Most Gratuitous Trek MacGuffin!

[Zaku]

And really, red matter is just technobabble too, in weapon form.

Yep. That's all it is. It's not something that Kirk even finds out about until he mind-melds with Spock Prime. Kirk's goal as the protagonist has already been established by then: defeat Nero.

And Red Matter is not unimportant for the plot. It detroyed a planet.

 

[Misfit Toy]

Google is your friend. Good job on acting like a 14 year old. It is very convincing.

Leave the personal shots out of the thread, please.

 

[austen_pierce]

Quadrotriticale gets a bit of an explanation. Red matter gets none whatsoever.

and your point is..?

Actually, I was trying not to make one. I was looking at the poll results and saw a trend, but didn't want to influence those who had not voted. Fail on both counts IMO.

 

[trevanian]

And really, red matter is just technobabble too, in weapon form.

Yep. That's all it is. It's not something that Kirk even finds out about until he mind-melds with Spock Prime. Kirk's goal as the protagonist has already been established by then: defeat Nero.

And Red Matter is not unimportant for the plot. It detroyed a planet.

You could make the same claim about protomatter in SFS, but like that plot gimmick, it still lacks all credibility.

 

[USS Triumphant]

I voted for the Cloaking Device (by which I presume is meant the one Spock and Kirk steal), because it never plays any role in anything afterward ever again. Even when the Pegasus has a phase-cloak on TNG, or the Defiant finally has a cloak on DS9, it isn't because of the stolen cloaking device. Its theft was meaningless except to advance the plot of that TOS episode.

 

[Zaku]

Yep. That's all it is. It's not something that Kirk even finds out about until he mind-melds with Spock Prime. Kirk's goal as the protagonist has already been established by then: defeat Nero.

And Red Matter is not unimportant for the plot. It detroyed a planet.

You could make the same claim about protomatter in SFS, but like that plot gimmick, it still lacks all credibility.

So what? A McGuffin is not defined by the lack of credibility.

 

[trevanian]

Actually, credibility does contribute to acceptance. NOTORIOUS with its atom secrets is a great example. Then again, FOUL PLAY's is something I don't even remember, just that it was in a pack of Marlboros that a snake did some hissing over.

 

[Push The Button]

All The Dude ever wanted was his rug back. It really tied the room together.

 

[austen_pierce]

Minor oversight everyone. The Nexus was supposed to be an option.

 

[Drone]

So what? A McGuffin is not defined by the lack of credibility.

Credibility or the lack of the slightest intimation, even one with the express intent of throwing yet another curve, of its identity. Like in Ronin. What was in that case? Oh yeah right, there was no case!!!

 

[Smellincoffee]

Red matter. Take everything else in the ST canon, and red matter outclasses it in terms of sheer hand-wavery. It's maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagic. What else can you say about stuff with a name that simplistic that can destroy wormholes or turn volcanos into icecapped mountains?

 

[urbandefault]

Red matter. Take everything else in the ST canon, and red matter outclasses it in terms of sheer hand-wavery. It's maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagic. What else can you say about stuff with a name that simplistic that can destroy wormholes or turn volcanos into icecapped mountains?

It was a "cold fusion device" that froze the volcano. Just sayin'.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Red matter. Take everything else in the ST canon, and red matter outclasses it in terms of sheer hand-wavery. It's maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagic. What else can you say about stuff with a name that simplistic that can destroy wormholes or turn volcanos into icecapped mountains?

Genesis is a pretty simple name. And Red matter creates wormholes.(That swallow supernovas)

 

[Zaku]

Red matter. Take everything else in the ST canon, and red matter outclasses it in terms of sheer hand-wavery. It's maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagic. What else can you say about stuff with a name that simplistic that can destroy wormholes or turn volcanos into icecapped mountains?

What this has to do with being a McGuffin..?

The plausibility (or absence of) is not an element required to define a McGuffin

The whole point of the MacGuffin is that it is irrelevant. And the Red Matter is not irrilevant because it destroyed Vulcan.

 

[Commishsleer]

Red matter. Take everything else in the ST canon, and red matter outclasses it in terms of sheer hand-wavery. It's maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagic. What else can you say about stuff with a name that simplistic that can destroy wormholes or turn volcanos into icecapped mountains?

What about the Nexus?
I think that outclasses everything else. Based on its ability to control your mind, grant all your wishes, allow you to travel anywhere in time or space and give you eternal life.

Excepting maybe the giant amoeba thingy which outclasses everything by its sheer size because its the biggest organism every seen in Star Trek by a good million kilometers or so.

But none of red matter, the Nexus and giant amoeba thingy are macguffins. They are too essential to the story. They're not just a trigger, they're the thing the hero must defeat.

 

[Zaku]

But none of red matter, the Nexus and giant amoeba thingy are macguffins. They are too essential to the story. They're not just a trigger, they're the thing the hero must defeat.

^^^A Thousand Times, This.

 

[Armored Saint]

I voted for the Cloaking Device (by which I presume is meant the one Spock and Kirk steal), because it never plays any role in anything afterward ever again. Even when the Pegasus has a phase-cloak on TNG, or the Defiant finally has a cloak on DS9, it isn't because of the stolen cloaking device. Its theft was meaningless except to advance the plot of that TOS episode.

At least, they used the stolen cloaking device to escape from the Romulan space...so yeah...it only canon use would have been to conclude it own stealing mission. Star Trek III made it rectroactively meaningless by having Kirk and co. using their own eyes to detect the cloaked ship.

Speaking of Star Trek III, protomatter's clearly a plot device, but not a McGuffin. It's only there to explain why the Genesis planet could have been created and why it shall be immediately erased. It's magic, but it's not really anecdotic. So, it's similar for the Red Matter.

 

[Amaris]

I chose the wheat.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

^ That's a very BREADY question.

 

[Maurice]

Acknowledging that is the yeast you can do.