Star Trek: Alpha to Delta Quadrants & Everything In Between

[mobilehaathi]

Can I assume you are referencing back to back Star Trek series? I remember a time early in Voyager where they did a chicken or the egg time paradox story and I was dissapointed because I had already seen this in STNG. I wanted new concepts, not repeats.

If you watch enough Star Trek, you'll start to see stories repeated in a different setting with only minor tweaks. There's quite a few in Voyager, Enterprise, and I seem to recall in DS9 too.

 

[Huntn]

If you watch enough Star Trek, you'll start to see stories repeated in a different setting with only minor tweaks. There's quite a few in Voyager, Enterprise, and I seem to recall in DS9 too.

The original Star Trek was so long ago, I can’t remember enough of it to comment, although I do remember an episode where they went back in time and it looked like a run down Hollywood back lot. STNG was the main series I watched. Would you say there were a lot of repeat themes in that single series? If there were, I just don’t remember enough of them to be bothered.

 

[maflynn]

I wanted new concepts, not repeats.

Agreed, which is why I didn't like them trotting out the borg so much.

 

[mobilehaathi]

The original Star Trek was so long ago, I can’t remember enough of it to comment, although I do remember an episode where they went back in time and it looked like a run down Hollywood back lot. STNG was the main series I watched. Would you say there were a lot of repeat themes in that single series? If there were, I just don’t remember enough of them to be bothered.

Actually, I haven't watched TOS nearly as much as the others, although I do love it (I think TNG stands out to me as my favorite series). But I definitely remember a lot of repeat story lines where VOY would take from DS9 or TNG, ENT would take from VOY or DS9, etc. It's not always bad, but having watched TNG, VOY, and DS9, um, a lot, I start to notice plot similarities among them all.

 

[Roller]

The original Star Trek was so long ago, I can’t remember enough of it to comment, although I do remember an episode where they went back in time and it looked like a run down Hollywood back lot. STNG was the main series I watched. Would you say there were a lot of repeat themes in that single series? If there were, I just don’t remember enough of them to be bothered.

You're probably thinking of A Piece of the Action (the Enterprise visits a world in which depression-era gangsterism has taken over because of "contamination" by a book left by a previous ship) or The City on the Edge of Forever (Kirk, Spock, and McCoy travel through a time portal to reverse a change in the course of history). Both were shot on back lots. The latter in particular is one of my all-time ST favorites, taking all the series into account. It holds up very well 50 years later.

In fact, I liked almost all of the episodes that incorporated time travel, such as Assignment Earth (the Enterprise and an man from Earth trained by an advanced species try to prevent nuclear war in 1968).

 

[Scepticalscribe]

You're probably thinking of A Piece of the Action (the Enterprise visits a world in which depression-era gangsterism has taken over because of "contamination" by a book left by a previous ship) or The City on the Edge of Forever (Kirk, Spock, and McCoy travel through a time portal to reverse a change in the course of history). Both were shot on back lots. The latter in particular is one of my all-time ST favorites, taking all the series into account. It holds up very well 50 years later.

In fact, I liked almost all of the episodes that incorporated time travel, such as Assignment Earth (the Enterprise and an man from Earth trained by an advanced species try to prevent nuclear war in 1968).

Agreed, three excellent episodes (and yes, "City On The Edge Of Forever" was outstanding).

 

[Huntn]

Agreed, which is why I didn't like them trotting out the borg so much.

I can’t say I remember every Borg episode, but I remember them as a story arc that I enjoyed especially Picard being assimilated, escaping, and the big battle.
http://memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/Battle_of_Sector_001. ?

Let’s just put aside the idea a person subjected to what Picard was though the course of the series, most likely would become a basket case.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I can’t say I remember every Borg episode, but I remember them as a story arc that I enjoyed especially Picard being assimilated, escaping, and the big battle.
http://memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/Battle_of_Sector_001. ?

