Here are 40 longstanding traditions, vote for the ones to KEEP. Or ditch em all, that's the last option.
40 Trek traditions - keep or ditch?
- Thread starter Temis the Vorta
- Start date
I'd keep:
Kirk ripping his shirt
Kirk karate chop
green/blue aliens
Kirk gets the girl
Spock nerve pinch
Spock mind-meld
McCoy: I'm a doctor not a [fill in the blank]
‘Fascinating’
Spock and McCoy bantering about logic vs emotions
Spock eyebrow arch
McCoy eyebrow arch
Scotty pulling an engineering miracle in the nick of time
Sulu's swordplay
references to The Great Bird of the Galaxy
transporters outages for the convenience of the plot
non-turtled Klingon brows
people eating cube-shaped food
unscheduled visits to the Mirror Universe
fight scenes with people flying across tables
‘Live Long & Prosper’
Vulcan hand salute
original TOS music (fight music, Spock’s theme, etc.)
original TOS sound effects (transporter, door swoosh, communicator chirp, etc.)
McCoy hates transporters
Kirk making up stuff (Corbomite, Fizzbin) to confuse his enemies.
‘troublemaker’ characters like Harry Mudd or Cyrano Jones
Kirk ripping his shirt
Kirk karate chop
green/blue aliens
Kirk gets the girl
Spock nerve pinch
Spock mind-meld
McCoy: I'm a doctor not a [fill in the blank]
‘Fascinating’
Spock and McCoy bantering about logic vs emotions
Spock eyebrow arch
McCoy eyebrow arch
Scotty pulling an engineering miracle in the nick of time
Sulu's swordplay
references to The Great Bird of the Galaxy
transporters outages for the convenience of the plot
non-turtled Klingon brows
people eating cube-shaped food
unscheduled visits to the Mirror Universe
fight scenes with people flying across tables
‘Live Long & Prosper’
Vulcan hand salute
original TOS music (fight music, Spock’s theme, etc.)
original TOS sound effects (transporter, door swoosh, communicator chirp, etc.)
McCoy hates transporters
Kirk making up stuff (Corbomite, Fizzbin) to confuse his enemies.
‘troublemaker’ characters like Harry Mudd or Cyrano Jones
keep.
Kirk ripping his shirt (for the ladies
)
Kirk gets the girl
Spock nerve pinch
Spock mind-meld
McCoy: I'm a doctor not a [fill in the blank]
‘Fascinating’
Spock and McCoy bantering about logic vs emotions
McCoy: He/she/it's dead, Jim.
Spock eyebrow arch
McCoy eyebrow arch
Scotty pulling an engineering miracle in the nick of time
Uhura's red panties showing(for me
)
Live Long & Prosper’
Vulcan hand salute
people eating cube-shaped food
McCoy hates transporters
Kirk making up stuff (Corbomite, Fizzbin) to confuse his enemies.
loose
troublemaker’ characters like Harry Mudd or Cyrano Jones
original TOS sound effects (transporter, door swoosh, communicator chirp, etc.)
consoles erupting into geysers of sparks during battle
unscheduled visits to the Mirror Universe
miniskirts and go-go boots for women Starfleet personnel (bring on the cat-suits instead)
non-turtled Klingon brows
transporters outages for the convenience of the plot
Sulu's swordplay
a computer can be talked to death
rest unfamiliar or undecided
Kirk ripping his shirt (for the ladies
)Kirk gets the girl
Spock nerve pinch
Spock mind-meld
McCoy: I'm a doctor not a [fill in the blank]
‘Fascinating’
Spock and McCoy bantering about logic vs emotions
McCoy: He/she/it's dead, Jim.
Spock eyebrow arch
McCoy eyebrow arch
Scotty pulling an engineering miracle in the nick of time
Uhura's red panties showing(for me
)Live Long & Prosper’
Vulcan hand salute
people eating cube-shaped food
McCoy hates transporters
Kirk making up stuff (Corbomite, Fizzbin) to confuse his enemies.
loose
troublemaker’ characters like Harry Mudd or Cyrano Jones
original TOS sound effects (transporter, door swoosh, communicator chirp, etc.)
consoles erupting into geysers of sparks during battle
unscheduled visits to the Mirror Universe
miniskirts and go-go boots for women Starfleet personnel (bring on the cat-suits instead)
non-turtled Klingon brows
transporters outages for the convenience of the plot
Sulu's swordplay
a computer can be talked to death
rest unfamiliar or undecided
[*]Kirk ripping his shirt: naw, it's not really necessary, and frankly, I think it's one of those "traditions" that didn't happen as often as people say.
