Rewatched Star Trek

[seriousfic]

Fun, even when you can't see the line for the next showing waiting outside as you leave. And scream "Kirk is Spock's father!" at them.

Things I Want For The Sequel

*More supporting character love. Nowadays the TOS crew is pretty lilly-white and Y-chromosome in comparison to more modern ensembles, so liven things up. Nurse Chapel, Number One (and yes, she needs to be there because there should be SOMEONE with experience on the bridge, movie), Yeoman Rand, M'Ress, Arex, Carol Marcus, Gaila, new characters... can there be a lesbian head of security who wears a wifebeater under her uniform and wields those groovy TOS phaser rifles? All for, say aye? All opposed? Thought so.

*Total fantard here, but Trelane versus Q in an interstellar chess match, with the Squire's Ent-A crew against Q's Ent-E crew. Because John DeLancie is just that great as Q that it'd be a shame to never see him in the movies or squaring off against the TOS crew, the Squire of Gothos is bugfuck crazy enough to correct Star Trek XI's villain deficiency, and let's face it, Nemesis was a piss-poor send-off to the TNG crew. Have them spend most of the movie fighting each other to preserve "their" timeline, with debate among both crews about if what they're doing is right, then at the end they realize they're being manipulated (with some hinting from Q), team up, and wreck Trelane's shit by destroying his power source. Possibly by having Kirk ask a computer about the meaning of love. And maybe with some classic City On The Edge Of Forever craziness of having the destruction of the Kelvin and the ensuing deviations somehow dooming the entire universe unless someone makes a painful sacrifice.

YES, I AM THAT FAN, SHUT UP, I WANT IT. Plus, it'd correct the whole canon hole in STXI of the Romulans sitting around for 25 years without the Time Cops doing jack shit to correct the timeline. Q did it for the lulz!

Plus, would Q have a chance to snark on the Organians? SHIT YES HE WOULD!

*Andorians and Tellarites. I love those crazy fuckers. CLAP IF YOU LOVE SHRAN.

*Harry Mudd. You know you want that jive-ass motherfucker to be all up in Enterprise's shit, until he turns out to happen to have the McGuffin necessary to save the day. WHAT.

Comments

[box-in-the-box.livejournal.com]

Gaila is awesome, and it saddens me how little love she is getting.

[seriousfic.livejournal.com]

She is a FREED ORION SLAVE GIRL WHO FELL IN LOVE WITH JAMES KIRK. Plus, she and Uhura apparently regularly undress and lounge around in lingerie around each other. Really, now, I don't see how pillow-fights and practice-kissing is out of the question.

Now admit how awesome Jim Broadbent would be as Harry Mudd! You know it'd be so badass they'd have to invent a new word for badass!

[box-in-the-box.livejournal.com]

Actually, more than that - if any vestige of Enterprise canon is still intact (and judging by the line about Admiral Archer's beagle, it's a good bet), then she willingly renounced a life as one of the true "masters" in her society, and was able to buck not only all sorts of sexist societal enculturation among her own people, but also to overcome the prejudices of the rest of the Federation (humans may not be racist toward other humans, but Bones' remarks show that, just as in the original series, racist attitudes toward certain non-humans are still tolerated), to become what appears to be the first and only Orion girl in Starfleet Academy history. AND YET, everyone writes her off. This would not be a "dumb" or a "weak" woman - she COULDN'T be, in order to achieve what she did.

I'm trying to think what role would best suit an Orion girl on ship - is there a rank specialty for "sociology"? Considering how well Orion girls are trained to seduce men of other cultures, I can see her having some native insights. Plus, it'd make sense that she'd be friends with Uhura (her specialty would cross over into Uhura's communications role) and Spock (hey, it's science).

[seriousfic.livejournal.com]

Given that the crew of the NX-01 Enterprise found out about Orion women running the Syndicate, I can only conclude that the stereotype persists because it's true in some or most cases, because by its very nature the Federation should run down inaccurate stereotypes quickly. Take a look at how quickly our culture has gone from "feet don't fail me now!" black characters in film to Will Smith. There's no way the Federation should be slower in phasing out prejudice than that.

So either "Orion slave girls" are the exception or there's a mob run by female capos passing themselves off as slave girls, which is more likely. Plus, it's the explanation that makes Enterprise less canon, which is always nice.

If she's roommates with Uhura, she's probably in some sort of communications-related department (they were also being given assignments together). Maybe some kind of proto-Troi counselor position, albeit much more useful when the emphasis is on figuring out civilizations upon first contact, getting the lay of the land from street smarts and slang, that kind of thing. Imagine her beaming over to meet and greet with a Klingon Bird of Prey, not being taken seriously, then reporting back with what family the Klingons are and what they're probably up to based on their current standing in the Empire.

I could also see her being friends with a Deltan (they could probably bond over unfair sexual stereotypes, because imagine all the Federation frat boys who'd try to get into Orion/Deltan pants. Which makes Kirk EVEN MORE of a mack daddy, because he pulled it off and went where no man had gone before) and one of those sentient cetaceans that serve on the Enterprise in the books, just because those guys are awesome. I mean, Enterprise has an aquarium deck? EFF YEAH.

