How William Shatner ruined Everything

I was watching "How William Shatner Changed The World" today - the title says it all - and I was struck by how the script portrays the difference between DS9 and TNG. Basically, the ide is that DS9 on failed because of their negative take on technology and the utopian future.

A few counterarguments.

First, Roddenberry's "utopia" as concieved in classic trek is far from paradise for many Trekkies. Yes, we have eliminated poverty, disease, and war, but we still have criminals running amok, ecological disasters - and more planets to put them on - and it seems that every probe we put into space has woken up and now wants to kill us. Also, we have deadbeat dads - McCoy - and prejudice against aliens, we see evidence that religion - something that even science suggests we need - is taboo, and the Federation doesn't like to let people go, so they can't just leave and do their own thing.

Second problem : the assertion that TNG showed technology as benign, or helpful. Holodeck, anyone? TNG is a seven-year cautionary tale.

Third : DS9 is dark, you're right. But that doesn't make it contrary to the vision. Yes, it took us to an uncomfortable place, with the war and the religion. DS9 may be my favorite just because that utopian ideal is sustained throughout, but it is very clear that it is still a goal - the writers, without Gene, were free to admit they hadn't reached it yet.

Shatner's treatment of Voyager and Enterprise is so laughable I'm too tired to deal with it, except to say i's more of the same. Implying that Star Trek is dead, that Voyager and DS9 were faliures (I'll grant him Enterprise), and pretending Gene accomplished what he set out to do - it's silly.

But really not surprising in the slightest.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5

Watching Fringe

Favorite word of the day: frankenrhino.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5

On the fringes of sanity

One of my favorite things about Fringe is the way it moves. It's seamless, like a freaking river, which is something I don't normally say, not being prone to metaphorical thinking in any sense. But it does, and even Literal Me can see it.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5

Expect the World to End any second

The LHC is blowing up stuff and making mini big bangs. Our days are numbered! The end is nigh! Just read the crazy captain's signs in Voyager's "Future's End, pt. 1" Never thought that would be useful.

Is Shatner Gay?

I know he's not, but I got your attention, didn't I?

Anyway, lately he's been all over Jimmy Kimmel, who I only really know as they guy everyone thinks my friend Chrissy Kimmel is related to, but anyway. Last time they were dancing a waltz (Shatner leading, of course) and now they're declaring "National Unfriend Day"

National UnFriend Day Announcement Featuring William Shatner

November 17 is National UnFriend Day! Celebrate!

Kimmel says Shatner's a fond acquaintance, but is he? IS HE? Lol.

First promotional "Image" of some kind - this is for Real, SPOILERS UP THE WAZOO, OR AT LEAST AS CLOSE AS YOU CAN GET TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MOVIE COMES OUT, HOW BAD DO YOU THINK IT COULD BE ANYWAY? THEY AREN'T EVEN FILMING YET. HECK, THEY DON'T HAVE A COMPLETE SCRIPT, SO JUST CHILL, OKAY!

Well, anyway, someone leaked this picture. No one knows what it's from, where it is, or really much of anything other than it's not really from J.J. More likely it's merchandising of some kind.

That said, it makes it a little more real, and we all got cool new wallpaper.

Unstoppable

Chris Pine's new movie sounds awe-some! And he's in it with Den-zel! Yay yay yay!

And everyone's still talking about Star Trek in the interviews that are supposed to be about Unstoppable.

You can see the video here.

Also, he told Access Hollywood the leather pants were photoshop.

Thoughts on Wrongs Darker than Death or Night

It seems to me that it's a rather bold thing to insert - that Dukat was involved with Kira's mom. On the other hand, it does explain why he was always so interested in Kira... although when he was trying to pick her up, that was a little sick and wrong. Although does it really make him worse that Richard Gere's character in Autumn in New York?

Kira's response is also intriguing - she goes straight to Sisko and demands an orb trip. Really? Does she think she should get special priviliges just because she's the friend of the Emissary? Even though up until that one trip on the Defiant she wasn't even really that?

Nana's scenes with Sid are always fun during this time - they were married then. And it's nice to see a return of Old Crabby Kira. I missed her. She was fun.

When she goes to Sisko for help, and begs him for help, she's begging as the Emissary. It's interesting, usually they have a work relationship - she doesn't address him in that way. Kind of fun.

