Section 31

[Al-1701]

The thing is, doing something new with Trek is stupid easy. You create a ship, you create a crew who represent different aspects of the human condition, and you send them out into the Galaxy to explore. That is what Star Trek is. Add in a little gimmick and you're go to go. That's what Lower Decks and Prodigy did and they're now the darlings of the new era.

And Section 31 could've done this only exploring the seedy underbelly where angels fear to tread. Yet it failed with the characters, it failed these characters. Again, these characters as a concept could have done so much, but just annoyed each other and the audience.

[Thebestoftherest]

It doesn't help that since coming back they refuse to establish what normal star trek is in this era.

[BridgeConsoleMasher]

And we've derailed the conversation about Section 31. Though, what more is there to say about it.

Nothing, because it's just another example of the Morbus having hit Star Trek. You either get shows that have little in common with the original beyond tid-bits of lore and characters or even actors, but is going to careen off the rails at transwarp as soon as you blink. Or you get a show that desperately tries to retread already walked paths in order to appease the fans, but doesn't actually add anything of worth or advances the stories, other than introducuing mediocre fanfiction rewriting.

I think Strange New Worlds worked out much better than anyone was anticipating. Not only was Pike somewhat of a godsend for S2 discovery with an extremely fitting take on the character and setting, but they managed to use the opportunity to make a very coherent cross between the Monet'ish essence of Roddenbary trek with the flipped over rigid story webbing that TNG exhibited. I'm taking this in with consideration to what you're saying about retooling past conventions, but I think the show is appreciable in itself.

[Al-1701]

They're just throwing things against the wall to see what sticks. Frankly, I think all Viacom sees Star Trek as is something to push Paramount Plus. Maybe Skydance will sit these people down and make them actually define their vision for Trek beyond whatever idea pops in their heads, but I'll believe it when I see it.

[CharlesPhipps]

Strange New Worlds is weird in how aside from it and Prodigy, it is the only Trek that seems interested in optimism and diplomacy.

As for Paramount+, Star Trek and a half dozen other shows are all people watch on Paramount+ so there's a reason they suddenly made a dozen shows.

Halo sadly bombed after strong opening.

[BridgeConsoleMasher]

They're just throwing things against the wall to see what sticks. Frankly, I think all Viacom sees Star Trek as is something to push Paramount Plus. Maybe Skydance will sit these people down and make them actually define their vision for Trek beyond whatever idea pops in their heads, but I'll believe it when I see it.

They're doing what other studios are doing in terms of constructing a streaming house that can emulate their momentum under the older commercial model. Disney, and Warner are putting out consistent efforts with consistent end results that people are still largely dissatisfied with when comparing it strictly to the movies and shows that were made yesterday and happened to hold up.

[CharlesPhipps]

The ending of the movie suffers from the fact that whoever writes Hollywood blockbusters is a sociopath.

Billions of dead people but it's okay because they're evil.

It reminds me of whoever wrote all the First Order as child soldiers and didn't realize that made it monstrous to kill them.

[hammerofglass]

My read was that the writer forgot his own explanation about how the bomb worked and it just blew up the stable portal, klling nobody including the people holding it in their hands.

[Fuzzy Necromancer]

Strange New Worlds is weird in how aside from it and Prodigy, it is the only Trek that seems interested in optimism and diplomacy.

What, is Lower Decks chopped liver? Lower Decks is optimistic as shit!

Also, apparently they did one thing that's on-brand for Trek: poor handling of the Irish

[Nobody700]

So watched Jessie Gender's video on it. While I'm not a fan of her content, she and I are in agreement that the show treating Section 31 as cool and necessary spits in the face of Trek, and just comes off as 'Yeah we need the CIA to waterboard people, how else will freedom and democracy spread?'