11 Things About Star Trek That Make You Go WTF?

[Icarus]

Might have been mentioned elsewhere, but Uhura ordering a Cardassian Sunrise in the bar stuck out like a sore thumb. The Federation hadn't come within a million light years of discovering the Cardassians in the TOS era, let alone importing their beverages.

And if my DS9 memory serves, it was a Bajoran Sunrise, not a Cardassian one. I remember Quark making one in an episode.

Hey, maybe its just the name of a drink/shot, not necessarily actually imported. Like we've got the rusty nail, the adios m-f-er, etc., they've got the Cardassian Sunrise, or the Klingon kick-in-the-balls...

 

[urbandk]

Might have been mentioned elsewhere, but Uhura ordering a Cardassian Sunrise in the bar stuck out like a sore thumb. The Federation hadn't come within a million light years of discovering the Cardassians in the TOS era, let alone importing their beverages.

Wait, how do we know that?

And if my DS9 memory serves, it was a Bajoran Sunrise, not a Cardassian one. I remember Quark making one in an episode.

Wouldn't it make sense to rename the Cardassian Sunrise Bajoran Sunrise on a Bajoran station, if one considers that the Cardassians had occupied Bajor? It would be like being in Ramallah and ordering some Israeli baba ganoush. It probably wouldn't be a big hit.

In Iowa, they were just going back to the original name.

 

[Carpe Occasio]

Might have been mentioned elsewhere, but Uhura ordering a Cardassian Sunrise in the bar stuck out like a sore thumb. The Federation hadn't come within a million light years of discovering the Cardassians in the TOS era, let alone importing their beverages.

Wait, how do we know that?

And if my DS9 memory serves, it was a Bajoran Sunrise, not a Cardassian one. I remember Quark making one in an episode.

Wouldn't it make sense to rename the Cardassian Sunrise Bajoran Sunrise on a Bajoran station, if one considers that the Cardassians had occupied Bajor? It would be like being in Ramallah and ordering some Israeli baba ganoush. It probably wouldn't be a big hit.

In Iowa, they were just going back to the original name.

I like to mix things up. Israeli Baba Ganoush washed down with a couple of Egyptian Stella beers.

 

[CommanderRaytas]

That's something I don't get, too. Where the hell was it stated that first contact with Cardassia happened after TOS? Nowhere. They could have been discovered before Archer went into space for all we know.

 

[Carpe Occasio]

They could have been discovered before Archer went into space for all we know.

Unlikely since in Enterprise they didn't even know who the Klingons and Romulans were.

 

[Admiral Bear]

Might have been mentioned elsewhere, but Uhura ordering a Cardassian Sunrise in the bar stuck out like a sore thumb. The Federation hadn't come within a million light years of discovering the Cardassians in the TOS era, let alone importing their beverages.

Wait, how do we know that?

I don't suppose we do. .technically. But if Starfleet has already discovered Cardassia in this timeline, given Cardassia's distance from Earth, that would be more of a kick in the balls to canon than even I can take. And I'm about as far from a canon freak as you can get.

I'm sure Sisko once said to Cassidy Yates that Earth was 4 weeks at max warp from DS9. Now assuming the Defiant's max speed was warp 9, I'm not sure TOS era ships could get anywhere near that. Travel to Cardassia in a TOS era ship would've taken months at the max speed of the vessel.

It would be the same as saying that Starfleet vessels in the Nu-Trek timeline are routinely popping off to the Delta Quadrant version of Risa for a bit of shore leave. Starfleet vessels of that era would never have been able to travel that far in to space, let alone have actually explored that far.

 

[urbandk]

Might have been mentioned elsewhere, but Uhura ordering a Cardassian Sunrise in the bar stuck out like a sore thumb. The Federation hadn't come within a million light years of discovering the Cardassians in the TOS era, let alone importing their beverages.

Wait, how do we know that?

I don't suppose we do. .technically. But if Starfleet has already discovered Cardassia in this timeline, given Cardassia's distance from Earth, that would be more of a kick in the balls to canon than even I can take. And I'm about as far from a canon freak as you can get.

I'm sure Sisko once said to Cassidy Yates that Earth was 4 weeks at max warp from DS9. Now assuming the Defiant's max speed was warp 9, I'm not sure TOS era ships could get anywhere near that. Travel to Cardassia in a TOS era ship would've taken months at the max speed of the vessel.

It would be the same as saying that Starfleet vessels in the Nu-Trek timeline are routinely popping off to the Delta Quadrant version of Risa for a bit of shore leave. Starfleet vessels of that era would never have been able to travel that far in to space, let alone have actually explored that far.

