They had a suit and it featured prominently but there was absolutely a CG Gorn used as well, for at least several (most?) wide shots.
The Gorn: A good enemy?
- Thread starter Death Ray
- Start date
Obviously, we'll eventually communicate properly with the Gorn and reach some kind of "Arena" like understanding. But that's for season 3.
They won't just leave them as mindless monsters, the writers and producers know how Trek works.
They won't just leave them as mindless monsters, the writers and producers know how Trek works.
From Variety:
AKIVA GOLDSMAN: I thought it was important for there to be real monsters in our galaxy ... By the way, many of the other “Star Trek” antagonists began as alien, as Other — forgive the use of “alien” — but we learned to connect with them. Not so the Gorn. The Gorn are not understandable to us in this way, not relatable to us in this way. Part of our galaxy is be good, be kind, be empathetic, and also understand that evil exists, because seeing with compassion does mean you should be blind to horror. The Gorn are monsters.
From Inverse:
GOLDSMAN: “I mean, this goes all the way back to the Gorn skeleton in Lorca’s lab on Discovery. Much less the Gorn neon velvet painting in the Artifact in Picard Season 1, which was painted out [in post-production.] So yes, I’ve always wanted to sell a version of the Gorn. But, our Gorn are real monsters. Compassion and empathy, are the driving themes and intent for our show. But, we also wanted to say that those things don't preclude the existence of monsters. So, that’s the role the Gorn have currently on our show. I'm a believer in kindness, connection, and understanding. I also believe there are monsters out there. And it's our job to show both.”
This version of the Gorn is about as well thought out with depth and nuance as the Discovery version of the Klingons were.
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Give them time, they'll say this now because that's what they want the Gorn to be seen as now. But those humanising/relatable aspects will come in, they do every single time.
I wouldn’t mind a truly monstrous threat, but I wish they weren’t using the Gorn, who already have an established canon. I think the Gorn are just an excuse for schlocky action.
Whether or not you like the Gorn as portrayed in SNW, does anyone really get the impression that Kurtzman/Goldsman could actually develop a complex villain, or something as innovative and still frightening (by ST standards) as the Borg?
Again: if you want to do schlock movie monsters as an enemy, fine, but at least be original. The Gorn are clearly Xenomorph knockoffs (in 2023, no less!) Oh... and the giant Gorn ship emerging, ID4-style, from a cloud... in a cloudless sky? Chef's kiss.
Even the Jem'Hadar had some decent moral complexity to them. The episode where Odo tries to rehabilitate a young Jem'Hadar is a real standout to me.
Sure, why not?
For me as well, since it establishes that their violent nature and contempt for other races is genetically locked in. "To the Death" and "By Inferno's Light" do give them a sense of honor... but they're still remorseless killing machines.
I think you have to take a look at what the creators have delivered so far. Curent Trek series are too fast paced and FX driven for the creators to be overly concerned with building tension the way the earlier (but also cheaper) Trek series had to. The Gorn are exactly what you would expect from a studio philosophy based more on thrills than creativity.
I see no reason not too. Though Kurtzman’s involvement with the show is minimal. In addition to Goldsman, the guy running things is Henry Alonso Meyers. Though I guess Kurtzman is quite the Boogey Man.
Never found the Borg particularly innovative and they were frightening for maybe an episode or two. Relentless techno-zombie? Doctor Who says “Hi.”
And discovering this is what makes them interesting adversaries. They are monsters, but complex ones, which is why I think the "xenogorns" are just not that interesting.
I see no reason not too. Though Kurtzman’s involvement with the show is minimal. In addition to Goldsman, the guy running things is Henry Alonso Meyers. Though I guess Kurtzman is quite the Boogey Man.
Never found the Borg particularly innovative and they were frightening for maybe an episode or two. Relentless techno-zombie? Doctor Who says “Hi.”
Unfortunately, the Borg became zombies when the creators realized they had something interesting on their hands and overexposed them.
"I, Borg" really set the standard for how the Borg should have been utilized post BoBW. Even Worf is scared shitless of them. The Borg should have remained an overwhelming enemy to be avoided or outwitted, but rarely confronted. Their uncompromising alien-ness was their hook.
As for the Gorn? I say dispose of them as villains and come up with something more creative.
They were Zombies from day one.
The Gorn have appeared like three times. I say we wait and see where the creators are going with them. The hints dropped seem to indicate somewhere interesting. If we stopped at three Borg appearances, we never would have gotten “I,Borg”. It’s a good episode that uses “the humanize the enemy” trope. They might go that route with the Gorn.
Something must happen to classify all aspects of the Gorn, before Arena.
Probably not.
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