4 non-permanent changes Star Trek should have made permanent

As a longtime Trekkie who has witnessed the ups and downs of Star Trek‘s character arcs over the years, I can’t help but feel a sense of both appreciation and frustration when it comes to the handling of certain characters’ fates.

Star Trek significantly influences the realm of science fiction, and it’s no surprise why. They either pioneered ideas that modern sci-fi adopts or made them mainstream. A distinctive trait that Star Trek is known for, closely associated with science fiction tropes, is the practice of retcon – reinterpreting previous events in the series to fit a new narrative or explanation.

Star Trek consistently finds unique means, such as time travel or mysterious alien languages, to maintain the status quo without significantly altering things permanently. Perhaps this approach is beneficial, given that the formula used for their series and films has proven effective. In essence, they create a group of characters that audiences enjoy watching and then subject them to various challenges and situations.

Instead of completely excluding them from the storyline or dramatically altering a show’s core concept to the point where it loses its original essence, fans prefer consistency. While they appreciate exciting elements, they also value predictable and familiar aspects. Consequently, Star Trek may decide against introducing intriguing concepts to preserve the established norms.

Today, let’s ponder about hypothetical scenarios where the Star Trek universe underwent significant changes. Imagine if some characters met an irreversible end, returned permanently, or experienced entirely new storylines. That’s what we’re exploring today: four instances where Star Trek might have undergone a fundamental transformation.

Year of Hell

As a gamer, I found myself immersed in the captivating two-part saga of “The Year of Hell” from Star Trek: Voyager’s fourth season. In this epic tale, my crew and I crossed paths with a formidable Krenim leader named Annorax. Over the course of these episodes, our ships clashed in an extended battle that spanned, you got it, an entire year. The fighting wasn’t continuous, with significant pauses here and there, but Annorax wasn’t just trying to destroy Voyager – he could also manipulate the timeline we were in, making things increasingly dire for us on the ship.

As the second episode ends, the Voyager is barely holding on. In reality, the ship is near collapse and it’s possible that most, if not all, of the crew have perished. With no other options left, Captain Kathryn Janeway deliberately crashes the Voyager into Annorax’s vessel, causing an explosion that wipes out everyone involved. This blast then rewinds time to a point before Annorax entered the timeline, effectively returning the Voyager to its position at the start of the two-episode arc.

In an alternate scenario, what if the timeline didn’t get reset as we know it? What if instead, Voyager and its main crew could carry on into season five? This would allow us to spin a tale where Captain Janeway is seeking new team members for the ship. Characters like Harry Kim might even be promoted, opening up opportunities for their growth and development. Furthermore, this situation could potentially bring Janeway and Chakotay closer in a way that fans have longed for, perhaps finally resolving the year-long struggle they’ve faced.

Instead, the whole sequence of incidents was essentially fabricated. It’s regrettable from a narrative perspective because there was so much untapped potential for character progression and expansion.

Spock’s death

In The Princess Bride, the idea of being “Mostly Dead” is introduced, perfectly encapsulating Spock’s supposed demise in the storyline. Here, the lead character, Wesley, is assumed to be deceased. However, this assumption is proven wrong when Inigo Montoya and Andre the Giant escort Wesley to Billy Crystal and Carol Kane for aid. It is then that Crystal declares that Wesley isn’t truly dead; instead, he’s merely “mostly dead.” If you haven’t seen it yet, I highly recommend watching The Princess Bride – it’s quite an extraordinary experience.

At the end of Wrath of Khan, Spock didn’t pass away in the traditional sense. Instead, he transferred his essence – which encompasses his memories, consciousness, and identity – into Dr. Leonard McCoy just before his death. It’s as if he had saved a copy of himself much like backing up a file on an old floppy disk.

In Star Trek Into Darkness, the creators managed to recreate Spock in a brand new body that fortunately bore his distinctive features. To me, it seemed less complicated and far more logical than what was portrayed earlier.

