Star Trek

[pacergal]

I liked the original Star Trek and ST Next Gen.
I have not really watched any others, didn't seem to hold interest. Have not tried Picard, will need to give it a go.
I liked the first two movies, also. But not the rest.
I guess I prefer the very original cast!

 

[JoeWras]

I remember some really good stories on Enterprises but I also remember some really, really bad ones. There was a bad one where Archer was babysitting his sick dog and had erotic dreams about T'Pol. (I think the dog had peed on some sacred plant on an alien planet.)

I know fans out there say "Spock's Brain"* or the TNG clip episode "Shades of Gray" are the worst, but you are correct, the Enterprise dog episode is a disaster, especially the scenes where poor Porthos is a stuffed animal (not literally, but for production). This was the low point of the series in a low point season. They re-energized the show starting S3, really got going in S4 only to abruptly cancel.

One thing I really like about Enterprise is the growing story with the Andorians, and specifically Shran. It is an over-riding arc of a story sprinkled throughout stand alone episodes and really well done. And Jeff Combs does a really good job with the character Shran.

* - BTW, I like Spock's Brain. Sometimes when I get frustrated, I just yell out to myself, specifically my brain: "Brain and brain, what is brain!!??" DW just rolls her eyes.

 

[JoeWras]

I also thought the joking, especially by Pike, was awkward and contrived. But otherwise I think SNW is okay so far. Jury still out. And I really don’t care for Lt. mustache.

So they had to give him the mustache to be consistent with TOS canon. I still think they are having a joke with us. You know, the 60s melted into the 70s, and Sam K. clearly has what we would call a "pornstache".

 

[Tetto]

* - BTW, I like Spock's Brain. Sometimes when I get frustrated, I just yell out to myself, specifically my brain: "Brain and brain, what is brain!!??" DW just rolls her eyes.

 

[harllee]

"brain and brain, what is brain" is one of the standard phrases around our house.

 

[JoeWras]

"brain and brain, what is brain" is one of the standard phrases around our house.

This little scripted dialog is iconic. It is simultaneously:
- Inane
- Lazy (writing)
- Brilliant
- Catchy
- Funny

 

[Chuckanut]

Oddly enough I liked Deep Space Nine, though not as much as the original or TNG. Garak, the Cardassian tailor who was much more than a tailor, made for a number of interesting plots. Vic Fontaine was just fun.

 

[harllee]

Oddly enough I liked Deep Space Nine, though not as much as the original or TNG. Garak, the Cardassian tailor who was much more than a tailor, made for a number of interesting plots. Vic Fontaine was just fun.

Same here. I actually liked the Ferengis.

 

[Pellice]

Same here. I actually liked the Ferengis.

Me 3! DS9 may have been my favorite, though I liked them all (haven't seen any of the new ones, though).

Garak was, I thought, THE best character in any of the series. He was so thoroughly disillusioned and cynical - and did NOT follow a standard "redemption arc" of finding something new to believe in. Rather, he had come to appreciate that, for all his superior perception and understanding of situations, he was no more master of his fate, and no more in control, than the least of the people he encountered. And he was still working though his essential helplessness and his need (which he loathed) to occasionally depend on others. His alliance with the Federation came in concert with his giving up on his own efforts to control matters. He shrugged, and accepted the Federation, though without any great conviction, but as the last of his options.

I liked the occasional perspectives presented on the Federation from other races, who were not always that impressed. And the chance to explore in depth relations with other humanoids, besides Vulcans, was great. The
interactions with the Prophets - or Wormhole Aliens - was a gradually developed effort to communicate with a VERY alien, perhaps non-humanoid, race, perhaps more powerful, but perhaps not, and still not "figured out" by the end.

 

[Pellice]

What I feared in the new set of series was a standard 2020s set of plots with characters with dark pasts, supernatural themes, complicated storylines that the writers lost control of, and a focus on digging up additional family members (here's looking at the Spock family, which did NOT need to be a focus). So, am I wrong, and should I give them a try?

What I disliked most about the Star Wars movies was "The Force" and the fact that you had to have this magical quality to be A Really Powerful Guy (along with the fact it was mostly guys). Disliked this about Harry Potter too. And Top Gun. And 100 other movies about a young man with special powers. I did NOT want a magical special force to be a part of Star Trek.

 

[Carinya]

"Encounter at Farpoint" was our second date, shown in the common area of his dorm. Still Trekkies after all these years.

I found the second season of Picard to be disappointing, although I do really like seeing characters like Seven come back.

