Spoilers Starfleet Academy General Discussion Thread

[Tosk]

I’m not gonna go doom and gloom on things just yet.

I just loathe it when shows that are on the bubble do a cliffhanger. They do it because they think it increases their chances of coming back (which does actually work once in a blue moon) but really all it does is increase the chances of having a show with no ending.

It's my peeve, no one has to agree.

Also, one would hopefully forgive me if I'm cynical about the "organic and natural" line she gave.

 

[fireproof78]

*nods in Best of Both Worlds.*

 

[Farscape One]

*nods in Best of Both Worlds.*

Except TNG wasn't in danger of being canceled at that point.

Doing a cliffhanger when you have no idea if you're coming back just feels like doing a disservice to people who are watching it.

 

[Agony_Boothb]

Except TNG wasn't in danger of being canceled at that point.

Doing a cliffhanger when you have no idea if you're coming back just feels like doing a disservice to people who are watching it.

*nods in Best of Both Worlds.*

If I remember correctly, TNG wasnt' at risk of cancellation but, Patrick Stewart's contract was up for renewal and they wanted an out if negotiations fell through. The show would have continued with Riker as Captain.

 

[Michael]

When we talked to talked to you and Gaia a couple of weeks ago, you teased the season 2 finale a bit. So just to be clear, would you call it a cliffhanger?

Noga Landau: I would say it is a cliffhanger. It is a cliffhanger at the end of season 2.

The season 1 finale wraps up cleanly, even though you knew you had another season. But for season 2 you don’t know, so why go with a cliffhanger?

Noga Landau: Honestly it’s because we listened to what our story wanted to be, and we went with it. We wrote it the way that it felt organic and natural. And I hope we get to keep making many more seasons of Starfleet Academy, because we have a lot more story to tell.

Interview: ‘Star Trek: Starfleet Academy’ Showrunners Talk Season Finale Messages, Tease Season 2 Villain

TrekMovie spoke to Alex Kurtzman and Noga Landau about what's next.

trekmovie.com

Honestly, what little anticipation I had just got halved. I now know I can look forward to a season that does not actually finish, and possibly might never finish. What a shitty decision.

Yeah, think this is a pretty shortsighted decision that I doubt will have any effect on whether they get picked up for a third season or not. Depending on what exactly the cliffhanger will be, this ultimately has the potential to really piss off viewers. But also, what’s the thinking behind revealing this so early? Is it really because they think knowing season two will end on a cliffhanger will somehow mobilize viewers to start demanding a third season? I can’t imagine that it’s very likely to happen that way.

---

Haven’t seen someone mention this, but Steve Chives just did a video review of the first season the other day and I think he articulates pretty well what I liked and didn’t like about the first season, right up to not being a massive fan of how “Series Acclimation Mil” turned out. Overall he’s definitely a fan of the show. Heck, in some cases (like with “Vitus Reflex” and “Ko’Zeine”) his verdict is even more positive than mine. And I like the way he frames the kind of storytelling the show does, calling it an “album structure”:

“I call it album structure because I like to compare it to how a musician arranges tracks on an album, dividing it in half, placing the high points in the right positions so that each song — or episode, in this case — has a chance to stand out on its own, and the whole project has a unity and a flow. Season one of Starfleet Academy is ten episodes. Episode one introduces the concept, the villain, the major story arcs. Episodes two, three, four, and five are standalone stories that keep those plot threads introduced in episode one going, but don’t focus on them. Episode six, the villain returns, some of the story and character arcs that have been running so far are resolved, some are continued, and some new ones are introduced. Episodes seven and eight, standalone stories, but we see characters dealing with the consequences of events from episode six, and then episodes nine and ten are a two-part conclusion where everything that is still unresolved gets resolved. It doesn’t play like a movie that’s been stretched out and chopped into ten pieces — it plays like a goddamn TV series.”

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[Turtletrekker]

I had a high expectations for "Series Acclamation Mil" because more than one of the people that I follow who got to see the first six episodes in advance were calling it one of the franchises best. It was far from that. However, the emotions it made me feel justify the 10 I gave it.

As for how the story turned out, I think we were all hoping for that happy ending, but I honestly wasn't expecting it. But if, as reported, Avery Brooks was satisfied with how the story turned out, then "I can live with it".

