There are a lot of rumors that Vulcan is destroyed. This reminded me how Alderaan was destroyed in Star Wars. However, Alderaan was only said to be an important place. We never actually got to see the planet very long until the end of Episode III. There was never a real emotional connection beyond, "OMGZ They destroyed that cute chick's planet!" with the audience. I'm exaggerating, but you get the idea. There were a lot of implied repercussions due to the destruction, but none of them were explored very much in the sequels.
However, the audience DOES have an emotional attachment to Vulcan. Many stories in Star Trek involved Vulcan or its people and culture. It is an essential part of Star Trek's universe. The destruction of Vulcan impacts everyone - most importantly the viewer. It is similar to the aliens in Independence Day blowing up the White House, or even Spock's death in TWOK. Vulcan has an impact on the viewers that Alderaan never had.
So I believe that the destruction of Vulcan is a good thing. It can add an air of seriousness to the drama much like Spock's death or the attack on Earth in DS9. The novels have killed main characters and wiped out other notable planets in Star Trek's universe. It shakes things up. Who knows how the Federation will evolve without Vulcan! Will the same alliances be formed? How would the Romulans react? Would Starfleet be more or less multi-cultural? Would new member planets join as quickly? I think the chance of seeing new relationships with known species could be more interesting than forming new relationships with the "species of the week" like in the past. It shatters our expectations, and that's a good thing!!!
However, the audience DOES have an emotional attachment to Vulcan. Many stories in Star Trek involved Vulcan or its people and culture. It is an essential part of Star Trek's universe. The destruction of Vulcan impacts everyone - most importantly the viewer. It is similar to the aliens in Independence Day blowing up the White House, or even Spock's death in TWOK. Vulcan has an impact on the viewers that Alderaan never had.
So I believe that the destruction of Vulcan is a good thing. It can add an air of seriousness to the drama much like Spock's death or the attack on Earth in DS9. The novels have killed main characters and wiped out other notable planets in Star Trek's universe. It shakes things up. Who knows how the Federation will evolve without Vulcan! Will the same alliances be formed? How would the Romulans react? Would Starfleet be more or less multi-cultural? Would new member planets join as quickly? I think the chance of seeing new relationships with known species could be more interesting than forming new relationships with the "species of the week" like in the past. It shatters our expectations, and that's a good thing!!!
