Star Trek

[BlackLagoon]

I didn't see a ST thread so I went ahead and made this. I figure we can discuss all shows, OS, TNG, DS9, Voyager...

So let's get right into it, the age old question--whose is your favorite Captain?

[creaturerevenge]

I'm a Kirk fan... though Picard is a VERY close second! For my wife's birthday I gave her a trip to Chicago to do a big Star Trek convention where they are doing a whole reunion of the TNG crew (including Sir Patrick Stewart!) and a bunch of other stuff. She is a HUGE TNG fan, but I'm more of an original series guy! Really surprised that there wasn't already a Star Trek thread on here... glad there is now though!

[Count_Zirock]

Well, of course, at my age, I watched TOS. I liked NextGen, but my favorite after TOS is DS9. "Voyager" was okay, but I didn't care for "Enterprise" much. Really enjoyed the reboot movie, too.

[Paladin]

I watched TOS when I was a kid. I have a few of them as well as The Undiscovered Country on DVD, but I can't honestly say that any of the "Captains" ever did anything for me. I enjoyed the doctor, McCoy, with his wise- cracks to Spock.

[Scary Terry]

Original series for me. The follow-ups always struck me as "Star Trek: The Afterschool Special" -- all that politically correct nonsense about people's feelings - blechh.  Go fight some lizard-head aliens for cryin' out loud! I particularly dislike some of the actors/characters in the follow-up series -- Data, Q, Guinan, Janeway -- ugh.

Currently watching the old eps with the new FX in HD on Netflix streaming -- looking fantastic.  I do like the new movie reboot, too, so I'm not a total cranky ol' crab.

[Paladin]

What killed this series for me, as well, was the "Prime Directive" that was so rigidly enforced but was almost never enforced.

I did enjoyThe Undiscovered Country, and a few of the other films, because it did mirror the rift between east and west- Glasnost.

[creaturerevenge]

Since everyone seems to be mostly fans of TOS, what was everyone's favorite TOS episode? I always have a soft spot for Arena, mostly because I love the Gorn in it, but I've also always really liked The Menagerie. It was a really well written and played out episode and made really cool use of the original pilot episode they had filmed with Captain Pike.

[Paladin]

City on the Edge of Forever & Arena. Off the top of my head these two standout but I'm sure that there are others, just have to jog the memory a tad

City... was a short story by Harlan Ellison and it was actually pretty good.

[monsterphile]

TOS  had the benefit of its own novelty but there was a lot that didn't come across as future-thinking.  Trying (even if just in words and not deeds) to keep to the Prime Directive is what an intergalactic organization would have to be.  I think TNG did this and is one of its strong points.  Still, throughout all series, it was always very odd that Starfleet headquarters was always on Earth.  It was the space version of ethnocentricity. 

There were aspects of all the series that I liked though.  TOS did have that 1960s adventure  feel and, of course, it introduced the framework for the entire Star Trek universe.  TNG brought a lot more intellectualality.  DS9 was able to go with (mainly) one location and focus on the people that pass through a place that is on the edge of a new frontier.  Voyager took away all of the familiarity of the known universe and forced the people onboard to deal with the unknown more than ever before.  I didn't get to watch as much of Enterprise because at that time in my life, I was just so busy but I liked the "look into the past" feature. 


Rob

[Flower]

I liked the original series but didn't love it. I guess that my favorite episode was "The Trouble with Tribbles" ..

STNG ~ I liked this series too. Patrick Stewart was very cool and I enjoyed most of the cast.

STDS9 ~ I liked this series but didn't watch it much.

Voyager ~ This is one of my favorite ST series .. I liked Janeway as captain.

Enterprise ~ I have no problem with Scott Bakula but wasn't motivated to watch the show.

[BlackLagoon]

Honestly it's so close for me between Kirk and Picard but Jean Luc wins by a photo finish.

In middle school when I was really getting deeper in love with all things comic book, sci-fi and horror but I just didn't care for TOS, then during the week they started showing episodes of TNG and I ended up watching them on a nightly basis. From then on I just thought JLP was the man!

Kirk is awesome too but there is something much more..I dunno.."tough guy" about him. Elements of his character could play well in an old Western, there is that passive dangerous streak you kind of sense. Picard on the other hand is the poster child for "Don't worry...I got this!" I'm gonna need that feeling as soon as I hear "Resistance is futile!"

[Count_Zirock]

Kirk is awesome too but there is something much more..I dunno.."tough guy" about him. Elements of his character could play well in an old Western, there is that passive dangerous streak you kind of sense.

Well, Roddenberry did pitch "Star Trek" to NBC as "Wagon Train to the Stars".

[LundyAfterMidnight]

I enjoy them all, but I'm a product of my time, TOS for me. Favorite episodes:
MIRROR, MIRROR: parallel/alternate universe theories have always fascinated me.
DAY OF THE DOVE: The Klingons--perhaps the best bad guy/space villains ever--dominate this episode, & a great anti-war message.
AMOK TIME: Our first glimpse of the planet Vulcan.
And just for fun, THE TROUBLE WITH TRIBBLES.

[Pauspy]

Original series for me. The follow-ups always struck me as "Star Trek: The Afterschool Special" -- all that politically correct nonsense about people's feelings - blechh. 

...not to mention the "guys in miniskirts" stuff they pulled early in the series.    When TNG came out I watched it regularly, and I remember having to work really really hard to like the darn thing. Eventually they loosened up and created some stories with real humanity and drama, but man, it was rough sledding there for a while. Of course, my favorite captain was  and is Kirk.

[monsterphile]

My Star Trek (TOS) autograph display out in the hallway with a "collector's plate" and an original TV Guide.




Rob