We're enjoying the episodic nature of SNW so far. We tried to watch Ready Room, but couldn't get past Wheaton's intro...too over the top. I suppose we might try it again but then again we've never been much into watching "the show after the show" for things like Walking Dead or others.

 

[harllee]

What I feared in the new set of series was a standard 2020s set of plots with characters with dark pasts, supernatural themes, complicated storylines that the writers lost control of, and a focus on digging up additional family members (here's looking at the Spock family, which did NOT need to be a focus). So, am I wrong, and should I give them a try?

What I disliked most about the Star Wars movies was "The Force" and the fact that you had to have this magical quality to be A Really Powerful Guy (along with the fact it was mostly guys). Disliked this about Harry Potter too. And Top Gun. And 100 other movies about a young man with special powers. I did NOT want a magical special force to be a part of Star Trek.

Star Trek Discovery features more women in powerful leadership roles, you would probably like it, I did and I recommend it. Picard is heavily focused on Picard and his history, and there is Q, who has special powers, so not sure about that one for you. Strange New Worlds is new, the Captain male, but I like him, he seems to be a regular kind of guy, no special powers so far. If you have not watched Voyager, I recommend it. Captain Janeway is a a powerful female captain, she is very much in command, there is not much in the way of special powers..

 

[Pellice]

Star Trek Discovery features more women in powerful leadership roles, you would probably like it, I did and I recommend it. Picard is heavily focused on Picard and his history, and there is Q, who has special powers, so not sure about that one for you. Strange New Worlds is new, the Captain male, but I like him, he seems to be a regular kind of guy, no special powers so far. If you have not watched Voyager, I recommend it. Captain Janeway is a a powerful female captain, she is very much in command, there is not much in the way of special powers..

Well, I generally thought ST did not have a problem with the "special power" issue - rather, it had to grapple with a consistent relationship with technology, which could sometimes be a deus ex machina or sometimes just a plot point (warp drive shuts down early).

Janeway was my favorite captain, thought she did an excellent job of combining command with compassion WITHOUT becoming a mother figure or a sexy girlfriend or a fierce female warrior (usual stereotypes - I somewhat fear for Galadriel in the upcoming Rings of Power show, that she will become standard Fierce Female Warrior).

 

[harllee]

Well, I generally thought ST did not have a problem with the "special power" issue - rather, it had to grapple with a consistent relationship with technology, which could sometimes be a deus ex machina or sometimes just a plot point (warp drive shuts down early).

Janeway was my favorite captain, thought she did an excellent job of combining command with compassion WITHOUT becoming a mother figure or a sexy girlfriend or a fierce female warrior (usual stereotypes - I somewhat fear for Galadriel in the upcoming Rings of Power show, that she will become standard Fierce Female Warrior).

if you liked Janeway, give Star Trek Discovery on Paramount Plus a try. A female captain (at least after the first few episodes) who is far from home. The female Captain in Discovery is sexier than Janeway but she is definitely in control, not just someone's girlfriend.

 

[JoeWras]

if you liked Janeway, give Star Trek Discovery on Paramount Plus a try. A female captain (at least after the first few episodes) who is far from home. The female Captain in Discovery is sexier than Janeway but she is definitely in control, not just someone's girlfriend.

Although Burnham doesn't have magic powers, she is always the one who saves the day, or universe, frequently with "one weird trick.". Or as someone else says a bit of that deus ex machina. There's very little room for others to breathe or shine.

It appears that SNW will give room to the ensemble cast, working as a team, and I like that. The Uhura story in this last episode was well done. Using her skills along with the rest of the team .

 

[KarenC]

So, they almost went there in Enterprise. […]
Oh, and BTW, give Enterprise another look. The timing was bad for this show. I think it would be much better received today. It didn't help that they had to add some really unnecessary "sexy stuff" to it either. The naked decontamination gel rub-downs are just super cringe worthy and nearly ruin the whole franchise for me.

I've been listening to a podcast, Trek in Time, that's going through all of Star Trek, episode by episode, in the chronological order of the Star Trek universe. (I heard of the podcast because it is co-hosted by Matt Ferrell (along with his brother), the host of the YouTube channel "Undecided with Matt Ferrell.") There is one episode per week, which basically means they'll never catch up, but I'm OK with that. So far, they have been going through the episodes of "Enterprise" and are close to the end of season 2 (I think).

