Which is "YOUR" Star Trek?

[Richard S. Ta]

Toss up between the classic movies (specifically The Motion Picture, although all 6 films are the perfect example of the wide range of what Star Trek is, was and can and should be) and TNG, which was my first Trek. Voted for the TOS films because I didn't think many others would, and because they deserve to have some votes for them, too.

I voted the same and I think the way you summarised the movies there is spot on. We've got:

1: High Concept
2: Submarine Battle
3: Klingons
4: Time Travel/Comedy/Message
5: A Stinker (;-))
6: Political Commentary

I don't think that is representative of everything Star Trek can do, but they certainly aren't the same and all are types of story that occur elsewhere, before and after.

 

[The Knappos]

All of it.
Got into Trek properly in the late 80s when there was a ST II and ST III double bill on the TV one weekend (each film on consecutive afternoons). Saw Final Frontier and TUC at the cinema.

So, really, it's Movie era which brought me in; but they're a gate way drug because once I was bitten, I was all in and when BBC 2 (UK) ran TNG, I watched that religiously and when they repeated TOS, I watched that. I watched TAS in the summer holidays.

When DS9 came along, I was unsure about it, but I watched it and, when we stopped getting Sky TV at home, I asked my neighbour who had it to tape Trek for me so I could watch it. It remains my favourite Trek to this day, with the movie era.

When Voyager started I had a paper round, so I actually bought the VHS tapes, though I started cherry picking ones which sounded most exciting/got the best reviews, after the first season.

I burned out in ENT season one, which also coincided with some real life changes which meant I had less time to dedicate to Trek. I didn't really resolve that until Trek went to Netflix in the run up to DISCO and I rewatched ENT. Detached from the burnout by a decade really helped.

I like the Kelvin-verse movies (though I am very, very critical of bits of them(and most of Into Darkness)).

I thought DISCO got off to a rough start but really found its feet at the end of season one. Picard season one had pacing issues but was really enjoyable in spite of them. Lower Decks, I scoffed at the idea but the execution was sublime and it's my favourite of the current crop.

I've not watched Prodigy yet and DISCO's last season was a bit deflating; but I am chomping at the bit for Strange New Worlds.


TL;DR All of it.

 

[Seven of Five]

All of it, I guess.

I'd seen the movies on TV either at Christmas or Bank Holidays and remember watching TOS very occasionally on BBC on Sunday Afternoons with my Dad. He loved it when he was growing up.

I noticed something called The Next Generation on TV, which sounded a bit strange, so I didn't watch it at first. Eventually, around my friend's house, I noticed they were watching it, and I enjoyed it enough to keep watching it at home, even though it was season 7 and I had no point of reference to how good it used to be. When I watched All Good Things... I just thought it was amazing, and when it finished, I carried on watching from the beginning, warts and all.

My friend was also watching Deep Space Nine, which I also started enjoying, from season 2. VOY was just starting around that time as well, and even though I could see I wouldn't enjoy VOY as much as the others, it was still enjoyable with the majority of the characters.

It was the glory days of all four series on different nights on BBC Two, so it was so much fun watching everything. However,
| stopped watching ENT after S1, partly because I moved away somewhere that didn't show it, but I was just losing interest in it at the time. Years later, when I heard about how it finally became good when it was canceled, I bought DVDs.

Eventually, I was enjoying the Abrams films, which then whetted my appetite for more TV Trek. And now we have 4 series on air again, with Strange New Worlds coming as well.

So yes, that was a long answer, but they're all my Star Trek, and I'm not sharing.

 

[Empok Nor Station Manager]

DS9.... I started years ago with TOS playing on a newly aired FOX network, got me hooked and totally stoked me for the release of TNG... both series I loved/continue to love. When DS9 came out it was so different, so dystopian that it really took me a season or two (or three) to adjust. When I look back - I enjoyed the long story arcs... the intersection of politics, religion, and war in the Star Trek world (which was such taboo for decades). I also really loved the father/son dynamic with Ben & Jake.

 

[Greg Cox]

I voted the same and I think the way you summarised the movies there is spot on. We've got:

1: High Concept
2: Submarine Battle
3: Klingons
4: Time Travel/Comedy/Message
5: A Stinker (;-))
6: Political Commentary

I don't think that is representative of everything Star Trek can do, but they certainly aren't the same and all are types of story that occur elsewhere, before and after.

I've often said that one of the great things about STAR TREK is the format is broad and flexible enough to allow for lots of different kind of stories: morality plays, topical allegories, courtroom dramas, war stories, tragic romances, even the occasional out-and-out farce. Which is why I always balk whenever folks get too reductive about a STAR TREK story "should" entail.

 

[gweeps]

I've often said that one of the great things about STAR TREK is the format is broad and flexible enough to allow for lots of different kind of stories: morality plays, topical allegories, courtroom dramas, war stories, tragic romances, even the occasional out-and-out farce. Which is why I always balk whenever folks get too reductive about a STAR TREK story "should" entail.

As long as the characters are interesting and well-acted, bring anything on.

 

[Lucky]

While I love them all, I remember growing up watching the TOS movies, and that era will always have a special place in my heart.

 

[maneth]

All of it, but DS9 is my favorite. I tend to prefer arc-based shows over episodic ones, although I suspect that DSC might have taken things to the other extreme. I haven't seen it or PIC yet. Trek is also, to me, at its heart an optimistic franchise, I'm not interested in a Battlestar Galactica 2005 clone.

