What are your controversial Star Trek opinions?

[Ovation]

a name change to John Harrison

is explained by

Khan: John Harrison was a fiction created the moment I was awoken by your Admiral Marcus to help him advance his cause, a smokescreen to conceal my true identity.

In the cinema I assumed exactly what was in the comic tie-in, long before I learned of it. Worked it out as the most logical explanation. Compared to all the other surgical alterations in the entirety of Trek, it was hardly a stretch.

 

[Mytran]

Which still begs the question "how?" Nothing about Khan lying in his cryo-tube says "Sikh". I have to assume poor research on the part of the writers, who just wanted Khan to be an "Indian warrior".Sikh fit the bill and gave him a cultural mish-mash of a name.

It's all based on one piece of sloppy speculation by an in-universe character. Nothing else

MARLA (looking at the sleeping pod): From the northern India area, I'd guess. Probably a Sikh. They were the most fantastic warriors.​

Since she was already smitten by Khan, her mind may not have been on the job! As for the speculation, she saw what she wanted and doesn't seem to have ever followed it up.
Even Khan's reaction to her painting of him is ambivalent to the discussion - he seems more pleased that she included him in her roster of "men of power"

 

[Macintosh]

They were looking at Hispanic actors for Khan. Producer and co-writer Roberto Orci is Mexican-American. IIRC, Cumberbatch was a last minute decision.

I believe Benicio del Toro was their first choice but he turned it down.

 

[Frightscape One]

I don't know how controversial this opinion is, because I am not sure how the majority of people feel about "COURSE: OBLIVION". I personally love it. One of (and possibly the) the darkest endings the franchise ever did.


As much as I love the episode, what if they never died, and VOY actually switched back and forth between the real crew and the duplicate crew? We already have enough differences between them to differentiate the two crews (Paris' rank, the fact there are already babies being born other than Naomi). Similar to what FARSCAPE did in season 3 with the two Crichtons.

This could help alleviate the hatred of the constant reset button being pressed because whatever was reset wouldn't matter as much since the show is split between crews.

At the very least, I'd like to see some of the adventures that crew had during the year they existed... some of the things Chakotay and Tuvok were listing sounded like good story ideas. (One actually sounded like one of the novels that was released... BATTLE LINES, I think.)

 

[UssGlenn]

But the genetics did not bear that out, so it was adopted at some point in Canada by my ancestors.

Maybe, maybe not. Your personal situation aside, it's possible to not inherit a certain portion of ethnic DNA by pure random chance. For an overly simplified example, you inherit half your moms DNA, if she if half French and Half German, it's theoretically possible for you to only inherit the German half. Obviously this gets more likely if there are a bunch of smaller percentages involved. Way easier to accidentally skip a 12% part than a 50% part. Also remember that you are actually inheriting your 4 grandparents DNA, and those portions don't come in neat 25% increments. I suspect that at least some of the "debunked" family stories of Native American Ancestry, for example, are simply the percentage getting small enough to get totally skipped.

 

[fireproof78]

Maybe, maybe not. Your personal situation aside, it's possible to not inherit a certain portion of ethnic DNA by pure random chance. For an overly simplified example, you inherit half your moms DNA, if she if half French and Half German, it's theoretically possible for you to only inherit the German half. Obviously this gets more likely if there are a bunch of smaller percentages involved. Way easier to accidentally skip a 12% part than a 50% part. Also remember that you are actually inheriting your 4 grandparents DNA, and those portions don't come in neat 25% increments. I suspect that at least some of the "debunked" family stories of Native American Ancestry, for example, are simply the percentage getting small enough to get totally skipped.

0%?

Regardless, it's far lower than my dad was told his whole life.

 

[Ricky Spanish]

I simply believe that human beings are fallible...

They were fallible in TOS, not so in TNG, then the rest of the franchise had fallible characters.

