Star Trek, the good, bad, and ugly
Since I have been on a huge Trek kick as of late, I thought I'd share the good and bad of each series, especially for my non-Trek friends who may want to consider watching it and for me and my Trek friends to have some geek stuff to babble over. In order, here we go:
Star Trek (The Original Series Aka "TOS"):
The good: It's the original that started it all and broke so many barriers: the first on-screen kiss of a mixed-race couple being one of the huge ones. (Not just on Trek, but tv period). It was the 1960s so absolutely, it was a huge deal. (Though who could blame Kirk? Even members of the KKK would have a hard time to not admit that Uhura was gorgeous)! It set up this wonderful universe of aliens, space exploration, etc., that it's hard to believe sometimes that the show was actually cancelled and became more popular through syndication.
The bad: Even for the '60s some of the episodes have campy acting. Captain Kirk looses his shirt and kisses a woman in probably 1/3 or more of the episodes.
Watch this: If you love old sci-fis and/or curious where it all began: from Vulcans to the red shirt phenomena, it's a treat.
Star Trek: The Next Generation (Aka"TNG")
The good: This is still considered the best Trek by the majority of fans. It picked up the mantle and really delivered to the fans. The Picard maneuver, a Klingon as part of the bridge crew, an android desperately wanting to become human and a blind engineer! We are also introduced to several new races, with the big ones being the Bajorans and Cardassians as their story and struggle greatly impacts further Treks. And, let's not forget the introduction of one of the best Trek villains of all: The Borg who also come to play heavily in other Treks, being highly advanced race from the Delta Quadrant and all...
The bad: Talk about plot holes, each Trek has them, but this one ran amok on a few occasions and leave it to a French captain to surrender the ship on episode one. Some of the later episodes seem to revolve too heavily on Riker or Worf to the point it feels their characters were the only elements of the show, and lets not forget the death by tar pit monster in season one and frolicking in Sherwood Forest.
Watch this: If you are a child of the '80s or early '90s, want to watch arguably the best Trek ever and the keystone of all Trek series.
Star Trek Deep Space Nine (Aka "DS9")
Ah, DS9 and some more great firsts: a black captain, we are on a space station, not a star ship, and the Bajoran conflict takes center stage as DS9 is a Bajoran (and ex- Cardassian), not a Federation station. The series introduced new and kept some familiar faces and the best thing about the station? It was situated next to a wormhole to the Gamma Quadrant.
The good: Most fans say this series has the best theme song of any Trek and it's the overall favorite for Japanese Trek fans. It had the first same-sex kiss for Trek, which was still pretty bold since we were in the early-mid '90s when the show aired. The Dominion War and deaths of two major characters shook fans to their cores.
The good: some of the character interactions such as the humorous love/hate relationship between Odo and Quark were a real treat. We get to know a lot of. Bajoran and Trill culture, the price of war, and see a captain be a Federation liaison while grieving over his wife, and raising his son. If you can resist blowing Bashir out of an airlock for the first few seasons, he actually becomes somewhat likable later on. Hot-headed Kira always seem to keep us on out toes along with Dax's aloofness.
The bad: Season 2 was horrible...it really was. There's no way around it other than to say I'd skip it completely if there wouldn't be elements from it that wouldn't be revisited later in the show. While we all love TNG, DS9 used it and it's characters as a constant crutch, especially early on. And let's face it, this was Trek's answer to Babylon 5. Looky, we have a space station too! As far as Kai Winn, why does "Sydney Opera House" come to mind when you see her headpiece?
Watch this: If space stations and intergalactic wars that remind you of the holocaust and the apartheid appeal to you. If you're worried of the dark tones, there's enough humor usually to balance it. Or, after watching TNG, you just needed more Worf and O'Brien.
Star Trek Voyager (Aka "VOY")
More firsts as we go from a black male to breaking another barrier with a female captain! Not there hasn't been female captains in Trek (or even admirals), but this was the first time a woman was the lead for a Trek (or even sci-fi series). This Trek got back to basics in many ways when it came to Trek, you don't get farther from "exploring strange, new worlds" and "seeking out new life and civilization" than being flung into the far reaches of the Delta Quadrant. It also boasted the largest regular cast: nine people.