[*]Kirk karate chop: Yes, but I think it'd be fun to keep some vestige if his old-style, more grappling fighting style than just have the usual martial arts.
[*]green/blue aliens: Sure, why not?
[*]Kirk gets the girl: Naw, for the same reason as "Kirk's shirt ripping."
[*]Spock nerve pinch: Certainly. I can't think of any reason why he wouldn't, given the opportunity. Mind-meld is a different story...
[*]Spock mind-meld: I think it was Dagger of the Mind where we see what was clearly indicated to be Spock's first mind-meld. So if this is before that, then no. Older Spock, however, may well do a mind-meld at some point.
[*]McCoy: I'm a doctor not a [fill in the blank]: It was never my favorite recurring gag, but I can live with it.
[*]Chekov: Russia did it first: I don't see this as being necessary, but if they want to toss one of these in there, I won't storm out of the theater in disgust.
[*]‘Fascinating’: Absolutely!
[*]Spock and McCoy bantering about logic vs emotions: This is a big part of what made the Big Three so big. Definitely want to see a healthy amount of this.
[*]McCoy: He/she/it's dead, Jim.: I could take it or leave it. See, there are basically two different categories of "tradition" here. Those that affect the characters to varying degrees(like Spock doing a mind-meld or nerve-pinch or arguing with McCoy) and those that are essentially window-dressing (Russia did it first, I'm a doctor not a..., etc.) The latter ones, I don't really have much of an opinion about, because if the story's bad, these things won't rescue it, and if it's good, they really won't be necessary. Anyway...
[*]redshirts dying: Nah. This always seemed like just a very hasty way to show the audience that the threat of the week was actually threatening. In a two-hour movie, that shouldn't be necessary. And frankly, it has really become a joke (not in the good way) to a lot of non-diehards.
[*]Uhura's red panties showing: Well, I'm in favor of keeping the costumes fairly intact, but I wouldn't be surprised if they made the skirts just a little longer.
[*]Spock eyebrow arch: Darn straight! He's not Spock without the raised eyebrow!
[*]McCoy eyebrow arch: This isn't as important, but sure. However, it'll most likely be up to the actor, whichever way he chooses to play it.
[*]Scotty pulling an engineering miracle in the nick of time: That's what he's there for, isn't it?
[*]a computer can be talked to death: Well, since I don't want a computer to be the main villain, I'll say no.
[*]a god-like being can be shown the error of its ways: see above, although I'd be just slightly more favorable to this.
[*]Sulu's swordplay: Since the only time we saw Sulu's swordplay was when he was effectively drunk, I don't really see it happening, unless they show him and someone else fencing off-duty. It's not like he'll have to use a sword to defend himself like in "Shadow Lord." I didn't mind that book, but based on its overall popularity, I think that'd probably be a bad direction to go with the movie.
[*]references to The Great Bird of the Galaxy: Hey, why not? It's canon.
[*]transporters outages for the convenience of the plot: Most things in a story happen for the convenience of the plot. This wouldn't bother me at all.
[*]planets that mimic eras of Earth history: Not really necessary anymore; they now have the budget to give us strange new worlds.
[*]non-turtled Klingon brows: Honestly, I'm gonna be pretty frustrated if they don't give us smooth-heads.
[*]Moe haircuts for Vulcans: It's really not exactly evocative of Moe, so I'm going with yes.
[*]big hair for women Starfleet personnel: I won't mind either way. I think it was interesting how, in TOS, they made a pretty good effort to give each principal female a unique, exotic haircut. I think it would be cool if they did some variation of that, but I don't think it has to be the exact same ones as on the show.
[*]miniskirts and go-go boots for women Starfleet personnel: Again, I could take it or leave it, though I'm sure they'll modify it somewhat. In an era when they can't even leave Superman's costume unaltered, I doubt female Starfleet personnel will come out unscathed.
[*]people eating cube-shaped food: As long as they don't suggest it's the only thing to eat. I see no reason to think we wouldn't have any alien food added to our menus by that time.
[*]unscheduled visits to the Mirror Universe: Don't think that's what this movie needs.
[*]fight scenes with people flying across tables: As long as we can be made to believe it's the actors flying across tables, and not the first stuntman they passed on the street.
[*]‘Live Long & Prosper’/Vulcan hand salute: Absolutely, if there are any Vulcans there besides Spock.
[*]consoles erupting into geysers of sparks during battle: Sure, why not (don't answer that).
[*]camera tilting/bridge personnel falling on the floor during battle: If they used a gimble in Galaxy Quest, I don't see why they wouldn't do it here.
