Doug Jones almost-confirms Starfleet Academy is set in the same era as Discovery

[Cr0sis21]

I disagree actually. The 32nd century gives them a broader canvas and more freedom in many respects. There are less constrained by the “rules” of what can and can’t happen and what must fit in with the current established status quo. That may encourage more creative storytelling. Or a guy can but hope.

I've seen that explanation used to explain many attempts by different ongoing series to attract new viewers. The Bad Robot movies ditched the continuity to supposedly bring in new viewers. Marvel's "Ultimate" line was meant to appeal to new comics readers who's been introduced to the characters through the films. Voyager was initially pitched as a purer Trek exchequer for newbies because they were in a new quadrant, disconnected from the weight of Alpha Quadrant continuity. Likewise for Enterprise. Also see DC constantly rebooting their lines to get away from "messy" continuity.

I've always viewed that as a cop-out. A bad writer will see something like "Well, a supernova that will DESTROY THE GALAXY wiped out Romulus before Spock could stop it," and say "Ugh, that was terrible. Why don't we just reboot and pretend it never happened?" Whereas a GOOD writer takes a look at what he has to work with, tweaks it a bit (The Romulan sun went supernova unexpectedly) and creates something new with massive storytelling potential.

A bad writer throws their hands up at the 1997 "Eugenics Wars", a good writer either works around it (Greg Cox's Eugenics Wars novels) or reworks it (Tomorrow and Tomorrow's explanation, which also incorporated the detested Temporal Wars in a positive way).

Continuity isn't a prison. It's a guidepost for how to create and maintain a world with consequences. If we just cast aside all of that every time we find it inconvenient, we'll alienate old viewers and we won't bring in any new ones because we won't have the structure of literally decades of hard work to help bolster it.

Strange New Worlds is a bright, shining example of how continuity does not have to be a handicap, but can instead support a canvas for bold, innovative stories. The reason SNW succeeded is because the writers worked within the established world to create new stories, which also deepened some of the stories that come after it chronologically. The idea that you have to jump ahead 1,000 years to run away from continuity is anathema to the creative spirit anyone writing at that level should have.

 

[fireproof78]

The idea that you have to jump ahead 1,000 years to run away from continuity is anathema to the creative spirit anyone writing at that level should have.

Hardly.

It's merely one creative choice and one I welcome after decades of being td "they're doing Star Trek wrong."

No, they're not. They are working to bring in new audience members while appealing to some measure of the old base. ST 99 is a perfect example of that draw in, and allowed nonfans to sit and watch and feel up to speed within one movie and not watching a backlog of shows for context.

The 32nd century and sn Academy series can do it too, potentially. "Anathema " my rear end. Going where there are no guideposts is just as creative as sticking close to them.

 

[Cr0sis21]

Hardly.

It's merely one creative choice and one I welcome after decades of being td "they're doing Star Trek wrong."

No, they're not. They are working to bring in new audience members while appealing to some measure of the old base. ST 99 is a perfect example of that draw in, and allowed nonfans to sit and watch and feel up to speed within one movie and not watching a backlog of shows for context.

The 32nd century and sn Academy series can do it too, potentially. "Anathema " my rear end. Going where there are no guideposts is just as creative as sticking close to them.

It isn't that they're doing it wrong. That's not the right way to look at it. It's more like, if you don't want to be beholden to what's there, why are you writing in that universe?

 

[fireproof78]

It isn't that they're doing it wrong. That's not the right way to look at it. It's more like, if you don't want to be beholden to what's there, why are you writing in that universe?

To expand the universe.

Possibly even grow it. Change it even.

 

[Cr0sis21]

To expand the universe.

Possibly even grow it. Change it even.

I guess I'm not sure why that can't be done without basically wiping the slate clean. Enterprise added a lot to the lore. Deep Space Nine added a lot. Strange New Worlds has as well. So did Picard.

 

[XCV330]

I was just joking. Sort of.

all those gray Season 3 uniforms will get dusted off (edit.. said 4.. meant 3)

 

[fireproof78]

I guess I'm not sure why that can't be done without basically wiping the slate clean. Enterprise added a lot to the lore. Deep Space Nine added a lot. Strange New Worlds has as well. So did Picard.

Of course it can.

It is just not the only way. You can either ignore what Discovery chose to do when the frustration of louder fans reached their ears of the 23rd century and this seemed viable.

 

[Cr0sis21]

Of course it can.

