Would also solve the problem of giving the era some future slang so that it doesnt rely entirely on just the way we talk now (something I personally dont care about to be fair but I understand the issue).
The curse(?) of small universe syndrome
- Thread starter Laura Cynthia Chambers
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Great points, all. Will simmer on that as lunch is calling, hehe.
IMHO, when done right, Small Universe Syndrome (SUS) can add to the lore in effective and rewarding ways that also expand the universe with (instead of just latching onto it for empty spectacle or namedropping, and/or not used as a crutch for sequels) or, worse, how everything is related to and/or revolves around just one character. (IMHO, Data and his family tree is one of the more egregiously delicious examples of this as time went on, or at least egregious, but YMMV, if not cherrypicked depending on which shiny new character appeared the following season. Another example, with ENT being a prequel that didn't answer a lot and prequels often try to fill in the gaps over what succeeds it - apart from possibly explaining a new timeline for the Borg thanks to "First Contact" - was done (and fairly decently, actually), that I recall.)
When done too much, it becomes predictable or a plot crutch or "again?" being asked, or "that's stretching things that all these characters and situations are related in a galaxy as big as ours". "Vendetta" is an awesome novel, but did the doomsday machine from "The Doomsday Machine" really need to be used? It felt like small universe syndrome was creeping in and for the sake of spectacle more than anything else (the novel had far more going for it, from what I recall, which helped). NEM trotted out another Data clone, and amazingly nobody else picked up on the signal. Yikes, that just crossed my mind without any thought so it really is a perfect example. STFC introduced the Borg and with explanative dialogue so cheesy that it made the worst of STV TFF feel like taut Shakespeare by comparison and there were many ways the Queen could be introduced other than "you humans and your limited thinking", which fails for too many reasons as I'd then be deviating from the point of this thread way too much.
Plus, no matter how often a popular person or place is used, it runs the risk of losing luster. I remember Galorndan Core from "The Enemy", which had some interesting dramatic weight as well as planetary properties that almost begged a proper return to exploiting of*, since TNG was already hot to trot on re-using Lore in a contrived way, Minuet in a good but an even more contrived way, The Traveler in a good if not slightly contrived way, etc. Fast forward to when the rot set in and the planet's name is used as a cheap reference only, and nobody had invented "memberberries" yet to describe it with. Apparently, Memory Alpha reveals the place has been used so often as a plotting point that it's amazing nobody hauled the Skipper and Gilligan over to set up a resort there.
Sci-fi is absurd, but sci-fi has degrees of absurdity, often tamed by playing it straight. But then, someone decided "Oi, was V'Ger made by the Borg?" or "Did the Borg create V'Ger?" and that's where SUS really kicks into warp drive with.
* e.g. mining resources by Federation or Romulans or Borg or Fred Flintstone or anybody
Yeah but then it sounds more fake, rather than just technically precise and stiff.
That's real now
What should be happening is an ever accelerating series of events. Picture this: an actor walks down a hallway, turns a corner, and an actress had replaced them. Turns another corner and a horta is moving through rock...still another corner and the confusion is getting out of hand.
Same person, different fashion statement.
This would be near the level of the aliens in Charlie's Law...
A couple of years after this, then what happened to Sargon's world happens to Earth...
And don't forget the David Bowman star child of '2001: A Space Odyssey' fame. Also remember that apparently all humans in the alternative ending became star children at the same time...
Same person, different fashion statement.
This would be near the level of the aliens in Charlie's Law...
A couple of years after this, then what happened to Sargon's world happens to Earth...
And don't forget the David Bowman star child of '2001: A Space Odyssey' fame. Also remember that apparently all humans in the alternative ending became star children at the same time...
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Yeah but then it sounds more fake, rather than just technically precise and stiff.
That's real now
Of course, they could write dialogue introducing the term to us and other characters at the same time...but then half the episode would be characters reading from the dictionary of Starfleet Slang.
I find small universe syndrome is more of an issue for me in the expanded media rather than the main shows. The novels had the various crew of the 24th century interacting with each other more than we ever saw on screen. We know they belong in the same universe, but we don’t need to see them interact at every opportunity.
A lot of that happens because lit and comics deliberately include pairings and team-ups that people believe they would have liked to have seen when they later reflect on which characters would romance, get along, clash, or debate long into the night over a shared interest.
Usually only in special-event novels, though, not so much in the routine series installments.
I get that, but I just felt it was done to often for my liking. Other fans lap it up and want to see more of that type of thing, but it’s not for me. I am not taking anything away from the writers or any one else on the publishing side of things and I wouldn’t want to spoil the enjoyment of other fans, I read those books and took some level of enjoyment from them.
I suppose the reason it's done more often in novels/comics than onscreen is that it's easier to pull off, since you don't have to worry about actor salary or availability. Part of the appeal of tie-ins is that they can do things that the shows don't do.
Or re-casting and/or de-aging.
That is the advantage of written media, you are only limited to what you can imagine…and the rules set out by the publishers and studio.
Which are usually just "stay consistent with what's onscreen." Or in the case of tie-ins to a currently active series, "avoid subjects that might be covered onscreen soon," though that's still about trying to avoid contradiction.
Technobabble discernment—but I bleed a little while using it—like Deku’s cohort
The first time you read a story like that, it's awesome. The 200th time, not so much. However, each of those other 199 are a new fan's first time.
There needs to be a balance between new and old characters so that the old don't dominate the new - it doesn't become their show, pushing the new guys to the sidelines. And the new shouldn't make the old look stupid and incompetent.
There's also the multiple possible reactions to the old characters: new gushing over old to new lording it over old to new never having heard of old. All of these can be well done or overdone.
There's also the multiple possible reactions to the old characters: new gushing over old to new lording it over old to new never having heard of old. All of these can be well done or overdone.
Another credit to Lower Decks is I think this show did it the best in the new crop, entirely new cast and ship, when an old character comes back they never take over the plot, outside episodes like Fissure Quest where that's the point.
Riker only saves the day in the S1 finale as an epilogue after the characters finished the story themselves. The characters go to DS9 and the story is about Tendi's relationship with her identity. They go to Voyager but the crew of that ship are busy doing their own thing rather than stopping by just to say hi. Also episodes like Fissure Quest are episode 9, not the season finale which is always squarely focused on the Lower Decks cast rather than another show (hello A Quality of Mercy).
Huh? A Quality of Mercy was a Pike focused episode.
This is just my read on it but A Quality of Mercy is a remake of a TOS episode that hinges on the TOS character being so important that the universe cant survive without him. Out of universe we understand that but it's not something I liked seeing in the episode. Plus the episode is basically just saying thank goodness Pike died so that Kirk had to do Balance of Terror instead since he'd have succeeded. In terms of balancing the old not overtaking the new this is one of the worst offenders in not keeping that balance, personally.
Also I think it messes up Pike's sacrifice because now it's less of a sacrifice and more of knowing if he survived he'd cause this huge problem. I'd honestly prefer if we got a glimpse of Pike's future and it was perfectly fine, maybe even great. It's a tragic sacrifice and I think SNW keeps trying to make it less tragic because we like him (S3's finale also gives him his old age so that what happens feels less sad).
Prime definition of small universe syndrome both within the show and outside the show, dedicating a season finale to remaking a classic episode rather than focusing on your own stuff. I dont really hate it in theory (other than the Spock is always fated to die if Pike is there and that will always be a bad thing) but it's not something I personally think a show's season should end on because it feels like looking at the past.
Its a wonderful life.
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