After the
most recent episode of Star Trek Discovery, YouTube content creator
Doomcock did a video pointing out that they exposed the real truth about
the current show. In that episode, they admitted that this series is
from the Star Trek timeline created by JJ Abrams when he rebooted the
Star Trek franchise on the big screen a little over a decade ago. For
more context, Midnight's Edge on YouTube has also done work exposing the
25% different agreement for merchandise sales of anything JJ Abrams
created with the Star Trek brand.
There has
been quite a bit of debate at to whether the three Star Trek movies done
by Bad Robot, Star Trek Discovery, Star Trek Picard or any of that
content is officially recognized canon. When we talk about canon, we're
speaking of the original Star Trek series from the 1960s all the way
through the end of the Star Trek Enterprise series of the early 2000s.
Some people, including myself, have debated the idea that nothing after
Enterprise happened in the timeline that we know. In fact, some Star
Trek purists suggest that Enterprise doesn't count either, but that's
another debate.
In order to get get his hands
on the franchise, Abrams had to sign certain agreements. Understandably,
he wanted to sell merchandise as he believed that the reboot movies
would be a huge success. However, the studio was not interested in
making any sort of agreement to license the original characters. Abrams'
reboot was to include all of the original series characters with new
actors in the roles. It also established a whole new timeline that took
the show in a much different direction than that envisioned by Star Trek
creator Gene Roddenberry.
As things went on
and the movies gave way to the new streaming service shows, the fan base
became increasingly divided. Newer fans are a little more forgiving of
the story and the direction the show is going. Long time fans lament the
fact that this show has gone so far in another direction that it's
almost unrecognizable as a Star Trek product.
The
good news is the most recent episode of Star Trek Discovery seemed to
indicate what some of us have been saying all along. This show is not
part of the original timeline. Therefore, nothing depicted in it really
matters. Think of it as a glorified fanfiction that is somehow allowed
to be on the small screen. Or, to be nicer to fans of this incarnation,
it's Star Trek canon in an alternate timeline.
Some
Star Trek purists maintain that it's too late. The show has already
been ruined. This is the lament of the fans of other franchises such as
Star Wars and Doctor Who. There is a concern that the franchise has been
damaged so badly that it can't be repaired. I won't speak to Star Wars
or Doctor Who in this article, but the solution is very simple when it
comes to Star Trek. There is a way forward that would get long time fans
back on board in an instant, and all that's needed is for CBS/Viacom to
take control and green light something different.
Although
Star Trek could attempt to do another movie with different characters,
it's always worked better as a television series. This enables the
franchise to rebuild as they establish new characters and build on the
established canon of over 50 years. A new series should be made, and it
should feature a whole new crew of the Star Trek Enterprise several
years in the future. It gives the writers an opportunity to tell new
stories and create new series lore.
What
Enterprise will this be? 1701 E? F? What sort of things have happened to
lead the crew to where they are now? Who is The Federation at war with
and who are its allies? Who would be the captain of the Enterprise?
Rather than going back in time as seems to be a trend with these
franchises, the Roddenberry vision has always looked ahead to the
future. This is what is needed for Star Trek right now. Look to the
future and give people a reason to be excited. The overall message of
Star Trek has always been hope.
The franchise
is not destroyed. It's being abused, but it's not destroyed. Of all of
the damage that's been done to other franchises, the damage done in the
Star Trek universe is the easiest to repair. Dismiss the reboot movies
and the stuff that came after it. It's in an alternate universe that can
exist, but it doesn't affect the main timeline. Move to the future and
tell new stories.
Star Trek can easily be
saved by focusing on The Generation Beyond The Next Generation. We might
need to work on that title, but this idea is a surefire hit. They just
need to bring in writers who respect the lore and actors who are
committed to their roles. If they did this and did it right, not only
could they make a very entertaining new Star Trek series, they could
also set the stage for future movies.
