#if they don’t like Star Trek they need to make their own original show and call it something else PLEASE

[hang-on-lil-tomato]

Rhys Darby on Faux Trek

ok…my emotions are so opposed. I am so happy for Rhys to get such a prominent role on this show…for a season opener. Yay Rhys ! The overnight sensation that took 30 years! On the other hand, I’m an old skool ORIGINAL REAL Star Trek. The new stuff isn’t trek at all. The trailer has a cgi space battle and the big solution they arrive at is ramming the ship. I can’t count how many times they did that in Berman Trek. It’s a cliche of chiches. It’s NOT at all like a real Star Trek battle. It’s more like Star Wars, with the ship ramming thing shoved in. The images are dark, not bright like the TOS by necessity had to be lit.

they’ve only told us Rhys will be a “legacy character”. Because gawd forbid they invent a new concept or character. Gotta get those memberberries in at every opportunity.

Here are my guesses: he’s going to be a Q, some kind of all powerful god being. Maybe a Trelane type.

Faux trek writers don’t have very much imagination, so that my initial idea.

when Cumberbatch announced he was Kahn—ugh… ludicrous idea. So that tells me the writers don’t know much about Star Trek except for a couple movies and maybe they saw Space Seed, but I doubt it. They’re writing really bad fan fiction, because at least fans KNOW the material they’re writing about.

bottom line: happy for rhys; disgusted with calling this stuff “star trek” when the showrunners and writers have such disdain for the original source material.

[fancoloredglasses]

The Tribble Saga (what happens when invasive species come to the Federation (oh, the irony!)), Part 1: The Trouble With Tribbles/Trials and Tribble-ations

[All images are owned by Paramount. Please don’t sue me]

Of all of the ridiculous episodes Star Trek (the Original Series) has done (and let’s not forget that among those episodes we were treated to a planet of modern Romans, a planet of gangsters, a planet of Nazis, and space hippies), there is one bout of silliness that is fondly remembered by fans. That would be the episode featuring these little guys:

However, as Star Trek expanded beyond the Original Series, there were two other episodes that featured the Tribbles (including one that revisited the original episode thanks to *sigh* time travel)

I would like to note that it took me 40 years to realize that the original series episode that started this all was about the dangers of introducing an invasive species into a favorable environment.

Anyway, on with the saga, which starts nearly a century after it begins. If you would like to watch the episodes in question, they’re available on Paramount+ or behind your favorite paywall.

We open with a shuttle approaching Deep Space Nine

(Thanks to Mike Johnson)

And what was the Enterprise up to at this point?

We begin with an info dump about Sherman’s Planet, a world in dispute between the Klingons and the Federation, with colonization rights ultimately given to whomever can most efficiently develop it.

Suddenly, the Enterprise receives a Priority-One Distress Call from K-7, a space station on the border of Klingon space. Kirk assumes the Klingons are attacking the station and rushes to the station, phasers hot, to find no Klingons. If they has been and gone, the station would likely be nothing but debris. Surely K-7 didn’t send out a false alarm?

Kirk contacts K-7 to find out what the hell is going on. The director of the station (Director Lurry) apologizes and asks Kirk to beam over to explain why he issued the false alarm.

With that, Kirk and Spock beam over to K-7, where they encounter…

Nilz Baris, a diplomat from Earth who is now in charge of the development of Sherman’s Planet.

…and his assistant, Arne Darvin.

Varis drafts the crew of the Enterprise to guard the storage compartments in K-7, as they are filled with quadrotriticale, a genetically altered grain designed specifically to thrive on Sherman’s Planet.

(If you think I’m gonna keep typing quadrotriticale throughout this review, you’ve got another think coming! From here on out, I’m just gonna call it “grain”)

Well, as long as the Enterprise is stuck at K-7, Kirk authorizes shore leave for the crew while off-duty.

Back in the present, Sisko explains that Waddle stunned the crewman guarding the Orb and used it to send the Defiant over a century into the past to the Enterprise’s mission to Deep Space Station K-7.

[QUICK NOTE: The producers of DS9 managed to cast Charlie Bill (the actor who played Darvin in The Trouble With Tribbles) as Darvin in this episode]

Worf explains that Darvin was altered to look human and was a spy, but his mission failed and he was disgraced and left the Empire. Unfortunately, Worf isn’t sure if Darvin beamed to the Enterprise of K-7, so he has the teams split up to search both crafts.

Sisko tasks the crew to find Darvin before he can do what he came to this time to do (whether warn his younger self about his future, or even murder Kirk), but to do that, they’ll need to disguise themselves (after all, those stylish Federation “grease monkey” uniforms won’t exactly blend in with 23rd century garb, not to mention the fact that they have a Klingon among them!), so they have the replicator make them uniforms.

Obviously, history isn’t Bashir’s strong suit (also, I think his “23rd century” hairstyle makes him look more dorky than usual). Then Dax shows up in her minidress uniform.

Keep it in your pants, Julian!

Using Treknobabble, O’Brien explains that there are moments of “blind spots” in the Enterprise’s sensors that will allow the Defiant to decloak long enough to use the transporters (well, that closes one plot hole, at least) The human members of the command crew will search the Enterprise while Worf and Odo search K-7 and Kira coordinates the teams and takes command of the Defiant.

With that, the humans beam aboard (Sisko and Dax in the fore with Bashir and O’Brien in the aft) However, they have a comical bit of culture shock when they don’t know how to operate a 23rd century turbolift.

(Thanks again to Mike Johnson)

Worf has a seat (FAR from the Tribble) and explains his dislike of the creature.

Odo then mocks the Klingons, who committed genocide and destroyed the Tribbles’ homeworld for good measure.

Back at the bar, the trader (Cyrano Jones), sells his Tribble to Uhura, but not before the Tribble eats the sample of the grain Chekov was carrying.

Suddenly, alarms blare throughout K-7 and the Enterprise! Sisko checks in with Kira, who reports a Klingon battle cruiser is approaching K-7.(Well, THAT can’t be good! Did they find out there was a Tribble peddler on K-7?)

Kirk warns Lurry about the Klingons, but Lurry doesn’t seem worried about an attack, since the Klingons’ captain is in his office.

Kirk immediately beams down to talk to the captain, a Klingon named Koloth.

And what did Koloth want with K-7?

(Thanks to April 5, 2063)

Dax recalls Kurzon Dax knew Koloth and wants to transport to the station to meet Koloth help Odo and Worf. Sisko sends Bashir and O’Brien instead.

(Thanks to Dputiger)

Back on the Enterprise, Kirk and Spock enter the Lounge to discover Uhura’s Tribble has had a litter. Spock notes that the cooing from the Tribble has a soothing effect on humans.

…he says as he’s gently petting the Tribble. McCoy takes one of the Tribbles to analyze in Sickbay.

Meanwhile, Sisko and Dax spot…

(I do enjoy seeing the Forrest Gump effects being used to integrate the two casts)

…Baris contacting Kirk to chew him out about letting the Klingons on K-7.

Dax admires the pair from afar.

Sisko comments on Kirk’s reputation with the opposite gender.

Dax is amazed that Sisko doesn’t want to meet Kirk. Sisko admits he does, but it’s more important to find Darvin and not pollute the timeline.

Meanwhile, Kirk goes to Sickbay to deal with the dual headaches caused by Baris and the Klingons, when he sees the Tribble Uhura gave McCoy…or, should I say…Tribbles!

McCoy figures out that a Tribble’s internals are geared toward making more Tribbles, but he needs to further examine them.

Kirk addresses the crewmen going on shore leave, telling them to avoid conflict with the Klingons, and leaving Scotty in charge to keep them out of trouble.

On K-7, Bashir and O’Brien spot the others in the lounge.

(Once again, thanks to Mike Johnson)

[Clearly, that “Long Story” Worf is referring to is “Brannon Braga couldn’t be bothered to come up with a plausible explanation before the scripts were finalized and shooting began”]

Anyway, the Klingon kept goading Kirk, and when that didn’t work, the Enterprise.

Well, you can insult Kirk all day, but NO ONE insults the Enterprise in front of Scotty and gets away with it!

With that, the bar erupts into an all-out brawl!

Even Worf gets in on the fun on the Starfleet side (at least he knows where his loyalties lie) until Odo spots Darvin and they go to apprehend him. However…

…Security shows up and detains all Starfleet personnel. Kirk then dresses down all of his (and Sisko’s) men involved.

No one rats out Scotty, so everyone is confined to quarters and dismissed…except Scotty. Kirk wants to know from the one who was supposed to prevent this sort of thing who started the brawl.

When Kirk heard the insults thrown by the Klingons at himself and the Enterprise, he understood, but still had to punish Scotty.

Since Bashir and O’Brien have no official quarters on the Enterprise, they wander off randomly until they run into…

That can’t be good!

It’s not all bad news for the crew of the Defiant, as Odo and Worf have captured Darvin, who reveals he’s set in motion a plan to murder Kirk.

(Thanks to April 5, 2063)

And so…

…they scan Every. Single. Tribble. Unfortunately, the Tribbles are breeding MUCH faster than they can scan!

Fortunately, Dax has a brainstorm: the bomb must be somewhere that Kirk will be in the next half hour or so, so the new plan is to shadow Kirk and hope they scan the bomb before it goes off.

