Why can't they write Star Trek like...

[Shawnster]

[Insert whatever well written show here]?

There are lots of television problems. Some are highly acclaimed and award winning for their writing. What other television series have you watched and wondered why they can't write this well for Star Trek?

Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying Trek stinks. I am saying there are other programs where I cannot think of a dud or stinker episode in either an entire run or at least an entire season.

Here are examples:

ER. Love the show. I found the writing very compelling.

They West Wing. Another great show. I thought the writing was excellent up to the point when Sorken left.

Farscape, Firefly. I can't think of a single bad episode.

So my question is in two parts.

What non Trek series do you wish Trek could write as good of episodes as?

Why can't or hasn't Trek been able to produce such solid writing performances week after week?

Maybe I'm biased. Maybe it's episodic vs serialized storytelling. Until DISCO, Trek was not serialized. The closest we got was DS9. Voyager was very soft on serialization.

Maybe there are plenty of you who feel each season of DISCO or PIC is epic and the best writing out there.

Then again, how does Trek compare with other series in winning the Best Written categories from the Emmys?

 

[fireproof78]

Farscape, Firefly. I can't think of a single bad episode.

These shows definitely had them.


For Trek I want it written like Brooklyn 99. Character driven and distinct growth for all.

 

[The Wormhole]

Firefly only had a little over a dozen episodes. Had it lasted, there most certainly would have been bad episodes.

 

[Ray Hardgrit]

My perfect Star Trek ep would have the world building of an Expanse episode, the long-term storytelling of a Babylon 5 episode, the emotional impact of a Doctor Who episode, the wit of a Firefly episode, the logical development of technology of a Stargate episode and the thoughtfulness of a Star Trek episode.

 

[at Quark's]

Perhaps they should've written Star Trek more like 90's Days Of Our Lives - stretching out plots endlessly over episode after episode , each episode only advancing the plot very slooooooowly.

Had they done that, plots such as the one in The Next Phase could have been milked for 25 episodes at least, with Geordi and Ro trying to get back into phase and warn the Enterprise of the fiendish Romulan plan

(And no, of course I wouldn't really want that)

 

[Rowdy Roddy McDowall]

[Insert whatever well written show here]?

What non Trek series do you wish Trek could write as good of episodes as?

Why can't or hasn't Trek been able to produce such solid writing performances week after week?

If film series aren't restricted, how about THE OMEN? Naturally this would be a limited series in nature, as most of the cast would fequire violent weekly elimination, but it could work exceedingly well for TOS, VOYAGER and TNG in particular if done right.

Of course, the newest shows this century aren't the lengthy ''weeks after weeks'' they used to be. I'll suggest singular writers minus committees for individual shows would strengthen the overall vision of each show and make for some good starts.

 

[BillJ]

What non Trek series do you wish Trek could write as good of episodes as?

I'd be satisfied if they could just get in the ballpark of the original Star Trek.

 

[Citiprime]

I've always wondered if you could do a sort-of hyper-realistic version of Star Trek?

Let's accept the "soft" science-fiction concepts of Star Trek, like warp drive and transporters, but you try to portray the relationships, politics, and worldbuilding in "hard" ways that go beyond the usual sci-fi conceits.

One of the things I remember about the first season of Discovery was the possibility that Trek would try to go VERY adult and basically do Star Trek in the vein of top-tier television like Game of Thrones and Breaking Bad. But there were fans who really HATED when Discovery had characters cursing, or when the battles would descend into gore and violence. That first season had Klingon sexual assault, Klingon nudity, and Georgiou's corpse being eaten. And there were some people online screaming: "Star Trek needs to be a family show!"

For example I would love a version of Star Trek that explored the Klingons from a realistic perspective, and used that sort of tone as a template for all of the writing. Basically, approach the Klingons by looking at them in the same way Black Hawk Down analyzed military members. And what does that mean for a society in which most male members of the culture are pushed to see something similar to the special forces operators in that movie to be the highest calling? Like what does that mean in the long-term for a culture's psychology, their relationships in families, and how it filters down into how they interact with each other?

I've always thought there's a story there where, instead of partying with Blood Wine and singing songs, there are Klingons who go back to their quarters after battles and break down into tears in private. The mental toll of having to carry all of that carnage becomes a weight which affects relationships in families, and how Klingons interact as husbands, wives, mothers, and fathers.

And there's a difference between the Klingons we've interacted with over most of the history of Trek and the average Klingon warrior. Even Worf comes from Klingon nobility, where he's the direct heir of a Klingon house, but the average Klingon dude that serves on these ships, just based on the propaganda of being a "True Klingon," how do they feel after 5-years being asked to kill other people just for "honor"? I think there's something there where you could make a statement about how the corruption of the Klingon Empire is the difference between the elites using a mythos based around honorable violence to retain power and force the "regular folk" to do most of the dirty work while they enjoy its spoils.

 

[Ray Hardgrit]

Personally I didn't like the characters cursing, because it made Kirk look like an idiot when he didn't know how to do it right in Star Trek 4.

