The New Klingons

[Michael]

I dunno, I like 'em just fine.

“Change just for the sake of change” isn't necessarily a bad thing. These are new artists and new creators making this show. From my perspective they are in their full right to do something new with the material. It's actually what I would expect of artists with integrity.

These are still recognizable as Klingons to me. The Elizabethan costumes looks really interesting (a conscious nod to Nick Meyer's fondness for Shakespeare maybe). Together with the Notre Dame style sarcophagus ship and set design (what we've seen of it thus far) they form a pretty self-consistent whole. As for the elongated cranium; people here on Earth have been doing this for millennia, and they weren't aliens. So why not the Klingons?

 

[{ Emilia }]

^ I'm not saying they can't do it. I'm also not saying change is bad even if it's just for change's sake. I'm also not saying there couldn't be an explanation for it, even though it's rather funny that you're already engaged in the grand old Trekkie tradition of trying to find an in-universe explanation for something that just has out-of-universe production reasons.

I'm just saying... they look shit.

 

[Michael]

I'm just saying... they look shit.

And I understand and respect that. I'm merely arguing against the notion that they somehow can't be “real Klingons” or are inconsistent with how Klingon makeup has been treated before in the franchise. Just plain not liking them I can get behind. I didn't like the Discovery ship design we saw in the initial teaser (but have since then warmed to the redesign), so I can understand not liking the creator's design choice. I don't think anyone has to blindly rubber-stamp everything they present to us. But some of the reasons given for why the Klingon redesign allegedly cannot fit into canon and so on just seem weird to me.

 

[fireproof78]

And I understand and respect that. I'm merely arguing against the notion that they somehow can't be “real Klingons” or are inconsistent with how Klingon makeup has been treated before in the franchise. Just plain not liking them I can get behind. I didn't like the Discovery ship design we saw in the initial teaser (but have since then warmed to the redesign), so I can understand not liking the creator's design choice. I don't think anyone has to blindly rubber-stamp everything they present to us. But some of the reasons given for why the Klingon redesign allegedly cannot fit into canon and so on just seem weird to me.

It's weird to me as well. I really think the creators are going to offer more explanation than they will be given credit for, and the new Klingons in action will look far better than the stills indicate.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

The latest is that there will be several different Klingon redesigns used on DSC. So we may well see some of the old ones that we're used to. No reason racial diversity amongst Klingons can't manifest itself this way...

 

[137th Gebirg]

Precisely. The show runners have said many times there are different houses in this show, likely representing many different worlds. And, as I mentioned in an earlier post, there's nothing that says that an "Empire" the size of the Klingons wouldn't have multiple "Klingonoid" species (for lack of a better word) who are hybrids of different member races. There honestly may be no such thing anymore as "pureblood" Klingons, save for maybe the Sarcophagus Klingons.

 

[Rahul]

The latest is that there will be several different Klingon redesigns used on DSC. So we may well see some of the old ones that we're used to. No reason racial diversity amongst Klingons can't manifest itself this way...

As long as wee see some with hair and beards, I'm satisified

NBut yeah, that new make-up is... simply not good. Looks remarkable cheap.

 

[AutoAdmin]

A new news article has been published at TrekToday:

Fans are talking about the Klingons, who have been redesigned again, and Star Trek: Discovery Showrunner Aaron Harberts explained that change is...

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[psCargile]

. . . is something we do.

 

[Kor]

The elongated head looks somehow scatological.

Kor

 

[Zonker]

"We will introduce several different houses with different styles"

Does he mean different alien designs or different clothing/equipment designs? Cause if it's the former count me in.

 

[E-DUB]

I believe the name is spelled "Herberts".

 

[Tuskin38]

The latest is that there will be several different Klingon redesigns

I'm thinking they just meant different forehead designs.

 

[Psion]

I don't entirely buy in. The change from TOS to TMP was dramatic, but after that the essentials only evolved over time ... tending towards a more naturalistic look with more refined makeup techniques that better integrated with the actors' facial structure. I'm hoping for a better explanation than 'we switched from one rubber-head arrangement to another just because.' A different race of Klingons works, or (as some speculate) an older race makes more sense. But I see no advantage to making them look vaguely Narn-like unless there's some other point.

 

[Tim Thomason]

"We hired a new makeup artist."

 

[Psion]

"We hired a new makeup artist."

Yes, of course, but any competent makeup artist could copy the older designs. This is a new design entirely: the ridges are less pronounced, there's no hair, the ears are placed differently. There is a semblance to the Abramsverse Klingons, but even they had facial hair in the cut scenes from Trek 2009.

 

[fireproof78]

As long as wee see some with hair and beards, I'm satisified

NBut yeah, that new make-up is... simply not good. Looks remarkable cheap.

As much as I can see people not liking the makeup for a variety of reasons, "cheap" is a descriptor that I'm having a tough time ascribing to this look.

 

[fireproof78]

Yes, of course, but any competent makeup artist could copy the older designs. This is a new design entirely: the ridges are less pronounced, there's no hair, the ears are placed differently. There is a semblance to the Abramsverse Klingons, but even they had facial hair in the cut scenes from Trek 2009.

If its a sarcophagus ship, they might have shaved in mourning. That's a thing too.

 

[Jesse1066]

As much as I can see people not liking the makeup for a variety of reasons, "cheap" is a descriptor that I'm having a tough time ascribing to this look.

I may not like it, but it doesn't look cheap to me.

 

[Psion]

If its a sarcophagus ship, they might have shaved in mourning. That's a thing too.

Of course it is. I shave every morning.

What?