 

[GhoulEddie74]

TNG Seasons 1 through 3 were particulary dialed into the "humans from the 24th century are not only from a paradise but are going to lecture more primitive societies on how backwards they are while at the same time withholding any technology from those worlds."

 

[ananta]

I don't know how controversial this opinion is, because I am not sure how the majority of people feel about "COURSE: OBLIVION". I personally love it. One of (and possibly the) the darkest endings the franchise ever did.

I’m afraid I’m of the opposite opinion. I find it horribly nihilistic. It’s almost like Trek torture porn. The only reasoning behind the episode seemed to be to show the crew suffering horribly and dying. Not a sliver of hope. It’s almost offensive to me. I’ve always considered it one of the worst episodes of Trek ever made. (I actually think that might be the controversial opinion and not yours)

 

[Frightscape One]

I’m afraid I’m of the opposite opinion. I find it horribly nihilistic. It’s almost like Trek torture porn. The only reasoning behind the episode seemed to be to show the crew suffering horribly and dying. Not a sliver of hope. It’s almost offensive to me. I’ve always considered it one of the worst episodes of Trek ever made. (I actually think that might be the controversial opinion and not yours)

It is nihilistic, and that was the point. It's one of those rare occasions where the good guys lose, and lose hard. It's a tragic tale because nothing of them survived... not even the capsule that had all their logs and accomplishments. For me, it tugs at the heartstrings more because of the tragic ending. It's one thing to die... but to be completely erased from existence with nothing showing they were there? That is very tragic. (I'd still like to see at least one race or group that remembers that crew. I'm sure they did a lot of good in that year of existence.)


I had an odd thought while writing this earlier...

"LIVING WITNESS" was produced directly before "DEMON". Since that episode took place entirely in the far future, we have no way of knowing if it was the real Doctor or the duplicate Voyager. This might explain why they suddenly had a backup Doctor module to begin with... the duplicate crew clearly had different things happen to them that led to not only at least a baby being born (noted in the log entry), but that new drive they used that got them way farther ahead than the real ship. Maybe they were able to create a backup Doctor.

(Based on "COURSE: OBLIVION", they were only dying because of the new drive. There's nothing to suggest they couldn't have lived a much longer time.)

 

[Citiprime]

TNG Seasons 1 through 3 were particulary dialed into the "humans from the 24th century are not only from a paradise but are going to lecture more primitive societies on how backwards they are while at the same time withholding any technology from those worlds."

I understand Roddenberry wanted to up the utopia quotient for the 24th century, but I never got the feeling that the show ever wanted to say humanity is perfect at that point. Just getting better and trying to be better, but still flawed in ways.

For example, there’s some particularly glaring examples in season 2 where I think the episodes argue 24th century humanity is either ignorant or arrogant in its position. The Federation and Starfleet don’t come off that well in “The Measure of a Man” and “Q Who” is all about Q convincing Picard that his belief that they’re “ready” for any challenge is horribly naive.

 

[Unicron]

TNG Seasons 1 through 3 were particulary dialed into the "humans from the 24th century are not only from a paradise but are going to lecture more primitive societies on how backwards they are while at the same time withholding any technology from those worlds."

Yeah, I've found "Symbiosis" to be rather jarring because at the end, Picard decides to withhold the parts to repair the ships because of the exploitative arrangement between the Brekkians and Onarans, even though he's aware that this choice will halt their space travel and offer only a "cold turkey" method of helping the latter off of felicium. But earlier in the episode, when Crusher says she can make a non-addictive form of felicium that could accomplish that transition easier and less painfully (if only as a starting step), Picard flatly refuses on the grounds that it would be a PD violation.

So it's wrong to take a practical approach when it would relieve mass suffering, but okay to just say we won't bother fixing your ships that are essential? It's one of those episodes that had some genuinely good ideas but terrible execution.

 

[fireproof78]

I understand Roddenberry wanted to up the utopia quotient for the 24th century, but I never got the feeling that the show ever wanted to say humanity is perfect at that point. Just getting better and trying to be better, but still flawed in ways.

