Random Star Trek thoughts

[Totenkindly]

Can you free fall or skydive in a holo deck or holo suite?

They could in the X-Men's "Danger Room" (that's what got Wing in trouble) -- but that was a comic book and they can get away with more.

 

[The Cat]

They could in the X-Men's "Danger Room" (that's what got Wing in trouble) -- but that was a comic book and they can get away with more.

I mean in theory if they could get enough ram air circulating the right way with the appropriate artificial gravity modifications I think it could work by the rules of star trek science. Inertial dampeners, and polarity fields and what not.

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

Can you free fall or skydive in a holo deck or holo suite?

Given that we have that indoor skydiving thing going on now, it should be possible. I do hope the holosuites on DS9 have very skilled automated cleaning technology.

 

[Kingu Kurimuzon]

Wow she really hits the nail on the head about a lot of what was wrong with Picard but I’ve had trouble articulating. Fair warning, very long video, but I think she is pretty fair here. I’ve been watching this in segments, I enjoy long form commentary like this.

I agree there’s a mean spirited nihilism to a lot of Kurtzman era Trek that was especially pronounced in season 2 of Picard. And I still find it disgusting the way paramount+ and the nu trek creators kind of used the “oh you just don’t appreciate wokeness and diversity” defense to respond to critics that were pointing out weak writing and an abundance of nihilism in some of the newer series. Yes there were plenty of dipshits complaining about wokeness in new trek, but I always felt it was overstated how much of the fan base they really made up and believe it was a small but vocal minority. I myself have been attacked as a neckbeard incel for complaining about bad writing and social commentary sometimes being handled a bit clunkily in DIS. But I do love social commentary and diversity in Trek. I just dislike lazy writing and on-the-nose commentary that feels inorganic and corporate in nature

I do think Lower Decks and to a lesser extent SNW have done a better job of getting back to the optimistic spirit of trek though.

 

[The Cat]

Wow she really hits the nail on the head about a lot of what was wrong with Picard but I’ve had trouble articulating. Fair warning, very long video, but I think she is pretty fair here. I’ve been watching this in segments, I enjoy long form commentary like this.

I agree there’s a mean spirited nihilism to a lot of Kurtzman era Trek that was especially pronounced in season 2 of Picard. And I still find it disgusting the way paramount+ and the nu trek creators kind of used the “oh you just don’t appreciate wokeness and diversity” defense to respond to critics that were pointing out weak writing and an abundance of nihilism in some of the newer series. Yes there were plenty of dipshits complaining about wokeness in new trek, but I always felt it was overstated how much of the fan base they really made up and believe it was a small but vocal minority. I myself have been attacked as a neckbeard incel for complaining about bad writing and social commentary sometimes being handled a bit clunkily in DIS. But I do love social commentary and diversity in Trek. I just dislike lazy writing and on-the-nose commentary that feels inorganic and corporate in nature

I do think Lower Decks and to a lesser extent SNW have done a better job of getting back to the optimistic spirit of trek though.

Well said all around.

 

[The Cat]

It's 2024...We gotta take a moment to consider the Bell Riots.​

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

I do think Lower Decks and to a lesser extent SNW have done a better job of getting back to the optimistic spirit of trek though.

Do you think SNW is optimistic like that? The clips I've seen make it seem more comedic, which I'm not opposed to.

I haven't finished the series, but I was disappointed Picard wasn't more like TNG.

 

[Totenkindly]

Well said all around.

did you actually listen to all four hours?

I dunno if I can do that, that's two movies / half a season of TV for a commentary. I mean, she sounds like she has a more thought-out opinion -- and I do agree that in general TOS and TNG did inspire people into the sciences. It is an avenue to excite people about and encourage learning, including women entering STEM programs.

