Klingon augment virus/Into Darkness Klingons

[DavidLeeRoth]

I didn't see a specific thread talking about the subject, so I hope that this hasn't already been discussed to death.

If the Klingons appear in the new film with ridges, how will that be explained? Klingons in the mid-23rd century should not have cranial ridges! Wouldn't depicting Klingons with a ridged forehead in the new film be a slap in the face to Trek canon and history?

Abrams could argue that most people who see the film won't care or have even heard of the augment virus, but some fans will care and for the integrity of the franchise, the Klingons should not have cranial ridges.

 

[F. King Daniel]

According to "Affliction"/"Divergence" one Klingon colony world was infected with the Augment virus. Therefore both smooth and bumpy Klingons should have co-existed in the Empire, even though we never saw it on TV or film (this was, however, depicted in the post-series Enterprise novels and a few old TOS ones too)

In Into Darkness we'll see about a dozen Klingons, but only 3 or 4 of them unmasked - and since what's under the masks of the others isn't revealed, some could very well be smooth-headed. So no continuity error, IMO.

 

[Oso Blanco]

One could argue that not the whole Klingon population had been infected with the virus, and probably get away with it. There were other canon violations in the first movie that can't be explained away that easily, though.

 

[Saul]

Fan wank: It could be that they wear those masks to cover up the fact that they have no ridges.

 

[F. King Daniel]

There were other canon violations in the first movie that can't be explained away that easily, though.

Such as?

 

[anh165]

I didn't see a specific thread talking about the subject, so I hope that this hasn't already been discussed to death.

If the Klingons appear in the new film with ridges, how will that be explained? Klingons in the mid-23rd century should not have cranial ridges! Wouldn't depicting Klingons with a ridged forehead in the new film be a slap in the face to Trek canon and history?

Abrams could argue that most people who see the film won't care or have even heard of the augment virus, but some fans will care and for the integrity of the franchise, the Klingons should not have cranial ridges.

Artistic license?

 

[DavidLeeRoth]

According to "Affliction"/"Divergence" one Klingon colony world was infected with the Augment virus. Therefore both smooth and bumpy Klingons should have co-existed in the Empire, even though we never saw it on TV or film (this was, however, depicted in the post-series Enterprise novels and a few old TOS ones too)

In Into Darkness we'll see about a dozen Klingons, but only 3 or 4 of them unmasked - and since what's under the masks of the others isn't revealed, some could very well be smooth-headed. So no continuity error, IMO.

That's a good, plausible explanation. Still, I would like to see some smoothed-headed Klingons. It would be a nice homage to TOS. Do we know for certain that there won't be any smoothed-headed Klingons?

 

[The Doctor]

There will be no 'smooth-headed' Klingons because the Enterprise episode arc that 'explained' the difference was stupid and pointless. Worf's joke in 'Trials and Tribble-ations' was explanation enough.

 

[Gojira]

God I hope there are no smooth headed Klingons in this movie!!! I never saw the episode (can't even remember which show it was on) that explained the changes.

IMHO no explanation was ever needed. In the 60s the studio could not afford to make the Klingons look as they wanted to. Then during the movies and subsequent series when there was more money they could afford to make them look how they originally were supposed to look.

When I watch TOS I can suspend disbelief and imagine they look as they later were depicted.

I don't need to have all of these changes explained to me on the screen. I can use my imagination.

[/rant]

 

[Mach5]

God I hope there are no smooth headed Klingons in this movie!!! I never saw the episode (can't even remember which show it was on) that explained the changes.

IMHO no explanation was ever needed. In the 60s the studio could not afford to make the Klingons look as they wanted to. Then during the movies and subsequent series when there was more money they could afford to make them look how they originally were supposed to look.

When I watch TOS I can suspend disbelief and imagine they look as they later were depicted.

I don't need to have all of these changes explained to me on the screen. I can use my imagination.
[/rant]

Exactly how I feel.

What about the Romulans, BTW? Honestly, I never saw the point to those V-shaped forehead ridges they got in TNG, and I was happy to see Abramsverse embracing the classic approach... Even though that's not technically the case, considering the amount of prosthetics Nero and CO. wore in that movie... But still.

 

[anh165]

Again it is artistic license and the audience's suspension of disbelief in regards to their appearance.

