O holy Star Trek, enlightened us mortal 21st century beings.
Let's talk about the elephant in the room, this series violates Roddenberry's vision big time
- Thread starter Sci-fi fan
- Start date
And this is why I don't understand cynical Star Trek "fans"
Just because we are fans of something, that doesn't mean we have to take it so seriously and never treat it with levity.
Kor
I feel the need to point out "Trekkie" is a term which was the ORIGINAL term for fanboys who took the show way-way too seriously.
And do you know how you know a Trekkie?
Because, like all true fans, they hate everything about the show except maybe 3 specific things tops.
Glory unto the ratings bomb.
My bad, borderline dystopian vision then. However, compared with the rest of Trek, it's dystopian. We have examples of open racism (or rather speciesism), the Federation using prisoners for hard labor that flies in the face of everything that's been established earlier (i e treating rather punishing criminals), the Federation not showing consideration for said prisoners' lives as fifty were killed in an accident and Starfleet officers who refers to prisoners as "animals". Coupled with the dark, gloomy sets...
I think the departure is too big from earlier Trek with its vision of a benevolent and optimistic future for mankind and I think that a little optimism is needed during these times especially as almost all franchises etc. are dark these days.
Because Trek itself doesn't know from series to series or film to film if it wants to take a more lighthearted and utopian approach with brighter sets and costumes or darken things down with a more cynical view of an Earth or a Federation that is fighting for everything it believes in and doesn't have time to brag about the fact that nobody ever starves to death in their time period. Trek isn't all shiny and brightly-lit bridges and uplifting lectures from victorious starship captains who praise and extol the virtues of an evolved humanity.
Sometimes it's lead characters being forced against their will to murder thousands and thousands of their friends and fellow officers and then turn on Earth itself. Those characters may recover, but trauma remains. Dark trauma that resurfaces years later and triggers even more pain and discord among members of these supposedly enlightened and nonviolent starship crews. Yes, some fans are cynical.
Because sometimes Trek wants to be.
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country was far worse in this regard. And racial determinism is a regular recurring trope throughout Star Trek.
Caretaker, Ensign Ro, and numerous other references to prison and penal colonies.
We only hear about this from a prisoner in passing, we have no idea what the ramifications or federation response was.
Yeah that one I've got nothing for. That was stupid dialogue from a horrid character.
Dark and blue? Unprecedented
Cyrano Jones was facing 20 years for transporting animals harmful to humans back in TOS.
Star Trek: TOS/TNG/DS9/VOY/ENT/Kelvin = Future Utopia
‘Mirror Universe’/Star Trek: Discovery = Future Dystopia
It’s as simple as that.
Oh, and making fun of Gene Roddenberry and his “vision” is nothing more than a convenient strawman for lack of arguments.
‘Mirror Universe’/Star Trek: Discovery = Future Dystopia
It’s as simple as that.
Oh, and making fun of Gene Roddenberry and his “vision” is nothing more than a convenient strawman for lack of arguments.
I suggest you re watch much of that earlier trek. Racism has always been rife within Starfleet and the federation has always had penal colonies and the death penalty. DS9 was equally dark and dreary, as were several of the movies.
This "bright optimistic future" is frequently overstated in spite of all evidence to the contrary.
Discovery is rather depressing in its mood so far. War, a dead Captain, a lead character who has lost her rank and way. Mean people and visuals that are dark and murky. Let's hope it offers some light soon.
I doubt that very much. STD seems to be run by people who think a dramatic show must be dark and gritty, and who confuse complex or multifaceted characters with thoroughly unlikeable ones.
Your definition of utopia is fairly broad.
The Kelvin tineline is pretty dark for a traditional utopia.
Utopias are fairly broad by definition.
I agree with you actually. But according to others it’s the exact opposite.