I think "woke" arguments is a hall mark of the last 10-15 years. It's not that people didn't have opinions early, but it and the counter-movement flowered on social media, developing its own language for the concept. TNG didn't really feel like a thread per se either to the anti-woke whiners nowadays, which is why they somehow missed that all the good guys in Star Wars and Star Trek support diversity and opportunity regardless of background and they are actually siding with the bad guys.

Hence, the argument "my show bombed because it is labeled woke and thus unfairly attacked" is somewhat of a new excuse. it definitely happens, and review bombing has been prevalent on IMDB -- but that's not the whole story. It feels like the standards for streaming TV shows have been lax in terms of qualifications for who should run a show, and the quality isn't there for a chunk of them. I thought Picard S1 was kinda bad, aside from the pilot and the very end (which mostly serves as a re-do for Data's ending arc, to give it more gravitas), Season 2 was an improvement but more disappointing than it should have been. Then Season 3 actually handled fan service in a really great way. The Worf arc wasn't as good as it should have been, and I felt like the final two episodes weren't quite on par with the rest of the season, but it still landed well.

I thought Discovery had potential and some good moments, but it also kept veering around in terms of quality and sometimes was too on the nose with its values rather than handling them in a more subtle or graceful way. I was kinda disappointed in the finale of Season 3, for example; yet I also really dug how it focused on the crew's victory as not being dependent on one or two heroic figures but actually was a product of the entire crew working together. I guess the writing was all over the map, but one of the show's victories was the depiction of Pike.

 

[The Cat]

did you actually listen to all four hours?

I dunno if I can do that, that's two movies / half a season of TV for a commentary. I mean, she sounds like she has a more thought-out opinion -- and I do agree that in general TOS and TNG did inspire people into the sciences. It is an avenue to excite people about and encourage learning, including women entering STEM programs.

I think "woke" arguments is a hall mark of the last 10-15 years. It's not that people didn't have opinions early, but it and the counter-movement flowered on social media, developing its own language for the concept. TNG didn't really feel like a thread per se either to the anti-woke whiners nowadays, which is why they somehow missed that all the good guys in Star Wars and Star Trek support diversity and opportunity regardless of background and they are actually siding with the bad guys.

Hence, the argument "my show bombed because it is labeled woke and thus unfairly attacked" is somewhat of a new excuse. it definitely happens, and review bombing has been prevalent on IMDB -- but that's not the whole story. It feels like the standards for streaming TV shows have been lax in terms of qualifications for who should run a show, and the quality isn't there for a chunk of them. I thought Picard S1 was kinda bad, aside from the pilot and the very end (which mostly serves as a re-do for Data's ending arc, to give it more gravitas), Season 2 was an improvement but more disappointing than it should have been. Then Season 3 actually handled fan service in a really great way. The Worf arc wasn't as good as it should have been, and I felt like the final two episodes weren't quite on par with the rest of the season, but it still landed well.

I thought Discovery had potential and some good moments, but it also kept veering around in terms of quality and sometimes was too on the nose with its values rather than handling them in a more subtle or graceful way. I was kinda disappointed in the finale of Season 3, for example; yet I also really dug how it focused on the crew's victory as not being dependent on one or two heroic figures but actually was a product of the entire crew working together. I guess the writing was all over the map, but one of the show's victories was the depiction of Pike.

No. god no. Hell no. lol I wish I had the attention span for that but my adhd would kill me first. I meant Dr Cringelord was well said all around.

 

[The Cat]

I also felt like Discovery was rushed because they didnt think theyd get more than one season so they ripped the lorca bandaid off too fast. His revelation should have been an end of season 2 thing.

 

[Totenkindly]

I also felt like Discovery was rushed because they didnt think theyd get more than one season so they ripped the lorca bandaid off too fast. His revelation should have been an end of season 2 thing.

There were like three separate big reveals in Season 1 that should have been strung out over about three seasons and would have ended up being crazy-awesome if that had happened.

 

[The Cat]

There were like three separate big reveals in Season 1 that should have been strung out over about three seasons and would have ended up being crazy-awesome if that had happened.

