Some science fiction cliches need to die
I watch a lot of sci-fi, and I can usually get into just about any sci-fi show especially if it is a space opera or cyberpunk show. No matter what show you can think of there has always been at least one instance where the main characters go to some remote planet and you start to realize that this planet could really double for the turn of the century eastern Europe, or the old west. But instead of trying out new ideas, new costumes and new set designs, no you have Spock and Kirk standing there all decked out in chaps and spurs on a a space station with no reasoning behind the how's and why's that the wild west culture got there.
I mentioned Star Trek because, to me, they are some of the worst instances of this bad writing tendency. One that really stands out is the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode - "Code of Honor" which I think was like the second or third episode. My friends and I call this episode "The Africa planet episode" because for some inane reason they go to a planet reminiscent of stereotypical movie/tv renditions of the Zulu tribe from southern Africa.
for an example f the ridiculousness of this:
My question is why would the Ligonians (the race from this episode) have a culture so much like the African pre-colonial cultures, that in the episode they even make reference to the fact. Yes at some point someone actually points out the fact that it has a culture much like Africa with some added technobabble technological instruments....ugh...
Aside from this I've seen Space Samurai, Space Middle ages era people, space romans etc... but the worst, and most annoying for me is:
drummroll please:
SPACE NAZIS
I can handle a show where people go to a planet and a totalitarian regime is in place that may or may not be similar to the Nazis, Hell In my favorite sci-fi show Doctor Who, the most iconic villains - the Daleks are based on Nazis. But when you have honest to god, born in Berlin, but somehow ended up in space Nazis I want to kill people.
take for example the following plot example from an episode of Star Trek called "Patterns of Force":
When the Enterprise approaches the inner planet Ekos to investigate the cessation of communication with researcher John Gill, it is attacked with a rocket carrying a nuclear weapon. This is puzzling as well as dangerous, since neither the outer planet Zeon nor the inner planet Ekos is technologically advanced enough to possess rockets or nuclear warheads. The Enterprise retreats to maximum orbital distance and Kirk and Spock beam down (after having position-broadcasting transponders surgically implanted in case of mishaps).
Kirk and Spock discover that a Nazi movement has swept the planet, complete with genocide of the "Zeon pigs" residing on Ekos. They view a public newscast in which the Iron Cross second class is presented to Daras, hero of the Fatherland. Kirk and Spock are also shocked to learn that Gill appears to be the leader of the planet's Nazi movement.
How, you may be asking, did said Nazi Ideals get to the planet? It has to do with the fact that the the researcher gave the people the ideals, but it never exactly tells the how's and why's of it which just makes it seem sloppy and crappy...Also in Star trek we have a western planet, and a 1930's gangster planet...
I could just chalk it up to goofy 1960's TV, and the fact that WWII had just ended 20 years prior, and to many Nazis were still the epitome of evil. But take Doctor who again, also from the 60's the Daleks were not flat out Nazis with SS badges, in fact they looked like pepper shakers. This 60's mentality flew back then, but I've noticed that Space Nazis have shown up in almost every star trek Series since then. The picture above is from an Enterprise episode I saw a few weeks ago, and while far better written it still has Space Nazis in it.
another bad example of this is an episode where The Crew ends up on a planet where a group of people are fighting. Later it is found out that they have not only an American flag and other paraphernalia during their rituals, but chant the pledge of allegiance. Kirk amazed them because he knows the sacred chant, and only monks are supposed to or something. The Yangs now bow to Kirk as a deity, but he crossly orders them to desist. He looks over the crumbling document they worship, which appears as a distorted version of the American Constitution. Kirk finishes the sacred speech and rebukes the Yangs for allowing the document to degrade to a chant for war. He declares that the words apply to all, hoping they will now rebuild their ruined world. Aside from being so incredibility nationalistic and patriotic, it wasn't too bad of an episode until you thought of how they got the constitution and the flag etc...a thing that furthers this is the fact that Spock says the war had been raging for 1000 years, so unless we got our constitution from their planet in the 1600's or something, the writing was once again lazy crap.
