Yes.
Spoilers Star Trek: Picard General Discussion Thread
- Thread starter Tuskin38
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I am sorry when I have caused problems by mentioning the number of the episode where stuff happened. Will never happen again. I hope I have caused no harm...
I'm really quite lenient when it comes to the hand props in Trek -- TWOK used off-the-shelf rentals for the tricorders and the Enterprise and Reliant comms were Vietnam-era walkie-talkies stuffed into metal cases and wristwatch calculators, respectively. I was fine with all of that. Generally, if it looks at all cool, I like it. I have a low bar, is my point.
So bear that in mind when I say: this is the single most hideous prop in the history of Trek design. It's an unholy abomination. What the everloving fuck were they thinking when they designed it. Not only is it inappropriate for the era, it combines two designs that clash, aesthetically. Wah Chahg's TOS phaser and the TUC phaser (which was designed around a semi-auto pistol, as I recall) have basically zero in common. It's like smashing together an F1 racecar and an ambulance. Why are there tubes on the sides? How come the only part of the TUC phaser they used was the sliding upper? How come so little of the TOS design was changed, aside from making it fatter and uglier? Why is this a 25th century phaser?
Just... what?
It just occurred to me that Crusher's description of Picard's life as filled with suffering and death and pain and fear as the reason she hid Jack from him is probably the ultimate deconstruction of everything Picard was supposed to be about. He was a philosopher, a man of the arts, a musician, an archaeologist, a diplomat and a peacemaker. Yes there was danger but he overcame those dangers so that he and the Federation could have peace. For Beverly to ignore that and emphasize only the worst elements of Picard's life is I think telling of how the new writing has been portraying Picard.
It's the phaser type they use on Yeager class ships.
I agree. Picard and Crusher were way out of character and in the case of Picard that has been a issue for awhile on the show. They are trying to give him angst that was never really their on the show and also Crusher was in Starfleet. She brought Wesley on board the Enterprise and let him be a bridge officer and in essence in trusted his life to Picard who was captain.
They want to explain it away as people changing over time but that usually works better when you still see who they use to be as still being part of themselves. Old Kirk and Spock and Bones from the movies were different than they were on the show but not so different that they all of sudden felt like completely different characters.
Also lets face it. We saw better more character accurate future versions of these characters in "All Good Things" or even with PIcard in "Inner Light."
Relax. This isn't a 25th century Starfleet phaser, It's supposed to be one that Jack cobbled together himself.
It isn’t.
The tube on the side does look stupid. But it's clearly a customized weapon based on a 135-year-old TOS phaser so it gets some points for bringing back that actual design in live action.
Ignoring for a moment that yes, it clearly isn't supposed to be a "new C25th design" and yes, in theory Jack is supposed to have cobbled it together... It still looks as though no thought whatsoever went into it, like someone simply fed pics of other phasers into an AI and let it run wild.
This has sadly been the case throughout much of PIC imo, in the majority of prop/costume/set/ship design. The only decent looking ship in the entire series looks completely anachronistic, and for no other reason apparently than Matalas deciding "that's what I want".
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there was thought put into it though. They’re out on the fringe low supplies, hacking together their own weapons. You even see a disassembled phaser on a desk in the opening shot of episode 1
That doesn't speak to thought being put into the design of the prop; more that someone thought the general concept sounded cool (which it does, but the visual execution is where it falls apart).
This was something I recall was hyped up by some of the creative staff leading into the season. More than a lot of the other statements, this called to me a great deal, and had me hopeful. I'm digging the heck out of the Titan-versus-Shrike fare in the nebula.
You seem to have forgotten the definition of "cobbled together" ...Ignoring for a moment that yes, it clearly isn't supposed to be a "new C25th design" and yes, in theory Jack is supposed to have cobbled it together... It still looks as though no thought whatsoever went into it, like someone simply fed pics of other phasers into an AI and let it run wild.
This has sadly been the case throughout much of PIC imo, in the majority of prop/costume/set/ship design. The only decent looking ship in the entire series looks completely anachronistic, and for no other reason apparently than Matalas deciding "that's what I want".
It almost always means barely functional with no thought put into it looking pretty.
That phaser is a perfect example.
You want to complain about the look of the show, you need to use a different example.
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