Star Trek

[Littleworlds]

4 hours ago, Capparezza said:

@Littleworlds That video is down, source also references to Youtube

I just checked the site. Seems the Twitter video is still working. A bit blurry, but twitter is twitter I guess   The link is the window just below the Youtube one 

[Forresto]

Can't believe I lapsed on this! Star Trek has a TRAILER! Finally! 

Also Seth McFarlane, of Family Guy and American Dad fame, is doing a galaxy quest-esque parody show of Star Trek called the Orville which looks like it might have potential.

 

Edited June 25, 2017 by Forresto

[Forresto]

Star Trek Discovery Uniform Breakdown - Trekmovie

I did not like the uniforms at first but seeing them more and then this breakdown makes me appreciate the design behind it. Thats just me what do ya'll think?

Edited June 25, 2017 by Forresto

[Capparezza]

Is this the one for the upcoming series? A bit too detailed for my taste, but pretty good looking nevertheless.

[Forresto]

1 hour ago, Capparezza said:

Is this the one for the upcoming series? A bit too detailed for my taste, but pretty good looking nevertheless.

Yeah this is for Discovery. Apparently the detailing is part of the reason the show got delayed to Fall. They sent the uniforms off to Switzerland for the finishing touches.

[Capparezza]

Switzerland? Real Gold for the Captain's uniform or what? Nice, how decadent :D I'm really looking forward to that series.

[BrickG]

I don't like the rank pips. You can barely see them. They should be on the neck or wrists. Somewhere more prominent. 

[Forresto]

Time will tell but it appears that they're very conscious about canon

Trek Movie - Alex Kurtzman: 'Star Trek: Discovery' Will Spark Debate And Adhere To Canon

[xboxtravis7992]

Man the things I keep reading about Discovery have me a bit nervous. As exciting as it is to get a new Trek TV series some things keep sticking out like sore thumbs to me. I am still worried if the series is going to go for a TV-MA instead of TV-14 approach. TOS and TNG were always aimed towards older audiences, but the content is tame enough that kids could watch it along with older siblings, uncles and parents... Another strange thing is the Klingon redesign. The "pierced brow" Klingon of Into Darkness looks very TNG to the new Discovery design. Lastly I am a bit upset about the on set rumors that actors were chastised on set for ad-libbing a phrase which included the word "God" because it made reference to the idea humanity has religions back on Earth. I know Star Trek has always inferred Earth was a secular society... but it is a strange decision to solidify that idea as canon. With Trek working overtime to promote racial diversity for years, why would religious diversity not also be a subject included in the show?  Seeing diverse religious characters in Trek's mix peacefully working together (alongside the diverse races already present) would be as meaningful to a 21st century audience as seeing a Russian and American on the Enterprise working together was to a 20th century audience.

And then there is that whole gripe this show is still exclusive to CBS All Access. WHY? I know I have gripped about that  before, but sheesh it still seems dumb every time I mention it. Stupid, stupid, stupid... Had it been a Netflix, Amazon Prime, or Hulu show that would have felt like a more fitting home for Trek due to its ability to reach a broader audience.

I know it seems dumb to gripe about a show that hasn't come out yet. but every moment I get excited for this new TV show my hopes get dashed seconds later to pieces again by yet another strange update or report from the set... At least I can still go back and just Netflix binge TNG whenever I want.

Edited July 28, 2017 by xboxtravis7992

[samurai-turtle]

2 hours ago, xboxtravis7992 said:

And then there is that whole gripe this show is still exclusive to CBS All Access. WHY? I know I have gripped about that  before, but sheesh it still seems dumb every time I mention it. Stupid, stupid, stupid... Had it been a Netflix, Amazon Prime, or Hulu show that would have felt like a more fitting home for Trek due to its ability to reach a broader audience.

I am wondering about that too. It is like CBS has no faith in the show. Especially if you compare it to Orville on Fox. That is kinda like a parody of Star Trek. And it is going to be shown over the air waves. It gets me thinking maybe CBS should just put it on the CW like they did with Supergirl. Heck it could work as a mid season replacement for the CW. 

[Capparezza]

8 hours ago, xboxtravis7992 said:

Another strange thing is the Klingon redesign. The "pierced brow" Klingon of Into Darkness looks very TNG to the new Discovery design.

I do have a theory on that: It is stated that there are different kind of Klingon sub-races, like the Imperial ones, Humanoid crossings and, at least in Table Top Game manuals, there was a rumour about Romulan cross-breeds. To me, those "new" Klingons do have something in common with Remulans, which look a lot different to the regular (more human) Romulans.

I, for one, will wait for at least the first Episode before judging the series... however, given that latest trailer it looks more like J.J.Abrams-Crash-Boom-Peng-Style to me

[BrickG]

CBS is trying to successfully launch CBS All Access. It's not that they don't have faith in the show. They're putting a lot into it by having it as basically the  thing that's SUPPOSED to successfully get All Access popular. And it's supposedly a highly funded show. They seem to be putting a lot into it.

