Wow, I think that was a boneheaded move on Dorn's part. I think being an ambassador opened up a lot of storyline possibilities for Worf. But at least I detest the decision a little less since I know now that Dorn was the one who signed off on it. However, I still wish they had found someway to explain why he was back in the uniform.
Janice Rand Novels???
- Thread starter Rush Limborg
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Wow, I think that was a boneheaded move on Dorn's part. I think being an ambassador opened up a lot of storyline possibilities for Worf. But at least I detest the decision a little less since I know now that Dorn was the one who signed off on it. However, I still wish they had found someway to explain why he was back in the uniform.
And, as the books have shown, it's a role Worf undertook for a considerable number of years. At least four, IIRC. Even today, many ambassadors don't do longer than one stint.
But it's hardly Dorn's fault that he wanted to be able to sprint about in Starfleet uniform (like his friends) than try to do action scenes in heavy ambassadorial robes, trying to convey to cinema audiences (who last saw him in "Insurrection") why Worf had suddenly become an ambassador between assignments.
The number of people seeing "What You Leave Behind" was miniscule to those who attend Star Trek movies in cinemas. No need for the script to spoonfeed a group of avid fans with "reasons". (Let the licensed books do that. Which they have!)
And Dorn didn't "sign off on it". He answered a simple telephone call, and had no power over what directions the production team chose to do with his character.
Huh? Why are you assuming he'd be wearing "heavy ambassadorial robes"?
Why are you assuming he'd be wearing "heavy ambassadorial robes"?
Hey - it was a Betazoid wedding. Do you really wanna see what's under that top layer?
^ Which doesn't actually answer my question............
I didn't think you were really seeking one. ST traditionally garbs its ambassadors under many layers. ST IV's poor ol' Ambassador Kamarag was in noisy(?), hot, white-plaited leather.
And I own actual ambassadorial robes of ENT's Tellarite Gral and ENT's Andorian Thoris, thanks to It's A Wrap! auctions. Heavy, multi-layered, not much room to swing a phaser.
^^Yeah, but that doesn't mean an ambassador would have to wear those robes at all times, that they couldn't change into something more practical when they aren't actually attending diplomatic functions or something. Diplomats wear 3-piece suits to the UN, but I doubt they wear them to jog in the park or attend a ball game.
For the record there almost was an explanation in the movie for why Worf was back in uniform.
While Data was singing, Beverly was to ask the poor hung-over Worf if he would like to dance. Reluctantly, he agrees. As they dance, the doctor says, "I'm glad you came back." To which Worf replies, "I was not suited for the life of a diplomat."
For those who don't know, this is a reference to his reaction to Martok when he was first offered the job. (WORF: "I am not suited for the life of a diplomat." MARTOK: "And I am not "suited for the life" of a politician.")
Sadly, the little interaction between Bev and Worf was cut, leaving it up to fans to find the answer on their own.
While Data was singing, Beverly was to ask the poor hung-over Worf if he would like to dance. Reluctantly, he agrees. As they dance, the doctor says, "I'm glad you came back." To which Worf replies, "I was not suited for the life of a diplomat."
For those who don't know, this is a reference to his reaction to Martok when he was first offered the job. (WORF: "I am not suited for the life of a diplomat." MARTOK: "And I am not "suited for the life" of a politician.")
Sadly, the little interaction between Bev and Worf was cut, leaving it up to fans to find the answer on their own.
leaving it up to fans to find the answer on their own.
Which can be more fun than being spoonfed every tiny detail. It has also given the ST novelists lots of leeway.
Granted.
Which is why I don't understand why so many fans bash Rick about little things like this. All he's doing is creating story opportunities for the book writers! Ah, well....(On a side note, The Bird seemed a lot less respectful about continuity than Rick was. For me, the most glaring Trek inconsistency at all was in "Where Silence Has Lease". When the crew encounters a "hole in space", Riker asks Data if Starfleet records have anything even vaguely similar to this phenomenon. Data analyzes the records, and says no. Wha?
Didn't Kirk and Company encounter a "hole in space" in "The Immunity Syndrome?"Apparently, Gene didn't seem to care if a TNG story contradicted a TOS story. Read the "canon" entry in Voyages of Imagination for further discussion on this.
And people slam Rick for not being consistent with TOS?
)
When the crew encounters a "hole in space", Riker asks Data if Starfleet records have anything even vaguely similar to this phenomenon. Data analyzes the records, and says no. Wha?
Well, that turned out to be a giant single cell, so Data's superior brain probably already eliminated that the new phenomenon was anything "even vaguely similar".
^^Sorry, that doesn't cut it by any definition of the word "vaguely." Besides, at that point, they'd only seen the outside of the phenomenon, so Data couldn't rule out that there wasn't another space amoeba inside it. It was a continuity error, plain and simple.
Or leaving it up to incredibly brilliant novelists to answer it in their conclusion to a nine-part miniseries.Sadly, the little interaction between Bev and Worf was cut, leaving it up to fans to find the answer on their own.
(I'm referring to my novel A Time for War, a Time for Peace, which deals with how and why Worf returned to Starfleet in considerably more depth than a throwaway line at a wedding...
)
Funny. A lot of people seem to criticize the acting in "Flashback". All I can say is, I saw the episode, and frankly... I didn't really find anything wrong with her or George's acting.
I mean, the acting wasn't phenomenal, but it was OK.
I kinda liked the brief moment of conflict between her and Tuvok. When the Vulcan goes beyond duty and openly criticises Sulu, I swear Rand (who has apparently taken this kid under her wing and mentored him) has a look of betrayal on her face (and in her tone as she says, "Tuvok...?"). When Tuvok persists (and borders on insubordination) she finally snaps, "That's enough!"
Good conflict here, I think. It practically screamed to be fleshed out. Hmm....
Or leaving it up to incredibly brilliant novelists to answer it in their conclusion to a nine-part miniseries.
(I'm referring to my novel A Time for War, a Time for Peace, which deals with how and why Worf returned to Starfleet in considerably more depth than a throwaway line at a wedding...
You go, KRAD!
Loved the Time To... series, by the way! Every book was EXCELLENT!
You, Bennett, Mack, and the other guys are up there with Grisham and Clancy! A shame that The New York Times ignores the Trek novels most of the time. Keep up the good work!
Good potential conflict...but GLW delivered the lines like she was reading them off of large off-camera cue cards. Every time she opened her mouth in the episode she delivered her lines with all of the talent and finesse of an understudy in a high school drama production.
I was REALLY rooting for Flashback when it first premiered; I honestly thought it might launch a Captain Sulu series or mini-series. However, I knew the ship had sunk before it even sailed when GLW entered the junior officers' area shouting "Perpare to defend the galaxy against gaseous anomalies!!!" A bad line, but delivered poorly as well. it was such a disappointment...GLW's acting was nothing less than cringe-worthy.
Thank goodness the makers of "World Enough and Time" and "Of Gods and Men" minimized her on-screen dialogue in those productions.
A shame that The New York Times ignores the Trek novels most of the time. Keep up the good work!
It's a list of bestsellers, and many ST bestselling novels have been on it since the early 80s. Not often these days, but demographics have changed and the current ST book-buying audience is probably older and fewer at the moment.
There were a few scenes I liked her in.
It seemed to me the episode was very rushed. The script had errors and the plot had holes in it. So much went into making everything match ST VI, and then so much just didn't match at all. Only some of that can be blamed on Tuvok's virus-addled memory.
Maybe something was wrong in the directing department that week? (I also always wondered how often George Takei was in Grace's ear whispering "This is important; it's our pilot for a new series...") *joke*