What's the worst canon decision in the history of Trek?

[fireproof78]

Yeah, Rios is super cool...

People should have more faith in the audience that "Oh, Rios does it and it's cool so I'll do it too." Ah, yes, Star Trek fans are smart unless Star Trek tells them to do something in which case they just follow along. Nothing about Rios struck me as particularly positive.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I'm not really a huge fan of Rios; his existential whining is getting on my nerves. Hell, his holograms are more interesting (and much less annoying) than he is!

That said, the only real thing I find "positive" about Rios is his continued devotion to Starfleet regs, even though he's not in the fleet anymore.

Let's put it this way: Somebody like Rios, who goes out of his way to remind people that he doesn't give a crap...DOES give a crap, they're just in denial.

 

[1001001]

People should have more faith in the audience that "Oh, Rios does it and it's cool so I'll do it too." Ah, yes, Star Trek fans are smart unless Star Trek tells them to do something in which case they just follow along.

 

[oldtrekkie]

I guess what bothers me is when they show us a new trick and then forget about it for the rest of the series like in Voyager, Neelix has been dead for so long that he's gotten gamy but Seven's nanoprobes manage to revive him, yet in a later episode Carey is shot and then don't think about using these nanoprobes, even ironically as in that very episode nanoprobes are presented as a cure-all. I mean Carey has been shot, it has damaged a vital organ causing his death... So what? How about replacing the damaged organ with an artificial one (that we know they can always do) and de-necrotize the rest using nanoprobes. See what I mean?

 

[Farscape One]

Carey had an unfortunate vulnerability... he wasn't listed in the main credits.

Even worse for him, the writers seemed to only use him for flashbacks to season 1, forgetting his character was never killed.

Until "FRIENDSHIP ONE", anyway.

 

[The Wormhole]

The worst part was that Rios' cigar smoking was portrayed in regards to the direction, setting, and tone as being "cool" and "masculine". That's not the message Trek should be sending to audience members. At least Raffi's smoking was portrayed in a negative light.

Wut?
Rios is supposed to be an outcast looking for a purpose in life. He smokes as a representation of being a directionless outcast, not because it's "cool" or "masculine." The fact that Rios is also cool and masculine is purely coincidental.

 

[fireproof78]

Rios is supposed to be an outcast looking for a purpose in life. He smokes as a representation of being a directionless outcast, not because it's "cool" or "masculine."

Yeah...I never got cool from Rios.

 

[lizard-socks]

I was really disappointed that the Emerald Chain got disbanded offscreen in a throwaway line of dialogue in a montage. They could have made some really interesting stories from that. (Then again, it's pretty easy to retcon if they do want to bring them back...)

 

[Yistaan]

Wut?
Rios is supposed to be an outcast looking for a purpose in life. He smokes as a representation of being a directionless outcast, not because it's "cool" or "masculine." The fact that Rios is also cool and masculine is purely coincidental.

I mean isn't that how impressionism works? "Hey look, the cool and macho guy is smoking, I can do that too!" I stand behind what I said in regards to how they handled Rios and smoking.

 

[Tim Thomason]

I mean isn't that how impressionism works? "Hey look, the cool and macho guy is smoking, I can do that too!" I stand behind what I said in regards to how they handled Rios and smoking.

I think there's some mixed messaging going on. Rios's cigar smoking and general attitude is supposed to be self-destructive. That he's a broken man and all that.

...but he's inversely supposed to be this cool loner who fulfills all the tropes of one. Chabon was likely influenced by film noir and the old Dixon Hill-style gumshoes that smoked stogies and were big cynics and had this kind of background.

STPicard is TV-MA, and Rios is supposed to be behind a ratings wall to shield youngsters from the impressionability of his cigar affinity. I'm a bit more comfortable with him lighting up on STPicard than I would be if he showed up on STProdigy.

 

[fireproof78]

And again, it sells the audience short. His destructive nature and loneliness are painfully evident. So, not seeing the issue unless the surface level "rule of cool" is all that is taken away.

 

[The Wormhole]

I mean isn't that how impressionism works? "Hey look, the cool and macho guy is smoking, I can do that too!" I stand behind what I said in regards to how they handled Rios and smoking.

Well, I don't feel a compelling need to smoke because Rios does. Yes, he's a cool guy, but he's not cool because he smokes. His cigar is simply an accessory, which represents the fact that he's at a low point in his own life rather than being his tool of representing that he's a cool guy and this is how you can become cool too.

And honestly, in my entire life the only person I thought ever made smoking look cool was William B Davis on The X Files. But even then, I never felt a compelling need to start smoking while The X Files was on.

 

[oldtrekkie]

Well, I don't feel a compelling need to smoke because Rios does. Yes, he's a cool guy, but he's not cool because he smokes. His cigar is simply an accessory, which represents the fact that he's at a low point in his own life rather than being his tool of representing that he's a cool guy and this is how you can become cool too.

And honestly, in my entire life the only person I thought ever made smoking look cool was William B Davis on The X Files. But even then, I never felt a compelling need to start smoking while The X Files was on.

Still, bad examples like that often have a devastating influence. I once saw a teen playing football (soccer) with a lit cigarette in his mouth... What an idiot! He does far more damage to his body with his smoking than he does good by practicing a sport.

 

[fireproof78]

Well, I don't feel a compelling need to smoke because Rios does. Yes, he's a cool guy, but he's not cool because he smokes. His cigar is simply an accessory, which represents the fact that he's at a low point in his own life rather than being his tool of representing that he's a cool guy and this is how you can become cool too.

And honestly, in my entire life the only person I thought ever made smoking look cool was William B Davis on The X Files. But even then, I never felt a compelling need to start smoking while The X Files was on.

Exactly. Even with teens I am working with who start smoking it is because of personal curiosity or finding it appealing, not because "it's cool."

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

...but he's inversely supposed to be this cool loner

That's a contradiction in terms more often than you might think.

With Rios, for example.

 

[Tim Thomason]

That's a contradiction in terms more often than you might think.

With Rios, for example.

I disagree. His whole characterization is that he prefers to be alone, and even though he has those narcissistic holograms, he openly despises them and ignores them. I think the show is pretty direct in defining him as a loner, although definitions do vary, I will concur.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Well, yeah, of course Rios is a loner...I just don't agree that it makes him cool.

Loners are overrated. They have this reputation (which they no doubt encourage) that because they're loners, it makes them better than us...I definitely don't agree with that. Most loners - in fiction, anyway - tend to be jerks. Rios is a prime example of that. Even more than Han Solo.

 

[F. King Daniel]

Spoiler: Lower Decks S02E02

Killing off Giant Spock Clone™

 

[fireproof78]

Han Solo. Jack Sparrow. Malcom Reynolds. And on and on it goes.

It's not new. Not new to Star Trek. Not new to media.

 

[Commander Troi]

Yeah...I never got cool from Rios.

Gorgeous, yes... oh wait, is that just me?

Han Solo. Jack Sparrow. Malcom Reynolds. And on and on it goes.

It's not new. Not new to Star Trek. Not new to media.

Showing the loner as Not Cool is fairly new though. Many westerns (and much US national mythology) paint The Loner as the Cool Guy (pretty much always a guy) who Saves The Day then moves on. IMO, it's a healthy thing that we're seeing that punctured in much modern fiction. Even on shows with a "star", there's been a lot more emphasis on teams and emotional/physical/mental support than there used to be.