Strange New Worlds: A Look at Ghosts of Illyria

[Deledrius]

I mean the whole point of the episode is attacking the very concept of the law. These people wanted to join the Federation so much that they ended up doing horrific genetic experiments on themselves to meet a certain criteria that backfired horribly--you know, the reason that the ban on genetic augmentation was created in the first place (or one of them).

The Federation wants to be anti-eugenics and anti-Nazi, which is absolutely good, but they have somehow bumped into anti-medicine.

It isn't just about stopping the creation of the next Khan. Its about designer babies. Its about stopping parents from deciding that Geordi shouldn't have been born AKA ''The Masterpiece Society''. Its about stopping Kardashian-esque parents giving their daughters huge stupid lips and oversized boobs. Its about stopping parents from deciding that they want their black baby to be white. Its about stopping ''Gattaca''.

I think this conversation is far deeper than it seems to be typically presented in Trek who seem fixated on breeding super soldiers and nothing else.

Great points, both of you. I think this really illustrates some rich potential for current Trek to tackle this, and in a way that's pretty relevant in today's world too.

[Madner Kami]

I think this really illustrates some rich potential for current Trek to tackle this

Too bad current Trek doesn't do that then, eh?

[CharlesPhipps]

This will never happen again but, yeah, basically I agree with clearspira.

[CharlesPhipps]

Too bad current Trek doesn't do that then, eh?

I mean they did in THE MASTERPIECE SOCIETY by presenting the arguments and having TNG's crew treat them as more than the racist isolationist assholes they are.

Which is a fairer shake than you might expect.

[Deledrius]

I think this really illustrates some rich potential for current Trek to tackle this

Too bad current Trek doesn't do that then, eh?

I keep hoping, but that hope has worn very, very thin.

[Durandal_1707]

Too bad current Trek doesn't do that then, eh?

I mean they did in THE MASTERPIECE SOCIETY by presenting the arguments and having TNG's crew treat them as more than the racist isolationist assholes they are.

And it had that kid absolutely butchering Chopin on the piano. If your masterpiece society is supposed to make people that are absolutely perfect for a job, and that's your result for "pianist", ehhhhhhhh........

[CharlesPhipps]

I admit I don't see any utopian Trek anymore and that makes me sad.

Deep Space Nine was fantastic but it should still be a utopia for everywhere BUT the frontier.

[Frustration]

It's worth remembering that Bajor wasn't actually part of the Federation.

[Deledrius]

I admit I don't see any utopian Trek anymore and that makes me sad.

Same.

[McAvoy]

I admit I don't see any utopian Trek anymore and that makes me sad.

Same.

I haven't viewed them as Utopian since TNG went off the air. Somewhere in DS9 I started to develop the idea that the Federation as a whole thought itself as utopian. That eventually was changed to the planet, or members but everywhere else isn't. Like Earth, Utopian. Planet Alpha Goku Vegeta not so much with their blood sports for example.

Yar's homeplanet where there were literal rape gangs should raise questions and that during Gene's highest level of contribution in TNG.