It is just not the only way. You can either ignore what Discovery chose to do when the frustration of louder fans reached their ears of the 23rd century and this seemed viable.

The last thing any writer should do is listen to louder fans. That's how we got eeeeeeevil Dukat on DS9.
There are people who will hate Discovery just because it's the brand new cherry flavor. Personally, I like a lot of Discovery but I think it's been one of the most uneven shows.
If a writer just wants to do a story because they like the 31st century serring, great. What I'm trying to say is, if you're only doing that so you can have "freedom" or whatever, you're starting off with the wrong idea.

 

[fireproof78]

What I'm trying to say is, if you're only doing that so you can have "freedom" or whatever, you're starting off with the wrong idea.

I don't agree.

Regardless, it is what is. Ignoring it won't change that at this point. They decided to do it in response to fans. Same with SNW and Picard. It's the nature of the beast.

 

[F. King Daniel]

Strange New Worlds is a bright, shining example of how continuity does not have to be a handicap, but can instead support a canvas for bold, innovative stories. The reason SNW succeeded is because the writers worked within the established world to create new stories, which also deepened some of the stories that come after it chronologically. The idea that you have to jump ahead 1,000 years to run away from continuity is anathema to the creative spirit anyone writing at that level should have.

Just like TNG was anathema to the creative spirit by jumping 100 years after TOS? They should have stayed in the established world of TOS!

 

[evilchumlee]

I don't see any issue with a time jump, in fact it's preferable to trying to continually rehash the same thing we've already done. The 1,000 year time jump was the best thing Discovery did. Should have just done that from the beginning.

It was a fairly extreme time jump. They could have easily gone to like, I don't know, 2400 or so and had an open season on doing whatever they want.

 

[fireproof78]

Just like TNG was anathema to the creative spirit by jumping 100 years after TOS? They should have stayed in the established world of TOS!

Definitely!

And Kirk should have showed up as well as Kor and a fight with the Romulans over the cloaking device.

 

[Quantum21]

No surprise there

 

[evilchumlee]

You know the more I think about it, the more... ok I am with this idea. I'm still a bit perplexed as to how it's going to work narratively... Smallville was about Superman, Buffy was a hero destined to do things, etc. These would be... Starfleet cadets. Any actual problems/threats should be taken out of their hands like, immediately and dealt with by... not-Cadets.

BUT... i'm sure there will figure something out and I truly just hope this isn't just like, a super CW-style teeny bopper "It's like, Space High School tee hee!" because that would be miserable.

A chance to see this time period outside of the Burnham hyper-focused Discovery setting is actually pretty interesting.

 

[fireproof78]

These would be... Starfleet cadets. Any actual problems/threats should be taken out of their hands like, immediately and dealt with by... not-Cadets.

That doesn't mean they sit aside and do nothing. Cadets go on apprentice cruises, deal with real world problems, learn the ins and out of mechanics, diplomacy, medicine, and emergencies. Cadets can be inserted into a chain of command by an authority and allow them to receive orders legally.

 

[Shamrock Holmes]

Well, there are a number of different sources that can be drawn from.

https://memory-beta.fandom.com/wiki/Starfleet_Academy_(game)
https://memory-beta.fandom.com/wiki/Starfleet_Academy!
https://memory-beta.fandom.com/wiki/Starfleet_Academy_(IDW)
https://memory-beta.fandom.com/wiki/Starfleet_Academy_(Marvel)
https://memory-beta.fandom.com/wiki/Starfleet_Academy_(2010s_book_series)
https://memory-beta.fandom.com/wiki/Starfleet_Academy_(1990s_book_series)

 

[Nerys Myk]

Any actual problems/threats should be taken out of their hands like, immediately and dealt with by... not-Cadets.

I take it you've never read Harry Potter.

 

[Corran Horn]

Assuming Tilly is in it it'd be pretty funny if they sent her to another time again.

 

[evilchumlee]

I take it you've never read Harry Potter.

The books about the kid who is the chosen one?

 

[Shamrock Holmes]

The books about the kid who is the chosen one?

Yes... but he's also a "cadet", in fact not even a cadet because the series ends before his eighteenth birthday and most Starfleet cadets are over eighteen (although the minimum age appears to be about fifteen or sixteen for humans, other races may have equivalent values based on varying lifespans and maturation rates [an Ocampan for instance would likely be admitted at 1 or 2]).