[box-in-the-box.livejournal.com]

Hm. You raise good points, but on the other hand, I like the Orion "slave girls" actually being the secret mob bosses, because it lets the Star Trek universe retain all those Barsoom! trappings, without any of the guilt of getting off to what amounts to a Gorean scenario.

So, would Gaila wear red, for communications, or blue, for science?

[seriousfic.livejournal.com]

So, would Gaila wear red, for communications, or blue, for science?

Isn't she required by Trek law to wear some kind of tight-fitting non-regulation catsuit that would never in a million years be worn on a real military vessel? Because she, uh... needs to keep her pheromones in check and an even slightly sensible uniform wouldn't work?

[box-in-the-box.livejournal.com]

Fie upon you.

Starfleet miniskirts are sexier, and expose more skin, and when one of the character's sexier attributes is her green skin, that shit needs to be showed off. Red would be most flattering for her, since it'd make for the best contrast with her green skin (and compliment her red hair and lips), but sociology (or "xenopology," or whatever the future word is for her speciality) is more science. :(

[seriousfic.livejournal.com]

"Number One"-style turtleneck and long pants. Because she should wear something that would make people take her seriously (and you know she'd be wearing something ridiculously hot underneath).

[box-in-the-box.livejournal.com]

Compromise - old-school one-piece miniskirt with long sleeves, which actually conceals more skin than movie!Uhura's midriff-exposing tanktop and miniskirt combo, but still shows off her skin in all the right areas, especially if it has that cushioned-but-loose sweaterneck opening like Nurse Chapel had.

And blue or red, man? I needs to know!

[seriousfic.livejournal.com]

Red, since as you said, Nurse Chapel will have the blue uniform covered. But with a black tanktop and briefs underneath for the very necessary, not at all gratuitous fanservice scene.

With the additional proviso that Orion women are bisexual and polygamous, since as long as you're doing a fanservice species, you might as well explore the implications of that fanservice. Like, if she's Kirk's fuckbuddy, does she still require an emotional commitment from him? Does she expect him to keep the relationship secret or public? How does a cross-culture relationship work?

In comparison, Uhura/Spock would be downright boring compared to independent Orion woman/womanizing Earthman.

[box-in-the-box.livejournal.com]

But with a black tanktop sports bra and briefs thong underneath for the very necessary, not at all gratuitous fanservice scene.

Fixed.

With the additional proviso that Orion women are bisexual and polygamous [...]

Um, DUH.

[seriousfic.livejournal.com]

A thong? Damnit, man, show some restraint! The thong is for when she goes to Risa!

[box-in-the-box.livejournal.com]

It would be a relatively modest thong. :P

[seriousfic.livejournal.com]

You can't mix these things around! If it's a thong, she should be wearing a half-cup bra, both red. If it's a sports bra (if not a tanktop), she should be wearing boy-cut panties.

Of course, either way she should keep on either a phaser holster or a shoulder-strapped tricorder.

[jlbarnett.livejournal.com]

It's a little sexist but I had this idea of Q and Q2 jumping through various time periods and Q2 wondering about the women's uniform. Q explains humanoid women(who aren't chattel or anything like that) inevitably frequently cycle through periods of "My body is a beautiful thing and it is mine, therefore I can display it however I want," to "I am more than my body, you will stop staring and objectifying me," to explain why they wore miniskirts as official uniforms future.

[box-in-the-box.livejournal.com]

And yes, I hadn't even thought of it, but Broadbent!Mudd would be win.

[seriousfic.livejournal.com]

Now we just need someone batshit OTT enough to play Trelane (and keep up with Q, because I'm still That Fan). Hmmmm... Michael Rosenbaum? Smallville is shit, but even its detractors must admit the guy can pull off comedy and pure evil villainy well. Take the psycho-and-loving-it Lex of Onyx and ramp up the scenery-chewing and you'd be off to a good start.

[box-in-the-box.livejournal.com]

As long as you imply that Trelane is Q's younger brother ...

Actually, what needs to happen in the sequel, even if it's only a subplot, is for Khan to be reintroduced, so that he and Kirk can have a relatively low-scale conflict, and then, two movies later, Khan can come back with a vengeance.

[seriousfic.livejournal.com]

Actually, going by the books, Trelane is Q's illegitimate son...

Yeah, Peter David's record wasn't flawless even before he blew up Scans_Daily.

Still, I'd be willing to accept any familial connection between Trelane and Q, even though it'd have the 'cest-fangirls pulling overtime.

And Khan could be one of the minions Q pulls in to fuck up the Ent-A. And Trelane could counter with Seven of Nine... shit, this fanfic could be 200K, easy, if only I could find someone to do the crappy Photoshop banners!

[box-in-the-box.livejournal.com]

With the passing of Ricardo Montalban, the next movie Khan really deserves an origin that's specific to the NuTrek timeline, though.

[seriousfic.livejournal.com]

Kirk could be the one who suggests to Q that instead of killing Khan or putting him back into cryo-freeze, he be marooned on an uninhabited planet instead. Then you can have Khan trying to get revenge on both Kirk and Q, the latter preferably in a way that would utterly fuck up the universe. That would hopefully dispel some of the deja vu of a Kirk Vs. Khan movie.

