Editorial: Star Trek's Lost Purpose

[The Gatekeeper]

Couldn't this have gone in the Is It Time To Put Star Trek To Rest thread?

Or the Lost Purpose thread.

But no, Star Trek has not lost its way. Fandom is just never satisfied. I remember for years people lamenting the fact that Star Trek never does the kind of "weird and innovative" story ideas one sees on shows like Buffy, Supernatural or Doctor Who. Now SNW is doing those kind of episodes and those same people are now crying "NO! Star Trek is not meant to be weird, it's supposed to be a serious and realistic contemplation on life" or whatever.

TOS, TNG or whatever Trek series was your first introduction to the franchise are done and in the past. If the franchise is to have any hope of survival in the future, it needs to adapt and modernize. Sometimes those attempts don't work out, others they do. Something like SNW or even Disco is how the Trek franchise will continue to flourish. Something like Picard S3 or Legacy is just embarrassing and will only guarantee Star Trek stays in the past with no modern relevance whatsoever.

 

[1001001]

Couldn't this have gone in the Is It Time To Put Star Trek To Rest thread?

Or the Lost Purpose thread.

Yes, and yes.

We already have 2 threads going that are essentially the same as this.

I'm going to merge this one with the "lost purpose" thread.

 

[Rose Harper]

I would like to see an optimistic and positive "Star Trek" again.

I don't recall Trek being all doom and gloom in the last few years

 

[Richard S. Ta]

I don't recall Trek being all doom and gloom in the last few years

I was thinking much the same thing. DSC is about as dark as it gets, or maybe chunks of PIC, but it’s no more or less than something like DS9 or ENT S03.

 

[Danja]

Or the Lost Purpose thread.

But no, Star Trek has not lost its way. Fandom is just never satisfied. I remember for years people lamenting the fact that Star Trek never does the kind of "weird and innovative" story ideas one sees on shows like Buffy, Supernatural or Doctor Who. Now SNW is doing those kind of episodes and those same people are now crying "NO! Star Trek is not meant to be weird, it's supposed to be a serious and realistic contemplation on life" or whatever.

With all due respect, musical eps and Muppet eps are simply beyond the pale for Trek.

 

[Paul Weaver]

With all due respect, musical eps and Muppet eps are simply beyond the pale for Trek.

Where as Catspaw, Rascals, Our Man Bashir and Bride of Chaotica are perfectly cromulent?

At least Trek would never have a giant hand grabbing the ship, or a floating Abraham Lincoln, or have the crew singing "Allamaraine, count to four", or have Quark undergo a sex change for reasons I forget, or Paris and Janeway having babies which are abandoned on a planet, or a 40 minute worry about Archer's dog

 

[Danja]

as Catspaw,

Never seen it.

Rascals,

Awful.

Our Man Bashir

Meh.

and Bride of Chaotica are perfectly cromulent?

I'm not familiar with the word "cromulent."

 

[FredH]

Or the Lost Purpose thread.

But no, Star Trek has not lost its way. Fandom is just never satisfied. I remember for years people lamenting the fact that Star Trek never does the kind of "weird and innovative" story ideas one sees on shows like Buffy, Supernatural or Doctor Who. Now SNW is doing those kind of episodes and those same people are now crying "NO! Star Trek is not meant to be weird, it's supposed to be a serious and realistic contemplation on life" or whatever.

TOS, TNG or whatever Trek series was your first introduction to the franchise are done and in the past. If the franchise is to have any hope of survival in the future, it needs to adapt and modernize. Sometimes those attempts don't work out, others they do. Something like SNW or even Disco is how the Trek franchise will continue to flourish. Something like Picard S3 or Legacy is just embarrassing and will only guarantee Star Trek stays in the past with no modern relevance whatsoever.

Oh, you had me until the Picard comment. I like em all fine, myself.

 

[Danja]

Oh, you had me until the Picard comment. I like em all fine, myself.

"Those Old Scientists" was far more believable (in Trek terms) than "Subspace Rhapsody" or the Muppet episode.

 

[Paul Weaver]

Well the Muppet episode was

Spoiler

Just a dream -- a significant reason it was so bad.

That said I guess Far Beyond the Stars was also a dream, so not just the fact it's a dream and there were no consequences. I felt Sisko learned more from his dream/vision than Spock did

 

[fireproof78]

Where as Catspaw, Rascals, Our Man Bashir and Bride of Chaotica are perfectly cromulent?

At least Trek would never have a giant hand grabbing the ship, or a floating Abraham Lincoln, or have the crew singing "Allamaraine, count to four", or have Quark undergo a sex change for reasons I forget, or Paris and Janeway having babies which are abandoned on a planet, or a 40 minute worry about Archer's dog

The line will be different for everyone but musicals and puppets don't cross it after seeing the literal devil in Star Trek.


Personally, I hated the "it's all just a game, Quark," conclusion with the Wadi. That was awful.

 

[Ricky Spanish]

or the Muppet episode.

Spoiler: "Level-Five Transporter Accident"

The puppet episode was a dream. Realistic need not apply.

 

[1001001]

I'm not familiar with the word "cromulent."

The Simpsons.

Watching it embiggens the smallest person.

 

[Rose Harper]

"Those Old Scientists" was far more believable (in Trek terms) than "Subspace Rhapsody" or the Muppet episode.

"Subspace Rhapsody" is the classic anomaly makes the crew behave oddly trope. Hardly beyond the pale in Star Trek.

 

[fireproof78]

"Subspace Rhapsody" is the classic anomaly makes the crew behave oddly trope. Hardly beyond the pale in Star Trek.

Rumpelstiltskin was though

 

[Danja]

The Simpsons.

Watching it embiggens the smallest person.

Well, that explains it.

I haven't watched The Simpsons since 1992.

 

[Paul Weaver]

Never seen it. // Awful. /// Meh.

So all "beyond the pale"

I'm not familiar with the word "cromulent."

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cromulent

 

[camdudetenger2018]

Couldn't this have gone in the Is It Time To Put Star Trek To Rest thread?

looks like it has combined the 2 threads into 1 thread

 

[The Gatekeeper]

With all due respect, musical eps and Muppet eps are simply beyond the pale for Trek.

Funnily enough "Star Trek should do a musical" is something I've seen people frequently saying online ever since Buffy's aired. Likewise, people have wanted Muppets in Trek ever since Farscape was on the air, though admittedly, most of them meant Muppets used to create an alien species as that show frequently did.

Regardless, neither of these concepts even come close to being the most ridiculous thing the Trek franchise has ever presented.

 

[camdudetenger2018]

Funnily enough "Star Trek should do a musical" is something I've seen people frequently saying online ever since Buffy's aired. Likewise, people have wanted Muppets in Trek ever since Farscape was on the air, though admittedly, most of them meant Muppets used to create an alien species as that show frequently did.

Regardless, neither of these concepts even come close to being the most ridiculous thing the Trek franchise has ever presented.

lol that does have me wonder

what if the production crew members and also the cast members all from the star trek universe are on here lol