[*]original TOS music (fight music, Spock’s theme, etc.): Or some referential derivative thereof, yes.
[*]original TOS sound effects (transporter, door swoosh, communicator chirp, etc.): If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
[*]alcoholism being treated as a joke: Not likely.
[*]styrofoam rocks: Again, they can afford not to now (although, any small rocks falling/flying around probably will still be made of styrofoam or plastic, it'll just be less noticeable).
[*]McCoy hates transporters: I see no reason to change that.
[*]Kirk making up stuff (Corbomite, Fizzbin) to confuse his enemies.: If it's valid to the plot, sure. Don't create a situation where he has to do that just for the sake of homage.
[*]‘troublemaker’ characters like Harry Mudd or Cyrano Jones: Neither of those characters were ever my favorite. I prefer layered characters, not 2D ones.
[*]LOSE THEM ALL?: Then why call it Star Trek?
[*]Kirk karate chop: Yes, but I think it'd be fun to keep some vestige if his old-style, more grappling fighting style than just have the usual martial arts.
[*]green/blue aliens: Sure, why not?
[*]Kirk gets the girl: Naw, for the same reason as "Kirk's shirt ripping."
[*]Spock nerve pinch: Certainly. I can't think of any reason why he wouldn't, given the opportunity. Mind-meld is a different story...
[*]Spock mind-meld: I think it was Dagger of the Mind where we see what was clearly indicated to be Spock's first mind-meld. So if this is before that, then no. Older Spock, however, may well do a mind-meld at some point.
[*]McCoy: I'm a doctor not a [fill in the blank]: It was never my favorite recurring gag, but I can live with it.
[*]Chekov: Russia did it first: I don't see this as being necessary, but if they want to toss one of these in there, I won't storm out of the theater in disgust.
[*]‘Fascinating’: Absolutely!
[*]Spock and McCoy bantering about logic vs emotions: This is a big part of what made the Big Three so big. Definitely want to see a healthy amount of this.
[*]McCoy: He/she/it's dead, Jim.: I could take it or leave it. See, there are basically two different categories of "tradition" here. Those that affect the characters to varying degrees(like Spock doing a mind-meld or nerve-pinch or arguing with McCoy) and those that are essentially window-dressing (Russia did it first, I'm a doctor not a..., etc.) The latter ones, I don't really have much of an opinion about, because if the story's bad, these things won't rescue it, and if it's good, they really won't be necessary. Anyway...
[*]redshirts dying: Nah. This always seemed like just a very hasty way to show the audience that the threat of the week was actually threatening. In a two-hour movie, that shouldn't be necessary. And frankly, it has really become a joke (not in the good way) to a lot of non-diehards.
[*]Uhura's red panties showing: Well, I'm in favor of keeping the costumes fairly intact, but I wouldn't be surprised if they made the skirts just a little longer.
[*]Spock eyebrow arch: Darn straight! He's not Spock without the raised eyebrow!
[*]McCoy eyebrow arch: This isn't as important, but sure. However, it'll most likely be up to the actor, whichever way he chooses to play it.
[*]Scotty pulling an engineering miracle in the nick of time: That's what he's there for, isn't it?
[*]a computer can be talked to death: Well, since I don't want a computer to be the main villain, I'll say no.
[*]a god-like being can be shown the error of its ways: see above, although I'd be just slightly more favorable to this.
[*]Sulu's swordplay: Since the only time we saw Sulu's swordplay was when he was effectively drunk, I don't really see it happening, unless they show him and someone else fencing off-duty. It's not like he'll have to use a sword to defend himself like in "Shadow Lord." I didn't mind that book, but based on its overall popularity, I think that'd probably be a bad direction to go with the movie.
[*]references to The Great Bird of the Galaxy: Hey, why not? It's canon.
[*]transporters outages for the convenience of the plot: Most things in a story happen for the convenience of the plot. This wouldn't bother me at all.
[*]planets that mimic eras of Earth history: Not really necessary anymore; they now have the budget to give us strange new worlds.
[*]non-turtled Klingon brows: Honestly, I'm gonna be pretty frustrated if they don't give us smooth-heads.
[*]Moe haircuts for Vulcans: It's really not exactly evocative of Moe, so I'm going with yes.
[*]big hair for women Starfleet personnel: I won't mind either way. I think it was interesting how, in TOS, they made a pretty good effort to give each principal female a unique, exotic haircut. I think it would be cool if they did some variation of that, but I don't think it has to be the exact same ones as on the show.
[*]miniskirts and go-go boots for women Starfleet personnel: Again, I could take it or leave it, though I'm sure they'll modify it somewhat. In an era when they can't even leave Superman's costume unaltered, I doubt female Starfleet personnel will come out unscathed.
