Does it really matter?

[ToMaHaKeR]

Many people complain about various inconsistencies, errors, continuity problems, etc. throughout the Star Trek forums.

I know that this is somewhat important to die-hard fans, but how much is it important to you? Does it really matter whether nacelles glow or not? People talking while being transported? Blue or gold deflector dish? Hi-tech or ''brewery'' engineering? Ship scaling problems? Misplaced comm-badge? Sybok finding God? Data's death? Stardate fluctuations? Klingon foreheads? Enterprise built on ground? Re-used planet/city scenes? Original or remastered?

Or you just forget about it, and simply enjoy watching Star Trek, your #1 sci-fi franchise for life?

 

[The Wormhole]

If we didn't discuss such matters, there'd be no reason for forums like this to exist, and that does matter. Without this forum, I don't really have a reason to get out of bed in the morning. What am I going to do, get a job? Develop a social life? Score with a girl? I'm in my mid to late 20s, it's too late to start that shit. There's more important things to focus on, like how JJ Abrams screwed up on USS Kelvin's registry number. Also, I should talk to my parents about getting some heat in the basement. It's the middle of January for fuck sakes.

 

[ToMaHaKeR]

Kelvin is 0514, and we must live with it. Except if they invent patches/updates for movies (as for games/programs)

 

[The Wormhole]

Kelvin is 0514, and we must live with it.

Correction, some of you choose to live with it. I choose to allow it to ruin my life and use it as an excuse to be cranky and rude to people.

 

[RyuRoots]

Many people complain about various inconsistencies, errors, continuity problems, etc. throughout the Star Trek forums.

I know that this is somewhat important to die-hard fans, but how much is it important to you? Does it really matter whether nacelles glow or not? People talking while being transported? Blue or gold deflector dish? Hi-tech or ''brewery'' engineering? Ship scaling problems? Misplaced comm-badge? Sybok finding God? Data's death? Stardate fluctuations? Klingon foreheads? Enterprise built on ground? Re-used planet/city scenes? Original or remastered?

Or you just forget about it, and simply enjoy watching Star Trek, your #1 sci-fi franchise for life?

Why are caring about the details and enjoying Trek mutually exclusive?

For that matter, not all of those things are of the same magnitude; The brewery engine room is idiotic, I don't think it's difficult to remember how big one ship is in relation to another, and a commbadge in the wrong place will undoubtedly annoy me, but I really don't care about stardate accuracy or the color of the original Ent's radar dish (although that's because I think the radar dish looks stupid anyway).

Because if this I didn't really vote, because I do think it's possible to still enjoy something while feeling that some lack of attention to detail drags it down.

 

[Finn]

^You had me when you called it a radar dish...

 

[BlobVanDam]

It's fun to discuss the details, not only for something to do, but to become more familiar with the franchise, but ultimately I don't generally notice things like incorrect rank insignia, incorrect distances between planets etc.
I think consistency is important, but at the end of the day I'm more worried about entertainment value than accuracy, and I won't let minor flaws affect my enjoyment of it.

 

[F. King Daniel]

No, it doesn't matter. I spot the continuity errors (or, more often, percieved continuity errors - "it's not the way I think so-and-so should be" is often what people mean when angrily insist "so-and-so is wrong!") a mile off, and it's fun to point them out, but none of it really matters. Often changes are made for good reason, to facilitate the current story (Enterprise ignored Spock's comments about Romulan War-era tech because they didn't want to do submarine warfare every week, Chekov's age was changed to fit him on the bridge crew, etc) and sometimes they're unimportant goofs (incorrect rank pips or stardates).

Star Trek's always done a great job of presenting the illusion of having great consistancy and continuity - but an illusion is all it's ever been, dating back to TOS.

If you're genuinely upset by a code number, a beer brewery, a stardate, a retroactive invention that was "always there" but unseen until now, a size-comparison chart or whatever, you're watching Star Trek wrong.

 

[iguana_tonante]

I notice the mistakes, and it's fun to talk about them, but I won't let them detract from my entertainment.

 

[ToMaHaKeR]

I notice the mistakes, and it's fun to talk about them, but I won't let them detract from my entertainment.

Exactly that.

 

[Gepard]

I enjoy thinking about the faux technical details of the Trek universe, but at the same time, if it weren't for reading the griping here, I don't think I'd ever notice - or care - about 99.9% of the "issues" people harp on about.

 

[captcalhoun]

the 'little details' don't often bother me. it's when they make a mess of the big stuff i get annoyed. like, oh i don't know, supernovae wiping out a planet in anotehr star system, turning a nova into a black hole with magic red goo, wasting the finale of the show for a stupid TNG episode with a plot that makes Riker look like a dick... that kinda thing.

