Did anyone like the bald Romulans?

[C.E. Evans]

I'm actually indifferent about it. I like the new look, but I also could have easily gone with them being more traditional in appearance too.

In TOS, it was implied that Vulcans and Romulans were pretty much the same species, except one was driven by logic and the other by military conquest. You wouldn't be able to tell 'em apart standing side-by-side in front of you unless one of them started giving a lengthy oral report on Human behavior while the other approached you with a knife.

With TNG, we started to see the "Klingonization" of the Romulans and a true physical distinction between them and Vulcans--something I personally thought was unnecessary, but I could see if it was done to avoid confusion between Vulcans and Romulans among casual viewers. I think the same kind of philosophy was really behind the appearance of the Romulans in Star Trek XI, so they can be clearly shown as "evil Vulcans." If the Romulans make another appearance in this new timeline, it'd be interesting to see if they go back to a more traditional (or rather, TNG-version) appearance or keep the bald & tats style...

 

[Eleanor_zhDarjel]

Loved them. So badass and sexy.

I am such a sucker for Erik Bana - that probably helped shape my feelings for them too. But alas, I can live with that...

 

[Bishop76]

I thought they were cool but I don't care what their hair (or pates) looks like - I'm just glad they got rid of those stupid ridges and bowl cuts that they became in TNG

 

[Set Harth]

Bowl cuts are never in fashion for very long anyway.

 

[BlobVanDam]

I thought they were cool but I don't care what their hair (or pates) looks like - I'm just glad they got rid of those stupid ridges and bowl cuts that they became in TNG

I actually liked the ridges, since they weren't too overdone, and didn't resemble genitals for once. But those bowl cuts and the costumes really did need to go.

 

[C.E. Evans]

I don't think the ridges entirely went away for the Romulans in Star Trek XI, but they were more subtle than the ones used in TNG and later productions...

Bowl cuts are never in fashion for very long anyway.

Except on Vulcan.

 

[Capt_Pickirk]

What's up with the bowl cut on vulcan's anyways????

Is it because it's a 'logical' haircut, or is it because all their parents cut their hair with the coupon scissors in the kitchen because they can't be bothered to go to the hair dressers?

Edit: Oh, and I thought the Romulans were really cool as well

 

[Bishop76]

I don't think the ridges entirely went away for the Romulans in Star Trek XI

Look again

 

[F. King Daniel]

I don't think the ridges entirely went away for the Romulans in Star Trek XI

Look again

The deadlocked female had a forehead ridge. It's been bumped (pardon the pun) down to racial diversity.

FWIW, one or two of the early Nero makeup tests had ridges, too.

 

[Hythlodeus]

all of them had ridges. even nero. look closely. they are just much more subtle

 

[Bishop76]

"The film's Romulans lacked the 'V'-shaped ridges on the foreheads, which had been present in all of their depictions outside the original series. Neville Page wanted to honor that by having Nero's crew ritually scar themselves too, forming keloids reminiscent of the 'V'-ridges. It was abandoned as they did not pursue the idea enough"

- Bill Desowitz (2009-05-15). "Creature Designer Neville Page Talks Star Trek". VFXWorld. http://mag.awn.com/article_view.php?id=3984&site=vfxw&page=all.

 

[C.E. Evans]

I don't think the ridges entirely went away for the Romulans in Star Trek XI

Look again

You look again.

Nero and his crew do have more raised brow ridges underneath their tats. They're not as pronounced as the forehead ridges the Romulans from TNG onwards have, but they're there all right.

 

[Set Harth]

Nero's wife also has something going on.

 

[Gojira]

I don't think the ridges entirely went away for the Romulans in Star Trek XI

Look again

You look again.

Nero and his crew do have more raised brow ridges underneath their tats. They're not as pronounced as the forehead ridges the Romulans from TNG onwards have, but they're there all right.

That is true. All anyone has to do is watch the special features with Eric Bana getting made up for his role as Nero and they are adding brow ridges to his face. Although the Romulans do not have the style ridges they had in TNG they do have them in the new movie

 

[Dusty Ayres]

Also: First black Romulan!

Not exactly.

The first black Romulan was in the episode of TNG about Geordi being brainwashed by the Romulans to kill an important Klingon big shot. The second black Romulan was Commander Siral, from the TNG episode 'The Pegasus'. And Tuvok was the first black Vulcan we've ever seen on Voyager.

 

[C.E. Evans]

^^^
Oddly enough, I was looking at Star Trek V on the SyFy Channel a couple of weeks ago out of nostalgia and noticed for the first time that the midwife that was attending Spock's birth was a black Vulcan woman...

 

[Capt_Pickirk]

I think there was a black vulcan in Star Trek 3...

 

[Cicero]

Nero's wife also has something going on.

Only makeup/tattooing, actually. (A behind-the-scenes photo of Scottie Thompson, who played Nero's wife, in full costume and makeup.)

 

[F. King Daniel]

Damn! Mrs. Nero was hot. Even before the supernova. Countdown gives her the name "Mandana".

Great pic!

But what on earth is she doing out in a field?

 

[C.E. Evans]

I think there was a black vulcan in Star Trek 3...

Yep. I think there may have been Vulcans of several skin types in those background shots.