As a die-hard Trekkie, I was thrilled when Star Trek Picard hit the screens, introducing a dark, gritty, and unflinching take on the beloved universe. The producers of the new series painted bold strokes, never shying away from showing vomiting, eyeball horror, gory fatalities, and the slow descent into madness of an Irumodic Syndrome-afflicted John-Luc Picard.
But as I delved into the show, I couldn't help but notice a glaring omission: despite 300+ years of what had to have been either some hardcore intermarrying or repeated cloning with zero genetic variety, every Doctor Soong we've seen has looked less like King Charles II of Spain and more like...old Data.
Are we supposed to believe that in the 24th century, inbreeding and clonal decay are suddenly non-issues? I don't buy it. Just imagine the potential for drama and intrigue if the showrunners had elected to tackle this topic head-on. Instead of every encounter with the various Doctor Soongs taking the milquetoast and somewhat predictable approaches that they did, we could have seen the Soongs portrayed as truly eccentric, with wildly exaggerated physical and psychological manifestations of their genetic legacies.
For example, Altan Soong could have been shown as barking mad, literally barking like a dog during conversations, much to the confusion and discomfort of those around him. Adam Soong could have been cross-eyed in such a way that his gaze was constantly shifting in totally different directions, making it difficult for anyone to maintain eye contact with him without feeling disoriented. Maybe Arik Soong could have even appeared in the recording on Daystrom Station, giving a rambling, disjointed speech while random teeth repeatedly fell out mid-sentence, leading to awkward pauses and frequent interruptions as he fumbled to retrieve them from the floor and reinsert them into his mouth.
Further, instead of the occasional displays of eccentricity we saw in the show, the Soongs could have been constantly plagued with strange and inexplicable sensory perceptions. They could have been shown smelling colors or tasting sounds, leading to bizarre and unpredictable outbursts in various social situations. These episodes of madness could have manifested in then suddenly breaking into impromptu tap dancing or singing opera at the top of their lungs in the middle of serious discussions.
The potential for dramatic moments would have been endless if Doctor Soong's gene problems had been portrayed with more creativity and depth. Instead of a stoic, reserved character who sometimes yells, we could have witnessed a truly unpredictable and eccentric Doctor Soong, whose behavior kept everyone on their toes and added an extra layer of complexity to the story.
Setting all of that aside, why aren't the Soongs accurately portrayed as the cautionary tale that their lineage would bear out? Has there been some in-universe explanation (or Twitter retcon from the writers) that would patch up what otherwise presents as a rather glaring hole in Picard's otherwise unforgiving realism? Why do you suppose the showrunners chose to not incorporate this obvious low-hanging fruit that practically writes itself? Perhaps the answer is yet to be revealed.
But as I delved into the show, I couldn't help but notice a glaring omission: despite 300+ years of what had to have been either some hardcore intermarrying or repeated cloning with zero genetic variety, every Doctor Soong we've seen has looked less like King Charles II of Spain and more like...old Data.
Are we supposed to believe that in the 24th century, inbreeding and clonal decay are suddenly non-issues? I don't buy it. Just imagine the potential for drama and intrigue if the showrunners had elected to tackle this topic head-on. Instead of every encounter with the various Doctor Soongs taking the milquetoast and somewhat predictable approaches that they did, we could have seen the Soongs portrayed as truly eccentric, with wildly exaggerated physical and psychological manifestations of their genetic legacies.
For example, Altan Soong could have been shown as barking mad, literally barking like a dog during conversations, much to the confusion and discomfort of those around him. Adam Soong could have been cross-eyed in such a way that his gaze was constantly shifting in totally different directions, making it difficult for anyone to maintain eye contact with him without feeling disoriented. Maybe Arik Soong could have even appeared in the recording on Daystrom Station, giving a rambling, disjointed speech while random teeth repeatedly fell out mid-sentence, leading to awkward pauses and frequent interruptions as he fumbled to retrieve them from the floor and reinsert them into his mouth.
Further, instead of the occasional displays of eccentricity we saw in the show, the Soongs could have been constantly plagued with strange and inexplicable sensory perceptions. They could have been shown smelling colors or tasting sounds, leading to bizarre and unpredictable outbursts in various social situations. These episodes of madness could have manifested in then suddenly breaking into impromptu tap dancing or singing opera at the top of their lungs in the middle of serious discussions.
The potential for dramatic moments would have been endless if Doctor Soong's gene problems had been portrayed with more creativity and depth. Instead of a stoic, reserved character who sometimes yells, we could have witnessed a truly unpredictable and eccentric Doctor Soong, whose behavior kept everyone on their toes and added an extra layer of complexity to the story.
Setting all of that aside, why aren't the Soongs accurately portrayed as the cautionary tale that their lineage would bear out? Has there been some in-universe explanation (or Twitter retcon from the writers) that would patch up what otherwise presents as a rather glaring hole in Picard's otherwise unforgiving realism? Why do you suppose the showrunners chose to not incorporate this obvious low-hanging fruit that practically writes itself? Perhaps the answer is yet to be revealed.
when people like Vaughn Armstrong play like 14 different characters? Or Kate Mulgrew playing one of Janeway's ancestors ("11:59")? Same story here. It's just reusing an actor. No explanation is required. Just deal with it. 
But it genuinely is fun to watch. 
(And I eschewd the temptation to dive into an all-too-easy digression, as I am wont to do... 
Hey look, it's engineering, science, and captain tunic colors from TOS! 
There, command and helm yellow are now in too. 
