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Sasuga

Star Trek: The Lower Decks upsets me.

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Hi, I'm new here.

I've mentioned that I wouldn't call myself a big Star Trek fan, but I'm also here on this forum because I need people to talk to about how much the franchise is upsetting me these days.

According to this artcile: https://www.cnet.com/news/love-star-trek-lower-decks-give-the-70s-star-trek-animated-series-a-try/

Star Trek: The Lower Deck's is not supposed to be 'punching down' nor 'making fun of Star Trek.'

Yet, since the first episode, that's exactly what I thought Star Trek: The Lower Decks was doing. However, now, with episode 6, I've come to realize, it's also making fun of the fans. And that's when I got upset. (So much for not being a fan?)

 

I know that Star Trek has been trying to get more edgy these days, and while things like Star Trek: The Lower Decks using swear words from the 20th and 21st Century seems out of place to me in the Star Trek Universe, there's a lot of other things that really upset me about the show's attitude.

Possible Spoilers Ahead

Many of the characters in the show are Caricatures (not characters) of fans. They're fan-boys-and-girls of the characters from the other shows. They discuss the events of other shows, but not just in ways that the characters from the other shows are celebrities, though it is veiled that way.

The characters don't care about the safety of their fellow crew members.

The characters only respect other cultures because the book, the law, requires them to. Some characters follow the regulations, others don't follow the regulations, but all but two act like the regulations are a burden that they only follow so they don't get in trouble and lose their jobs. One loves regulations, and is clearly setup to be the biggest Star Trek fan caricature, and the other is that character's foil, and breaks the rules all the time, and gets away with it. Everyone else is so stressed out about losing their job, and stressed out about being perfect, and following regulations, and all about image and status among their piers.

I can understand if someone wanted to create a show as a commentary on Star Trek, and try to make the statement that a society without money, where status is more important than money, would degrade into one where everyone is overly concerned with their image. The Orville could easily get away with that. However, Star Trek should not be arguing with itself. Star Trek should not be undermining it's own image this way, because Star Trek has been making the argument that a society without money would be better. Now, it's undermining it's own argument... It's arguing with it's self, and a house divided can not stand.

Further, while people will argue otherwise, I fully see the characters as (I previously mentioned) caricatures of the Star Trek fans. They are stand-ins, and then the show punches them. Those who aren't Star Trek fans are seeing these characters and saying, "That's exactly how Star Trek fans behave! Hahaha!" - I know this, as someone who's been both on the inside and outside of nerddom. If it's not what Star Trek: The Lower Decks intended, then in my opinion they failed.

A beloved franchise takes a risk when it makes fun of itself, which, I don't care if that article says otherwise, it's exactly what I see happening in The Lower Decks (so, again, if it isn't their intent, they've failed, IMO).

A beloved franchise commits franchise-suicide when it makes fun of it's fans.

It took me four episodes to notice it, because it's subtle, and maybe it is unintentional. However, as someone who's gotten in a lot of trouble over my lifetime for accidentally insulting someone, or accidentally hurting someone else's ego, I've not only become adept at spotting it, but now have strong feelings about that sort of behavior. I know that I have often not been forgiven, even if the person I offended said they forgave me, when I accidentally hurt someone's feelings. Maybe it's intentional, maybe it's accidental, but I bet that, and wonder if, a lot of Star Trek fans are feeling the insult. Even if, they're being told that's not what is happening.

It's subtle, a series of events, some more obvious than others, but put together, it's clear to me. Does anyone else see it? Or am I crazy?

Edited by Sasuga

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It seems to be either loved or hated. I know a lot of fans who love the show but I also know a lot of fans who think it's terrible. I haven't bothered to watch it (even if I wanted to I couldn't, it's not available internationally) so I can't say anything about it, but I did see the trailers and they gave me anxiety because of how fast-paced everything was and how quickly everyone talked, so I highly doubt the show is for me anyway.

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I agree, the direction the Star Trek series has been taking is not what I would like to see. Its not that its bad TV, they're good shows, just not good Star Trek.

I wish I could fly through space and explore all the unknown worlds out there, that's why I love star trek! I think they did a good job until they started trying to veer away from the motif set forth by FOUR fully successful and incredibly popular series (TOS, TNG, DS9, and Voyager) What I love the most about the first four series is that they were always exploring new worlds and seeing new things in the universe while they simultaneously told a story arc and it seemed like the writers were genuinely trying to stretch the limits of what people would imagine is possible to exist out among the stars, it made it a truly unique work of video-graphic art.

I tolerated their experiments in the star trek enterprise, (even though the time travel was horribly convoluted and made little sense they even ignored previously established super powerful beings for the convenience of forcing their story arc to exist, ) mostly because I liked how they did do a bit of exploring and random adventuring or encountering random ships of unknown aliens unlike anything imagined in previous series. However after that it seemed like they went all out sell out and tried to change the show to imitate the most popular mainstream counter parts such as "The Expanse"  which seemed to be in direct competition with ST Discovery or it seems like Picard is a direct counterpart to the Mandalorian, as if their trying to make the new series about Picard as rough and gritty as the new series about the Mandalorian. Come one can't we please just have our series back? I dont care if "new viewers" like it, what about the already established fan base? Are we such worthless pushovers that they think we'll just throw our money at them no matter what they put the star trek logo on? I'm sick of it, I'm about ready not to watch any new star trek series ever again, the last 3.5 series they came out with were basically a middle finger to the fans (because enterprise was half okay) they have all but said  "...you know what, we hate our fan base and want a new one..." . It would be like if they took family guy and redrew it and rewrote it to imitate the simpsons from now on, sure it might still be an okay, but it definitely wouldn't be family guy anymore it would just be another show imitating something higher up in the "pop culture food chain".  They even specifically said that they wanted to "Bring it to a new generation" which actually translated from PR double talk means "turning a classic into some desperate corporate shill scheme to get the wealthiest dumbest largest fan-base possible" so yeah, thanks for ruining something I used to be excited about.

I also love how they portrayed humanities future potential in a very positive light, world peace, no more need for currency within our own species, scientific idealism, peaceful cooperation and exploration with the species we meet. Its a refreshing change from the millions of sci-fi stories that believe we are a hopeless species who will only end up killing anything intelligent we find out there. It seems that most authors believe humanity is much closer to the alternate negative dimensions version of events rather than the altruistic peaceful society that The Federation stands for. That's just depressing. If that's true we don't deserve to continue as a species, so I prefer to hope that Star Trek will be a good example of how humanity can still choose to show their best side and save not only our world but ourselves and our future.

 
I wish I could fly through space and explore all the unkown worlds out there, thats why I love star trek! I also love how they portrayed humanities future potential in a very positive light, world peace, no more need for currency within our own species, scientific idealism, peaceful cooperation and exploration with the species we meet. Its a refreshing change from the millions of sci-fi stories that believe we are a hopeless species who will only end up killing anything intelligent we find out there. It seems that most authors believe humanity is much closer to the alternate negative dimensions version of events rather than the altruistic peaceful society that The Federation stands for. Thats just depressing. If thats true we dont deserve to continue as a species, so I preffer to hope that Star Trek will be a good example of how humanity can still choose to show their best side and save not only our world but ourselves and our future.
Edited by LunaticBurnout

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