i have to talk about star trek again!

[amw]

I really hate the idea that such a thing as "an addictive personality" exists, and even more the idea that i have one. But i do often find myself getting sucked quite deeply into a particular thing for longish periods

Comments

[newwaytowrite]

I have no idea about Star Trek. I am not a science fiction fan and not a fan of fantasy either . I start glaze over when people write about it. This entry in Star Trek as messenger of how you see the real world and what is of value to you is uplifting on many levels. I am glad I read this. Thanks.

[amw]

One of the great tricks of sci-fi is that by having a futuristic or fantastic set dressing, it can get away with telling stories about society that perhaps would not be accepted if they were presented more literally. Of course, that's a grandiose view of the genre, and not as relevant in the modern media landscape where there aren't many literary taboos, but Star Trek as a franchise does have its roots in this sort of storytelling, and i think that's part of why it matters to a lot of people. I'm happy i was able to communicate it!

[siglinde99]

This is why I love Star Trek too. I tried to watch The Expanse for a bit, but I never loved it. OTOH, I am quite enjoying The Orville. It’s like Star Trek but with adolescent fart jokes. Thank you for that recommendation.

[amw]

I'm glad you've been enjoying the Orville. The fart jokes are strange to get used to in a show that otherwise takes itself fairly seriously, but they manage to strike a better balance in the second and third seasons. It's definitely worth persevering.

[geminiwench]

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds does a good job of getting back to the playful side of Star Trek... maybe because you're following Pike so you can sorta... play again in the original ST world that was less rigid and more gregarious.

Voyager was always my favorite, but they did Seven-of-Nine dirty when it came to their storytelling about her. Also... the new "angles" the assorted camera directors found when it came to exploring her bodysuit with a certain lingering gaze that is otherwise alien on Voyager.

Most of the ruin of Star Trek that happened as the spin-offs proliferated is explained in this mini-documentary about the personality of Rick Berman, the man who took over as ED for Roddenberry after his death.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeSz2gW8IsE

[amw]

I can definitely see that the writers of Strange New Worlds are trying to capture that original Trek feeling, but i have to say they really lost me this season. The episode about M'Benga and Chapel dealing with their memories of and lingering bitterness over the war almost made me quit the show altogether. I think the writers are trying to write for a mixture of TOS fans and DS9 fans, which is a tough thing to balance, and less interesting to me anyway than the TNG and VOY vibes i most associate with Trek. Plus the modern Treks tend to overdo it a bit with in-jokes and fan service to the point that it starts to overshadow the rest of the story for me

[geminiwench]

I'm 100% with you on everything you said.
But I will also point out Voyager is always ranked really low compared to its contemporaries *because* it takes a lighter tone. It IS the last of a truly... optimistic Star Trek universe.

There are themes that I see in the current generation of storytelling that are about exploring/elevating the rugged-individualist-anti-heroic-hero... and I see Star Trek following style and popularity there, rather than countering with harder to write arcs of *rigorous cooperation* and *thoughtful consideration* that made TNG so... easy to love and different from everything else.

Maybe that quality of writing is... impossible to duplicate in our current Hollywood culture which prefers random dramatic nonsense over more patient and circuitous/passive storytelling.

[amw]

Yeah, it's really interesting rewatching Voyager and every time i'm like "man, what a dud episode that totally mischaracterizes Janeway and the crew" i look it up on wiki and turns out it's amongst the top rated episodes of the series, especially with newer blogs doing rewatch guides. It seems people really love the grimdark stuff, the stuff which gleefully tortures the heroes, or where the heroes end up "crossing the line

[fflo]

Meant to say more about this post and its ideas than the "like" heart. Words aren't coming well today, though--- but I was right with you on so much of this. The appeal of the structure & characteristics of the way the older sci-fi sometimes worked, vs. what we get now (which so often seems to be just a hook to hand the hat of CGI on). Kinda reminds me of how I hate car chases & fight scenes, and want a tool that lets you fast forward through them automatically, leaving a brief note about any plot developments that might've occurred during them (IF ANY). I would pay a lot for that tool.

Also, more generally, it sure can be fun, and sometimes surprising, to revisit moving-picture art that you haven't seen since it came out. And to go back and fill in with major works you didn't somehow take in when they were new--- like me recently with Fast Times at Ridgemont High, or with Jaws in the not-too-distant past.

Tl;dr: nice post. :)