^ That muddy set is just the artist's rendering I think. Take a look over at Donny's thread in the Fan Art area (if you haven't already), you'd swear you were looking at the real thing.
STC Episode 6 (news and speculation)....
- Thread starter Warped9
- Start date
Letter-writing campaign!!!!!
Getting back to that recent radio interview. Vic made a few comments I thought were interesting.
One thing he said caught my attention. He said that STC gets a lot of story idea submissions and that even amongst all of that they seem to rarely come across the kind of story STC is looking for. If the story ideas submitted are anything like the suggestions I've seen on STC's FB page I can certainly understand what Vic is saying.
The other thing Vic said seemed to allude he would rather not be heavily involved in the writing given all the other hats he has to wear. He didn't elaborate much on exactly why, but maybe he feels it's not his forte. He knows what he likes, but that isn't automatically the same as being able to write it yourself.
The issue of McKennah came up again. He says that initially he talked with Michelle Specht about possibly playing Chapel or Rand or some other TOS character, but in the end they decided to create a new role for her. And here is where Vic violated his edict to remain true to TOS in speculating that maybe a ship's Counselor might have been conceived in a hypothetical fourth TOS season.
I don't think so since the Gene Roddenberry of 1969 wasn't the same man of 1986. While some things would undoubtedly remain the same it's also apparent that GR's perspective on in other respects did indeed change over the next twenty years. He certainly didn't think of any ship's Counselor during the late '70s when they were developing Phase II and TMP and that was a decade after TOS.
This isn't a rag on the McKennah character. It's an observation of an inconsistency in Vic's stated intents for STC. As we've all observed they do remain consistent with TOS in many respects, but they also slip things in there that would definitely have never seen the light of day on TOS.
One thing he said caught my attention. He said that STC gets a lot of story idea submissions and that even amongst all of that they seem to rarely come across the kind of story STC is looking for. If the story ideas submitted are anything like the suggestions I've seen on STC's FB page I can certainly understand what Vic is saying.
The other thing Vic said seemed to allude he would rather not be heavily involved in the writing given all the other hats he has to wear. He didn't elaborate much on exactly why, but maybe he feels it's not his forte. He knows what he likes, but that isn't automatically the same as being able to write it yourself.
The issue of McKennah came up again. He says that initially he talked with Michelle Specht about possibly playing Chapel or Rand or some other TOS character, but in the end they decided to create a new role for her. And here is where Vic violated his edict to remain true to TOS in speculating that maybe a ship's Counselor might have been conceived in a hypothetical fourth TOS season.
I don't think so since the Gene Roddenberry of 1969 wasn't the same man of 1986. While some things would undoubtedly remain the same it's also apparent that GR's perspective on in other respects did indeed change over the next twenty years. He certainly didn't think of any ship's Counselor during the late '70s when they were developing Phase II and TMP and that was a decade after TOS.
This isn't a rag on the McKennah character. It's an observation of an inconsistency in Vic's stated intents for STC. As we've all observed they do remain consistent with TOS in many respects, but they also slip things in there that would definitely have never seen the light of day on TOS.
I'm a little disappointed that he pushed the idea of a counselor forward to Troi instead of looking back at Helen Noel or Dehner. McKennah is thankfully a long way away from having a seat on the bridge to "feel out" new life and new civilizations. She's definitely no Deanna Troi, and I hope they stay far away from that.
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Is it really clear who first proposed the idea?
Regardless it is a sort of retcon that doesn't really pass the smell test.
I don't want this to turn into a McKennah bash. At this point, though, I just think it would help if they would define her role better. I would stick to referring to her primarily as "Doctor" rather than "Counselor." And pattern her more like Elizabeth Dehner (in function) rather than Deanna Troi, as someone suggesred earlier upthread.
Regardless it is a sort of retcon that doesn't really pass the smell test.
I don't want this to turn into a McKennah bash. At this point, though, I just think it would help if they would define her role better. I would stick to referring to her primarily as "Doctor" rather than "Counselor." And pattern her more like Elizabeth Dehner (in function) rather than Deanna Troi, as someone suggesred earlier upthread.
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I agree with you. I actually like it when fan films introduce something new and unique to their own productions, and McKennah can work just fine.
Sadly, I'm not convinced they've used her well yet. Giving her the Dehner role of ship's psychiatrist (or psychologist) would be much more in keeping with TOS sensibilities.
