Should a Pike show take the Orville approach?

[CorporalClegg]

I would say it absolutely needs to have some levity - way more than the other two shows have. But Orville sucks. I'd hope they can do better.

That said, I'd be totally okay if they brought in MacFarlane to write/direct an episode. Or hey, bring back The Bragaman.

 

[Nyotarules]

The last love letter to the fans was a disaster...no more love letters, please. We are not having an affair. We want to be entertained not shagged.

 

[The Old Mixer]

A friend of mine shared a story on Facebook that they confirmed today they are doing a Pike series. Is that correct?!

https://www.trekbbs.com/threads/the...ead-news-n-stuff.302938/page-20#post-13393103

 

[thribs]

What, be good? I sure hope so.

 

[fireproof78]

Orville is average. When it's good it's good. But, it whiffs big.

I'd rather Pike do its own thing.

 

[Mudd]

I certainly hope the show isn't as solemn and humorless as STD - one character who babbles isn't sufficient to lighten the mood.

 

[Vger23]

I like The Orville and I like how it is episodic but carries some fair level of continuity throughout. I think the SNW show could benefit from that approach a bit.

I've said many times, a modern Trek "spaceship show" can be both serialized and episodic. Have the ship on a protracted mission to solve some scientific puzzle that takes them to different worlds or encounters each week. The common thread of the mission is the "serialization" while the individual episodes tell more of a contained story.

The cast have already been shown to have a chemistry and a levity with each other that is pretty impressive. I think that bodes well for a more fun tone

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

They should definitely take a page from The Orville's book and hire good writers as well as make the characters likeable.

 

[Cake]

Answering the thread title, it would definitely be an improvement over the DIS and PIC approach.

 

[Tuskin38]

According to this they do want to make it more episodic:

https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/star-trek-strange-new-worlds-spock-pike-episodic-1234608181/

 

[Quinton]

With the added benefit of the knowledge that a more episodic approach is precisely what the creators are gunning for, I am going to go boldly here and officially answer the thread title:

Yes.

 

[fireproof78]

They better make it good. Both DSC and Picard style are my preferred. With 12 or 13 episodes it's not a lot of room for error.

 

[dswynne1]

I really don't want a Trek show to be anything like Orville, but I get your TOS touchpoint.

I'm pretty much done with standalone 'Planet Of the week' Trek. We've had...lots.

I'll never be ready for a Trek comedy.

Yeah, but the beauty of the episodic format is that you could watch any of the episodes in any order, which makes it it easier to sell on the syndication market.

 

[dswynne1]

I think it'd be fun if they played with that. Pike, knowing he won't die gets more and more reckless (like a reverse Final Destination) which eventually leads to him being grounded and made an academy instructor... which is what leads to his accident.

Or, that Pike HAS to live long enough in order to save the cadets in that accident. If he doesn't, a worse future may occur. Who's to say that a "pre-destined" outcome is a passive one? Or, worse, knowing his future causes Pike to be a bit more reckless? He might just want to have Spock simply put a cap on certain aspects of his memories in order for him to truly be himself, rather than allow something to hang over his head to dictate his actions.

 

[Angry Fanboy]

We want to be entertained not shagged.

Speak for yourself...

 

[Ralphis]

EDIT: I meant for this to be in the "Discovery episodes to watch in preparation for Strange New Worlds" thread. I had both threads up in separate tabs and I got them mixed up. I'm an idiot. However, oddly, I still think 60-70% of what I wrote still works here - STW seems to be taking The Orville Approach. But apologies, neverthless. I need to pay more attention and/or stop doing this stuff at work.

Honestly, I think just watching Season 2 is your best bet. If you just watch the Pike centric episodes, you'll miss a lot of the Spock stuff, and vice versa.

In that Variety article, Goldsman does say Strange New Worlds will be episodic like old school Trek BUT with character development. Meaning the experiences and choices the characters make will carry over the the following episodes. If they're doing that, then there's no reason not to expect the events of Disco Season 2 to effect where Pike and Spock are mentally when we first join them in Strange New Worlds. Pike knows his ultimate fate, how does he deal with that? How does Spock handle losing Michael?

And as others have pointed out, don't skip the Short Treks. I can't help but think Q&A, The Trouble With Edward and Ask Not were kind of a pseudo pilot for Strange New Worlds.

 

[Muji]

The Orville bores me. No thanks.

This. I honestly can’t believe so many Trekkies like it.

 

[seigezunt]

No, it should be its own thing, and not border on fan film/parody.

 

[seigezunt]

This. I honestly can’t believe so many Trekkies like it.

This. It's exactly the kid of thing I was scared DSC was going to be, and I was relieved when that was not.

 

[Qonundrum]

The last love letter to the fans was a disaster...no more love letters, please. We are not having an affair. We want to be entertained not shagged.

^^this

If we want shagging there are plenty of nightclubs and free clinics for afterward.
(proverbially speaking, of course.)