Is it time to put Star Trek to rest?

[Lord Garth]

TMP was rated G (yes, with an asterisk and all), but at the same time is the most mature Star Trek film...

Another example would be Good Night, and Good Luck. It was rated PG but definitely something that was made for adults. I don't think too many kids would be interested in a black-and-white film with Ed Murrow trying to expose how overzealous Joe McCarthy was.

I haven't really watched the streaming series other than Picard (though I've tried all of them except Academy), so I was coming from a "traditional" viewpoint.

Historically, Star Trek had a good balance between accessibility to adults and sophistication for children (and grown up sophisticated children). I wouldn't want to see that lost in an attempt to correct for this era's deficiencies.

Then we're actually really on the same page. Or at least pretty close to it.

 

[Set Harth]

TMP was rated G (yes, with an asterisk and all)

What does the asterisk mean, chronic health hazard?

 

[The Salt Umpire]

As far as 'adult', while sex and violence on the level of GoT would (and did) repulse me - I never finished GoT, something adult on a level like Black Sails wouldn't.

 

[James Cole]

What does the asterisk mean, chronic health hazard?

More like a 1970's era Rated G is not a current Rated G.

The Director's Cut received a PG in the early 2000's.

But "mature" in the sense that it's intellectually, character, and plot wise mature...

Not "would get a TV station fined if it aired it" mature.

For non-US people reading this and confused... the US only regulates over the air networks and TV stations... basic and premium cable channels and streaming aren't regulated for content.

 

[cooleddie74]

Revenge of the Sith was the very first Star Wars movie to have a rating higher than PG. In 2026 even the burned body scenes and lightsaber massacres in that film might warrant only a PG instead of the breakthrough PG-13 that was awarded the film in 2005.

 

[Campe]

Yeah...see what I did there??

Yes and again, it and you are not as clever as you believe to be.

But we’re going in circles. And it’s no fun.

Moving on.

 

[fireproof78]

If we can get maturity with the warmth of TOS then ok. If it's all TMP and the cold humans I'll pass

 

[Dar70]

Yes and again, it and you are not as clever as you believe to be.

But we’re going in circles. And it’s no fun.

Moving on.

Right moving on. Now as I was saying If Star Trek stopped moving into extreme goofy territory it may be able to be saved. But if it continues it's current trajectory I don't see the point anymore. It's not the MCU. Which itself has gone too far with the extreme goofiness (Thor Love and Thunder, she hulk etc.)and people were quickly losing interest. Kill any drastic license they have people stop caring.

 

[Campe]

Right moving on. Now as I was saying If Star Trek stopped moving into extreme goofy territory it may be able to be saved. But if it continues it's current trajectory I don't see the point anymore. It's not the MCU. Which itself has gone too far with the extreme goofiness (Thor Love and Thunder, she hulk etc.)and people were quickly losing interest. Kill any drastic license they have people stop caring.

Man, you’re right. Especially with such not goofy episodes like “Shore Leave,” “The Trouble With Tribbles,” “I, Mudd,” “A Piece of the Action,” “Spock’s Brain,” “QPid,” “Ménage a Troi,” “A Fistful of Datas,” “Move Along Home,” “The House of Quark,” etc., etc. etc.

I could go on but I have things to do.

Point being, Star Trek has always had comedy episodes. If that’s your issue, let it go. It holds no water.

 

[cooleddie74]

Star Trek has always walked the tightrope over camp and comedy and frequently fallen right into it and on purpose. It's baked into the recipe of the franchise. And I'm glad. Relentlessly serious entertainment usually gets old after a while.

 

[Hellbird]

Star Trek has always walked the tightrope over camp and comedy and frequently fallen right into it and on purpose. It's baked into the recipe of the franchise. And I'm glad. Relentlessly serious entertainment usually gets old after a while.

Relentlessly goofy entertainment has a similar issue.

I think some people here are asking to bring it down a notch or two, not make it super deadly serious.

 

[cooleddie74]

Giamatti's presence in SFA tells me it isn't super deadly serious. That man was hammier than a William Shatner Sandwich of the Month at a Manhattan deli. On the other hand you have the SAM and Doctor episode, which is downright sad.

Trek walks the tightrope.

 

[Dar70]

Man, you’re right. Especially with such not goofy episodes like “Shore Leave,” “The Trouble With Tribbles,” “I, Mudd,” “A Piece of the Action,” “Spock’s Brain,” “QPid,” “Ménage a Troi,” “A Fistful of Datas,” “Move Along Home,” “The House of Quark,” etc., etc. etc.

I could go on but I have things to do.

Point being, Star Trek has always had comedy episodes. If that’s your issue, let it go. It holds no water.

