Garrett Wang criticizes Rick Berman

[teya]

I don't recall any mention of Starfleet ever going to war with the Romulans.

One of the early TOS episodes in which the Enterprose met up with a Romulan ship (where the captain looked like Spock's dad ) mentioned an earlier war with the Romulans which resulted in the establishment of the neutral zone. Unfortunately, I can't remember the title...

"Balance of Terror"--absolutely my favorite TOS episode.

We are of a kind, you and I. In another reality, I would have called you "friend."

 

[kimc]

"Balance of Terror"--absolutely my favorite TOS episode.

We are of a kind, you and I. In another reality, I would have called you "friend."

That's it! Thanks.

 

[exodus]

A few comments:

- He's talking bollocks when describing DS9 as following the same formula as TNG. DS9 was nothing like TNG. It was designed to be the anti-TNG and it certainly was that. But he's right when he says VOY tried to follow the TNG formula.

- So he didn't get to direct an episode. So what? Big deal. Boo hoo. Wang was lucky to be on that show for seven seasons, let along being allowed to direct an episode. He should have been cut at the same time Lien was.

If anybody has the right to complain about being treated unfairly, it's Jen Lien.

 

[brcarthey]

http://www.geekson.com/archives/archiveepisodes/2006/episode111406.htm

listen to this GW interview regarding berman, mulgrew and VOY. he starts talking about VOY about 26 mins into the interview then spends the next 1.5 hours pretty much bashing it, imo. i doubt his comments can be misinterpreted. i was saddened to hear him attacking it this way. but in listening to him and then watching some of the episodes i have to question his portrayal of KM. but i cold be wrong. anyway, it's one thing to attack some of the storylines (which is why i think beltran got to be no more than a glorified extra during the later seasons) but another to attack the main boss.

as for GW possibly getting axed from the show, the apparent accepted scuttlebutt is that one of the actors (either lien or wang) was getting let go b/c of jeri ryan's inclusion. he was the one originally chosen to be let go (hence the scorpion, pt. 1 episode) but when he made the people mag list the producers had an about face and axed lien instead (hence the hurry up goodbye of kes in "the gift") and why the "year of hell" episodes had to be re-worked.

i have no direct knowledge of this. i've received this info from many fans who have followed VOY much more closely than i have since it first aired. i'm not saying any of this to try and piss off anyone or change their POV. i'm just adding this bit of info to the debate. i'll post my thoughts on it later once people have had a chance to listen to the interview.

 

[CaptJimboJones]

While Berman deserves some credit for some of the problems with modern-era Trek, a lot of the bashers (whether its fans online or actors in the shows) want to blame him for everything (and yet refuse to give him credit for anything). They seem to forget that an enormous number of people were responsible for creating those shows, and there is plenty of credit and blame to go around.

As for Wang particularly, if you look at IMDB its pretty clear his career has tanked since Voyager went off the air (his biggest role has been in a Trek fan film, for Pete's sake) so it's quite possible he's just a really bitter guy.

 

[TrekFan4Life]

As for Wang particularly, if you look at IMDB its pretty clear his career has tanked since Voyager went off the air (his biggest role has been in a Trek fan film, for Pete's sake) so it's quite possible he's just a really bitter guy.

granted, First I apologize for not reading the entire thread or interview, however please consider:

99% of actors in SAG and AFTRA (unions) are not working steadily or earning a decent wage. he may be bitter but he does appear in the fan web trek series..... most, again, MOST, trek and or sci fi actors do not work steadily nor become 'stars'. aside from typecasting, its the field in general. if not for conventions .(theme from gilligans island comes to mind) theyd be lost. look at the tos cast. Took Shat years to get just a few decent gigs.

IMPO i found Kes becoming annoying , boring, and redundant at that point, was nice to see her come back sociopathic later in the series, but she ran her course. 7 o'9 was a gr8 add,

There is a industry saying, "But what I REALLY want to do is direct" the union web stores, and Directors guild, sells t shirts caps etc, so what may or may not have been promised doscussed idk. but its common for many actors to do that especially after a few years of being told what to do where and how to do same......

just my 2 quatloos. from the newcomer...... film at 11

 

[Lynx]

A few comments:

- He's talking bollocks when describing DS9 as following the same formula as TNG. DS9 was nothing like TNG. It was designed to be the anti-TNG and it certainly was that. But he's right when he says VOY tried to follow the TNG formula.

- So he didn't get to direct an episode. So what? Big deal. Boo hoo. Wang was lucky to be on that show for seven seasons, let along being allowed to direct an episode. He should have been cut at the same time Lien was.

If anybody has the right to complain about being treated unfairly, it's Jen Lien.

I strongly agree on that comment.