[*]people eating cube-shaped food: As long as they don't suggest it's the only thing to eat. I see no reason to think we wouldn't have any alien food added to our menus by that time.
[*]unscheduled visits to the Mirror Universe: Don't think that's what this movie needs.
[*]fight scenes with people flying across tables: As long as we can be made to believe it's the actors flying across tables, and not the first stuntman they passed on the street.
[*]‘Live Long & Prosper’/Vulcan hand salute: Absolutely, if there are any Vulcans there besides Spock.
[*]consoles erupting into geysers of sparks during battle: Sure, why not (don't answer that).
[*]camera tilting/bridge personnel falling on the floor during battle: If they used a gimble in Galaxy Quest, I don't see why they wouldn't do it here.
[*]original TOS music (fight music, Spock’s theme, etc.): Or some referential derivative thereof, yes.
[*]original TOS sound effects (transporter, door swoosh, communicator chirp, etc.): If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
[*]alcoholism being treated as a joke: Not likely.
[*]styrofoam rocks: Again, they can afford not to now (although, any small rocks falling/flying around probably will still be made of styrofoam or plastic, it'll just be less noticeable).
[*]McCoy hates transporters: I see no reason to change that.
[*]Kirk making up stuff (Corbomite, Fizzbin) to confuse his enemies.: If it's valid to the plot, sure. Don't create a situation where he has to do that just for the sake of homage.
[*]‘troublemaker’ characters like Harry Mudd or Cyrano Jones: Neither of those characters were ever my favorite. I prefer layered characters, not 2D ones.
[*]LOSE THEM ALL?: Then why call it Star Trek?
I'd definitely keep:
Kirk ripping his shirt
Spock nerve pinch
Spock mind-meld
McCoy: I'm a doctor not a [fill in the blank]
‘Fascinating’
Spock and McCoy bantering about logic vs emotions
McCoy: He/she/it's dead, Jim.
Spock eyebrow arch
fight scenes with people flying across tables
‘Live Long & Prosper’
Vulcan hand salute
Kirk making up stuff (Corbomite, Fizzbin) to confuse his enemies.
And I thought about women wearing go-go boots and miniskirts, but I figure they'll replace them with pencil skirts (although I suspect there will be more than a few miniskirts) and more conservative footwear — which looks better, anyway, IMO.
For the rest, I have only ambivalence. Keep 'em, change 'em slightly, replace 'em, I care not.
Kirk ripping his shirt
Spock nerve pinch
Spock mind-meld
McCoy: I'm a doctor not a [fill in the blank]
‘Fascinating’
Spock and McCoy bantering about logic vs emotions
McCoy: He/she/it's dead, Jim.
Spock eyebrow arch
fight scenes with people flying across tables
‘Live Long & Prosper’
Vulcan hand salute
Kirk making up stuff (Corbomite, Fizzbin) to confuse his enemies.
And I thought about women wearing go-go boots and miniskirts, but I figure they'll replace them with pencil skirts (although I suspect there will be more than a few miniskirts) and more conservative footwear — which looks better, anyway, IMO.
For the rest, I have only ambivalence. Keep 'em, change 'em slightly, replace 'em, I care not.
Not going to go through everything I voted for, it's an extensive list (thanks Temis!) but it was mainly character stuff. McCoy and Spock banter for instance is a big deal. Things about Vulcan culture (the hand sign, 'Live Long and Prosper') should be in there too.
Things less essential would include the Kirk chop and syrofoam rocks, obviously.
Basically, keep everything that keeps the fans coming back: the characters. Lose all the stuff that was in there for budgetary and '60s camp purposes.
Things less essential would include the Kirk chop and syrofoam rocks, obviously.
Basically, keep everything that keeps the fans coming back: the characters. Lose all the stuff that was in there for budgetary and '60s camp purposes.
You're welcome. People usually complain I didn't give em a hundred options!
I'd keep the Vulcan and Spock stuff, and some of the more quotable lines.
Hmm. I'll just mention the two choices I made where, as of this writing, I was the only one for them and ergo in the minority:
*A computer being talked to death
*A god like being being shown the errors of its ways.
I'm surprised, really... as cliched as they are, that stuff is always fun, and is very much at the heart of Star Trek, for me - man cutting loose from gods, machine gods, and other dehumanizing forces that claim to improve us (like alien spores) to go out and suffer really living in the mortal world is better than the gilded cage of the garden of Eden, and all that kind of stuff. You can shoot Trek's philosophy full of holes, maybe, but it has one and that's part of it.