Meanwhile Kirk has Cyrano Jones brought in to deal with the Tribble problem. Jones says he’s done nothing wrong, despite the fact that the Tribbles are breeding out of control. At that, he saunters out of Lurry’s office as Baris storms in with a bone to pick with Kirk.

He accuses Kirk of allowing a Klingon spy free reign over the station, namely one Cyrano Jones. Kirk all but laughs in Baris’s face, having thoroughly checked Jones’s background.

Later, Dax and Sisko are in the Enterprise lounge when Kirk comes in for lunch.

Then Scotty comes in and announces the Tribbles have gotten into the air ducts, and Kirk realizes there are similar ducts leading to the storage compartments on K-7 (where the grain is stored), so Kirk and Spock rush to the transporter, and Sisko and Dax get beamed to the storage compartment and quickly start scanning as Kirk gets to the storage container and opens it.

(Thanks to Giant Giant Kelp Restoration Project)

And as this happens, inside the bin…

(Thanks to Star Trek Clips)

…and no one noticed the explosion?

But the last of that clip is getting a bit ahead of ourselves. We’ll circle back to that as Kirk has Cyrano Jones brought to Lurry’s office as Koloth also enters, demanding that Kirk apologize to the Klingon High Command for how the Klingons were treated while on shore leave.

Baris says that such an apology will be basically handing them Sherman’s Planet. However, Kirk first wants to know how the Tribbles wound up in the grain and what killed them before he gives the Klingons the time of day, let alone an apology. Koloth asks that, before proceeding, the Tribbles that have settled in Lurry’s office be removed.

As Security removes the Tribbles, Darvin enters.

Kirk asks Jones why the Tribbles are acting like that. Jones says he’s only seen that sort of reaction with Klingons. Kirk then takes the Tribbles and tests them against the people in the room first the Klingons, which causes them to screech once again.

Then Spock, whom they like.

Followed by Baris, whom they also like.

But yet, they screech at Darvin. Kirk asks McCoy to scan Darvin.

McCoy then gives his report on what killed the Tribbles in the storage compartment: the grain they ate was poisoned! Under threat of being locked in a room with the Tribbles, Darvis confesses to sabotaging the grain. As Darvin is arrested, Kirk tells Koloth to get his ship the hell back to Klingon space.

As for Jones…

(Thanks again to April 5, 2063)

By this time, Kira had learned how to use the Orb of Time to return the ship to the present.

(Thanks one last time, Mike)

[NOTE: The scene with Kirk and Sisko was NOT from The Trouble With Tribbles, but Mirror Mirror, with Sicko replacing Lt. Moreau]

…and so Odo managed to re-introduce the Tribbles to the galaxy thanks to the wonders on time travel. I suppose the crew could round them all up and send them through the Wormhole? If this happened in Season 6, they could’ve been a nasty “gift” for the Dominion!

However, this wasn’t their only appearance before the Klingons Wiped Them Out For Good (only for Odo to ruin all of their hard work)

[exo127wayv]

get to know your tumblr mutuals tag💗

tagged by @nfly5 & @daehyunjung 💓 thank you 🫶🏻 and I’m sorry it took me so long lol

1. what's the origin of your username?

exo, nct 127 and wayv are my all time fav groups :)

2. OTP(s) + shipname

star trek: mspirk/triumvirate! (aos&tos) + any ship with mccoy ;)

idolish7: pythagoras trio (mitsuki/yamato/nagi)

enstars: noritama (shinobu/tetora/midori)

these are all pretty casual except for mcspirk lmao and yes apparently I like trio ships

3. song stuck in my head

satanized by ghost

4. weirdest habit/trait

when I get into something I let it completely consume my entire life lmao I get very fixated on stuff

5. hobbies

my biggest hobby is collecting things lol I my main collections are kpop (albums & photocards), enstars merch and cards, and one piece zoro things~ I also love drawing and painting, digital art journaling, playing rhythm games, and watching various things lol

6. if you work, what's your profession?

it’s hard to describe my job tbh. But fire alarm safety and maintenance dispatch at a hospital.

7. if you could have any job you wish what would you have?

marine biologist (like I wish I could just snap my fingers and just have the knowledge and certification lol)

8. something you're good at

sleeping

9. something you hate

i could list an endless amount of serious things that are frustrating and a very real problem but I’ll just do a couple random things that irrationally make me furious lol

my neighbors that put their trash loose in our trashcan and the trash guys don’t take it because it’s not in a bag so we have to clean up after our neighbors 😭

10. something you forget

so much lol but honestly to live more. I forget that to actually live. I tend to just go to work and go home and spend my days off rotting at home.

11. your love language

I think mine is either words of affirmation or quality time

12. favourite movies/shows

shows: star trek the original series!! pushing daisies, the x files, hannibal, scooby doo lol

anime: one piece, fullmetal alchemist brotherhood, hunter x hunter, inuyasha

movies: CLUE! the addams family, the fall and any scooby doo movies tbh

13. what were you like as a child?

very sensitive…and worried about getting in trouble. I’d say I was a pretty obedient child lol

14. favourite subject in school

history or some kind of art or band

15. least favourite subject

math!!!! I’m so bad at it

16. what's your best/worst character trait?

best: empathetic?

worst: I am my own worst enemy and biggest hater.

17. if you could change any detail of your life right now, what would it be?

I don’t really know. I mean maybe make myself not mentally ill? Actually I think I’d just make it so I never had migraines ever again. But like I would also be fine making myself never have to worry about money again. Like I could just like yeah that sounds good to eat let’s get dinner out tonight and I could afford it you know? Like I need new work pants and I could just go buy some and not have to save up for them 😭

18. if you could travel in time, who would you like to meet?

I really don’t have an answer for this one.

tagging:

@kokaibop @sheawolfmp3 @kimkaitual @sehnista @stanbap @honeydewtual @oomfy @exosnoona and anyone else that wants to do it! pls don’t feel pressured to do this and sorry if you get tagged more than once to do it I didn’t check 😭

[etherealspacejelly]

Alright, I saw you talking about your OC and now I’m curious!

So here, have a few OC questions(and also take this as an opportunity to tell me more about them)

1) Tell me something about your OC! Introduce them to me, if you please. Also, do you have more than one OC? If yes, tell me about them! :D

2) How did you actually make your OC? Is it for some specific reason (book/animatic/RP/whatever)? Or did you just really want to make a special guy to rotate in your brain?

3) I saw you talking about enjoying looking through your OC’s eyes, do they have a very different world view from you? How do you come up with what the character would act like in any given situation?

4) And speaking of, what is a situation that your OC would absolutely hate being in? Like, their personal hell? (I’d also ask about a situation they’d love to be in, and please do feel free to tell me about that as well, but as a professional “put that guy in a situation” I just had to ask about their personal hell you know XD)

And 5) Does your OC have a set design/look in your mind? I know most of my OCs don’t. As in, I know the basics of them and sometimes even their hair/eye color but usually their personality and circumstances matter to me way more and the rest changes on a whim, so I’m just curious here :D

My OC's name is Einar. He's a light elf, an ancient species of warriors dedicated to protecting the Universe. He's the last of his kind, orphaned when he was just a kid and raised by humans. He has been a starfleet security officer for hundreds of years, basically since starfleet began, serving on many starships and protecting their crews from danger. On paper he sounds pretty intimidating, but hes actually a total sweetheart. (i do not currently have any other OCs. Einar is my first and only.)

I started daydreaming as a coping mechanism and as a way to participate in my special interests when i was a teenager. Every time i got into a new tv show i would create a self insert character for myself that fit into that universe, and then i would act out scenarios as that character where i would interact with my favourite characters from the show. Einar came about when i tried to make a self insert character for the marvel cinematic universe. I went through a few iterations before realising that there are dark elves in the mcu, but not light elves, and i was reading neil gaimans norse mythology at the time (this was way before the allegations pls dont cancel me) so i came up with my own version of the light elves to fit in with the mcu canon, came up with lore and everything, and then created a light elf character for me to be. normally i just named my self inserts robin, but i thought this character needed a cool norse name, so i looked up norse names and found Einar, which means lonely warrior. and i was like that fits so perfectly its gotta be that. and then he kinda became a character of his own over time, separate from me. he also is now a star trek OC, rather than a marvel OC like he was originally.

he does kinda have a different worldview to me. his basic moral compass is the same, but his motivations are different. he is very religious, where i am not. he worships the Universe, as an entity and as all of its individual parts. his motivation for protecting people is that every life is part of the universe, and it is his duty as a light elf to serve and protect them. however he also has a lot of trauma, which can also effect how he reacts to things. i know how he reacts to stuff because i have spent many years role playing as him in my head lol. its just sort of instinctual now. im like yeah he would say that. he would do this. i just Know him.

oh man i love torturing my special guy. i think forcing him to relive the death of his parents would certainly do a number on him. being rejected by people he loves and cares about would also hurt like a bitch. more than anything he just wants to be loved, but often, because of who he is, he is feared instead. he understands why, but it still hurts. i think he would do anything to prove his trustworthiness. its very "guard dog who looks scary but is actually a sweetheart and just wants to be loved but all he knows how to do is scare people" of him.

he does! his look has changed a little bit from his initial conception but yeah i have a pretty solid idea of what he looks like. he has long blue hair, purple eyes, soft/kinda androgynous facial features, muscular build, pointed ears, and lots of scars. dudes been through a lot of shit.

thank you for the questions!! and sorry for rambling!! i just love my special guy so much!!!! blorbo from my brain!!!

