What are your controversial Star Trek opinions?

[fireproof78]

"A Matter of Honor" just has the Klingon vessel named, no explanation.

WORF: We have a Klingon vessel approaching.
PICARD: Hailing frequencies.
WORF: Open. They are returning our hail in proper language. It is the Pagh.
PICARD: On viewscreen. I'm Captain Picard of the Enterprise.
KARGAN [on viewscreen]: This is Captain Kargan of the Klingon vessel, the Pagh. Beam your First Officer on board immediately.

 

[BillJ]

North American audiences don't require North American-esque settings!

No one said that they required anything. Star Trek was clearly made for American audiences, it was our problems, our dreams and our failures looked at through a science fiction lens.

 

[fireproof78]

 

[Citiprime]

Potential controversial take to go along with the idea of broadening the international perspective of Star Trek:

As someone who watches KDramas (e.g., Queen of Tears, Something in the Rain, etc.), I've wondered whether you could mix the format with Star Trek? Could you do a love story using the KDrama format except set in the Star Trek universe?

For that matter, would people go for just a straightforward Star Trek love story? No world ending threats where the action is the focus. Just a bunch of characters in the Star Trek setting dealing with relationship issues and watching characters fall in love and deal with the obstacles.

 

[Ray Hardgrit]

Potential controversial take to go along with the idea of broadening the international perspective of Star Trek:

As someone who watches KDramas (e.g., Queen of Tears, Something in the Rain, etc.), I've wondered whether you could mix the format with Star Trek? Could you do a love story using the KDrama format except set in the Star Trek universe?

For that matter, would people go for just a straightforward Star Trek love story? No world ending threats where the action is the focus. Just a bunch of characters in the Star Trek setting dealing with relationship issues and watching characters fall in love and deal with the obstacles.

That's The Orville and that's why I quit watching it.

 

[fireproof78]

For that matter, would people go for just a straightforward Star Trek love story?

No, not for my money.

The least interesting part of Star Trek is the crew's sex or romantic lives.

 

[ananta]

For that matter, would people go for just a straightforward Star Trek love story? No world ending threats where the action is the focus. Just a bunch of characters in the Star Trek setting dealing with relationship issues and watching characters fall in love and deal with the obstacles.

Given how badly Trek generally handles love stories, my gut instinct is…hell no, kill it with fire!!!

 

[Danja]

Potential controversial take to go along with the idea of broadening the international perspective of Star Trek:

As someone who watches KDramas (e.g., Queen of Tears, Something in the Rain, etc.), I've wondered whether you could mix the format with Star Trek? Could you do a love story using the KDrama format except set in the Star Trek universe?

For that matter, would people go for just a straightforward Star Trek love story? No world ending threats where the action is the focus. Just a bunch of characters in the Star Trek setting dealing with relationship issues and watching characters fall in love and deal with the obstacles.

You mean the first two seasons of Picard? (Rios/Jurati, #Saffi)

 

[Citiprime]

You mean the first two seasons of Picard? (Rios/Jurati, #Saffi)

I was thinking of what if they tried doing something completely different.

Strip all of the usual elements of a Star Trek series out (e.g., maybe no battles, maybe even no Starfleet). Just a love story between characters and you use elements and themes of Trek with the backdrop of alien cultures to do it.

I fully understand some people would howl at how un-Star Trek it would be, but I think it would be an interesting change of pace if you could make it work.

Given how badly Trek generally handles love stories, my gut instinct is…hell no, kill it with fire!!!

No, not for my money.

The least interesting part of Star Trek is the crew's sex or romantic lives.

In general, I agree with you both.

However, I will say that one of my favorite parts of Strange New Worlds is the love-triangle of Spock, Chapel and T'Pring.

And what if you could, like a KDrama, make that the central focus of a Star Trek story? I don't know if it could work on its own, but I think it could be incorporated on that level into a traditional Trek format probably since SNW arguably does something similar already.

 

[fireproof78]

However, I will say that one of my favorite parts of Strange New Worlds is the love-triangle of Spock, Chapel and T'Pring.

And what if you could, like a KDrama, make that the central focus of a Star Trek story? I don't know if it could work on its own, but I think it could be incorporated on that level into a traditional Trek format probably since SNW arguably does something similar already.

More power to you


I'll pass. SNW is saved by Pike, and M'Benga with such episodes.

