What are your controversial Star Trek opinions?

[maneth]

Okay, here goes...
I like Tuvix. I certainly prefer him to Neelix, and I'd be willing to sacrifice one of my favorite VGR characters, Tuvok, to keep him.
I can't stand Q and I only like him in the one episode where he was briefly mortal.
Space Seed is one of my least favorite TOS episodes, I detest Khan to the point that I like Nemesis more than I like TWOK.
I think Seven and the Borg Queen ruined the Borg as villains.
I don't think it was necessary to get rid of Kes to bring in Seven. I resented the change so much that I almost gave up watching the show in the 4th season.

 

[Relayer1]

Okay, here goes...
I like Tuvix. I certainly prefer him to Neelix, and I'd be willing to sacrifice one of my favorite VGR characters, Tuvok, to keep him.

I'm kind of with you - I disliked Tuvok intensely and Neelix was only bearable due to the skill of Ethan Phillips - Tuvix was an improvement !

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

Let's start a controversy. In the following scene, is Sisko portrayed in a good light or not?

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(I'm in the "not", camp, Q is right about him)

Q never dared challenge The Sisko again.

Thankfully that dreadful character would never be seen in DS9 again but would go on to plague VOY.

That's right, I said it. Q was an awful.

 

[Xhiandra]

Q never bothered with the childish, easily provoked and uninteresting Sisko ever again. As he said, Picard had repartee, Sisko did not.
In fact, Sisko was more deserving of the "eat any good book lately" retort than Worf. Worf's "die" was witty.

 

[Admiral Archer]

Controversial opinion: Generations is a very good Star Trek film, and very much underrated. While I would liked to have seen the Enterprise-D survive to at least First Contact, and while I wish Jerry Goldsmith had at least contributed to the end credits theme of the film to add a sense of continuity between this film and the other TNG films, Generations actually isn't a bad Star Trek movie, or even a mediocre one. It is practically the perfect TNG movie, as much of what made the series so iconic is present, and I will just go ahead and say it: Pcard and Kirk were handled wonderfully, and both were portrayed accurately. Also, I thought Kirk's arc in the film was very fitting, and handled extremely well. Here is a man who rode off into the sunset with his crew in the previous movie, so having him do the same in this one would be redundant. Whereas Picard still has a long career ahead of him and is in the prime of his life, Kirk's days as an adventurer were over, and he simply had to die for the whole mortality play to work, and the theme that it's what we do in our short time in this universe that matters most. Also, in my head canon, Kirk's body was never recovered from Veridian III; Picard just didn't mention him in the debriefing, and as far as history is concerned, Kirk still died 78 years earlier saving the Enterprise-B. That makes sense to me.

 

[Amasov]

Controversial opinion: Generations is a very good Star Trek film, and very much underrated. While I would liked to have seen the Enterprise-D survive to at least First Contact, and while I wish Jerry Goldsmith had at least contributed to the end credits theme of the film to add a sense of continuity between this film and the other TNG films, Generations actually isn't a bad Star Trek movie, or even a mediocre one. It is practically the perfect TNG movie, as much of what made the series so iconic is present, and I will just go ahead and say it: Pcard and Kirk were handled wonderfully, and both were portrayed accurately. Also, I thought Kirk's arc in the film was very fitting, and handled extremely well. Here is a man who rode off into the sunset with his crew in the previous movie, so having him do the same in this one would be redundant. Whereas Picard still has a long career ahead of him and is in the prime of his life, Kirk's days as an adventurer were over, and he simply had to die for the whole mortality play to work, and the theme that it's what we do in our short time in this universe that matters most. Also, in my head canon, Kirk's body was never recovered from Veridian III; Picard just didn't mention him in the debriefing, and as far as history is concerned, Kirk still died 78 years earlier saving the Enterprise-B. That makes sense to me.

Agreed.

While it still does feel like a movie, you can still sense the TV mentality all throughout it, which is understandable, considering it's basically the entire production staff from the series. The Enterprise crash aside, they don't stray too far into the "HEY WE ARE NOW DOING A MOVIE" territory as far as overblown special effects or things you can only do in a movie. To me, Generations feels like a weird melding of both television and a movie.

I still think the Enterprise crash sequence is one of the most groundbreaking special effects sequences in all of Star Trek. To this day I'm still amazed and how good it looks. I watch that scene and I believe every single second of it; that a massive spaceship crashed onto a planet.

 

[TrekE]

Sonequa Martin Green is the franchise's strongest actor.

User name checks out.

Sorry for chiming in so late, but I just came across this thread and got to your post. Wow.

As for my controversial opinions:

- Nemesis is the best TNG film

- Quark is the best character in the franchise

- The Founders’ Great Link is really just a planet-wide orgy

 

[Bad Thoughts]

User name checks out.

