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Why does Star Trek keep calling back to bad episodes of the franchise?

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As a seasoned Trekkie with memories of watching Star Trek: The Original Series etched into my very being, I must say, the recent callback to “Who Mourns for Adonis?” in Star Trek: Lower Decks left me scratching my head. Now, don’t get me wrong, I appreciate a good nod to the past as much as the next Trekkie, but why on earth pick one of the worst episodes?

In recent times, Star Trek: Lower Decks has transported fans back to the 1960s by referencing one of the most questionable episodes from Star Trek: The Original Series – “Who Mourns for Adonis?” This new series introduced a character named Olly, who is the granddaughter of Zeus, the same deity who was said to inhabit Pollux IV, the planet where the referenced episode unfolded.

The link between the character and the episode felt more like a playful wink than a serious tie-in. There wasn’t a lot of substantial reason for the connection other than the initial reference. It was adorable and many people appreciated it. However, we couldn’t help but ponder: what made Lower Decks choose that specific episode to revisit? A more pressing question arises: why do shows, particularly Lower Decks, seem so fond of these callbacks?

It’s quite another matter to reference episodes like First Contact, The Wrath of Khan, or “In the Pale Moonlight,” but a weak one? That seems illogical. So why create such an episode when there are numerous stellar examples of Star Trek storytelling to evoke fond memories from fans or reimagine in a fresh setting instead?

Well, I have some ideas.

The first reason I came up with for why a new series would call back to a bad episode comes down to recontextualizing. Adding more story or clearing up some confusion around plot elements. In doing so, you may clear up some plot holes and add some life to the plot in hindsight. It doesn’t make the episode better, it does make it more important in the canon, however.

One way to rephrase this passage in a more natural and easy-to-understand manner is as follows: Another reason for revisiting an episode such as “Spock’s Brain” lies in accepting its absurdity. No matter how much additional information you add, it will never stop being funny (in a bad way). Instead, shows like Lower Decks can provide some humor to it. By acknowledging and embracing the absurdity, it becomes simpler to appreciate something without being too critical of it. With a show like Star Trek: Lower Decks, you have a unique opportunity to do precisely that.

You can enjoy some episodes with a touch of silliness by viewing them through the unique perspective of the already quirky series, Lower Decks. Since there aren’t many shows similar to Lower Decks, it’s rare to find an episode that doesn’t fit well, without the risk of the newer episode being dismissed completely. Given that Lower Decks is known for its absurdity, any poorly written Star Trek episode can be reused as a reference in Lower Decks.

That’s the beauty of the show. It allows us to enjoy the silliness of the franchise.

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2024-12-16 05:23

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