Those three episodes - "The Best of Both Worlds" (parts one & two), followed by "Family" where you see Picard, a traumatised survivor - form a story arc of three superlative episodes, that far exceed in terms of scope, plot, sheer bravura, gripping narrative power, excellent script, first rate acting, - having - on the one hand the panorama stunning space pyrotechnics, and depicting - on the other, the terrible and lasting power of intimate family feuds and the pain and trauma of survival of such an experience - any of the movies.

These three episodes - taken as a whole - represent Star Trek (NG) at its absolutely brilliant best.

 

[maflynn]

I can’t say I remember every Borg episode, but I remember them as a story arc that I enjoyed especially Picard being assimilated, escaping, and the big battle.
http://memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/Battle_of_Sector_001. ?

Let’s just put aside the idea a person subjected to what Picard was though the course of the series, most likely would become a basket case.

I was thinking specifically of Star Trek Enterprise, Episode Regeneration. We have a brand new series of Star Trek that promised fresh stories and aliens and yet they trot out the borg.

I agree in TNG, it made sense and I liked how it was done for the most part. Even in Voyager, since they're traveling through Borg space, but Enterprise, really?
[doublepost=1510418950][/doublepost]It may sound like I'm harping on Star Trek, I'm not, I've loved all the shows and I'm really enjoying voyager again, so don't take what I wrote as my dislike of the franchise.

 

[Huntn]

I was thinking specifically of Star Trek Enterprise, Episode Regeneration. We have a brand new series of Star Trek that promised fresh stories and aliens and yet they trot out the borg.

I agree in TNG, it made sense and I liked how it was done for the most part. Even in Voyager, since they're traveling through Borg space, but Enterprise, really?
[doublepost=1510418950][/doublepost]It may sound like I'm harping on Star Trek, I'm not, I've loved all the shows and I'm really enjoying voyager again, so don't take what I wrote as my dislike of the franchise.

Honestly half of the ST series I’ve disliked for various reasons.

 

[ucfgrad93]

"City On The Edge Of Forever" was outstanding.

An amazing episode, one of my favorites regardless of series.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

An amazing episode, one of my favorites regardless of series.

Agreed: Very powerful story-telling, - excellent and compelling and beautiful acted and scripted narrative - with a welcome twist allowing McCoy to have the romance, which added to the real heart-break at the end. Superb episode, and one that stands the test of time extremely well.

 

[Huntn]

You're probably thinking of A Piece of the Action (the Enterprise visits a world in which depression-era gangsterism has taken over because of "contamination" by a book left by a previous ship) or The City on the Edge of Forever (Kirk, Spock, and McCoy travel through a time portal to reverse a change in the course of history). Both were shot on back lots. The latter in particular is one of my all-time ST favorites, taking all the series into account. It holds up very well 50 years later.

In fact, I liked almost all of the episodes that incorporated time travel, such as Assignment Earth (the Enterprise and an man from Earth trained by an advanced species try to prevent nuclear war in 1968).

Agreed, three excellent episodes (and yes, "City On The Edge Of Forever" was outstanding).

I don’t remember much about this episode. I looked it up and see it was written by Harlan Ellison, a significant author in science fiction. Maybe it warrants re-viewing.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I don’t remember much about this episode. I looked it up and see it was written by Harlan Ellison, a significant author in science fiction. Maybe it warrants re-viewing.

"City On The Edge Of Forever" is well worth watching; it is an impressive, intelligent and thought-provoking episode.

As I recall, it won awards, too - such as the Best Episodic Drama on Television award - awarded by the Writers Guild of America - one of the first times (if not the first time) a scifi show had won such plaudits.

It also won the Hugo Award; interestingly, apparently, the next time a television programme won the Hugo Award was a full quarter of a century later, when the superlative "The Inner Light" (from STNG) also won it.

 

[obeygiant]

I could use some Cordrazine right now.

 

[Roller]

I could use some Cordrazine right now.

