Continuity porn....
- Thread starter Warped9
- Start date
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Lord Garth
Guest
True but my point stands that they wanted to get away from all of the 24th Century stories built up over the previous 14 years. In trying to tie into TOS, they traded one "continuity porn" for another.
But every time ENT introduced something that was not tied into the previous Treks, people would complain about it. People are still complaining because of ENT aliens that weren't seen on any of the previous shows, and asking why they couldn't use any of the known races. "Why couldn't the Xindi have been the Romulans?" etc.
But every time ENT introduced something that was not tied into the previous Treks, people would complain about it. People are still complaining because of ENT aliens that weren't seen on any of the previous shows, and asking why they couldn't use any of the known races. "Why couldn't the Xindi have been the Romulans?" etc.
True, but ENT did a good job of fleshing out the Andorians, and, to a lesser extent, the Tellarites. I didn't mind them showing aliens that we'd never seen like the Xindi. I also like how they showed a few species we'd heard of but never seen, like the Axanar, mentioned only as sponsoring a medal, I believe. Space is vast, and filled with intelligent life forms, some of which you probably wouldn't ever bump into, depending on what sector you're in.
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Lord Garth
Guest
And it's a prequel. Prequels are intended to show how what we already know came to be. I don't like ENT but, as a prequel, it should either show or foreshadow how things eventually turn into TOS.
Which brings me back to what I said up-thread, I like "continuity porn" where it makes sense to have it.
But, steering this out of ENT territory, I like new stories but I like the development of old stories too. Depends on the aim of the series and if it's supposed to be serial or episodic; not to mention its parameters.
There's nothing quite like anticipating what's going to happen next. At least while a show is still going.
Which brings me back to what I said up-thread, I like "continuity porn" where it makes sense to have it.
But, steering this out of ENT territory, I like new stories but I like the development of old stories too. Depends on the aim of the series and if it's supposed to be serial or episodic; not to mention its parameters.
There's nothing quite like anticipating what's going to happen next. At least while a show is still going.
RobertScorpio
Pariah
A thought occurred to me. Is it continuity porn if established races/characters are featured frequently, like the Klingons and Cardassians, even if we don't learn a few new things about them? I'd say no. It's just continuity, staying within the established boundaries of the show, whether it's TOS, TNG, DSN, or VOY.
If we're not learning anything new I'd think it could be argued either way. OTH if we're seeing them too frequently then I think the sense of the show changes. TOS was about "strange new worlds," essentially encountering new things. If you're encountering the same races often enough then it isn't new.
In TOS the Klingons were referenced about eight times in seventy-nine episodes. Of that they were significant in about three or four of those episodes. After they were introduced in "Errand Of Mercy" we didn't really learn too much about them after that. What we learned was mostly that they were not all necessarily of a type, there were individuals that gave the race a greater sense of diversity. TNG featured the Klingons more often percentage wise and candidly we started to learn more there. The idea of honour among Klingons isn't really new from TNG because I think we saw aspects of that with Kang in "Day Of The Dove." Of course having Worf ever present allowed them to reveal something new bit by bit. I think the Klingons (as a race) were more prominent in DS9 because of the kind of story they were telling.
There are very few things on the shows that I would really call "continuity porn". For real continuity porn, look to the books. Most of the time I enjoy that they're showing that it's all really one universe - like, for instance, showing the TNG crew and all the different 24th characters during the Dominion War (unlike TNG movies - Insurrection, I'm looking at you 
). Now this is the continuity that makes sense. The entire quadrant is involved in this big war, it has to affect everyone.
But then they also go overboard with it a lot of times. If there's a Vulcan in a story set before or during TOS, it has to be T'Pau, T'Pol, Sarek, or someone related to them. Every Klingon is, or is related to one of the Klingons we saw in the shows. Everyone knows everyone in Starfleet. Almost all the major players in the Occupation of Bajor, as far as 50 years before the start of DS9, are people we know from the shows, even when the writers have to extend the Cardassian, Bajoran and even human lifespans to ridiculous lengths and make a mess out of the timeline in order to make that possible. Trek Lit is a case of "the small universe" syndrome.
). Now this is the continuity that makes sense. The entire quadrant is involved in this big war, it has to affect everyone.But then they also go overboard with it a lot of times. If there's a Vulcan in a story set before or during TOS, it has to be T'Pau, T'Pol, Sarek, or someone related to them. Every Klingon is, or is related to one of the Klingons we saw in the shows. Everyone knows everyone in Starfleet. Almost all the major players in the Occupation of Bajor, as far as 50 years before the start of DS9, are people we know from the shows, even when the writers have to extend the Cardassian, Bajoran and even human lifespans to ridiculous lengths and make a mess out of the timeline in order to make that possible. Trek Lit is a case of "the small universe" syndrome.
