Star Trek Picard is not Star Trek

[Amasov]

Action scenes have been a part of Trek for a while:

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

The question I always have for the gatekeepers/haters who scream foul when there are actions scenes is, do they hate them because they perceive them as not making sense? If an action scene, like this one here, is a result of what's being told in the story, wouldn't that be ok?

For instance, the entire last 15 minutes of Basics, Part I is Voyager going head to head with a Kazon fleet. Hell, Insurrection has two different action sequences taking place simultaneously that we cut back and forth between. And those make sense to what's happening in the plot.

Every action sequence in Picard makes total sense as it's related to the story being told. If gatekeepers/haters feel they are too long and drawn out, that's a different conversation entirely. If they make sense in the story, there shouldn't be a problem.

IMO, Into Darkness was the one that took "mindless action" too far when the Enterprise was suddenly caught in Earth's gravity after its battle with the Vengeance. Easily the most ridiculous action sequence in the franchise.

 

[ITDUDE]

I wonder if CBS would pay to de-res the episodes.

Seriously, if people went out of their way to watch Stranger Things on old circa 80s TVs, can we have someone do the same for Picard?

 

[Danja]

Yeah i saw enemy mine for the first time after seeing the enemy and was like "wow TNG straight ripped that off"

I guess it was more of a homage, but still.

Spoiler

Seven's killing of Bjayzl dipped into The Godfather.

I've drawn from The Godfather, Blade Runner, and old skool T.V. such as Magnum P.I. and The Rockford Files for my fanfics.

Seriously, if people went out of their way to watch Stranger Things on old circa 80s TVs, can we have someone do the same for Picard?

I remember that ...

You "fixed" it by smacking the thing!

 

[Gonzo]

Seriously, if people went out of their way to watch Stranger Things on old circa 80s TVs, can we have someone do the same for Picard?

It's on my watch list for this week, haven't seen it before.

Is it any good.

 

[Lord Garth]

It's on my watch list for this week, haven't seen it before.

Is it any good.

Watch it as soon as you can.

 

[Gonzo]

Watch it as soon as you can.

Ah good, a spot opened up in my viewing list due to Avenue 5 being the least funny comedy I have ever watched.

I am generally pretty easy to please comedy wise but literally nothing in that show works at all.

 

[Noname Given]

Nope, TOS, It was enhanced in TNG, but it was there in TOS.

No, it definitely wasn't.

As I have gotten older and mellower, I hate Enterprise even more!

I've missed you Stewey

 

[fireproof78]

No, it definitely wasn't.

You missed the part where utopia seemed to be defined as "any improvement."

 

[Noname Given]

It was far superior to "Dawn," that much is sure. At least "Darmok(TNG)" tried some daring and somewhat original things. The ENT episode was decent enough but it was basically that movie on a rocky planet with scorching sunlight and a far more limited series of sets.

But , but, "Darmok" had the 1701-D firing Phasers from the Probe launcher...NOT CANON!

 

[Bad Thoughts]

You missed the part where utopia seemed to be defined as "any improvement."

Is the opposite true? It's getting cloudy, so the weather must be dystopian, no?

 

[fireproof78]

Is the opposite true? It's getting cloudy, so the weather must be dystopian, no?

Seems to be

 

[ITDUDE]

It's on my watch list for this week, haven't seen it before.

Is it any good.

OMG yes. You'll have 3 seasons worth to binge watch. You'll realize why some (well, me) are comparing Picard to Stranger Things. It's slow burn, then BAAM, then slow burn, then BAAM BAAM! You go watch it right now!

 

[yotsuya]

And what exactly do we know about the Klingons in the 2250s? What canon was ignored?

The physical look of Klingons, except for the change in hair length and head ridges, was consistant. The first attempt to address the different look as in Star Trek VI where we had our first Klingon since TOS with a smooth forehead. But the cultural aspects that were developed around Worf in TNG and DS9 (and more in Voyager and Enterprise) were completely ignored. So a bunch of stuff that we could trace back through Klingon history was just thrown out in order to redesign them and rework their culture.

There is an entire subplot in Balance of Terror about a human (Stiles) expressing bigotry towards the Romulans and then the Vulcans. or one Vulcan (Spock)

And that episode called out how unusual that was as only one crew member was having any problem with it.

Where is it stated Starfleet consists of only 12 core ships and support ships? So you're saying the Constellation, the Defiant and the Exeter weren't starships? And that close to half the fleet was in dry dock for repairs in "Court Martial? That all those arrowhead sporting Starfleeters seen in Court Martial" were off super special Starships? *

*The arrowhead was supposed to be fleetwide. Both ship and base personnel sported it in Court Martial and other episodes Though apparently Commodores and JAG officers did not. A costuming error gave The Constellation and the Exeter unique badges. Something that was continued in Enterprise for the Defiant.

