Parallel Earth: Oh, kind'a weird. Oh well. WHAT?!

[Admiral Jean-Luc Picard]

Parallel Earth: Oh, kind'a weird. Oh well. WHAT?! In "Miri," the most interesting part of the episode was the parallel Earth, but people just shrugged like is was a Tuesday or something. How often does this happen on the show??? Why is it never addressed again on any of the spin-off shows? Seriously, I want to know why parallel Earths is a thing, why it seemed to be used often on TOS, and why it doesn't exist beyond TOS/TAS. I need to know. WTF is up with parallel Earths? I know budget is the real-world answer.

 

[BillJ]

I know budget is the real-world answer.

The real world answer forced the creatives to get creative and use whatever they could. Which ended up with some very creative episodes, like "Bread and Circuses".

 

[Admiral Jean-Luc Picard]

The real world answer forced the creatives to get creative and use whatever they could. Which ended up with some very creative episodes, like "Bread and Circuses".

Which season is that one, and was it one of the better episodes? I'm currently 9 episodes into the series.

 

[Ray Hardgrit]

The idea that the crew would visit parallel Earths was actually built into the premise of the series, to convince people it could be made within budget. If Omega Glory had been the second pilot, it would've been established right at the start and then Miri would've been business as usual. But I guess they just lost interest in the idea when it turned out that it wasn't necessary.

 

[BillJ]

Which season is that one, and was it one of the better episodes? I'm currently 9 episodes into the series.

Tail end of season two. "The Omega Glory" is another interesting episode. Originally, pitched as the series pilot episode, it was finally made and released late in season two.

 

[Admiral Jean-Luc Picard]

Tail end of season two. "The Omega Glory" is another interesting episode. Originally, pitched as the series pilot episode, it was finally made and released late in season two.

Really, this was a pilot pitch? Does the finished episode still have pilot vibes?

 

[BillJ]

Really, this was a pilot pitch? Does the finished episode still have pilot vibes?

No. Unlike, "Where No Man...", it wasn't actually made until season two. It is very much a season two episode.

 

[Admiral Jean-Luc Picard]

No. Unlike, "Where No Man...", it wasn't actually made until season two. It is very much a season two episode.

No, that's not what I meant. I get that it's a S2 episode. I meant narratively, does it feel like it "could" have been the pilot?

 

[BillJ]

I meant narratively, does it feel like it "could" have been the pilot?

No. Because, at that point, they were well beyond the pilot stage. The characters act like the characters in season two.

 

[mb22]

Really, this was a pilot pitch? Does the finished episode still have pilot vibes?

Spock's remote telepathy is not something we see often.

 

[BK613]

TOS did hang a lampshade on the idea:

Hodgkin's Law of Parallel Planetary Development

Hodgkin's Law of Parallel Planetary Development was a biological theory first postulated by A.E. Hodgkin. The theory was that similar planets with similar environments and similar populations tended to gravitate toward similar biological developments over time. Although initially applicable only...

memory-alpha.fandom.com

 

[Admiral Jean-Luc Picard]

Spock's remote telepathy is not something we see often.

I wonder if this explains the "remote telepathy" between Sarak and Michael on Discovery?

 

[Admiral Jean-Luc Picard]

TOS did hang a lampshade on the idea:

Hodgkin's Law of Parallel Planetary Development

Hodgkin's Law of Parallel Planetary Development was a biological theory first postulated by A.E. Hodgkin. The theory was that similar planets with similar environments and similar populations tended to gravitate toward similar biological developments over time. Although initially applicable only...

memory-alpha.fandom.com

Hang a lampshade? What?

 

[Kor]

Hang a lampshade? What?

Lampshade Hanging - TV Tropes

Lampshade Hanging (or, more informally, "Lampshading") is the writers' trick of dealing with any element of the story that seems too dubious to take at face value, whether a very implausible plot development or a particularly blatant use of a …

tvtropes.org

Quote from TV Tropes:

Lampshade Hanging (or, more informally, "Lampshading") is the writers' trick of dealing with any element of the story that seems too dubious to take at face value, whether a very implausible plot development or a particularly blatant use of a trope, by calling attention to it and simply moving on.

Hodgkins' Law was mentioned in dialog in TOS "Bread and Circuses."

Kor

 

[Admiral Jean-Luc Picard]

Lampshade Hanging - TV Tropes

Lampshade Hanging (or, more informally, "Lampshading") is the writers' trick of dealing with any element of the story that seems too dubious to take at face value, whether a very implausible plot development or a particularly blatant use of a …

tvtropes.org

Quote from TV Tropes:


Hodgkins' Law was mentioned in dialog in TOS "Bread and Circuses."

Kor

Ah ha, I don't really fallow TV tropes / TV producer talk. Can't these people talk normal? Besides, I seem to remember SG-1's "200" making fun of this. I do thank you for explaining, thank you.

 

[BK613]

Can't these people talk normal?

Every profession seems to have its own jargon. Sometimes that has a 'gatekeeper' connotation to it but mostly it's to facilitate precise communication within the profession.
Also, I've been reading and talking about the behind the scenes stuff of sci-fi since the early 70s so it should come as no surprise I've picked up a term or three from a profession I've never been a part of.

 

[Admiral Jean-Luc Picard]

Every profession seems to have its own jargon. Sometimes that has a 'gatekeeper' connotation to it but mostly it's to facilitate precise communication within the profession.
Also, I've been reading and talking about the behind the scenes stuff of sci-fi since the early 70s so it should come as no surprise I've picked up a term or three from a profession I've never been a part of.

I'm not frustrated with you or anyone here. People on forums talk like normal people. No one says weird shit like "hang a lampshade on it," it just screams "trying to sound smart." Instead, writers should just focus on BETTER WRITING so they don't have to "hang a lampshade on it."

I am writing a science-fiction novel. If I have to hang a lampshade on something, it's shitty writing, and I've got rewriting to do.

 

[1001001]

I'm not frustrated with you or anyone here. People on forums talk like normal people. No one says weird shit like "hang a lampshade on it," it just screams "trying to sound smart."

“Talk like normal people”?

There’s nothing wrong or unusual about using an accepted term to describe something.

If you don’t understand it, look it up on Google instead of insulting other posters.

 

[BK613]

People on forums talk like normal people. No one says weird shit like "hang a lampshade on it,"

Hmm, I've been posting on this forum for fifteen years and I basically said that. I get where you're coming from though.

it just screams "trying to sound smart."

Didn't do it to seem smart, did it because that is the word for what the makers of TOS did.

Instead, writers should just focus on BETTER WRITING so they don't have to "hang a lampshade on it."

They didn't do it because of the writing they did it because they were trying to save money.
Take costuming for example. Put on a production of, say, Louis XIV's court and you can rent costumes for that a considerable less amount of money than making your own*. Put on a production of the Klingon homeworld and you have to make everything from scratch.
So parallel worlds and the need for some sort of lampshading.
You will see other attempts to address the issue as you watching continues.

*(cost that includes not only in materials but also labor)

---------------
@1001001 Sorry, Digits. Didn't see your post until after I posted.

 

[carcinoGeneticist]

If you don’t understand it, look it up on Google instead of insulting other posters.

I've misunderstood/not understood enough metaphors for a lifetime and I'm still in school! Difference here is that I don't get salty about misunderstanding because it's on me and not the person doing the metaphor.

Didn't do it to seem smart, did it because that is the word for what the makers of TOS did.

And you never know! Maybe it's not even the poster's own words! GASP!! (this is alo directed to Admiral Picard, not you, @BK613)