New thought!

After what I just wrote I have an even more intense need than I did after seeing the leather jackets, to have some time travel shenanigans so Una Chin Riley can meet Seven.

Like before I was just going uhhhhh Captain in leather. But now I have actual common ground and feelings about said common ground.

I will probably file this under the same heading as “B’elanna and Kira Nerys should be friends” as something I probably won’t do anything with but damn it would be cool.

Thinky thoughts 🙃

trillscienceofficer:

I know that “Space, the final frontier” went from “where no man has gone before” on TOS to “where no one has gone before” on TNG for reasons of ‘let’s try to make this less sexist’ but still nobody thought to question the whole idea of the frontier until the DS9 pilot. And then no other show followed up on that except maybe the hints on Voyager and Enterprise about those ships destabilizing an already existing situation everywhere they went

Your recent posts like this one ^^ is what reminded me about my essay which included Imperialism and the Federation.

I think a big part of the issue is narrative framing. The characters on older Trek (not always but sometimes) argued more. They took perspectives on parts of the debate. The newer Trek has a lot of the same hooks in the storylines but the thrust of the plot tends to push the same agenda (which isn’t a reflective one). They don’t tend to question whether they are right anymore, they just assume they are and go from there.

I mean Discovery began with the Klingons at least making the point about cultural homogenisation, and the way the Federation spread. That point was lost in the show (narrative framing) because good guys vs bad guys is easier to sell? I don’t know.

It’s hard for me because I have all of this ^^ in my head so I tend to see it, whereas it might not actually be there so much.

Ok while I am on the topic of “unpopular Star Trek opinions” I’m going to go back to an old one. When I first heard the Klingons in the Discovery pilot say about the Federation and the most dangerous words being “we come in peace” I got chills.

I wrote an essay for university about that time. It covered more than just this ^^ but that was part of it. I also did a segment on the goa’uld from Stargate. It was correlating real world political ideologies, and actual historical implementations of those policies, with fictional groups/events in science-fiction. With the aim of the analysis to go to the core of sci-fi which is using it as a lens to explore facets of ourselves.

What makes the opinion so unpopular is because it is a conflict between the stated ideals of the Federation and how it actually is. My argument basically drew a comparison in universe with the Federation and the Borg (and out of universe with Americanisation/westernisation in terms of homogenisation of culture). In many ways the Federation does ‘assimilate’ the worlds it absorbs. That’s a simplistic generalised overview, obviously lot more to it.

The Federation claims to be Explorers but they are expansionists. They have their territory, and they have constant wars over defending it. It is really imperialism. Calling it peace doesn’t change that. Add to the fact that while Pike claims everyone votes it’s also very Earth-centric with the leaders of the Federation (and StarFleet as something of an enforcement arm in practicality) being majority human.

There is also a deep undercurrent of superiority/we know best. A bit of a colonial saviour complex. The best Trek in my opinion is when it is self-aware. I cheered in Strange New Worlds when Doctor M’Benga said they had left some prejudices behind, but on reaching the stars they had just adopted new ones.

It’s the eternal struggle. We all have work to do on ourselves, cultural prejudices/blinkers that we might not even realise we have. Constant battle to be better. More understanding, more open minded etc. and sci-fi as a lens to look at ourselves, is supposed to reflect that. So I don’t have a problem with Trek being how it is, in fact I think it is supposed to be like that, to provoke debate and reflection.

The unpopular part comes from the reflection. It is a cynical view of a Federation which is supposed to offer hope for a brighter future.

I don’t know if I can make it work on any kind of timeline but I suddenly have a mighty need for B’elanna and Kira Nerys to be friends somehow.

Both rebels, freedom fighters.

Been thinking about the Marquis. There’s a song (War – Poets of the Fall) which has resonated with different blorbos over the years. It has in the past made me think of James, Helen and the Five in the Great War. But I heard it last night and just suddenly had a real clear picture of the Marquis hiding in some caves, huddled around a fire on a desolate planet. One person starts singing and then over time, with each repeating chorus, the others start joining in. Kind of like a warm light in the darkness, a moment of solidarity to affirm their bonds.

When I thought that I fought this war alone

You were there by my side on the frontline

And we fought to believe the impossible

When I thought that I fought this war alone

We were one with our destinies entwined

When I thought that I fought without a cause

You gave me the reason why

Cos I only need your name to call the reasons why I fought

#deep in my feels today

With the ‘moment’ regarding the Enterprise-D it made me think about what would be my favourite Trek ship.

