Klingons: Different appearances, artificial cranial deformation/head binding

[Ralphis]

I've been musing over this topic for awhile, even thought about posting something similar, but the OP did a much better job than the rambling I would have done.

I don't *need* an explanation for the changes of appearances for the Klingons to enjoy the story, but it is kind of fun to come up with some headcanon ideas to reconcile the changes.

I kind of take an "all of the above" approach. I think there's been some interbreeding among Klingons and the various races they've conquered. I think there's even been some interbreeding between augmented Klingons and unaffected Klingons (General Chang?). I've also considered the idea that maybe the Klingons we saw in DSC are 'pure' Klingons with no mixed heritage, and all the others we saw up to this point had some mixed heritage and/or traces of the augment virus. I mean, if you took a DSC Klingon and mixed it with an augmented Klingon, you'd get something that looks like the Klingons from The Search For Spock and onward.

 

[Captain alex]

I like the show but I agree. The Klingons are the worst part of it. I hope they only appear minimally from now on. Their scenes are incredibly laboured. Especially when speaking their own language. Not a personality between them.

I take back what I said.. the klingons aren't the worst part.. michael burnham is the worst part of STD, then the klingons.
Burnham = actress is so irritating, she always has that same pained expression on her silly face, she isn't capable of 3 dimensional acting (unlike so many vulcans & humans on the show who are good). She acted exactly the same in her other show "The Walking Dead". It seems the writers thought because this actress constantly grimaces with her eyebrows pointing down that means she might be a good choice for the michael burnham character who was raised on vulcan.
Klingons = boredom city
Storylines = boredom city x 2
Script = cringe city
Direction = unimaginative city

Even shows over 30 years older like TNG, DS9, Voy, and so many others, had more imagination

 

[Terok Nor]

I take back what I said.. the klingons aren't the worst part.. michael burnham is the worst part of STD, then the klingons.
Burnham = actress is so irritating, she always has that same pained expression on her silly face, she isn't capable of 3 dimensional acting (unlike so many vulcans & humans on the show who are good). She acted exactly the same in her other show "The Walking Dead". It seems the writers thought because this actress constantly grimaces with her eyebrows pointing down that means she might be a good choice for the michael burnham character who was raised on vulcan.
Klingons = boredom city
Storylines = boredom city x 2
Script = cringe city
Direction = unimaginative city

Even shows over 30 years older like TNG, DS9, Voy, and so many others, had more imagination

Have to agree somewhat. Burnham is a terrible character. Basing the show around her is a mistake. Along with the Klingons I'd jettison her at the first opportunity. Still plenty to enjoy about the series despite these but certainly would improve things a lot if Burnham was written out and the Klingons were used sparingly.

 

[DEWLine]

Of course it could all be reconciled in one episode if all iterations of the Klingons were featured side by side...

I'd be okay with this too.

 

[Burning Hearts of Qo'nos]

^ I'd love this especially if there was absolutely no explanation and not even brought up by any characters. They're just there.

 

[Butters]

I’d be happy too if they showed all Klingon variants on screen at one time (including the In To Darkness ones and maybe a few new variants), whether it’s a Klingon platoon, council chamber or dentist waiting room, doesn’t matter. Just show em all!

That said, I now have to remind myself that Lursa and B’etor had hair.

 

[borgboy]

For what it's worth, in John Byrne's TOS era comics - particularly his Romulan mini serieses, we do see TOS and TNG style Klingons serving together.

 

[PureCrimson]

This topic is asking to dive into insanity.

It's impossible to try and logically fit in differences like this in my opinion.

My reasoning is this: they wanted a slicker looking TV show so they revamped the designed despite being fully aware this was supposed to take place pre-TOS, without any regard for actual continuity.

It's the same reason Nero and all those guys from 09 look nothing like established Romulans.

 

[borgboy]

I can just hand wave it all away with the ENT eugenics virus, possible Klingon eugenics attempting to fix it, extreme body modification, etc.

 

[F. King Daniel]

It's the same reason Nero and all those guys from 09 look nothing like established Romulans.

Other than being bald and having tattoos, didn't they look exactly like TOS-era Romulans?

 

[PureCrimson]

Other than being bald and having tattoos, didn't they look exactly like TOS-era Romulans?