Yes! I remember thinking how awesome it would have been if they'd had faith in the audience, in the show, and in the future. to take the time because it turned out. Fine. Okay. I guess. But I remember thinking it could have been truly great. I really wanted more seasons of Jason Isaacs being a good guy, really making the crew into a family, only to give them the whole, join me, and that gets resolved in the following season 3... And you can kinda tell they ran out of ideas because they did seven season long plot arcs in three seasons. not even 24 episode seasons.

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

It's 2024...We gotta take a moment to consider the Bell Riots.​

Do I need my RealID for the Sanctuary Districts?

 

[Kingu Kurimuzon]

Do you think SNW is optimistic like that? The clips I've seen make it seem more comedic, which I'm not opposed to.

I haven't finished the series, but I was disappointed Picard wasn't more like TNG.

Yeah. Even though it’s got a bit of the Rick and Morty style nihilism, ultimately the characters seem to end up working toward higher ideals

Edit oops I was referring to Lower Decks with his response.

Regarding SNW, I’ve only watched about 2/3 of the first season and really need to get caught up. What I’ve seen so far feels kind of Enterprise-y in tone. It’s definitely more optimistic than Discovery, and just what I’ve seen so far doesn’t feel nihilistic, so it’s been a refreshing turn from the darker portrayals of PIC and DIS.

 

[The Cat]

I like what they're doing with the Gorn.

 

[Kingu Kurimuzon]

James Darren (Vic Fontaine) passed away. RIP

 

[Kingu Kurimuzon]

I listened to her in several chunks at work. It’s the kind of video you want to come back to, no one should do it in one sitting

She spent very little time mentioning “woke”, it’s mostly just nitpicking plot holes and the endless regurgitation of rehashed characters and fan service in reboots of legacy franchises. She laments how so much of new Star Trek seems to be looking to the past and making old characters the continuing focus (she blames a lot of this on the success of the 2009 Abrams movie) when it could actually move the storyline into the future. So much of rebooted legacy media feels like the producers are saying “heeey, remember this character? Ohh remember this thing you used to love?”

 

[Kingu Kurimuzon]

There were like three separate big reveals in Season 1 that should have been strung out over about three seasons and would have ended up being crazy-awesome if that had happened.

My favorite part of season one was the mirror universe. I’ve already forgotten the Klingon stuff. Favorite part of season 2 was Pike and how they set the stage for SNW. I still haven’t started season 3. Just can’t bring myself to, have no interest. Maybe I’ll get there eventually.

I liked Tilly a lot. The only relatable character. Engineer lady was funny. Everyone else just seems either super tortured or super mean spirited. PTSD is worth talking about in drama but not sure I want a show where it feels like every single character is grappling with it

Hated how they forced the drama with killing some unnamed background ensign within the span of one episode because they were too pussy to kill off a main cast member.

In general I don’t like how the show “tells” me when a big emotional drama moment is happening instead of just “showing” me by letting it unfold organically. Felt like lots of moments with swelling music as Burnham does a monologue about drama feelz. Kind of felt like Walking Dead in that regard.

I really wanted to like the show.

Sorry for the rant, I know I’ve already said a lot of this in the past

 

[Totenkindly]

I never started Season 4 of Discovery. It was one of those shows where I was forcing myself to watch just to stay current and hoping for something enduring -- which is pretty much where I left The Walking Dead somewhere in Season 9 (?).

At least with TWD, the first two seasons were enjoyable in their own right, but partway through Season 3, things just started to get into a lull. Nicotero's error in really laying Glenn's death on thick (which was a lot worse in a video format than a comparable scene in print format) kind of heart-stabbed the show, then Gimple bled it out with 32 episodes to resolve the Negan storyline. It had occasional good moments later (like the Whisperers arc, which did not overstay its welcome) but never really recovered either since every episode pretty much felt the same.

 

[The Cat]

Discovery doesnt have faith in itself or its audience. The writing reflects that.