Andorians, Tellarites and Gorn are fine aliens. My issues are aliens who are basically just humans with funny names and a bump on the forehead.
Trek's shortcomings
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Andorians, Tellarites and Gorn are fine aliens. My issues are aliens who are basically just humans with funny names and a bump on the forehead.
I think Trek had just enough music. In fact, shows where there is music in just about every scene, and it drowns out the dialogue (I'm looking at you, Russell T Davies era Doctor Who) can be tedious.
Technobabble was my pet hate in Trek. It was just nonsensical. I didn't mind a little bit here and there. But when the solution to an entire episode is just a made up bit of pseudo-science, that's taking the piss. Ron Moore said they would just write 'tech' in the script, and get a science consultant to fill in the blanks. 'Cmdr La Forge, would you please tech the tech to the tech drive'. It's just lazy writing.
Technobabble was my pet hate in Trek. It was just nonsensical. I didn't mind a little bit here and there. But when the solution to an entire episode is just a made up bit of pseudo-science, that's taking the piss. Ron Moore said they would just write 'tech' in the script, and get a science consultant to fill in the blanks. 'Cmdr La Forge, would you please tech the tech to the tech drive'. It's just lazy writing.
Obsessive and possessive fans - it seems as if Trek almost invented this, as far as skiffy fans are concerned, and it's not a positive contribution to the world of the popular arts.
It does at times resemble someone pining over the ex-girlfriend who is now dating a much cooler guy.
I never minded the appearance of the aliens. I prefer the simply nose ridges of a Bajoran or eyebrows and ears of the Vulcans to the over done make-up of the Cardasians, Neelix or Phlox. It is a human actor portraying a alien, their proformance is more important More however could have been done to show profoundly different or strange alien cultures.
Remember TPTB at NBC had no problem with the idea of a female first office, they had a problem with Majel Barrett. If Roddenberry had been willing to recast the role, Kirk's first officer would have been female.
KIRK: "We find the one quite adequate." As far as religion, Bajorans are very spiritual. Vulcan's have shrines and temples, in Yesteryear Spock made clear his family was polytheistic.
I think it was a mistake to place TOS in the 23th century, having it in the 25th or 26th would have allowed for more backstory, a more protracted Romulan war, greater numbers of colonies, a gradual growth of the federation over time.
Modern-day Star Trek has no background music in its episodes. Just auditory wallpaper.
I know modern-day Doctor Who's music has had its criticism, but I personally like music when its presence is in your face. And besides, Doctor Who music is awesome!
When the show premiered in 1966, the first moon landing was still almost 3 years away. Given the rapid progress of spaceflight at that time, and the generally optimistic Zeitgeist, it didn't seem terribly unreasonable that man would be traveling to the stars in faster-that-light spaceships within the next two or three centuries.
The 23rd-century thing wasn't established until the show was well into its first season. Roddenberry originally wanted Trek's time frame to be as vague as possible -- that's why the "stardate" was invented. Another TOS rule was that contemporary Earth would never be shown, in order to avoid all sorts of messy and controversial issues about the politics and sociology of Trek's future.
That reminds me:
I understand the purpose of the stardate from a scriptwriting POV, but I think they are...How shall we say...No longer fit for purpose. They confuse things more than they express anything - it's difficult not only to place time within episodes (which is okay, dramatically) but in any fashion (which is a bit annoying). I was very happy to see ENT not use stardates - and I think they can usefully be left behind in future endeavors. On the very rare occasion you need to use dates, using the Gregorian Calendar suffices, IMHO.
I may presume too much savviness from the viewer - but I really do think the average viewer in 2010 is much savvier than the viewer of the 1960s or even the 1980s. We get "speed of plot", y'know.
I understand the purpose of the stardate from a scriptwriting POV, but I think they are...How shall we say...No longer fit for purpose. They confuse things more than they express anything - it's difficult not only to place time within episodes (which is okay, dramatically) but in any fashion (which is a bit annoying). I was very happy to see ENT not use stardates - and I think they can usefully be left behind in future endeavors. On the very rare occasion you need to use dates, using the Gregorian Calendar suffices, IMHO.
I may presume too much savviness from the viewer - but I really do think the average viewer in 2010 is much savvier than the viewer of the 1960s or even the 1980s. We get "speed of plot", y'know.
My complaint about the uniforms isn't the uniforms as such. I can see where they help everyone understand the hierarchy on the ship and what department they are with.
My complaint is the wearing of bright colored uniforms on away missions where stealth was the plan.
Even your average burglar knows to wear dark clothing...
Fine to wear the bright stuff on diplomatic missions or everyday use, but you would go to battle in clothing that was more usable.
My complaint is the wearing of bright colored uniforms on away missions where stealth was the plan.
Even your average burglar knows to wear dark clothing...
Fine to wear the bright stuff on diplomatic missions or everyday use, but you would go to battle in clothing that was more usable.
As I recall it wasn't established until the first movies. In the series it fluxuated from episode to episode. Usually with vague XXX years ago references.
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