True, but individuals, merchants, and mercenaries might be off on their own mixing drinks across the galaxy.

Logically, sure, your scenario is far more likely, but I think the line was tossed in as a wink to the fans, and there are ways to rationalize its inclusion... and there's always lots of stuff in Star Trek to rationalize.

Just watched WNMHGB again, noticed that Spock said "One of my ancestors married a human female."

Oh, you mean your dad? Kinda funny!

 

[Aragorn]

And if my DS9 memory serves, it was a Bajoran Sunrise, not a Cardassian one. I remember Quark making one in an episode.

So Bajorans have a trademark on the word sunrise when it comes to drinks?

 

[Admiral Bear]

And before someone points it out to me, it wasn't Earth. It was Cestus III.

Pike City Pioneers baseball game. . . I'm ashamed that I can remember that without having seen the episode for a few years.

But anyway, assuming Cestus III was on the way to Cardassia, it just adds to my point.

I'll be quiet now. I'm feeling geeky, and that's not a good place.

 

[T'Paul]

11. Kirk's clown hands. Did we really need that?

I didn't think it was that big a deal.

10. Letting Willy Wonka design the engine room.

Lame.

9. That whole plot point about how using the planetary drill thing (suspended improbably by what looks like a mega-huge strand of barbed wire) conveniently disrupts transporter beams and communication.

Lame.

8. Mining ships of the future have enough weaponry to destroy a Starfleet armada. What exactly are they mining? (Yes, we know there is an explanation for this in the prequel comic, but if you need to read the comic to explain the movie, that's a problem. Would explaining it to the movie audience have been that difficult?)

I thought it was silly how they had zillions of torpedoes. They should have relied more on disrupters etc..

7. Uhura casually tells her roommate that she translated a mysterious message detailing the destruction of a Klingon fleet by a large, Romulan ship, but fails to inform her captain until he's about to fly into a trap.

Lame plothole.

6. If he's getting so much action, why can't one of Spock's emotions be, you know, kinda happy? Why so dour, my Vulcan friend?

He conceals his emotions.

5. Rowdy officers must be jettisoned off the ship in life pods and left on ice planets. Apparently the brig was broken?

How else would Scotty get onboard? Lame plothole, although Kirk originally wasn't supposed to be onboard.

4. It's OK, though, because if you do that, the person in the life pod will manage to land right next to THE ONLY OTHER PERSON ON THE PLANET who has also been stranded there.

Lame.

3. The bridge is the best place to bring suspected saboteurs. OK, this is actually a time-honored Trek tradition. But still.

I don't think they suspected Kirk of being a saboteur.

2. If you accidentally get sent back 25 more than 150 years in time, it's better to take revenge on the person who was unable to save your planet than to actually, you know, TRY TO SAVE YOUR PLANET!

Nero didn't give a huge shit about the new timeline.

1. The random Star Wars and Cloverfield-like monsters appearing for no particular reason.

1 monster OK. 2 monsters lame. Stealing bits from Star Wars prequels really lame.

 

[Admiral Bear]

And if my DS9 memory serves, it was a Bajoran Sunrise, not a Cardassian one. I remember Quark making one in an episode.

So Bajorans have a trademark on the word sunrise when it comes to drinks?

I've no idea. But I know Paramount has for years liked to think it's trademarked the word Starfleet so it can use its lawyers to bully anyone who uses the word.

I wouldn't trust Paramount with trademark issues.

 

[Jackson_Roykirk]

I don't suppose we do. .technically. But if Starfleet has already discovered Cardassia in this timeline, given Cardassia's distance from Earth, that would be more of a kick in the balls to canon than even I can take...

We really don't know how far Cardassia is from Earth -- it could be closer than you think.

In fact here is a map (albeit non-canonical, but one produced by "educated fanon guesses" nevertheless) that shows the Cardassian Union as being closer to Earth than the Klingon Empire [there's a "click to enlarge" in this link, but warning: big file]:

http://www.geekstir.com/map-of-the-entire-star-trek-universehttp://www.geekstir.com/trekmapbig.html

I'm not saying that this map is the end-all piece of my argument -- but then again what is, seeing that there is no "actual" map or specific mention of the whereabouts of Cardassia from the show?

 

[spocksbrain]

Biggest WTF: Kirk is promoted directly from a suspended cadet to full Captain and given the flagship of the fleet. For being the hero in all of this, I can see being allowed to graduate and maybe jumping ensign and becoming a lieutenant, junior grade, but going directly to Captain of the flagship? That's a bit much.

