How many God like people/races were there in TOS exactly?
- Thread starter Dream
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"Thankfully"? You expect we'll give you ammunition, when you don't offer a single instance yourself?
Well, we can start with Christ (second hand) in "Bread and Circuses." Then there are the Organians, Lord Trelane and Apollo. What is your definition of "god-like," before we give you any more?
Well, we can start with Christ (second hand) in "Bread and Circuses." Then there are the Organians, Lord Trelane and Apollo. What is your definition of "god-like," before we give you any more?
TNG used it plenty of times as well. Maybe more than TOS. Q, the overseer of the Edo, the dowd, Nagilum. Probably others I'm forgetting, or don't exactly fall into that category, but still use the trope. The guardian of t'kon comes to mind. While not a "god", he certainly falls under the "all powerful mind reading wise and enlightened ancient alien" trope, basically the same thing.
DS9 was all about a godlike race, the Pah-wraiths. The founders were treated as gods by the dominion. I'm only on the third season so far, but that's two already.
I didn't watch Voyager because it was such obvious crap, but I'm pretty sure the caretaker qualifies...
Seems like later trek series used it just as much.
DS9 was all about a godlike race, the Pah-wraiths. The founders were treated as gods by the dominion. I'm only on the third season so far, but that's two already.
I didn't watch Voyager because it was such obvious crap, but I'm pretty sure the caretaker qualifies...
Seems like later trek series used it just as much.
Really? We couldn't tell. I share your dislike of such as a trope, but I embrace stories about them. It's hard to get more fundamental in story-telling than life, death, love and god(s). That's the good stuff.
I have far more problems with stories about Trio turning into a lizard, or Paris turning into a lizard, or Geordi turning into a lizard with glowing eyes, or-
How the hell is an audience supposed to relate to that?
DS9 must have annoyed you then considering how huge a part god like races play in that.
TNG as well.
Actually the Prophets and Q only appeared in a handful of DS9 and TNG episodes. I didn't mind them since the writers took the time to develop them as characters.
The only ones that bother me are those that appear and are never heard of again. That seemed to happen often in TOS.
Outside of Q, all of the TNG "godlike" entities/races appeared and were never heard from of again. While the prophets are only seen in a few ds9 episodes, they are a constant presence and are integral to the overarching plot.
Seems like a double standard.
Sounds like your grievance has more to do with the differences between serialized and procedural television rather than the use of godlike entities/races.
DS9 was serialized, TNG used elements of serialization at times (but was procedural overall), and TOS was completely procedural.
I didn't mind the Organians or the Metrons, as they were like older folks annoyed that some kids had taken up with fighting in their front yard. Trelane was just a kid playing with some new toys. I thought the concepts were interesting and "plausible". I don't mind the idea of aliens with god-like powers, but I did get bored with the theme of such beings (like the Q) simply putting humans on trial to judge if they should be confined to Earth or perhaps being destroyed, etc,. That concept bored me and I had trouble seeing how the Q wouldn't just arbitrarily do what they want. I eventually grew to like de Lancie's Q, but I didn't like the "On Trial" plot line.
I think the bajorans prophets were god like,the pah wraith were more demons than gods.
Thats actually who I meant, just mixed up my terms. With all these god aliens in post TOS its easy to do!
They're a frequent trope of the series, much like Kirk battling supercomputers, but it would be a mistake to ascribe every appearance of a God-like being to Gene Roddenberry.
"Who Mourns for Adonais?" was penned by Gilbert Ralston.
"Errand of Mercy" and "Arena" were penned by Gene Coon.
"The Squire of Gothos" was penned by Paul Schneider.
"Where No One Has Gone Before" was penned by Samuel A. Peeples.
"Day of the Dove" was penned by Jerome Bixby.
That's probably not a comprehensive list of episodes featuring God-like beings on the series, but not a single episode on it was penned by Roddenberry (though he did do re-writes of varying degrees on some of them, the premise of a God-like being originated with the credited writer in each case).
The fact that i know some stuff about Star Trek got me worried,since i'm a Fiver.
Thats actually who I meant, just mixed up my terms. With all these god aliens in post TOS its easy to do!
Yes, "Where No Man Has Gone Before" is the episode I meant.
"Charlie X" would be another useful example (I did say that my list was probably not comprehensive). Roddenberry did receive story credit for that episode based on a one sentence story idea entitled "The Day Charlie Became God." It read, in full, "The accidental occurrence of infinite power to do all things, in the hands of a very finite man." Fontana wrote the story outline (without credit) and the teleplay (with credit).
"Charlie X" would be another useful example (I did say that my list was probably not comprehensive). Roddenberry did receive story credit for that episode based on a one sentence story idea entitled "The Day Charlie Became God." It read, in full, "The accidental occurrence of infinite power to do all things, in the hands of a very finite man." Fontana wrote the story outline (without credit) and the teleplay (with credit).
It's easy to call them "godlike" since they were all quite powerful in comparison to humans.
But every one of them I can recall in TOS had very real weaknesses (other than perhaps the Organians) whether they were using artificial power sources or purely psychological in nature. So how godlike were they really? Even later on, Q seemed to have things that he couldn't or wouldn't do, bluster aside.
Also as others have noted, these sorts of beings were still around in TNG, DS9 and Voyager. So the idea that TOS is somehow skewed towards them isn't really true.
But every one of them I can recall in TOS had very real weaknesses (other than perhaps the Organians) whether they were using artificial power sources or purely psychological in nature. So how godlike were they really? Even later on, Q seemed to have things that he couldn't or wouldn't do, bluster aside.
Also as others have noted, these sorts of beings were still around in TNG, DS9 and Voyager. So the idea that TOS is somehow skewed towards them isn't really true.
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