I mean the Enterprise is classic. It’s the Enterprise. There’s a quote, did Bones say it? About how fate favours ships called Enterprise. The Enterprise is no doubt special and that goes for all versions of the ship.

There’s been what? Archers, Pike’s, Kirk’s, Picards (D and E). Also the Kelvin timeline lens flare one.

I confess when it comes to the Enterprise I am most fond of Pike’s. Yes I know that’s the latest one in SNW. I really like that show. Picard’s is probably second, but how does that rate with other ships?

There is Discovery. There is Voyager. If we count other types of ships there is La Sirena and the Defiant. I guess there is also the ProtoStar. I don’t watch Lower Decks.

My gut is saying my favourite ship is Voyager. It has more presence than La Sirena, is a character that Janeway had faith in just as Pike trusts the Enterprise will hold. As much as I love SNW there is only 10 episodes and Voyager has more stature.

I don’t know just musing on this Saturday night.

@Purlturtle

I do love VOY as a show, and most of the characters aboard. The premise was amazing, and a lot of it was executed well – I just think it can be done even better, if the initial conflict of Starfleet vs. Maquis hadn’t been resolved in the space of like three episodes, but had been given more time to breathe. Would have been more realistic too! Also, can the hallowed Starfleet principles REALLY withstand everything the crew encounters, or does it maybe make more sense to adapt them and not cling to them so rigidly? (this would be part of the Kathryn Janeway character arc, too).

Give the story phases, give those phases themes, choose plots/”episodes” and character beats and interactions that play into these themes, make it more cohesive (I understand why the show didn’t fully commit to that, but I’m not beholden to that, after all 🙂 )

(part of me also wants to bring in both Jadzia Dax and Lenara Kahn, because that way they’d have the chance to be together!)

I made notes on a half-Voyager ‘fix-it’ (kinda I mean like you said exploring some things) and half Raffi on Voyager because Seven and Raffi ☺️

I wanted Amelia Earhart to join the crew because c’mon you really telling me she turned down learning to fly a SPACESHIP??? Like no. I don’t believe that.

Also why there wasn’t more dissent among the crew about stopping to explore the delta quadrant vs. going full pedal home with no side trips?

You already covered the wish that there had been more conflict with the Marquis vs StarFleet.

But people signed up for StarFleet knowing they could die in space/never see home. But at the same people never think it’s the end. The old “young people think they will never die” kind of cliche. And being stranded and knowing that bar a miracle you will be very old/dead before you make it back – I would have thought living with that as reality rather than just a ‘possibility’ would have caused more issues. Why did nobody wrestle with giving up?

I read a post this morning which as I understood it basically said that season 3 is a throwback to the fans that like white men being the best/center of the story. And it’s at the cost of diversity.

I have been consoling myself really with the “canon is a box of scraps” and “if store bought sucks, home made is fine”, “death of the author” “we can make it what we want” etc.

But step further. When I have the spoons I attempt to write. I have a crisis that I will never be good enough BUT my original fiction is diverse. Not intentionally diverse, I am not attempting to tick boxes. I just have ideas for various queer fiction. A lot tbh is inspired by shows that frustrated me as it was right there and ignored in favour of the cis straight white guy etc.

I guess what I am trying to say is I love Trek. I love so many established franchises but the future can be ours. Somebody somewhere in the world who has considerably more talent than me I am sure, could be inventing a queer sci-fi franchise right now. In the current climate it would probably struggle to get made so maybe it exists as a novel, or a web comic, or something.

Sorry I don’t think I am making sense. I guess I am trying to say if diverse fans are being iced out of Trek, then we can most definitely refuse and say fuck you homemade is fine, and fix it all in fanfic. We can also go and make our own universe which is ours from the beginning. I swear I had a point. I’m not sure I have made it. Sorry.

@Purlturtle

To my mind, Star Trek was queer (as in, subversive) from the beginning, so I’ll be damned before I leave the field to the cishet white male Trek bros – nobody will get me to leave, or stop demanding better from the powers that be

I think this is what annoys me the most. Now I don’t know Roddenbury or what prejudices he had. However for the 1960’s he crafted Trek to be diverse with the Russian on the bridge, Uhura as a competent officer not a servant etc. So in my mind diversity has to be hardcoded into Trek’s DNA. It is supposed to be inclusive, that was the intent from the start.

But I guess I think we have debated this before? That the 25th century might have less prejudice but it is being written by people in the 21st century who don’t always realise their cultural/subconscious biases (and that’s being generous and giving them the benefit of the doubt that it isn’t on purpose).