Folks, I don't mean to 'hate on' any franchise.
Sometimes, the truth hurts. Doctor Who isn't as healthy as he's once been. Star Wars best days look like they, too, were a long time ago. Marvel at present is experiencing a relatively resurgence thanks in no small part to the team-up of Deadpool and Wolverine, but otherwise? Well, the MouseHouse has really hurt that intellectuall property as well. And ... Gene Roddenberry's Star Trek? Argh. I really don't wanna commit ink to my honest thoughts, so let's just leave it this way: few are going where many used to go before.
Again, that isn't hating exactly because it's my opinion backed up by ratings. Since chucking the Final Frontier behind the paywall that is now Paramount+ -- after several name changes and rebrandings, I might add -- Star Trek has largely returned culturally to what it really was in the late 1960's when it first aired on television: a niche show. It really didn't ignite the following that it enjoyed in the 1970's and 1980's until man landed on the moon -- for those unaware, the original series was absolute gangbusters in TV syndication (ask your parents, kids) -- and both the classic cast and the Next Generation crew rode that wave as long as was possible. But today? Well, no one really watches it any more -- really, there's no need to debate this, people -- and it's returned to the state wherein Roddenberry launched it for the few, the proud, the space marines. How fitting, am I right?
Well, Alex Kurtzman has done just about everything humanly possible to -- ahem -- recreate Star Trek for a modern audience. If by 'modern audience' one means 'no audience,' then he's an unqualified success! Gone is Trek's ability to spin yarns meant to teach everyone about morality and the like; and I really don't think it'll return to that prowess ever. I really don't. It's dead, Jim, and it ain't coming back. At best, Strange New Worlds occasionally looks like its writers understood that original formula, but that incarnation's second season was -- ahem -- just God awful. At this juncture, I'm fine with re-runs and the like; and if you like it then more power to you. It just ain't for me, and that's perfectly okay. Sad. But okay.
In any event ...
Kurtzman tried for quite some time to bring an even darker iteration to the masses: his fascination with the Federation's once super-secret Section 31 -- a dark ops division -- had the man promising what he felt would be an interesting counterpoint to the United Federation Of Planets enduring grace and goodness in the galaxy. After several years of using whatever clout he has, it looks like the suits at Paramount+ finally gave him a check: this past weekend, a teaser trailer for a solo movie event -- appropriately named Section 31 -- was dumped at San Diego's Comic Con. While I've watched it, I can assure you that I have absolutely no idea what it'll be about: the trailer truly reveals nothing but some snappy totalitarian and narcissistic dialogue, meaning that -- once again -- this is most likely no Trek I'd possibly recognize.
The trailer is below. You know what to do.
Sometimes, the truth hurts. Doctor Who isn't as healthy as he's once been. Star Wars best days look like they, too, were a long time ago. Marvel at present is experiencing a relatively resurgence thanks in no small part to the team-up of Deadpool and Wolverine, but otherwise? Well, the MouseHouse has really hurt that intellectuall property as well. And ... Gene Roddenberry's Star Trek? Argh. I really don't wanna commit ink to my honest thoughts, so let's just leave it this way: few are going where many used to go before.
Again, that isn't hating exactly because it's my opinion backed up by ratings. Since chucking the Final Frontier behind the paywall that is now Paramount+ -- after several name changes and rebrandings, I might add -- Star Trek has largely returned culturally to what it really was in the late 1960's when it first aired on television: a niche show. It really didn't ignite the following that it enjoyed in the 1970's and 1980's until man landed on the moon -- for those unaware, the original series was absolute gangbusters in TV syndication (ask your parents, kids) -- and both the classic cast and the Next Generation crew rode that wave as long as was possible. But today? Well, no one really watches it any more -- really, there's no need to debate this, people -- and it's returned to the state wherein Roddenberry launched it for the few, the proud, the space marines. How fitting, am I right?
Well, Alex Kurtzman has done just about everything humanly possible to -- ahem -- recreate Star Trek for a modern audience. If by 'modern audience' one means 'no audience,' then he's an unqualified success! Gone is Trek's ability to spin yarns meant to teach everyone about morality and the like; and I really don't think it'll return to that prowess ever. I really don't. It's dead, Jim, and it ain't coming back. At best, Strange New Worlds occasionally looks like its writers understood that original formula, but that incarnation's second season was -- ahem -- just God awful. At this juncture, I'm fine with re-runs and the like; and if you like it then more power to you. It just ain't for me, and that's perfectly okay. Sad. But okay.
In any event ...
Kurtzman tried for quite some time to bring an even darker iteration to the masses: his fascination with the Federation's once super-secret Section 31 -- a dark ops division -- had the man promising what he felt would be an interesting counterpoint to the United Federation Of Planets enduring grace and goodness in the galaxy. After several years of using whatever clout he has, it looks like the suits at Paramount+ finally gave him a check: this past weekend, a teaser trailer for a solo movie event -- appropriately named Section 31 -- was dumped at San Diego's Comic Con. While I've watched it, I can assure you that I have absolutely no idea what it'll be about: the trailer truly reveals nothing but some snappy totalitarian and narcissistic dialogue, meaning that -- once again -- this is most likely no Trek I'd possibly recognize.
The trailer is below. You know what to do.
As always, thanks for reading ... thanks for sharing ... thanks for being a fan ... and live long and prosper!
-- EZ
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