An interesting line from Wired (spoilers)

[Opus]

From Wired:

And, while connected to Gene Roddenberry's creation, this film is deliberately and unquestionably built in its own universe, constructing its story on the idea that the original Star Trek time line has been destroyed and must be reconstructed as closely as possible.

** emphasis mine **

So I'm thinking, Nimoy's Spock has discovered Nero's plot to change the timeline, kill Kirk and/or destroy Vulcan. In the process the timeline that we know has been completely obliterated. No more TOS. Nimoy's Spock, trapped in the past, must now work to reconstruct the mess made by Nero the best way he can, perhaps changing the course of many lives along the way to have "most" of history fall back in line.

By the end of this movie, it seems, are we going to be left with a Star Trek universe more like the end of "Back to the Future"? The main parts are the same, but the details have been changed?

And now consider this: The only reason this new alternate timeline/universe exists is because the original had to exist in the first place (just like BttF). The original is not disavowed. It happened. It had to in order for Nero from the original universe to go back in time, destroy it, and for Nimoy's Spock from the original universe to create the new timeline.

In other words, it's all good. The old stuff all happened. And the new Trek will move forward unfettered.

 

[Tom Servo]

I was thinking this the other day. Nero has screwed up the Trek timeline, and created a tangent. Spock has realized this and has gone back in time in order to try and get the timeline back into order. So how things got to the way they were is different, but the end result is mostly the same.

 

[JoeZhang]

I was thinking this the other day. Nero has screwed up the Trek timeline, and created a tangent. Spock has realized this and has gone back in time in order to try and get the timeline back into order. So how things got to the way they were is different, but the end result is mostly the same.

Kirk: What's my Future?

Spock: Who knows?

<fades away>

 

[Nardpuncher]

It would be good if they do it this way.
It would help if Spock (Nimoy's) acknowledged at some point that the ship/bridge looks different, and that events are occuring differently than his timeline (the one we've always known). After they do that I'm fine with them messing it up as much as they want.

 

[Cky]

Interesting, really I like this version of Star Trek, I didn't grow up with TOS and I was really only around for the latter end of TNG, but I've seen a lot of TOS and subsequent series.

I must say, I'm really impressed with this new film so far, I'm so glad they've changed a lot of the stuff, I said it before, Star Trek is getting its much needed injection of energy. The last number of films and series after TNG were nothing but a waste and a bore, this is new and refreshing.

Yes they mess with the canon, but this would actually be a good idea, although I'm not sure exactly how Spock would find out how Nero is messing up with the past, although it does put an explanation to the Kelvin being destroyed, perhaps Nero wanted to kill Kirk as a child, or his parents.

 

[Ovation]

From Wired:

And, while connected to Gene Roddenberry's creation, this film is deliberately and unquestionably built in its own universe, constructing its story on the idea that the original Star Trek time line has been destroyed and must be reconstructed as closely as possible.

** emphasis mine **

So I'm thinking, Nimoy's Spock has discovered Nero's plot to change the timeline, kill Kirk and/or destroy Vulcan. In the process the timeline that we know has been completely obliterated. No more TOS. Nimoy's Spock, trapped in the past, must now work to reconstruct the mess made by Nero the best way he can, perhaps changing the course of many lives along the way to have "most" of history fall back in line.

By the end of this movie, it seems, are we going to be left with a Star Trek universe more like the end of "Back to the Future"? The main parts are the same, but the details have been changed?

And now consider this: The only reason this new alternate timeline/universe exists is because the original had to exist in the first place (just like BttF). The original is not disavowed. It happened. It had to in order for Nero from the original universe to go back in time, destroy it, and for Nimoy's Spock from the original universe to create the new timeline.

In other words, it's all good. The old stuff all happened. And the new Trek will move forward unfettered.

"But that's a cop out"
"But that's lazy writing"
"But that's a waste of time--just do a new thing already and never mind the old"
"But that's...."

All of the above (and many variations thereof) are things I've gotten in reply to making the same point as I've put in bold from your post. The reasoning you've provided is exactly why I have NO ISSUES about canon or continuity (not that I've ever been bothered by prior inconsistencies--I've noticed them, of course, but I've never lost sleep or threatened to kill myself over them).

 

[seigezunt]

seems the best way to go at this point, to help explain a new cast and look.

 

[Naldo]

And now consider this: The only reason this new alternate timeline/universe exists is because the original had to exist in the first place (just like BttF). The original is not disavowed. It happened. It had to in order for Nero from the original universe to go back in time, destroy it, and for Nimoy's Spock from the original universe to create the new timeline.

In other words, it's all good. The old stuff all happened. And the new Trek will move forward unfettered.

Well this is the problem with time-travel stories isn't it?

1. The original time line had to exist in order for Nero to be motivated to go back and change it.

But here's the problem:

2. If Nero goes back and changes the timeline, then the original time line will never happen and so future Nero will NOT be motivated to go back and change it.

While time-travel timelines can be fun (STIV) in stories of this type, they suffer from the big Paradox.

Ex: If you can go back in time and kill Hitler as a child then Hitler never exists, and so you would never want to go back in time and if you never go back in time then Hitler grows up to kill millions of people which will make you want to go back in time to kill Hitler as a child who never grows up so you won't go back in time to kill Hitler.......get the idea?

