A key figure behind Star Trek's classic era has likened the shortened seasons of modern TV to the equivalent of a Tinder relationship, and said he hoped the sci-fi franchise would return to 22-episode seasons.
I think what gave earlier Trek so much soul was the non-human characters that allowed you to explore humanity through them. Spock, Data, Odo all lived in and around humans, and explored what that meant.
I agree. It’s what makes sci-fi good, in my opinion. It’s a useful tool to look at the failings of humanity, but in a way that subverts people’s self-defence mechanisms. For example, racist might agree treating intelligent aliens as animals is bad without thinking about themselves at first. With a tiny amount of reflection, they will realize it also applies to their beliefs. This can work for so many other topics, like DS9 covers the use of terrorism against Fascists using aliens as stand ins for actual groups that have and do exist in our world.
It gets tired though. And it inevitably puts humans on a pedestal as the thing the robot aspires to be, the thing the Vulcan needs to learn to embrace, the thing 7of9 needs to get back to…
I think what gave earlier Trek so much soul was the non-human characters that allowed you to explore humanity through them. Spock, Data, Odo all lived in and around humans, and explored what that meant.
And Seven and T’Pol.
and B’Elanna.
and Harry Kim.
Thank you, yes. I just started with the first 3, but those are perfect examples as well.
I agree. It’s what makes sci-fi good, in my opinion. It’s a useful tool to look at the failings of humanity, but in a way that subverts people’s self-defence mechanisms. For example, racist might agree treating intelligent aliens as animals is bad without thinking about themselves at first. With a tiny amount of reflection, they will realize it also applies to their beliefs. This can work for so many other topics, like DS9 covers the use of terrorism against Fascists using aliens as stand ins for actual groups that have and do exist in our world.
It gets tired though. And it inevitably puts humans on a pedestal as the thing the robot aspires to be, the thing the Vulcan needs to learn to embrace, the thing 7of9 needs to get back to…