Is it time to put Star Trek to rest?

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

I guess it's about the intent; that was about showing an alternate history where the actual Nazis won, not a commentary suggesting that they did.

 

[cooleddie74]

"Enterprise got woke! Star Trek never used to be like this!"

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

* The story is literally about a.
* The story is allegorically intended to make a statement about b.
* The story can be alternately interpreted to be about c, d, e, etc. by some viewers, despite that not being the writer's intention.

I gather the problem is that a and c, etc. have all taken a backseat to b - the story is so obviously not about c, etc. and beat for beat identical/parallel to b that a is more of a plot device than a plot.

 

[Shawnster]

Spock praises them as efficient.

Yeah. And I got reamed by my 8th grade English teacher when I repeated Spock's commentary.

Still, I doubt the episode was promoting the Nazi party.

And I don't see the moral stand with Hawking, or Lincoln either.

Agreed. Hawking's appearance was during an entirely different political climate than today. Plus, he wasn't in any way the political figure or symbol that Musk became. Likewise, Musk wasn't quite the political figure he is today when he was name dropped in Trek.

Lincoln is a revered historical figure a century removed from his Trek depiction. Likewise, that was a different political climate.

 

[The Wormhole]

Whenever I see people crying over Stacey Abrams being on Disco, I feel a need to remind everyone that Melvin Belli had a guest appearance on TOS. Granted, he wasn't a politician, but he was still a well known and controversial figure of the time.

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

The third one who uses that description.

ISAK: The Gestapo methods are frighteningly efficient.

GILL: Most efficient state Earth ever knew.

SPOCK: Perhaps Gill felt that such a state, run benignly, could accomplish its efficiency without sadism.

 

[fireproof78]

Yeah. And I got reamed by my 8th grade English teacher when I repeated Spock's commentary.

Still, I doubt the episode was promoting the Nazi party.

No but it shows a mixed attitude, which most contemporary references will do. It's not like that episode aired 70+ years since WW2. It was within generational memory of most viewers. As @Laura Cynthia Chambers quotes it was praised as the most efficient state Earth had known. That's quite the claim to make to your 60s audience.

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

There are millions of good stories left to tell, as long as the writers stick to sci-fi and avoid trendy politics (Stacy Abrams as the Earth President ALREADY hasn't aged well)...

Agreed.

And then there were the raft of 18 year old women mid 30s Shatner was paired with in TOS

Since when?

 

[Weyoun 251]

Agreed.



Since when?

Yeah to be fair I've gone through MA and I got that wrong - there were a few who were early 20s so I'll retract that one

 

[kevinc]

To me, Star Trek was basically a demonstration of uplifted humans (who got their shit together) living and thriving with other races who also got their shit together in a Federation, and who created a cosmopolitan organization, Star Fleet, that went around exploring and solving sci fi problems while demonstrating their idealistic Utopian values. Everyone in Star Fleet had hit some sort of epitome of professionalism andvpersonal growth, so they always worked together w/o getting mired in mundane personal squabbles. I don't think that sells anymore because the new shows all seem to be based in tragedy, personal loss, and the potential end of the damn universe by scream or interstellar mining.

...besides Worf, who surprisingly found a great deal of peace and temperance after the crap the Defiant comic is putting him through.

 

[fireproof78]

To me, Star Trek was basically a demonstration of uplifted humans (who got their shit together) living and thriving with other races who also got their shit together in a Federation, and who created a cosmopolitan organization, Star Fleet, that went around exploring and solving sci fi problems while demonstrating their idealistic Utopian values. I don't think that sells anymore because the new shows all seem to be based in tragedy, personal loss, and the potential end of the damn universe by scream or interstellar mining.

...besides Worf, who surprisingly found a great deal of peace and temperance after the crap the Defiant comic is putting him through.

TOS wasn't utopian. It could be quite anti utopian at times as Kirk notes man isn't meant for paradise but to struggle. There is cooperation but not always perfection. There is still grief, loss, as well as discovery and curiosity and mutual support.