What are your thoughts on Gary Whitta's "Origins of the Borg" script?

[Lance]

Never knew about this until today:

http://cyberspace5.net/agentrichard07/voy-origin.htm

Apparently this was close to being shot but got rejected as it didn't tie in with where TPTB were going with the Borg at the time.

You know, on the one hand I think this is kind of neat. Whitta was clearly doing a "Genesis of the Daleks" for the Borg, which is a neat idea. Why not explore where they came from? What would the Voyager writers have had to lose? Doing this script would have been risky, but it might have been a risk that paid off... reading this, I can see it as being a sort of launch-pad to loads of potentially interesting new stories, particularly with 7 of 9.

On the other hand, the script reads like a throwback in other ways. The pacing, the dialogue, could have come from TNG in season two. Whitta's story is good, but it lacks that extra polish. I'm not sure if the Borg's origin as told here is actually very good either. Reavealing them to have been a scientific experiment, designed to be some kind of semi-bilogical weapon which just grew out of control... say what we will about how Star Trek lost the original mystique that the Borg had, but at least we were still left with our own interpretations of who or what the Borg are. The fact that they didn't really have an 'origin' nailed down was one of the things they had going in their favor. I also wonder how the Borg Queen fits into Whitta's tapestry...?

What do you guys think? A potential lost classic, or a story best left alone?

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

Re: What are your thoughts on Gary Whitta's "Origins of the Borg" scri

Okay I started reading it and..

JANEWAY
You’re trapped.
REVEAL CHAKOTAY, also in close-up. Seated across from Janeway, he regards her with similar intensity - and quiet confidence.
CHAKOTAY
I’m not so sure.
JANEWAY
Just admit it. You’ve nowhere to go. You’re all mine. Ripe for the taking.

This is NOT going well.

 

[Melakon]

Re: What are your thoughts on Gary Whitta's "Origins of the Borg" scri

Just another guy, one of no doubt thousands, who tried to write for Star Trek and failed.

 

[R. Star]

Re: What are your thoughts on Gary Whitta's "Origins of the Borg" scri

Wow, that is a heck of a teaser!

Having read the whole thing, I'd actually say that would've made a pretty good episode. Sure it was fairly predictable where they were going with it, but interesting all the same. Chakotay was almost life like in this "episode." Janeway kills a member of her crew, has no qualms about her lackeys killing a few more and just accepts Seven's "my bad" apology when she accidentally assimilates someone. I'd call this insane behavior, but... typical Voyager material!

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

Re: What are your thoughts on Gary Whitta's "Origins of the Borg" scri

I liked everything but the conclusion which was the whole point of the story. The frozen guy, the virus concept, Janeway having to shoot him after some mutual attraction.. a nice one off Borg ep. if the same old same old. But the origin of the Borg being a weapon gone wrong, BLECH, enough already with that deal. Way too predictable and Trek cliche. Boring, even.

I'm glad we never saw this filmed because the origin of the Borg as a mystery we never got a glimpse of any answers for worked very well. And I'm also glad because the answers we did get in Treklit's Destiny trilogy were fascinating and complex and a great story. Doesn't compare at all to this morality tale of "WMD's are bad mmmmkay".

 

[CorporalClegg]

Re: What are your thoughts on Gary Whitta's "Origins of the Borg" scri

I skimmed it, and that it was pretty "meh" and on-par with most fan-fics.

I like Shatner's "V'ger did it," a lot more.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

Re: What are your thoughts on Gary Whitta's "Origins of the Borg" scri

There were some oddities that would have been edited out I'm sure, like the newly awakened ancient borg alien dude saying, "well if you guys say that I'm safe.." to Janeway and the Doctor. Aliens, women and serious starfleet people don't use words like "guys", only male buddies like Tom and Harry and Julian and Miles use words like "guys".

Language in Star Trek is oddly priggish and when it's not it's making a point about how relaxed and friendly the speakers are.

 

[E-DUB]

Re: What are your thoughts on Gary Whitta's "Origins of the Borg" scri

I enjoyed it. Clearly a "first draft" that doubtless would have received some polishing. The substance of the story also rang true to me. I've long thought that the "Borg" were the nanoprobes and that the assimilated species were just their way of getting around.

 

[nightwind1]

Re: What are your thoughts on Gary Whitta's "Origins of the Borg" scri

Why is someone's fanfic even "news"?

 

[Third Nacelle]

Re: What are your thoughts on Gary Whitta's "Origins of the Borg" scri

Liked the script, but sort of glad it wasn't filmed. The origin of the Borg needs mystery.

 

[R. Star]

Re: What are your thoughts on Gary Whitta's "Origins of the Borg" scri

Voyager already watered down the Borg to the point where they're just another ineffectual villain of the week, may as well shred away any mystery element from it completely.

 

[Candlelight]

Re: What are your thoughts on Gary Whitta's "Origins of the Borg" scri

I'd have preferred the Borg to have been a single species trying to better itself OR combating another species in the same or neighbouring star system. Their experiment caused the assimilation of their own species but began the conquest to assimilate all life in the galaxy.

 

[lennier1]

Re: What are your thoughts on Gary Whitta's "Origins of the Borg" scri

TUVOK
Transporting aboard would be inadvisable, Commander. The capsule is in a primitive form of cryogenic stasis - the interior cabin temperature is approximately minus six hundred degrees Celsius.

 

[Lt. Uhura-Brown]

Re: What are your thoughts on Gary Whitta's "Origins of the Borg" scri

Bad fanfiction is bad.

Also, the Doctor's Mobile Emitter can't pass through solid matter.

 

[Marcus Porcius Cato]

Re: What are your thoughts on Gary Whitta's "Origins of the Borg" scri

This script would require several rewrites to be usable.

 

[Takeru]

Re: What are your thoughts on Gary Whitta's "Origins of the Borg" scri

TUVOK
Transporting aboard would be inadvisable, Commander. The capsule is in a primitive form of cryogenic stasis - the interior cabin temperature is approximately minus six hundred degrees Celsius.

Maybe those are new celsius, they could have changed the scale along with the warp factors.

Or maybe it's someone writing stuff without doing even basic research and is just throwing scientific terms in to sound smart like "It will take us 3 lightyears to get there".

 

[lennier1]

Re: What are your thoughts on Gary Whitta's "Origins of the Borg" scri

TUVOK
Transporting aboard would be inadvisable, Commander. The capsule is in a primitive form of cryogenic stasis - the interior cabin temperature is approximately minus six hundred degrees Celsius.

Maybe those are new celsius, they could have changed the scale along with the warp factors.

Or maybe it's someone writing stuff without doing even basic research and is just throwing scientific terms in to sound smart like "It will take us 3 lightyears to get there".

How many parsecs does Voyager need for the Kessel Run?

 

[MacLeod]

Re: What are your thoughts on Gary Whitta's "Origins of the Borg" scri

Well perhaps parsec means something different in the SW universe.

 

[xBiophagex]

Re: What are your thoughts on Gary Whitta's "Origins of the Borg" scri

Didn't like it at all. Dialogue seems forced and corny- something that Voyager did not need more of.

 

[MrPointy]

Re: What are your thoughts on Gary Whitta's "Origins of the Borg" scri

I remember reading this about 10 years ago, when it floating around the web as a .txt file. It was evocative, but not really something I'd like to see filmed.