Does Discovery Need a "Explore What It Means to Be Human" Character???!

I believe that it does. Spock, Data, and Odo were great characters who explored what it meant to be who they are.

 

I do not think it needs it. I think you forgot the doctor from voyager as well. While not a "human" he was the same type of character, one who grew and learned what he was as the show went on.

 

Not really - been there done that - but I would be surprised if they didn't have some element that helped explore the human condition.

 

Make it a living slug/fungus thing that has no idea what it means to have humanoid features or senses. And it can only communicate with you by eating you alive. This creature is second in command of the ship.

Kor

 

Only if it starts out third in command, though. I want to see it learn its lesson on communication.

 

A BREEN! It way past time.

 

This is my first day here and I'm seeing a pattern already...

What about a Pakled? Looking for things to make the Discovery go.

 

Every Trek show has that, which is ironic since I thought the point was, "everybody grow and learn from each other's groups", not "everybody assimilate like the Borg".

What's limiting is if this does take place before TOS, it will not be able to feature a hologram or artificial technology as the "Human-in-training". Too soon.

 

I expect it as it was part of the original and I can see a pattern to the thinking for Discovery, but it doesnt need it. It's far more interesting transplanting current issues into other cultures than to have one constantly question humanity when they should know whats going on already.

 

I think the 'fish out of water' character is pretty much vital stock for Star Trek; it gives other characters someone to emote to about what it is to be human.

But please, no bumpy foreheads. If you're going to put an alien on the bridge, make it look -really- alien; some combo of CGI and realistic puppetry, not just someone with fake ears and latex bumps.

 

VERY PROMISING PREMISE

 

It absolutely needs at least one of these characters (perhaps one of the flaws of Enterprise was that no one really filled that role-- T'pol was a pure Vulcan with no desire in being human)

I would add that it might be kind of interesting to see a human who wants to become something else.

 

Chances of it not having a token alien who struggles to understand his/her/its human colleagues? Approaching 0%.

 

I hope it doesn't have that type of character, it's almost expected at this point and it would inevitably lead to a similar type of stories. Been there, done that (several times acually).

Characters like this are not needed, you can write great drama without an alien android hologram being weirded out by human behavior and having it explained to them, almost every show out there does it.

 

Good point-- again, why not have a human who wants to be something else?

 

Yeah, both Spock and Data (and Odo to a little less extent) offered an outside point of view on humanity, and many of Star Trek's best episodes of all time have been connected to the self-reflection they provoked. It's one of the most important themes on the show for me.

If they do write another character like that they need to make it fresh though. It didn't work that great in DS9 when they introduced a shapeshifter but didn't really have anything new to offer. Seven of Nine in Voyager was great on the other hand. She was the last great Star Trek character to me.

 

No.

People only decided that Spock was a "explore what it means to be human" character in hindsight. He was, in fact, simpler and more direct and more dramatic than that.

 

To go along with the weird anti LGBT/PC sentiment, lets go with a Hermaphroditic Alien who has to not only learn what it means to be human, but starts out asexual and has to choose what sex it wants to be and then undergo a transformation.

 

The more common criticism is that T'Pol is too emotional. As a disclaimer, I actually think it's a good idea to have a full Vulcan who has trouble controlling their emotions. But when they gave her the drug addiction, they really screwed up the execution. By doing that, some thought the writers were making her too human. But even in season 1, she was a misfit among Vulcans but too cold for humans.

It is a cliche at this point for alien characters to become more human over the course of the show. There should be the opposite case for a change. But I wonder if Trip would have become more Vulcan if they had continued his relationship with T'Pol with a fifth season.

 

Yes although there are other ways of doing it