Traditional Trek, particularly of the Berman era... has taken... baby steps towards being inclusive/progressive. White male. White male. Black (male). (White) female. White male. "PS somebody pls remind Brooks to shave his face and grow some hair; maybe we'll let it slide later on if we get too busy." I wouldn't even be surprised if several early DS9 treatments had "Remember he's 'commander' not captain" red-inked into the margins.
It's entirely possible for a supposedly bigoted individual to have never had problems with Trek until the current wave of programs. (Although I also remember letters-to-the-editor from fans reacting badly to 'Rejoined' on DS9. Now it would take at least another full paragraph to explain why I didn't like that one).
It's also possible to be disgusted or aggravated by STD's (STP's, CBS/Kurtzman Trek's) particular bluntly shallow brand of "wokeness" (god I hate that word!) in ways that have nothing to do with being "offended" by content, or with the question of Should They or Shouldn't They, or even with simply not liking a character (though the latter probably already plays a huge part). And this is something I've avoided bringing up until now.
STD is Kurtzman Trek's worst offender. I think mostly because it's broken right out of the box. The only showrunner who knew what to do with "michaelburhnam" (I already know I'm going to get shit for pronouncing it like that, and I don't even know where I've heard it) is fired. She's everywhere, she's intimately attached to every plot development (no matter what the season or story arc), and there's never any variance to the whispered urgency of her emotions (Does no one remember Meyer telling Montalban to never let an audience see your top?) I was with her and her story arc throughout the first season, minus the finale. I lost her.
I could go on, I won't. Kurtzman Trek (in general) has its execution priorities skewed. It's running Woke Checklist Committee on a front burner. In between trying not to boil that, it's got Fanservice, Reparations and Fan Appeasement constantly switching out fresh pots and pans on the other front burner (Don't forget to always handwave wink-wink within the dialogue whenever you've fixed something fans didn't like).
So where does that leave Story, Outline, Theme and Subtext, Political/Social/Literary Influences, Life Experiences, and In General What To Take Out Of This Thing? All that stuff's not only simmering on a back burner, occasionally getting a stir until "Oh shit, why didn't we notice this was burning??", but it's allocated to the one defective burner that shocks you. Meanwhile Subtlety and Nuance is assigned to the burner not in use because no one wants to move the neglected saucepan with thirty-four years of dust caked into it.
Trekmovie just posted an article about making Gray Tal "truly seen". I had already forgotten that was even a thing... within the sci-fi premise of the show that is, in which Culber explicitly promised as much. What does that even mean? (Would Dax be able to explain it?) It doesn't matter; that's what STD wants to make the magic mushrooms do next. Now, why is this even as issue?
Sure, I at first thought they were being "cute/clever" with Adira's preferred pronouns (I "get" it, they're a Trill... er, joined individual... Hell I don't even know what a Trill is! Human female with a Trill symbiont who's her only link to a deceased lover). Well, she's non-binary... OK I "get" it (Well actually I don't... It's OK to start throwing stones at me right about now). She's (they're) non-binary because... Why?
She's (physically) female, and her only relationship in evidence has been a heterosexual one. (No, you don't need to remind me that a person's present or past relationship isn't his whole story. You just need to make be believe. I think you (Kurtzman Trek) want inexperienced, tone-deaf flat-footed me to believe it, you just aren't willing to do the work instead of checking off boxes.)
It's NOT whether Adira is non-binary, or whether Seven is gay (she's still enough of a blank slate after four years "development" on VOY, that I can more easily accept "pro-tip" lady as a potential partner over bland Chakotay -- Hell I guessed THEY had only been an item for a handful of eps prior to 'Endgame', and it seems to me at least a couple fans confirmed my suspicion; now how would I be able to guess on something like that with such cynical accuracy?) It's not whether you do it, it's... "Why?" Why Adira Tal? And why Seven? You could choose anybody; I wouldn't care. I can't tell you how to make me believe it, YOU have to believe it. You have to do the work.
Why is Picard SO clueless about the people around him that he doesn't even realize he just bamboozled "pro-tip" lady into burning the last of her bridges for him? Why is Boimler so emasculated that it's supposed to be funny when Mariner injures him? Is it because they're stupid white men? Why does michaelburnham seem to clash with white male authority figures (now that someone's mentioned it) when it always turns out later they should be listening to her? You can do interesting stuff with this; I just want to know if that's the only reason. Maybe the figures who underestimate her don't have to be both male and white.
Stamets and Culber... perfect. Completely naturalistic, you blew self-conscious Berman Trek to shame. Then you ruined it with your mycelial network wish-me-back-in-Kansas resurrection mumbo jumbo. (Is Culber even a real person now? Can he behave in ways Stamets wouldn't anticipate? I'm letting my sci-fi get in the way of their fantasy.) Should you just not have killed him? If you couldn't live with the consequences, perhaps not.
Ultimately though what we want is a solid, meaningful story. With hopefully some real science fiction involved. All the supposed "wokeness" issues (god, I hate that word!) would immediately evaporate, at least credibly speaking (If the criticism is not credible you shouldn't gave a damn). The backpedaling fan appeasement would still be as issue. But why after four seasons of STD/STP we still can't get a story that's about something (STP comes the closest) is truly baffling.