For example, there’s some particularly glaring examples in season 2 where I think the episodes argue 24th century humanity is either ignorant or arrogant in its position. The Federation and Starfleet don’t come off that well in “The Measure of a Man” and “Q Who” is all about Q convincing Picard that his belief that they’re “ready” for any challenge is horribly naive.

Whether or they are, the don't acknowledge their flaws. The whole "people don't mourn thing" feels profoundly out of touch yet remains.

 

[1001001]

Yeah, I've found "Symbiosis" to be rather jarring because at the end, Picard decides to withhold the parts to repair the ships because of the exploitative arrangement between the Brekkians and Onarans, even though he's aware that this choice will halt their space travel and offer only a "cold turkey" method of helping the latter off of felicium. But earlier in the episode, when Crusher says she can make a non-addictive form of felicium that could accomplish that transition easier and less painfully (if only as a starting step), Picard flatly refuses on the grounds that it would be a PD violation.

So it's wrong to take a practical approach when it would relieve mass suffering, but okay to just say we won't bother fixing your ships that are essential? It's one of those episodes that had some genuinely good ideas but terrible execution.

Well, the Onarans turned out fine.

The Brekkians on the other hand…

 

[Citiprime]

Whether or they are, the don't acknowledge their flaws.

Honestly, I cannot think of anything more indicative as a defining aspect of being human than a failure to recognize ones flaws and limitations.

Deep Space Nine actually acknowledges the problems with that when O'Brien experiences guilt over the implanted memories where he commits cold-blooded murder. The fact that he had been taught as a child that humans had "evolved" to be better than that, and he can't live up to the expectation, leaves him profoundly broken.

However, Bashir introduces an interesting counterpoint. The fact O'Brien had to be provoked to the extent he was (i.e., decades of torture and near starvation), and feels profound guilt over something that could be written off as "not real" shows that being an "evolved human" is not a total lie. An animal or "monster," and probably a significant number of "normal" humans in the present-day world, would have murdered for the bits of food and not had a second thought about it.

I had an odd thought while writing this earlier...

"LIVING WITNESS" was produced directly before "DEMON". Since that episode took place entirely in the far future, we have no way of knowing if it was the real Doctor or the duplicate Voyager. This might explain why they suddenly had a backup Doctor module to begin with... the duplicate crew clearly had different things happen to them that led to not only at least a baby being born (noted in the log entry), but that new drive they used that got them way farther ahead than the real ship. Maybe they were able to create a backup Doctor.

(Based on "COURSE: OBLIVION", they were only dying because of the new drive. There's nothing to suggest they couldn't have lived a much longer time.)

Its been a while since I've watched "Living Witness," but an interesting wrinkle that could be added into the mix about the story it is that according to Memory Alpha, the episode is set 5 years after what Discovery established as the date for "The Burn."

I can't remember if there's anything about the episode that would contradict the idea of it occurring in a post-Burn catastrophe setting, or the fact that Starfleet is being blamed and a false narrative had been created about Voyager might indicate that the entire thing is part of the Federation being blamed for The Burn, but it's interesting to contemplate how all of that might mix into it.

 

[Lord Garth]

I can't remember if there's anything about the episode that would contradict the idea of it occurring in a post-Burn catastrophe setting, or the fact that Starfleet is being blamed and a false narrative had been created about Voyager might indicate that the entire thing is part of the Federation being blamed for The Burn, but it's interesting to contemplate how all of that might mix into it.

I've been working my way through VOY (and eventually DS9) either in preparation for Legacy or to finish what I started with my re-watch of TNG...

... and when I re-watched "Living Witness", I was looking out for anything that might contradict Discovery, but I couldn't find anything. In fact, I think The Burn actually helped. Thanks to The Burn, it makes more sense that the Doctor wouldn't be able to contact Starfleet or find out anything about the Federation.