I might sound like I'm picking on Star Trek, but this kind of stuff has happened in Stargate where we see a medieval Europe planet, in doctor who (the androids of tara) and many more....
I mentioned Star Trek because, to me, they are some of the worst instances of this bad writing tendency. One that really stands out is the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode - "Code of Honor" which I think was like the second or third episode. My friends and I call this episode "The Africa planet episode" because for some inane reason they go to a planet reminiscent of stereotypical movie/tv renditions of the Zulu tribe from southern Africa.
for an example f the ridiculousness of this:
My question is why would the Ligonians (the race from this episode) have a culture so much like the African pre-colonial cultures, that in the episode they even make reference to the fact. Yes at some point someone actually points out the fact that it has a culture much like Africa with some added technobabble technological instruments....ugh...
Aside from this I've seen Space Samurai, Space Middle ages era people, space romans etc... but the worst, and most annoying for me is:
drummroll please:
SPACE NAZIS
I can handle a show where people go to a planet and a totalitarian regime is in place that may or may not be similar to the Nazis, Hell In my favorite sci-fi show Doctor Who, the most iconic villains - the Daleks are based on Nazis. But when you have honest to god, born in Berlin, but somehow ended up in space Nazis I want to kill people.
take for example the following plot example from an episode of Star Trek called "Patterns of Force":
When the Enterprise approaches the inner planet Ekos to investigate the cessation of communication with researcher John Gill, it is attacked with a rocket carrying a nuclear weapon. This is puzzling as well as dangerous, since neither the outer planet Zeon nor the inner planet Ekos is technologically advanced enough to possess rockets or nuclear warheads. The Enterprise retreats to maximum orbital distance and Kirk and Spock beam down (after having position-broadcasting transponders surgically implanted in case of mishaps).
Kirk and Spock discover that a Nazi movement has swept the planet, complete with genocide of the "Zeon pigs" residing on Ekos. They view a public newscast in which the Iron Cross second class is presented to Daras, hero of the Fatherland. Kirk and Spock are also shocked to learn that Gill appears to be the leader of the planet's Nazi movement.
How, you may be asking, did said Nazi Ideals get to the planet? It has to do with the fact that the the researcher gave the people the ideals, but it never exactly tells the how's and why's of it which just makes it seem sloppy and crappy...Also in Star trek we have a western planet, and a 1930's gangster planet...
I could just chalk it up to goofy 1960's TV, and the fact that WWII had just ended 20 years prior, and to many Nazis were still the epitome of evil. But take Doctor who again, also from the 60's the Daleks were not flat out Nazis with SS badges, in fact they looked like pepper shakers. This 60's mentality flew back then, but I've noticed that Space Nazis have shown up in almost every star trek Series since then. The picture above is from an Enterprise episode I saw a few weeks ago, and while far better written it still has Space Nazis in it.
another bad example of this is an episode where The Crew ends up on a planet where a group of people are fighting. Later it is found out that they have not only an American flag and other paraphernalia during their rituals, but chant the pledge of allegiance. Kirk amazed them because he knows the sacred chant, and only monks are supposed to or something. The Yangs now bow to Kirk as a deity, but he crossly orders them to desist. He looks over the crumbling document they worship, which appears as a distorted version of the American Constitution. Kirk finishes the sacred speech and rebukes the Yangs for allowing the document to degrade to a chant for war. He declares that the words apply to all, hoping they will now rebuild their ruined world. Aside from being so incredibility nationalistic and patriotic, it wasn't too bad of an episode until you thought of how they got the constitution and the flag etc...a thing that furthers this is the fact that Spock says the war had been raging for 1000 years, so unless we got our constitution from their planet in the 1600's or something, the writing was once again lazy crap.
I might sound like I'm picking on Star Trek, but this kind of stuff has happened in Stargate where we see a medieval Europe planet, in doctor who (the androids of tara) and many more....