It seems here that some are only concerned about their appearance to comply interweb centric canon, they would rather have a ridge headed batleth waving, blood wine guzzling ape man than some well thought out rational and intelligent Klingon with a smooth forehead that has some relevance to the movie.

 

[Ovation]

I didn't ever feel the need for an explanation, but I didn't mind the one they came up with in Enterprise. However, just as viruses don't usually infect an entire population, I would expect A) that smooth and ridged headed Klingons are around in this period and B) that there are enough of each that the absence of either is no big deal. This is really a tiny point over which to quibble.

 

[Jackson_Roykirk]

If the Klingons appear in the new film with ridges, how will that be explained? Klingons in the mid-23rd century should not have cranial ridges! Wouldn't depicting Klingons with a ridged forehead in the new film be a slap in the face to Trek canon and history?

However they are shown -- smooth-headed or ridged -- it can all be explained the exact same way TMP explained the change from smooth to ridged.

 

[Ovation]

Thank God they cut out that 20 minute lecture on viral mutations and its effects on internal Klingon politics and social policy, though. TMP was long enough as it was.

 

[M'Sharak]

Abrams could argue that most people who see the film won't care or have even heard of the augment virus...

Why would he wish to make that argument, though?

... but some fans will care and for the integrity of the franchise, the Klingons should not have cranial ridges.

Some folks do have some interesting notions concerning "the integrity of the franchise" but, as has already been pointed out, nothing seen or said in any previous episode or movie precludes the appearance of bumpy-headed Klingons in the upcoming movie. Or smooth-headed Klingons. Or a mixture of both, plus some never-before-seen pointy-headed Klingons.

Bring 'em all on. "It is a good day to put your opponent's eye out with that pointy, pointy head!"

 

[CorporalClegg]

TNG Romulans are different from TOS Romulans. ST09 Romulans are different from either. How come no one ever asks about them?

Yes. It's rhetorical question.

 

[Jackson_Roykirk]

It's my opinion that when TMP was made, the fact that Klingons had ridges was just a retcon -- i.e., the intention was that Klingons ALWAYS had ridges, and the Klingons in TOS were smooth-headed simply because they didn't think of giving them ridged foreheads, or didn't want to go through the hassle and expense.

No matter what Klingons looked like in TOS, TMP told us otherwise -- that Klingons were always SUPPOSED to look like they did in TMP.

I'm old enough to have seen TMP in the theaters in 1979. I remember noticing the difference in the Klingons, but I also remember not really being concerned about it -- because it was just a movie, and TOS was just a TV show.


DS9 knew this in Trials and Tribblations, and they were smart enough to intentionally stay away from the issue by addressing it in a very tongue-in-cheek manner (in a very tongue-in-cheek episode that was more a valentine to the fans).

 

[F. King Daniel]

According to "Affliction"/"Divergence" one Klingon colony world was infected with the Augment virus. Therefore both smooth and bumpy Klingons should have co-existed in the Empire, even though we never saw it on TV or film (this was, however, depicted in the post-series Enterprise novels and a few old TOS ones too)

In Into Darkness we'll see about a dozen Klingons, but only 3 or 4 of them unmasked - and since what's under the masks of the others isn't revealed, some could very well be smooth-headed. So no continuity error, IMO.

That's a good, plausible explanation. Still, I would like to see some smoothed-headed Klingons. It would be a nice homage to TOS. Do we know for certain that there won't be any smoothed-headed Klingons?

Yeah, it was confirmed that all the Klingons whose faces we see have ridges. Prior to filming, writer Bob Orci said simply on Trekmovie.com that "the Klingons have ridges". Much more recently, details have emerged about the nuKlingons faces - see HERE for details.
(it seems I was mistaken about the number of unmasked Klingons seen)

 

[Sindatur]

...(in a very tongue-in-cheek episode that was more a valentine to the fans).

<SHUDDER> Why did you have to remind me of the Trauma brought about by TATV

 

[Jackson_Roykirk]

...(in a very tongue-in-cheek episode that was more a valentine to the fans).

<SHUDDER> Why did you have to remind me of the Trauma brought about by TATV

Yes. It's a shame TATV de facto branded the phrase "Valentine to the fans".