[clementine-kesh]

so i've seen that you hate the julian x ezri storyline and wanted to say that i definitely feel the same way, that this relationship held absolutely no weight, was based purely on having a woman get in a relationship because thats her only purpose, and it ruined both characters stories; if star trek wasn't so fucking obsessed with making the federation look radical they could've lead into some plot of julian actually beginning to overthrow section 31 and hating the federation possibly, but what do you think they should've done with ezri? a lot of the problems with ezri come from her being introduced in the final season and the writers doing the almost exact same shit they did with jadzia: focusing too much on the symbiont instead of who the host is. we learn so much about curzon and there was almost nothing to reflect on with jadzia because the writers don't fucking establish her as an individual character the way they do with the rest of the main cast. the main cast also has no deep [properly writtern] reaction to ezri; they knew jadzia for over 7+ years and should've been buried in grief and guilt knowing she died the way she did. jadzia shouldn't have stopped, metaphorically, existing within the first few episodes of season 7 because despite the way she was written she had a profound impact on DS9. the original plans for the new host were to introduce a man, who would then have this relationship with worf, but to preserve the already small female leads list, they introduced ezri. they could've brought kasidy into the main cast and established her as a person separate from being Sisko's Wife but since we cannot eliminate ezri from canon, because we and i love ezri, what do you think they should've done with her character (in the span of the season and post canon)

GREAT question!! ezri’s whole character posits so many fascinating questions, many of which we really never get to see explored but that nevertheless keep me up at night. she’s the perfect foil to jadzia in a way that oddly enough a lot of fans don’t really seem to get? to make an analogy to the broader trek franchise, she’s the ds9/voy to jadzia’s tng, a darker and more complicated reflection of their prior.

one aspect of early season 7 that i love is ezri’s volatility, i think it actually does a pretty good job at showing the effect of joining on someone so unprepared and i wish we’d seen more of the fallout of that in her personal life as well as how it interacted with the rest of the crew’s grieving processes. especially with kira, who has lost so many of her comrades but never quite like this. it should’ve been kira that ezri spent a whole episode trying to give therapy to instead of garak imo.

the beta canon material (along with the proposed ds9 s8) has ezri move to the command track, which would’ve made a for a very interesting arc. like, ezri’s first and foremost a survivor. she’s smart, she’s tough, she’s good at cutting through the noise and doing what needs to be done. but when people spend their whole lives in survival mode like that they often have trouble identifying what they really want. throw in a whole bunch of new memories and new personalities and no wonder she’s so messed up. showing us her transition from counseling to command as a way of reasserting her own desires by realizing that the medical track was never quite right for her in the first place, perhaps she just went into it as a way to distance herself from her family’s scumminess, would’ve been amazing.

finally, i’d love to have seen the reaction of trill culture more generally. get a trill delegation on the station and see what they have to say! more exploration of alien cultural dynamics beyond just the vulcans and klingons is never a bad idea

[misfitmiska]

Hi, hope you're doing fine 🤗🥰

Just saw you like Star Trek ? What are your thoughts about TOS vs the 2009 remake movies ? Also your thoughts on Spirk ? 👀

(Loved to see some Star Trek content pop on my page, I didn't expect that in the middle of my Inazuma Eleven oriented feed ahah)

Oh hi!! Such a pleasure to see you in my asks!! :D I hope you’re doing good as well. ^^

So yeah, I kind of accidentally stumbled into Star Trek TOS last October and I’ve been obsessed ever since ^^’ (you can bet I’ve thought about making Inazuma crossovers hghjhgfghj). I’ve watched the whole original series and the six subsequent movies (+ the Animated Series of course tehehehe), and right now I’m on the last season of TNG. I’ve been enjoying it a lot, but it doesn’t tickle my brain quite like TOS does, for reasons unknown to me. :p Hyperfixations are capricious like that —well, I’m not teaching you anything here. x) TOS is just so BEAUTIFUL and SINCERE and HOPEFUL and CAMPY -oh my god the sheer amount of camp is incredible- and it’s about LOVE and UGHHHH it makes my brain short-circuit. ;—;

And yeah, I’ve watched the AOS trilogy… I actually told myself I wouldn’t talk about them too much on my blog because of how many Complex Feelings I have about them and I thought no one would care about it, but well… You gave me an opportunity to yap, so I will YAP, be warned!! >:D

I saw on your blog that you’re a fan of the reboot movies (or at least you were in 2018) so I’m kind of afraid to share my opinion kjhgfdfg, but well, you did ask so uh… I kinda hate them?? o///o

Sdfujhfdfghj okay that’s inaccurate, because they do bring me a great deal of joy (ESPECIALLY the first two), so I guess you could call them my most Dearly Beloathed movies? Like movies that I love to hate. The third movie is genuinely okay in my opinion, so it brings me the least amount of joy (paradoxical, but you get what I mean).

I guess if I had watched these movies without being a TOS fan I wouldn’t have such strong feelings on them, but as it stands, they just kinda betray everything I like about Star Trek. I tried to go into them with an open mind, thinking “okay, this was made for a new audience, it’s with different takes on the characters, it’s gonna be its own thing…” but I quickly realised that, um… no? These movies (again, especially the first two) actually RELIED on me having prior Trek knowledge (like Nimoy’s Spock showing up in the first movie, and Khan and Carol Marcus in the second). So I was like, which is it?? Should I take this as its own new take on the franchise or as a fan-service redux of the old stuff?? To me, the movies were failing at being either of these (failing at being a new thing because of how much it relied on previous instalments, and failing at pleasing old fans because the characters and writing were simply inferior and it WASN’T EVEN CAMPY). So at first I was confused and frustrated with this, but then as I thought about it more and more, it kinda started to become hilarious? The second movie especially relied SO MUCH on the audience having prior knowledge of the franchise that I couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity of it all (“My name… is Khan” DUDE THEY DON’T KNOW YOU THEY DON’T CARE. ALSO they redid Spock’s death scene but reversed and with none of the emotional impact HFJXHCHDHDHC). I could go into detail about it for hours and hours but uh, no one wants that, so I’ll stop there for now. ^^’

The third movie actually succeeds at being a movie that can stand on its own so it’s not nearly as funny. :/ But I’m certainly not gonna complain about it being competent. x)

Sorry if I’ve been mean to these films, I really want to stress that they bring me much joy and that, at the end of the day, I’m very glad that they exist.

Spirk is the greatest love story to ever grace television obviously. These are two people that simply BELONG together and you dont even need to ship them to see that. EVERYONE sees that. But also my opinion is that Bones needs to be there as well or else there is no point.

Thank you very very much for your ask and for giving me a space to ramble my little heart out. <3 Sorry if I wrote too much jvjfjfkg I guess I had a lot to say. (°v°)

[tigereyes45]

A missing Mcspirk scene about Sybok, from Star Trek V. That takes place after the party but before they make it back to Yosemite. This fulfills two of my bingo prompts for the Mcspirk Bingo being hosted on the @mcspirkevents blog.

Summary:

Jim decides to check on McCoy a few hours after the party ends. Bones is alone, and upset. The tension in the room is palpable as Jim decides to risk bringing up the whole Sybok fiasco now. He needs answers. There's a deep-seated need to know why McCoy never told him and Spock about his father before.

Start:

With a familiar roll of his eyes, McCoy leans back in his chair. His knuckles turn white as he grips his knees. “Kirk, just ask already.”

“Kirk?” It sounds strange hearing his last name come out of Bones’ mouth rather than Jim. Kirk steps a little closer until he’s standing by McCoy’s shoulder. All within reach in case the doctor felt so inclined to reach out. “What should I be asking, Bones?”

“Don’t act innocent.” Bones rolls his eyes before turning back towards the window. Starlight shines against his face. It cast small spots of lights scattered throughout the shadows about him. Deep blue eyes twinkle, as they look out. “I know better than your usual acquaintance.”

It’s an unfair dig. Jim folds his hands behind his back in a parade rest. “And yet after everything that happened today, I feel as if I’m getting to know you for the first time.” When McCoy raises his head, Jim twists just enough to face him. He offers an amused smile.

Bones drops a hand onto the arms of the chair. “You know me Jim.” McCoy never looks away. His gaze is steady, and tone certain. However, Jim can see the sadness in his eyes. The lack of shaking in his voice does very little to hide the grief, and fear evident in the curl on his lips, and the light shaking of his leg.

Jim should comfort him. If this were any other time he would have done just that, but hurt rears its ugly head, and he asks the one question that has been bothering him since Sybok’s sudden show.

“Do I?”

Curled lips fall into a flat line. Water wells up along the corner of already wet eyes. “Does this really change so much?” This time the shaking shifts from McCoy’s leg to his voice.

Before he can answer that, Jim must know. “If I say it does?”

