Writer's Block: The Final Frontier

[fajrdrako]

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Hmm.

Truth is, I don't currently care about Star Trek in the least. My interest flagged after Star Trek: The Next Generation because Sisko was a bore, the lovely Kira merely brought us into Bajoran religous politics, I couldn't stand the Ferengi, and Chakotay was the disappointment of the century - the rebel who was more meekly conformist than Starfleet itself. Where were the Picards of yesteryear?

But I discovered slash through Star Trek, back when K/S was all there was, and I loved it. Anyone else remember Cheap Thrills? Thrust? But that was years and several fandoms ago, and slash has come a long way, and you can't (quite) go home again.

And... time for a confession... though I thought I couldn't care less about Star Trek, when I saw a picture of the new young Kirk and Spock on the cover of Entertainment Weekly, I felt a bit of a thrill.

My recipe for a good Star Trek:

1. Two, maybe three at most, strong central viewpoint characters.
   
2. Put in sense of real science fiction - a sense of wonder, innovation, discovery, exploration. A sense of newness. Not just a future that feels like the past.
   
3. Be socially progressive rather than conservative.
   
4. Be imaginative, but keep the characters' psychology realistic.
   

Comments

[star-momma.livejournal.com]

As far as I'm concerned, the whole of DS9 was worth it (I'll say here and now that I liked it over, all, but even if you didn't...) for Bashir and Garak's fascinating friendship :)

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I had a crush on both Kira and Bashir but I gave up on the show long before Bashir and Garak had a friendship. Just recently, Tasia held a video-party and I got to see the Garak episodes. Loved them! If I'd seen them when the show was aired, I might have become a fan and started watching again.

[star-momma.livejournal.com]

Completely understandable. DS9 had trouble finding it's footing the first season or two. Once they realized they didn't need to copy Next Gen and took on a more adult tone, moved away from the cheesier stuff, it grew by leaps and bounds. The last couple of seasons were far and away my favorite.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I should at some point make a point of watching the later seasons of ST: DS9. At the time, I was so annoyed (and disappointed) with the first two (?) seasons that I wasn't interested. Looking back... well, there were some great characters and some episodes I remember with pleasure. Disappointed as I was by Sisko - a waste of a good and gorgeous actor, IMHO - I loved his mirror universe counterpart.

[star-momma.livejournal.com]

Disappointed as I was by Sisko - a waste of a good and gorgeous actor, IMHO - I loved his mirror universe counterpart.

Agreed. I think that Avery Brooks could have done MUCH more with the role if given the chance. They were far too controlled with him. I can't help thinking there was hesitance on their part to let the first prominent black commander in ST look silly, but letting him be more relaxed and human at times would have made him far more interesting. I think the most personality he showed was in "Trials and Tribbleations."

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Avery Brooks is wonderful (did you see him as Spenser's Hawk?) and it seemed such as waste of him in DS9 that it was a large part of my frustration. Sisko had virtually no personality, no plot - nothing that interested me, anyway.

I don't think I saw "Trials and Tribbleations". Good title.

[star-momma.livejournal.com]

I don't think I saw "Trials and Tribbleations". Good title.

It melds the DS9 crew (some of them) with the original series ep "The Trouble with Tribbles." By all rights it should have been too cheesy to work, but it was surprisingly engaging and poked a lot of fun at ST's constant use of time travel plots.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Okay, I'll look for it.

[txvoodoo.livejournal.com]

I think DS9 works really well as a WHOLE, rather than just episodic. When I see it via the DVDs, I enjoy it so much

[star-momma.livejournal.com]

Agreed. Especially through the last few seasons, it's a really strong package. One of these days I hope to actually own the whole of it on DVD :)

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I would like to see some of the better seasons, but I have no desire to see most of the episodes that I did see over again. Those few exceptions are notable, though. I would like to see them again.

I'd like to see something with Ezri Dax, who looks gorgeous. I've only seen still photos of her.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Bodes well for future viewing.