The Star Trek Thread

[Blossom]

So, I've been working my way through all of TNG on netflix, and something jumps out at me. And I'm gonna talk about it.

I have different favorites for different moods, of course, and there are a lot of really incredible episodes in that show (even if it did take two and a half seasons to produce a watchable one). But I think my actual favorite so far, towards the end of season 6, isn't a Chain of Command or a Best of Both Worlds or a Redemption or anything like that, or even the softer and more intimate ones like Tapestry or Ensign Ro or I, Borg. Or anything like that. I think it might be Fistful of Datas.

I mean, the premise is, on its face, comedy material? Alexander creates a western program on the holodeck so he and his dad can play cowboys, he asks Troi to come along and she casts herself as the mysterious stranger, and of course it goes screwy and suddenly everybody's Data. It's very silly. And it kinda ... is silly, through and through. Even when stakes are introduced, the stakes are still playing cowboy on the holodeck, and meanwhile you have Data calling Spot a varmint and spitting in potted plants. It's funny, it's a lot of fun, and it's poking fun at itself. And that means everything.

Anyway, I bring this up to mention that I've caught both episodes of Lower Decks that have aired so far, and it reminds of Trek when it's funny. It's a solid show so far. Wouldn't have thought that the half hour cartoon, of the three shows currently running, would be the one that sticks, but it's like. It doesn't have that vibe of bitterness you always see in Star Trek parodies, where they feel that they're better than the source material? It's funny, but it's fun, and it's too laden with Stuff to feel written by anyone but people who love the franchise. I mean, hell, the second episode calls back some TAS-only stuff, it's. Comedy from inside, rather than criticism from outside.

I dunno. I enjoy it, and I haven't enjoyed Star Trek since the 2000s. Worth looking at, don't pre-judge by the animation style.

[Friday]

Fistful of Datas

Yeah this is also one of my favorite eps. I love the fun silly stuff just as much as I love the good serious stuff.

And you're not wrong about the first two seasons being bad as fuck. There's a few eps here and there that are good (Q Who, Measure of a Man) but for the most part it's *insert Pulaski vomiting noises*

[Mongrel]

Fistful of Datas rocks - it's easily one of the first episodes that comes to mind when I remember TNG. You have to be a stuffed up bloviator to hate that sort of thing.

Not only is it a fun episode, but the plot is actually structured really well (IIRC) under all the silliness. The pacing is good, the reveals are all well timed, and the escalation is both funny and suspenseful. And Brent Spiner does a great job as all the different villains (anytime there was some variation on an "Evil Data" Brent Spiner always had fun with it).

In a similar vein but from a different episode, but "SIR! I protest! I am NOT a Merry Man!" has to be one of the most memorable lines from TNG.

[JD]

The Red Letter Media guys have a two-parter discussing their top five TNG episodes.

[Büge]

[Mothra]

Lower Decks continues to be like... pleasant enough to watch, not really funny, way, wayyy too hyperactive and crazy crazy crazy. I guess that's modern Trek in general though.

I kinda like the over-eager orion girl, and I'd generally like the main black girl if they didn't make her insane 100% of the time. I'm hoping they tone that down a bit, because like, every scene does not need to end with everyone screaming and running away.

Seeing the influence of the S8 TNG twitter account guy in some of these deep-ass cuts at least:

[Thad]

Wouldn't have thought that the half hour cartoon, of the three shows currently running, would be the one that sticks

Four, if you include Short Treks.

Which I think you should, because I find it okay-to-great and a lot better than Discovery or Picard. (Haven't caught Lower Decks yet.)

[Mothra]

The Short Treks are by far the best episodes of Discovery. Almost does feel like a completely different, way better show.

Calypso and The Escape Artists are must-sees, I'd say.

[Mothra]

I'm desperate for some Trek now that I've finished rewatching every series in a row, so I'm now onto the fan-made ones.

Both of the major ones - Star Trek: The New Voyages and Star Trek Continues - are excellent. You'll get some of the expected amateurish awkwardness here and there, but the sets and visuals and fantastic, and the actors own it. Overall, I'm very impressed.

I had no idea that Continues' Sulu was played by Grant Imahara, a year or so before his death. He does a wonderful job.



So far, I'd recommend this one the most:



What Ships Are For is a concept right out of the original TOS: They're responding to a distress signal from a planet, and when they beam down, they cannot see colors, only black and white. Spock figures out this is due to the star's radiation blocking the cones in everyone's eyes. They can fix the problem with the star, but it has dire implications related to an ongoing refugee crisis with another planet in the system.

I was very impressed.

The New Voyages also had a pretty good one. I usually don't like klingon stories all that much, but this is a fun adventure ep:

[Büge]

Oh hey, "Kitumba" was actually a story written for the original Star Trek Phase II project.

[Blossom]

I really think the Enterprise theme gets an unfair rep. It's a good song, it's ... inspirational? It speaks of the inevitability of triumph, despite the odds and the pressures against you. What's past is prologue, and what's to come in yours and my discharge. There's a dream, and you're making it happen, no matter what.

I've been using it as hype-up music to give myself estrogen injections. It helps.

[Büge]

I've been using it as hype-up music to give myself estrogen injections. It helps.

You should try using Satsuki's theme from Kill La Kill as music to psych yourself up.

When you hear her heel clack, that's when you stick the needle in.

[Blossom]

watched the discovery s3 trailer. looks dumb. more bad andorian redesign. interesting that they're going with the "it's just the 3200s now, deal with it" angle, but still, weird. there's trill, glad that trill escaped the discovery treatment and still basically look like themselves.

also

megamorn

[Friday]

I'm still not watching Discovery but god damn it that almost made me watch Discovery

[Büge]

[Blossom]

I'm still not watching Discovery but god damn it that almost made me watch Discovery

it's definitely a trick, don't fall for it

[Büge]

Supposedly Discovery is introducing a trans character and an enby character.

Too little too late, honestly.

[beatbandito]

I wonder if they'll be depressed with major past trauma and an addiction problem that's, honestly, pretty justified since any love interest we're introduced to is killed off in terrible ways.

[Blossom]

Supposedly Discovery is introducing a trans character and an enby character.

Too little too late, honestly.

We've seen how this goes, especially with modern Trek's awkward failure of allegory and rushed presentation. It's absolutely gonna be in the "My name is Michaela but it used to be Michael back when I was a man" vein.

Also the trans character is a Trill, which just makes me wonder about the whole. "First" thing. Jadzia Dax may want a word.

[Mothra]

Still cannot believe they deployed good olde Kill Your Gays on one of two gay characters ever to exist in Star Trek, within the first season.