McCoy hangs his head. For a moment it stills. Time slows down as Bones takes a deep breath, lost in thought. Jim squeezes his wrist within his hand. Why didn’t you tell me? Is there a reason you didn’t trust me? Have I ever proven to be disloyal, or judgemental? Tell me Bones. Why? Jim could ask, but why wouldn’t McCoy just tell him? There has been so few secrets between them in the past, and maybe that’s the problem. Kirk deliberately inhales. All the secrets that have ever lied between them were Jim’s or Spock’s. Bones has always been an open book. They were blinded by their perceptions, the disguise McCoy dons. If it was a disguise then what has been the truth? Were they ever friends? Ever more? Did he even have the right to call himself anything but a stranger?

“Then you should find a new doctor.” Jim takes a step back. Bones refuses to meet his gaze. That’s for the best because there was no way for Jim to control the pain rushing through his body. It feels as if the enterprise was splitting into. As if the warp core was shattered right in half and about to melt down. It might as well, for what is life without McCoy, or Spock for that matter?

It would be even worse than his time as admiral.

“Bones,” Desperate for a bit of normalcy Jim reaches out. He rests a hand on the doctor’s shoulder. Rather uncharacteristically, McCoy pulls out from beneath Kirk’s grasp with a glare on his face. More like a cornered animal than a man, he pushes his chair back, standing unsteady, eyes trained on Kirk’s. The captain’s voice was far fainter than he wanted. “Why?”

And here's my updated bingo card:

I decided to color code the stars based on whose P.O.V. the story is in.

[lostyesterday]

I really enjoyed the Discovery finale! As Star Trek finales go, it was definitely on the stronger side. I’m not sure if I would call it my number one favorite Star Trek finale, but maybe I’ll change my mind on eventual rewatch. I was skeptical as to how the writers were going to pull off a convincing series finale when, from what I understand, the whole season had already been filmed when the cancellation was announced, but I think in most ways they did as good a job as they could have under the circumstances.

I liked the conclusion to this season’s plot with the Progenitor’s technology. I was hoping they’d go the route of destroying the technology, and I think it very much fit with Michael’s character arc. I’m also glad that Michael didn’t end up staying as the steward of the technology. That would have been, as I’ve seen several people point out, really similar to Sisko’s ending in DS9 which I have… mixed feelings on personally. I also liked that the technology wasn’t capable of bringing people back to life. The choice to have the Progenitors not be the original creators of the technology is an interesting one, which I think I like, since it leaves the technology as much more of a mystery than it would have been otherwise, and I personally prefer when not everything is explained.

Unsurprisingly, I loved Michael in this episode so much. Seeing her journey over the course of Discovery has been incredible. She’s one of my all-time favorite characters, and I genuinely believe she’s one of the best characters in Star Trek history. I’m so, so happy she got a happy ending – if any Star Trek character needs to have one, it’s her. And I loved the Michael/Book ending!!! I was so hoping they’d get back together, and all their scenes in the epilogue were wonderful. I love that they found healing and happiness together, and that they had a child. I’m not one to want all of my favorite characters to get married and have kids – far from it. But Michael is a character I do think it genuinely makes sense for.

I liked the parts of the episode with the other characters too. The finale is pretty strongly Michael focused, which I don’t personally mind, but all the other major characters got their own moments. The only major thing I actively disliked in the finale was the part with Zora at the end. I really don’t think it was necessary to make an explicit connection to the Short Treks episode, and the way that whole thing was framed felt really weird to me because it denied Zora any sense of agency in the decision. So I���m just going to go ahead and ignore that part of the episode.

Overall, Star Trek Discovery has been a really phenomenal show, in my opinion. It’s far from flawless, but most of its flaws come about through earnest attempts to take risks and tell interesting stories. I love Discovery – it’s my favorite NuTrek show and one of my favorite Star Trek shows overall. Season 5 isn’t my favorite season (that would still be season 4), but I still think it was a strong season to go out on. One thing I’m sure of is that Discovery will have a lasting legacy, and that it will be appreciated in the future for its strengths.

[hopecomesbacktolife]

so I rewatched this episode recently and I am now Thinking Some Thoughts TM about The Librarians season 2 episode 9 And The Happily Ever Afters

namely, I was thinking about how I feel like there’s been discussions about the general plot, admiration for the funny bits and Fleve moments (as there should be!) a general appreciation for the overarching plot of the episode, how it’s compelling that they turn away from their “happily ever after” or, as Ariel put it, “their heart’s desire” right? and, while I’m sure we could even discuss whether these AU lives shown in the episode would really be these characters’ most secret, deepest wishes, given what we know about them—

I want to set that aside for a minute and really think about the premise. Ariel was saying that no human has ever been able to turn their back on that willingly, right? and my first thought was some abstract idea— humans being unable to turn their backs on true love, on the person they want to be with, or perhaps on the job they want most, or even something like having their own peaceful home, right?

but then I thought, okay, what would this be for me? My deepest desire, the thing that makes my heart ache with yearning— is it belonging? love? What would it actually look like to have the offer of your wildest hopes to be real, and to, for the good of the world and to save you and your friends’ (and the entire world) lives, to walk away from that?

and it’s that last bit of the question that really stopped me in my tracks because. and I don’t know if this is just because I’ve been thinking of STIV a lot recently, but. really? truly? if we’re being honest? deepest, fiercest desire? thing I would long for most in the world? fictitious alternate life that would be hardest to give up as it constitutes a happy ending? like, for me, that’s a Star Trek world, no question even about it. A hopeful optimistic future where humanity is among the stars, racism, sexism, homophobia, human xenophobia, and other forms of bigotry have been virtually eliminated, everyone’s basic needs are met and we’re no longer seeing constant and insidious human rights violations? humanity come together to create an equitable, fair, good world for all that has done away with money and everyone’s needs are met, medical care is free, incredibly accessible, and available to all, people are free to pursue their interests with no capitalistic control upon them, we’ve reached the stars and are caring for our earth, each other, and making friendships with new species?

like, ough. It’s Gillian Taylor being able to come with Kirk and crew back to the 23rd century and live there, you know? It’s that scene in Diane Duane’s TNG novel Dark Mirror where [redacted] is in awe at the prime universe’s wondrous hope and equality and loveliness! it’s The ultimate fantasy, this post-scarcity post-bigotry equitable utopia, you know?

If I was stuck in a life AU like the others in the show, I’m almost certain it would be being put into Star Trek. and I just. can you imagine, being placed into a Star Trek life, and then being asked to give that up, to save the world? how do you give up a future beyond hatred, beyond bigotry, beyond systemic inequalities and oppression and war and capitalistic medical systems and. and. how in hell could someone give that up? how is saving the world the very giving up of the better-future-dream made real, made tangible? when saving the world is somehow going back to the one that seems Worse, where we’re still dealing with all of these hates and bigotries and money-originated-violences? how is that saving the world? and, to be selfish, to give up a world free of homophobia, with instantly available medical care?

I just. god, with the self-reinforcing nature of the AU life spell I just. I don’t know if I’d be able to give it up. Would anyone be able to convince me that it’s not real? And even if, somewhere in my heart of hearts, I know that it isn’t real, that I’d been stuck into a materialized Star Trek AU that isn’t real life… could I give that up? to be completely serious, you know, envisioning that as a real life situation… could I truly look at that life, and say yes, this is exactly what I want, in this life I would never be denied medical care and have no need to work under capitalistic society and am fully accepted and cherished in my queerness and in space… and to say yes, it’s everything I’ve ever yearned for, and then to shut the door on that, and knowingly return to the world of our current day?

I don’t know, y’all. I mean. Even if I did do it, which isn’t 100% certain—but looking within myself I think I could have the strength to do it, but I’d need some time to bid farewell in my heart, it couldn’t be sudden— the very act of seeing a Star Trek future and being in it and then… to willingly leave… it would break my heart so deeply, I just. how does one recover from that? my throat hurts with the sheer emotion and sadness at the very thought; how could one knowingly, informedly leave such a place and not have your heart forever changed? I think I’d always feel a little wounded, a certain especially tender spot somewhere deep within myself. To have held that future and then let it slip from your fingers…

I think this is especially poignant and moving to me given that this comes immediately following And The Point of Salvation and we know that Ezekiel remembers everything, and even though he seems to be fine because the writers don’t let his character breathe and give him the space and respect he’s due / Julian Bashir-ify him / are racist and don’t let him express it onscreen, there’s no way that didn’t majorly fuck him up psychologically, and I feel like, as sweet as this episode is presented onscreen, it’s kind of the emotional narrative successor to the previous episode because it’s like, the other side of the forever-changed-self coin. to really, truly walk away from what you most desire?

for me, to walk away from a brief moment of living in a Star Trek world? to quote another story, I think I might be brave enough; but I don’t think I’d ever feel the same and, I think there would be so much indescribable sadness to the aftermath of this.

Even if we argue that each of their life AUs were vastly more personal than worldwide-altering hopes and dreams, still, and even given that these events were followed up by the season finale (which was very good as well!!) I think the characters would all really, really need time to sit with and process the grief of losing… whatever their heart’s-desire-lives were, whether we agree with the accuracy of the ones we saw on screen or no. I think they’d need to really mourn those brief flashes of an alternate life; and even after they went back to work and proceeded “as normal” I think these sadnesses would crop back up from time to time as a certain sound, certain name, certain object or scenery or other occurrence briefly brought their memory back to those brief flashes of another time, another life. And they’d help each other through it, of course, but. what a particular sadness that would be.

