Missed Opportunities That Need Rectified...

[BillJ]

What things do you think should've made it to the screen that you think producers missed out on? Do you think they can be rectified in the current Trek productions?

My biggest missed opportunity comes from TOS, TAS and the TOS movies, and that is Uhura not getting to sit in the captain's chair. There were numerous opportunities in TOS for it to happen, and I guess the timing wasn't right. Uhura did take command of the Enterprise in "The Lorelei Signal" (TAS) but they didn't actually put her in the captain's chair.

Do I think they can rectify it? Either Star Trek 4 or Strange New Worlds will have to opportunity to put her in the captain's chair, I hope they take advantage of it.

 

[GNDN18]

“Balance of Terror”
The espionage angle, including the theft of starship design plans, would’ve gone along way to explain the return of the Romulans, not to mention filling out Stiles’ backstory.

“Court-Martial”
Jamie being brought aboard the Enterprise, and the tearful reunion in the engine room, likewise would have given some punch to an otherwise pointless exercise in seeing William Shatner’s bare shoulder.

“Operation: Annihilate!”

 

[Orphalesion]

Not introducing a new action-oriented female character to replace Tasha Yar in TNG's second season.

Did they rectify it? Not for TNG, but in DS9 they had Major Kira and the new Trek shows have all sorts of female characters who kick ass.

 

[gweeps]

Sisko needs to return to his wife and children.

 

[Farscape One]

Seeing more Gamma Quadrant aliens and their technology.

 

[Bornin1980something]

Not introducing a new action-oriented female character to replace Tasha Yar in TNG's second season.

Did they rectify it? Not for TNG, but in DS9 they had Major Kira and the new Trek shows have all sorts of female characters who kick ass.

What about Ro Laren? Kira's part was originally written for for her, as was B'Elanna Torres.

 

[at Quark's]

Sisko needs to return to his wife and children.

Why, though?

It's one of the core themes of the Sisko character that 'the Sisko must walk the path laid out for him alone' and that great personal sacrifice is involved, for both him and those around him. I wouldn't begrudge the characters a happy end, but from a narrative point of view I'm glad they didn't spoil such a weighty theme only to make us 'feel good'.

 

[GNDN18]

What about Ro Laren? Kira's part was originally written for for her, as was B'Elanna Torres.

I didn’t follow the gossip much back then, but I sensed that Michelle Forbes was not in good odor with some of the producers. This surmise is based only on the truly awful picture of her that was published in the first edition of the Star Trek Encyclopedia.

 

[Orphalesion]

What about Ro Laren? Kira's part was originally written for for her, as was B'Elanna Torres.

She never was a main character and only showed up in a handful of episodes, late in the show's run.
What I'm talking about is introducing a new action-oriented female main character in season 2.

 

[Empok Nor Station Manager]

Why, though?

It's one of the core themes of the Sisko character that 'the Sisko must walk the path laid out for him alone' and that great personal sacrifice is involved, for both him and those around him. I wouldn't begrudge the characters a happy end, but from a narrative point of view I'm glad they didn't spoil such a weighty theme only to make us 'feel good'.

Totally tosses aside the concepts of free-will and self-determination. "I'm sorry, your destiny has been pre-determined and you must do this..." I don't think the prophets intended for Sisko to marry or impregnate Kassidy Yates either... but he did (self-determination).

At the end of Season 7 Sisko did what he needed to in order to protect Bajor and condemn the pah-wraiths... none of that pre-supposes that he could not return to be with his wife, Jake and his new baby... Even he notes in the finale that he may be back tomorrow, or in several years... linear time is not a concept that the prophets understand and as such it opens the door to him returning at any place or time.

 

[gweeps]

Why, though?

It's one of the core themes of the Sisko character that 'the Sisko must walk the path laid out for him alone' and that great personal sacrifice is involved, for both him and those around him. I wouldn't begrudge the characters a happy end, but from a narrative point of view I'm glad they didn't spoil such a weighty theme only to make us 'feel good'.

He told Kasidy:

"It's hard to say. Maybe a year, maybe yesterday. But I will be back."

 

[at Quark's]

Totally tosses aside the concepts of free-will and self-determination. "I'm sorry, your destiny has been pre-determined and you must do this..." I don't think the prophets intended for Sisko to marry or impregnate Kassidy Yates either... but he did (self-determination).

Well, don't complain with me... complain with the people who wrote this stuff and made the Prophets say these things, and also things like 'we have every right to interfere with your life', and did things like 'possess' Sarah, to ensure Sisko would be born. They, on the other hand, do not appreciate Sisko trying to make them do things , such as making those Dominion ships disappear, and they give him the 'penance' that he will find no rest on Bajor. ( this might mean that he wouldn't get to settle there with Casidy and Jake after the war). They determine that 'his pagh will follow another path'. So, even though the Prophets are the 'good' guys, they do seem to use Sisko a bit as a pawn in their grand plans.