The question is... if Star Trek fails in the US (where it's CBS All Access) will they give up on it? I'm not sure anything besides like Game of Thrones would make people interested in it. I plan to watch Star Trek in whatever NON-CBS All Access way available... I already pay for Netflix and Amazon Prime... and Hulu just for a month since I'm watching something on there with my girlfriend. I can't be bothered with a freakin' fourth one (oh I forgot I have HBO All Access too...). I'll probably change my make it look like my Netflix is in the UK and watch it that way :P (is this something you can admit here? It's not exactly pirating lol).

If it gets good reviews and preforms well in non-US countries I'd hope they'd continue to back it even if it doesn't do enough to get CBS All Access off the ground....

[Littleworlds]

After watching the last trailer I don't really look forward to it anymore. Actually, the more I learned about it, the less I was hoping for a "proper" Star Trek, that can do more than the ever-the-same space battles. Sure, it looks better now, or at least modernized, in a JJ Abrams-style, but in its core it appears to me to just go on where Voyager, Enterprise and most of the films already were.

I miss the sense of wonder and - yes - discovery. But apart from the show's name there is right now absolutely nothing promising that. Well made stories or interesting plots about exploration and all the stuff starfleet is actually supposed to do. TNG showed it is possible and it was never boring people away from the screens. 

[BrickG]

11 minutes ago, Littleworlds said:

After watching the last trailer I don't really look forward to it anymore. Actually, the more I learned about it, the less I was hoping for a "proper" Star Trek, that can do more than the ever-the-same space battles. Sure, it looks better now, or at least modernized, in a JJ Abrams-style, but in its core it appears to me to just go on where Voyager, Enterprise and most of the films already were.

I miss the sense of wonder and - yes - discovery. But apart from the show's name there is right now absolutely nothing promising that. Well made stories or interesting plots about exploration and all the stuff starfleet is actually supposed to do. TNG showed it is possible and it was never boring people away from the screens. 

It's more DS9 in style and DS9 IMO is arguably better story wise than TNG. They can still discover stuff while following an interesting story arch and still be Star Trek.

If you want something that is ONLY like TOS or TNG or VOY which it's episodes mostly designed to be seen in any order and very compartmentalized... I think Star Trek can be so much more and DS9 proves it. DS9 is the least Star Trek'y Star Trek and it's just freakin' amazing. It explores characters with DEPTH and with imperfections. It explored things Star Trek hadn't before in a very Star Trek way. The fact that they're looking at DS9 for inspiration is very exciting for me. You CAN have wars and space battles and still have those crazy good "discovery" based episodes and philosophical discussions. No harm in having some CONFLICT while we're doing all the normal Star Trek stuff. Yeah, they can go too far but here's hoping they don't!

"In the Pale Moonlight" of DS9 is one of the single best episodes of Star Trek ever. DS9 really explores what an "evolved" and utopian society does when that is threatened by people who aren't quite as reasonable. DS9 puts into question are they really evolved or is it just the environment? What if that environment goes away? What if there's a real threat? It just is great.

Not everyone can be Picard. Picard was like a freakin' beacon of Starfleet values. Most people even in Starfleet can't match him. While I love Picard I also love stories that explore other types of characters and people who are more human, possibly more TESTED than Picard (Sisko was more tested by far IMO, it would be interesting to see if Picard has a breaking point...). I want to explore the less perfect people in bad scenarios because we've already seen what Picards do (unwavering in beliefs and faith in diplomacy and stuff), Kirk (cowboy), Sisko (tried and tested family and military man almost), Janeway (... too Picard-like IMO, just a bit more willing to disobey the rules), archer (just angry and bad IMO, didn't like Enterprise)... So now we're getting a story not from a captain's perspective, and with characters not overdone (Voyager would have been better if half the stuff in it wasn't already done previously in Star Trek, so many repeat episodes and characters were too similar to previous ones).

 

Blablabla I'm rambling.

Point is I'm excited for the potential of the new series. Dunno if it'll be good or not. But I'm not going to limit the scope of what it is to be "Star Trek". I could take new things. The Federation, despite being "utopian" has historically found itself at war, almost every freakin' decade. War opens up the Federation in ways that peace time like in TNG never could. Picard had that going for him, captaining and doing most of his great deeds in times of peace.

 

OKAY I'll stop. Star Trek is just one of my favorite series ever (TOS movies, TNG, DS9, ST2009).

[Littleworlds]

32 minutes ago, BrickG said:

It's more DS9 in style and DS9 IMO is arguably better story wise than TNG. They can still discover stuff while following an interesting story arch and still be Star Trek.