I dunno, I guess I just got to thinking about how incredibly difficult and heartbreaking it would be to be placed into a Star Trek future and then have to make the choice to give that up, and how I don’t think any of the Librarians or Eve would bounce back to normal immediately, how they’d need to give themselves time to feel all of the emotions and process the losses of the time when they inhabited their hearts’ desires because, ough, I would be such a mess.

maybe sometime I’ll write a fic about this because there’s so much unexplored emotional potential and angst/hurt/comfort territory going on here, but I had to get these thoughts out because the concept of being handed your deepest, dearest wishes and then being asked to recant to save the world is so, so much more intense, more heartbreakingly bittersweet, more layered than we really got screen time for, and is (to me at least!) so worth exploring in terms of how it would affect the characters in the weeks/months etc beyond the events of the episode. ough, just. so many feelings about this♡

[adultswim2021]

Soul Quest Overdrive #2: “Meals on Wheels” | February 25, 2010 | S01E01

Soul Quest Overdrive continues to be bad, but this one’s not quite as bad as the original pilot. It does take a hit from the inclusion of noted retard Gavin McInnes as a soccer ball doing a Scottish accent. This one, at the very least, has a plot that sorta resembles a typical absurd Adult Swim style plot. 

The plot: the bible guys are doing Meals on Wheels, but they are just cheaply delivering dog food to senior citizens so they can steal from them. When they arrive at the house of one of the oldsies Bert tries to steal pills, only to discover they are flea meds and aren’t altering his consciousness effectively. The old man behaves more and more dog-like until it’s revealed that he actually is a small dog controlling a human robot body. He escaped dog planet, and a spaceship with dog soldiers on it come down to apprehend him. The soccer ball removes him and his fellow outreachers’ ribs after watching all the dog soldiers successfully lick their own nards. They show the blood!!!

I gave this one tepid praise for resembling the humor of–I’ll just say it!!!–Aqua Teen Hunger Force. I mostly mean this as far as the plot is concerned. The intimidating dog soldiers showing up and immediately tying themselves up by grooming their groins is fairly ATHF. Speaking of ATHF, they show the original Bible Fruit episode on the TV at one point. How fun.

That also sorta hints at the main issue this show has; so much of it, and I mean, SO MUCH OF IT, reminds me of other cartoons. The elderly man rapes Bert like Handbanana. Mortimer quotes “the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few” from Star Trek, which was a South Park joke over a decade before this. And the intelligent dog in a robot costume is ripped directly off from Rick and Morty. These craven psychos went into the near future to steal. How dare they.

I remember seeing this back when, and was puzzled by the inclusion of the soccer ball character, and had to look up Gavin McInnes, probably pissed off that there was seemingly an interloper in this cast of comedy people I sorta respect. I forget what the exact chronology is here, but I recalled seeing "Dos and Don’ts" videos (A Vice feature dedicated to mocking people wearing uncool fashion; a concept that does worse than nothing for me) hosted by Gavin featuring nearly all of these people. I remember Kristen Schaal saying she hated dudes with a lotta bad tattoos, and then going “oh, wait, sorry” because she was talking to one. I recall Jay “January 6th” Johnston being in one of the videos… (solemnly) a portent of things to come.

Fun fact: My Fox-News-obsessed father once told me he admired Gavin McInnes which really puzzled me because the only thing I knew him from was this and a handful of Vice videos that repulsed me. This is how I learned that McInnes went right-wing. I have to give the guy credit: I can’t think of a single other person who did such a 180° turn politically and remained exactly as hated by me as he was before.

What’s worse is his character sorta adds nothing to the show. Bert is basically the Master Shake of the show and McInnes is like, a second Master Shake but worse? He’s just a drunk guy who, at one point, screams “PUNK’S NOT DEAD!” and thrashes around. It sorta seems like they were literally trying to make an actual COOL character. It’s the sort of comedy that people who aren’t funny try to write. “What if there was a crazy guy who did crazy stuff who liked all the same bands as me”. 

Those following along will note that this is the second of two "pilots" they used for this show for this contest. When the show aired for real, it aired as the second of four episodes (not counting the Gavin-less pilot episode). Like the not-for-television pilot episode, it's half the length of a quarter-hour Adult Swim show. And yet, still too long.

[noodlebelli]

Star Trek Multi-Pollination Technician Mod

Maxis sims 2 aliens and Star Trek Aliens have one thing in common, they don’t necessarily have powers. Just like sims 2 Aliens, Star Trek aliens are humanoid and can even create hybrids with humans or other alien species. I have made my own Star Trek based Pollination Technical replacement that uses the facial structure of 4 famous female characters from various Star Trek alien races. I used fwiffo’s tutorial from MTS Here which was pretty straight forward and very helpful, so you can easily make your own.

I made this in Fall 2022 for personal use and was asked to upload my Multi PT Set. I’m not interested in making custom pollination technician sets (although I might make another star trek one no promises), and I will not be making a maxis alien version (with the green skin and alien eyes).

Some notes about Multi PT mods in general:

These are a type of default replacement, they replace the Maxis made Pollination Technician.

You can only have ONE Multi-PT Mod in your game at a time.

If you have a multi PT mod and want to switch to this Star Trek Multi PT mod, remove any other Multi PT mod you may have, but keep any alien sims that may have come with the old Multi PT mod in your downloads folder.

Put the unzipped “Noodlebelli_S2_StarTrekMultiPTMod” Folder directly in your Documents/Sims 2/Downloads folder, Inside are 4 named folders for the 4 different characters, and the Multi PT mod itself.

While I’m linking to the Sims I based the pollination techs on, you do not need the sims from the link, only the skin tones I mention and link to are required to download for the aliens babies to show up correctly. Find them after the cut, and the download is at the very bottom.

Meet the races:

Bajoran: Kira Nerys

I used Crunk_Kitty’s Sim on MTS as a base and edited the facial structure for a more flat bridge of a nose. The skin tone referenced is Bajoran light by Crunk Kitty on Mod the Sims. The eyes will be one of the maxis defaults. Once downloaded and extracted, put bajoran light in the Kira Nerys folder in my multi PT Mod.

Trill: Jadzia Dax

I believe I used MistyBlue’s Jadzia as a base, but did edit the face structure to be even more similar to Terry Farrell the original actress's, the super realistic facial structure does look out of place and “alien” in the sim’s world. Any sliders used are “baked" into the sim, so the sliders aren’t needed. The skin referenced is Trill Medium from Crunk Kitty.  The eyes will be one of the maxis defaults. Once downloaded and extracted, put Trill Medium in the Jadzia Dax folder in my multi PT Mod.

Klingon: B’elanna Torres

I used Crunk_Kitty’s Sim on MTS as a base and modified facial structure to more emphasize the forehead and ridges. Any sliders used are “baked" into the sim, so the sliders aren’t needed. Her Skin is included, as the original Klingon skins are not available from the original source anymore. The eyes will be one of the maxis defaults.

Cardassian: Gul Liez

This is actually a completely original sim, I used extra sliders to make the ears seemingly go into the jawline, enhanced the brow line and around the eyes, and a slightly turned up nose. Any sliders used are “baked" into the sim, so the sliders aren’t needed, jut the Cardassian Skin from Crunk Kitty. The male skin will not have the blue in the forehead, just like in the show. The eyes will be one of the maxis defaults. Once downloaded and extracted, put Cardassian Skin in the Gul Liez folder in my multi PT Mod.

Download Here (SFS)

If you ever want to use a different Multi PT set than mine, leave the Sim Folders in your downloads and only delete the actual mod package

[phatburd]

violence!: 4, 14, 22

4. what was the last straw that made you finally block that annoying person?

If we’re talking about my most recent block, it was on Reddit where the dude tried to argue gender essentialism at me. Basically, he asserted that my call to write women like people was bullshit and that women should be written like women (weak and helpless). Yeah, I did not and do not have the emotional bandwidth to deal with that shit.

Even better though, when other people in the thread brought up Ellen Ripley as an example of where a role was originally written for a man but Sigourney Weaver was cast instead. The dude then stated he had never watched any of the Alien movies, but he read the Wikipedia article on Ripley and assumed she must be a boring and poorly written character because she was a woman.

Yeah, dude … delete your fucking account. All of your accounts, everywhere.

Tumblr blocks? Yeah, it was the Nth blog that posted the TOG van speech verbatim and declared JoeNicky to be the most perfect thing ever. Went into the blog, found their AO3, blocked that, then blocked their Tumblr. Because clearly this person and I have nothing to say to each other, and I’m tired and I get petty when I’m tired.

14. that one thing you see in fics all the time

Making the bottom in an m/m ship extremely feminized, sometimes straight up infantilized. This isn’t to say there aren’t feminine gay dudes in RL, because there are. I’m talking about fan works.

I don’t know if it’s out of ignorance, sexism, misogyny, or just boring-ass heteronormativity, this idea that someone has to be the “girl” in a same-sex pairing. And every time I see it, I’m reminded of this little cartoon:

I don’t really get top/bottom discourse and especially the need to assign specific personality traits to the top or the bottom. It was something I set out to not do in my m/m Bessimu fics. I wanted to write them as equals, and I think I succeeded.

