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The General Star Trek Thread of Earl Grey Tea, Baseball, and KHHHAAAANNNN

Darkmakaimura

Can You Imagine What SureAI Is Going To Do With Garfield?
What. The Space Hippies were fantastic. One of the most unintentionally hilarious episodes of Trek ever.
Terrible.

Although I think the terrible award for Star Trek episodes goes to the TNG episode "Code of Honor". Seriously, wtf were they thinking!? Even the actors themselves thought it was downright racist and awful.
 

Fuchsdh

Member
I thought about that and I'm guessing that if they didn't find the Defiant in the Prime Universe, the Mirror Universe would have evolved slower. The only reason the Mirror one were up to speed with the Prime one technologically speaking was because Cochrane and gang ransacked the Vulcan first contact ship. They were too barbaric to really go much further technologically at the same pace the primary one did. So, it explains more or less why the Mirrorverse was up to speed in TOS and DS9 (can't remember if we saw Mirrorverse in TNG or Voyager).

Huh, good enough point. And no, never saw the mirrorverse in either of those series.


Terrible.

Although I think the terrible award for Star Trek episodes goes to the TNG episode "Code of Honor". Seriously, wtf were they thinking!? Even the actors themselves thought it was downright racist and awful.

I dunno. At least I see where there was some good ideas in that episode. To me that distinguishes it from episodes like "Threshold" where everything from the concept, to the science, to the execution, was pretty middling to horrifying (although McNeill gives a hell of a performance.)
 

maharg

idspispopd
Terrible.

Although I think the terrible award for Star Trek episodes goes to the TNG episode "Code of Honor". Seriously, wtf were they thinking!? Even the actors themselves thought it was downright racist and awful.

That's definitely near the top of the list, but there are definitely many episodes I hate much more. Most of them are in Voyager, though.
 

Darkmakaimura

Can You Imagine What SureAI Is Going To Do With Garfield?
I dunno. At least I see where there was some good ideas in that episode. To me that distinguishes it from episodes like "Threshold" where everything from the concept, to the science, to the execution, was pretty middling to horrifying (although McNeill gives a hell of a performance.)
Frakes thought the episode in his words was a "racist piece of shit" and said "the worst and most embarrassing and one that even Gene would have been embarrassed by was that horrible racist episode from the first season... Code of Honor, oh my God in heaven!"

Brent Spiner in an interview said "it was just a racist episode. Maybe not intentionally but it felt that way and looked that way. It was the third episode so it was fortuitous that we did our worst that early on and it never got quite that bad again."

Michael Dorn recently this year: "the worst episode of Star Trek ever filmed."

Can't say I disagree.

That's definitely near the top of the list, but there are definitely many episodes I hate much more. Most of them are in Voyager, though.
Lemme guess one of them.... The 'we eventually evolve back to giant lizards millions of years later and Janeway gets sexy time from crew mate what's-his-name and has lizard babies because you know, transwarp and stuff." Yeah that was a bad episode.
 

Zzoram

Member
I actually, kind of, really liked Tom Paris.

He really suffered from the "expert at everything" problem that a lot of characters in science fiction suffer from. He was a pilot that could design and build ships and was also a medic. I'm probably forgetting a bunch of other things he did.
 
He really suffered from the "expert at everything" problem that a lot of characters in science fiction suffer from. He was a pilot that could design and build ships and was also a medic. I'm probably forgetting a bunch of other things he did.

I haven't watched Voyager in a while, but I remember him being a pretty terrible medic.
 

DrForester

Kills Photobucket
That really was the dumbest move ever on the show, not to include any other med staff. Sure, have holo-doc be the only Doctor, but at least give him a few nurses.

Heck, Everyone on the Maquis ship lived, surely they had a field medic.
 

Fuchsdh

Member
That really was the dumbest move ever on the show, not to include any other med staff. Sure, have holo-doc be the only Doctor, but at least give him a few nurses.

Heck, Everyone on the Maquis ship lived, surely they had a field medic.