[box-in-the-box.livejournal.com]

You're making the fannish mistake of overcomplicating things, I think. This is why I say, stick Khan's first appearance in as a slow-burn subplot, then follow it up a few movies later. It's already going to be different, purely for the fact that Kirk will be much, much younger than he was when his previous self fought Khan.

[seriousfic.livejournal.com]

It's hard to make it different enough to be worthwhile while still being recognizable. Wrath of Khan is already the definitive Kirk/Khan story at its most streamlined, archetypal level. They might be better served just going an entirely different route altogether, like making Kirk and Khan team up for whatever reason. After all, no one's going to top Montalban's performance anyway.

[box-in-the-box.livejournal.com]

True. :(

That's really the only loss of old!Trek continuity that hurts me - everything else, in many ways, actually has the potential to wind up better than before in the retelling, kind of like Spider-Man's origin (hey, Byrne's "Chapter One" and JMS's totems sucked, but Raimi's means of tying the burglar into Uncle Ben's death was BRILLIANT), but Khan ... yeah, The Wrath of Khan is to Star Trek what "The Night Gwen Stacy Died" is to Spider-Man. You'll NEVER tell it better.

[seriousfic.livejournal.com]

I'd prefer they either avoid it altogether or do the kind of riff that requires a familiarity with the original, as has popped up far too infrequently in the Ultimateverse.

[seriousfic.livejournal.com]

There's also the element of datedness to consider. At the time, The Night Gwen Stacy Died was shocking and edgy, but nowadays diminishing returns have taken their toll. You have to say "Amazing Man's girlfriend was murdered and raped and cannibalized and EVIL ALL ALONG" to even raise an eyebrow, so all you end up with is the narm DC has been peddling for the last decade.

Similarly, City On The Edge of Forever was transgressive at the time, but nowadays, Joss Whedon and RTD have flooded the marketplace with relationships that end tragically -- Death by Emmy reel. Uhura/Spock actually going the distance would nowadays be just as shocking as the famous Kirk/Uhura kiss was back in the day.

[box-in-the-box.livejournal.com]

Good points.

[seriousfic.livejournal.com]

Alternately, Nathan Fillion. You'd just have lightswitch his character from Castle and give him a Ren Faire fetish. And he could do the classic Star Trek ploy of dressing himself and Captain Kirk up as cowboys for a showdown. FANGASM!

[seriousfic.livejournal.com]

SHIT! NO! HOW COULD I BE SO BLIND? David Tennant was BORN to play Trelane, who is just a mirror universe version of the Doctor anyway! God-like being who likes screwing with mortals for his own enjoyment, reliance on technology to amp up his omnipotence, a young member of his cosmic-powered race looked down upon for rebelling and being immature?

JESUS FUCKING CHRIST, HOW MANY PEOPLE DO I HAVE TO KILL TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN AND WHAT ARE THEIR NAMES!?!?!?

[box-in-the-box.livejournal.com]

You'll laugh, but I was just about to post that. Actually, before I thought of Tennant, your note about comic villainy had me thinking of Eccleston, who clearly has no qualms with whoring himself out to a toy-rrific franchise.

[seriousfic.livejournal.com]

Only Tennant could pull off "THEY MUST HANG FROM THE NECK UNTIL DEAD DEAD DEAD!"

[seriousfic.livejournal.com]

Although, would that make Vash into Q's faithful companion?

[box-in-the-box.livejournal.com]

Vash is to Q as Bernice Summerfield is to the Doctor.

And DeLancie must play Q, until he's too old to do so.

[seriousfic.livejournal.com]

Which makes Picard the Brigadier.

[seriousfic.livejournal.com]

HOLY.



SHIT.

[jlbarnett.livejournal.com]

so, what subjects could/should be touched on in sequels(note I haven't seen this yet)

The Mirror Universe
Klingons(obviously)
Khan
Tribbles
TNG
First contact with various TNG races, such as Betazoids and Cardassians

[seriousfic.livejournal.com]

Q. John deLancie's performance is just so iconic that it deserves one last go-around, and having him as the plot will prevent it from turning into YET ANOTHER "megalomaniac with a sci-fi superweapon wants to blow up the Earth (or assorted other planets) for nonsensical reasons" movie.

[mcity.livejournal.com]

>M'Ress

Opposed. Take it from me, you do not want to encourage the furries.

>those groovy TOS phaser rifles?

I'm not sure what those are even for. What settings do you really need besides "stun" and "kill"? "Fricassee"?

[seriousfic.livejournal.com]

Opposed. Take it from me, you do not want to encourage the furries.

Catgirls are grandfathered in as falling under standard perverse sexual interests, not furfaggery. How else do you explain Tigra?

I'm not sure what those are even for. What settings do you really need besides "stun" and "kill"? "Fricassee"?

They're for "blowing shit up". Did you see anyone getting disintegrated by phasers in XI? What about when you need to launch a grenade of phased-energy? Phaser rifle.