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Your opinion on SNWs Gorn

TBF it worked gangbusters for Balance of Terror (aka The Enemy Below).
Yup, a submarine movie in SF clothing. Same with TWOK in a way.

Wasn't TOS heavily inspired by Forbidden Planet and Robinson Crusoe on Mars?
Definitely Forbidden Planet. Less familiar with the second one. Yes, Star Trek is derivative. It's just outlasted most of the things it derived from in the pop culture consciousness.
 
Definitely Forbidden Planet. Less familiar with the second one. Yes, Star Trek is derivative. It's just outlasted most of the things it derived from in the pop culture consciousness.
This blog post from Star Trek Fact Check talks about the influence of Robinson Crusoe on Mars on Roddenberry, along with Forbidden Planet.
 
Again, there’s a difference between ‘influence’ and ‘ripoff.’ Methinks some people are equating the two to be intentionally obtuse.
 
Was The Enemy Below a staple in the minds of science fiction fans? I’ve never even heard of it. Is it a movie? And how much did BoT allegedly rip off from it?

You kinda made one of my points in my previous post. Its only a rip off if you are familiar with the material its being ripped off from. For others it would be perceived as original or less "ripoff" ish
 
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Was The Enemy Below a staple in the minds of science fiction fans? I’ve never even heard of it. Is it a movie? And how much did BoT allegedly rip off from it?
So much they had to credit the writer, IIRC.
No, the Enemy Below isn’t a “SF Staple”, It’s not even SF it’s a straight up war film. Most Trek fans assumed BOT was a rip off a different film, Run Silent, Run Deep.
 
Wasn't TOS heavily inspired by Forbidden Planet and Robinson Crusoe on Mars?

Yes. If you see Forbidden planet and then Star trek in that order, you can make a strong argument the DNA of Star Trek is a blatant ripoff (not influence) of Forbidden Planet
 
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So much they had to credit the writer, IIRC.
No, the Enemy Below isn’t a “SF Staple”, It’s not even SF it’s a straight up war film. Most Trek fans assumed BOT was a rip off a different film, Run Silent, Run Deep.

Thanks for the info.
 
Again, there’s a difference between ‘influence’ and ‘ripoff.’ Methinks some people are equating the two to be intentionally obtuse.
Was The Enemy Below a staple in the minds of science fiction fans? I’ve never even heard of it. Is it a movie? And how much did BoT allegedly rip off from it?
A lot. Go watch it. You'll feel like you already have.

So much they had to credit the writer, IIRC.
I didn't know that. I did hear Harlan Ellison tell the story that the Balance of Terror writer was very upfront about his "influence".

Most Trek fans assumed BOT was a rip off a different film, Run Silent, Run Deep.
No no no. That's Kirk and Decker in Star Trek: The Motion Picture. :)
 
Yes. If you see Forbidden planet and then Star trek in that order, you can make a strong argument the DNA of Star Trek is a blatant ripoff (not influence) of Forbidden Planet
I wouldn't say its a blatant ripoff, at least not in terms of the story. I feel the influence is most seen in the look of the props, sets, and other visuals.
 
Influence. Homage , derivative and ripoff, I think have different meanings and degrees for different people.

At the end of the day I use the following litmus test: Did I enjoy what I just watched? Plain and simple. The degree of something being influenced or ripped off can be debated endlessly.

Ultimately from a legal point of view, a genuine rip off is something you can be sued for.
 
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Influence. Homage and ripoff, I think have different meanings for different people.

At the end of the day I use the following litmus test: Did I enjoy what I just watched? Plain and simple. The degree of something being influenced or ripped off can be debated.

Ultimately from a legal point of view, a genuine rip off is something you can be sued for.
Since I'm not a lawyer, nor do I play one on TV, I go back to "How much do I see the influence in it?" For instance, many made mention that M'Benga's service during the war was reminiscent of MASH. I take that as an influence, not an homage.

But, Star Trek is guilty of all three things and I don't hold it against it. I expect it to be derivative in some fashion, be it blatant or not.
 
Since I'm not a lawyer, nor do I play one on TV, I go back to "How much do I see the influence in it?" For instance, many made mention that M'Benga's service during the war was reminiscent of MASH. I take that as an influence, not an homage.

But, Star Trek is guilty of all three things and I don't hold it against it. I expect it to be derivative in some fashion, be it blatant or not.

Generally agree with you. But hypnotically, if the writer of M'Benga's story never saw MASH, is it even an influence then? Does motivation count in this discussion? If you create something thats original in your mind but it happens to ripoff or being similar to something else, what would you call it then?
 