Not having seen the episode, wouldn't adding a few relatively small characters be a fairly minor change? TOS had a crew of several hundred, even if we only saw half a dozen every week.
This is the only part of your post that really is worth discussing, honestly. The McKennah complaining by fans needs to just stop. She's there, she's not going anywhere. End of story.
This above quoted element however makes total sense. I think it says a lot about Vic that he may recognize that writing isn't something that you just pick up and do well after two days at a McKee seminar, that it takes years of work and practice and fine-tuning. He clearly wants Continues to be the best it can be but he wants it to be so because it will have earned that status, not because he wants to compete with others or simply so he can brandish it about fandom. I get that.
Hopefully this will also translate to his recognizing the need for serious story editing as the writing process continues (see what I did there?) as they move toward the ultimate goal we all want --- the best stories possible.
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Re McKennah out of place- Agree!
I've also tried to make this point several times in various threads. Context and viewpoint each matter. Her character is a kludge... a reverse anachronism. She represents our values projected back onto a 60's show. It's a heavy handed call back to Next Gen. Even the mid-late 70's Phase II's Ilea character was a Deltan "sensitive" but she was to be the navigator, not a counselor. The emotive/psych role is ole' L. H. McCoy (patterned on H.L. Mencken and Arrowsmith)
Spock, McCoy, Kirk: Ego, ID, Superego.
The golden rule of three.
Humans like things in threes.
To my point re Roddenberry's mind on this- In the timeframe of '70-'71. Roddenberry was thinking about Traveltubes, Pretty Maids in Rows, Scantily clad men and women in Togas- Scantily clad with two belly buttons, and an ersatz Kirk (Hunt) with a subordinate (and quite meek) woman sidekick (Harper-Smythe).
Just to be fair- re reverse anachronisms-
I took issue with NV's Blood and Fire for the same reasons. I applaud the thinking, but call bs on it being authentic TOS.
---
As for producers making good writers- Roddenberry's dialogue seemed forced, and his homilies heavy handed: "E- Plebnista!"
Hoo Boy!
In any case, too many hats prevents an overheated brain from cooling off- and you get a result which is all preachy-like- Just how long did that injured old Union soldier go on yappin' anyhow?
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STC could use a bikini clad alien princess with a double belly-button. I remember looking forward to Genesis II - I was 13 and crushing on Mariette Hartley. I'm not sure if it would have been a decent series if it was picked up, but Hartley would have been worth tuning in for.
I don't have a problem with McKennah and I'm not interested in her character being bashed. I was just pointing out that her arrival strikes me as counter to Vic's stated intent of creating TOS as close as possible to as it was in 1969.
^^OK. @ Warped 9
Did not at all mean to take you out of context.
My opinions about a ship's counselor in 1969 produced Trek are my own.
For the record, I quite like Ms Specht's work as an actress. She brings a great energy to every scene she's in.
Did not at all mean to take you out of context.
My opinions about a ship's counselor in 1969 produced Trek are my own.
For the record, I quite like Ms Specht's work as an actress. She brings a great energy to every scene she's in.
Looking at your Avatar sent my mind a wanderin' - thinkin' 'bout gettin' in a Hyperloop tube and goin' ta' visit the village of a b-u-tiful and green - Orion Mariette Hartley.
I was thinking in the fine tradition of Lou Ferrigno going green again, maybe Gigi Edgley will go blue again, this time as an Andorian.
Chiana was grey. The other lady was the blue one.
Either way, Zhaan was way more blue than Chiana.
The only person more blue was probably D'Argo, after Chiana banged his kid.
The only person more blue was probably D'Argo, after Chiana banged his kid.
OK,
All this cool Farscape action has me thinking-
Wait...
Robert Crichton was played by Ben Browder- who later went on to play Cameron Mitchell on Stargate - which did an episode spoof of - Star Trek and Farscape.
Now we have an actress from Farscape, in a continued Star Trek.
and I just hurt my head.
BTW
Kudos on Continues' nab of Gigi Edgley.
All this cool Farscape action has me thinking-
Wait...
Robert Crichton was played by Ben Browder- who later went on to play Cameron Mitchell on Stargate - which did an episode spoof of - Star Trek and Farscape.
Now we have an actress from Farscape, in a continued Star Trek.
and I just hurt my head.
BTW
Kudos on Continues' nab of Gigi Edgley.
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