Why Star Trek Sucks

[F. King Daniel]

CLICK!

An ancient article from 1994(!) which I bumped into while looking for some anti-Trek stuff for another thread. The weird thing is, I agree with much of what's said here. It pretty much lists my grievances with Trek from the start of TNG until the Xindi attacked Earth in Enterprise. The morals are trite, the people frequently act unrealistically and the aliens are often dumb. And the jazz music is awful!

The science stuff I don't care about. Trek is science-fantasy, whether fans choose to accept it as such or not.

And weirdly, despite agreeing with so much of the article.... I still love Star Trek. It's silly, it's flawed and it's goofy, but it's so often fun.

What I very strongly disagree with is the writer's treatment of Trek fans at the end of the article.

 

[Captain Clark Terrell]

I agree with some of what's written as it relates to The Next Generation. I've always found Deep Space 9 to be a realistic look at a future society, as it takes the problems and concepts of our recent past and applies them to the twenty fourth century. I do wonder what DS9 may have looked like had it aired after September 11, but as it ended more than two years before the terrorist attacks occurred, it's an accurate extrapolation of events moving forward from 1999.

--Sran

 

[nureintier]

The science stuff I don't care about. Trek is science-fantasy, whether fans choose to accept it as such or not.

It's a fictional universe, and that's why I can accept some of the wacky stuff. It's supposed to be enjoyable to watch, and some of these aspects make for fun plot devices. Seems like nitpicking to me (or unrealistic expectations of Trek being hard science fiction and focusing on accuracy of technology, whereas Trek spends a lot of time dealing more with the characters and society). I'm sure most people recognize the fact that a lot of the stuff is unrealistic and has fantasy elements.

And weirdly, despite agreeing with so much of the article.... I still love Star Trek. It's silly, it's flawed and it's goofy, but it's so often fun.

What I very strongly disagree with is the writer's treatment of Trek fans at the end of the article.

Agreed with all of this.

 

[The Wormhole]

What a waste of time. The article basically consists of "the world of Star Trek doesn't conform to how I view the world around me and is therefore crap." Whatever, the guy obviously doesn't like Trek, that's obvious. And he's not required to, but it would be better if he just admitted "I don't like Star Trek" rather than wax on about having standards which Trek apparently doesn't meet.

The note at the top claims the article was written in 1994. Yet Voyager is mentioned a few times with an episode's plot even referenced. Voyager started in 1995 and that episode mentioned also aired in 95. Was this guy so busy worrying over how out of touch Star Trek was to bother looking at a calendar?

 

[ALF]

Was this guy so busy worrying over how out of touch Star Trek was to bother looking at a calendar?

Truly the definition of irony. You worry about something being out of touch until you're out of touch. That's actually pretty hilarious if he truly got the year wrong. It'll warrant a visit from Temporal Corrections, or whomever they were on DS9.

Anyway, I appreciate the offer, but between my group of friends and my fellow posters here, I think I'm sufficient for opinions on how Star Trek sucks.

 

[The Wormhole]

Was this guy so busy worrying over how out of touch Star Trek was to bother looking at a calendar?

Truly the definition of irony. You worry about something being out of touch until you're out of touch. That's actually pretty hilarious if he truly got the year wrong.

The very first sentence on that page:

This article has been on the web since 1994.

Voyager premiered January 16, 1995. The episode Phage, which is the Voyager episode where Neelix gets holographic lungs referenced in the bit whining about Trek's bad science aired February 6, 1995.

 

[Lance]

I have to be honest: while I think he goes a bit too hard on Star Trek (and goes for the obvious attacks, re: for example the well-worn 'Deanna states the obvious' criticism), there are other parts of the article where he definitely has a point.

From the article:

We have the Klingons, equally on par with the federation technologically, yet ruled by a singular fuedal warlord society. They can create impressive starships that are a match for the Federation, yet they know nothing of personal hygene or dental care. They know computers, but seem to have no patience to deal with any technology or people -- which would be neccesary for technological development. Klingons seem more prone to smashing computer screens in frustration, rather than being capable of making them or programming them.

This is a fair comment. While I think Klingon honor and society does make for an interesting tapestry, it does also somewhat clash for a supposedly space-faring species to be so reliant on what (on the outside) sometimes appears to be an apparently medieval mindset. At least in TOS the Klingons were a believable opposite to our own culture, and it was much easier to believe in them as being a technology sophisticated, space-faring (if somewhat brutal at times) people. The later incarnations of Trek sometimes went too far IMO in portraying them as primitive and backwards, to the point where it does rather undermine their credibility somewhat.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

I have read the article and I agree! Star Trek does suck!

I have renounced it forever.

 

[BigJake]

Nothing especially surprising. I think I actually remember reading that same article back in the day.

