3 of the biggest mistakes of Star Trek’s Nu Trek Era

3 of the biggest mistakes of Star Trek's Nu Trek Era

As a lifelong Trekkie who’s navigated the winding starship of Star Trek fandom for decades, I must confess that the newest era has been a rollercoaster ride – one with more drops than smooth sailing. While some shows have breathed fresh life into the franchise, others seem to have lost their way in the uncharted territories of contemporary storytelling.

The latest chapter of Star Trek hasn’t been universally praised, with seven series announced or in production since 2017, each receiving varied responses. Shows like Strange New Worlds and Prodigy are appreciated for their unique yet familiar approach to the franchise.

Fans found series such as Lower Decks and Short Treks captivating due to their originality and contribution to the Star Trek universe. However, productions like Picard and Discovery seemed to have a negative impact on the overall vitality of the franchise.

While it’s not true that every show in the Nu Era of Star Trek lacks value or that their weakest points don’t contain some positive aspects, many fans found the attempts to develop concepts beyond their initial creation and introduce complexity into multiple elements less appealing. There was a significant push to make the shows more modern, even going so far as to adopt a “grimdark” tone. These choices, along with others, have left an indelible impact on Star Trek that will take some time to overcome.

Here are three instances that significantly impacted the success of a fresh TV show or idea, which had been previously introduced and appreciated in earlier series. There are many other such moments, but these were particularly detrimental.

Revealing the Breen

During its five-season span, Discovery didn’t seem to benefit anyone. It was expected to be Star Trek’s latest shining example, but many viewers felt deceived after watching the first two episodes. The following seasons didn’t improve the situation much. Instead of moving forward, the show tackled some long-standing plotlines, including a narrative about an alien race rumored to have originated many galactic species and another centered around the Breen.

The plotline of the original character was flawed due to its foundation being humorous and unworkable. It was beyond redemption. On the other hand, the Breen characters suffered from the new writers trying to delve into them. Originally debuting in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, they were an enigmatic race that left audiences intrigued about their true nature. Concepts that proved more engaging than what was presented during Discovery’s fifth season.

Hidden in enigma, the Breen stood out among the intriguing villains in Trek, as they were either a single race with a terrifying appearance or a non-existent one. However, an alternative interpretation could be that various alien species from across the galaxy united to form the Breen, resembling The Borg in a way, but instead of being forced to join, they willingly chose to do so.

The mystery of one of Star Trek’s coolest aliens was ruined by the revelation of the Breen. Thus proving that sometimes mysteries shouldn’t be resolved, ask Robert Kirkman.

The Borg’s plan in Star Trek: Picard

The Next Generation and Voyager skillfully handled the Borg storyline. The final chapter of Jean-Luc Picard’s Borg saga in Star Trek: First Contact was particularly well done. Kathryn Janeway’s conflict with the Borg was also resolved in Voyager, seemingly ending them for good. However, when Picard returned, it reintroduced the Borg once again.

Beginning in its second season, the character known as the Borg Queen reappeared, attempting to insidiously charm everyone she encountered. However, due to some questionable plot development, the Borg Queen underwent a transformation into a “good” character through time travel and various unexpected events. While not particularly well executed, this story arc was short-lived, resolving just as quickly as it had begun.

In the third season, instead of the Borg Queen from the previous season being referenced, it’s revealed that the original queen had been alive all this time following the events of First Contact. She spent years plotting to take control of both the Federation and Picard, eventually devising a scheme to inject Borg nanomachines into people via contaminated transporters. However, when the time came for her to execute her plan, she only activated the nanomachines in the youngest members of Starfleet.

Instead of effortlessly eliminating her major adversaries, she chose to rule only over the youngest members of the Federation. This decision, though, was questionable, as it was further complicated by the return of The Borg Queen, a character who had previously proven herself to be one of the franchise’s most formidable villains. Despite the pleasure of seeing Alice Krige, who played the role originally, it seemed like an unnecessary storyline in the grand scheme of things.

Star Trek: Discovery’s mutinous “hero”

It was quite significant when Discovery managed to secure Sonequa Martin-Green, who had just finished working on The Walking Dead, for their series. The show was extremely popular when Discovery premiered, so her participation was a major draw. However, numerous errors that occurred during and post-production ended up negatively impacting the show.

However, it could be argued that the narrative of Michael Burnham, portrayed by Sonequa Martin-Green, stands out particularly. Michael is Spock’s adopted sister, a fact seldom mentioned, who was raised on Vulcan alongside her brother. Consequently, she adopted Vulcan characteristics, focusing on logic and emotional control. Yet, despite rigorous training in these areas, she could not suppress these traits when she engaged in acts of rebellion, instigated a war with the Klingons, and ultimately led to her captain’s demise.

As a devoted follower, I can’t help but feel disheartened when we were bestowed with an individual beyond reproach. This person, who carried the weight of countless lives on her shoulders, was directly involved in tragedies that still echo through history. It’s one thing for a leader to err, but it’s an entirely different matter when someone else makes an error that a leader should never commit.

In an attempt to portray her as trendy and unconventional, the writers fell short. By the time we reached the fifth season, the character portrayed by Martin-Green bore little resemblance to the one she initially played in season one.

2024-09-11 02:23

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