So while going back in time to pick up some extinct whales is fine. It's NOT fine to go back in time to change/stop an event that gives you the motivation to go back in time in the first place.

That being said....who gives a shit? This will hopefully be a fun movie anyway.

 

[Shatterhand]

So from that line, I'm left to believe that we're going to get this bold, new vision of Star Trek only to have the big "RESET" button pushed on it at the last moment? Back to the worn-out, comatose Trek of old?

Um...yippie?

 

[BillJ]

From Wired:

And, while connected to Gene Roddenberry's creation, this film is deliberately and unquestionably built in its own universe, constructing its story on the idea that the original Star Trek time line has been destroyed and must be reconstructed as closely as possible.

** emphasis mine **

So I'm thinking, Nimoy's Spock has discovered Nero's plot to change the timeline, kill Kirk and/or destroy Vulcan. In the process the timeline that we know has been completely obliterated. No more TOS. Nimoy's Spock, trapped in the past, must now work to reconstruct the mess made by Nero the best way he can, perhaps changing the course of many lives along the way to have "most" of history fall back in line.

By the end of this movie, it seems, are we going to be left with a Star Trek universe more like the end of "Back to the Future"? The main parts are the same, but the details have been changed?

And now consider this: The only reason this new alternate timeline/universe exists is because the original had to exist in the first place (just like BttF). The original is not disavowed. It happened. It had to in order for Nero from the original universe to go back in time, destroy it, and for Nimoy's Spock from the original universe to create the new timeline.

In other words, it's all good. The old stuff all happened. And the new Trek will move forward unfettered.

So it is a backdoor reboot of the franchise. All the brain-trust have to do is admit it.

 

[BenRoethig]

Well this is the problem with time-travel stories isn't it?

1. The original time line had to exist in order for Nero to be motivated to go back and change it.

But here's the problem:

2. If Nero goes back and changes the timeline, then the original time line will never happen and so future Nero will NOT be motivated to go back and change it.

Once you travel, you exist in the time you're presently in and automatically create an alternate timeline no matter how small the changes are.

 

[CaptainHarlock]

* I don´t care with changes in ships visual, one or two nacelles etc. But the TOS episodes don´t more exists in pos-movie timeline tastes bad. That is the problem with prequels. Either don´t have surprises, either changes what you like before.

 

[Guartho]

Kirk: What's my Future?

Spock: Who knows?

<fades away>

At the end I want to see Spock return to the 24th century where everything appears as he left it except everyone has forked lizard tongues. Spock shrugs and says "eh... close enough."

 

[Rat Boy]

Kirk: What's my Future?

Spock: Who knows?

<fades away>

At the end I want to see Spock return to the 24th century where everything appears as he left it except everyone has forked lizard tongues. Spock shrugs and says "eh... close enough."

"WHAT OF DOUGHNUTS?!"

 

[EJA]

So basically the setup is similar to DC Comics' Crisis on Infinite Earths, where the old universe is destroyed and a new one created to replace it, which has lots of things in common with the old one but is hugely different?

 

[Sharr Khan]

So from that line, I'm left to believe that we're going to get this bold, new vision of Star Trek only to have the big "RESET" button pushed on it at the last moment? Back to the worn-out, comatose Trek of old?

Um...yippie?

No - the exact opposite in fact!

Sharr

 

[Opus]

At the end I want to see Spock return to the 24th century where everything appears as he left it except everyone has forked lizard tongues. Spock shrugs and says "eh... close enough."

I think that would be funny.

However, I have thought, because Shatner seems to have been protesting so much about this film, that perhaps he might actually have a secret cameo appearance at the end of the movie. Since they had to recreate the destroyed the timeline, they could actually do it.

 

[gh4chiefs]

However, I have thought, because Shatner seems to have been protesting so much about this film, that perhaps he might actually have a secret cameo appearance at the end of the movie. Since they had to recreate the destroyed the timeline, they could actually do it.

I'm not of the opinion the Shat will have a cameo, but you know, you're exactly right. If they're gonna frak up the timeline, then certainly it would be easy to work around the whole "Kirk is dead" argument.

 

[Neopeius]

In other words, it's all good. The old stuff all happened. And the new Trek will move forward unfettered.

That's great! Does that mean we can have a TOS movie now?

 

[Lapis Exilis]

Well this is the problem with time-travel stories isn't it?

1. The original time line had to exist in order for Nero to be motivated to go back and change it.

But here's the problem:

2. If Nero goes back and changes the timeline, then the original time line will never happen and so future Nero will NOT be motivated to go back and change it.

Once you travel, you exist in the time you're presently in and automatically create an alternate timeline no matter how small the changes are.

'K, then how about the other big problem of time travel stories?

Nero at time point Z, goes back to time point X to change the past, resulting in a different future from point X on. Yet, somehow Spock, who exists in time point Y (which has been changed by the alterations at time point X) is magically unaffected by this change, realizes that the change has happened, and has the ability to go back to point X to try to stop the change.

I'm sure there'll be some technobabble to try to get around that, but it will most likely be mere handwavium.

It is a rare, rare time travel story that does not result in such questions. They should have left it at CotEoF, TVH and Trials and Tribble-ations, which are the only good time travel stories Trek ever told on screen.