What was your reaction to Star Trek: TMP's Klingons?

[Gorn Captain]

Let's face it: on TOS, they had no money for anything fancy.
If they could have, the Klingons would have had two heads and four arms.
And Sulu would have had eyes on stalks, etc.....

So it was a natural progression to make changes.

Even TNG had budget restraints, hence all the "ridged noses" aliens.
Personally, I loved the way Klingons progressed, getting a whole culture, and real depth.

And they were real actors, not "Meesa the meanest Klingon in the whole Galaxy, Captain Anni!"

[UnderdogDJLSW]

Now that I would go and see a Klingon taking on Jar Jar (and hopefully taking him out)

[Megotu]

I always felt that the explanation for Khan recognizing Chekhov was pretty simple. While the actor had not joined the cast, the character had joined the crew but he just hadn't done anything onscreen. Not everybody gets to be a bridge officer. He coulda had midnight phaser battery duty. Or shuttle traffic controller. Khan had rounded up all crew members during his captaincy of the Enterprise and would have seen Chekhov.

[The Bat]

I always felt that the explanation for Khan recognizing Chekhov was pretty simple. While the actor had not joined the cast, the character had joined the crew but he just hadn't done anything onscreen. Not everybody gets to be a bridge officer. He coulda had midnight phaser battery duty. Or shuttle traffic controller. Khan had rounded up all crew members during his captaincy of the Enterprise and would have seen Chekhov.

HEY!! That's the same theory I came up with too! Great Minds think alike!

[Gorn Captain]

I always felt that the explanation for Khan recognizing Chekhov was pretty simple. While the actor had not joined the cast, the character had joined the crew but he just hadn't done anything onscreen. Not everybody gets to be a bridge officer. He coulda had midnight phaser battery duty. Or shuttle traffic controller. Khan had rounded up all crew members during his captaincy of the Enterprise and would have seen Chekhov.

Ricardo Montalban explained it, actually, in a "making of" documentary.

One evening, the Enterprise galley had served a particularly hot curry dish.
Khan had many helpings, and needed to go to the bathroom really quick!
But Chekov was locked in the men's room, having had five helpings!
I mean, he was firing all torpedoes!!!
Khan waited and waited, getting angrier and angrier.
In the end, he used his superhuman strength and ripped off the door, saying: YOU! What's your name?!"
"Pavel Cheekov," the Russian said, quivering.
Khan: "I'll never forget your name and face, ensign!"

He then chucked Chekov out into the corridor.

And that is how Khan knew the Russian intimately.....

[Megotu]

Gorn Captain that is absolutely the most ridiculous theory I have ever heard. I have looked at every episode and not once is there any suggestion that there is a bathroom on the Enterprise.

[ctc]

>I have looked at every episode and not once is there any suggestion that there is a bathroom on the Enterprise

It's on the bridge, behind the Captain's chair. That's where everyone is coming from when they enter.

Don C.

[trekman101]

The original enterprise blueprints show bathrooms all over the ship and there is one on the bridge aswell..lol

[Gorn Captain]

A little known fact: during a "red alert", a circular opening slides away in every seat. That way, if things get tense, each crewmember can stay at his station.
Look closely, and you'll see one of those little scented pine trees hanging over Spock's station.
On Kirk's chair, the green button is for a number one, orange for number two, and the red button provides a "royal flush".....

[cdhall]

Agreed

I've seen this theory before, but never any evidence for it. I mean, no offense, but that seems pretty convenient.

I agree. I think this was completely after-the-fact Apocrypha.

But as I recall, I think I thought the Klingons with ridges were cool. The ships approaching the cloud was cool. The subtitles were cool (I hope there were subtitles) and I liked it.

I recall the Cloud business got VERY tedious and I was disappointed with the movie. I had read Starlog for about 2 years because they had a Star Trek Update article about the show coming back and then this movie happened.

After the movie everyone complained so much that I watched it again (saw it 7 times I think) and made myself like it and I defended it.

But I think I always liked the Klingons. And there were a few things that REALLY bothered me.

There was no Phaser fire. They didn't use the shuttle. And I thought there were 1 or 2 other things missing that wanted to see after maybe 7 years of watching reruns when I could catch them.

So I liked the Klingon's new look. I think I was 13 but I was in Honors classes and a Trekkie then. But I was disappointed that we didn't get more Klingon footage.

And I'll have to think about the Klingon/Samurai thing. I hadn't really thought about it until just now. And since I'm watching parts of most of the Klingon shows on CBS now trying to figure out the TOS costume, I have to agree with Type1Kirk. In Errand of Mercy in particular they were Cold War Soviets. Spoiling for a fight and expecting to crush the Feds in a culture war. If I recall, they were snapping up territory, used torture as a "Tool" according to Kor.

Yeah, Kor had it all over the Samurai guys of the later years. Klingons were more like Ninjas. Practical-minded. Just win. Victory is it's own reward. Rules and honor... only hamper the already weak competition.

Thanks Type1 for bringing that up. It is obvious to me now. The Romulans should have been fit to that mold I think. They did get shafted.

Sorry for such a long, rambling answer. I'm on MegoMuseum crack. I'm supposed to be working but I'm doing Mego stuff on the forum...

[Earth 2 Chris]

I'm a little foggy on which Klingons I encountered first. Probably the TV series versions. But I was so young it took me a while to say "Hey, these are supposed to be the same guys!"

I remember the DC "Who's Who in Star Trek" designated the two Klingon types as "swarthy" and "crest" races. I think they even explained that the swarthy race used to control the empire, but slowly the crest race took over. Similar to what others have posted. Of course, nothing in the comics is considered canon, although DC did try to stick to establish Trek lore as possible.

Chris

[Seeker]

The only good thing about STMP WAS the few minutes of Klingon footage.

[Hotfoot]

Being 21 at the time I enjoyed the new look. The originals looked too Human to me.

[Seeker]

I dont see the whole Klingon/Samurai thing. To me the klingons more fit into the viking culture.

A klingon would think nothing of killing his superior for advancement. A samurai would never act against his own lord.

Klingons did not have the disipline, appreciation for the arts or any of the finer things Japanese held high in their culture.

Like vikings they just loved to fight and drink for the pure fun of it.