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STC Ep. 8: "Still Treads The Shadow" rating and discussion....

Rating "Still Treads The Shadow."

  • Excellent (little to nothing to criticize)

    Votes: 27 42.9%

  • Good (mostly works well, but some missteps)

    Votes: 21 33.3%

  • Fair (passable, but could have been better)

    Votes: 12 19.0%

  • Poor (some potential, but largely unrealized)

    Votes: 3 4.8%

  • Bad (a waste of time)

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    63
  • Poll closed .
Bixby said:
I've seen this episode 3 times by now, will try to not go too indepth since that would just make the usual people's heads explode.
The good parts: as usual Matt Bucy's work is outstanding, his camera set-ups are clear, well-composed, and his post-production colour enhancement is pure wow. I'd be interested to find out with what program and how many hours it takes for him to enhance the footage.
The CG shots were well done, but sadly I didn't really find any of them to be ''showstoppers'' like in the earliest episodes. My teeth gnashed a bit when one of the starships does a totally impossible 180 degree pivot (it looked familiar to one done for New Voyages, somehow...)

The less good: Rekha Sharma's costume was kinda boring and forgettable, like something borrowed from Canadian sci-fi shows (which she's appeared in) like Stargate.
The story: oy...The much-aged spaceman kept alive by a super-intelligent disembodied being was done in a more interesting way when it was Zephram Cochrane and his companion. But I'll focus on this episode...
STC's biggest weakness is its scripts, and it's still bloody apparent that no one in the company is willing to be the ''asshole'' that every production needs when it comes to the role of the story editor. They just give tiny tweaks to what's likely second or third drafts (probably second).
They have a bunch of friends they want to give at least a few lines each episode, even if these lines are incorrectly allocated. For example during the Klingon Bird of Prey bit with Spock nowhere in sight for no reason at all, they hand what should be his lines to a handful of other characters. And when it's all over Spock just casually enters the bridge !!!!!
The episode is littered with bits that are superfluous, weakly thought-out or just fall flat:
Old Kirk was marooned on the Defiant for over 40 years yet the ship was spotless when young Kirk boards, save for one lone coffee cup. Old Kirk to really bring home his desperation and depression should have left the ship in shambles. He's not going to become Mr. Neat freak.
Tom Hanks spent 4 years marooned on an island, he needed 6 months of therapy before they released him to his old life. Old kirk just has a half-hour conversation with McKenna and all is fine?!? Matt Decker was a much more believable deep trauma victim than Old kirk here.

In this episode Spock and McCoy are damn gullible, in fact they all go along way too quickly that this is indeed an ''aged kirk from another universe'', never questioning it, and in fact they betray the direct orders of the man they know to be their C.O. and instead do what this unknown entity tells them.
Once again Kirk is totally useless as regards the end resolution, the Old Kirk does everything. In fact Spock as well never once offers any solution to how to dislodge the Enterprise, escape the black hole or prevent the Defiant from disappearing forever.
Rekha Sharma is charming, but her character is completely unnecessary to the story and ill-defined, except as ''generic former Kirk flame''. She's a gravitational wave engineer yet knows how to pilot a starship.
Same thing for Tiberius. Original Trek had Landru, Vaal and Nomad, but Tiberius just has nothing to make him stand out. Why does Tiberius need old Kirk as a friend? Tiberius juiced up the Defiant so it could go up to Warp 15? Go where if there was nothing in its original universe, but if there was why was Old Kirk stuck for 218 years?

It's just so disappointing, it's obvious the STC gang wants to have fun and present a pretty product, but there is more heart and effort put into their stories by other productions out there...I wish them luck!
Click to expand...
Well said. And, particulars aside, the critique of the writing can be applied to most fan-films.
 
Here is an article from Fansided daily trying to argue the case that CBS were violating their own fan film guidelines in casting Rekha Sharma from Star Trek Continues.
http://redshirtsalwaysdie.com/2017/05/10/cbs-just-violate-star-trek-fan-film-guidelines/
http://redshirtsalwaysdie.com/2017/05/10/cbs-just-violate-star-trek-fan-film-guidelines/

another-triple-facepalm.jpg
 
Bixby said:
Ah, a spitball from the peanut gallery.
you're starting to make me feel like FDR there...

I welcome it
Click to expand...

From the guy whose career consists of sitting in the peanut gallery shooting spitballs at successful professionals.

I'm sure they welcome it, too.
 
Maurice said:
Just because someone has professional screenwriting credits doesn't mean they necessarily always write a good or even professional grade script. "Blood and Fire" proved that.
Click to expand...

Absolutely. Unlike the many and storied "professional screenwriters" on this board, I certainly am not qualified to be the judge of what is (or is not) "professional grade" in Hollywood.
 
DavidAntman said:
From the guy whose career consists of sitting in the peanut gallery shooting spitballs at successful professionals.

I'm sure they welcome it, too.
Click to expand...
I guess they're more than spitballs if you always come here all triggered and in a huff yet never debate anything I bring up...
And I've got over 25 years of working on broadcast television productions and films under my belt, maybe I just might have an idea what I'm talking about?
see you in 4 months...

BTW, as far as trolling goes, I give you the grade of 2.5 out of 10
 
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Firebird said:
The only thing I'm going to mention is they're still having problems getting Chuck Huber's hair piece to look right.
Click to expand...

I finally got around to watching it. I thought the same thing. Just when you think you would never see something worse than TOS Chekov's wig, good ole ST: Continues comes along and proves you wrong. Someone should have phasered that thing off his head.

Episode was mediocre. It's like they took bits of TOS episodes and jumbled them together. Another duplicate Kirk, an old Kirk, another sentient computer, I was waiting for Kirk to talk it to death like he's done so many times before.

I did enjoy Kipleigh Brown, as always. :beer:
 
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