But this wasn't TOS; this was after Next Gen and by then almost every Romulan had the same dopey haircut. They looked closer than these Klingons for sure, but okay, let's use his wife (that we see for only a second on a view screen); she looked nothing like any Romulan ever.

 

[fireproof78]

I can just hand wave it all away with the ENT eugenics virus, possible Klingon eugenics attempting to fix it, extreme body modification, etc.

Yup.

 

[Dukhat]

But this wasn't TOS; this was after Next Gen and by then almost every Romulan had the same dopey haircut.

Yet they were the same Romulans as the ones in TOS.

They looked closer than these Klingons for sure, but okay, let's use his wife (that we see for only a second on a view screen); she looked nothing like any Romulan ever.

Huh? Other than her tattoos and not having the Moe Howard haircut, she sure looked like a typical Romulan to me.

 

[Kor]

Other than being bald and having tattoos, didn't they look exactly like TOS-era Romulans?

The makeup had a bit of a brow/forehead prosthetic, but the effect was much more subtle than the big V-shaped ridge from TNG onward.

Kor

 

[eschaton]

The makeup had a bit of a brow/forehead prosthetic, but the effect was much more subtle than the big V-shaped ridge from TNG onward.

Kor

I could have sworn I remember that in the promo materials for ST09 they basically said that Romulans forehead ridges were never bone, just keloid scars from some sort of initiation ritual.

 

[fireproof78]

Yet they were the same Romulans as the ones in TOS.



Huh? Other than her tattoos and not having the Moe Howard haircut, she sure looked like a typical Romulan to me.

I always love the assumption that we've seen every variation of a species in Trek.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Looking at a picture of her, she has slanted eyebrows, pointed ears and a hair style that reminds me of the Romulan Commander from The Enterprise Incident. Seems pretty Romulan to me.

 

[INACTIVERedDwarf]

I could have sworn I remember that in the promo materials for ST09 they basically said that Romulans forehead ridges were never bone, just keloid scars from some sort of initiation ritual.

Nice way of explaining the difference actually!

TOS Romulans:

TNG Romulans with keloid scars:

2009 Romulans without keloid scars, but with a slightly exaggerated hawk-like nose compared to native Vulcans:

An unused Romulan design that shows the exaggerated area better, but which was subsequently toned down:

I'm really glad that they toned the 2009 makeup down from that test image. I'm definitely in the camp of people who believe Trek aliens should be as consistent as possible. Nero looks spot on as someone of the same species as the TOS and TNG Romulans. A lot of the big changes that were made for the unseen Klingons in the 2009 movie were also toned down for Into Darkness, resulting in a really good look. Some of the original 2009 tests make the Klingons have much more animal-like eye sockets, akin to a dog, but Into Darkness ones ended up looking really good, I think Zoe Saldana described them as 'sexy'.

Undiscovered Country Klingons:

Into Darkness Klingons:

 

[Norsehound]

I just figured every depiction of the Klingons is as legit as the other- Quo'Nos was host to several humanoid species that all claim to be Klingons. Since all of them are proud warriors, they'd all deny that the others are Klingon.

That, and accepting that Discovery is a timeline/universe of its own, regardless of what the producers say.

I love the Discovery Klingons more than any other depiction outside of their character in TOS. If you're going to hard-avert the humanoid Klinks in TOS, at least do it with effort, which the Discovery Klingons do in spades. Props also for all of their dialogue being in Klingon... helps me believe they take this alien culture thing seriously.

 

[Unimatrix Q]

I just figured every depiction of the Klingons is as legit as the other- Quo'Nos was host to several humanoid species that all claim to be Klingons. Since all of them are proud warriors, they'd all deny that the others are Klingon.

That, and accepting that Discovery is a timeline/universe of its own, regardless of what the producers say.

I love the Discovery Klingons more than any other depiction outside of their character in TOS. If you're going to hard-avert the humanoid Klinks in TOS, at least do it with effort, which the Discovery Klingons do in spades. Props also for all of their dialogue being in Klingon... helps me believe they take this alien culture thing seriously.

Interesting idea! Maybe when the Hurgh ruled Q'onos they settled other species they had also conquered on the planet. They stayed and formed a single culture with the natives, after the Hurgh were defeated.