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Spoilers Section 31 General Discussion Thread

A Section 31 series. Yay or nay?

  • Yay, a Section 31 series!

    Votes: 80 40.0%
  • Nay, give us anything else instead!

    Votes: 120 60.0%

  • Total voters
    200
Interesting in the interview with Rob Kazinski, he says that he spoke with Alex Kurtzman about Zeph's future, and Kurtzman said that his mech suit had medicinal and self-healing functions that would have healed Zeph's wounds. That is why you hear Zeph scream when he's knocked off the the platform during the chase. Of course, he still fell from the platform, but his suit would probably take that impact pretty well.

I wonder if this was part of a pre-planned arc for Zeph in the aborted series, or if Kurtzman was just spitballing possibilities?

ETA: Katie Sackhoff REALLY wants to do Star Trek.
 
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Yeah, they appear to be largely unemployable after Discovery. No studios lining up to take them. I wonder why.
Assuming that's in reference to Berg and Harberts, then the reports they were abusive to the other writers, which is reportedly why they were fired from Disco might have a role in why they're having trouble getting work these days. Assuming your claim is even true.
Tell me how many of those rules The Inner Light broke?
It broke 5 out of 7.
TNG and the Berman era in general go against a lot of those rules. Going over the rules:
I. Build your episode on an action-adventure framework. We must reach out, hold and entertain a mass audience of some 20.,000,000 people or we simply don't stay on the air.
They certainly didn't always go for action adventure, though that's a bit understandable as shows do need the occasional character-piece to stay within the budget.
II. Tell your story about people, not about science and gadgetry. Joe Friday doesn't stop to explain the mechanics of his .38 before he uses it; Kildare never did a monologue about the theory of anesthetics; Matt Dillon never identifies and discusses the breed of his horse before he rides off on it.
Yeah, the Berman era definitely tossed that one out the window.
III. Keep in mind that science fiction is not a separate field of literature with rules of its own, but, indeed, needs the same ingredients as any story -- including a jeopardy of some type to someone
we learn to care about, climactic build, sound
motivitation, you know the list.
Depending on the episodes, that was followed some of the time. TNG S1 certainly overdid it with the futurism, but as TNG went on and the other shows did try to keep things relatable to a modern audience.
IV. Then, with that firm foundation established, interweave in it any statement to be made about man, society and so on. Yes, we want you to have something to say, but say it entertainingly as you do on any other show. We don't need essays, however brilliant.
Well, they didn't really adhere to that.
V. Remember always that STAR TREK is never fantasy; whatever happens, no matter how unusual or bizarre, must have some basis in either fact or theory and stay true to that premise (don't give the enemy Starflight capability and then have them engage our vessel with grappling hooks and drawn swords.)
Klingons always charging into battle with swords and daggers against enemies with phasers rather blatantly ignores this one. Hell, the NX-01 even had its own grappling hooks.
VI. Don't try to tell a story about whole civilizations . We've never yet been able to get a usable story from a writer who began... "I see the strange civilization which...".
Yeah, that was ignored.
VII. Stop worrying about not being a scientist. How many cowboys, police officers and doctors wrote westerns, detective and hospital shows?
That was adhered to, though many fans seem to have forgotten that was a rule when they complain about the Berman era or the Kurtzman era.
 
Here's what they wanted from TNG:

WHAT WE MUST HAVE: * Action/Adventure/Drama Entertainment -* aIi involving our starship crew and vessel--

* Plus, once the above has captured the audience's attention, we want to include our usual comments about the challenges humanity now faces.
BELIEVABILITY IS EVERYTHING. IT iS THE MOST ESSENTIAL ELEMENT OF ANY STAR TREK STORX.

If you're in doubt about a scene, you can apply this simple test: “Would I believe this if it was occurring on the bridge of the battleship Missouri?" If you wouldn't believe it in the twentieth century, then our audience probably won't believe it in the twenty-fourth. |

Especially, the people must be believable -- just as believable as if they were living in our 20th century. The crew of the Enterprise are intelligent, witty, thoughtful, compassionate, caring human beings -- but they have human faults and weaknesses too -~ although not as many or as severe as in our time. They have been selected for this mission because of their ability to transcend their human failings. We should see in them the kind of people we aspire co be ourselves.

