Klingons appearance - history repeats itself

[Terok Nor]

DISCO is also a variation on that theme. The main "theme" being ridges.
TMP Klingons are pretty distinct with their large single ridge that seems continue down the back of the head and their "bobbed" hair. The Klingons we see in Heart of Glory look a lot like Kruge and his crew from TSFS ( and of course reused the costumes), but after that Westmore goes off on his own tangent with wilder and wilder hair and more complex ridge patterns. The movies on the other hand keep the ridges simple.
Koord (movies) and K'Mpec (TV) are play by the same actor but there is a different approach to the make up.

I still see variations on a theme. He has ridges in both pictures. Not present is a weird spiky thing sticking out of the back of his skull. Along with all the other changes I can't reconcile that as the same species but to each their own. Its too much of an ask for me but I'm glad others can enjoy the Disco Klingons. Sorry if I'm being a downer.

 

[Terok Nor]

Exactly. Seventy-nine eps may seem like a drop in the bucket now, but that was the entire canon prior to TMP. So, yeah, those 79 eps were kind of a big deal when it came to shaping what we thought of as STAR TREK--and Klingons. TOS wasn't just one Trek show out of many, and those Klingons weren't just one design out of others . There had only been one STAR TREK for as long as any of us has been alive.

So when they changed the Klingons in TMP, they were contradicting every single Klingon episode that had ever aired.

Imagine the reaction to that nowadays.

To put it another way, because we're starting to repeat ourselves, the argument that "the TMP Klingons are the 'real' Klingons because they appeared in way more episodes and movies" did not apply in 1979.

So back then, it was just as big a deal as the latest revamp because we had nothing else to compare it to.

I get your point, Greg. Sorry if it seems I'm being obtuse. I get it was a big deal in 1979. Personally I always thought it was ridiculous they did it and didn't bother explaining it until Star Trek was almost finished on tv. By that point I just didn't care because I'd grown to see the later Klingons as the "real" ones and the TOS ones as a beloved oddity. I'll likely continue with that view aside from embracing the Disco Klingons as beloved

 

[Nerys Myk]

I still see variations on a theme. He has ridges in both pictures. Not present is a weird spiky thing sticking out of the back of his skull.

Depends on the House. T'Kuvma's not so spikey.

Ever see the back of a TMP Klingons head?

You have now.

 

[Tuskin38]

and rendering their memorable performances obsolete.

I think think the new make up has done anything like that.

 

[Tuskin38]

Ever see the back of a TMP Klingons head?

they don't seem to have ears.

Edit:

Oh the hair is covering them

 

[fireproof78]

and rendering their memorable performances obsolete.

I found Kol's performance pretty memorable

They pretty much look the same from TMP to Nemesis. Everything that differed was a variation on the same theme. Not all humans look the same either but we don't have a sub species who look like Mutants living alongside us.

I wasn't aware we had seen every variant of the Klingons or inhabitant of the Klingons empire.

Not completely, as has been mentioned upthread, some of us have pretty much just shrugged and not been that concerned either way. There's even the odd person who likes it.

Who are you calling odd?

 

[DaveyNY]

I found Kol's performance pretty memorable

I wasn't aware we had seen every variant of the Klingons or inhabitant of the Klingons empire.


Who are you calling odd?

Yeah, Fireproof78 has always been even.

 

[fireproof78]

Yeah, Fireproof78 is even.

 

[DaveyNY]

I CAN"T HEAR YOU !!!!!!!

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[Spot261]

Who are you calling odd?

Myself, I got beaten to the punch about your name though.....

 

[.:: TSN ::.]

they don't seem to have ears.

Edit:

Oh the hair is covering them

Yes. Hair. One single thing missing from new "klingons". Everything else can be justified, but completely removing hair from a species that has earlier been defined by their beards, bushy eyebrows and later a long hair is crazy. It would be same as removing pointed ears from a vulcan or blue skin from andorian.

 

[fireproof78]

Yes. Hair. One single thing missing from new "klingons". Everything else can be justified, but completely removing hair from a species that has earlier been defined by their beards, bushy eyebrows and later a long hair is crazy. It would be same as removing pointed ears from a vulcan or blue skin from andorian.

So, hair would make it better?

 

[Lonemagpie]

Perhaps the Klingon Health And Safety Commission bans razors.

 

[Rahul]

I have always maintained that they can change and improve make-up as much as they want - as long as they keep the basics recognizable.

The Andorian and Tellarite update is okay - I don't like the new look as much as the old ones, but they are clearly identifiable. Same to a degree for the Orions. It's like the DC movie Man of Steel: It ain't my favourite Superman. But the costume clearly closely resembles the iconic look.

For the klingons, that would mean mongol beards and eyebrows, preferably some warriour-inspired hairstyles, and those shoulder-banderoles. Include them, and I think the new look could be pretty acceptable as their version of the klingons. (And, for gods sake, do something with their starships!)

I would have loved it if they simply showed the different variants in the council scene - different houses, different hairstyles, different levels of ridges. Since that didn't happen - how about a tiny aknowledgement in a later episode, where someone simply says shaving got out of fashion with the fall of the old leadership - and then simply show some klingons with the very same Discovery make-up, but simply hair (and shoulder belts!) added?

 

[fireproof78]

Maybe in Season 2 that wish will be granted.

Perhaps there is another Klingon civil war with the current leadership of the Great Houses being disposed of in favor the downtrodden Augments.

 

[Rahul]

To be frank - klingon civil war is the least thing I'm interested in seeing...not again...

 

[Arpy]

*rolls eyes* These days, what isn't racist?

Uh, it's actually a thing? 30 seconds on Google and I found these images. Exaggerating features and locking them into grotesque expressions is a very old and very common tactic. What exactly kind of reaction do you expect from me for noticing what I guarantee you that a team of makeup artists and visual designers have discussed many times in their careers?

 

[fireproof78]

To be frank - klingon civil war is the least thing I'm interested in seeing...not again...

Same here, but it would be more interesting than the TNG era ones that seemed to split up and fight each other more than their enemies. Ok, I exaggerate, but not my much.

 

[.:: TSN ::.]

So, hair would make it better?

Yes, for a lot of people that would have been enough.

I have always maintained that they can change and improve make-up as much as they want - as long as they keep the basics recognizable.
...

Exactly.

 

[Philip Guyott]

Perhaps the reason the DISCO Klingon's are bald were due to budgetary reasons. They ran out of money for hair! The solution then is simple, we should all agree to keep our hair after we have been to the hairdressers and donate it to CBS. We should keep sending them our hair through the post until they agree to add hair to the Klingon's once again.