Theoretical Trek question

[misterdroid]

First off, sorry about posting this in an off topic forum... it's NOT Dr. Who related!
I was talking to my apprentice at work today, he is HUGE trek fan. I am not. We got stuck on this debate:
1) Regarding the upcoming ST film... It is a prequel to the original series. BUT, if a Klingon were to be featured in the film, would he be modeled on the early TV series version, or the later versions?
2) If the Klingon were to be the "modern" type in the "classic" universe, would it be a trek heresy? How about vice versa?
3) Is a modern prequel to the classic series in and of itself heresy?

Trek fans??

[DocDrako]

Blasphemy! I really like saying that. Now to the questions.

1) I'm a Trek Fan but not a TREK FAN and I think if it's a flashback, they should look like they did in the original series.
2) Heresy? I don't know. Lame? Yes.
3) I'm curious about the movie, but based on the Lucas Incident, I don't like the idea of a prequel for the Original show. But then, Lucas isn't making the Star Trek prequel, so maybe it will be okay.

Since I'm not a HaRdCoRe Trek Fan, maybe my opinion is moot. I mean, I really like Star Trek and I'm becoming a bigger fan all the time, but I don't think I really know all I need to know about their universe. I don't read the books and I only watch the Original and Next Generation shows, so I don't think I am in a position to yea or nay anything Star Trek. Interesting questions though.

[bobws]

Well as long time fan who got burned out when Rick berman decided if he wanted to tell a "good Story" he shouldn't have to worry about 1 sentence
said 30 years ago! even if it was by spock setting the time period of Khan who came back in the movies! So ,I Love the original series Like some of Next Gen, am fond of some of DS9 and Think Voyager was a mistake and Enterprise was Blasphemy ! But there were good Characters and Interesting stories in all the series. Now as for the Klingons ...they were revamped in The Motion Picture to look more alien and that held over into the newer series even going to make the Original series Klingons Guest Stars who came back to play the same roles wear the new the prostetics. then they should the father of Klingon society Kahless as having looked like the bumppy headed newer ones even though he too was represented on the Original series as the old style. So they kept it all the new style...........Until on Deep Space 9 where they integrated the new characters into the old Tribble episode for a very good and fun episode. But 1 little PROBLEM they didn't change the Klingons old look as that would have been possible within the budget and CGI might not have been up for it yet. so here they bring back the old look and ust have Worf say" we don't talk about it" then on Enterprise they have someone i believe Data's creator cause i virus to go through the Klingons to mutate them to bump headed ones. So the cunundrum Which way should it be? Does anybody Care? Are they going to play around with the history anymore whith characters we love and mess them up any further? It certainly seems so. I have gotten burned out be people not respecting 40 years of continuity , just to tell what they "think" is a good story, just so they don't have thier hands tied. Well real writers could work within boundries and still tell amazing stories if they tried. And most important Producers of Things like Star Trek, Doctor Who, X-men, Stargate, Spiderman, Batman, Superman, Hulk and other comics and Scifi properties NEED to Realize this most IMPORTANT FACT......PLEASE THE FANS AND THEY WILL RECOMMEND THE MOVIE OR SHOW!!!!!!!!!! TICK THEM OFF AND IT WILL BOMB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!The 2 HULK movies PROVE my point. I normally go opening day to movies, but for the new Star Trek i plan to wait and see if they upset too many fans before i go.

Oh about the Klingons, Pick 1 and stick with it, or clearly explain it all(LOL)

[Dave Mc]

I've never been big on prequels since movie makers don't seem to be able to stay within the boundries on what has already been established as "fact" in the story. Enterprise was terrible about this and was the reason I couldn't make it past the first season of the show. It's not heresy so much as it's just bound to be disappointing.

I understand why the Klingons were revamped and in DS9 they established there was SOMETHING that happened. Okay, I'll play along, but they really should have left them more human looking for Enterprise just to fit in with continuity. Same with this new prequel movie.

[JPkempo]

In the show Enterprise the Klingons got a disease, and the cure made them look more human. So they would have to look more like they did in the original show.

[Mikey]

My fav explanation was from DS-9's "Trials and Tribbleations"

Worf said --- it is something we never speak of .......

No fake reasons, no genetic whatevers ....... it's just something we never speak of

IMO, that comment was the ultimate nod to old series fans ......
It made me respect DS-9

[twilitezoner]

The original Klingons looked like humans strictly due to the budget constraints of the original series. It would have been better if they said they were genetically altered to infiltrate the federation.

[palitoy]

The original "Bumpy head" makeup came from another Roddenberry series "Planet Earth" (which was later massively reworked into Andromeda). I've always hated this but it's not Berman's fault.

[ctc]

So;

This one sort of hits anerve, so I'm gonna treat you all to my massively biased and self-righteous opinion:

>3) Is a modern prequel to the classic series in and of itself heresy?

Yes and no. Yes 'cos it's INEVITABLY gonna monkey with the continuity; and continuity is one of the hallmarks of the Trek setting. The fans ENJOY the huge, detailed back stories, and the history, and the characters.... it's what makes it so popular. And WORSE, it's gonna rehash some old characters. Seriously, are Kirk and Spock the ONLY interesting people from the early days of the Federation? Did NO-ONE else do anything noteworthy? It's a big galaxy, they shouldn't be afraid to explore it.

>1) if a Klingon were to be featured in the film, would he be modeled on the early TV series version, or the later versions?

Properly I'd say they should look like the old ones. They already messed with that in Enterprise by having a new style Klingon show up at a time when the Proto-Feds shouldn't have encountered a Klingon yet. *sigh* But they're popular, so we gotta throw 'em in....

The originals were limited by budget and special effects technology; but so what? For me, they HAPPENED. The original show is history for the setting and when we first saw Klingons they were ruddy lookin' dudes with Gengis Khan moustaches.

>2) If the Klingon were to be the "modern" type in the "classic" universe, would it be a trek heresy? How about vice versa?

It depends on which story you hold as cannon. Back in the early 80's when FASA did the RPG, they explained that the Klingons were masters of genetics (as shown in the old new series when they cloned Khales.) and the ones from the original show were Klingon/Human hybrids: designed to better fight in environments more suited to their enemy. They had Klingon/Romulan fusions too. By the new movies the fusions had been all but eliminated by the Imperial Klingons. (Something about an uprising....)

Is thes the official explanation? I'd say it was at the time. Roddenberry was a HUGE stickler for accuracy and kept the game designers on a short leash. (Although Roddenberry/Paramount had monkeyed with some of the story at that time too: such as reducing the tech level of the Gorn and not wanting to make any definite statements on the Tholians. They'd cancelled a few supplements too, like the Gorn and Orion ship manuals; 'cos at the time the old new one was on and Roddenberry wanted to get away from the military presentation of the setting.)

I don't know what the CURRENT story is. I think the originals ahve sort of faded away. (And will doubtless be edited out of one of the future super-chocolatey augmented versions of the original show. "The original, as it was MEANT to be.")

Don C.

[Bo8a_Fett]

I would just like to add that if a "modern day" Klingon appeared in DOCTOR WHO...then I would be annoyed.....what?.....whatd'ya mean it's not a WHO subject???

[Hulk]

If it looks decent, I'll be there opening day, geeking out, and laughing at all the people nitpicking the details apart looking for inconsistencies. If they are obvious, I'll note them, make my own determination whether I am bothered by it, and move on.

And face it, whether we like the idea of new actors portraying our favorite characters, that is still the main reason most people will go see it.