He came out ahead.
What are your controversial Star Trek opinions?
- Thread starter Amasov
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Even at the height of Trek's Golden Age the producers often didn't think things through.
The relations between the Federation and the Klingons, between the Federation and the Romulans, and later between the Federation and the Cardassians were at various points and in various ways metaphors for the Cold War. A treaty between the Federation and the Romulans restricting the development of cloaking devices was just one of those metaphors, in this case one alluding to the real world Strategic Arms Limitation Talks Agreements and other arms reduction and non-proliferation treaties.
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Again, it just isn't compelling story telling to have the heroes be able to hide from trouble whenever they feel like it. It's a scripted TV show and making the best choice dramatically is going to take precedence over in universe minutia 99% of the audience doesn't care about.
Plus sneaky characters in fiction are more often than not the villains or at least troublemakers and misanthropes, and Gene's concept of the Federation didn't have the UFP nor its Starfleet as sneaky villains, troublemakers and misanthropes.
Star Trek largely isn't very good. I'm not sure of too many properties out there that could survive on three episodes being good out of every ten. Which seems to be Star Trek's trend, whether it be TOS, the Berman years or the current fare.
I love the franchise, but I really still don't know why beyond it was very important to me in my formative years and the magnificent trio of Shatner, Nimoy and Kelley.
I love the franchise, but I really still don't know why beyond it was very important to me in my formative years and the magnificent trio of Shatner, Nimoy and Kelley.
That's Q's fantasy future; I'm not sure how reliable it or the info it conveys is.
Also, this is a future in which the Klingons have taken over the Romulan Empire. It's not at all unlikely that any Federation treaties in effect with or concerning the Romulans would be entirely new treaties.
So does "A Fistful of Datas."
Indeed it does suck and it's too bad because it was quite a feat of acting for Brent Spiner... wasted talent...
A Fistful of Datas was silly fun.
Data's Day is one of my absolute favorite TNG episodes!
For the record, I never implied in my earlier comment that "Data's Day(TNG)" sucked. I was referring to "Eye of the Beholder(TNG)." Now that's a boring and subpar episode even for Season 7.
Yes, that was bad but not as bad a Genesis or Masks.
I would put the ratio of good episodes for TNG and DS9 more at 7 out of 10.
The idea that the Federation didn’t use cloaks because they are honorable reminds me if the movie The Life And Death Of Colonel Blimp, a movie from the early 1940s about a friendship between a British and German officer who met when the German was captured in WW1. The movie serves as a criticism of the British idea of honor, culminated when the German officer who has since defected tries to convince his British friend to fight dirty because the Nazis sure will, and then they’ll win.
There’s no honor in letting your own soldiers die to feel better about yourself for honorable tactics. No, good guys don’t sneak around and instigate trouble. They sneak around and prevent it.
The idea that the Federation didn’t use cloaks because they are honorable reminds me if the movie The Life And Death Of Colonel Blimp, a movie from the early 1940s about a friendship between a British and German officer who met when the German was captured in WW1. The movie serves as a criticism of the British idea of honor, culminated when the German officer who has since defected tries to convince his British friend to fight dirty because the Nazis sure will, and then they’ll win.
There’s no honor in letting your own soldiers die to feel better about yourself for honorable tactics. No, good guys don’t sneak around and instigate trouble. They sneak around and prevent it.
In war, if you don't do everything you can to win then you're a traitor to your own people, including the children who will pay for your scruples with their lives!
An enormous effort has been spent in fooling the Germans into believing that the Battle of Normandy wouldn't happen the way it did. Countless lives have been lost for that sole purpose and it was worth it!!! because it saved many more lives.
That’s why Pale Moonlight is such a great episode, it calls the franchise out on its hypocrisy.
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Potentially but it goes against their principles, which is what the Federation is all about.
Exactly.
Indeed. It is the same reason why many technologies are left to the side. If you are drafting up full legal documents to support your 60 minute fantasy episode then perhaps one has to question the priorities. Because, I have no doubt the producers did not expect that decades later fans would be going "Whelp, the Federation sucks because they dared to allow other powers to use cloaking devices while refraining from their own."
Honestly, when it comes to the Federation, it is built on mutual trust and respect. It might come across as a bit naive at times but also quite possibly the key to Star Trek's success-despite the harshest times ideals can endure.
I disagree on TNG. I'd say maybe 1/3 were "good." The rest were average or dreadfully boring.
DS9 is interesting. I find the first two seasons have about 4-6 good episodes each. Pretty dreadful. But then, the mid and later seasons I'd say it's closer to the 7-out-of-10 that you mention.
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