We're In a Golden Age of Star Trek Webseries Right Now
New submitter DakotaSmith writes: io9 has an article explaining why We're Living In The Golden Age Of Star Trek Webseries Right Now. If you're a true geek, you probably already know about Star Trek Continues and Star Trek: Phase II. (If you're a true geek and you don't know about them, run — do not walk, run — to watch "Lolani." Your brain— and more importantly, your heart — will love you for the rest of your life.)
But there's more to it than that. A lot more. How about the years'-long wait for Act IV of Starship Exeter : "The Tressaurian Intersection"? Or Yorktown: "A Time to Heal" — an attempt to resurrect an aborted fan film from 1978 starring George Takei? For fans of old-school Star Trek (the ones who pre-date "Trekker" and wear "Trekkie" as a badge of honor), not since 1969 has there been a better time to watch Star Trek: The Original Series.
(Oh, and there's plenty content out there for you "Trekkers" and NextGen-era fans. It all varies in quality, but it doesn't take much effort to find them. This is truly a Golden Age. Recognize it and enjoy it while it lasts.)
But there's more to it than that. A lot more. How about the years'-long wait for Act IV of Starship Exeter : "The Tressaurian Intersection"? Or Yorktown: "A Time to Heal" — an attempt to resurrect an aborted fan film from 1978 starring George Takei? For fans of old-school Star Trek (the ones who pre-date "Trekker" and wear "Trekkie" as a badge of honor), not since 1969 has there been a better time to watch Star Trek: The Original Series.
(Oh, and there's plenty content out there for you "Trekkers" and NextGen-era fans. It all varies in quality, but it doesn't take much effort to find them. This is truly a Golden Age. Recognize it and enjoy it while it lasts.)
For fans of old-school Star Trek (the ones who pre-date "Trekker" and wear "Trekkie" as a badge of honor),
Hahahahahaha. Nothing is more funny than one group of loser nerds trying to act superior to another.
He will never grace our presence again.
Who shall we mourn next?
In the ending, they encounter Duke Nukem.
Table-ized A.I.
There is some good material out there, but it tends to be darker and more action-y than the original Trek. For example, the Lolani episode the original post mentions has a plot which revolves around the Federation supporting slavery, which seems way out of line with the original series. In fact, all the Continues episodes have been dark, dealing a lot with death or dark parallel universe or slavery, etc.
Perhaps this is Trek for a modern age, a more cynical age, but it leaves me feeling cold. I liked the opitimism of the original series. They did some dark stuff, but on the whole it was a brighter vision of the future. I miss that.
Why are Tellarites transporting slaves? Tellar is a founding member of the Federation, making Tellarites citizens by default, and slavery is illegal in the Federation. Why are Federation citizens transporting slaves?
FTFY.
I'm sorry, the fan-made "Star Trek" stuff is terrible, because the actors are terrible. It's as simple as that. They get pretty much everything right, otherwise, but without decent actors, it doesn't matter. I mean, the acting is high-school-level bad.
Good actors are rare. It's an ability you're born with, I think. You have to have "presence", and the right voice, and the right mannerisms...none of the actors on these shows have ANY of that.
We are not in a golden age, but a dilithuim age. It is not sluggish and gilded, but moving a warp speed! Where is it moving.. well, sensors are down right now.
Silence is a state of mime.
Oh geeeee..... The only good thing about "Lolani" is that it is a perfect remake of a classically terrible, awful, ST:TOS episode. It's a perfect homage to "Spock's Brain", and "Savage Curtain".
So from that viewpoint, it's a great episode. And I really enjoyed watching it, but only for its artistic value of a faithful recreation of a botched ST:TOS time filler. Really, I'll take "Fairest Of Them All", or even "Pilgrim of Eternity", over "Lolani", any time. And I do appreciate seeing The Incredible Hulk himself, in full-body green makeup; but it can't make up for the awfulness of the rest of the episode.
Wait! You mean nerds don't like Star Trek?
Get over yourself.
The only thing worse than a Democrat is a Republican.
The only real problem with Star Trek Continues is that... it hasn't.
Oliver's law of assumed responsibility: If you're seen fixing it, you will be blamed for breaking it.
Per my subject: I watched the episode where Apollo returns (after StarTrek TOS episode "Who Mourns for Adonais", one of my favorites of all-time - especially the ending)... it was pretty good & had the orignal actor (Micheal Forrest iirc) also which was pretty surprising in & of itself, as Apollo (who was 'normal' but regained his power realizing in the end that level of power corrupts (an oft used theme in TOS)).
I liked it...
Another episode iirc was pretty good too - after the Star Trek TOS episode "Mirror, Mirror" (another of my favs) of an alternate universe where WE are like the Klingon empire (rather than benevolent), & it was good as well.
