Recently on Q-Link I downloaded the following files concerning Star Trek-TNG. I am including them in this months issue (Reprinted with permission of the authors) because they both raise some valid points. I leave the final conclusion to you the readers.
<@STAR WRECK
By TED406W
Star Trek-The Next Generation is without a doubt, the most contrived and pathetic science fiction television show to date. The one main reason for this is that it is like a dismal movie sequel, week after week. Although it tries to be original in some ways, it is enivitably doomed to fail. It will never ever live up to the original Star Trek. The only thing it has proven thus far is that it is merely a comedic parody of the original Star Trek, and not even a very good one at that. Maybe a second Star Trek series could never live up to the first, even if the project was put into more capable hands, and competent actors and script writers were appointed. It could be that the chemistry of Star Trek was too perfect to recreate. Not that it wasn't worth a try, I'm sure I wasn't the only one who had high hopes for this show. I think it could have worked if they not only paid attention to the format, but also added some depth to the main characters. Oh yes, the characters.
Let's start off with the captain. At first I thought that he had the look of a starship commander, even though he was older (you have to remember that Kirk was kind of young for the job). I liked the way he played his role in Dune, however brief his appearance. Well this just reinforces the notion that you shouldn't look at the cover of a book until after you have read it. The unavoidable label for him is wimpy. It is one I don't want to repeat too often but unfortunately it applies to most of the crew. He rarely asserts himself except occasionlly in a compromisng way. His character resembles the annoying high ambassadors from "The Galileo 7" and "The Trouble with Tribbles. Sure he has authority, but who cares? He is a regular doormat for the rest of the crew. Yet they do perform one lick of his boots by pronouncing Jean-Luc in an almost perfect French accent. The name itself is too ethnic for that of the captain. Now, there's
nothing wrong with being from France (even
though its' citizens are notoriously rude to the citizens of a country that twice liberated
though its' citizens are notoriously rude to the citizens of a country that twice liberated them from the prospect of speaking German, permanently).
The French have something of a naval history, but it ranks behind the U.S., England, and Spain. He also calls Riker "Number 1", and yet didn't this originate from the customs of the British navy? Well, enough of Jean Lukewarm, on to Riker(please forgive any mispellings).
Riker should have been the captain. He is strong willed, rescourceful, and has style. he reminds you of Kirk, but is different where it counts so that he is his own man. The way Riker is portrayed makes you think that a worthy sequel series is possible. He impressed the Klingons, and that's good enough for me. Levar Burton is good as Laforge-he is like Sulu, a subtle yet steadfast crewmember reporting things in his own unique way. I was however, disapointed when the scriptwriters kept him blind by making him refuse the gift of sight-it closed the door to future possibilities for him.
Now for the rogue's gallery. First, it was good that Yar (jarhead) was eliminated. A woman as head of Security? Okay, as long as it was someone really tough like Vasquez or Ripley from "Aliens". Being prudent is good, but in Security it's deeds, not words. Then there is Deanna Troi-does Counselor mean lawyer or guidance counselor? Either way, on a starship her character is as important as marginally useful tribble chips. She looks like a refugee from a dull P.T.A. meeting. In her case, looks aren't deceiving. Her title should be Ship's Astrologist! Just another wimp. How about an android called Data (too clever). How about no! Sure, he looks like a human (corpse), and he holds a rank! How can this actor live with himself? I mean, this is sad. I know Leonard Nimoy is either laughing or crying (probably both). A real clone of Spock would have been preferable to this pale imitation. The concept of androids was taken care of nicely in a few of the original Star Trek episodes. They died. Basically, they tried to be human, but couldn't. Makes you feel a little secure.
Worf (Barf!) is little more than an emasculated milksop. When you have to hold your manhood in check that much, pretty soon it will be gone. Anyway, Klingons on the Enterprise? No. If anything, the Romulans should be allied with the Federation since they're distantly related to the Vulcans (Spock's father Sarek even played a Romulan in one episode). The Klingons were always the number one enemy. Forget the Neutral Zone, Klingon episodes vastly outnumbered the Romulan ones. I also like the old Klingon ship design as well as the old
Enterprise design. They should bring these back without
radical changes. One "Next Generation" episode featured the saucer section disengaging from the rest of the ship. Gee whiz! They should call this show "Lost in Space-Again" (Warning! Warning Dr. Smith...uh i mean Dr. Crusher).
Doctor Crusher-there's an apposonym. She is
crusher.. of hopes. What is this, a holistic health seminar? Nurse Chapel had a better sense of medical integrity and tenacity. Bones, Scotty, where are you??? These two great characters haven't even been parodied. The ship surgeon and it's chief engineer are important! Give us two that care!
Yet Dr. Crusher's greatest crime was spawning that miserable little nerdling, Wesley. Talk about a ship of fools! What right does this hyper-hormoned simpleton have to be on the bridge?! Because Mommy said so! Sheesh! In a Red Alert, will he stay at his post or run to "Mommeeee"?
I wonder what Freud would have said. Who is Wesley going steady with this week? Who cares? One day he'll get more than he bargained for (Dr. Mom should have warned him about those Aliens, especially the hermaphroditic ones)! It's still an awsome responsibility for an adolescent. Captain Jean-Luc had better hope that the ship's computer never fails to lace Wesley's meals with his usual dose of potassium nitrate.
Even the villians are lightweight. The Ferengi make the Three Stooges look like the sons of Conan. There was also a vain attempt to recreate the "Squire of Gothos" character Trillane. This character wasn't even as threatening as old Harcourt Fenton Mudd....and we know Klingons are definitely not what they used to be! All the things that made Star Trek so exceptional are non-existent in The Next Generation. Gene Roddenberry created a great thing, but now he should hand over the reins to someone else. My choice would be John Carpenter, but there are others. May the next show be the last and may the last scene depict Wesley and Mommy, Jean-Luc,Deanna Troi,and Data standing together on the bridge babbling incoherently about something. Then, in walks Ryker and Leforge from the elevator lift. As they survey the scene, Leforge says "Oh no, not again...I can't deal with this anymore". Whereupon Ryker turns to Leforge and says "Don't know about you, but I'm joining the
Lexington!"
@MORAL- If you like The Next Generation, that's your problem, but don't call it Star Trek!
@MORAL- If you like The Next Generation, that's your problem, but don't call it Star Trek!
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