I don't really care much where Trek is concerned any more, because nothing about it adequately represents the much-vaunted "future." For something like a disciplined imagination of the future and "new worlds" Avatar is now the standard.
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Lord Garth
Guest
Avatar is good but don't put it on too high of a pedestal. The aliens in Avatar are still humanoid, though more modified, and I doubt there are any on the solar system's moons.
It's a good movie, and it could be more realistic but that doesn't mean it is realistic.
Realistic sci-fi movies are impossible to do when it comes to aliens and the further it takes place in the future the greater the margin for error.
It's a good movie, and it could be more realistic but that doesn't mean it is realistic.
Realistic sci-fi movies are impossible to do when it comes to aliens and the further it takes place in the future the greater the margin for error.
Sure, it's got its limits and its shortcomings - but compared to what? Trek is simply not in the same league as this, not any more.
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Lord Garth
Guest
I wasn't comparing Avatar to Star Trek.
Though I'd say my idea of what a realistic future will look like would be disappointing to a lot of people and probably wouldn't translate into blockbuster success. So skiffy it is, for better or worse.
This doesn't have to do with any particular movie or series but, just in general, I'm starting to wonder what's the point of aiming for a realism that can't be reached. I can still be impressed by how good a film is but by how realistic it is? I'm not so sure, it's all just a delusion where we suspend disbelief for a few hours. I don't know that I can be impressed by that anymore.
Though I'd say my idea of what a realistic future will look like would be disappointing to a lot of people and probably wouldn't translate into blockbuster success. So skiffy it is, for better or worse.
This doesn't have to do with any particular movie or series but, just in general, I'm starting to wonder what's the point of aiming for a realism that can't be reached. I can still be impressed by how good a film is but by how realistic it is? I'm not so sure, it's all just a delusion where we suspend disbelief for a few hours. I don't know that I can be impressed by that anymore.
I loves me some good ol' fashioned Canon Pr0n! yah.
mmmm-mmmmm!
mmmm-mmmmm!
Continuity porn....there's continuity, then there's the porn variety..
DS-9s "Mirror Universe" episodes really weren't well written, hence my Continuity Porn sticker on each one..they really belonged in a poorly written "Mirror Universe" show not on DS-9..
Enterprise's first 2 seasons were chock full of continuity porn
To me, Voyager was simply soft-core space porn esp after 7 'o 9 came on board...poor writing, esp. the deux ex machina of her fixin' EVERY single problem..but heck..
TNG did this often enough...between Wesley and Geordi but not so damn often that it hurt to watch the show... And they damn near did the Return to the Iotian Gangster Planet episode in TNG..could've been fun in a T&T kind of way...
DS-9s "Mirror Universe" episodes really weren't well written, hence my Continuity Porn sticker on each one..they really belonged in a poorly written "Mirror Universe" show not on DS-9..
Enterprise's first 2 seasons were chock full of continuity porn
To me, Voyager was simply soft-core space porn esp after 7 'o 9 came on board...poor writing, esp. the deux ex machina of her fixin' EVERY single problem..but heck..
TNG did this often enough...between Wesley and Geordi but not so damn often that it hurt to watch the show... And they damn near did the Return to the Iotian Gangster Planet episode in TNG..could've been fun in a T&T kind of way...
Well I think it's a loaded question. "Porn" automatically has a negative vibe to it. Plus, there is no third option, "Doesn't matter either way as long as the story kicks ass". Which is my opinion.
I'm a huge fan of Enterprise season three because it brought something different to the table and season four precisely because of "continuity porn".
I'm a huge fan of Enterprise season three because it brought something different to the table and season four precisely because of "continuity porn".
Yes, compared to Season 4, Seasons 1 & 2 were pretty porn light.
For me, while seasons 1 and 2 may have been too light on continuity, season 4 may have been tilted the other way. I think in the end while it was -kind of- cool how the bulk of the season was multi-part stories that answered a lot of continuity-related questions, it may have been a bit much, and a couple more episodic stories might have been nice.
Though, I'm also one of those people who feels all of the last three episodes were disappointing...though TATV was easily the worst thing to happen all season.
Though, I'm also one of those people who feels all of the last three episodes were disappointing...though TATV was easily the worst thing to happen all season.
