Long ago, I used to be a whole lot nicer and whole lot more understanding. I gave a lot more benefit of the doubt. Then, over time, I began to notice a particular pattern which led me to reconsider my approach.
Let's look at the progression of things.
ENT
They said: "We want Rick Berman gone!"
I thought: Okay. So do I.
What happens next: After that, Rick Berman is gone.
Abrams Films
They said: "We want the Prime Timeline!"
I thought: I'm neutral on this.
What happens next: When Star Trek returns to television, it goes back to the Prime Timeline.
DSC
They said: "What?! Another prequel?!! We want to go passed Nemesis!"
I thought: What are you talking about? This is the best Star Trek in 20 years!
What happens next: Picard comes out, which takes place after Nemesis.
PIC
They said: "This isn't anything like the Picard I remember! I miss the days of Rick Berman! But I want a Pike Show!"
I thought: What the fuck? Wait a minute. Hold on. You wanted Rick Berman gone, now you want him back? You wanted to go passed Nemesis, now you want a Pike Show? Are these complaints for real or are they just for the sake of complaining?
What happens next: Remains to be seen.
So, I think I can't be blamed for feeling the way I do about the type of complaining I'm seeing. There's no through-line. To me, it looks like it's there -- for the most part -- just for the sake of being there.
You summed it up quite succinctly and thank you, as I was trying to put my finger on it. Complaining doesn't feel like it goes anywhere and there appears to be little, if any, satisfaction from the newer Trek. As you note, each Trek did exactly what fans wanted-and were bludgeoned for it.
More than that there is plenty of fan art/film/production to showcase what fans supposedly want and when CBS attempts to do it it still isn't good enough.
It is beyond frustrating.
I've always enjoyed pointing out to those who have heavily complained that the new series are darker/more violent/less utopian/more action oriented/ etc etc etc that the "powers that be" are simply responding to what has worked on Trek in the past.
TWOK- easily the most popular film...revenge, pew pew, explosions, body horror, violence, gore, hatred, death
TUC- No boldly going, prejudiced characters, murder, conspiracy, assassination, blood everywhere, mind rape, pew pew
FC- Universally the most well-received TNG movie. Space battles, pew-pew, revenge, mercy killings, body horror, new Enterprise is a warship, etc.
DS9- Often thought of as the crown jewel of "mature" 90's Trek. Moral ambiguity, death on a grand scale, multiple seasons worth of war, evil Plotting Starfleet officers, Defiant is a warship, conspiracies.
TNG- some of the most popular, revered episodes were darker and contained elements of the above
"Chain of Command" Imminent war, depictions of physical/psychological torture, nudity, flawed/imperfect/jerky Starfleet officers, Starfleet conducting clandestine ops, etc.
"Conspiaracy" Gore, body horror, paranoia, etc
"Yesterday's Enterprise" War, pew-pew, death, anger, despair, explosions
"Best of Both Worlds" Invasion, hopelessness, war, death on a grand scale, body horror, old men's fantasies, Starfleet as a military, etc.
So yeah....I'm thinking the producers and showrunners are just giving the fans what the fans
have always shown they like best. They must be confused as #uck when they take this data, produce shows that have associated or similar content, and then everyone craps all over it because it's an affront to everything Trek stands for and represents.
So yeah, sometimes, it's hard to take certain complaints seriously or as anything other than just bitching for the sake of bitching.
I think there are a lot of legitimate, constructive places to criticize recent Trek productions..no doubt about it ...but not with the venom and single-minded tenacity I've see from some. Especially considering that Trek is just giving everyone what we have essentially communicated we like. So betweenwhat you guys have said and what I posted above, it's always been clear to me that they are never going to please everyone.
The biggest mistake they can make is to TRY to do so. It's futile.
all clarity of what that actually means.