...

 

OKAY I'll stop. Star Trek is just one of my favorite series ever (TOS movies, TNG, DS9, ST2009).

Hey, there we have something in common. Star Trek is one of my all-time-favourites as well! So I am sceptic, because I care, not for wanting to talk it down or so! 

Sure, the TOS and TNG concept of closed stories per episode is not really working anymore in 2017, but DS9 didn't really show how to make it better, if you ask me. Character development was brilliant, but the whole arc with the dominion war was at times quite over the top. Ground battles with almost trench-warfare in the 24 century is a bit of a stretch  - just to mention that example. I just stopped caring about whats next they would come up with. All in all its more Babylon 5 that showed how to do it properly, with a fully developed story over 4 seasons. Like a space-opera novel. Really excellently done. War, peace, believable alien cultures, interesting ideas... My impression is that DS9 rather desperately tried to catch up on that format than bringing much new into the genre.

When it comes to Picard and Sisko... good old Jean-Luc surely has his own story to tell about hospitality of the Borg and Cardassian officers  But generally speaking: just that DS9 smashed more spaceships doesn't means its a more intense or better conflict.

So what I would really look forward to would be exploration and appreciation of science, knowledge and ethics like in TNG and the writing and arcs like in B5 - and the action too. Action is fine when its not for the sake of it.

I also think what Star Trek really made so beloved was that it showed a coherent, positive and engaging outlook into the future. I am sure for many people Star Trek was the first time they learned about futuristic concepts and technology. Of course some things will never make it into reality, but genetics, virtual reality, mobile communication, handheld devices and such made it already into our all-day lives. So in this way, Star Trek was indeed a window into the future. It inspired people to become scientists, or help to develop some of the fantastic things they have seen on screen. Sadly that aspect is pretty much missing in recent years. 

Yes, I had to stop myself from rambling as well! 

Edited July 30, 2017 by Littleworlds
had to recalibrate the dilithium crystals.

[Forresto]

As a TOS purist I'm actally super okay with the new Klingons. Probably for similar reasons as @Capparezza.

I'd like to pose my reasoning.

Humanity is incredibly diverse with many, many variations of our species across the globe. This is ultimately what Star Trek celebrates the most and always has. Gene Roddenberry advocated humanity's many differences. Humanity is boldly going together in our many shades looking forward to the future and progress.

If Starfleet and the Federation are meant to represent what humanity could and should be the Klingons originally were always meant to embody much of what we shouldn't be. Militaristic, feudilistic, fascist, and highly traditional and backwards looking.  

So if Starfleet is incredibly diverse why would we assume that the Klingons are?  What if the Klingons we saw throughout most of TNG, DS9, VOY and Enterprise are just one racial group that happens to be the most populous or most powerful within Klingon society's hierarchy? If Klingons are so warlike and traditional, just like similar cultures on Earth they're probably very xenophobic and discriminatory to other Klingon racial groups. We wouldn't know because as demonstrated on the show the Klingons are very private regarding internal matters.

This would explain why the Klingons in the Motion Picture and Undiscovered Country (really any of the Kirk era movies) largely look so different. They're simply different races we don't see often. In the new Discovery trailer it looks like there are different kinds of Klingons present such as those with the crystal skull heads and others with more human like heads. The main Klingon we keep seeing appears to get beaten up as a child in the trailer so I think we're going to be shown a lot of the inner power plays and turmoil from a Klingon perspective which I'm really excited for. 

Edited July 30, 2017 by Forresto

[BrickG]

Okay so after months of thinking I've decided...

The U.S.S. Discovery is incredibly ugly. Some producer or something somewhere thought it would be a great idea to base it off the old Motion Picture concept art. But that concept art sucked and this ship is just UGLY. 

The U.S.S. Shenzou looks AMAZING though. This is what a designer can do when the producer doesn't lock them into a dumb idea. I really wish the Shenzou was our "hero ship" and not the incredibly ugly, unbalanced, wreck that is the Discovery.

 

Also the Klingons did NOT need to change appearance yet again. They look like generic sci-fi baddies that are in every sci-fi these days now. I know there are rumors that we might get more traditional looking Klingons and I hope it's true. I don't mind that they're Bald (not the first time we've had bald klingons) but there's literally NO reason for yet another redesign aside from, probably another producer having another stupid idea.

I'll remain open minded about the rest of the show. I don't mind that the tech doesn't match the time period (you cannot expect them to match with TOS...). I don't mind that Spock has more secret relations. But the ugliness of the Discovery and the change in the new Klingons are just bad.

[Capparezza]

Well, there are some comments from an Interview with producing staff from Discovery at a happening in Las Vegas which make me twitching a bit... und suspecting we will get more of a J.J. Abrams-style series:

Quote

Creature designer Neville Page told the audience that Bryan Fuller, in their earliest discussions about Discovery, wanted the new show’s Klingons to be bald.