 

[BK613]

So it's wrong to take a practical approach when it would relieve mass suffering, but okay to just say we won't bother fixing your ships that are essential?

Actually, Picard returned the situation to the status quo* that existed before the Enterprise intervened with its rescue efforts. Without the E's presence, the ships would have all eventually failed and the Onarans would have gone cold turkey anyway. Restoration to the natural progression of the two societies.

*(Well, four people alive and some drugs surviving are minor differences)

 

[Grendelsbayne]

Yeah, I've found "Symbiosis" to be rather jarring because at the end, Picard decides to withhold the parts to repair the ships because of the exploitative arrangement between the Brekkians and Onarans, even though he's aware that this choice will halt their space travel and offer only a "cold turkey" method of helping the latter off of felicium. But earlier in the episode, when Crusher says she can make a non-addictive form of felicium that could accomplish that transition easier and less painfully (if only as a starting step), Picard flatly refuses on the grounds that it would be a PD violation.

So it's wrong to take a practical approach when it would relieve mass suffering, but okay to just say we won't bother fixing your ships that are essential? It's one of those episodes that had some genuinely good ideas but terrible execution.

The fact that that episode genuinely thinks it's being clever by claiming 'Prime Directive' to get Picard out of the hotseat is such a massive facepalm moment.

If interfering with these societies was against the prime directive - even when they want help - then he shouldn't have ever stopped to help their ship out in the first place. It just comes across as Picard shouting random nonsense excuses so he can cut and run without having to make a hard decision.

And don't even get me started on the laughably stupid idea that telling people the truth about their own medical exams is in any way 'social interference'.

 

[Unicron]

Yeah, part of the problem is that the early seasons of TNG treated the PD like a straitjacket, to the point where the crew sometimes seemed perfectly willing to let cultures suffer and die because any logical form of aid or communication would be considered "interference."

I do feel like the PD can be applied much more logically, because some of the concerns over how such contact or influence occur are certainly valid. The FASA RPG has the first captain to be court martialed for a violation having acted on good principles, if less good outcomes as far as the Federation Council was concerned. He came across a planet with two rival power blocks, and one faction had launched a volley of missiles at the other. He chose to destroy the missiles with his ship's phasers and keep both groups from destroying each other, but presumably didn't reveal his ship otherwise or cause undue interference. The details are deliberately vague.

The Council ultimately found him guilty and relieved the captain from his command, on the ground that his intentions - however good - could have backfired in unforeseen ways and could be considered to be like playing god. Which I sort of get, but I also wish there were more specifics.

 

[Boo-khat!]

If interfering with these societies was against the prime directive - even when they want help - then he shouldn't have ever stopped to help their ship out in the first place. It just comes across as Picard shouting random nonsense excuses so he can cut and run without having to make a hard decision.

If one were to follow the PD to a T, once Picard realized that the ship was from a pre-warp civilization (the Sanction was an interplanetary sublight freighter), he should have ignored the distress call and let the ship blow up. Because he didn't, there must have been an extraneous circumstance (say, that the Ornarans were already aware of the Federation, so first contact had already been made previously despite them being pre-warp) allowing him to save the crew. This is most likely the case, since neither the Ornarans or the Brekkians act like meeting extraterrestrials is something new to them. But once he saved those four people, he was under no obligation to help repair their aging ships with new parts, because that would still be a violation of the PD. That was his first mistake in offering those parts. Unfortunately the episode glosses over that fact until the end when Picard changes his mind and takes the parts back that he never should have offered in the first place. But they never gave the impression that Picard screwed up.

And the second mistake is made by Crusher, who is angry at Picard because he's not going to stop the Brekkians from abusing the Ornarans for profit. Because she should already be aware that the PD would prohibit such interference by Picard, and yet she is mad at him for not getting involved (which is the entire point of the PD.) Even being a doctor, she should be aware of Federation law. Yet this is glossed over as well in order to create 'drama.'