Yeah yeah. Pick a handful of episodes out of Hundreds... ....I also said EXTREME goofiness. Cartoons, puppets, musicals, glitter throw up, Cavernous Turbo lift interiors etc etc etc..in MCU's case walking out of the Disney+ screen and finding out the entire universe Is written by a freaking robot.... ..

EXTREME goofiness not light hearted fare. There is a difference you know.

But yeah even regular light hearted fare they have to be careful. Because again TEN EPISODE SEASONS. No time for filler....

 

[Dar70]

Star Trek has always walked the tightrope over camp and comedy and frequently fallen right into it and on purpose. It's baked into the recipe of the franchise. And I'm glad. Relentlessly serious entertainment usually gets old after a while.

It has had comedy episodes. Of course. But that is not what I'm talking about here. As for serious entertainment. Yeah I don't watch just that. I love comedies. Comedies sometimes have little dramatic moments. Dramas sometimes little light moments. Scifi like Star Trek... Whole light hearted episodes.

But that tightrope you talk about.....current Trek fell off it.

There should be a balance. Even the MCU producers are seeing this now. They are not going to do what they did in Thor Love and Thunder anymore, or she Hulk for that matter. They want to keep a more consistent tone. We will see if they stay true to that.

 

[Campe]

Yeah yeah. Pick a handful of episodes out of Hundreds... ....I also said EXTREME goofiness. Cartoons, puppets, musicals, glitter throw up, Cavernous Turbo lift interiors etc etc etc..in MCU's case walking out of the Disney+ screen and finding out the entire universe Is written by a freaking robot.... ..

EXTREME goofiness not light hearted fare. There is a difference you know.

But yeah even regular light hearted fare they have to be careful. Because again TEN EPISODE SEASONS. No time for filler....

Wow, god forbid they take some swings and try new things. Do they always land? No. The glitter throw up and turbo lifts are dumb. No doubt. But the musical was great. Cartoons have been a part of Trek since the 70s. And we haven’t seen the puppet episode yet. And I don’t know why you’re even bringing up the MCU. Not what we’re discussing. YOU might not like the choices made. It obviously bothers you. That’s fine. I’d say tune out but you won’t do that. So what’s the point?

 

[Detached Nacelle]

Giamatti's presence in SFA tells me it isn't super deadly serious. That man was hammier than a William Shatner Sandwich of the Month at a Manhattan deli. On the other hand you have the SAM and Doctor episode, which is downright sad.

Trek walks the tightrope.

He found a way of being hammy and also vicious at the same time. He managed to not venture into parody villain land. Mark of talent

 

[Dar70]

Wow, god forbid they take some swings and try new things. Do they always land? No. The glitter throw up and turbo lifts are dumb. No doubt. But the musical was great. Cartoons have been a part of Trek since the 70s. And we haven’t seen the puppet episode yet. And I don’t know why you’re even bringing up the MCU. Not what we’re discussing. YOU might not like the choices made. It obviously bothers you. That’s fine. I’d say tune out but you won’t do that. So what’s the point?

I bring up the MCU because I see the same thing happening to Trek right now. Also I don't remember there being a crossover with a cartoon previously.

Don't even get me started on the HUGE retcons they have done. And no you don't have to tell me about James R Kirk or other errors Trek has had over the years to justify what they have done in Kurtzman Trek. I have heard it all before.

These are all problems that I see with Trek right now. We all know Trek has never been perfect. But I would like to see it have more internal consistency.
Which tbh is probably a little too late now for the current run. Which is why I'm all for a total reboot. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it's what we are going to get. They can Leave the "Prime" universe behind for good imo.

 

[Ray Hardgrit]

Which tbh is probably a little too late now for the current run. Which is why I'm all for a total reboot. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it's what we are going to get. They can Leave the "Prime" universe behind for good imo.

A full reboot isn't going to change anything though unless there's a complete change in writers and producers. They'll just be making goofy puppet Trek in their own continuity where Vulcans have giant elaborate rubber heads and Andorians sneeze glitter.

Better to take a 'Star Trek: The Animated Series' approach with how shows like SNW fit into continuity. Yeah it happened, kind of, unless it's contradicted by an episode that you can actually take seriously.

 

[BillJ]

...If Star Trek stopped moving into extreme goofy territory it may be able to be saved.

Star Trek has always been extremely goofy and weird. I believe that is what caught my attention all those years ago. It painted outside the tradition numbers. The less goofy and weird it got, the less interesting I found it.

 

[Rowdy Roddy McDowall]

I'll give QT this: leaving out Alan Dean Foster's THE THING, no writer has ever delivered a better tie-in novel to any film than Tarntino's own ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD. Despite its constant name-dropping, it's a plethora of deleted scenes with a purpose.....not to mention a lot more Trudie Styler appearances. The young Western actress goes on to win an Oscar for ORDINARY PEOPLE in QT's alternate reality. Nobody changes history so satisfyingly as Quentin.