As if you invented the ad hominem.

 

[Xhiandra]

Okay, here goes...
I like Tuvix. I certainly prefer him to Neelix, and I'd be willing to sacrifice one of my favorite VGR characters, Tuvok, to keep him.
I can't stand Q and I only like him in the one episode where he was briefly mortal.
Space Seed is one of my least favorite TOS episodes, I detest Khan to the point that I like Nemesis more than I like TWOK.
I think Seven and the Borg Queen ruined the Borg as villains.
I don't think it was necessary to get rid of Kes to bring in Seven. I resented the change so much that I almost gave up watching the show in the 4th season.

Aside from the Q part, I mostly agree with all that. Though I wouldn't say it's 7 & the Borg Queen, more specific episodes of VOY (Unimatrix Zero and Dark Frontier). The Borg Queen worked well in First Contact.

 

[maneth]

Aside from the Q part, I mostly agree with all that. Though I wouldn't say it's 7 & the Borg Queen, more specific episodes of VOY (Unimatrix Zero and Dark Frontier). The Borg Queen worked well in First Contact.

Agreed. FC is my favorite Trek movie.

 

[Orphalesion]

I have to agree that, to me, the Borg Queen ruined the Borg (or rather was the beginning of the Borg being ruined). To me she didn't make sense for them. Instead of being alien and unknowable they became a Space Zombie Ant Colony, complete with an Ant Queen who, of course, has tits on her mechanically constructed body.
I think First Contact would have worked perfectly well with the way the Borg were portrayed until then. And if they really wanted to give the villain a face so to say, why not have the Borg construct a second Locutus? If they want her to be female, just make it a Locuta.

 

[nahsk]

I dislike Riker.

Remove Jim from any episode that wasn't explicitly Riker-centric and you get the same result. Like Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark.

His cadence, his attitude, his sycophantic deference to JLP.

I just...can live without him.

 

[BillJ]

The books "Federation" and "Strangers from the Sky" are both more interesting stories that deal with the creation of warp drive and first contact than Star Trek: First Contact.

 

[fireproof78]

The books "Federation" and "Strangers from the Sky" are both more interesting stories that deal with the creation of warp drive and first contact than Star Trek: First Contact.

Not hard to do since that film is rather mediocre.

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

James T. Kirk was a total dick, who is pretty much insufferable by the movies.

 

[Xhiandra]

James T. Kirk was a total dick, who is pretty much insufferable by the movies.

It's the whole trio dynamic: had to contrast Kirk and McCoy from Spock, so they often act like dicks. McCoy in particular.
It's a situation where one person can die or thousands (including the one), Spock chooses the one and McCoy (sometimes Kirk) rants at him about how heartless he is.
Honestly, even though he's supposed to be an alien, usually Spock is the most reliable character of the 3 in terms of behaviour.

Kirk has the same behaviour, towards all the bridge crew: "I can't know the answer to that question." "ANSWER IT ANYWAY! I WANT ANSWERS!"
If one of their officers says X can't be done or Y is unknown, Picard and Janeway don't start shouting, they start suggesting alternatives to do X or learn about Y or asking others for alternatives. Even Sisko manages more composure and keeps a cooler head.

Worst example is in the Tholian Web. McCoy acts like a downright lunatic in that episode. He accuses Spock of staying to claim command of the ship, but then points out the weakness in his own argument (if Spock had ordered leaving, he'd have ensured that result) without ever connecting the dots.
Though he had the excuse of the effect of that area of space on his brain.

 

[Qonundrum]

It's the whole trio dynamic: had to contrast Kirk and McCoy from Spock, so they often act like dicks. McCoy in particular.
It's a situation where one person can die or thousands (including the one), Spock chooses the one and McCoy (sometimes Kirk) rants at him about how heartless he is.
Honestly, even though he's supposed to be an alien, usually Spock is the most reliable character of the 3 in terms of behaviour.

Kirk has the same behaviour, towards all the bridge crew: "I can't know the answer to that question." "ANSWER IT ANYWAY! I WANT ANSWERS!"
If one of their officers says X can't be done or Y is unknown, Picard and Janeway don't start shouting, they start suggesting alternatives to do X or learn about Y or asking others for alternatives. Even Sisko manages more composure and keeps a cooler head.

Worst example is in the Tholian Web. McCoy acts like a downright lunatic in that episode. He accuses Spock of staying to claim command of the ship, but then points out the weakness in his own argument (if Spock had ordered leaving, he'd have ensured that result) without ever connecting the dots.
Though he had the excuse of the effect of that area of space on his brain.

Kirk did go off the rocker in times of stress and hated it especially when Spock didn't put out the needed answers.

Janeway and Picard did do it better (Janeway more so). Sisko was more often in harsher situations when immediate need was necessary...