The good: Trek tried many new things: no space station, no Enterprise, but we were back in a ship and far from home in primarily hostile territory and no familiar Alpha Quadrant anything for the most part to fall back on. There was an occasional TNG crutch, but it wasn't abused like it was in DS9. Entirely new villains and races other than the Borg, we have a Vulcan back on the bridge, a human/ Klingon hybrid engineer who is struggling to accept and love herself that you can't help but to love, a con as a pilot, a hologram doctor, Borg astronmetrics officer who is struggling to regain her humanity, and a female, coffee-obsessed captain who had more proverbial cajones than all previous captains combined. I can't end this section without two of the best/funniest quotes from season one: "There's coffee in that nebula," and "Take the cheese to sickbay!"
The bad: Until Enterprise, Voyager was the bastard child of Trek. You loved or hated it and with all it's potential, it also had some of the worst episodes of Trek. Seven of Nine's relationship at the series end was a rushed cop-out that enraged many fans, and then there's Chakotay. Native first officer played by Hispanic and was so riddled with fake b.s."Indian beliefs" that it was a slap in the face. If you took that aspect away, he actually is a likable character.
Watch this: If you want to see a captain who doesn't sacrifice their principles and is not afraid to "use the deadliest of force", like strong female characters-this series has three, had enough of the Alpha Quadrant villains and want new blood.
Star Trek Enterprise ( Aka "ENT")
Now we go back in time: about 100 years before Kirk and crew to not too long after first contact in the early days of Starfleet and before the Federation and the Prime Directive is even established. Humans and Vulcans have a rocky relationship and we see a few first contacts with familiar races. Too bad the show was canceled, it had amazing potential.
The good: We see many races that we only heard about in other Treks including the Xindi. It was the first ship with warp power the humans launched with a full crew. We saw many actions that helped shape the Prime Directive and the Federation, the first Vulcan/human hybrid (Sorry Spock), the early days of Terra Prime and the human augment projects that would later beget us Kahn, etc. Shran made you see Andorians jn a whole new light and ENT also had arguably the best mirror universe episodes ever.
The bad: For all it's potential, it had quite a bit of bad. Many agree that Xindi were introduced too early and is what essentially drove the series down. Archer is perhaps the most suicidal captain ever. There was also many plot holes from major events in this series were never even hinted at in other Treks -as a prequel, it needed to take a bit more care. Once it was getting better, it was cancelled and left fans disappointed when it was leaked that the next season was going to go into the Romulan War and Shran was going to join the Enterprise crew. Also, being cancelled, the Borg episode aired as is, but plans were to include a scene showing the origin of the Borg Queen. Too little, too late.
Watch this: If you just can't watch old school stuff, you're a Scott Bakkula fan, you want to see a Tribble used for pet food, want to see Starfleet and the Federation form and a time before Kirk as well as a young T'Pau and the findings of the lost teachings of Surak.
Posted via LiveJournal.app.
As far as my favorite? I love all Trek for different reasons. I watched TOS reruns as a toddler with my father until my parents divorced and my step-sister and I never missed an episode of TNG as a kid. DS9 is honestly my least favorite. In my opinion, it has it's good moments and I love Kira, Dax, Odo, and Quark, but for the most part, the series is kinda blah aside from the Dominion War. Enterprise will be dear to my heart because it got me back into Trek. I originally dismissed it, but then it became a love. It's cast was phenomenal and we can only consider it's possibilities. Voyager: I fought it hard, but it became my favorite Trek. I didn't think that Trek handle a female captain and was gladly proven wrong. Janeway is just awesome. *_* Be'Lanna has the best episodes and really comes full circle, and Seven of Nine's history and character you can't help but to love. Janeway no excuses when she didn't follow protocols like the other captains. Though she bent the heck out of the Prime Directive, she never broke it...aside from the Temporal Prime Directive, which since it was established in the future and not at their present time, it's open for debate. And to steal her words, "To hell with the directive,". :)