"He knows, Doctor. He knows." One of the best ST scenes (and lines) ever.

 

[ucfgrad93]

I don’t remember much about this episode. I looked it up and see it was written by Harlan Ellison, a significant author in science fiction. Maybe it warrants re-viewing.

Watch it, it will be well worth your time.

 

[maflynn]

I don’t remember much about this episode. I looked it up and see it was written by Harlan Ellison, a significant author in science fiction. Maybe it warrants re-viewing.

I think its one of the best Star Trek episodes ever, regardless if you're talking TNG, DS9, TOS. One of my favorite

 

[Mousse]

Agreed: Very powerful story-telling, - excellent and compelling and beautiful acted and scripted narrative - with a welcome twist allowing McCoy to have the romance, which added to the real heart-break at the end. Superb episode, and one that stands the test of time extremely well.

Aye. Arguably the best ST episodes of all time. The moral dilemma of sacrificing a good and noble person, Edith Keeler, for the greater good. If Keeler had lived, the US would never have entered WWII and Hitler would have won (in story continuity). A fine example of the needs of the many out weighing the needs of the few or the one.

I could only watch one episode from each series I would choose City on the Edge of Forever (TOS), In the Pale Moonlight (DS9), Living Witness (VOY), The Inner Light (TNG). I would not want to re-watch any Enterprise episodes.

 

[Roller]

I don’t remember much about this episode. I looked it up and see it was written by Harlan Ellison, a significant author in science fiction. Maybe it warrants re-viewing.

The very same Harlan Ellison who was involved with The Starlost, a Canadian sci-fi series from the early 70s. He was so unhappy with the result that he insisted on being credited as Cordwainer Bird, a pseudonym he used whenever he was unhappy with the way his creations were handled. His behavior was quite unusual at times—take a look at his antics at the podium at the Hugo Awards in 2006:

 

[D.T.]

I looked it up and see it was written by Harlan Ellison, a significant author in science fiction.

Corrected to avoid Harlan's wrath ...

Maybe it warrants re-viewing.

No maybe about it

 

[ActionableMango]

I would not want to re-watch any Enterprise episodes.

I understand--Enterprise was a weak series. But there were a few good episodes in there. Carbon Creek and The Andorian Incident come to mind for me.

I also really liked the Shran/Archer interaction throughout the series. They had an interesting frenemy relationship.

I was going to mention Carbon Creek as another good example of a Trek time-travel story, but then I realized there is no time travel in it. It just feels like a time-traveling Trek episode.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I understand--Enterprise was a weak series. But there were a few good episodes in there. Carbon Creek and The Andorian Incident come to mind for me.

I also really liked the Shran/Archer interaction throughout the series. They had an interesting frenemy relationship.

I was going to mention Carbon Creek as another good example of a Trek time-travel story, but then I realized there is no time travel in it. It just feels like a time-traveling Trek episode.

Maybe there were; - alone of the ST franchise - I wasn't enthused - at all - and it is possible that I just didn't hang around long enough to find them.

 

[Huntn]

Corrected to avoid Harlan's wrath ...



No maybe about it

Why is/was Elison sensitive about being called a science fiction author? He’s got a multitude of sci-fi writing awards.

 

[ActionableMango]

I think the Star Trek Enterprise epitomizes this by its heavy reliance on time travel a central theme to the series. They had an opportunity to introduce brand new story lines and issues, but instead we got a time traveling bad guy

Yes my favorite parts were when they filled in backstories that enriched the existing Trek lore. They fleshed out the Andorians and Vulcans quite a bit. Even the Tholians and Tellarites made their appearances. In a prequel series there is so much opportunity to explore existing races, their history, their culture, and their relationships.

But instead we got stories with Suliban, a generic race that comes out of nowhere and has nonsensical motivations. Even worse is the "sphere-builder" race which was probably supposed to feel enigmatic, but instead just feels non-present. Both were forgettable throw-away races which will probably never be used again.