At the end of Season 7 Sisko did what he needed to in order to protect Bajor and condemn the pah-wraiths... none of that pre-supposes that he could not return to be with his wife, Jake and his new baby... Even he notes in the finale that he may be back tomorrow, or in several years... linear time is not a concept that the prophets understand and as such it opens the door to him returning at any place or time.

He told Kasidy:

"It's hard to say. Maybe a year, maybe yesterday. But I will be back."

Yes, that's perfectly true, and it's a nice little nugget that the story ensures us that Sisko will return someday. But that doesn't mean we actually need to see it happening, I think - I'm not sure the story would be better as a result.

Also, Sisko himself seemed strangely detached in that final scene, as if he didn't care himself that much whether his return would be sooner or later.

 

[Farscape One]

Ben's ending was the one thing my wife hated about the finale.

 

[Empok Nor Station Manager]

Also, Sisko himself seemed strangely detached in that final scene, as if he didn't care himself that much whether his return would be sooner or later.

That struck me as well... almost like he was brainwashed or something and completely downgraded his role as a father figure to his unborn child. You know - that runs in complete opposition to the rest of the series where one of the amazing arcs was the development and metamorphosis of the relationship between Ben & Jake... Hmmm... now you got me thinking...

 

[Vger23]

I think not having stories (animated, live action, whatever) set in the "lost eras" is a big miss. Either in the "second 5-year mission" timeframe (if you buy that) between TMP and TWOK...or in the post-TUC era with a new ship and crew.

I think there's a lot of potential for stories there, and it avoids the "ok we'll just go further into the future to make our next show" which is sort of a massive dead-end now, especially with DSC pushing that to absurd levels. I think these eras have enough interesting potential, while at the same time...avoid the absurd continuous jumps into the future, avoid doing the same old "have to make the advanced tech look more advanced, but not too advanced" problems, have a great "aesthetic" that can be maintained without looking dated, while still satisfying the canon crowd.

I'd rather see a series set in those timeframes than have yet another Star Trek: The Next Next Generation series.

 

[Greg Cox]

I still wish that Saavik had been the traitor in STAR VI, since that would have been so much more dramatic and surprising, but there's nothing to be done about that now.

 

[gweeps]

Actually, I never cared much for the Sisko/"Prophets" arc. Manipulative does seem an appropriate word to define their relationship with him. Interestingly they didn't seem to recognize their "emissary" when they first met him. But I understand how that would be; the writers didn't have the whole story nailed down.

 

[at Quark's]

That struck me as well... almost like he was brainwashed or something and completely downgraded his role as a father figure to his unborn child. You know - that runs in complete opposition to the rest of the series where one of the amazing arcs was the development and metamorphosis of the relationship between Ben & Jake... Hmmm... now you got me thinking...

Perhaps it's a direct consequence of being disembodied and being in the 'sphere' of the Prophets. It's well possible he regains those emotions (not exactly the right word perhaps but can't find a better descriptive for now) the moment he returns to a (presumably human) body.

I think not having stories (animated, live action, whatever) set in the "lost eras" is a big miss. Either in the "second 5-year mission" timeframe (if you buy that) between TMP and TWOK...or in the post-TUC era with a new ship and crew.

I think there's a lot of potential for stories there, and it avoids the "ok we'll just go further into the future to make our next show" which is sort of a massive dead-end now, especially with DSC pushing that to absurd levels. I think these eras have enough interesting potential, while at the same time...avoid the absurd continuous jumps into the future, avoid doing the same old "have to make the advanced tech look more advanced, but not too advanced" problems, have a great "aesthetic" that can be maintained without looking dated, while still satisfying the canon crowd.

I'd rather see a series set in those timeframes than have yet another Star Trek: The Next Next Generation series.

It's simple. Nothing of note happened between ca 2290-2364. All the exciting stuff happened either before or after that era. Probably in later times that era will be known to Federation historians as 'the boring century'

 

[gweeps]

That struck me as well... almost like he was brainwashed or something and completely downgraded his role as a father figure to his unborn child. You know - that runs in complete opposition to the rest of the series where one of the amazing arcs was the development and metamorphosis of the relationship between Ben & Jake... Hmmm... now you got me thinking...

I'd be surprised if Avery Brooks didn't object to this on the basis of there being a stereotype that black fathers abandon their children.

 

[gweeps]

Perhaps it's a direct consequence of being disembodied and being in the 'sphere' of the Prophets. It's well possible he regains those emotions (not exactly the right word perhaps but can't find a better descriptive for now) the moment he returns to a (presumably human) body.



It's simple. Nothing of note happened between ca 2290-2364. All the exciting stuff happened either before or after that era. Probably in later times that era will be known to Federation historians as 'the boring century'

1. Good point.

2. We really need a Section 31/Temporal Investigations series.