I think theres some sense inwhat Star Trek novelist Dayton Ward said over on Facebook... Which, to paraphrase, was; Star Trek fans lose their poop over Discovery being too mature and for adult audiences with all of the foul language and whatever being in it, saying, We cant watch this with our kids. Then, the same fans, can be heard to complain about a Star Trek series being made, that is actually kidfriendly.
Now, for me personally, I can see both sides; Even though I have enjoyed Discovery more so than Ive had issues with it, ithashad its issues. And, for my own personal tastes, the language was one of them. It didnt fit. It was only there for the sake of being edgy. Now, on the same token, I can understand why Trekkies and Trekkers who do not like, or even hate, loathe and despise Discovery,may not like the idea of a Trek series being made for kids, in the sense that, theyre essentially saying, But hey, wheresmyTrek? Or, Wheres a better class of Trek for me, since Discovery sucks?
But yknow, heres the thing; Part of Star Treks (alleged) problem, was that it had grown too stagnant. Was doomed to forever repeat the same old stories and tropes. It wasnt fresh and new and people, even the aforementioned Trekkies and Trekkers, got tired of the same old, same old. NotallTrekkies and Trekkers felt that way. I certainly didnt. But, you take my point.
Then, after one hell of a dry spell, Trek came back in 2009. Was it proper Trek? Was it Canon. To tell you the truth, even while I have spent a lot of time questioning, arguing and debating those questions, in the end it doesnt even matter. It was new and fresh, and frankly, I thinkthe service those Nu-Trek films serve is as a gateway to the Trek of old, for the younger and uninitiated audiences. Not all of them will dig what they see, when they start looking over TOS, TNG, DS9, VOY or ENT. But, there is still that potential, just like the Doctor Who franchise, for newer viewers to want to go back to the series origins.
Okay, thats all well and good... Then, Discovery comes along. With its admittedly clusterfk level turmoil behind the scenes, its bad or at least questionable writing, and poorly handled (too many cooks in the kitchen, as well as licensing woes between CBS and Paramount) visual designs and series long plot arc. And a lot of us, even those like me who still watched and found things that were good in it, were like, What the hell is this? What the hell were they thinking?
It took a loooong time for any of the legal and licensing issues to finally bubble to the surface. And a lot of us, who feltobliged to do so, as Trek fans, tried to make sense out of all of the inconsistencies that permeated each and every episode of Discovery.
Now, with Discoverys second season, it seems like theyre finally starting to realize that things need to be directed and aligned in a certain way, so as to fit what has been established. And, yes, I know about the most recent argument over what is considered Canon and what is considered Prime, and how those are both no longer mutually exclusive ideas.
So, that brings us to the here and now. Were hearing about everything from the Picard series, to a Section 31 series, to at least two separate animated series, et al. And, on the one hand, more Trek sounds great! But, you have to ask yourself, Are the people who are currently running things behind the scenes, actually aware of what Trek is, what made it great, etc? And, I honestly dont have a definitive answer for that. Id say theres a lot of yes and no potential, there.
Instead, most pointedly looking at this news of an animated series designed to bring up interest in Star Trek for a younger audience, I have to say that the prospect excites me. Because, what that translates as to me,is a whole new audience that will grow up on something Star Trek related. Parents will be able to watch it with their kids. And, as those kids grow up, they too will be able to watch the smarter, more mature series that came before it. The ones most of us grew up on, and still hold a torch for.
So, in essence, I think this is news that should mostly be celebrated. With only hints and whispers of any trepidation and concern.
I love the old Filmation Star Trek, but I have a feeling this won't be the same tone if it's mainly directed at kids. I guess I'll hold out some cautious optimism.
Not liking this.