 

[scrabbler1]

I liked TOS, at least most of the episodes (there were several bombs such as Spock's Brain and Shore Leave, two I skip whenever they air on the Heroes and Icons cable TV network daily). Same for TNG, save for its own bombs such as the Shades of Grey clip show.

I did watch DS9 when it aired in the 1990s, but I was losing interest in quickly in its final year or so (1998-99). With Voyager, I also lost interest in it around 1999, a few years before it finished its run in the early 2000s. Those 2 series also air on H&I but I don't watch them. Anything after Voyager I had no interest in.

I have found a few books about those early series, from those compendiums to others by Shatner and TOS producer Bob Justman who wrote about the budgetary problems and the antics of GR and the costume designer who was under orders to show as much skin as possible on the young women guest stars, battling the network sensors to keep their navels covered.

 

[folivier]

I just wish that Burnham wouldn't whisper. It's really hard to hear her dialogue. Turn it up to hear it and get blasted out of your recliner by the music.

 

[harllee]

I just wish that Burnham wouldn't whisper. It's really hard to hear her dialogue. Turn it up to hear it and get blasted out of your recliner by the music.

I use the captions on all the Star Trek shows (and most everything else too)

 

[Tetto]

Well, I generally thought ST did not have a problem with the "special power" issue - rather, it had to grapple with a consistent relationship with technology, which could sometimes be a deus ex machina or sometimes just a plot point (warp drive shuts down early).

Janeway was my favorite captain, thought she did an excellent job of combining command with compassion WITHOUT becoming a mother figure or a sexy girlfriend or a fierce female warrior (usual stereotypes - I somewhat fear for Galadriel in the upcoming Rings of Power show, that she will become standard Fierce Female Warrior).

Then you should have loved Rey Skywalker in the last of the SW series. In the end, she defeated all evil and became the singular top dog Jedi. That’s impressive! (Even if she really is a Palpatine!)

 

[Chuckanut]

I just wish that Burnham wouldn't whisper. It's really hard to hear her dialogue. Turn it up to hear it and get blasted out of your recliner by the music.

That may be a sound issue. Modern TV shows, TVs and sound bars tend to accentuate the far ends which is where the music is. Alas, the middle ground where speaking voices are gets ignored.

The few audiophiles I know of have been complaining about this for years. If you have the ability to adjust the various High, Low and Mid level sound your TV/SoundBar puts out that might help quite a bit.

 

[JoeWras]

I just wish that Burnham wouldn't whisper. It's really hard to hear her dialogue. Turn it up to hear it and get blasted out of your recliner by the music.

Yeah, I mentioned that on Reddit and got a snippy "OK Boomer" in response with a bunch of downvotes.

Young social media is very protective of the show and any criticism is seen as some great insult upon some group of people.

People need to relax. Commenting on production (whispering, dark and dull color pallet, fireball machines on the bridge) are not comments on race or sexuality. Enjoy the show, but know that its production can be improved.

What I like about SNW is the color pallet POPS. We need brighter colors in our lives these days. So much TV is dull and dreary.

 

[JoeWras]

That may be a sound issue. Modern TV shows, TVs and sound bars tend to accentuate the far ends which is where the music is. Alas, the middle ground where speaking voices are gets ignored.

The few audiophiles I know of have been complaining about this for years. If you have the ability to adjust the various High, Low and Mid level sound your TV/SoundBar puts out that might help quite a bit.

I'm pretty sure with Discovery, it is the production and direction. Sometimes Burnham speaks with authority while on the bridge, but most of her side discussions with others, over Very Serious Issues, are done in this hushed whisper with a constant pained look of concern on her face. This is not a criticism of the actor. Rather, from the start they went with this look, sound and feel as part of the direction of such scenes. It spans across different directors, meaning this comes from the top and is direction to the directors.

 

[Pellice]

Then you should have loved Rey Skywalker in the last of the SW series. In the end, she defeated all evil and became the singular top dog Jedi. That’s impressive! (Even if she really is a Palpatine!)

I'm not so sure. She sounds like a standard Fierce Female Warrior who happened to be born with an extra helping of Force, possibly because she was an aristocrat. But, on the other hand, that was what Star Wars was about.

 

[teetee]

I think the modern Star Trek series and movies are trying too hard to attract the audience. Yes having the captains to be on the away missions 9 out of 10 times in the old series/file.s we're also trying too hard. But the new series is putting lots of anxiety when time and space irregularities becomes the backbone of the story.

I guess I am the one that needs to adapt. But it is just lots of constant pressure to take in the story before I can even enjoying the character and story development.

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