Robert Sawyer goes off on "Return of the Archons"

[Warped9]

^^ Who knows? That doesn't really seem like something he would do. Usually he's quite complimentary toward TOS, but maybe he was having a bad day or something.

 

[BigJake]

^ Dude. This is the Internet. Do you have any idea the possible cosmic ramifications of allowing someone to be wrong on the Internet?

This is correct. Allowing a false perception by an Individual to go uncorrected by the teeming masses could result in future generations reading said Individual's false perception and believing it to be valid truth. This could have the unfortunate result of the entire collapse of human civilization within 50,000 years and possibly the destruction of the universe.

Why, just look at the world today.

Back in Ought-Three, it was a simpler, more innocent time: the blog ruled the Internet landscape, while Tumblr and Twitter were not yet glimmers in the eye of Satan; porn stars and celebrities-with-sex-tapes were clearly distinguishable; an enterprising youth could purchase a full gram of Peruvian marching powder for a crisp fifty dollar bill; and right-thinking men and women of all political stripes were united by the certainty that Stopping the War, uniting the world and revivifying the Western commons was just one really persuasive blog post away.

On one fateful day in March of that year, I had a disagreement with a gentleman online about whether Colin Powell's tie during his UN speech had strictly-speaking been burgundy or maroon. I went to bed with the question unresolved, thinking it might be okay for us to agree to disagree. Lo and behold, the very next day, the Iraq War broke out.

Coincidence? I think not. And there's a lesson in that for all of us.

 

[The Old Mixer]

I can testify he is a big TOS fan but, of course, like many others here on the TBBS we can disagree on what works (or not) for each of us individually.

That said I have posted some refutation of his points on his FB discussion.

Do you think he may have exaggerated to simply initiate a debate about an episode he doesn't like?

You got me, but it strikes me as being akin to criticizing a particular episode of The Twilight Zone because it's in black and white....

 

[spockboy]

I loved it. I thought the bit of Festival was a beautiful metaphor of religious fanaticism and how as humans we need to purge all of our emotions and desires when we live in a society or system in which all of these human needs are suppressed. Festival was necessary to keep them sane. Oh, and Spock punched a guy and look embarrassed for doing it!

Great moment.
Great concept.
Great episode.

Also they looked like Jedi Knights with a hollow tube for a light saber!

I find it strange that a writer is criticizing production values and not the story, which should naturally be his default.