Changing Canon because the regisseur says so? WTF? Well, yeah I know we had bald Klingons already, but NO BEARD AT ALL???
 

Quote

And that trailer isn’t every effects shot, that really is the show. Most of that is from the first three episodes. It is so tremendous that it kind of holding hands and jumping together.

It's all action from beginning to end. Mhm... I really hope it will blend better in with previous Star Trek series. Let's see

[MovieMocs]

I am legit, more excited for when this series comes out than for when my next Lego haul will arrive :)

[Forresto]

When it comes to Klingon diversity remember the Klingon Empire is as vast as the Federation. 

Nigel Paige implied the Klingons we see in Discovery are not from Qonos.

[Capparezza]

On 5.8.2017 at 5:29 AM, Forresto said:

When it comes to Klingon diversity remember the Klingon Empire is as vast as the Federation.

I have been reading up on this topic, have used some FASA (role playing) books. There seem to be different types of Klingon cross-breeds, like the Humanoid-ones from TOS, the Imperial Race with those remarkable ridges on their forehead as well as Romulan ones. So these might be Remulan crossbreeds (think of the Remulans from Star Trek: Nemesis). They bear some resemblance with those shown in the trailer.

[BrickG]

The Klingon Empire is basically Klingons and then a lot of subject species without the same level of rights (which is why you don't hear about them!). 

I think they're just needlessly redesigned Klingons. I don't mind them being bald though.

I kind of hope they really are an ancient race of Klingons. More akin to just the difference in appearance between a European and an Asian or something. I'd be fine with that I guess. I'd hope they'd also explain why the heck we don't see them later. Maybe the Klingons are just super racist sometimes and almost/did wiped them out by the time TNG happens.

BUT I'd bet that they're just your everyday Klingons looking different. Because producers and stuff are LAME like that. It's too much of a coincidence that we'd never have seen them, and Klingon designs are ICONIC and did NOT need to change.

[BrickG]

There's rumors going around right now that they're working on a second new Star Trek TV series. This is rumored to be in response to the fact that the new series isn't testing so well with either Trekkies/Trekkers or people who don't really know Star Trek. Apparently the canon issues are really worrying some people and general excitement (or lack of) has CBS worried also.

Star Trek's licenses are still split in two companies which has really made it difficult for them to produce anything really. Until they sort out the constant licensing issues they'll likely continue to have difficulties which including a show or movie potentially not being allowed to use anything visually too similar with the older Trek TV shows or even use names or anything that could help link it to the older stuff. There's rumors that the new Klingon look might be caused by licensing issues somehow, likely the new show possibly wanting to be able to have merc of it's own Klingons. For example the Tribble in Into Darkness was allowed after making a separate licensing deal where the movie could not make merchandise of them because the other company owns it's visuals. The motivation here being for the new Klingons being visually different enough to be able to merchandise them without need of negotiating for the license for their visuals.

Sounds ridiculous because it is. Since Star Trek is split into two companies atm every little freakin' detail has to be negotiated between two corporate entities who want it all for themselves and can't really cooperate. If they'd get off their butts and do one giant negotiation to give control of the franchise to a single source it would be much better (think Spiderman and Marvel right now even though that's temporary and will only last with the current agreement like 2 more movies with him or something).

 

[xboxtravis7992]

1 hour ago, BrickG said:

 (think Spiderman and Marvel right now even though that's temporary and will only last with the current agreement like 2 more movies with him or something).

Well that belongs in another forum discussion really, but I will chime in and speculate that contract could be renewed again if it is seen as profitable... So I doubt Spider-Man being shared is done yet...

1 hour ago, BrickG said:

There's rumors going around right now that they're working on a second new Star Trek TV series. This is rumored to be in response to the fact that the new series isn't testing so well with either Trekkies/Trekkers or people who don't really know Star Trek. Apparently the canon issues are really worrying some people and general excitement (or lack of) has CBS worried also.

Anyways, back to Trek.... Yeah that is actually not to surprising. The fan reaction has been pretty bad to a crap ton of stuff involving Discovery. What Trek needs is a broadcast network prime time show, not a limited access series that is stuck in emulating the TOS/Enterprise styles. I know it would be difficult for CBS and Paramount to negotiate to share some of the rights again, but I think either or a post-TNG era series could be fun; or an alternate universe series set in Paramount's Kelvin film universe would attract the crowds very well.

Edited August 8, 2017 by xboxtravis7992

[Forresto]

It's Discovery Day in thr US ya'll! Tomorrow for the rest of the world.

"Heghlu'meH QaQ jajvam!"

"Today is a good day to die!"

...okay maybe not, i'd like to watch the show tonight 

Edited September 24, 2017 by Forresto