How would you retcon Strange New Worlds?

The one thing I would change is to remove Pike's foreknowledge of the accident that cripples and disfigures him which always seems silly. Of course the problem with any prequel is it removes any tension because we know these characters live through these events. It would actually untie the hands of the writers if this was an alternate reality that doesn't lead into the events of TOS.

 

The writers seem to be handing it fine.

I don't get the foreknowledge argument.

 

I also don't get the argument that "we all know who lives and who dies, so prequels suck."

My definition of "entertaining drama" isn't tied to an uncertainty over which characters will live and die. We all knew Kirk, Spock and McCoy weren't going to die on TOS...but that was still a pretty entertaining show. As the wise man once said, "it's about the journey, not the destination." I think the era of Game of Thrones and Walking Dead has conditioned us into thinking that frequent and gratuitous character deaths equate to "good drama."

 

Pretty much this. And we don't ever need to see Mr. Scott or Sulu in this series.

 

I did not have one then and still don't. But I hear you. (I was quoting Nikola Telsa at the time Should have added citation.)

 

That's one of aspects of this show I love most. Knowing some of what happens to them in the future and getting to see how they got there.

 

Me either. I kind of love it.

 

Did a "Goth" run over your dog or something?
In this market we need all the audience we can get. Goths, Punks, Preppies, Sportos., Nerds....
When we see La'An off duty and dressed like Lydia Deetz, then she might rightly be called "Goth". As of this writing she's just a woman with heavy eyeliner.

 

It's for her Batman costume.

 

Heavy eyeliner fits with the pseudo-Mid Century Modern vibe of the show,

 

That would be an interesting direction to take her in, especially if she meets a younger Cartwright and West.

 

I think that might be a little too small-universe-syndrome, but I agree it would be interesting to see a character dynamic where Ortegas is the Federation security hardliner/hawk. I would be inclined to pair her with Chapel as the more diplomacy-minded "dove" -- they're good friends now, and them realizing that they have fundamentally conflicting beliefs about Federation security would make for a fascinating complication to their relationship. Would they be able to stay friends? Learn from each other, see where sometimes the other is right and they're wrong?

And it would have the added benefit of being a conflict between two women that's rooted in fundamental beliefs and personality, rather than being about a man (as so often happens in pop culture).

 

For the record I would LOVE for West to turn up. Possibly as a First Lieutenant or Major (in my headcanon the Starfleet Marines have eliminated the rank of Marine Captain so as not to be confused with the naval Captain).

If Ortegas really is the hardliner that is being suggested...she and West might get on quite well.

They think Pike is a righteous dude.

 

Completely agree that Pike as a character is rather dead in the water as a result of his forknowledge. Spock to some extent is too as he now has this "destiny" he must fulfill or all life will be extinguised. He is Space Jesus now. This has to stop and we can stop it by transformng the timeline in some way or another. Perhaps the finale of Picard will "fix" the timeline in ways we never imagined.

 

Learn how to quote properly I can’t tell what you added

No.

 

There will be no fix. Pike has knowledge but must live his life in accordance to his values not fear. Spock has a destiny just like Kirk has a destiny. It's a non-issue.

 

.

It’s just heavy eyeliner. A fashion statement that goes back at least to Ancient Egypt. Maybe Cleopatra was a Goth?

They said on a Star Trek Message Board

She’s a security officer. Makes sense just as Tasha’s short style on TNG does. Long flowing tresses, not so much. “To make her look scary” is an opinion shaped by your own prejudices and preconceptions.

Pay closer attention. Her past with the Gorn is only brought up when germane to the story.

 

No, it's not. It's just slightly heavier-than-usual eyeliner. This is one version of Goth makeup. These are other version of Goth makeup. Notice how La'an does not use nearly as much eyeliner as Goths, nor does she use multiple colors beyond black. She also does not have extremely dark lipstick, and nor does she appear to use much in the way of foundation; she does not try to make her skin look extremely pale to contrast with her eyeshadow and lip. (Every actor wears fairly heavy makeup in real life in order to look natural under heavy studio lighting, but in the universe of the story it appears that La'an is either not wearing much makeup or is wearing almost no makeup apart from her eyeshadow.) Nor does she stylize her eyebrows.

Sorry, but nothing about this look is Goth. You're speaking from ignorance.

Tell me you don't know any Goths without telling me you don't know any Goths.

They're not "acting out fantasy worlds." It's just a makeup/fashion aesthetic.

No, you're trying to control women's bodies.

That's cool. Stop trying to control women's bodies. The function of a woman is not to be aesthetically pleasing to men.

So you didn't see her saving Spock's ass in the series premiere? Taking charge of the landing party in "Children of the Comet?" Struggling with the abuse she received as a child because of her Augment ancestors in "Ghosts of Illyria?" Having a day of mischievous fun with Una in "Spock Amok?" Training Nyota in "Lift Us Where Suffering Cannot Reach?" Struggling with trust, emotional expression, projecting strength, and when to express vulnerability in all of her episodes? Being transformed into a very traditionally feminine, openly vulnerable princess in "The Elysian Kingdom" (thus implying something about her preferred gender expression in real life)? There is so much going on with La'an beyond the Gorn thing.

1) To you it's unattractive. Others find it very attractive.

2) La'an has no obligation to be attractive. Women are not decorations.

Maybe. Or maybe she just doesn't want to be seen as traditionally cisgender feminine when she's on duty. Or maybe it's a combination! Maybe, she wants to leave the door open to traditional cisgender feminine gender expression when she's off-duty but struggles with knowing when to trust someone enough to express that side of herself. Or maybe she just doesn't want the bad guys to be able to grab her by the hair in the event of combat! The text would support any number of interpretations at this point.

Well, Una is damn well embracing the TOS hairstyles, so I don't think it's that. I think it's just the character.

Why?

"Space Jesus?" The guy's gonna inspire a political movement and then die of old age in another timeline after getting sucked into a black hole. That's not a Jesus death.