All in all? I didn't mind it... not @ all.
Besides: Kirk & Spock? They were my 'boyhood heroes' whom I basically learned to speak English from (came from immigrant family here/1st generation U.S. Citizen) since my family spoke Polish @ home until I was, oh... maybe 10-11, primarily (I owe the show that along with GREAT morality play type themes that imo, made you a BETTER person, & it helped inspire me to get into computing too, really).
APK
P.S.=> If some monetary support/funding was put behind it? It could be really good - I'd like to see a series based on Capt. Christopher Pike (from TOS pilot, good actor then who blew a great future due to his wife saying "He's a movie star, NOT a t.v. actor" & Mr. Shatner, great actor too, "got the loot" instead) timeframe, 18yrs. before Kirk entered (but Spock was there with Pike instead) which took place AFTER "Enterprise"... apk
The attention to detail in Star Trek Continues is remarkable. The acting can be a bit stilted, but maybe you all have forgotten the first season of TOS. It will be more difficult for STC due to the changing cast. Even then, I think the roles will mature and develop more fully.
And no, it is NOT a Golden Age, it is just the beginning!
"To those who are overly cautious, everything is impossible. "
The geek whines that Hollywood produces nothing but remakes and sequels; but when given the chance to show us what he can do on his own, what do we get?
It was actually quite good. The script was well written and the attention to detail was top notch. The acting was kind of hit or miss at times. Though seeing Lou Ferrigno and Erin Grey again was definitely nostalgic. I think it's worth watching.
Of course the poster suggested "Lolani". It's an episode about feminism... every geek's favorite topic!
Star Trek Renegades is looking good, and not as cheap.
http://startrekrenegades.com/home/
For the last decade or so, the Trek novel universe has been well-maintained, followed its own continuity, and has featured a lot of very good stories (and a few bad ones, but so it goes with all things Star Trek). If you're a fan that's looking to continue the stories and feel of Star Trek now that it's off the air, look at the novels (and check out http://www.thetrekcollective.c... for a guide to where to start).
"Your brain— and more importantly, your heart — will love you for the rest of your life."
What does that mean?
"First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
I've loved, and have been following Star Trek fan films since the second episode of New Voyages, over a decade ago. Yes, of course the acting is amateur. If you can't handle them, don't watch them. Subbie didn't even mention Hidden Frontier, which ran for 7 seasons! Also left out Of Gods and Men! I watched part one of a Star Trek: Aurora two-parter last week -- it was great, but a Harry Mudd episode so it was rather silly.
But it's so interesting how this one franchise, out of them all, has so many simultaneous fan productions. It's like, in the 60s, when all the traditional ideologies and authorities were being torn down there was a vacuum introduced into the Western psyche. And then some random TV show with an idealistic premise was sucked in to fill the void. Now, like schismatic sects of a religion, each fan film does Star Trek the "right" way, in it's creators own interpretation. Lots of gay characters in many fan films, for instance, something real Star Trek almost never touched.
If you would only ever watch one episode, watch Fairest of Them All, the "part two" to Mirror, Mirror.
Silicon & Charybdis McLuhan Kildall Papert Kay
I can't stand Kirk's voice in Star Trek Continues.
" It all varies in quality, but it doesn't take much effort to find them."
But it does take much effort to watch them. While the intentions are laudable, quality is important. Even a good story can be mightily ruined by too simplistic rendition and/or unskilled acting and/or unskilled filming/camwork. And they usually are.
I am putting myself to the fullest possible use, which is all I can think that any conscious entity can ever hope to do.
I really enjoyed all the Star Trek series that followed TOS. I loved Voyager and even Enterprise was entertaining to watch. I really wish a new "official" Star Trek series starts again soon.
If that's not a contradiction in terms I don't know what is.
Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
too many faggy gay scenes like sulu has taken the reigns of every one of these
The geek whines that Hollywood produces nothing but remakes and sequels; but when given the chance to show us what he can do on his own, what do we get?
Original series, next gen, deep space 9, voyager, enterprise and however many fucking movies by now, all fueled by geek passion for not being able to let things go, and you're going to try to tell me that geeks whine about repetition?
There is a reason I always hated Star Trek.
Kirk is a better kirk but hey, I prefer Piccard ;)
Spock is a bit worse but a lot is expected from him.
The fx, clothes and scenarios are much better than in the original series and resemble the same aesthetics.
As long as we argue and discuss it pointing our differences, even our resistance to accept the new episodes shows a potential market to fill with current episodes :P
English is not my primary language so sorry if I made any mistake (feel free to point them out so I can learn but don't just complain)
Don't forget Auroratrek
http://auroratrek.com/