 

[FredH]

For me, part of the charm of watching something like Doctor Who or Space Battleship Yamato, is seeing their way of doing sci-fi and maybe learning a little bit about the culture of the society doing it.

There have been on-and-off talks over the years about an Americanized Space Battleship Yamato, with the USS Arizona in place of the Yamato.

Got to say: If the script were good, I’d have no problem with a series that replaced a ship that championed (and was sunk for) a project of attempted imperial conquest, with a ship that championed (and was sunk for) the forces that would ultimately stop that conquest.

 

[Alexander Corrino]

Putting a love story first and foremost works well in Trek fan fic (I've written my share of this sort of thing), but as an actual series... nope. I wouldn't watch. There are some things that are better suited to fan fic, and this is one of them (because when it comes to Trek, fic writers are better at writing relationships than television writers).

 

[Skipper]

For me, part of the charm of watching something like Doctor Who or Space Battleship Yamato, is seeing their way of doing sci-fi and maybe learning a little bit about the culture of the society doing it.

There have been on-and-off talks over the years about an Americanized Space Battleship Yamato, with the USS Arizona in place of the Yamato.

I think that the project died like 25 years ago.

Anyway, the original draft of the Americanized version
Star Blazers

 

[Skipper]

For that matter, would people go for just a straightforward Star Trek love story? No world ending threats where the action is the focus. Just a bunch of characters in the Star Trek setting dealing with relationship issues and watching characters fall in love and deal with the obstacles.

You know the problem with the pre-New Star Trek love stories?

They they seemed absolutely aligned with the (U.S.) views on sex of the 50s.

1) All relationships presented were monogamous and exclusive.
2) They slavishly followed the rules of heteronormativity
3) As in the best of American traditions, sexual relationships were divided exclusively into: one-night stand, dating or serious long-term relationship.

Sex outside of these narrow parameters was not an option. Your average European country was more sexually diverse than the Star Trek universe.

 

[eschaton]

No one said that they required anything. Star Trek was clearly made for American audiences, it was our problems, our dreams and our failures looked at through a science fiction lens.

I completely agree when it comes to earlier Trek, but I feel like Paramount had a missed opportunity in the modern era. They could have depicted "Kurtzman Trek" with a more global humanity, but if anything it felt like a walkback at times (like how Jason Isaacs and Shazad Latif didn't use their native British accents).

 

[Frontis]

Maybe Star Trek didn't always handle love stories well but imagine Star Trek without any love stories or romances, it wouldn't be the same. And it would be unnatural. For example in TOS it was part of Kirk's character being a ladie's man even when his romances lasted just for one episode. In TNG I don't remember a good love story and I didn't really get into the Riker-Troi story. In DS9 I loved the story of Jadzia Dax and Worf. Even when it sucked that Jadzia died and Terry Farrel left the show. Also I didn't really like the ending of Kira and Odo but they have been a fascinating couple. Sisko and Yates, I was glad they got together after some troubles. In VOY the story of Torres and Paris wasn't bad either even when the writing wasn't always the best. The same applies to T'Pol and Tucker in ENT and it was unnecessary to let Tucker die imo. Star Trek love strories often end with the death of one person, also the one of Staments and Culber (even when Staments comes back later). Anyway, their relation was for me the best thing about DISCO.
These are just some examples and thoughts about love stories in Star Trek.

 

[Tallguy]

For example in TOS it was part of Kirk's character being a ladie's man even when his romances lasted just for one episode.

Shot's fired! (I let the more versed and obsessive sweep up with the "Was Kirk a ladies' man" statistics.)

 

[fireproof78]

Maybe Star Trek didn't always handle love stories well but imagine Star Trek without any love stories or romances, it wouldn't be the same. And it would be unnatural

I didn't say "none." I said I didn't want an exclusive series focused only on that. In my opinion, there can be good romance stories and Trek even has a handful of relationships that functions well but generally the romance of the week is all sizzle and no steak and is not additive.

 

[BillJ]

I completely agree when it comes to earlier Trek, but I feel like Paramount had a missed opportunity in the modern era. They could have depicted "Kurtzman Trek" with a more global humanity, but if anything it felt like a walkback at times (like how Jason Isaacs and Shazad Latif didn't use their native British accents).

I’m not against more diversity in cast and storytelling, but that is up to the studio and creators in what audience they are chasing. Nor do I think creators should be chastised for not making it less-American.

 

[BillJ]

Does it bother anyone that Starfleet has the same starship naming structure for a thousand years, yet change uniforms every five minutes?