Can J.J. Abrams Save Star Trek?
By stephanie - Friday, December 22nd, 2006
As I’ve already commented here briefly, my answer is no.
Mark A. Altman at the Trek Movie Report thinks differently. As he says in his editorial “Star Trek Lives!“:
Indeed, it was Kirk himself who reminded us that galloping the cosmos is a game for the young and while I don’t envy J.J. Abrams task in re-casting one of the most iconic characters of the 20th century (and certainly most distinctive), I wish him well. After his brilliant work on Alias and Lost, I can’t imagine anyone (other than the Free Enterprise creative team of Mssrs. Burnett and Altman) that could possibly do better justice to the legacy of the original series which is more relevant today than ever.
Well, yes, but Trek isn’t Lost nor is it Alias. I’m going to stick to my original assertion – let Trek die a dignified death, at least for now. Maybe in time, a new generation will be open for a complete reinterpretation of Star Trek (much like Battlestar Galactica). But the franchise is old and tired. To me, the franchise peaked with The Wrath of Khan.
While I’ve enjoyed the spin-off shows, none of them come even vaguely close to the original. Believe it or not, I’d place Deep Space Nine behind TOS as far as quality goes – while there were a lot of boring episodes to begin with, the final war with the Dominion was some of the best sci-fi I’ve ever seen on television. Voyager and the Next Generation are tied for me, and Enterprise – I didn’t watch it past a few episodes.
If someone like me, a fan of Star Trek since high school, can get bored with the franchise, I don’t have high hopes that a mainstream audience will be interested just because J.J. Abrams is at the helm.
Why not put creative energies into creating the next new thing in space epics? Firefly didn’t quite cut it, but Stargate has lasted 10 years and BSG is doing reasonably well. Let’s stop recycling and come up with some new stuff. Or in the least, if you’re going to do a new Trek, do something really out there. Set the series on Klingon or Vulcan. Make the Borg the anti-heroes of the show. Think out of the box, people.
March 1st, 2007 at 12:22 pm
Well I disagree about Star Trek being dead. I don’t know if Abrams can save it but I do believe it comes down to good writing, they need a knockout script. Anyway I agree about DS9 though. It was draggy at first but towards the end was some of the best (and darkest) Star Trek to grace the screen.
November 29th, 2008 at 6:36 am
I think we may all agree Trek (w/ the exception of the original) needs a couple seasons before it hits any stride or, in Enterprise’s case, needs to have its back against the wall to take any risks to be memorable. I groaned when I saw they were making a prequel only because it was too damn soon! I felt showing non-federation characters like breen, species 8472, borg or a new species as the main protagonists would be fascinating but resurrecting the Gods of Kirk & the crew?!
June 1st, 2009 at 3:27 am
I love Star Trek – always have and always will HOWEVER – This new film is not Star Trek, or at best it is a non – canon film. I have seen it twice and I am still devastated by it. The events that negated so much of Trek Lore or continuity.
Firstly, anyone who loves the series would know that Gene Roddenberry would not have approved of Vulcan being destroyed. Vulcan is the soul of the Star Trek universe. This new timeline (if it is accepted) negates 40 years of continuity.
The attacks on Rick Berman are a joke. He worked with Gene on the development of the TGN and Gene knew of the plans for Deep Space 9. Let alone hours of fantastic television. Who could forget the emotion of ‘The Visitor’.
He led a team that gave us hours of the best Trek. If in doubt watch again Generations and First Contact.
Secondly, this new film has so many links to Star Wars I am surprised that George Lucas hasn’t sued:
Young Kirk / Anakin in car / pod racer.
Bar scenes – New Hope
Snow attacks – Hoth monster / Kirk monster.
Spock / Yoda links
Battle scenes – Return Jedi. etc
I just hope that people who love Star Trek can retake the franchise and bring it back to watch Gene imagined. Not just a film that rips of star wars.
In terms of the timeline. There is only one true timeline in Star Trek. It has been manipulated on many occassiuons, but always corrected, in accordance with with the temporal accords etc. Some ‘fans’ are confusing the mirror universe which is different. If we accept this new film as canon it DOES wipe out everything we know. Why do that? Why destroy things that are loved by many for no reason?
For example see these examples from
http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Alternate_timeline
In 2344, the USS Enterprise-C responded to a distress call from a Klingon outpost on Narendra III, which was under attack by Romulan forces. In the “real” timeline the Enterprise saved the outpost and strengthened relations between the Federation and the Klingons. However, during the battle with the Romulans a Temporal rift opened and the Enterprise, badly damaged and disoriented, traveled to 2366, in the presence of its successor, the USS Enterprise-D. Because the Enterprise-C was not there to save the outpost it was destroyed and the Klingons declared war on the Federation. For the next 22 years, the two powers engaged in a bitter war that cost 40 billion lives and left the Federation on the brink of defeat. In this timeline, Tasha Yar was still alive and serving as tactical officer aboard the Enterprise-D in 2366.
Guinan began to feel the change in time as “not right”. She advised Captain Picard of the changes and eventually convinced him to send the Enterprise-C back through the rift. Yar discovered through Guinan that she died in the other timeline and felt that she could help aboard the Enterprise-C rather than where she felt she didn’t belong. The Klingons attacked the two ships as the Enterprise-C flew toward the rift, while the Enterprise-D defended her. The Enterprise-D was likely destroyed by the Klingons, but the Enterprise-C made it through the rift and restored the timeline, erasing the war from history. (TNG: “Yesterday’s Enterprise”)
However, during the battle with the Romulans, the Enterprise-C was forced to surrender and prisoners, including the alternate Yar, were taken. Yar had a child with a Romulan and was later executed. The child, Sela, became a commander in the Romulan military and encountered the Enterprise-D several times. (TNG: “The Mind’s Eye”, “Redemption”, “Redemption II”, “Unification I”, “Unification II”)
In Enterprise we see something happen that is similar to that of Vulcan.
The effect of a Delphic Expanse anomaly leaves Archer unable to form any new long-term memories. Twelve years later, he wakes up one morning and is stunned to learn the outcome of the Human-Xindi conflict, including the loss of Earth, and the near-annihilation of the Human race. Jonathan Archer wakes in his quarters in the midst of battle. He rushes to the bridge only to see Earth destroyed by the Xindi superweapon. The story restores the timeline.
Together Trek fans can have the Best of both Worlds – a new trek for new fans and keep the faith we all those fans that kept the dream alive – the timeline can be restored.
Live Long and Prosper
Anthony O’Leary
anthonyoleary@bigpond.com