However:

The best science fiction movies, in my opinion, are . . . Terminator 2: Judgement Day, Aliens, and maybe Jurassic Park

This is the same guy complaining about how TNG isn't highbrow enough to go beyond quoting Shakespeare. I am Calling Shenanigans.

 

[CaptPapa]

Brown Matter

 

[Melakon]

. . .From the article:

We have the Klingons, equally on par with the federation technologically, yet ruled by a singular fuedal warlord society. . .

This is a fair comment. . .it does also somewhat clash for a supposedly space-faring species to be. . .an apparently medieval mindset. At least in TOS the Klingons were a believable opposite to our own culture, and it was much easier to believe in them as being a technology sophisticated, space-faring (if somewhat brutal at times) people. . .

This may be why I was never wild about the Angry Klingons of the TOS films, or their 24th century descendants. When we first meet Klingons in 'Errand of Mercy", their culture and personality is modeled on the Soviet Union. Kor is quite a charming fellow, but knows when to be the tough guy. He and Kirk are reflections of each other, much the same, but different due to their cultures. Perhaps they're the genuine mirror universe of Terrans.

Angry Klingons became more prominent in the films, though when relations with the USSR began to ease, we started seeing men of honor among them shown. TNG had already picked up on Good and Bad Klingons, and began playing up the Honor and Glory and Loyalty shtick to operatic proportions.

Meanwhile, those more expensive TOS aliens the Romulans, were also shown to have a commander as noble and crafty as Kirk himself. They're later involved in an episode based on the Pueblo Incident, though they're the victim of Federation spies.

So by the 24th century, Honor has been snatched away from the Romulans, and given to the Klingons. This sort of leaves the Romulans floundering for a while until they decide to become better at espionage and sneakiness than the humans.

Then the Cardassians showed up and seemed to be a composite of Klingons and Romulans.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

Hey now what about the Shakespeare quoting erudite Klingons of TUC?

Those ones were the best.

 

[kennysmith]

what one that person didn't say. what one is so bad?.

Hey now what about the Shakespeare quoting erudite Klingons of TUC?

Those ones were the best.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

Azetbur ftw.

 

[Lance]

Revenge is a dish best served with croutons.

 

[Commishsleer]

Some of the points as someone else has said I agree with with but this is a franchise that covers 30 Seasons and 12 Movies. You're bound to find some problems.

I agree that it seems impossible that the TNG forward Klingons have ever achieved a technology that could match the Federation.

The Shakespeare quoting Klingons aren't meant to be taken literally...

Time travel stories are all boring... I don't think so. Just some generalisations to make him seem clever.

Lots of Star Trek episodes have messages even deeper than those of Aliens or Jurassic Park, or Terminator 2 .

Evil twin and other recurring themes - that happens in 30 seasons. Christmas episodes must have been a TNG or DS9 thing because I can't remember any in Voyager or TOS or TAS.

The worst thing this guy has done, the reason he needs to be tied up in a chair in front of a TV with his eyes forced open by toothpicks compelled to watch continuous episodes with the Kardasian family...
is having a swipe at the fans of Star Trek.


He says "I used to think Scifi Conventions were neat getaways where you could forget everything and just be a kid again".
But Star Trek conventions consist of a whole society of degenerate, unclean, geeks, fat pukes, bad droolers who spend all their money on useless worthless things in his opinion instead of their rent.

I've been to a couple of conventions. People are just having fun together. So what if you pay $200 for a uniform. If you can afford it why not? You know my in-laws say why buy a $30 Starship model but its OK for them to spend $500 on a pair of shoes.

Hes got a big fat mouth. I want him to come here and say all that.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

Christmas episodes??

It's mentioned once in TOS, and Picard has his Christmas Nexus fantasy. Is it ever mentioned otherwise?

 

[Commishsleer]

Christmas episodes??

It's mentioned once in TOS, and Picard has his Christmas Nexus fantasy. Is it ever mentioned otherwise?

Sorry I don't mean Christmas literally - he says like a birthday or Christmas episode where they have flashbacks from old episodes - so cliched.
I honestly can't think of one myself. Not in TOS. In VOY and TNG I thought they usually had a two-parter at the end of Season. Not a summing up episode. I may be wrong though?

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

There were never any summing up eps in VOY. I think TNG had a montage ep that people disliked, and DS9's finale had a montage.

 

[2takesfrakes]

"Shades of Grey" wrapped up TNG's second season. It is the episode that originated that iconic image of Riker laying down, his eyes closed, head stuck in this machine and all these glass tubes from it poking into his head. Essentially, Riker had been in a medical emergency that required past memories to be relived, so that his body's neural responses to them would weaken the alien infection which had invaded his body. Which was more shitful: TNG's "Shades of Grey" or STAR WARS: Caravan of Courage? That's the question which no one seems to have an answer for ...