Romulans In The TNG Era

[Edward Jellico]

Every Romulan in the TNG era had forehead ridges. This lasted into DS9 and Voyager.
We see a mix of ridged and non-ridged in Picard. The ridged examples are Northern,

Obviously the ridges in TNG were a design decision. However, I wonder if there is a plausible in-universe explanation for all the military Romulans we see in TNG being Northern?

 

[The Wormhole]

Even in TNG there were indications that not all Romulans had ridges. After all, Spock was able to publicly walk the streets of Romulus with his smooth forehead on display for all to see in Unification without raising suspicions from anyone. And since the majority of Romulans we see in TOS were wearing helmets, there's nothing to say they didn't have ridges.

Personally, I'm fine with things not being explained. If you want to contort an explanation, maybe the northern region of Romulus contains the bulk of the population resulting in Northerners seemingly being disproportionately represented almost every time we see a Romulan. Maybe the Romulans (or other races for that matter) are equally curious why most humans they meet are white Americans.

 

[Vger23]

Personally, I'm fine with things not being explained.

 

[Timelord79 (he/him)]

Even in TNG there were indications that not all Romulans had ridges. After all, Spock was able to publicly walk the streets of Romulus with his smooth forehead on display for all to see in Unification without raising suspicions from anyone. And since the majority of Romulans we see in TOS were wearing helmets, there's nothing to say they didn't have ridges.

Personally, I'm fine with things not being explained. If you want to contort an explanation, maybe the northern region of Romulus contains the bulk of the population resulting in Northerners seemingly being disproportionately represented almost every time we see a Romulan. Maybe the Romulans (or other races for that matter) are equally curious why most humans they meet are white Americans.

Assuming there are no Vulcans with ridges, it’s interesting to speculate how the ridges appeared in the first place and being a local phenomenon.
Two options that I see.
Eithere an evolutionary trait that appeared due to some environmental factors, which would require somewhat of a physical or cultural separation from the southerners for quite some time. or introduction of a new trait from indigenous race by interbreeding with them.
With a cross mating species only in the northern part of the planet.

 

[NCC-73515]

The Mintakans have them as well, and they're called protovulcans

 

[Tuskin38]

The Mintakans have them as well, and they're called protovulcans

Well proto vulcanoids.

 

[NCC-73515]

TROI: According to Doctor Barron's preliminary reports, the Mintakans are proto-Vulcan humanoids at the Bronze Age level. Quite peaceful and highly rational.
PICARD: Which is not surprising, considering how closely their evolution parallels Vulcan.

So maybe the Vulcans we see are the odd ones who became dominant after their wars. That would explain why so many Romulans, who lost these wars and left, have the ridges - they are the 'original' Vulcans.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

The Romulans are perpetually cross, the northerners doubly so. The "ridges" are actually over-developed muscles due to all the knit brows.

 

[Imaus]

The Romulans are perpetually cross, the northerners doubly so. The "ridges" are actually over-developed muscles due to all the knit brows.

Heck I have something like that, there's a term for it - pronounced supraorbital ridge? Frontal Sinus? It's not 'wide' like a 'caveman' but very short and 'v' shaped.

 

[Jarvisimo]

Even in TNG there were indications that not all Romulans had ridges. After all, Spock was able to publicly walk the streets of Romulus with his smooth forehead on display for all to see in Unification without raising suspicions from anyone. And since the majority of Romulans we see in TOS were wearing helmets, there's nothing to say they didn't have ridges.

Personally, I'm fine with things not being explained. If you want to contort an explanation, maybe the northern region of Romulus contains the bulk of the population resulting in Northerners seemingly being disproportionately represented almost every time we see a Romulan. Maybe the Romulans (or other races for that matter) are equally curious why most humans they meet are white Americans.

This wasn't actually the OP's point - they were not saying it's a retcon without justification, and fully accepted the new norm. Instead, they were wondering why the majority of military we saw in TNG and its successors could be northern. It's more of a question of socio-economic dominance at a particular time in history.

 

[Edward Jellico]

This wasn't actually the OP's point - they were not saying it's a retcon without justification, and fully accepted the new norm. Instead, they were wondering why the majority of military we saw in TNG and its successors could be northern. It's more of a question of socio-economic dominance at a particular time in history.

This is it.

I'm interested in conjecture. What was it that Northern Romulans were dominant in the military during a certain period of the 24th century?

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

This is it.

I'm interested in conjecture. What was it that Northern Romulans were dominant in the military during a certain period of the 24th century?

The same reason the bald Klingons were dominant in DSC, and the smooth ones were during TOS? (even though the smooth ones must have existed during DSC). Voter turnout obviously

 

[Tenacity]

The same reason the bald Klingons were dominant in DSC, and the smooth ones were during TOS?

The Humanoid Klingons seized power from the Potato-bodied Klingons.

 

[WarpFactorZ]

However, I wonder if there is a plausible in-universe explanation for all the military Romulans we see in TNG being Northern?

Please, let's stay away from ridiculous in-universe explanations for what are purely make-up choices (cough! cough! Klingon augment disease!).

Chalk it up to yet another stupid change TNG made for... reasons.

 

[The Wormhole]

This wasn't actually the OP's point - they were not saying it's a retcon without justification, and fully accepted the new norm. Instead, they were wondering why the majority of military we saw in TNG and its successors could be northern. It's more of a question of socio-economic dominance at a particular time in history.

Well, what I said still ties in with that about the northern region of Romulus being the one where the bulk of the population comes from. Or where the capital city and military HQ and training facilities are. And given a majority of the Romulans were wearing helmets, it's possible the Romulan military of that era was also predominantly made up of northerners.

If anything it's the era after the destruction of Romulus that's seeing an increase in non-northerners, with how many such Romulans we've seen on Picard not to mention Nero and his crew. So perhaps the question should be why the northerners have become a minority, or at least less of a majority after the loss of Romulus?

 

[fireproof78]

The Tal Shiar was formed from primarily northern Romulans leading them to move political power to favor their region.

Please, let's stay away from ridiculous in-universe explanations for what are purely make-up choices (cough! cough! Klingon augment disease!).

Chalk it up to yet another stupid change TNG made for... reasons.

First time in Star Trek fandom?

 

[TimeIsAPredator]

The same reason the bald Klingons were dominant in DSC, and the smooth ones were during TOS? (even though the smooth ones must have existed during DSC). Voter turnout obviously

youve been hit by,
youve been struck by,
a smooth Klingon

 

[Arpy]

Please, let's stay away from ridiculous in-universe explanations for what are purely make-up choices (cough! cough! Klingon augment disease!).

Chalk it up to yet another stupid change TNG made for... reasons.

TNG made? Like how they created the TMP Klingons? Or put Romulans in Klingon ships? Oh wait, that was TOS.

The franchise was doing more with new possibilities in make-up. Something they’ve done in every incarnation. Along with models, effects, languages, etc. The “reasons” is that these are more dazzling and likely realistic than human aliens.

 

[fireproof78]

TNG made? Like how they created the TMP Klingons? Or put Romulans in Klingon ships? Oh wait, that was TOS.

If TOS did it its OK. If other Treks do it it is questionable. If PIC and DSC do it it is offensive.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

If TOS did it its OK. If other Treks do it it is questionable. If PIC and DSC do it it is offensive.

What is SNW does it?