The interest Dukat takes in Meru is very in character - he heals her scar, takes an interest, just like always. He's repeating himself - just like always. Sigh.

Basically, Dukat's just a big perverted jerk.

technophobia

I know this is odd but i'm something of a luddite. Who runs linux. But still. For the first time ever i got a phone and paid money for it - very odd.

But dissapointing, even though I'd done research and everything. That cheap phone did not live up to expectations.

I replaced it. With a freaking Epic. This is an odd feeling. I,m used to the cheapest computer, the simplest fix.

Feels good though.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.4

On Shatner's Dancing, Quinto's Play, and that Damn Luke Freaking Skywalker

Okay, so if you go on Youtube, you can see William Shatner dance with Jimmy Kimmel if you care about such things. If you go to the New York Times, you can read what should be a review of a play speculate on Zach Quinto's sexual orientation, since he's all, you know, pro-gay-rights and stuff. LeVar Burton is the new Kevin Bacon. Some stuff from Doug Drexler because it's not his fault.  Yes, that is Apollo from "Who Mourns..." getting killed. There's some news about Avacrap if you care about that (from what I hear it's Fern Gully with blue people. Fern Gully is about as cool as The Land Before Time, which was pretty cool. Ask yourself this - do you give a flying rat's patootie about The Land Before Time 2-5million?). Super 8 got a date, so that's good if you care about what JJ's up to when he's not up to Star Trek, and Chris Pine might be playing The Flash, in addition to Jack Ryan (turns out Ben Affleck didn't kill him after all. Good to know.) and Kirk. Wow. Chris Pine is living the fanboy dream. George Lucas has regrown his brain and is denying there will be more Star Wars movies.

That's some of what's gone on this week.

Today at work, the guy sittting next to me said, "Aren't Star Trek and Star Wars the same thing?" I knew I had the right job when the entire room exploded.

Testing

123

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.4

Yay it works.

Trying again....

Testing blogger by phone.

And here we go again

Now that they're writing again, the game is afoot and the guessing begins. Literally, the first actual plot rumor - not just, hey we're gonna have a plot someday but an actual rumor about something that is actually going to happen was posted at Trekmovie today. There's spoilers if you click the link.

Personally, I hope Gary Mitchell isn't bad in this incarnation, not just in the next movie, but at all. It would be nice to see something good come out of this, but the stuff we wished hadn't happened to Kirk - Gary and David dying, for example - maybe this time around he gets to have those things?

Just a thought.

The point needed to be made

I'm posting this here because of the Trek ref, but the point needed to be made.

Just wanted you to know:

Star Trek 2 has a story. Not Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan, mind you, although that was a good movie. I mean the Star Trek 2, the one that will be keeping me up nights soon.

Finally, a Kirk who doesn't think we need to get a life.

Chris Pine's career is really taking off. I bet Shatner's jealous. I mean, he lived in a car after Trek, and here's the guy who replaced him about to be the next Jack Ryan! Bill Shatner never got  to be Jack Ryan!

It's not Chris's fault - he's just a guy. A guy who could stand to do some damn conventions, but a guy nonetheless. I"m not sure what he's trying to prove by wearing leather pants, though.

Stupid stasis episodes!

A few thoughts about "One"

Calling it a mutara-class nebula does not a good episdoe make.

I miss Jeri Taylor.

Seven of Nine is fun. More fun than we give her credit for.

I'm sure Matt Jeffries loved having shafts named after him?

It's amazing the computer worked at all by the time they got home.

David Wu's Klingons

I was time travelling this morning, and I rewatched David Wu's infamous "Klingons in the white house" speech.

Wow, just wow.

"They're Vulcans, but not really Vulcans, they're really Klingons, but not really Klingons because they've never been in battle."

Oh dear Lord, he makes us look like nutsy people.



I was also re-reading the stuff from 2006, rumoring a new Star Trek movie maybe produced by J.J. Abrams. We sure have come a long way since then, haven't we? Let's recap:

Someone else was president.

Enterprise had just been cancelled.

Nemesis was the last Star Trek movie.

The Countdown comic hadn't come out yet.

No one had heard of Star Trek Online.

Majel Barrett and Bob Justman were alive.

Bruce Greenwood was cool for being JFK, not Pike.

Pike was someone we didn't care about that much.

They hadn't tried to launch Doohan's ashes yet.

There was only one X-Files movie.

Just to name a few.