*A computer being talked to death
*A god like being being shown the errors of its ways.
I'm surprised, really... as cliched as they are, that stuff is always fun, and is very much at the heart of Star Trek, for me - man cutting loose from gods, machine gods, and other dehumanizing forces that claim to improve us (like alien spores) to go out and suffer really living in the mortal world is better than the gilded cage of the garden of Eden, and all that kind of stuff. You can shoot Trek's philosophy full of holes, maybe, but it has one and that's part of it.
What options! I chose a whole lot more than I thougt I wud.
I wud add 'Walking on the outside of the ship with gravity boots.' (Like Worf, Picard & Borg in 'First Contact')
I wud add 'Walking on the outside of the ship with gravity boots.' (Like Worf, Picard & Borg in 'First Contact')
Easier to say what I didn't vote to keep:
DUMP LIST
Chekov: Russia did it first
Uhura's red panties showing
a computer can be talked to death
a god-like being can be shown the error of its ways
planets that mimic eras of Earth history
non-turtled Klingon brows
big hair for women Starfleet personnel
miniskirts and go-go boots for women Starfleet personnel
people eating cube-shaped food
alcoholism being treated as a joke
styrofoam rocks
DUMP LIST
Chekov: Russia did it first
Uhura's red panties showing
a computer can be talked to death
a god-like being can be shown the error of its ways
planets that mimic eras of Earth history
non-turtled Klingon brows
big hair for women Starfleet personnel
miniskirts and go-go boots for women Starfleet personnel
people eating cube-shaped food
alcoholism being treated as a joke
styrofoam rocks
L
Lord Garth
Guest
I'd turn Kirk ripping his shirt into a joke. At one point he gets his shirt ripped and then complains that he needs to get a better tailor.
I'd dump the rocks. Probably the soundtrack. Definately the "russians first" thing (mostly because anyone younger than me wouldn't get the cold war reference). The shirt ripping could be funny if done right. And the karate chop/throwing people over tables would be fun to watch if nothing else. Let's have fun.
I voted for the following:
Kirk ripping his shirt
Green/blue aliens
Kirk gets the girl
Spock nerve pinch
Spock mind-meld
McCoy: I'm a doctor not a [fill in the blank]
Chekov: Russia did it first
"Fascinating"
Spock and McCoy bantering about logic vs emotions
McCoy: He/she/it's dead, Jim.
Redshirts dying
Spock eyebrow arch
McCoy eyebrow arch
Scotty pulling an engineering miracle in the nick of time
Sulu's swordplay
References to The Great Bird of the Galaxy
Transporters outages for the convenience of the plot
Miniskirts and go-go boots for women Starfleet personnel
People eating cube-shaped food
Fight scenes with people flying across tables
"Live Long & Prosper"
Vulcan hand salute
Cnsoles erupting into geysers of sparks during battle
Camera tilting/bridge personnel falling on the floor during battle
Original TOS music (fight music, Spock’s theme, etc.)
Original TOS sound effects (transporter, door swoosh, communicator chirp, etc.)
Styrofoam rocks
McCoy hates transporters
Kirk making up stuff (Corbomite, Fizzbin) to confuse his enemies.
"Troublemaker" characters like Harry Mudd or Cyrano Jones
I think I'm going to copy this list and take it with me when I watch movie.[/geek]
Kirk ripping his shirt
Green/blue aliens
Kirk gets the girl
Spock nerve pinch
Spock mind-meld
McCoy: I'm a doctor not a [fill in the blank]
Chekov: Russia did it first
"Fascinating"
Spock and McCoy bantering about logic vs emotions
McCoy: He/she/it's dead, Jim.
Redshirts dying
Spock eyebrow arch
McCoy eyebrow arch
Scotty pulling an engineering miracle in the nick of time
Sulu's swordplay
References to The Great Bird of the Galaxy
Transporters outages for the convenience of the plot
Miniskirts and go-go boots for women Starfleet personnel
People eating cube-shaped food
Fight scenes with people flying across tables
"Live Long & Prosper"
Vulcan hand salute
Cnsoles erupting into geysers of sparks during battle
Camera tilting/bridge personnel falling on the floor during battle
Original TOS music (fight music, Spock’s theme, etc.)
Original TOS sound effects (transporter, door swoosh, communicator chirp, etc.)
Styrofoam rocks
McCoy hates transporters
Kirk making up stuff (Corbomite, Fizzbin) to confuse his enemies.
"Troublemaker" characters like Harry Mudd or Cyrano Jones
I think I'm going to copy this list and take it with me when I watch movie.[/geek]
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