Well, that is a long discussion that is ever ongoing. But Constellation and Exeter were included in that number and Defiant was a new ship not included in that number (a number that otherwise would have been 9 by that point). But you mistake the intent of that part of TOS. The Starship was not just every ship, it was the elite cruisers like Enterprise. The scout ships would not have been referred to as starships, but scouts or other more role specific terms. And the memos from the production indicated that the arrowhead was NOT fleet wide. It was for those elite ships only. But due to Theiss (and whoever did it for the Defiant in Ent), we ended up with 4 distinct emblems and the arrowhead on multiple ships. How that fits in has never been explained. But the fleet wide insignia was the one on the side of the Enterprise and above the admirals and commodores on the viewscreens. Arrowheads didn't grace the Enterprise until TMP and it didn't go fleet wide until TWOK. Antares and Epsilon 9 crews had different emblems. But again, this has been discussed in great length elsewhere.

The references to money in TOS are numerous

Are they? Do the crew carry money on a regular basis? I know they refer to it. They are not ignorant of it, but they don't seem to use it.

 

[yotsuya]

And the problem with that word is that folks get carried away with it, to the extent that any sort of human flaws or unpleasantness are seen and condemned as "Not Trek."

A schoolyard fight? Not Trek! People using harsh language? Not Trek! Pushy reporters? Not Trek! People smoking or drinking to excess? Not Trek! Political compromises or corruption? Not Trek!

The whole "utopian" thing is being taken to ridiculous extremes, IMO.

I agree. It is kind of a bad word choice, but it fits in some ways.

Utopia is an ideal. Perfection. Absolute perfection. I think what Star Trek shows is that the Federation and Starfleet are closer to it than we are, but still not there. Something always holds us back and the best of us keep striving to get there. Star Trek is supposed to be about the best of us exploring and teaching others. Not always perfectly. They are human after all. But they are further along. The 23rd century not as much as the 24th. But don't take my use of the word utopia to mean the perfect ideal Utopia. If you are referring to that you need to capitalize it. Star Trek portrays our future as further along in the quest for it. And sure, a lot of stories deal with a seeming Utopia that really isn't. Many of them are enslaved to computers. The moral is that we need to get there the right way, not force it on people or accept and illusion. It is what really sets Star Trek apart from most other science fiction.

 

[Crewman6]

It's on my watch list for this week, haven't seen it before.

Is it any good.

It's deeply mediocre and wildly overrated.

 

[Crewman6]

Ah good, a spot opened up in my viewing list due to Avenue 5 being the least funny comedy I have ever watched.

I am generally pretty easy to please comedy wise but literally nothing in that show works at all.

Yeah, Avenue 5 is pretty awful. Only watched the first episode. No need to go back.

 

[Gonzo]

It's deeply mediocre and wildly overrated.

Yeah, Avenue 5 is pretty awful. Only watched the first episode. No need to go back.

I will give it a go, always did like those sort of shows.

Sleep Hollow and the X Files and who can forget American Gothic.

 

[Agony_Boothb]

But , but, "Darmok" had the 1701-D firing Phasers from the Probe launcher...NOT CANON!

Uhhhhh it was ackshully the torpedo launcher *adjusts glasses* *laugh-snorts in nerd*

 

[Greg Cox]

Star Trek has been "stealing" from other SF properties since day one. (Forbidden Planet) Yar (originally Macha Hernadez) was inspired by Vasquez from Aliens. Data's positronic brain was lifted from Asimov.

And if you've seen Blade Runner, you don't need to add Black Widow or Wonder Woman to the mix. Pris will do fine.

More examples from TOS:

"Balance of Terror" is basically the classic submarine movie, THE ENEMY BELOW, in space.
"Wolf in the Fold" is basically Robert Bloch recycling his own short story "Yours Truly, Jack the Ripper" (previously adapted on Boris Karloff's Thriller only about five years earlier), in space.
"Arena" was inspired (sorta) by Fredric Brown's short story, "Arena," which had previously been adapted on The Outer Limits only a few years earlier.

And I've long argued that "Assignment: Earth" is to THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL as Star Trek is FORBIDDEN PLANET.

Science fiction is always building on and borrowing from previous works. PICARD is not doing anything different.

 

[Noname Given]

More examples from TOS:

"Balance of Terror" is basically the classic submarine movie, THE ENEMY BELOW, in space.
"Wolf in the Fold" is basically Robert Bloch recycling his own short story "Yours Truly, Jack the Ripper" (previously adapted on Boris Karloff's Thriller only about five years earlier), in space.
"Arena" was inspired (sorta) by Fredric Brown's short story, "Arena," which had previously been adapted on The Outer Limits only a few years earlier.

And I've long argued that "Assignment: Earth" is to THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL as Star Trek is FORBIDDEN PLANET.

Science fiction is always building on and borrowing from previous works. PICARD is not doing anything different.

TOS S1 - "The Corbomite Maneuver" barrows elements from "The Bedford Incident" ("Lt. Bailey" is very much in the exact pattern of the "Ensign Ralston" character from that film.)

TOS S2 - "The Doomsday Machine" barrows heavily from "Moby Dick" - Hell, they could have named "Matt Decker", "Matt Ahab" instead if they really wanted to hit viewers over the head.