Well, I kind of liked him being the medic. Better than Kes, who I never really figured out. What was the purpose of her character, besides making Neelix act like a bigger dick?
 

maharg

idspispopd
Frakes thought the episode in his words was a "racist piece of shit" and said "the worst and most embarrassing and one that even Gene would have been embarrassed by was that horrible racist episode from the first season... Code of Honor, oh my God in heaven!"

Kind of a weird thing to say considering Gene was in charge when it ran. That said, the director who made the casting decision was fired mid-production, so...
 
Well, I kind of liked him being the medic. Better than Kes, who I never really figured out. What was the purpose of her character, besides making Neelix act like a bigger dick?

I think the purpose of her character was that she was young therefore capable of experiencing the universe with childlike eyes, but she was in terms of capacity able to learn quickly and competent at handling her life in an adult manner, so she did not need to act like a child in the "Oh, gods, it's another Wesley!" manner.
"Hail, hail, fire and snow, call the angel, we will go, far away, for to see, friendly angel come to me." -- gotta love them kids!

If it weren't Voyager, this could have been an extremely interesting character.
 

maharg

idspispopd
I think the purpose of her character was that she was young therefore capable of experiencing the universe with childlike eyes, but she was in terms of capacity able to learn quickly and competent at handling her life in an adult manner, so she did not need to act like a child in the "Oh, gods, it's another Wesley!" manner.
"Hail, hail, fire and snow, call the angel, we will go, far away, for to see, friendly angel come to me." -- gotta love them kids!

If it weren't Voyager, this could have been an extremely interesting character.

Like so much of Voyager, Kes was a great idea executed terribly.
 

Currygan

at last, for christ's sake
That really was the dumbest move ever on the show, not to include any other med staff. Sure, have holo-doc be the only Doctor, but at least give him a few nurses.

Heck, Everyone on the Maquis ship lived, surely they had a field medic.



didn't the Doctor have a staff? i seem to remember a coupla nurses, but maybe I'm wrong
 

Fuchsdh

Member
Riker gave Ro Laren the same treatment. Sometimes Starfleet isn't as evolved as they like to think.

That's ultimately what I think about the universe. We might "evolve" to the point where we don't fight wars amongst ourselves and are free from want (if you've got replicators I don't see how that doesn't eventually happen... wonder if 3D printers are the first step to that nebulous economy of the future), but some guys are still going to be jerks to other people, and some people are still going to impose their own ideals on other cultures, despite their tolerance. Interpersonal conflict is never going away.
 

Cheerilee

Member
That really was the dumbest move ever on the show, not to include any other med staff. Sure, have holo-doc be the only Doctor, but at least give him a few nurses.

Heck, Everyone on the Maquis ship lived, surely they had a field medic.

The Maquis probably lost their only hope for a medic when Tom got arrested.


Also, just the other day I rewatched "Masters of the Universe" for the first time in a few decades. Terrible movie. Terrible He Man movie, even. But Robert Duncan McNeill was in it, alongside Courtney Cox, which was neat. And the guy playing Skeletor apparently didn't know what kind of movie he showed up for, which helped.
 
The Maquis probably lost their only hope for a medic when Tom got arrested.


Also, just the other day I rewatched "Masters of the Universe" for the first time in a few decades. Terrible movie. Terrible He Man movie, even. But Robert Duncan McNeill was in it, alongside Courtney Cox, which was neat. And the guy playing Skeletor apparently didn't know what kind of movie he showed up for, which helped.

You hold your tongue. Masters is a great movie if for nothing else than Frank Langella's outstanding performance.
 

Cheerilee

Member
You hold your tongue. Masters is a great movie...
But Dolph stank in the lead role, and the director was obviously trying to make a generic Star Wars ripoff instead of a He Man movie, and...

... if for nothing else than Frank Langella's outstanding performance.

... and I can't argue with that. I was pretty amazed how he was able to do over-the-top and subtle at the same time, while wearing full face makeup.
 
But Dolph stank in the lead role, and the director was obviously trying to make a generic Star Wars ripoff instead of a He Man movie, and...



... and I can't argue with that. I was pretty amazed how he was able to do over-the-top and subtle at the same time, while wearing full face makeup.

Apparently, he loved that role and did it cause his kid at the time was a fan of the cartoon. There's a video of him on some interview explaining that.

