STAR TREK: Discovery

[Pariah]

Star Trek: Discovery to ditch a long frustrating Trek rule

 

tl;dr version:

 

 

 

As part of Trek creator Gene Roddenberry’s utopian vision of the future (and one that Trek franchise executive producer Rick Berman carried on after Roddenberry’s death in 1991), writers on Trek shows were urged to avoid having Starfleet crew members in significant conflict with one another (unless a crew member is, say, possessed by an alien force), or from being shown in any seriously negative way....

 

So for the CBS All Access series coming Sept. 24, that restriction has been lifted and the writers are allowed to tell types of stories that were discouraged for decades.

[Nolgroth]

Yeah! What Spence said.

[Christopher R Taylor]

Every new iteration of Star Trek I find I care less about the universe and the stories.

[Nolgroth]

Every new iteration of Star Trek I find I care less about the universe and the stories.

 

Star Trek is so full of baggage and missed opportunities that I am coming to the same conclusion. Even the reboot timeline (called the Kelvin Timeline in Star Trek Online), is just a hot mess.

 

There was a recent show that I saw clips of that seemed an homage to Traveller. The crew depressurized their ship before entering combat and the weapons looked like mass drivers of some sort. Seemed relatively neat. I got an almost Babylon 5 vibe from it, in terms of budget and set dressing. Anybody recall what that show is called. I might want to look it up to see if Netflix has it.

[Pattern Ghost]

Regarding the uniforms, I found this article.

[BoloOfEarth]

Maybe someone already commented on it here, but I find it... of concern that the abbreviation for the show is STD.

 

It's like at my work (University of Michigan), two different IT areas were merged and called Health Information Technology & Services (HITS).  A coworker suggested that they should call it the School of Health Information Technology & Services.  For some reason, SHITS didn't fly with people...

[Spence]

Star Trek is so full of baggage and missed opportunities that I am coming to the same conclusion. Even the reboot timeline (called the Kelvin Timeline in Star Trek Online), is just a hot mess.

 

There was a recent show that I saw clips of that seemed an homage to Traveller. The crew depressurized their ship before entering combat and the weapons looked like mass drivers of some sort. Seemed relatively neat. I got an almost Babylon 5 vibe from it, in terms of budget and set dressing. Anybody recall what that show is called. I might want to look it up to see if Netflix has it.

 

 

It wasn't The Expanse was it?  While I like Expanse I hope your answer is no.  I'd like to see another good scifi show.

[Doc Shadow]

Regarding the uniforms, I found this article.

 

Ye Gods, those suck. The whole series is a f***ing mess, but those are just horrid!

[Spence]

Ye Gods, those suck. The whole series is a f***ing mess, but those are just horrid!

 

I can't seem to think of a single way these things could become Gold, Red and Blue pull overs.  Or even anything out of TNG and on. 

 

Again.  If they are rebooting Star Trek just say so. 

 

Lying about it to trap the existing fandom will be far more painful in the end than just saying it's a reboot and inviting old fans to try it. 

[Nolgroth]

It wasn't The Expanse was it?  While I like Expanse I hope your answer is no.  I'd like to see another good scifi show.

 

To be honest, I couldn't tell you. That's why I was asking. I will look up the Expanse though, to see if it is the one. I remember the clip that I watched was a little on the cheesy B movie side but I was excited for the Traveller-esque combat.

 

I would like something along those lines, but a little bit more refined. 

[Spence]

To be honest, I couldn't tell you. That's why I was asking. I will look up the Expanse though, to see if it is the one. I remember the clip that I watched was a little on the cheesy B movie side but I was excited for the Traveller-esque combat.

 

I would like something along those lines, but a little bit more refined. 

 

The Expanse is actually unbelievable since it is Scifi on SyFy which I thought was illegal or something

 

It is one of the few TV series that does a decent job of hard science fiction.  No FTL or star travel, it is all inside the solar system. 

 

The Expanse CQB (Close Quarters Battle) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpfCkkKP9eE&t=96s

[Old Man]

Maybe someone already commented on it here, but I find it... of concern that the abbreviation for the show is STD.

