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Music from this week’s episode:
96 Tears by ? & The Mysterians
The Ricochet Podcast opening theme was composed and produced by James Lileks.
He’s dead, EJHill.
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RE: Enterprise and 9/11: The Xindi plot vitiates the ST as barometer of the culture line of thought, I think. It was a thuddingly dumb pop culture response to the War on Terror (ists in Service of a Fascistic Islamist Ideology), which is why Vrouwe and I stopped watching it for that season. And Season Four as fan service: Well, duh, Lileks, I rather thought the very concept of the series was “fan service.” ·4 hours ago
The problem arises when your show is nothing other than fan service. Which was (only) one of Enterprise‘s problems. Nothing there to watch unless you want to be pandered to, especially in the later seasons (which is when I tapped out).
Specifically: A show that’s nothing other than fan service means your viewing base is going to slowly fade away and will not pick up any new viewers. Which means you’ll get cancelled soon. As Enterprise deservedly was.
And, ugh, please, enough with the alternate reality stuff. It was great in TOS, but it kept getting revived, and even became an important part of DS9 (otherwise a good series) and ENT (otherwise, nope, still not good).
Well, shoot. Now I’m really curious what you think a 2010-2020 Trek series would reflect.
Your answer? Just found it online this morning.
The passion of the Star Trek actors to do this stuff for free astounds me. I lost track of how many series regulars I saw.
Trek will get back to television eventually. But hell, my avatar is me aping Kirk, so maybe I’m not the best judge.
Star Trek: Renagades
… It’s not what they tried to say; it’s what they couldn’t help but say, because that was what their era thought. ·13 hours ago
Well, shoot. Now I’m really curious what you think a 2010-2020 Trek series would reflect.
Putting aside the massive, killjoy reality of us not being able to well gauge this era from within it, what broad sort of elements could you imagine a current Trek “couldn’t help but say”.
Dystopian/Post-Apoc is big now, could we see a divided Federation in decline?
A growing fear that technology will slow or in may places disappear?
The hippy-dippy, post-scarcity Federation dream turned to totalitarian disaster?
Are we ready for a Ferengi captain?
Just spit ballin’, for giggles.
I’m not going to defend ST: TMP; it was what it was, but it was also something else. Watch the director’s cut. It’salmosta different movie. As for Enterprise, you are, alas, mistaken. ;) The last season in particular was fan service and backstory – here’s how the Vulcans got it together; here’s how the Federation formed; for heaven’s sake, here’s what happened to the ship lost in the Tholian web.
James, if that was just fan service — sign me up. Hail, Empress Sato.
Good point. It was essentially a rip-off of “The Enemy Below” if memory serves (Robert Mitchum submarine movie).
RE: Enterprise and 9/11: The Xindi plot vitiates the ST as barometer of the culture line of thought, I think. It was a thuddingly dumb pop culture response to the War on Terror (ists in Service of a Fascistic Islamist Ideology), which is why Vrouwe and I stopped watching it for that season. And Season Four as fan service: Well, duh, Lileks, I rather thought the very concept of the series was “fan service.”
Voyagerwas boring, and Enterprisereally stunk it up. ·1 hour ago
I’m not going to defend ST: TMP; it was what it was, but it was also something else. Watch the director’s cut. It’salmosta different movie.
I fell asleep during the theatrical showing of STTMP (I was 11) and thought it was rather good. Then I saw the whole thing years later and realized what a plodding, re-hashed mess the thing was, complete with Troi and Riker Take One.
Your answer? Just found it online this morning.
The passion of the Star Trek actors to do this stuff for free astounds me. I lost track of how many series regulars I saw.
Star Trek: Renagades ·7 hours ago
I’d never heard of this before but for some hard to pin reason it troubles me.
I’m not sure what troubles you – the aura of this video teaser, or the fact that this kind of fan spinoff is done at all?
Star Trek has been very kind to its fans to allow this kind of video fan-fiction.
“Star Wreck”, a mash-up of Star Trek and Babylon 5 in the last decade, is the most-watched film ever produced in Finland. EVER. Done by college kids in Tampere.
http://youtu.be/rcSslq6d4Mk
Your answer? Just found it online this morning.
The passion of the Star Trek actors to do this stuff for free astounds me. I lost track of how many series regulars I saw.
Star Trek: Renagades ·7 hours ago
I’d never heard of this before but for some hard to pin reason it troubles me.
There’s something to the sort of stamp of officialdom a for profit, fully licensed production has.
I’ve heard fan fiction gets a bad rap, and I’m sure there exists some that is better than a lot of licensed materials, but I think I’m still either too lazy or biased to seek it out…or even give it a real shot.
I’m skeptical enough of the stuff with the big, hologrammed official seal, so I can’t help but be doubtful of this.
Your answer? Just found it online this morning.
The passion of the Star Trek actors to do this stuff for free astounds me. I lost track of how many series regulars I saw.
Star Trek: Renagades ·7 hours ago
I’d never heard of this before but for some hard to pin reason it troubles me.
I’m not sure what troubles you – the aura of this video teaser, or the fact that this kind of fan spinoff is done at all?
I have no problem with people doing any sort of fan films or fiction and understand the impulse to play in someone else’s backyard. I think it’s the inclusion of Trek actors reprising their roles that gives off an odd vibe.
I fully admit it’s not a reasoned or rational reaction. I may just be too inflexible, wanting two separate and clear categories: Official and Fan-made. The inclusion of the actors puts this in some nebulous neutral zone a binary guy like myself can’t dig.
You’re definitely right about that. Renegades is a classic no-lose scenario: Fans and pros paid for and produced it, the world can enjoy it and wishy-washy cranks like me can privately feel vaguely off put.
It unarguably stands as a testament to the show’s enduring quality. I’m just impatient for another Big Time, all-pro weekly series.
Now to get back to finishing my plywood recreation of Frasier’s apartment in my garage.
“Star Wreck”, a mash-up of Star Trek and Babylon 5 in the last decade, is the most-watched film ever produced in Finland. EVER. Done by college kids in Tampere.
http://youtu.be/rcSslq6d4Mk ·9 hours ago
That was quite entertaining. “See you in Reykjavik !” is now my favorite (Finnish) imprecation.
I have no problem with people doing any sort of fan films or fiction and understand the impulse to play in someone else’s backyard. I think it’s the inclusion of Trek actors reprising their roles that gives off an odd vibe.
I fully admit it’s not a reasoned or rational reaction. I may just be too inflexible, wanting two separate and clear categories: Official and Fan-made. The inclusion of the actors puts this in some nebulous neutral zone a binary guy like myself can’t dig. ·44 minutes ago