There's also another Master/Star Trek connection as the mask he wore in that ended up being used as one of Worf's holodeck monsters in his calisthenics program.

Memory Alpha said:
According to the Star Trek Encyclopedia the mask used was that "of the character Skeletor from the movie Masters of the Universe." Star Trek makeup designer Michael Westmore also did makeup work for that film. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine guest star Frank Langella played Skeletor in the film whereas Star Trek: Voyager star Robert Duncan McNeill played the role of Kevin Corrigan.
 

zoukka

Member
We are now in episode 8 of season 2 of TOS I think and this was probably the first stinker of the show... it's the episode with the castle, witches and the black cat. Just badly directed and didn't seem to go anywhere. Chekov is such a bad character too.

The ending was hilariously sad with the little puppets. I felt bad for them when they melted.

EDIT: Catspaw was the episode title I think.
 
We are now in episode 8 of season 2 of TOS I think and this was probably the first stinker of the show... it's the episode with the castle, witches and the black cat. Just badly directed and didn't seem to go anywhere. Chekov is such a bad character too.

The ending was hilariously sad with the little puppets. I felt bad for them when they melted.

EDIT: Catspaw was the episode title I think.

I didn't think it was that bad, at least considering how Halloween episodes usually are. I think it was filmed first, so that's the first time Koenig is playing Chekov. He gets a bit better lated on...
 

zoukka

Member
I didn't think it was that bad, at least as far as considering how Halloween episodes usually are. I think it was filmed first, so that's the first time Koenig is playing Chekov. He gets a bit better lated on...

It wasn't awful, but the first episode in the whole series where I kinda wished it would just end quickly :b
 

dan2026

Member
Watched the TNG episode 'Sarek' last night and it reaffirms my opinion the Trek only really works at its best when it is about something meaningful. Something we can relate to on some level.

In this case, old age and mental decline.

It also explains why I can't really get into the JJ Abrams films.
They are all flash and no substance.
 
It wasn't awful, but the first episode in the whole series where I kinda wished it would just end quickly :b

season 2's quality is a bit all over the place. Bunch of great eps, and bunch uh... not so great.

Personally, the trinity of Kirk/Spock/McCoy got me through even the worst of OG Trek.
 

zoukka

Member
season 2's quality is a bit all over the place. Bunch of great eps, and bunch uh... not so great.

Personally, the trinity of Kirk/Spock/McCoy got me through even the worst of OG Trek.

Yeah so far the series has been amazing. Only thing I hate are the new sfx. I'm dying to see how they originally looked :(
 

Fuchsdh

Member
Yeah so far the series has been amazing. Only thing I hate are the new sfx. I'm dying to see how they originally looked :(

Like the new SFX except slightly cruddier, with more grain.

I do with they'd remastered them even five years later just so the effects would have been a bit better, but I still enjoy the remastered versions much more. I mean, we just went from fake-looking 60's TV effects to kinda fake-looking CG so it's not like it detracts.
 

zoukka

Member
Like the new SFX except slightly cruddier, with more grain.

I do with they'd remastered them even five years later just so the effects would have been a bit better, but I still enjoy the remastered versions much more. I mean, we just went from fake-looking 60's TV effects to kinda fake-looking CG so it's not like it detracts.

They did a great job making it look "old". But I'm fascinated by how the old effects were made with miniatures and such.
 

brian577

Banned
Yeah so far the series has been amazing. Only thing I hate are the new sfx. I'm dying to see how they originally looked :(

If your watching it on Netflix you'll find that the episode Obsession is not the remastered version for some reason. It'll give you a good look at the original sfx
 

DSFan1970

Member
"Your purchase of tickets for Star Trek Into Darkness has earned you a download of Star Trek (2009) on iTunes as a gift to you."

I already have this via iTunes. If you use it, please post that it is taken. Thank you.


7FJ6YX74YWWR
 

jayhawker

Member
"Your purchase of tickets for Star Trek Into Darkness has earned you a download of Star Trek (2009) on iTunes as a gift to you."

I already have this via iTunes. If you use it, please post that it is taken. Thank you.