 

[CommanderRaytas]

If we didn't discuss such matters, there'd be no reason for forums like this to exist, and that does matter. Without this forum, I don't really have a reason to get out of bed in the morning. What am I going to do, get a job? Develop a social life? Score with a girl? I'm in my mid to late 20s, it's too late to start that shit. There's more important things to focus on, like how JJ Abrams screwed up on USS Kelvin's registry number. Also, I should talk to my parents about getting some heat in the basement. It's the middle of January for fuck sakes.

You had me going there for a minute, mate.

Me: I don't care about the little things. So what if the Klingon foreheads are different- they're douchebags anyway. Nacelles? I didn't even know about them before I registered here. Blue, pink, salmon, turquoise. So what?

Don't care. I like Star Trek because it entertains me, because I love the feel of each show, the characters, the stories... Sure, continuity is important, but let's not get pedantic, here.

 

[The Wormhole]

On a more serious note, of course these things don't reall matter. But immersing yourself in all the little details of your favourite show is what makes enjoying the shows so much fun. So while it might have no real meaning in the grand scheme of things, it's okay if you make it the centre of your world. Because in the end, it is you're favourite show, and there's nothing wrong with enjoying your favourite show.

 

[ngc7293]

I am normally fine with mistakes and inconsistencies, but when Enterprise came out with its Akiraprise and I noticed mistakes in the first episode, I decided not to watch that show. I liked Voyager and 38 of D. Any of the other trek shows that passes the "Elbow Test" is fine with me
But I had no problem with the endless shuttles or the Borg becoming Voyager's enemy to beat of the week.

 

[Nerd unRage]

I don't get too caught up in all the super-small details; it'll just make you crazy and I don't honestly have the time or brain space to get that caught up. Plus, I lack a lot of the science background to know if something is made up or is real (that's where the physicist husband comes in handy). I honestly can't keep up with a lot of the technical jargon although I generally get the jist of it.

I like Star Trek and other things for their entertainment value first and foremost. It's great getting wrapped up in another world that is as rich and complex as Star Trek. Inconsistencies and continuinity problems will always be there no matter what since there's severals sets of writers, directors, and producers. It's fun to debate things but when I notice threads getting into the minuate of details and people getting all hot and bothered and flying into nerd rages over these things, my brain shuts off.

 

[Alienesse]

I like Star Trek and other things for their entertainment value first and foremost. It's great getting wrapped up in another world that is as rich and complex as Star Trek.

Absolutely! I usually don't pay much attention to inconsistencies or errors of various kinds, unless it's something really stupid or obvious. That tends to spoil the fun. Mistakes are bound to show up every now and then, but I think it's more important to let yourself go and sink into the world of the show. For me it's a great form of escapism, and I believe that's essentially what TV is for.

On the other hand, I'm sort of proud of myself when I do notice something out of place because that means I'm becoming more "proficient" in my trekkieness.

 

[indolover]

It matters to some, and that is enough. People will always talk about this or that in the show.

 

[CommanderRaytas]

Going online and debating stuff on a message board about a show/film/book I love is fun, and so I will debate the small stuff too...but like most people around here, I don't really care, because it's not important.

It's hilarious though how some will e-stone you for your opinion...which goes both ways, of course. All good fun, right?

 

[The Wormhole]

when Enterprise came out with its Akiraprise

The fundamental problem with the Akiraprise's design isn't even continuity related. It's how pathetically unoriginal it is. Literally, all it is is just the Akira class with reto nacelles. I mean come on, every other Star Trek series took the time to design a new starship design for its lead ship, but this one just took a design that already exists, slapped together some modifications to make it look new (or old or whatever), resulting in making a cool ship design look truly fugly.

"Oh but the Akira is a minor background ship no one noticed or cared about." WRONG! The Akira is in fact quite noticeable. It is focused on quite clearly in one of First Contact's signature images that has been reprinted countless times (the Akira that flew by the exploding Borg cube). It was seen in nearly every battle and whenever a fleet was assembled on DS9. One was featured quite prominently in Voayger's Message in a Bottle. It was on the front of the box for the old Dominion War computer game for fuck sakes. The Akira was quite well known for a non-hero ship. Hell, I'll even go as far as to say it was as recognizable as the Excelsior class, the Miranda class or the Nebula class.

Enterprise is often accused of having no originality with it episodes, and especially in the first two seasons, that criticism is justified. But when we see that no one was bothered to think up a new design for the ship, is it really so surprising that the episodes were equally as uninspired?