Spoilers Star Trek: Strange New Worlds 2x10 - "Hegemony"

[Sci]

Clearly this is the best episode of the series so far. They do actually know how to make interesting shows then! So then why all the filler? Singing episodes, deep back story about some characters which is boring and nobody cares about it.

That's not filler. It's just episodes you didn't enjoy. Which is fine, but Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has no obligation to cater to your particular tastes.

Overall the characters on this show aren't good. Anyone else not even know the names of maybe half the of the main characters?

I find the characters very compelling, particularly Christine, La'an, and Joseph. I hope we get to see more of Erica and Una next season. These are characters I can feel for and relate to.

Also enough with the same feel of all the planet settings. They all look the same:

Nope.

 

[Beckler]

If it's deep backstory then it, by definition, is not filler. Also, I welcome exploration of any characters. That is the point of Star Trek-the human adventure.

Disagree. It's in the name. "Star" and "New Worlds" implies space exploration, not exploring deep interpersonal back stories that you can see in any other random show. It's cheap and easy. Character development is one thing but it should be only enough to support the underlying interesting premise of human space exploration. Which is just overlooked constantly and is why a lot of star trek fails. Nobody cares about Picard's inner struggles with his childhood as he tends to his vineyard - it's boring and has nothing to do with stars or space. So they stop watching. Then the show is cancelled.

So, producers, make more episodes like this one. Enough of the overdone backstory, childhoods, flashbacks - it's easy to do, but reallllly stupid. Thanks!

 

[fireproof78]

Disagree. It's in the name.

They are taking a lesson from TMP:

Nobody cares about Picard's inner struggles with his childhood as he tends to his vineyard

That was the only part of Season 2 I liked.

Character development is one thing but only enough to support the underlying interesting premise of human space exploration.

I'll take the human exploration first, space second.

 

[Nerys Myk]

I'll take the human exploration first, space second.

Yep, Star Trek has always put human exploration ahead of space exploration. The space stuff is just there as background for the human stuff. If someone thinks otherwise, I feel they haven't been paying attention.

 

[cooleddie74]

Hell, if anyone thinks "The Cage(TOS)" was about space and the planet Talos IV they clearly weren't paying close attention.

 

[Ovation]

Clearly this is the best episode of the series so far. They do actually know how to make interesting shows then! So then why all the filler? Singing episodes, deep back story about some characters which is boring and nobody cares about it. The Spock stuff is overdone - him suddenly showing emotion has been done about 300x now across star trek by now for example. It's not surprising anymore. But just way too much Spock in general - he's the main focus of the show, even more than the captain.

Also in fact the whole original series prequel idea is WAY overdone at this point but that's a different matter.

Overall the characters on this show aren't good. Anyone else not even know the names of maybe half the of the main characters? The first officer (don't know her name) definitely needs to go. She's uninteresting, doesn't do anything and the acting isn't good.

Also enough with the same feel of all the planet settings. They all look the same: dark, foreboding. Makes no sense and adds to the boring quality.

Disagree. It's in the name. "Star" and "New Worlds" implies space exploration, not exploring deep interpersonal back stories that you can see in any other random show. It's cheap and easy. Character development is one thing but it should be only enough to support the underlying interesting premise of human space exploration. Which is just overlooked constantly and is why a lot of star trek fails. Nobody cares about Picard's inner struggles with his childhood as he tends to his vineyard - it's boring and has nothing to do with stars or space. So they stop watching. Then the show is cancelled.

So, producers, make more episodes like this one. Enough of the overdone backstory, childhoods, flashbacks - it's easy to do, but reallllly stupid. Thanks!

Well, those are certainly…opinions.

 

[Smellincoffee]

Hell of a cliffhanger. Painful to see Captain Pike indecisive, but I know they have to keep us hooked. Was a little sad Spock didn't say "It is agreeable to see you again" to ol ___________. Would have been a fun nod, but this series has so much fanservice flourish that I cannot complain in the least. The Gorn are seriously effective villains as far as the creep factor goes. Haven't felt that since the original Borg.

 

[Sci]

Disagree. It's in the name. "Star" and "New Worlds" implies space exploration, not exploring deep interpersonal back stories that you can see in any other random show. It's cheap and easy. Character development is one thing but it should be only enough to support the underlying interesting premise of human space exploration. Which is just overlooked constantly and is why a lot of star trek fails. Nobody cares about Picard's inner struggles with his childhood as he tends to his vineyard - it's boring and has nothing to do with stars or space. So they stop watching. Then the show is cancelled.

What you're describing would make Star Trek functionally no different from any other generic space opera. Distinct, vibrant, three-dimensional characters that the show explores in-depth is what makes Star Trek stand out from just being another space opera.

 

[Okmyx]

Hell of a cliffhanger. Painful to see Captain Pike indecisive, but I know they have to keep us hooked. Was a little sad Spock didn't say "It is agreeable to see you again" to ol ___________. Would have been a fun nod, but this series has so much fanservice flourish that I cannot complain in the least. The Gorn are seriously effective villains as far as the creep factor goes. Haven't felt that since the original Borg.

I'm not sure he's being indecisive. He clearly has several bad to horrible options to choose from, he's trying to find the most advantageous approach out of a multitude of possibilities. He is probably also trying to come up with a non-fleet-approved tactic on the fly....

