Could Star Trek be Re-rebooted?

[Ray Hardgrit]

Define "good" Star Trek?


Many would put City on the Edge of Forever or Best of Both Worlds as good. I'd say they are ok, at best.

Appealing to many people sounds like a good start and if the worst that people have to say about an episode is 'it was okay, at best' then no one's being pissed off.

I would define good Star Trek as being Balance of Terror, Journey to Babel and The Trouble with Tribbles.

The Measure of a Man, Yesterday's Enterprise and Darmok.
Duet, The Way of the Warrior and The Siege of AR-558.
Deadlock, Scorpion and Timeless.
Twilight, Similitude and In a Mirror, Darkly.
What's Past is Prologue, If Memory Serves and Species Ten-C.
Calypso, The Escape Artist and The Trouble with Edward.
Remembrance, Nepenthe and Surrender.
Crisis Point, First First Contact and Reflections.
Kobayashi, Mindwalk and Ouroboros.
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, Those Old Scientists and Under the Cloak of War.
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, First Contact and Star Trek '09.

I don't think opinion is that wildly varied on what episodes people like, and 'good Trek episode' is not a particularly narrow target to hit either. The trick is to respect the show and characters, and tell a great story that would appeal to people watching the show.

 

[fireproof78]

The trick is to respect the show and characters, and tell a great story that would appeal to people watching the show.

Define respect.

Does "Spock's Brain" respect the characters? Nope.

How about in TNG were the Enterprise is routinely boarded or conquered by inferior opponents? Is that respectful?

I think respect is a terrible word at this stage I'm my life because it's often used as a measuring stick to tell someone how they have failed.

 

[Firebird]

They don't have to please everyone, just people who like good Star Trek episodes, or would like them if they were introduced to the series as a new viewer.

"Good Star Trek" is so nebulous that it's a useless metric for anyone to measure.

And trying to chase the dragon of people who aren't already fans is trying to please everyone.

 

[Ray Hardgrit]

Define respect.

a: to consider worthy of high regard.
b: to refrain from interfering with.

It is the process of honouring something by exhibiting care, concern, or consideration.

To respect Star Trek would involve being consistent with its story continuity and design continuity, to follow on from the artistic decisions made by previous creators, to make an effort to stick to the morality and philosophy espoused by the series to a reasonable degree that takes into account social progress, and just generally make an effort to give fans something that feels respectful.

Does "Spock's Brain" respect the characters? Nope.

How about in TNG were the Enterprise is routinely boarded or conquered by inferior opponents? Is that respectful?

Oh no I'll have to take Spock's Brain and Rascals off the 'good episode' list.

And trying to chase the dragon of people who aren't already fans is trying to please everyone.

Only if they're trying to make literally everyone a fan.

 

[Phoenix219]

The USS Falcon with Anthony Ingruber as the captain and a Caitian called Meowbacca as the First Officer.

Don't know how i missed this.

Thats hilarious, and with them doing Aliens already, why not?? LOVE Ingruber..... I'll watch him doing a "Ford" ANY day. I'm still mad he wasn't cast in the Han Solo spinoff - I truly think it would have saved the movie. He's uncannily close, and I wouldn't even call it an impression. Ford approves; he literally played a young Ford on screen already in the same movie, with his blessing.

 

[fireproof78]

respect Star Trek would involve being consistent with its story continuity and design continuity, to follow on from the artistic decisions made by previous creators, to make an effort to stick to the morality and philosophy espoused by the series to a reasonable degree that takes into account social progress, and just generally make an effort to give fans something that feels respectful.

I don't think TOS did this.

And relies highly in subjective feelings that fans feel "respected."

Well, I didn't with Enterprise so guess I'll discard that.

"Good Star Trek" is so nebulous that it's a useless metric for anyone to measure.

And trying to chase the dragon of people who aren't already fans is trying to please everyone.

Indeed. It is often more of a Fan's preference metric.

 

[HotRod]

It is the process of honouring something by exhibiting care, concern, or consideration.

To respect Star Trek would involve being consistent with its story continuity and design continuity, to follow on from the artistic decisions made by previous creators, to make an effort to stick to the morality and philosophy espoused by the series to a reasonable degree that takes into account social progress, and just generally make an effort to give fans something that feels respectful.

So..... Strange New Worlds?

It really is great, isn't it?

 

[Phoenix219]

So..... Strange New Worlds?

It really is great, isn't it?

It started out great, but every single thing I hear about the new season it sounds worse and worse. That trend started last season so.... Not hopeful for where this is going.

But that's just one fans opinion.

 

[fireproof78]

This season is worse?

I guess it will never succeed...

