And What exactly is Star Trek? What are the qualities which define it as a concept and are significant to fans have embraced for the better part of a century? At a time where the Democratic party is having arguments over who or what is a “real” Democrat, it’s interesting to see how this tracks with some of the debates among Trek fans over what Star Trek should or should not be.
Both Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Picard have people who enjoy each series. And both have a contingent of Star Trek fans who see the shows as a continuation of the direction started with J.J Abrams’s re-imagining of Trek, and loathe and whine about “NuTrek” not getting what the franchise is supposed to be. The arguments put forward by these true fans of “real” Star Trek are usually based in adhering ONLY to certain precepts (e.g., the Federation is good and a positive force for good in the galaxy, humanity has moved beyond all social ills, the characters should be exploring the unknown, etc.) and abhor any attempts to either move beyond those ideas or question them.
Star Trek is a fandom where every episode is judged by a certain segment as how well the details fits within everything which has come before it. Do the uniforms match? Do the ships look like what’s been established before? But most importantly, whether anyone will admit it or not, does this make me feel like what I felt when I watched this as a child?
Star Trek: Picard has generally been met by positive reviews, especially with the involvement of Patrick Stewart, but there is a significant element of the Trek community which has loudly objected to some of the characterizations, changes in tone to the Trek universe, as well as the use of profanity and more graphic violence within the series.
The latest episode of Picard is no different in courting controversy, but I must say it is probably my favorite episode of the series so far, and uses some old faces in really interesting ways.
What seemed in previews to be a comical farce, ended up as arguably one of the darkest hours ever put forward in Star Trek and ignited debate among some fans over whether the series is in keeping with Gene Roddenberry’s original vision, and whether it should matter.
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