Also, though it doesn't make any sense at all, Pike in his "one beep for yes, two for no" chair thing is just SO iconic ... how can it not exist anymore? Being able to ask, "How can they not think of any better system than that?" is part of the fun of Star Trek.

 

[Irishman]

11. Kirk's clown hands. Did we really need that?

10. Letting Willy Wonka design the engine room.

9. That whole plot point about how using the planetary drill thing (suspended improbably by what looks like a mega-huge strand of barbed wire) conveniently disrupts transporter beams and communication.

8. Mining ships of the future have enough weaponry to destroy a Starfleet armada. What exactly are they mining? (Yes, we know there is an explanation for this in the prequel comic, but if you need to read the comic to explain the movie, that's a problem. Would explaining it to the movie audience have been that difficult?)

7. Uhura casually tells her roommate that she translated a mysterious message detailing the destruction of a Klingon fleet by a large, Romulan ship, but fails to inform her captain until he's about to fly into a trap.

6. If he's getting so much action, why can't one of Spock's emotions be, you know, kinda happy? Why so dour, my Vulcan friend?

5. Rowdy officers must be jettisoned off the ship in life pods and left on ice planets. Apparently the brig was broken?

4. It's OK, though, because if you do that, the person in the life pod will manage to land right next to THE ONLY OTHER PERSON ON THE PLANET who has also been stranded there.

3. The bridge is the best place to bring suspected saboteurs. OK, this is actually a time-honored Trek tradition. But still.

2. If you accidentally get sent back 25 more than 150 years in time, it's better to take revenge on the person who was unable to save your planet than to actually, you know, TRY TO SAVE YOUR PLANET!

1. The random Star Wars and Cloverfield-like monsters appearing for no particular reason.


http://scifiwire.com/2009/05/11-things-about-star-trek.php

Hater.

No, seriously, they might make you say WTF, but not me.

 

[Admiral Bear]

Biggest WTF: Kirk is promoted directly from a suspended cadet to full Captain and given the flagship of the fleet. For being the hero in all of this, I can see being allowed to graduate and maybe jumping ensign and becoming a lieutenant, junior grade, but going directly to Captain of the flagship? That's a bit much.

Also, though it doesn't make any sense at all, Pike in his "one beep for yes, two for no" chair thing is just SO iconic ... how can it not exist anymore? Being able to ask, "How can they not think of any better system than that?" is part of the fun of Star Trek.

I'm still trying to gloss over all this. I'm trying so hard.

ARGH! THE PAIN!

Although, it's not say than Pike can't yet meet with an unfortunate accident, something which could maybe provide Kirk with some sort of motivation to drive a storyline.

 

[Irishman]

"Punch it" rather than "Engage"

Silly.

There are a lot of ways to tell someone to turn on the warp field thingie.

"Punch it" is perfectly fine.

"Engage" was Picard's thing (or maybe a 24th century thing. I don't remember if the other captains of that time did it).

At least he didn't say "spin up the FTL".

 

[DiSiLLUSiON]

"Punch it" rather than "Engage"

Silly.

There are a lot of ways to tell someone to turn on the warp field thingie.

"Punch it" is perfectly fine.

"Engage" was Picard's thing (or maybe a 24th century thing. I don't remember if the other captains of that time did it).

At least he didn't say "spin up the FTL".

At least he didn't say "pursue!" or "I want to fly-ie-yy-ie-yy-ie-yyy... Flyhy awaaay"

 

[Carpe Occasio]

"Punch it" rather than "Engage"

Silly.

"Engage" was Picard's thing

Actually, it was Pikes thing first back in the Cage, the original Star Trek pilot with Jeffrey Hunter.

 

[Irishman]

12. A boat throttle for speed control. Just as bad as the manual manuvering joystick in Enterprise.

I didn't see that as a boat throttle. He didn't use it as a variable throttle-like device. He used it in way that - to my eye - was analogous to an exec key (on-off). But instead of a key it was a lever with off at one extreme end of the field of motion and on at the other end.

I see that as a safety interlock for the most potentially dangerous single control on the ship.

 

[TremblingBluStar]

Let's face it: there was a lot of juvenile stuff in this movie.

I wouldn't say juvenile, but this film was definetly more cartoonish than your regular, stuffy Trek outing - but in a good way. Trek has always been cheezy scifi fun, with wierd looking aliens and ray guns. This film simply recognized this and ran with it.

If anything, it reminded me of Galaxy Quest in that way.

5. Rowdy officers must be jettisoned off the ship in life pods and left on ice planets. Apparently the brig was broken?

The brig was going to be installed on Tuesday.

Apparently you missed that part.