 

[Ray Hardgrit]

Discovery and Picard really have nothing in common with BSG at the moment. The two series did start off a bit grim and depressing, with the occasional gory death, but Picard season 2 has added a bit more fun to the mix and Discovery s4 is basically an old school Trek episode stretched out for a whole season with the focus on morality and on the crew's mental health. If it seems like they're going into a tense situation they'll bring a counsellor on the away team to de-escalate. Someone gets chewed out for making a quip because it wasn't constructive or supportive. The latest showrunner has really made the series their own.

 

[fireproof78]

I'm not interested in a Battlestar Galactica 2005 clone.

Neither am I. I didn't get past episode 3 of BSG.

Discovery and Picard are not BSG.

 

[maneth]

Neither am I. I didn't get past episode 3 of BSG.

Discovery and Picard are not BSG.

Glad to hear that Discovery and Picard aren't like that. I really liked BSG, no matter how dystopian it got. But I don't want my Star Trek to be like that.

 

[Vger23]

I voted the same and I think the way you summarised the movies there is spot on. We've got:

1: High Concept
2: Submarine Battle
3: Klingons
4: Time Travel/Comedy/Message
5: A Stinker (;-))
6: Political Commentary

I don't think that is representative of everything Star Trek can do, but they certainly aren't the same and all are types of story that occur elsewhere, before and after.

Regardless of your feelings on TFF, I think you've sold it short here. TFF was honestly quite a good representation of the TOS format...in fact probably a more accurate representation than the other films:

False God antagonist
Focus on the friendship between K, S, Mc
Mix of comedy and drama
Ship gets taken over by someone

 

[Richard S. Ta]

Regardless of your feelings on TFF, I think you've sold it short here. TFF was honestly quite a good representation of the TOS format...in fact probably a more accurate representation than the other films:

False God antagonist
Focus on the friendship between K, S, Mc
Mix of comedy and drama
Ship gets taken over by someone

I have fond memories of TFF. First Trek film I saw at the cinema.

And yes, you're right. Maybe I should say that (for better or worse) TFF is like a Season 3 episode made into a movie?

 

[1001001]

I have a real soft spot for TFF.

I have always believed there's a good movie in there trying to get out.

On one hand, some of the f/x scenes are downright amateurish. On the other hand, I think it really gets the tone of things right. There are some wonderful character moments too.

 

[Vger23]

I have fond memories of TFF. First Trek film I saw at the cinema.

And yes, you're right. Maybe I should say that (for better or worse) TFF is like a Season 3 episode made into a movie?

I have a real soft spot for TFF.

I have always believed there's a good movie in there trying to get out.

On one hand, some of the f/x scenes are downright amateurish. On the other hand, I think it really gets the tone of things right. There are some wonderful character moments too.

Don't get me wrong....no matter how much I personally like the film (and I do really like it)...there's no way I would ever try to convince someone that it is objectively a good movie. But, that being said, I always kind of chuckle when people say it's irredeemably terrible, because quite honestly, of all the "pre-Kelvin" Star Trek movies....it has these two qualities that none of the other films have:

1. It captures the feel of the original source material best (although, you could make the same argument for INS I suppose)
2. It most closely follows the formula and tone of a modern summer block buster.

YES, I know that point #2 is a bit controversial...but it has all the qualities of the modern summer superhero movie (or, I'd argue, even Kelvinverse Trek film) that so many people celebrate. It has that same awkward mix of comedy and drama. It has questionable silly plot elements (in fact, this is right in line with the Kelvin films). It has some big action set pieces...witty one-liners, etc etc etc. The only thing it doesn't have (unfortunately) in common with those films is impressive visual effects. At least it has a dynamic style to the cinematography, though.....and in that way it is a great "looking" film (the set design, cinemetography, etc are all really nice).

 

[cooleddie74]

TFF gets the character beats right(except for Scotty and Uhura's out-of-left-field romance that is never again referenced) and has heart but the Bran Ferren f/x are downright mediocre or worse and there's no explanation how the Enterprise-A can get to the center of the galaxy so quickly(the J.M. Dillard novelization explains how and does so pretty well). So the movie is a mess but isn't as bad as I used to think.

 

[1001001]

Kirk falling off El Capitan was...not good.

 

[cooleddie74]

Paramount will likely never give Shatner the money for a fixed Director's Cut but they really should.

 

[Vger23]

TFF gets the character beats right(except for Scotty and Uhura's out-of-left-field romance that is never again referenced) and has heart but the Bran Ferren f/x are downright mediocre or worse and there's no explanation how the Enterprise-A can get to the center of the galaxy so quickly(the J.M. Dillard novelization explains how and does so pretty well). So the movie is a mess but isn't as bad as I used to think.

Agreed, but some of those plot issues (like the time to make such a long journey) are things you'll find wonky in almost any post-Nemesis version of the franchise now (and that isn't an excuse...because it IS unfortunate...but it just shows that things we would consider highly questionable back then would be more the norm now LOL).

Kirk falling off El Capitan was...not good.

Pure agony. No doubt.

Paramount will likely never give Shatner the money for a fixed Director's Cut but they really should.

Agree....there are fan edits or vfx examples on YouTube that are really quite good. With a proper budget, TFF could have this weakness easily shored-up.

 

[cooleddie74]

Laurence Luckinbill just owns his role as Sybok. Any success the film experiences can be attributed to two things: the chemistry between the Big Three and the strength of Luckinbill's performance.