 

It's like at my work (University of Michigan), two different IT areas were merged and called Health Information Technology & Services (HITS). A coworker suggested that they should call it the School of Health Information Technology & Services. For some reason, SHITS didn't fly with people...

"STDisco", then.

[Nolgroth]

The Expanse is actually unbelievable since it is Scifi on SyFy which I thought was illegal or something

 

It is one of the few TV series that does a decent job of hard science fiction.  No FTL or star travel, it is all inside the solar system. 

 

That was the show or at least it bears a striking resemblance to the clip I saw. I would honestly need to watch more of it to get a firm idea if I liked it or not. 

 

I still have this nostalgia driven love affair with Star Frontiers and I would love to see a TV show that adapted the SF setting.

[Pattern Ghost]

Ye Gods, those suck. The whole series is a f***ing mess, but those are just horrid!

 

Combining the division and the rank into the dnky little badges seemed like a stupid move.

[Pariah]

Regarding the uniforms, I found this article.

Looks like a classic example of "If it ain't broke, fix it until it is."

 

I've never served in the military or NASA, but it seems to me that in such an organization, the uniform needs to convey quickly and easily what rank you're talking to. Those pips on the badge utterly fail to do that.

 

"Are you ogling my chest!?"

 

"No, ma'am, just trying to determine your rank. >gulp< Captain."

 

(For my money, Enterprise had the best uniforms {and overall aesthetics} of any show in the franchise.)

[Greywind]

I think TNG got it about right in the later movies.

[Kaeto]

Everyone hated the "Dr. Dentons" of the first movie.

[Spence]

Looks like a classic example of "If it ain't broke, fix it until it is."

 

I've never served in the military or NASA, but it seems to me that in such an organization, the uniform needs to convey quickly and easily what rank you're talking to. Those pips on the badge utterly fail to do that.

 

"Are you ogling my chest!?"

 

"No, ma'am, just trying to determine your rank. >gulp< Captain."

 

(For my money, Enterprise had the best uniforms {and overall aesthetics} of any show in the franchise.)

 

You may not have served, but you pretty much nailed it.   While it is true that on a ship you will quickly get to know everyone in your Division plus a number outside of it by sight on a carrier.  And on smaller ships you will be able to pick out everyone by name after a while.  Rank insignia are generally easy to spot and read by design.  And those itty bitty dots on the bottom of a small badge would be hard to read outside in the light.  I can imagine they would be virtually invisible in low light or darkness. 

 

I think TNG got it about right in the later movies.

 

I'll admit that TNG wasn't my favorite Trek show, but they did a commendable job of shoehorning military style discipline and structure into quasi-military more civilian exploration service.   But TNG did grow on me,  Mostly I think because they tried to maintain an eye on continuity and respected events in TOS when they cam up.   I may not think B&B always made decisions I agreed with, but I can say once they had decided something they followed through.  I guess the only major thing I disliked was they fell victim to the "scifi" is for kids undertone that still dragged on genre shows in the 80-90's.  The whole Wesley Crusher garbage was the Jar Jar Binks of Trek.  I don't blame the cast or writers.  That can only be laid at the feet of the "got to have a kid for kids to identify with" crap from management.  

 

But I am moving of subject. 

 

The badges and dinky dots are proof that whoever is driving the show has utterly failed to sign on an advisor that is knowledgeable about naval operations.  So I am guessing that they will be relying on Hollywood facts and beliefs on how the military is organized and behaves which is usually (in the 2010's and one) completely wrong and based on a SJW's vision drawn from a rant by a "professor" that has never seen an actual member of the military outside of TV.   The military are just people with all their failings, but if you want to bash a group (that is safe to bash because they cannot respond of course)  at least pick a real failing.  

 

The whole "ditching the old Trek franchise rule" really drops my expectations.  I am pretty sure they will be having evil or bumbling incompetent goose stepping representations on concrete headed military buffoons that must be set straight by enlightened SJW heroes.  

 

The more they reveal the less I am attracted. 

 

But I will watch the opening show, you never know.    They might goof and make a good show.

[Nolgroth]

The more they reveal the less I am attracted. 

 

 

 

I am of like mind with you on this. The only thing that is vaguely interesting is their choice of Jason Isaacs.

 

 

But I will watch the opening show, you never know.    They might goof and make a good show.