(FWIW, I see Bessimu as both being switches, because that’s more fun. I also find it hot to write Bessières as a power bottom dom and Murat as the submissive service top, and it’s not what one would expect when judging them by their public personas.)

22. your favorite part of canon that everyone else ignores

From The Old Guard? Those three and a half thousand years that Andy spent alone as the only immortal on the planet (as far as anyone knows).

I’ve been wanting to explore that period and, yes, it’s fucking intimidating. Historical documentation is more miss than hit once you start going back to certain points in human history.

Three and a half thousand years is a really fucking long time. What did Andy do, where did she go? What did she see? There’s a lot of potential to mine there, and maybe I’ll do it someday.

For the Napoleonics? Joseph Fouché is a fucking amoral bastard, but I think people forget he tried to save Marshal Ney. Ney, being Ney, was either politically naive, stubborn, and/or he just wanted to fucking die already when he refused Fouché’s offer of fake papers and an passport to sneak out of France in the aftermath of Napoleon’s second abdication.

(I’ve also read that Laurent de Gouvion St. Cyr was the one who offered the passport and papers, so take the above with the proverbial grain of salt. St. Cyr did vote for exile in the final trial, which lends weight to that too.)

I also have a shitload of question marks around Bessières’ final years and the way it gets treated by academics, but that may be better off in a post of its own.

For Star Trek ... no one ever really talks about what kind of influence Sisko might have had on the Bajorans other than just being the Emissary/Space Jesus. Like, did baseball become a national sport and baseball leagues spring up all over the planet? Is there ticky-tacky Emissary merchandise one can purchase, like humans have in real life of the Pope?

(Sisko did show up on a pack of Bajoran tarot cards in Lower Decks, and I squealed over that, ngl.)

Thanks for asking! 😘

[fancoloredglasses]

Star Trek, part 7: The TNG Movies VII-X (so a show that lasted more than twice as long as TOS gets just over half as many movies?)

[All images are owned by Paramount. Please don’t sue me.]

[QUICK NOTE: This is a bare-bones review of the films rather than my usual tongue-in-cheek blow-by-blow review since I’m trying to cover four movies in one review. If you would like to see any of the films reviewed in-depth, please let me know]

With the final film starring the Original Series crew and the season finale of TNG in the past, it was only a matter of time before the TNG crew would hit the big screen. How would Picard and Company make their mark on movie audiences?

The answer is “It’s complicated.”

While not every film with Kirk and Company was a masterpiece (in fact, one could say that only every even-numbered film was good) they were more-or-less (I’m looking at you The Final Frontier!) entertaining. In the case of the TNG films, only one of the films is unanimously considered "good", while the rest…well, at least they weren’t The Final Frontier, but not by much in some cases.

I should also note that none of the TNG films have number designations, showing that they’re not from the same time frame as the previous films.

There were only 4 films due to the final one not being well-received both in reviews and at the box office, forcing Paramount to scrap plans for a fifth film to tie up any loose ends.

Those that were waiting for DS9 or Voyager films would unfortunately be disappointed, as following the final TNG film there would not be another film in the series for 7 years (and that was a reboot to the franchise)

But now, onto the films! If you would like to watch them, they’re available on Paramount+ or behind your favorite paywall.

The first film was a “passing of the torch” moment, transitioning the eras for the big screen.

As such, Kirk, Chekov, and Scotty were in attendance for the beginning of the film, which was the maiden voyage of…

…the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-B), an Excelsior class starship. This was a publicity stunt where they brought in Kirk (now retired), Scott, and Chekov for the press to gawk at.

Suddenly, they receive a distress call as a strange “ribbon” of temporal energy was about to envelop a transport. Unfortunately, as this is a dog and pony show, there were a lot of systems that weren’t yet online and the Enterprise was ill-equipped to deal with this crisis.

They manage to save some of the crew, but the Enterprise is caught in the ribbon’s gravity. Scotty has an idea how to save the Enterprise (because of course he does), so Kirk (because he has to be the hero) goes to pull off Scotty’s hare-brained plan. It succeeds (because of course it does), however…

The section of the Enterprise Kirk was working in is hit, causing a hull breach that blows him into ribbon’s grasp, killing him (that will NOT look good on the captain’s resume!)

Among the survivors are Guinan (future Ten Forward bartender)

…Tolian Soran, who desperately wants to go back to the ribbon.

Fast forward 70-ish years. The Enterprise-D is given new uniforms to match DS9, Worf gets a promotion to Lt. Commander (just in time to be transferred to Deep Space Nine), and Data decides it’s time to try installing an emotion chip he acquired near the end of the series (unfortunately, Data was not prepared for the onslaught of emotions the chip would grant him, leading to rather forced “humor” as he adjusts)

(Thanks to Krebber)

(Thanks to enessis)

However, all of this frivolity needs to wait as Soran has developed technology that can extinguish stars, and he intends to use it to divert the ribbon to the planet Veridian III so he can finally rejoin it (Guinan explains that part of her is inside, and it’s a paradise)

Picard attempts to stop Soran as the Enterprise is attacked by a pair of Klingon renegades they’ve had dealings with in the past. Not only does Picard fail (drawing him into the ribbon as well), but…

(Thanks to Wolftime Gaming)

However, all is not lost, since the portion of Guinan tell Picard he can leave any time, and place. What’s more, there’s someone who can help!

Yep, Shatner just has to be the hero one last time!

Anyway, they go back to stop Soren again (why? Why not go a bit further back to before Soren was ready?) and stop him this time, but…

Well, at least Shatner can’t return to hog the spotlight in future films.

With the awkward passing of the torch, we need to replace the Enterprise, so…

Meet the new USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-E), a Sovereign class starship. The ship has a crew of 700, but not families (and after what happened to the Enterprise-D, who can blame them?). Additionally, the Enterprise now has its own EMH (that Dr. Crusher despises) Most of the command crew (except Worf) have transferred to the Enterprise-E (making casting the film a lot easier)

One other change between films is in the uniform…

(Thanks to EVIL ED)

We see the second Starfleet uniform change over the course of a decade. I’ve already covered the change in my review of DS9. You will also note that ocular technology has advanced between films, as La Forge has bionic eyes rather than needing a VISOR.

But enough about the differences, on to the film!

First Contact is the first of two Trek films directed by Jonathan Frakes (though he has directed episodes from all three TNG-era shows, as well as three of the Paramount+ Trek shows and a Trek parody series)

Earth is once again threatened by the Borg. Once again, the Enterprise is able to sweep in and Save The Day.

During the battle, the USS Defiant (commanded by Lt. Commander Worf) is critically damaged. Fortunately, the surviving crew is beamed to the Enterprise (allowing Michael Dorn to get a paycheck from the film)

However (what, you didn’t expect it to be this easy, did you? It would be a rather short movie otherwise)…

…a sphere inside the cube escapes and opens a temporal rift, which causes Earth to assimilate in the present (wouldn’t that make all the humans on the Enterprise suddenly become Borg as well?)

The Enterprise travels slightly farther back in time (the far-flung future of 2063, to be exact) to stop the Borg, which allows them to meet…

Zephram Cochrane, the inventor of the Warp Drive (or at least Earth’s version of it; better get on it, you have less than 40 years to pull it off!) The crew manages to defeat the Borg, save Earth, and witness Cochrane’s historic flight, in which he makes First Contact (hence the title of the film) with the first aliens Earth has officially encountered.

(Thanks to Binge Society)

First Contact is by far the best of the TNG films (and could surpass The Wrath of Khan as the best overall) It also sets the stage for the next Trek series (more on that in a future review)

Unfortunately, it’s pretty much all downhill from here.

Insurrection was also directed by Jonathan Frakes. This film went for a light-hearted approach after the violent First Contact. Unfortunately, no one thought about the fact that The Final Frontier was also mostly humor and look how THAT turned out!

Worf has once again joined the crew, despite the fact that Deep Space Nine is in the middle of a war with the Dominion (and he should be mourning Jadzia Dax’s death), but there he is because he just happened to be in the neighborhood.

The Enterprise and crew investigate a planet that emits particles rendering its inhabitants effectively immortal. Additionally, the crew enjoy benefits from their brief exposure, including Geordi’s eyes temporarily being able to see, Worf more or less going through Klingon puberty again, as well as…

(Thanks to April 5, 2063)

…the rekindling of Riker and Troi’s relationship. Of course, Riker had to make a tiny concession.

(Don’t worry, the beard will return in time for the next film)

An alien race (with the help of a Starfleet Admiral) are attempting to move the indigenous people to harvest the particles for themselves. The Enterprise manages to expose and thwart the plot in time for Worf to return to Deep Space Nine for the final season.

Which brings us to the final TNG film

Jonathan Frakes did not direct this film. It was instead given to a director who never watched TNG, and boy howdy did it show!

The film starts happily enough…

(Thanks again to April 5, 2063)

Yes, Riker and Troi manage to continue their relationship from the last movie and get married! (the first of two, as they will be having a traditional Betazoid wedding later…in which everyone in the wedding party is nude!

As you can see, they managed to shoehorn Worf in once again (this time as a wedding guest, but that doesn’t explain why he sticks around after)

Meanwhile, the Romulan Empire is being overthrown by a subject race, the Remans (get it? Romulus and Remus? READ A BOOK!) The Enterprise is sent to assist the Romulans. Along the way, they encounter…

…a prototype android, designated B-4 (get it? Before? The writing is definitely top-notch here!) which they bring aboard.

