Philosophy trek is best trek

80 comments

I've said for years that the reason I love Star Trek so much is because it's about exploration and the investigation of the human spirit. That it's used to ask questions about ourselves that are hard to ask in other settings. It is also the only science fiction universe I can think of where people try to talk things out before getting into pew pew laser battles.
- I also love the whole “working together as professionals in a team to solve problems with science/technology/strategy/diplomacy/all of the above” aspect of it, and that those abilities were considered by other species to be humanity’s best traits.
  
  I've heard it described as "competency porn" before
  
  I remember reading somewhere an article where they talked about (I think) the episode of SNW where Uhura is hallucinating and how no one thought she was crazy when she said something about it because she was a Starfleet officer and they are believed enough to investigate problems like that before dismissing them. Imagine all the times you've heard stories about things like someone feeling a pain and the doctor says it's nothing and then they die of cancer...
- I mean… that’s the point of all good sci-fi.
  It’s important to delineate between “action, just in a sci-fi setting” and “sci-fi”. The former is entertaining; the latter will have you discussing the movie/episode with friends and family after you finish watching, and actually makes you think about the human condition a bit.
  Side note: if that’s the only sci-fi universe you’ve seen that’s less action-packed and more deliberate, I strongly encourage you to read more sci-fi (n.b. specifically sci-fi, and not amusing but often morally vapid sci-fi thrillers).
  
  This is why Star Wars is a fantasy series with sci Fi trappings and not sci fi.
  
  Any recommendations?
- investigation of the human spirit.
  yoink - don't mind me, just stealing this phrase for the next time someone asks me about Star Trek.
  
  Q: You just don't get it, do you, Jean-Luc? The trial never ends. We wanted to see if you had the ability to expand your mind and your horizons. And for one brief moment, you did.
  One of my favorite quotes from all Trekdom, where they come straight out and say it's about the inner voyage.
  
  Please do. It's a phrase we should be using.
- The Borg are the perfect antithesis to this too. Like the intimate adversary is one that's dangerous and just can't be negotiated with. Thinks of you as so primitive to them that they don't even stop you from crawling around on their ship until you start fucking around. They're an absolute force of nature.
  
  But even The Borg were used to ask 'what is human' and 'what makes you an individual' multiple times, most notably with 7 of 9, but also Locutus and Hugh. So even there, it's being philosophical on a level that people who appreciate that sort of thing can understand while still being enjoyable sci-fi for people who don't.
  
  ...until the Borg Queen retconned all that, anyway.
  
  The mirror universe Borg don't allow that shit. The Borg Queen is less ruthless than The Borg King.
- A lot of most sci-fi out there is people talking to each other. It's more a case of the people watching them having selective memory and ST fans memory selecting things the other way around.
  
  Talking to each other and talking to each other to avoid a fight are two different things. Most sci-fi TV does not shy away from shooting first and asking questions later.
- Babylon 5 tried diplomacy for the first couple seasons, but once the humans started fighting ourselves diplomacy kinda went out the window.
  
  Also it was the climax of a multi season story by that point, it's the part where they ran out of diplomatic options so I think it still works as an example.

That's why I enjoy Babylon 5, you want space battles? Got em, want a diverse group of alien species trying their best to live and work together, got that too, you want lots of coutroom stories, yup go that too.
- I know I should give that show another shot but the acting is just so bad in the first few episodes
  
  Have you seen Star Trek: The Next Generation, Season 1?

While I swear I usually feel the opposite, the court room episode in Strange New Worlds is straight fire 🔥
- I don't know, I felt like I was watching Star Trek Law. I am probably in the minority, but I prefer more action and exploration. Admittedly, I did watch it on the heels of Discovery and that might've tainted my acceptance of those episodes...

SERIOUSLY. I couldn't manage to get more than 2 episodes into Discovery because it was all action no philosophical questions. Like, if you can't give us a courtroom challenge, at LEAST give us some Prime Directive nuance.
- Don't forget the spinning 45° cameras that flip upside down twice in every scene.
  
  Don't forget the shitty lighting
  Don't forget the ridiculous story lines that completely ignored decades of startrek history
  Don't forget all the cursing
  Don't forget all the murdering without remorse or consequences
  Don't forget about the characters that completely changed. Beverly crusher now is a sharp killer. Seven of nine is now a lesbian double phaser wielding mass murderer, Picard is a mumbling sad little man who gets put in his place and ridiculed by everyone. Klingons?aaaahaaaaarrgghh... But yeah, "Klingons now represent Trump voters".
  All new start trek has been made by people who by their own admission don't know star Trek, nor like star Trek, they just wanted the large fan base for money and use it as a their personal political platform
  To (very sadly) quote new star strek: Sheer fucking hubris

Both can be good, but used carefully. The 2nd and 3rd season of the Orville had some of the best space action I've ever seen and gave me the same feelings as the dominion war in ds9. Discovery never had any space action that got me remotely excited.
But drumhead, measure of a man etc are crazy good too.
- The first episode of season 3 of Orville I had to skip through the opening battle scene because there was no context and thus no emptional weight.
  Orville is a mixed bag, but nonetheless a great show, and I'd argue, probably the best star trek show on the air haha
  
  I fully welcome Orville into the Star Trek fandom. It's clear that Seth wanted to make an awesome star Trek show and sold it as a comedy to get airing in my mind. I think he did a fantastic job, for sure the best new trek I've seen, although I haven't tried brave new worlds yet.
- Don't forget The Offspring, right up there with Measure Of A Man.

- Did Ukraine really shoot down a Russian plane full of POWs? Or was it conveniently empty?
  Putin should watch Star Trek.
  
  All the POW was teleported away before the crash duh.
  The bodies of the crew showed they just didn't have the time to beam them away too or something.

Explain then why more sci-fi in courtroom than in most space pew-pews.

Why not both?
- courtroom drama mid-baytle would be peak trek
- If The Expanse ever did a courtroom episode I think I would've had a stroke.

Wow, just noticed how true this is. Maybe that's why I love Better Call Saul so much. Haha

TNG does not appear on my top five Trek episodes list. Neither do any courtroom episodes.
I await your replies.
- What then are your top 5? And why is it Spock's Brain 4 times followed by Move Along Home?
  
  VOY: Living Witness
  VOY: In the Blink Of An Eye
  DS9: It’s Only A Paper Moon
  TOS: Devil In The Dark
  TOS: Balance Of Terror
  Although I do actually really enjoy Spock’s Brain. Far from the worst TOS episode.
- Did you mean 'does not'?
  
  By the spirit of the heart, you’re right.

There are a few court room eps I like but more that I don’t

80 comments