 

 

Strangely, I am not even going to need my five episode trial for this one. The paywall thing has completely disinterested me. Heck, they probably need the paywall to help fund it. I already pay for content via Netflix and I have zero interest in yet another drain on my limited funds.

[Spence]

Strangely, I am not even going to need my five episode trial for this one. The paywall thing has completely disinterested me. Heck, they probably need the paywall to help fund it. I already pay for content via Netflix and I have zero interest in yet another drain on my limited funds.

 

Oh, I am with you on this.  My sample on this series will be the one episode actually on TV. 

[Old Man]

Not a great sign since every Trek series after TOS has needed two seasons to grow the beard.

[Michael Hopcroft]

You may not have served, but you pretty much nailed it.   While it is true that on a ship you will quickly get to know everyone in your Division plus a number outside of it by sight on a carrier.  And on smaller ships you will be able to pick out everyone by name after a while.  Rank insignia are generally easy to spot and read by design.  And those itty bitty dots on the bottom of a small badge would be hard to read outside in the light.  I can imagine they would be virtually invisible in low light or darkness. 

 

 

I'll admit that TNG wasn't my favorite Trek show, but they did a commendable job of shoehorning military style discipline and structure into quasi-military more civilian exploration service.   But TNG did grow on me,  Mostly I think because they tried to maintain an eye on continuity and respected events in TOS when they cam up.   I may not think B&B always made decisions I agreed with, but I can say once they had decided something they followed through.  I guess the only major thing I disliked was they fell victim to the "scifi" is for kids undertone that still dragged on genre shows in the 80-90's.  The whole Wesley Crusher garbage was the Jar Jar Binks of Trek.  I don't blame the cast or writers.  That can only be laid at the feet of the "got to have a kid for kids to identify with" crap from management.  

 

But I am moving of subject. 

 

The badges and dinky dots are proof that whoever is driving the show has utterly failed to sign on an advisor that is knowledgeable about naval operations.  So I am guessing that they will be relying on Hollywood facts and beliefs on how the military is organized and behaves which is usually (in the 2010's and one) completely wrong and based on a SJW's vision drawn from a rant by a "professor" that has never seen an actual member of the military outside of TV.   The military are just people with all their failings, but if you want to bash a group (that is safe to bash because they cannot respond of course)  at least pick a real failing.  

 

The whole "ditching the old Trek franchise rule" really drops my expectations.  I am pretty sure they will be having evil or bumbling incompetent goose stepping representations on concrete headed military buffoons that must be set straight by enlightened SJW heroes.  

 

The more they reveal the less I am attracted. 

 

But I will watch the opening show, you never know.    They might goof and make a good show.

Jonathan Frakes, who is not normally viewed as a great actor, spent the first TNG off-season doing research on what Naval Officers do (in addition to his other pursuits). He came out of it with a greater understanding of what it means to be a First Officer on a naval vessel, and it showed in his performances. Apparently he was not the only one involved who did that research -- the Space Navy stuff improved in the writing as well.

 

I did get a logical disconnect of a sort from the idea of children on a warship. When the other ship in the Galaxy class was destroyed, Picard mentioned in his log that the children all died too, which seems unconscionable.

 

Will the characters be at all interesting? That is probably what will determine if the series sinks or swims.

[Christopher R Taylor]

The Next Generation suffered greatly from a battle between Roddenberry's vision of a uptopian future and writers wanting to have something actually interesting with drama on screen.  That and pretty poorly conceived characters.  From helpless and pathetic Worf whose obvious good advice is always ignored to the doctor who couldn't cure a common cold, it was a weak cast.  The show got better, eventually, but it had lost me by then.

[DasBroot]

It must be hard to be tactical and / or security on these shows.

 

Captain: "Tactical officer... your assessment?"

 

TO: "The anomaly is mobile and possesses an unknown maximum energy output. I recommend we raise shields and pull back to a safe distance."

 

C: "Noted. Science officer?"

 

SO: "We'll need to be closer to use our madeupium whatsitscope."

 

Captain: "Understood. Helm, take us in."

 

TO: *sighs*

[Old Man]

Especially when the TO turns out to have been right on most of those episodes.