 

[Phoenix219]

This season is worse?

I guess it will never succeed...

Well, it's already canceled. It is what it is. It really doesn't matter what it does for the next 26 episodes. Lol.

 

[fireproof78]

Well, it's already canceled. It is what it is. It really doesn't matter what it does for the next 26 episodes. Lol.

Or if we watch it.

Lol.

 

[Phoenix219]

Or if we watch it.

Lol.

Very true. That won't affect anything except our personal experiences. Completely irrelevant to the larger picture.

 

[fireproof78]

Very true. That won't affect anything except our personal experiences. Completely irrelevant to the larger picture.

Well, now we are all relieved of this burden I feel much better.

 

[knightgrace]

Star Trek: Reboot, I have been thinking upon this...

Using the alternative opening dialog, the Federation is at a point where peace is basically there. The Klingons of course are always testing for weakness. The problem for the Klingons is the Phaser, as per the Star Trek Spaceflight Chronology entry for 2198, about the testing of the first Phaser weapons...meaning for those that haven't read that particular entry, that the Phaser penetrates ALL conventional shielding. The USS Enterprise is of course sent to go beyond the Galaxy's edge, due to the breaking of the time barrier, over a decade before. The Time Barrier was merely a natural speed limit, that permitted travel at a peak speed of 320c equivalent, most ships of course didn't get anywhere near this speed equivalent, due to the journey being completed before attaining this space warp energy level. The new speed peak velocity equivalent is 6400c. This is why the Constitution class is said to be able to circum navigate the entire Galaxy...True to certain extent, but this doesn't really say anything.
Before this, in some cases it took years to go some places, and indeed, decades. Going to Alpha Cent. took longer than going to Bernard's Star. Such that 'moderate ' distances are more likely to be traversed, rather than short distances. Long distances require very careful planning and preparation, which is why the Klingons are so annoying. Independent Thought computers are great, but Klingons know their weaknesses.
Kirk and company are making the first real probe beyond the known limits. Smaller ships are also going farther out - there are more of them than the Constitution class...

 

[arch101]

A complete reboot? Only if the series goes dormant for maybe a decade. I mean COMPLETELY dormant. Note that the ST '09 reboot really isn't as it's tied to the original canon through the time travel/ alternate timeline trope. A completely clean reboot would mean a total clean break.

 

[Qonundrum]

"Good Star Trek" is so nebulous that it's a useless metric for anyone to measure.

And trying to chase the dragon of people who aren't already fans is trying to please everyone.

^^this

Not all can be pleased at the same time by something with the same label on it, when said label has been through how many iterations now? Some iterations capture the cultural zeitgeist, not always during their initial run. Others do. Some always remain niche. They all get dated at some point. And they all have clumsily-scripted episodes at some point.

That aside, what each individual likes and dislikes can be entertaining, interesting, and/or thought-provoking as well.

But anyone can have a show about a bunch of people in a spaceship going to another planet. Even movies before TOS, such as "Forbidden Planet". What made TOS and later iterations of Trek iconic, rather than just a wannabecopy of "Forbidden Planet"? Which isn't to knock the 1956 film either, which was monumental at and for the time.

 

[Qonundrum]

A complete reboot? Only if the series goes dormant for maybe a decade. I mean COMPLETELY dormant. Note that the ST '09 reboot really isn't as it's tied to the original canon through the time travel/ alternate timeline trope. A completely clean reboot would mean a total clean break.

The Kelvin movies using a new timeline was genuinely very clever. It could allow our characters to do wildly different things. The only potential problems were how iconic the original characters were, combined with relying too much on their tropes and catchphrases and using those superficially (e.g. Flanderization), which in turn make the concept of "alternate timeline" more difficult, if relying on the original character for recognition is required. Not to mention, of course, people forgetting "shiny new timeline" in the process. "Beyond" is my favorite, and the use of pulp such as destroying the ship at the start (thus creating a mystery rather than the usual rubberstamp trope of "revenge dogfight scene") led to some great new means to progress a story, even if the ship's destruction doesn't work as well as in TSFS, TUC, or even GEN*.

* Amusingly, the only great part of NEM is the collision scene and for the sake of big big action of the moment, but the movie just conjures up any old scene without trying. The big magical impossible ship, created under the most impossible of conditions requires far more hoops and hurdles to jump through to even buy into it, and that's without Shinzon's background of being an indulgent clone, another Data prototype, rubberstamping almost literally the "absent friends" scene, etc. There's a great story in TNG''s swansong prior to PIC/3, but it didn't have a chance to flow with a natural feel. BEY does, PIC/3 does, etc, IMHO, YMMV as that's my subjective side coming out.