But I have to give Wang some points too. Look at the Voyager Books where Harry actually is doing something. The authors of the books did definitely use the character better.

Unfortunately he get's serious injured in many of them but that's another story.

 

[Mrs Paris]

As for Wang particularly, if you look at IMDB its pretty clear his career has tanked since Voyager went off the air (his biggest role has been in a Trek fan film, for Pete's sake) so it's quite possible he's just a really bitter guy.

granted, First I apologize for not reading the entire thread or interview, however please consider:

99% of actors in SAG and AFTRA (unions) are not working steadily or earning a decent wage. he may be bitter but he does appear in the fan web trek series..... most, again, MOST, trek and or sci fi actors do not work steadily nor become 'stars'. aside from typecasting, its the field in general. if not for conventions .(theme from gilligans island comes to mind) theyd be lost. look at the tos cast. Took Shat years to get just a few decent gigs.

IMPO i found Kes becoming annoying , boring, and redundant at that point, was nice to see her come back sociopathic later in the series, but she ran her course. 7 o'9 was a gr8 add,

There is a industry saying, "But what I REALLY want to do is direct" the union web stores, and Directors guild, sells t shirts caps etc, so what may or may not have been promised doscussed idk. but its common for many actors to do that especially after a few years of being told what to do where and how to do same......

just my 2 quatloos. from the newcomer...... film at 11

but several actors like Robbie McNeil and Roxann Dawson have gone on to have incredibly sucessful and demanding directing careers

 

[Mrs Paris]

A few comments:

- He's talking bollocks when describing DS9 as following the same formula as TNG. DS9 was nothing like TNG. It was designed to be the anti-TNG and it certainly was that. But he's right when he says VOY tried to follow the TNG formula.

- So he didn't get to direct an episode. So what? Big deal. Boo hoo. Wang was lucky to be on that show for seven seasons, let along being allowed to direct an episode. He should have been cut at the same time Lien was.

If anybody has the right to complain about being treated unfairly, it's Jen Lien.

but we don't realy know for 100% sure what went on behind the scenes. We don't know if she was treated unfairly or not realy

 

[TrekFan4Life]

99% of actors in SAG and AFTRA (unions) are not working steadily or earning a decent wage. he may be bitter but he does appear in the fan web trek series..... most, again, MOST, trek and or sci fi actors do not work steadily nor become 'stars'. aside from typecasting, its the field in general. if not for conventions .(theme from gilligans island comes to mind) theyd be lost. look at the tos cast. Took Shat years to get just a few decent gigs.

IMPO i found Kes becoming annoying , boring, and redundant at that point, was nice to see her come back sociopathic later in the series, but she ran her course. 7 o'9 was a gr8 add,
[/quote]

but several actors like Robbie McNeil and Roxann Dawson have gone on to have incredibly sucessful and demanding directing careers[/quote]

response:
A.
Which is why he may haved wanted an opportunity to try directing
B. Robbie & Roxann= thats just 2 actors out of how many casts from all the various series.......
I defer to my post quote "most, again, MOST, trek actors..."
;-)


I listened to the entire bit, my opinion...in regard to the reaction on the board.....my grandmother would say "such a fuss" it seems many expect actors to be the character , or fawn over the shows, rather than be real people. even in a job you may love there are bad days and complaints. and a show runner thats not on location or set is basically insane and the show did get formulaic

 

[exodus]

A few comments:

- He's talking bollocks when describing DS9 as following the same formula as TNG. DS9 was nothing like TNG. It was designed to be the anti-TNG and it certainly was that. But he's right when he says VOY tried to follow the TNG formula.

- So he didn't get to direct an episode. So what? Big deal. Boo hoo. Wang was lucky to be on that show for seven seasons, let along being allowed to direct an episode. He should have been cut at the same time Lien was.

If anybody has the right to complain about being treated unfairly, it's Jen Lien.

but we don't realy know for 100% sure what went on behind the scenes. We don't know if she was treated unfairly or not realy

I don't mean behind the scenes.

The character was the least used, least written for & least focued on during the earily years when the rest of the cast was evenly used. Generally speaking, Lien could have been a actress of Shakespearian caliber but with the part she was given who would ever know.

(I doubt she was but the the point is, we will never know due to the lack of any focus or development of that character)

 

[Mrs Paris]

If anybody has the right to complain about being treated unfairly, it's Jen Lien.

but we don't realy know for 100% sure what went on behind the scenes. We don't know if she was treated unfairly or not realy

I don't mean behind the scenes.

The character was the least used, least written for & least focued on during the earily years when the rest of the cast was evenly used. Generally speaking, Lien could have been a actress of Shakespearian caliber but with the part she was given who would ever know.

(I doubt she was but the the point is, we will never know due to the lack of any focus or development of that character)

oh ok, yeah, you're right about that.