 

[fireproof78]

Except TNG wasn't in danger of being canceled at that point.

Doing a cliffhanger when you have no idea if you're coming back just feels like doing a disservice to people who are watching it.

Stewart wasn't certain to come back.

But, again, weird perspective time for me.

 

[Farscape One]

Stewart wasn't certain to come back.

But, again, weird perspective time for me.

But TNG itself was not in danger. Unlike SFA, which is very much in danger of cancellation.

 

[fireproof78]

But TNG itself was not in danger. Unlike SFA, which is very much in danger of cancellation.

As I said, this is my odd place where I think Stewart leaving would feel as strange as a cancelation. But, I also don't mind cancelled shows even with cliffhangers so I'm afraid it doesn't hit as a disservice as you would say.

 

[Farscape One]

As I said, this is my odd place where I think Stewart leaving would feel as strange as a cancelation. But, I also don't mind cancelled shows even with cliffhangers so I'm afraid it doesn't hit as a disservice as you would say.

Even if Patrick Stewart left, TNG would have already had a 4th season coming, so it wasn't getting canceled at that point.

I think it's a disservice to people who watch because the writers are knowingly making a cliffhanger when the fate of a continuation of the series is at high risk.

 

[fireproof78]

think it's a disservice to people who watch because the writers are knowingly making a cliffhanger when the fate of a continuation of the series is at high risk.

Ok. I can accept that even if I don't agree. It's not logical but it's just true for me.

 

[Set Harth]

As I said, this is my odd place where I think Stewart leaving would feel as strange as a cancelation.

Maybe he would have had recurring guest appearances as Locutus.

 

[Firebird]

Yeah, think this is a pretty shortsighted decision that I doubt will have any effect on whether they get picked up for a third season or not. Depending on what exactly the cliffhanger will be, this ultimately has the potential to really piss off viewers. But also, what’s the thinking behind revealing this so early? Is it really because they think knowing season two will end on a cliffhanger will somehow mobilize viewers to start demanding a third season? I can’t imagine that it’s very likely to happen that way.

---

Haven’t seen someone mention this, but Steve Chives just did a video review of the first season the other day and I think he articulates pretty well what I liked and didn’t like about the first season, right up to not being a massive fan of how “Series Acclimation Mil” turned out. Overall he’s definitely a fan of the show. Heck, in some cases (like with “Vitus Reflex” and “Ko’Zeine”) his verdict is even more positive than mine. And I like the way he frames the kind of storytelling the show does, calling it an “album structure”:

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I liked Shives' review as well, but I always get a kick out of how bent outta shape he gets vis-a-vis fan service. I don't quite share his belief that Series Acclimation Mil represents the utter nadir of the season. It indulges in fan service, sure, but it serves a point to the plot and isn't just there in lieu of a story (cough-Picard-cough).

 

[Ray Hardgrit]

Some people need to get over the fact that Star Trek is an ongoing series and will occasional bring back or mention things that happened in earlier stories.

 

[Turtletrekker]

I liked Shives' review as well, but I always get a kick out of how bent outta shape he gets vis-a-vis fan service. I don't quite share his belief that Series Acclimation Mil represents the utter nadir of the season. It indulges in fan service, sure, but it serves a point to the plot and isn't just there in lieu of a story (cough-Picard-cough).

If that's his opinion of Series Acclamation Mil, then I'm not even going to bother wasting my time listening to it. I swear, sometimes I feel the need to put phrase "fan service" on the same shelf of irrelevancy as "canon violation".

 

[Firebird]

If that's his opinion of Series Acclamation Mil, then I'm not even going to bother wasting my time listening to it. I swear, sometimes I feel the need to put phrase "fan service" on the same shelf of irrelevancy as "canon violation".

His review is very good apart from the blind spot he's got on any measure of fan service. I tend to agree with 95% of his thoughts, so I'm more entertained by that differing 5% because Steve's not an asshole about it.

 

[Detached Nacelle]

I wonder if Admiral Vance's hair getting longer is because Oded Fehr wants in on The Mummy 4. I don't believe it's confirmed if he's in it or not.

 

[Firebird]

I wonder if Admiral Vance's hair getting longer is because Oded Fehr wants in on The Mummy 4. I don't believe it's confirmed if he's in it or not.

Season 1 was filmed almost two years ago, so I doubt that's the case.