Tholian Web started out great enough but (from recollection) McCoy used both sides of the dichotomy against Spock (involving the order to review Kirk's conveniently saved message) and always in a fit of pique rather than to get him to think, especially when Spock was trying to save Kirk's hide than to gleefully zip away to become Captain (Riker too did the same thing, to save the Captain as opposed to leave and get a captaincy and for his favorite vessel, unlike Spock who wasn't interested as such.)

Emphasis added:

MCCOY: There is a duty to be performed in the Captain's quarters, which requires our presence.
SPOCK: It can wait, Doctor. My duties require my immediate presence on the bridge.
MCCOY: The Captain left a message tape. It was his order that it be reviewed by both of us, should he ever be declared dead. You have just declared Jim dead.
SPOCK: It will wait for a more suitable moment, Doctor.
MCCOY: Why? Are you afraid it'll change your present status?
SPOCK: The mental and physical state of this crew are your responsibility, Doctor. At the moment, they are your top priority.
MCCOY: The Captain's last order is top priority, and you will honour that order before you take over.

versus

SPOCK: We came here for a specific purpose, Doctor.

MCCOY: Maybe not the same one. I really came here to find out why you stayed and fought.
SPOCK: The Captain would have remained to recover a crew member at the risk of his own life or even his own ship.
MCCOY: Yes, he would, Mister Spock, but you didn't have that decision to make. What would you gain by fighting the Tholians? You could have assured yourself of a captaincy by leaving the area. But you chose to stay. Why?
SPOCK: I need not explain my rationale to you or any other member of this crew. There is a margin of variation in any experiment. While there was a chance, I was bound legally and morally to ascertain the Captain's status.
MCCOY: You mean to be sure if he was dead. Well, you made certain of that.
SPOCK: That is enough, Doctor. We both have other things to do.

Dang. All these episodes where Spock wants to take over, most notably in "The Enterprise Incident", and now this happens. Shame he doesn't have a mustache to twirl, though Spock isn't looking for glory and even McCoy should have clocked that fact.

But as Spock also said the following as retort in a later exchange:

MCCOY: It's getting critical. There have been a number of assaults down on the lower decks. Even Scotty's being affected. If Scotty goes under, that's the finish of whatever chance we have of getting the Enterprise out of here.
SPOCK: Please leave that to me, Doctor McCoy. I realise that the crew are your prime concern. You can best serve them in your laboratory. I urge you to confine yourself to it until a remedy has been found.
MCCOY: Spock! It must be this space. It's getting to me too. I know it's nothing you've done, Spock. I, I'm sorry.
SPOCK: I understand, Doctor. I'm sure the Captain would simply have said forget it, Bones.

...which is exactly the point: They're in an area of space mucking up their brain chemistries and acting irrational. Spock's dialogue is incredibly subtle and it's hard not to side with McCoy, but Spock has a consistency and in part because the space they're in hasn't affected him... yet.

On edit: I forgot to mention I hadn't realized that point of the spatial brainadope being the factor behind Bones' going all over the map until a few minutes later.

Of course, McCoy then collapses, thus heightening the sense of urgency and danger to all in the episode...


Kirk also went to admonishing characters for having bleeding hearts (Prof Crater) to becoming one (Alexander, others). Why he didn't take aboard his newfound love Shahna remains a mystery but he did seem to imply she'd make a great leader and the thralls working with the providers to build a better future together.

 

[Tenacity]

Kirk's days as an adventurer were over, and he simply had to die

I disagree. Killing off Kirk because somehow his story was over and to accomplish some form of "passing the torch" was un-necessary and was a poor use of the character. We never had to see Kirk subsequently, but leave him alive in our memories.

Like Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Without Indy, how did the Ark get to the United States?

Without Indy the last we saw of the Ark it was just sitting with it's lid on, surrounded by bodies, a few miles from a Nazi base. The base commander likely knew that the Ark was going to be opened, and the Ark would have been retrieved, sent to Germany, with as much of a report as the commander could have provided.

The Germans may or may not have figure a way to use the Ark to their benefit.

It was Indy that got the Ark off that island and away from the Reich.

His [Riker's]cadence, his attitude, his sycophantic deference to JLP

One of the nice things in TNG's first season was Riker's projection of career ambition. Like the Enterprise and Picard were just stepping stones to better things. This is something that was loss in later seasons.

 

[Jason_Adank]

Neelix was the most annoying Star Trek character ever. Whenever I watch that series on Netflix, I always skip those episodes. Everything I think of him, Annoyager comes to mind.

 

[1001001]

Neelix was the most annoying Star Trek character ever. Whenever I watch that series on Netflix, I always skip those episodes. Everything I think of him, Annoyager comes to mind.

I found half the cast of DS9 more annoying than Neelix.