Ok just got finished watching Episodes 15 & 16 "Affliction" and "Divergence". Am I to believe this story arc is the reason for the difference in appearance of TOS Klingons and all the other Klingons?
TOS Klingons explained?
- Thread starter Saganistheman
- Start date
Yes.
It wasn't clear enough? 
In Trials and Tribbleations, a DS9 episode, Worf is confronted with the sight of smooth foreheaded Klingons of the TOS era. Questioned by his peers he says "we do not speak of it", obviously embarrassed.
That was the admission that there are actual differences in TOS era Klingons and TNG onward, that we as the audience aren't supposed to just pretend otherwise like we do with styrofoam boulders and other TOSness.
The ENT arc gives us the explanation for what fans have wondered for years about
That was the admission that there are actual differences in TOS era Klingons and TNG onward, that we as the audience aren't supposed to just pretend otherwise like we do with styrofoam boulders and other TOSness.
The ENT arc gives us the explanation for what fans have wondered for years about
Eh.
I would have been perfectly happy, if it had been left at that, even if not knowing the in-universe explanation became a permanent running gag like what is the sound of Morn's voice.
Not all fans wondered about, cared for, or needed an in-universe explanation. It was better not knowing.
I loved the explanation. I thought it very satisfying and well done as well as being an interesting story in itself.
The Klingon forehead explaination was rubbish.
But I wouldn't have minded a story about the genetically enhanced Humans. They were very well cast and interesting to watch, when they weren't harassing scientists by stuffing them in tubes filled with death-dealing biological weapons. Some of the choreography of the fighting sequences was particularly effective ...
But I wouldn't have minded a story about the genetically enhanced Humans. They were very well cast and interesting to watch, when they weren't harassing scientists by stuffing them in tubes filled with death-dealing biological weapons. Some of the choreography of the fighting sequences was particularly effective ...
I agree. I'm not usually fan of fanwanky unnecessary explanations (like the nuTrek comics trying to explain why Khan is British now or the ENT novel that tried to explain why TOS looks less advanced than the NX-01), but this one was harmless fun and the added backstory didn't negatively taint any of the old Klingon episodes.
Plus, when I first saw it i had no idea they were going to it, and I'd somehow missed the teaser where we see a Klingon's forehead dissolve. After spending three years saying "these pre-TOS Klingons shouldn't have bumpy heads!" (albeit jokingly), I actually stood up when the Enterprise was boarded by a squad of TOS-style human-looking Klingons (not unlike Sulu at the start of TUC
). A huge OMG WTF moment.
^Don't forget the Trill. They got the bumpy-forehead-turns-into-leopard-spots strain of the virus
^Don't forget the Trill. They got the bumpy-forehead-turns-into-leopard-spots strain of the virus
No, if I recall the Excelsior novel "Forged in Fire" correctly, a subset of Trill were caught up in an attempt to restore the Klingons' bumps.
This came up all all the time in fandom, for YEARS, decades.. and you'd always get the people who said "it was the limitations of tv of that era, just accept it" and the people who speculated about reasons. I think it was great and respectful of Star Trek to actually come up with a reason. It tied it in with Worf's comment too because of course Klingons would be embarrassed to have their looks altered via humans.
Best comment after the arrival of the Klingons of ST:TMP, who had their spinal columns stretching over their scalps:
"It's due to Starfleet continually kicking their asses."
I'm two minds of it. On one hand, I don't think it was necessary to give an explanation for the change in appearance for Klingons. On the other hand, I thought ENT did a really great job at it and I loved how it tied in with the augments earlier that season.
The ENTERPRISE novels are one of the few series I'm current on, and I don't remember any such explanation. What book was this in?
As for the topic, while I love "fanwank" (but I HATE that "word"), I agree that an explanation for the Klingon forehead ridges was unecessary.
It was still a good story, though.
ITA
I didn't have a burning desire to have it explained, but since the story was great, it worked really well.
And yeah, the Trills. I've seen a pic of Terry Farrell made up as an original Trill, and apparently tptb didn't like the look on her, so they changed it to spots. That bothered me more than the Klingons, since it wasn't a matter of change in the specials effects available over the years, but the Excelsior novel gave them a good explanation.
Annoyingly though, when the Trill Odan was in the Wildstorm comics crossover of DS9 and TNG Divided We Fall, they drew Odan like a new Trill with spots to "correct" the change. The mini series was still a really good Trill story though.
I've never read that. Was Odan still the blond woman seen at the end of "The Host" in that?
SPOILERS FOR DIVIDED WE FALL COMIC
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Yes, Odan started out as the same blonde female host, they just drew her with spots instead of the funny forehead. By the end of the comic though the female host is dead and Odan has a new male host.
I have more thoughts on this, but I'm going to carry this over to a new thread in the DS9 forum rather than hijack a Klingon thread with a lot of thoughts on the Trills.
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Yes, Odan started out as the same blonde female host, they just drew her with spots instead of the funny forehead. By the end of the comic though the female host is dead and Odan has a new male host.
I have more thoughts on this, but I'm going to carry this over to a new thread in the DS9 forum rather than hijack a Klingon thread with a lot of thoughts on the Trills.
I believe it was Kobayashi Maru, where Starfleet realized that their oldest technology was immune to the Romulan telepresence, and future ships were built low-tech to avoid future attacks (this conflicts with "In a Mirror, Darkly" where the NX-class, along with Vulcan and Andorian ships, were crushed by the USS Defiant). The recent Rise of the Federation: A Choice of Futures smartly undid it, saying they'd found a way to prevent future telepresence possession but that starship designers had become fond of the old-style buttons and toggle switches and kept using them in new designs.
It wasn't clear enough?
Oh, I kinda figured it was, but since I am by far an expert on all things "Trek", I decided to ask those who are more knowledgeable. My knowledge only comes from TOS, and what I have seen since starting the process of watching Star Trek from a historical perspective (starting with ENT and going through Voyager) (I am on the last season of ENT). Since my knowledge is severely lacking in TNG, DS9, and Voyager, I thought you guys might enlighten me about something I might be missing.
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