Star Trek is best when....

[RobertScorpio]

Last year at comic-con I was in a very interesting converstation at the food court with people I had never met before. You know how Trek fans are, we love to talk our trek with other trek fans.

It was a mixed group. My nephew was the youngest at 21, the others a little older, and me, much older. But we were discussing when is Star Trek at it's best.

They all pooo poooed The Voyager Home. But I have always maintained that until XI, Voyage Home was the most accessable of all the trek movies.

All of them, except for me, loved the more technical elements of the movies and shows. The more the explaining of how things worked the more they liked it. Where as i held my ground and said Trek should never be about, primarily, the workings of the ship or the 'science' of how it worked. I mean, in Scotty's time, there was no technobable..in fact, in Generations, when uses it it sounds totally out of place.

I think Star trek is at its best (City on Edge--Visitor--Pale Moonlight--Inner Light) when its about the people. They all shook their head and pointed to episodes like BOBW and DOOMSDAY and all that exciting stuff..

Now, I know, it cant all be syrupy stuff...but what about you? When is Star Trek at its best..

Rob

 

[Admiral Shran]

When it deals with "universe building," i.e. developing the fictional world with known alien races as opposed to constantly "seeking out new lifeforms and new civilizations."

TOS - Amok Time, Journey to Babel
TNG - The Defector, The Best of Both Worlds, Reunion
DS9 - Most of the series, but especially - The Homecoming, The Circle, The Seige, The Way of the Warrior
VOY - Jetrel, Alliances, Fair Trade, Survival Instinct
ENT - The Andorian Incident, Shadows of P'Jem, Minefield, Cease Fire, The Forge, Awakening, Kir'Shara, Babel One, United, The Aenar

 

[sbk1234]

My cop-out answer: When it is well written.

City on the Edge of Forever, Amok Time, BOBW, Measure of a Man, Family, The Inner Light,

Just to name a few. I can't find any real pattern, or formula, other than fine writing. Either technical or not, syrupy or not. Just well w ritten and well acted.

 

[TheGodBen]

...I am high.

Being drunk works to a lesser extent, but in some cases that makes bad episodes all the more depressing.

 

[maneth]

My cop-out answer: When it is well written.

City on the Edge of Forever, Amok Time, BOBW, Measure of a Man, Family, The Inner Light,

Just to name a few. I can't find any real pattern, or formula, other than fine writing. Either technical or not, syrupy or not. Just well w ritten and well acted.

QFT!

 

[C.E. Evans]

For me, Star Trek is best when it makes me want to see what happens next...

 

[Mary Ann]

I think Star trek is at its best (City on Edge--Visitor--Pale Moonlight--Inner Light) when its about the people.

I agree with you. A good battle is exciting to watch but if there isn't at least some focus on (dare I say it?) relationships then it's not a fulfilling episode for me. Mind you, I have a double major in sociology and cultural anthropology so I overanalyse *every* social situation.

 

[milo bloom]

Star Trek is at it's best when the science-y stuff and explode-y stuff is shown directly affecting people (but without over analyzing or over explaining it). The science in something like DS9's The Visitor? Pretty dodgy, but it's still considered one of the high points of the series (or the franchise, IMHO).

 

[buckeyenation]

...I am high.

Being drunk works to a lesser extent, but in some cases that makes bad episodes all the more depressing.

I couldn't have said it better

 

[Orcus]

Here's my cop-out answer:

It's best when viewed as a piece of TV fiction and not inteferring in a person's real life...

 

[Myasishchev]

When it's on a space station, it turns out.

Nah, I'll say well-crafted--not necessarily well-written, but well-crafted, since there are many examples of dodgily-written stories that have nonetheless made good stories after all, because of craft (Amok Time, Star Trek 11, and many others). But, as said above, there is no Trek shibboleth that automatically equates to a good episode, movie, novel, fan project, or whatever, other than what makes anything else good.

Edit: Also, Robert, did you check those people for souls? Because indications are not good for any of them having one. Hating Star Trek IV...

 

[Shatnertage]

...served cold. And it is very cold in space.

 

[Luther Sloan]

I think Star Trek is at it's best whenever you watch...

The Original Series and it's films (besides the Search for Spock and Final Frontier) and ...

Deep Space Nine Season's 4-7 (starting with the Season 3 cliffhanger).

 

[Trilliam]

When the issue in an episode, while set in the future be it on a space station, starship or alien planet, is really a re-framing/frameshift of issues facing us today.

 

[Luther Sloan]

Good interpretation.

Yes.

 

[indolover]

I think when it explores deeper topics, as well as just good storytelling.

So episodes like:

The Drumhead
Family
The Inner Light
Darmok
Cardassians
Duet
The Visitor
In the Pale Moonlight
Far Beyond the Stars

were IMO great episodes for these reasons.

 

[Anji]

I love it when Trek takes our current problems in society and culture and shoves it right in our face and says, "Do something about it!"

"Let This Be Your Last Battlefield" is just one example.

 

[xortex]

When the ideas/concepts presented add up to something true about the Human condition and the real nature of the universe(i.e. things and ideas that symbolize basic truths and individual and subjective/objective realities metaphorically) Spock needs sex at least every seven years or he's gonna die. We can identify with that. Hitler wins WWII and Kirk can't have the woman he loves. I liked mysteries too that had no solution. Like what is the Doomsday machine. Who are the Metrons and Trellane and the Organians. I also liked when Spock made that astounding profound comment that only an alien outsider can make. Ex. 'All of this is an illusion' in Spectre of the Gun. I also like crazy metaphysical sci fi philosophies. I can listen to them all day if they ring true somehow or resonate with something that is going on in the world or the Human or alien heart/soul and reveal basic truths about existence.

 

[Vonstadt]

When the issue in an episode, while set in the future be it on a space station, starship or alien planet, is really a re-framing/frameshift of issues facing us today.

This in a nutshell! Sums it up quite nicely

Vons

 

[I am not Spock]

When it deals with "universe building," i.e. developing the fictional world with known alien races as opposed to constantly "seeking out new lifeforms and new civilizations."

TOS - Amok Time, Journey to Babel
TNG - The Defector, The Best of Both Worlds, Reunion
DS9 - Most of the series, but especially - The Homecoming, The Circle, The Seige, The Way of the Warrior
VOY - Jetrel, Alliances, Fair Trade, Survival Instinct
ENT - The Andorian Incident, Shadows of P'Jem, Minefield, Cease Fire, The Forge, Awakening, Kir'Shara, Babel One, United, The Aenar

I agree with you. I love being part of the world, and seeing how all the races and alliances fit together. I love seeing this great universe opened up, and explored.