 

[Nerys Myk]

Hell, if anyone thinks "The Cage(TOS)" was about space and the planet Talos IV they clearly weren't paying close attention.

Time to drop this again. From the lips ( well typewriter) of the Great Bird himself
YES, THE STAR TREK FORMAT IS ACTUALLY THAT SIMPLE. IF YOU'RE A TV PROFESSIONAL, YOU ALREADY KNOW THE FOLLOWING SEVEN RULES:
I. Build your episode on an action-adventure frame- work. 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.
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 anes- thetics; Matt Dillon never identifies and dis- cusses the breed of his horse before he rides off on it.
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.
IV. Then, with that firm foundation established, inter- weave in it any statement to be made about man, society and so on. Yes, we want you to have some- thing to say, but say it entertainingly as you do on any other show. We don't need essays, how- ever brilliant.
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.)
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...".
VII. Stop worrying about not being a scientist. How many cowboys, police officers and doctors wrote westerns, detective and hospital shows

 

[cooleddie74]

The best shows in any genre about the people and not the specific setting. We love Columbo not because he's a Los Angeles Police Department homicide detective. We love him because of who he is, how he behaves and how he interacts with other people in an investigation.

When the show becomes the setting it's failing.

 

[drt]

Chapel appeared in all 3 TOS seasons in about as many episodes as Chekov, and yet she is forgettable, often not counted among the main characters when people talk only about the Big 7. Nobody is going to forget Jess Bush's Chapel.

In the 70s, Chapel was reasonably well regarded, and most fans liked her as much of any of the other minor characters. She was obviously considered more important than Chekov when they did TAS.

I think the disconnect really started when Barrett wasn’t featured in the post-TMP movies, probably in solidarity with Roddenberry after he was cut out of the production process. (Well except for her cameo in ST4, when it seemed like Paramount was more willing to humor Roddenberry on the run up to TNG.).

 

[Nerys Myk]

She was obviously considered more important than Chekov when they did TAS.

Strange that.

 

[Serveaux]

Disagree. It's in the name. "Star" and "New Worlds" implies space exploration, not exploring deep interpersonal back stories that you can see in any other random show. It's cheap and easy. Character development is one thing but it should be only enough to support the underlying interesting premise of human space exploration. Which is just overlooked constantly and is why a lot of star trek fails. Nobody cares about Picard's inner struggles with his childhood as he tends to his vineyard - it's boring and has nothing to do with stars or space. So they stop watching. Then the show is cancelled.... Enough of the overdone backstory, childhoods, flashbacks - it's easy to do, but reallllly stupid. Thanks!

Not a thing you've said here is true or even particularly observant as an opinion. But you have the right to say it.

 

[cooleddie74]

If I want a space drama solely about probing and scanning planets and bodies of gas I'll watch Nova on PBS or Carl Sagan's original Cosmos.

 

[Sci]

If I want a space drama solely about probing and scanning planets and bodies of gas I'll watch Nova on PBS or Carl Sagan's original Cosmos.

But what if I want to watch a show where the biggest plot development is the crew learning the fifth planet in a new star system contains an unusually large percentage of uranium deposits?

 

[cooleddie74]

[*Furiously writes script for that episode and makes sure to include wacky subplot about food synthesizers malfunctioning*]

 

[Pauln6]

[*Furiously writes script for that episode and makes sure to include wacky subplot about food synthesizers malfunctioning*]

I'm thinking hallucinogens and a flashmob in the recreation room with everyone naked but all their naughty bits cleverly obscured by by PADDS, large jugs, and tribbles.

Oh wait... no, sorry that was this morning's dream.

 

[Gov Kodos]

Disagree. It's in the name. "Star" and "New Worlds" implies space exploration, not exploring deep interpersonal back stories that you can see in any other random show. It's cheap and easy. Character development is one thing but it should be only enough to support the underlying interesting premise of human space exploration. Which is just overlooked constantly and is why a lot of star trek fails. Nobody cares about Picard's inner struggles with his childhood as he tends to his vineyard - it's boring and has nothing to do with stars or space. So they stop watching. Then the show is cancelled.

So, producers, make more episodes like this one. Enough of the overdone backstory, childhoods, flashbacks - it's easy to do, but reallllly stupid. Thanks!

Would anyone take seriously a scene with Kirk lying in his bunk soul searching about the weight of command decisions in the middle of a long running space battle with an enemy ship?

 

[Gov Kodos]

Disagree. It's in the name. "Star" and "New Worlds" implies space exploration, not exploring deep interpersonal back stories that you can see in any other random show. It's cheap and easy. Character development is one thing but it should be only enough to support the underlying interesting premise of human space exploration. Which is just overlooked constantly and is why a lot of star trek fails. Nobody cares about Picard's inner struggles with his childhood as he tends to his vineyard - it's boring and has nothing to do with stars or space. So they stop watching. Then the show is cancelled.

So, producers, make more episodes like this one. Enough of the overdone backstory, childhoods, flashbacks - it's easy to do, but reallllly stupid. Thanks!

Would anyone take seriously a scene with Kirk lying in his bunk soul searching about the weight of command decisions in the middle of a long running space battle with an enemy ship?

Or a star ship captain driven to madness over guilt at losing his crew so he does a kamikaze run out of despair?

Who could take a show like that seriously?