were only ever a TNG-era thing.)

The whole reason why I love tech talk is because I can totally rationalize differences in my head. That's what Trek fans do! I can come up with 6 different Watsonian perspectives to explain the differences, and I don't give a crap what the producers think. They have their own jobs trying to produce a show.