Upon arrival at Romulus, they encounter the Reman leader…

…Shinzon (played by Tom Hardy, who would go on to play Bane and Venom), a clone of Picard the Romulans had planned to use to infiltrate the Federation but later abandoned. Shinzon intends on invading the Federation and poisoning Earth, killing all inhabitants.

Picard uses the Enterprise as a battering ram, crippling Shinzon’s ship and boards to defeat him…

(Thanks to Omega Trek)

Before too many of you are up in arms about Data’s death, Brent Spiner had been wanting a death scene for Data since Insurrection due to the fact that he felt he was getting too old to continue to look like he did in the series. However, he was given an “out” to continue playing the part…

(Thanks to Rotten Tomatoes)

Data had made a backup of his memories into B-4, meaning Data could continue in another (slightly older-looking) body had there been a fifth film.

This ends the Star Trek films before JJ Abrams lens-flared the franchise up nine years later.

If anyone would like me to review any of the films more in-depth, please let me know!

[cinemadaydreams]

A Monster of a Tale

In 1999 there was a movie that captured the balance between borrowing from another older story while also capturing an original idea within its own movie. The movie was Galaxy Quest, a loving parody of the hit Star Trek series but also contained in the film an incredible idea - 'what if the show was seen by an alien race as real? What followed is what I believe is one of the better modern comedies and reimaginations of an old idea.

With Bomani J. Story's film The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster, I could not help to think - this is exactly what Galaxy Quest did. How Story executed this film should be seen as an example of how to bring new life into an industry that seems to be more interested to be, as Bilbo Baggins would put it, "butter scraped over too much bread". Let's face it, so many of the films marketed to us as the audience are breathtaking visually but leave you for want of air on the gut-level of quality storytelling. Story's movie is a fresh breath of cinema.

First, how he incorporated the Frankenstein novel is as sharp as a tack - and I don't mean the movies, if you've read the original 1818 novel, you'll see the difference - and does not hold back from the incredible weight of tragedy that saturates the gothic novel. This is the story that has inspired other fantastic cautionary tales in the science fiction universe - from Jurassic Park to Terminator. Story's astute use of Shelley's themes, ideas and story arc is a sight to behold, particularly for a film at this budget.

The second point I want to give is how well the dynamic works within the family onscreen. With dialogue that is smart and well-paced, it would have been easy to fall into the trap of making a movie about 'ideas' rather than an 'experience' (something I often gripe about with friends about modern movies - it's a movie we're watching after all, not an op-ed newspaper piece). Story does well to avoid this, making this story about family and then weaving themes within the family and local community experience. With the genre in the wheelhouse of tragedy, Story spares no emotional expense at reminding you as the viewer, with brutal and at times grisly violence to prove a thematic point - death spares no one, not even those we love most. Mary Shelley knew it well in 1818 with a life lived that seemed even more dramatic and tragic than her novel, and Story tapped into that in a way I can only describe as a palpable 'mood' whose residue lingers like a cold biting wind on an autumn's night. When I watch this film again, I plan on making it a fall tradition for anyone willing to watch.

I'll wrap this review with this one thought - I hope big studio executives and heavy weights watch this film, and not just for the sake of supporting independent cinema in theaters. Hollywood is in desperate need of bigger films taking emotional risks, not simply visual ones. It's been a long time since I've seen a film like The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster where the writer/director is able to balance an old idea and firmly place it in a context where it comes to life in a whole new way. And unlike Frankenstein's monster, it does not seem sewn together in pieces. This is a tale whose director knows the true depth of a story and its timeless relevance and makes it a living breathing thing that is whole and well-made. How fitting, considering this guy's last name. I can't wait to see what he does next.

[wonkyplate]

this isn’t how it works but i'm gonna do it anyway (tony hawks regular voice)

🎱 haven’t posted anything yet so: bookmarks 147 and gifts 1 :)

🍓 i got into writing fanfics a long time ago when i discovered fanfiction.net as pretty much a kid and i thought "hey that's neat maybe i can make my own little stories" and since then have never totally finished a fanfic 👍 it's called cosmic dread and it's terminal

🌵 not particularly writing music (but yeah it still works) and not a playlist (a beautiful album), just want to share because sturge Should be shared: https://spotify.link/ofKYQWtEjIb

🕯 eugh. like a 4 for editing. it's a love/hate relationship and i'm not sure which of us is in the wrong. we might be doomed (shaky soap opera breath) but i still love him...

🛼 oooh. okay. 🤖🚀💥⚠️🤕 ??? is this anything ???

🥑 i know who's going to send me some obscure gifs and tumblr posts about it

🥤 ahhh. i immediately wanna recommend cargocrate's star wars stuff but this is a trek/tng blog. we're not mutuals but damsondaforge's work is amazing and hits all the right spots 🫶

💌 please don’t ever ask me that again. we don't say that e-word around here

🌻 my bestie juniper :) i love u i hope ur blossoming in ur new job weehee

🐇 i'm... going to assume reader-insert means (Y/N)? i don't like reading or writing reader-inserts (sorry) because it doesn’t feel believable, to me or the audience i'm writing for. i'd rather get lost in a story than have to talk myself INTO a story everytime the reader insert does something i wouldn’t do. i love original characters though, we need more of those beauties

🧃 mm that's easy, this is like my first ever post on this blog. i'm a dog groomer and i almost faint when a dog slobbers on me 😀

🎲 ha! free time. what a concept! i get maybe 3 hours a week that i can confidently label as free time

🍄 favourite dataforge headcanon: data is the little spoon and i'm right

🧸 make me smile or laugh or cry (not in a mean way, i'm just an emotional guy)

🪐 my niece! she's the best 4 year old ever, i love her. i guess work is going well but i'm expanding the business so those three hours of spare time are in dangerous waters. my gender transition is chugging along nicely too, just waiting for my hrt appointment next month and i'm firmly on the wait list for top surgery. woohoo!

📚 a dog on the cancellation list (chow called sui mai 🧡), supplies i need to order for the salon and some crime shows my writing workshop suggested (e.g. taggart, cracker, trial and retribution etc.)

🍬 i'm pretty sure i don't have any unpopular opinions about any of the tng characters. i'm just like sitting here until u hear some unexpected snarling and frothing macbeth-style

🔪 weirdest topic has probably been about go karting and homelessness and any possible connections there. please don’t ask

🦷 nobody is assigned a timeline. do things in your own time and enjoy the seconds, minutes and hours. depression is a terrible beast that gnashes those second hands between its teeth, but once you reclaim your life - go and live it. make decisions and follow through

❄️ oooh i'm not sharing that on the big wide web but cargocrate would turn any old dust into gold. trust that guy with my life

🌿 oof. writer's block, for me, can be defined as low confidence and nothing more or less. what you write isn’t good enough, how you write isn’t good enough, who you write isn’t good enough. it's tricky but writer's block can only be conquered by practising and improving, having a strong support network of like-minded people (other writers, not just people who like to read), a healthy feedback system for all involved and a life to live and experience (to inform your work and to help create ideas). often, writer's block is just the wall you erected yourself and you're panicking because your view is limited. let go of ego, let go of the block

🥐 "minion... is that your pinis...?"

🏜 i haven’t received ao3 comments but feedback from friends is Always useful :D i prefer honesty, and i love it when people tell me what i can try in order to make the piece work better. but you can't go wrong with a solid "AAAAA-"

🍦 augh god i'm gonna get blasted but i really dislike tasha yar's character. i could talk about the technicals that led to this conclusion but we want some good things, so. i like that she was a symbol for women, at the time of airing and still today, to pursue a career that's male-dominated, and the respect she commanded in the position. i enjoyed how unapologetically stubborn she could be with safety of the crew. i honestly cannot summon more thoughts, i'm so sorry tasha

🥝 i don't lie, or i at least don't make a habit of it. i used to lie as a kid (because i got myself into some difficult situations) but hated the feeling of it. i think the last time i lied was a couple of weeks ago when i told my boss the writing workshop had gone well, but i hadn't actually gone. i'd been so defeated by period cramps that i was worried about driving on the motorway - but i wasn't about to shout this across the salon where everyone could hear

🦋 ocean vuong is always on my heart and mind. but also that fucking data & picard song. it's ripping me to pieces. i've almost memorised picard's security code

🦴 mm. science fiction in general is a huge imspiration to me, as well as drama, but my biggest helper isn't media, it's poetry :)

🍅 my biggest weakness with writing is dialogue, i think. i've always struggled with it because i struggle anticipating what Real people are going to say to me, let alone the fictional people in my head. i need to work more on drip-feeding character through dialogue and drive stories forward using it

🐚 it depends on the surprise lmao. if i have to go/be somewhere specific for the surprise, i would really rather people tell me what it is and let me choose if it's worth the time. if it's like a takeaway dinner or some extra dessert i didn’t know about, i'd be a fucking Fool in the tarot deck to turn it away

🪲 again, this feels like an opportunity for people to steal my work so nah i won't be sharing my wip on here. the wip will be shared when it's no longer a wip !