A good STAR TREK story shorid have both a science fiction element and a personal element.

The science fiction element should be thought provoking and visual. It need not be a huge galactic event or even a planetary one. It can be science fiction on a smaller, more personal scale.

The personal element of a STAR TREK story can be a human dilemma created either by the nature of the characters, by the plot, or by the science fiction element. Again, whatever it is, the key is to show the characters in the story acting believably. We often get our best STAR TREK by showing how real human beings cope with fantastic situations.

Please remember that a major hero of STAR TREK has always been the starship Enterprise and her mission. The ship is not just a vehicle -- she is the touchstone by which ail of our characters demonstrate who they are and what they're up to in the universe.

The Script: Believability

The Script

HE SCRIPT -- WHAT DOESN'T WORK

We have found that the following does not work well for us:

1) Stories which do not materially involve our own crew ; Yes, we do like to see interesting new characters. -- but only when used in addition to an interesting story line involving our continuing characters.

2) We do not do stories about psi-forces or mysterious psychic powers. No mater how fantastic the events in a story, the explanation must be extrapolated from a generally accepted science theory,;. (We have accepted the telepathy of Lt. Commander Deanna Troi because many reputable scientists acknowledge the possibility of such abilities, bet you will note that we have limited Troi to "reading" only emotions.)

3) We are not buying stories which cast our people and our vessel in the role of “galaxy policemen." (See Prime Directive) Nor is our mission that of spreading 20th century Euro-American cultural values throughout the galaxy.

4) We are not buying stories about the characters: Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Uhura, Chekov, Scotty and Sulu. Or their descendants. As much as we love cur original cast (they are our Children, after all), we need our audience's attention centered on our new characters.

5) Writing FANTASY instead of SCIENCE FICTION. The difference between the two is profound. Despite the fact that both science fiction and fantasy can deal with unusual events, a science fiction story is eased On an extrapolation of a generally scientific fact or theory. Fantasy, which our format does not permit, need have no basis in reality.

6) Writing “SWORDS and SORCERY". Knights and princesses, stalwart yeomen and dragons are not Science fiction for our purposes.

7) Treating deep space as a local neighborhood. Too often, script ideas show characters pouncing from solar system to solar system, planet to planet, without the slightest comprehension of the distances involved or the technologies required to support such travel. Fine (and even fun) on SPACE RANGERS but not on STAR TREK.

8) STAR TREK is not melodrama. Melodrama is a writing style which does not require believable people. Believable people are at the heart of good STAR TREK scripts.

9) No stories about warfare with Klingons or Romulans and no stories with Vulcans. We are determined not to copy ourselves and believe there must be other interesting aliens in a galaxy filled with billions of stars and planets.

10) stay true to the Prime Directive. We are not in the business of toppling cultures that we do not
approve of. We will protect ourselves and our mission whenever necessary, but we are pot "space meddlers."

11) Plots involving a whole civilizations rarely work. What does work is to deal with specific characters from another culture and their interactions with our own continuing characters.

12) Mad scientists, or stories in which technology is considered the villain. It doesn't make sense for
a group of 24th century interstellar travelers (whose lives depend on the successful workings of their technology) to be Luddites.

13) stories in which our characters must go something stupid or dangerous. or in which our technology breaks down in order to create a jeopardy. Our people are the best and the brightest, and our technology is tried and proven. Likewise, our characters are very committed to their ship, their Crewmates, and their mission. Please do not have them abandoning or betraying same because they have fallen in love with a beautiful pirate princess.


Wow, I can't believe how many of those 13 rules were quickly tossed out the window.
1, 3, 4, 7, 12, 13... :lol:
 
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I really do feel bad for the actors in this, save for maybe Michelle Yeoh (who it seems wanted this to be a vanity project) because they are either great fans of Star Trek or really enjoyed that they would be a part of the lore and universe. They were let down by a horrible script and horrible execution.
 
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