If Spock had remained deceased instead, how might the story have unfolded differently? I’m a big fan of Spock and Leonard Nimoy is terrific, but let’s imagine for a moment… The crew of the Starship Enterprise was already struggling emotionally following Spock’s demise. So, without him, they could have used that pain as a catalyst to delve deeper into their collective grief and develop the storylines further, exploring how they dealt with such loss.

In simpler terms, introducing changes in movies 3 through 6 could introduce some thrilling ideas, with certain plots like “The Undiscovered Country” possibly staying the same, while others like “The Final Frontier” might undergo significant transformations, hopefully for the best. It would also provide an opportunity for Saavik to take on a more substantial role in the last four movies, effectively replacing Spock as the new Vulcan character.

Admittedly, it would be intriguing to explore whether the film series could achieve a better balance by undergoing a significant shift in its main cast.

Natasha Yar’s return

The choice to eliminate Natasha Yar from Star Trek: The Next Generation stemmed from conflicts Denise Crosby, the actress portraying Yar, experienced with those managing the series at that time. Similarly, Gates McFadden had similar disagreements, leading her to depart alongside Crosby at the end of the first season. Unlike Yar, however, Dr. Beverley Crusher, played by McFadden, was not written off the show.

By the third season, the show had settled down, and the abrasive voices from behind the scenes had vanished, paving the way for Crosby to reprise his role as Yar again. But this time, he portrayed a slightly altered version of the character. In another tale set in an alternate timeline, the Enterprise-D was part of an era where the Federation operated more militarily than we typically perceive. This change occurred because the Enterprise-C didn’t meet the fate we know from history, leading to a timeline alteration and bringing Yar back onto the scene.

In this narrative, the Starship Enterprise-D encounters another ship, the Enterprise-C, within their own timeline. They aid the Enterprise-C in its journey back to its original timeline, despite knowing that it will ultimately be destroyed. Yar, feeling out of place, chooses to go with the Enterprise-C, a decision that appears to lead to her demise alongside the rest of the crew. However, contrary to appearances, Yar doesn’t perish and later gives birth to the antagonist, Sela, who is both Romulan and Human.

If Crosby’s tenure on the series had been altered, Yar might have reappeared in a fashion reminiscent of her debut in season three’s “Yesterday’s Enterprise.” However, this time, she would have remained permanently, helping her navigate her return to the ship after being lost in time for over a year. This struggle would involve her reconnecting with the crew and finding her place once more.

Instead, what we received wasn’t disappointing. Sela proved to be an exceptional antagonist, while Yar emerged as a fascinating character, leaving much untapped potential for future narrative development.

Data’s death

one in Star Trek: Nemesis and another in the first season of Star Trek: Picard. The event in Nemesis resembles Spock’s death in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, and it played a crucial role in helping the Federation and its allies defeat Picard’s clone and the Remans who were supporting him. In the series Picard, Data is more like a memory that Captain Picard occasionally visits.

Ultimately, despite repeated attempts, Captain Picard must endure the heartrending process of “death” for Data twice. Each instance is intended to add emotional depth, but each time Data seemingly perishes, he’s immediately revived. In Star Trek: Nemesis, Data dies only to resurface in Picard’s first season. Later on, a convoluted plot twist occurs where Data, his siblings, and various other entities merge into one consciousness, with Data managing to re-emerge once more in an implausible narrative turn.

It’s not very intelligent, but Data’s character was exceptional on The Next Generation. However, the storylines for him were often quite ill-conceived. You know, it wouldn’t be so bad if Data had met an end, right? I mean, you already had B4 and Lore as alternatives. If they wanted to keep the actor (Brent Spiner) involved, they could have continued with B4, exploring what he could do without his brother around.

Reflecting on it now, it might have been intriguing, or at least more captivating than what transpired. Regardless, revisiting the details of the situation seems essential.

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2024-12-08 03:23