☁️ an old chat with a friend. not sure how we got talking about it but we wanted to know what we'd each look like as a plate. crate thought i'd be orange and a little wonky and i thought he'd be green and patterned. since then, i've always thought of myself as the wonky orange plate :)

🐝 i really only have a couple of friends and this post is making light work of my records 😭 okay i'll play the sentimental card instead and say, my mother. we never used to get along and came to blows (verbally) nearly every week, but much of that was my own fault for being such an angry child. i was acting out of hurt, but i shouldn’t have taken it out on her. now, we live and work together, and i can easily call her one of my best friends 🧡

🌸 mattie! he's a rescued greyhound from the racing industry over in ireland. i love him with my whole and fragile heart

🎨 hhhh there are too many pieces of fanart out there...... but i'm always a sucker for A Fistful Of Datas fanart 👀

🧩 mischaracterisation! ooc! no paragraphs/strange formatting! extremely Long paragraphs! infodumping! a genuine lack of interest to create a story that moves people (this one is tricky to define but, essentially, no substance whatsoever)!

Writers Truth & Dare Ask Game

🎱 ⇢ post your AO3 total stats  🍓 ⇢ how did you get into writing fanfiction?  🌵 ⇢ share the link to a playlist you love 🕯️ ⇢ on a scale from 1 to 10, how much do you enjoy editing? why is that? 🛼 ⇢ describe your latest wip with five emojis 🥑 ⇢ you accidentally killed somebody, which mutual(s) do you text for help? 🥤 ⇢ recommend an author or fanfic you love 💌 ⇢ how many unread emails do you have right now?  🌻 ⇢ tag someone you appreciate but don't talk to on a regular basis 🐇 ⇢ do you prefer writing original characters, reader inserts, or a mix of both?  🧃 ⇢ share some personal lore you never posted about before 🎲 ⇢ what stops you from writing more in your free time?  🍄 ⇢ share a head canon for one of your favourite ships or pairings 🧸 ⇢ what's the fastest way to become your mutual? 🪐 ⇢ name three good things going on in your life right now 📚 ⇢ what's the last thing you wrote down in your notes app?  🍬 ⇢ post an unpopular opinion about a popular fandom character 🔪 ⇢ what's the weirdest topic you researched for a writing project? 🦷 ⇢ share some personal wisdom or a life hack you swear on ❄️ ⇢ what's your dream theme/plot for a fic, and who would write it best? 🌿 ⇢ give some advice on writer's block and low creativity 🥐 ⇢ name one internet reference that will always make you laugh  🏜️ ⇢ what's your favourite type of comment to receive on your work? 🍦 ⇢ name three good things about a character you hate 🥝 ⇢ do you lie a lot? what's the most recent lie you told? 🦋 ⇢ share something that has been on your heart and mind lately  🦴 ⇢ is there a piece of media that inspires your writing?  🍅 ⇢ give yourself some constructive criticism on your own writing 🐚 ⇢ do you like or dislike surprises? 🪲 ⇢ add 50 words to your current wip and share the paragraph here ☁️ ⇢ what made you choose your username? 🐝 ⇢ tag your biggest supporter(s) and say one nice thing about them 🌸 ⇢ do you have any pets? if you do, post some pictures of them 🎨 ⇢ link your favourite piece of fanart and explain why you like it 🧩 ⇢ what will make you click away from a fanfiction immediately?

[icarusthelunarguard]

This Week’s Horrible-Scopes

It’s time for this week’s Horrible-Scopes! So for those of you that know your Astrological Signs, cool! If not, just pick one, roll a D12, or just make it up as you go along. It really doesn’t matter. Better yet! Check out “Heart of the Game, Fredonia” and see if they can sell you those D12’s with the symbols on them. Tell them “Shujin Tribble” sentcha. And “Hail, Hail, Fredonia!”

This week… yeah, we’re going back to the music collection’s shuffleboard - but we’re limiting it to the Sound Effects section! You thought musical cues was bad before? Well folks.. Ya ain’t heard NUTHIN’ yet!

Aries 

Although yours is listed as “Arcade”, it includes the sounds of some driving game and Asteroids. The best part about Asteroids is… there were sequels that were actually better than the original in almost every way. Asteroids Deluxe replaced Hyperspace with a shield; Space Duel gave you co-operative ship gameplay, and Blasteroids replaced the vector graphics with sprites, spaceship morphing, and an actual BOSS to beat! This week… find a bowling alley with an actual arcade and PLAY! 

Taurus 

You get the sounds of a car door opening and shutting. No locks, no latches being clicked open, nothing except that. Which is exactly how your week will be, Taurus - all business, no pleasure. This week find your pleasure where you can in food, ‘cause you sure ain’t havin’ fun any other way. Pick up cheap Chinese takeaway on Friday - you can make your own fried rice for breakfast on Saturday Morning.

Gemini  

This one is fun. Listed as “Tank Army”, it sounds less like a tank and more like a 70 year old tractor with a lawn mower attachment under it trying to hold on for dear life. This is your way of knowing that you need to get more exercise; and you have no excuses this time; Mall Walking is still a thing. So lace up your Converse and head out to the food court.

Cancer Moon-Child 

Your sounds are the ambiance from the Cafe’ Pecs in southern Hungary. For over three and-a-half minutes all we get are the overlapping Hungarian voices, where not a single piece of silverware can be heard. No spoons, no cups and saucers, no one walking around… Just chatter. This week have a sit-down and just listen to the voices in your head. Some of them would like to have a word with you.  

Leo 

The randomizer just picked for you…. “Two horses pass at trot on gravel”. Truth be told, we’ve got no real idea on what to think about this one. There’s the old adage about how “Inside you there are two animals”, but of all the animals they might be, we’d never pick horses for you. This week… Honestly, we don’t know. How about you go find a Brannock Device and put it to good use. 

Virgo 

Oh, perfect. You got one of the shortest sound effects in the collections. At BARELY 1 second worth, it’s Big Macintosh from My Little Pony Friendship is Magic saying, “...eeyup!”. No, we’re not suggesting you watch the show - though you could do worse than that one. This week try agreeing with everything for just one day solid. After all… What’s The Worst That Could Happen?

Libra 

Apparently a bunch of you people are celebrating a BUNCH of birthdays this week, so without wasting any more time, here are the names…  Michelle (Susan) Jean (Mark) Fran (Carrie) Jay (Phil) Cirus (Theo) Stephany (Noah) Erica (Wolfgang) Timothy (Aaron) Jerry. Happy birthday to you all. And if you didn’t hear your name called, stop being so selfish! It’s their birthday too, you know. Learn to be more… you know.. Less Like ‘You’. 

Scorpio 

You get the sounds of Telex And Typewriter. You’re so young you probably don’t even know what Telex was used for, but you enjoy the fruits of its technology. We know you know what a typewriter is, but we’ll bet you’ve never changed a Daisy Wheel even once. This week, get your fingers dirty on red and black ribbon ink.

Sagittarius 

NOW we’re talkin’! From the Star Trek Original Series Sound Effects CD… Yes, that’s an OFFICIAL CD out there! With 69 tracks no less! (*NICE!*). You get “Enterprise Doors Open Into Transporter Room”. And before you think that’s not a cool sound… DUDE! It’s a background warble that’s just all KINDS of soothing at night. Turn that on for a Repeat Forever when you go to sleep, and you’ll totally sleep like a baby. This week… Find the track on YouTube and play it. You’ll see we’re right. And you need the sleep. 

Capricorn 

Some of you are too young to remember this sound effect. Most of you likely know the old AOL Dial Up sounds, but we’ll bet you don’t know the difference between K56flex and X2 handshaking sounds. If you thought you can tell the difference, you’re kidding yourself. Unless you worked I.T. in some capacity you wouldn’t know which was which. This week… be proud if someone calls you a “Phreak”... spelled with a P-H.

Aquarius 

You’ve got a sound that isn’t annoying on its own, surprisingly. The sound of an ATM and its internal mechanical parts at work, like the receipt printer and the money counter. The annoying part is that you… Ok, look.. We promise this isn’t personal, OK?! –you keep saying “ATM… Machine”. PLEASE! Please, just… just stop saying that. It’s just an “ATM” or “Cash Machine”. It’s not an “Automated Teller Machine Machine”, ok? This week.. Just.. stop talking so much. 

Pisces  

You’re gunna get a sound effect that almost everyone, everywhere, will recognize. Kids have been imitating it for YEARS, and we’ll bet you have too! No, it’s not the Six Million-Dollar Man Bionic sound, you know.. Like the Eye? That goes (DOO-DOO-DOO-dahh-dahh-dahh-dahh). No, you get the one that goes, “Vr–VOO-Vah-vah-VEE!” That’s right, you get the sound of The Transformers changing from their robot to vehicle forms because… DAMNIT! We’re STILL pissed off about Rodimus Prime last week, OK? We’re NOT letting that one go! Just… Just deal with it, ok? (*DUDE! Take it easy, man!*) I’m fine! I’m ok, ok… So.. This week, Pisces… Uhm… Buy more boxes of tissues.

And THOSE are your Horrible-Scopes for this week! Remember if you liked what you got, we’re obviously not working hard enough at these. BUT! If you want a better or nastier one for your own sign or someone else’s, all you need to do to bribe me is just Let Me Know! These will be posted online at the end of each week via Tumblr, Twitter, Facebook and Discord.