I wouldn't want them to humanise the Klingons too much, they're not just culturally different, they're alien beings, but I do agree that's the kind of thing a Trek show could get into. The Klingons are arguably the best developed race in Star Trek, but it pretty much took until Lower Decks until we got to meet a regular civilian just living a normal life and get to see the culture from their perspective.

Even family friendly '90s Trek had Worf helping his brother end his life, O'Brien dealing with PTSD, the DS9 crew dealing with the stress of being on the front lines. There's a lot of room to go further with this stuff without straying too far from something that feels Star Trek.

 

[BillJ]

I've always wondered if you could do a sort-of hyper-realistic version of Star Trek?

Let's accept the "soft" science-fiction concepts of Star Trek, like warp drive and transporters, but you try to portray the relationships, politics, and worldbuilding in "hard" ways that go beyond the usual sci-fi conceits.

I know some folks want this, but it would completely turn me off to the franchise. I like for Star Trek to be fun, full of wonder and joy.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Personally I didn't like the characters cursing, because it made Kirk look like an idiot when he didn't know how to do it right in Star Trek 4.

It was dumb to do that in 4, because TOS showed he was familiar with the concept (in a sixties tv sort of way )

 

[WarpTenLizard]

Personally I didn't like the characters cursing, because it made Kirk look like an idiot when he didn't know how to do it right in Star Trek 4.

He already did look like an idiot for that even with the idea that people in his century don't curse like we do. We don't speak the same way people did in the 1880s, but the average person from our time still has a general idea of how insults like "fool," "popycock," and "scallywag" were used.

 

[fireproof78]

He already did look like an idiot for that even with the idea that people in his century don't curse like we do. We don't speak the same way people did in the 1880s, but the average person from our time still has a general idea of how insults like "fool," "popycock," and "scallywag" were used.

He looks like an idiot because he curses the film right before it with "You Klingon bastard." And McCoy goes "that green blooded son of a bitch."

It's played for comedy in the next film but Kirk should hardly be unfamiliar. People can still understand the Bard's insults.

Oh, what fools these mortals be!

"Away, you three-inch fool! “

 

[Paul Weaver]

Perhaps they should've written Star Trek more like 90's Days Of Our Lives - stretching out plots endlessly over episode after episode , each episode only advancing the plot very slooooooowly.

Had they done that, plots such as the one in The Next Phase could have been milked for 25 episodes at least, with Geordi and Ro trying to get back into phase and warn the Enterprise of the fiendish Romulan plan

(And no, of course I wouldn't really want that)

That's what some seasons do now (especially Picard and Discovery). OK the seasons are only 10 episodes, but introduce the problem at the start, spend the whole season tackling it, then wrapping it up in the last few minutes.

The CW's Flash was the worst for this -- 23 episodes of losing against the "Big Bad", then the season finale.

I far perfer episodic trek like SNW. I just want more of it.

 

[Ray Hardgrit]

He looks like an idiot because he curses the film right before it with "You Klingon bastard." And McCoy goes "that green blooded son of a bitch."

You know, that's completely fair, I forgot about that.

 

[Nerys Myk]

He already did look like an idiot for that even with the idea that people in his century don't curse like we do. We don't speak the same way people did in the 1880s, but the average person from our time still has a general idea of how insults like "fool," "popycock," and "scallywag" were used.

Balderdash and bunkum, my good lady!!!!

 

[at Quark's]

That's what some seasons do now (especially Picard and Discovery). OK the seasons are only 10 episodes, but introduce the problem at the start, spend the whole season tackling it, then wrapping it up in the last few minutes.

The CW's Flash was the worst for this -- 23 episodes of losing against the "Big Bad", then the season finale.

I far perfer episodic trek like SNW. I just want more of it.

I don't mind long story arches in itself. I loved DS9 for example.

A seemingly insurmountable problem that suddenly is wrapped up very neatly and quickly in the very last episode, as you describe, that I like less. DS9 was also a bit guilty of this in my eyes.

However, my main qualm with the style I described is that so very little actually happens per episode. Seems like the writers only had very scant plot, but milked and stretched it out as much as possible. DS9 was not guilty of that (don't know about Picard and Discovery for certain though my impression was they had a decent amount of substance per episode).

 

[Planet of the Daves]

Why can't they write Star Trek like...Star Trek!

Seriously.

 

[JamesRye]

My wife recently got a three month trial of Apple TV. We started watching 'For All Mankind'

THIS is how Star Trek should be written. I urge Trek fans to try out this show. It's so good. It features characters exploring, it features real science and, honestly, it's quite utopian.

 

[Dar70]

[Insert whatever well written show here]?



Farscape, Firefly. I can't think of a single bad episode.

Never seen firefly but I have watched Farscape three times now. I absolutely LOVE the show. But There were two bad episodes I can think of..... "John Quioxte" and to a lesser degree "Avenging Angel." Those are the two that stand out for me. But overall Farscape was solid most of the time.