7FJ6YX74YWWR

Awesome, man. I took it. Thanks.
 
"Your purchase of tickets for Star Trek Into Darkness has earned you a download of Star Trek (2009) on iTunes as a gift to you."

I already have this via iTunes. If you use it, please post that it is taken. Thank you.


7FJ6YX74YWWR

Tip for next time: Hide that in [//email] tags so a lurker doesn't get it.
 
Watched the TNG episode 'Sarek' last night and it reaffirms my opinion the Trek only really works at its best when it is about something meaningful. Something we can relate to on some level.

In this case, old age and mental decline.

It also explains why I can't really get into the JJ Abrams films.
They are all flash and no substance.

/CryingPicard.gif
 
"Your purchase of tickets for Star Trek Into Darkness has earned you a download of Star Trek (2009) on iTunes as a gift to you."

I already have this via iTunes. If you use it, please post that it is taken. Thank you.


7FJ6YX74YWWR

Yeah, I was pleasantly surprised by that as well. On top of that, the tickets I bought that got me the free download were free off of that eSurance Facebook promo!
 
If your watching it on Netflix you'll find that the episode Obsession is not the remastered version for some reason. It'll give you a good look at the original sfx

I think they also messed around with some of the matte paintings, that was a bit too George Lucas for my tastes, because you see bits that are animated where they originally weren't.
 
How come time is Earth centric? "We'll be there in 16 hours" etc.

related: Do Klingons wear watches?

Everyone uses its version of time but the universal translator does the rest.

Also most civilizations are from class m planets which have 22-26 hour days, I think


I don't know if they wear watches, but I'm sure as hell they have bath let's
 

Darkmakaimura

Can You Imagine What SureAI Is Going To Do With Garfield?
How come time is Earth centric? "We'll be there in 16 hours" etc.

related: Do Klingons wear watches?
That's the least of it.

How come people can completely understand aliens they encounter in the first few seconds? Especially aliens that don't have translators and are pre-warp civilizations and all?

I mean, these translators are telepathic or god-like technology? Never made sense.
 

Fuchsdh

Member
That's the least of it.

How come people can completely understand aliens they encounter in the first few seconds? Especially aliens that don't have translators and are pre-warp civilizations and all?

I mean, these translators are telepathic or god-like technology? Never made sense.

Well, there's just so much you can do in 40 minutes. Spending ten minutes learning to understand aliens doesn't really work in all plots.

That said, there's hundreds of species in the Federation, comprising (assuming Earth can be used as a benchmark) hundreds of thousands or millions of languages. Assuming you pounded those all into a computer and gave that computer AI? I'd pretty much expect it to be instantaneous to pick up syntax, etc. Of course, that leaves nouns and vocabulary.
 

Darkmakaimura

Can You Imagine What SureAI Is Going To Do With Garfield?
Well, there's just so much you can do in 40 minutes. Spending ten minutes learning to understand aliens doesn't really work in all plots.

That said, there's hundreds of species in the Federation, comprising (assuming Earth can be used as a benchmark) hundreds of thousands or millions of languages. Assuming you pounded those all into a computer and gave that computer AI? I'd pretty much expect it to be instantaneous to pick up syntax, etc. Of course, that leaves nouns and vocabulary.
That's why I said aliens they encounter in the first few seconds i.e. first contact scenarios. Not to mention pre-warp civilizations they first encounter. I know it's because television. I'm just nitpicking.

That said, it's odd a sci-fi parody like Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy explains it better with Babelfish. :p
 
That's why I said aliens they encounter in the first few seconds i.e. first contact scenarios. Not to mention pre-warp civilizations they first encounter. I know it's because television. I'm just nitpicking.

That said, it's odd a sci-fi parody like Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy explains it better with Babelfish. :p

They have done episodes where the crew try to understand new species. TNG's fifth season ep "Darmok" most famously.
 
I think enterprise handled the issue of alien languiges pretty well by having a linguist + some sort of predacursor to the universal translator. Id only asume by the 23rd and 24th centuries the UT would be able to handle 99% of situations except strange cases like in darmok whare the words were translated but the context wasn't apparent.
 
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