Generally agree with you. But hypnotically, if the writer of M'Benga's story never saw MASH, is it even an influence then? Does motivation count in this discussion? If you create something thats original in your mind but it happens to ripoff or being similar to something else, what would you call it then?
Unintentional but still a ripoff.

Yes, I call it a ripoff because I'm straight up guilty of that (and never marketed it because I saw the influence once I commissioned artwork for it).
 
Unintentional but still a ripoff.

Yes, I call it a ripoff because I'm straight up guilty of that (and never marketed it because I saw the influence once I commissioned artwork for it).

Tend to agree. Even though your not technically "riping" or copping it in a literal sense. End result is the same.

There are many forms of entertainment including music and video games that I enjoy and later found out either ripped something off or was derivative. Should I let that factor in in my enjoyment of said form of entertainment? I chose not to. From a person to person perspective, it's only a possible issue if you familiar with the original material. And even at that, it nots always a factor.
I don't feel guilty liking 1984's "Ghostbusters" even though the 70's version came first with the exact same name and basic premise..

Something with liking Transformers over Gobots. And I actually remember Gobots came first. (unless that was a false memory)
 
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At this point I think this discussion is worthy of it's own thread:

What do you think of SNWs Gorn?

For me, it's a bit of a mixed bag, although in total more success than not.

The Alien-biology
Let's start with the biggest L - their lifecycle. This is not a homage or print a new spin on things. It's straight up a rip-off of all the dramatic moments. It even copies the few things that I hate about "Alien", like the ridiculous fast growth, where a character has a surprise shock death by a tiny wormling crawling out of his stomach and running away, and two scenes later a whole dog-sized monster attacks people.

The Younglings
Another thing I don't like - not just do they feel purely like animals (a non-Trekkie friend of mine was completely surprised they were supposed to be the same enemies that fly starships in another episode). They straight up don't look good - way too skinny. Not like a formidable threat, more like an angry greyhound you could kick away.

The Design
The TOS Gorn had a very distinct look: No tail, upright, golden insect eyes, and a very iconic skull plate and crocodile mouth.
SNW on the other hand seems to completely ignore, and instead simply go by "big ass lizard".
Which, you know what? Is dope as fuck. It looks stunning for a tv show, and it fits with the "retro" vibe of SNW and is a unique take as a recurring Trek villain.

Gorn in a spacesuit
My favourite Gorn moment so far. It's IMO also the one closest in spirit to TOS: The Gorn that fozght Kirk looked like a monster, but as noted by him was wearing a uniform, had sophisticated technological tools, and was an intelligent captain of its own starship. Depicting a lizard in a spacesuit feels like a modern update on the same idea.

The ships
I like the design, looks unique and shown, but at the same time during for the Trek universe. I like the small raiders a bit more, they're almost iconic, the big ones so far look a bit unintelligible, but that's kind of the point.

In conclusion
So far I don't feel any connection to the TOS Gorn at all. I see however big as dope space alien lizards, a formidable threat to our heroes, and production on movie level. And you know what? That's more than good enough for me.

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I agree with everything you say. The ma'gog were one of the best things in Andromeda and the gorn feel like a very sloppy, poorly thought out, poor man's mash up with them, Alien, and the TOS gorn. I really dislike the speed with which the eggs hatch, the fact that the young grow so fast with no food source other than their hosts and each other, and that, while still juvenile, they have the ability to lay eggs within hours of being born.

The story drama is fun though. If they were a subspecies of gorn another a subject race, I think it would make a bit more sense.
 
SO far I do hope we end up learning a *lot* more about the way the Gorn live in a way that grants Pike a way to be a peacemaker. So far, while I like the updated designs, the use of them as a 'monster' and the way Pike and La'an react to them (while understandable) doesn't sound like folks seeking common ground. I could see that maybe being an allegory to how political opponents view each other without understanding, but even as I type this it feels like a stretch.
 
SO far I do hope we end up learning a *lot* more about the way the Gorn live in a way that grants Pike a way to be a peacemaker. So far, while I like the updated designs, the use of them as a 'monster' and the way Pike and La'an react to them (while understandable) doesn't sound like folks seeking common ground. I could see that maybe being an allegory to how political opponents view each other without understanding, but even as I type this it feels like a stretch.
I'd welcome that exploration, especially given the current experiences and loses suffered by La'an, Pike and others.
 
It doesn't matter. Just enjoy the show. The writing and acting has been excellent. So what if the Gorn appears different than in TOS?

If they wanted to make a show about an alien very different from TOS Gorn, why didn't they call them something different? It's a big galaxy.
 
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