The Final Frontier-The Way to Eden II

[Gojira]

I posted a thread last week or so about how I enjoy the episode The Way to Eden. I just watched The Final Frontier this last weekend and enjoyed it despite its flaws.

But there are parallels to the episode the Way to Eden. A crazy madman and his followers try to steal the Enterprise on a spiritual quest to find God/Eden/Paradise.

Both in the movie and episode the main protagonists meet their demise as they realize that Paradise was not what they truly have found.

Both movie and episode get philosophical at the end about finding Eden/Paradise or creating it ourselves.

 

[sonak]

Yes, it's very similar in plot, other than the differences in the "spiritual leader's" character and back story, and the "Planet of Galactic Peace" hostage-taking stuff.




Apparently, there were efforts to dissuade Shatner from using the plotline he did for TFF, not necessarily for its similarity to "way to eden," but just because the ending would be so predictable.



(they won't find God or Paradise. It's the "gilligan's island" scenario, or to put in in TVtropes talk,


"failure is the only option.")

 

[SchwEnt]

Yeah as much as people deride TMP as "Where Nomad Has Gone Before", TFF is surely a re-telling of "The Way to Eden".

And somehow, Spock and Chekov forget they already did all the work calculating the location of Eden (in the Neutral Zone) and not at the center of the galaxy.

And everyone should have told Sybok that they've already gone there before and it's not so great.

 

[Gojira]

Did anyone realize it at the time that is was similar to the episode Way to Eden?

 

[BillJ]

Did anyone realize it at the time that is was similar to the episode Way to Eden?

I did.

 

[sonak]

Yeah as much as people deride TMP as "Where Nomad Has Gone Before", TFF is surely a re-telling of "The Way to Eden".

And somehow, Spock and Chekov forget they already did all the work calculating the location of Eden (in the Neutral Zone) and not at the center of the galaxy.

And everyone should have told Sybok that they've already gone there before and it's not so great.

yeah, I actually think it'd be pretty funny when they rehash these old premises, the characters actually acknowledged they'd been through something similar:



"what's that, Sybok? Your leading your followers on a quest for a planet that's supposed to be Eden? Hmmm... seems very familiar."

 

[GalaxyX]

Yes, it's very similar in plot, other than the differences in the "spiritual leader's" character and back story, and the "Planet of Galactic Peace" hostage-taking stuff.




Apparently, there were efforts to dissuade Shatner from using the plotline he did for TFF, not necessarily for its similarity to "way to eden," but just because the ending would be so predictable.



(they won't find God or Paradise. It's the "gilligan's island" scenario, or to put in in TVtropes talk,


"failure is the only option.")

What are you talking about? I respectfully disagree, with evidence:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pn0G857KIk8

 

[Admiral_Young]

In fairness while the film does have similarities to the episode, I doubt that Shatner even thought about "This Way to Eden" when he came up with the plot to the film. To him this was an original concept that he was wanting to tell. As for the characters, well that depends on the writer to have remembered that and put it in the story when it comes to recollecting past missions.

 

[Gojira]

In fairness while the film does have similarities to the episode, I doubt that Shatner even thought about "This Way to Eden" when he came up with the plot to the film. To him this was an original concept that he was wanting to tell. As for the characters, well that depends on the writer to have remembered that and put it in the story when it comes to recollecting past missions.

I don't think the similarities were intentional.

 

[Dukhat]

Did anyone realize it at the time that is was similar to the episode Way to Eden?

No, I was too busy wondering just what the hell I was watching.

"The Way to Eden" is superior in every way to ST:V, even with the hideous singing space hippies.

 

[Gojira]

Did anyone realize it at the time that is was similar to the episode Way to Eden?

No, I was too busy wondering just what the hell I was watching.

"The Way to Eden" is superior in every way to ST:V, even with the hideous singing space hippies.

I guess that is the reason why I like both. The Way to Eden is a fun cheesy episode and The Final Frontier reminds me of some of those types of episodes.

 

[Potemkin_Prod]

Space Therapist, you'll probably enjoy David Eversole's Settlers. It's a short story on the Orion Press website: http://www.fastcopyinc.com/orionpress/2294-2400_The_Adventures_Continue/settlers.htm

 

[JarodRussell]

Apparently, there were efforts to dissuade Shatner from using the plotline he did for TFF, not necessarily for its similarity to "way to eden," but just because the ending would be so predictable. (they won't find God or Paradise. It's the "gilligan's island" scenario, or to put in in TVtropes talk, "failure is the only option.")

Have no problems with that trope at all. It's still interesting what they are going to find and how they deal with it.

Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade are also "failure is the only option".

 

[sonak]

Yes they are, and I think by "Last Crusade," it starts to detract from the films. And by "KOTCS," they're doing the exact same ending for the third time in four movies.(the heroes and villains rendezvous at the end, the macguffin is discovered, the villains are destroyed by the macguffin or something connected to it, then for some contrived reason, the characters either can't make use of the macguffin, or can't take it with them)