How do you guys think the new Trek series will approach the Prime Directive?

For all topics regarding speculative fiction of every stripe. Otherwise known as the Geek Cave.
User avatar
Karha of Honor
Captain
Posts: 3168
Joined: Sat Feb 11, 2017 8:46 pm

How do you guys think the new Trek series will approach the Prime Directive?

Post by Karha of Honor »

Will it be ignored? Reworked? Inconsistently used as usual?
Image
The Romulan Republic
Captain
Posts: 748
Joined: Sat Feb 11, 2017 12:02 pm

Re: How do you guys think the new Trek series will approach the Prime Directive?

Post by The Romulan Republic »

I'd be just as happy to see it cut- it doesn't fit well with the more "Science fiction action" style they seem to be going for with Trek these days, and while there's a lot that can be said for the principle of non-intervention, the PD has a lot of baggage attached to it.

If included, I suspect it will be handled much the same as always- a lot of grand talk about its principles, and then the characters ignore it with little or no consequences when it suites them or the Federation. Which is... a depressingly realistic depiction of how international law tends to be handled.
User avatar
Karha of Honor
Captain
Posts: 3168
Joined: Sat Feb 11, 2017 8:46 pm

Re: How do you guys think the new Trek series will approach the Prime Directive?

Post by Karha of Honor »

The Romulan Republic wrote:I'd be just as happy to see it cut- it doesn't fit well with the more "Science fiction action" style they seem to be going for with Trek these days, and while there's a lot that can be said for the principle of non-intervention, the PD has a lot of baggage attached to it.

If included, I suspect it will be handled much the same as always- a lot of grand talk about its principles, and then the characters ignore it with little or no consequences when it suites them or the Federation. Which is... a depressingly realistic depiction of how international law tends to be handled.
Star Trek was never realistic.
Image
User avatar
GandALF
Officer
Posts: 450
Joined: Tue May 30, 2017 8:54 am

Re: How do you guys think the new Trek series will approach the Prime Directive?

Post by GandALF »

Can they really do anything new after 50 years and 700+ episodes? These old franchises might still make money but they get diminishing returns in terms of reception because of a constantly fractured fanbase. Either they do something too different or they repeat themselves in ways that just can't measure up to the original. Both routes engender a "its just not the same" feeling. Take superhero comics, they seem to be dying a slow painful death after 50-70 years. They're either rehashing old stuff or doing things like making Captain America a Nazi, sure it's different, but they kind of made him into his antithesis.

Ideally I think they should retire these old franchises and make more original spiritual successors but then they wouldn't have brand recognition.
User avatar
Karha of Honor
Captain
Posts: 3168
Joined: Sat Feb 11, 2017 8:46 pm

Re: How do you guys think the new Trek series will approach the Prime Directive?

Post by Karha of Honor »

GandALF wrote:Can they really do anything new after 50 years and 700+ episodes? These old franchises might still make money but they get diminishing returns in terms of reception because of a constantly fractured fanbase. Either they do something too different or they repeat themselves in ways that just can't measure up to the original. Both routes engender a "its just not the same" feeling. Take superhero comics, they seem to be dying a slow painful death after 50-70 years. They're either rehashing old stuff or doing things like making Captain America a Nazi, sure it's different, but they kind of made him into his antithesis.

Ideally I think they should retire these old franchises and make more original spiritual successors but then they wouldn't have brand recognition.
Focus on First Contact commando/diplomat team. DTI officers. Being a spy extraction cloaked ship....

I think there is plenty of possibility out there.
Image
The Romulan Republic
Captain
Posts: 748
Joined: Sat Feb 11, 2017 12:02 pm

Re: How do you guys think the new Trek series will approach the Prime Directive?

Post by The Romulan Republic »

Agent Vinod wrote:
The Romulan Republic wrote:I'd be just as happy to see it cut- it doesn't fit well with the more "Science fiction action" style they seem to be going for with Trek these days, and while there's a lot that can be said for the principle of non-intervention, the PD has a lot of baggage attached to it.

If included, I suspect it will be handled much the same as always- a lot of grand talk about its principles, and then the characters ignore it with little or no consequences when it suites them or the Federation. Which is... a depressingly realistic depiction of how international law tends to be handled.
Star Trek was never realistic.
Overall? No, of course not.

In depicting (weather deliberately or not) an article of law governing foreign policy as something which is constantly talked up but then routinely disregarded with little or no consequence when its convenient? Yes, sadly.

The implementation of the PD reminds me of the Pirates' Code from the Pirates of the Caribbean films. Ie, its more what you'd call a guideline (however much its sometimes treated as religious doctrine- which is another thing humans tend to ignore when its convenient).

Most people are hypocrites (myself included, I admit). Not exactly breaking news, I know.
User avatar
excalibur
Officer
Posts: 289
Joined: Fri May 05, 2017 1:55 pm
Location: USA

Re: How do you guys think the new Trek series will approach the Prime Directive?

Post by excalibur »

Like how Star Trek shows treats it....ignore it until the plot needs to lecture us
"Adapt, Overcome & Improvise"

Image
"There's a fine line between not listening and not caring...I like to think I walk that line everyday of my life."
technobabbler
Officer
Posts: 200
Joined: Mon Sep 25, 2017 2:39 pm

Re: How do you guys think the new Trek series will approach the Prime Directive?

Post by technobabbler »

an interesting (to me) sub-plot or secondary antagonist would be a movement of ex-Starfleet officers/retirees who are "Prime Directive insurgents," purposely seeking out problems to fix on pre-warp planets with the help of sympathetic Starfleet officers and Federation citizens.

Like "The A-Team" with warp drive.
User avatar
Admiral X
Captain
Posts: 2654
Joined: Mon Feb 20, 2017 4:37 am

Re: How do you guys think the new Trek series will approach the Prime Directive?

Post by Admiral X »

Probably in line with how VOY and ENT treated it - less likely to interfere when it's some kind if extinction-level disaster, more likely to interfere if a group of people are being exploited in some way.
"Black care rarely sits behind a rider whose pace is fast enough."
-TR
Post Reply