Will We Ever See The 1990s Star Trek Aesthetic Again? Or Hear that “humm” Sound When No One Speaks?

I blame video games for this talent.

 

I have been hearing a lot of comparisons between Discovery and Mass Effect. I'm not a gamer, but I do agree based on clips I have seen, it does seem like there is a video game effect new Trek is adapting.

 

I don't play video games, but I work for a public access station and recording high school sports is a huge part of the job. Constantly have to keep up with the ball, and things can change in a split-second.

 

I think there’s a difference between the TNG/TOS comparison. For the most part, design wise, TNG doesn’t look dated. Even all these years later. Or DS9. The designs don’t look dated at all. The technology & budget? Sure. Sometimes. But the aesthetic works as well then as it does now. TOS wasn’t as thought out, design wise. It has the 1960s pop art thing going for it. So I don’t think that comparison is apt.

Now obviously things wouldn’t be exactly the same. But it would be nice to have more of an aesthetic continuity than what is there now.

But you’re probably right. I guess part of me just wants the new Trek to continue on just like the old one. I do miss that “hummm” though. Man do I miss it.

 

Never played ME and despise it from the word "Go." But, other games, like Stargate and Homeworld, definitely fit for me. I like DS9 battles and everything but I can follow action up to a certain point and DSC has not crossed that threshold for me.

I cannot agree with this point. The beige feels so weirdly 80s in the sets. LCARS and other things work, but the overall feel of the show lacks any sort of futuristic appeal like TOS had.

 

Check out this video. This is EXACTLY what I’m talking about.

 

Prefer that to LCARS.

 

I actually think Lower Decks does a good job of moving the Trek look and writing forward, far morse so than most other recent installments. Admittedly, it's targeted more for hardcore fans than other recent outings, but the show just seem much better written and more in tune with the previous Trek series to me. I also find "future" depictions of the Trek look deviating from what was done before slightly more forgivable, since they give an impression of technological advancement and don't contradict previous shows (If I don't like a ship in Picard, it's no big deal, because that dosen't conflict with how the 1701-D looked fore example).

I want new Star Trek shows, but I also find the reused props ect to be one of the charms of the universe, in the same way the Star Wars grungy, battle worn look is part of it's universe (and has I think been adhered to much more consistently than in Trek).

Nowadays we have a ton of older Trek available to watch on streaming services, so we can easily share older shows with new fans.

 

The ambient noise on the Discovery's bridge, at least in Season 1 and 2, had the beeps and whistles you'd hear in TOS. The torpedo sound is similar to the one from TOS. The Transporter sound is also very similar to the TOS one, just higher pitched.

I remember some people complaining about the reuse. Mostly that the TNG era sounds were in the wrong era.

He probably wouldn't give a shit.

 

I thought so until I found out the PIC theme is Picard's son's (played by Stewart's son) music from Inner Light. Then I thought it's amazing how deep they dig.

Disco had TNG and VOY sounds that occurred once or twice, but they constantly used Klingon and Romulan sounds on Federations ships

 

Ohhhhhhhhhh disagree. That tan, carpeted, brightly lit Hotel-In-Space look SCREAMS 80s design, not to mention the impractical pajamaware they were forced to wear. TNG is SUPER dated. That's why nothing modern (short of The Orville which is deliberately apeing that style) looks like that.

 

Star Wars is supposed to look the same. Star Trek is supposed to be our universe in some way shape or form. It has been updated or looked different in various installments. I don't understand this desire to look backwards in a show about humanity's future.

 

To clarify, I think that Trek changing to reflect modern advances is a good thing. I'm just saying it also has a certain look about it that's unique and that people tend to identify with.

Star Wars has a lot of it's own visual language. It's consistency sometimes makes it seem like there is never any real technological progress, which is a definate weakness. Yet, I think part of the appeal is having a fairly consistent universe which feels both expansive and integrated.

 

I think the theme for Picard shouldn't be "bold" and "adventurous" considering that the main character is in his 90s. Slow, contemplative, reflective, the theme music fits where the character is at.

Having the main theme for PIC be similar to the other series would make no sense. Strange New Worlds is different. I'm expecting that one will sound adventurous.

As far as Discovery, I think the main theme fits that series too.

I think all the main opening themes for all the series fit what they are. Including Enterprise. Read into that one what you will.

 

I am disappointed that none of the spaceships (even TOS one) had the bridge paper printer that was shown in "The Cage". I suspect the starship in SNW won't have it either even though it is the same ship.

 

Here's one thing I've never, ever seen brought up: Where would anyone put the paper from the printouts? I didn't see anywhere to put paper at all on that bridge.

 

It went in recycling so they could have more to print on. What, you think they had a five year supply of dot-matrix paper? Duh!

 

It's funny how the things people love the most and grew up with don't seem dated to them.

They are very dated. From the bus seat costumes to the flat, un-animated touchscreens with less functionality than the phone I'm typing this on to the sexist outfits and sometimes awful makeup on the women to the messages of episodes like "The Outcast" which do not go over well in the 21st century.

 

Well.....they do though, don't they? And perhaps the worst offenders for that are those scenes when the characters are out of uniform, there's some seriously dated looking designs and colours on the clothing. To prove a point, Jake Siskos shirts are very reminiscent of the ones I used to wear to nightclubs in the early 1990s. I had the same success with women he did

Why not watch current Star Trek with this playing in the background? Might help..