Yes, he's basically that. But I don't hate Neelix as much as others, and I think Phlox is Neelix Done Right. That's definitely better than T'Pol, the Sexed-Up Seven. And considering what Seven's selling point was to begin with... I think a good ensemble is always good, and a bad lead-centred show is a problem. The issue isn't the concept, just the execution.
It's easier to find three good actors than seven; the same goes for creating new characters, I think, and certainly fleshing them out in course of a season. Plus all four ST revival shows have been ensemble, so maybe it's time to give the formula a rest. For myself, in the next Trek series, I'd love to have three charismatic actors playing three intriguing roles. If the show's creators can manage more than that, fine--- but nail down the main characters first.
As Dexter has demonstratably shown, all you really need is one (I like the supporting cast, but it's definitely the title character that draws me). I'm for whatever works, plain and simple. As ensembles go, TNG and VOY wisely gravitated towards its stronger castmembers, while DS9 actually had a fairly good balance. Of course, in a way you're getting your wish: The upcoming movie is a TOS one, and I suspect the dramatic focus will be on Kirk and Spock, not the supporting cast.
Personally, I prefer shows with good ensambles, and IMO that's what Star Trek should be. It's also part of why I love Heroes, Lost, and BSG so much, all three of those shows have amazing ensables. IMO even if a show chooses to focus on a limited group of characters, you still need a strong supporting or recurring cast to back them up.
ST V, for all of its admitted flaws, is still a much better and more enjoyable film than ST VI - which I find almost unremittingly bleak and depressing with a rather cliched plotline.
^true, that. my least favorite is ST6, actually. the only scenes I like in it are stuff like the cup saucer thing before the moon explodes, when the ship goes kaboom, and the whole Sulu rescue thing. I also like that little shipboard bunk scene between K and S. nice stuff. the movie was a dripping bore on the whole, though, Trek5's thunder thighs and all notwithstanding. ugh.
TMP, especially the director's cut, is far and away the best Trek film, and maybe the best Trek period.
That Gene Roddenberry was an above-average TV writer looking to create a show to earn a living, and came up with Star Trek, and that the "philosophy" and "optimistic view of the future" stuff just happened to come along as a secondary part of the show, and that all the altruism has been incredibly exaggerated through the years. I'm not saying the optimistic message is bad, but just that it got blown way out the role it actually played in a writer trying to make a few bucks. --Ted
Re: Your most unpopular Trek opinions Because he preached about how excellent a moneyless society would be and about how evil money-grubbing capitalists are?
Re: Your most unpopular Trek opinions Another opinion: I would much rather have seen Star Trek: Phase II than the TOS movies (even though I liked some of the TOS movies.) Four or five seasons of Phase II would have segued into TNG a lot better than the highly uneven Trek movies. Of course, I'm 'messing' with the timeline by wishing for Phase II... Roddenberry may well have killed the golden goose and no version of TNG would have been possible.
I agree with TedShatner10 here. Jeri Taylor is a lovely lady but her episodes I found were mediocre and the seasons of Trek that she had the most to do with--TNG-7 and VOY-3--were not that great. VOY-3 for me was the first time I actually came close to giving up on a Trek series. There was just so much mediocre stuff--The Q and the Grey, Coda, Rise, Favorite Son, Darkling, Warlord, Blood Fever etc. I know many hate pathologically Brannon Braga but it was his episodes that were the better ones that year. And while season four didn't live up to my expectations it was a mostly solid year with far fewer missteps than season three.
I love Darkling. Blood Fever was fun. Keeping those and Warlord in mind, I'll raise you Real Life, Distant Origins, the first half of Worst Case Scenario, Scorpion, Unity, The Swarm, Sacred Ground, and... Uh... Fair Trade. Surprised? Talk to the avatar.
"The Swarm" was just silly rubbish, "Rise" put me to sleep, and "Sacred Ground" was illogical toss, with another set of aliens of the week with hopeless security... I saw the first half of Season Three comparatively recently on Channel Five, and it felt like a definite step down from Seasons One and Two (which were better on repeat viewing). I think one of the low points was when Neelix was dancing barefoot...
Weird, actually creepy enemy enemy, and solid Doctor material. No argument here. Illogical, but provocatively so. That's what interesed me. I think S1 and S2 were a lot worse on repeats, which I have done (though "Ex Post Facto" is an underrated gem). I found myself still warming to S3, though.
I'm curious, in your view what's so special about "Fair Trade"? If you don't mind elaborating on that.