data1701d (He/Him) @startrek.website "Life forms. You precious little lifeforms. You tiny little lifeforms. Where are you?"
\- Lt. Cmdr Data, Star Trek: Generations
I feel like they could have done several things to make them more realistic.
One option might have been instead making it a form of matterless telepathic project, with a bunch of the crew having to awkwardly walk inside these projections.
Another option might have been to make it so the Doopler behaves sort of like a replicator and uses materials from its environment to build clones. At first, the Cerritos life support systems would be able to keep up, but then, instead of the risk of being crushed, it could have instead been the risk of oxygen depletion or something as life support struggles to keep up. Granted, that would have made beaming the Doopler emissary onto the star base even more sadistic than it already was, so you'd have to find a way to revise them.
I feel like the Pandronians aren’t as severe - maybe an 8. You could explain the floating in part as a naturally occurring anti-gravity system (which does canonically exist artificially).
I might be biased, though, in kn my Star Trek Adventures campaign, I have a Pandronian as my chief medical officer.
I feel like as this goes on, this list just devolves into random Star Trek species.
I mean, the whole point of the Antedians and Breen is they’re total meme species.
I personally feel like one of the ACTUAL worst species in the franchise is LD’s Dooplers. While overall, the eponymous episode is great, probably one of the series bests, the Dooplers felt out of place. Usually, Lower Decks has a standard of doing things that are both ridiculous and plausible by Star Trek logic - in other words, the cartoon dial is usually set at 6 or 7 (unless it’s a hallucination), but I feel like the Dooplers were a jarring turn to a 10.
Me, in Arizona: 
Though honestly, my thought is if the rest of the country gets rid of DST, I feel like Pacific should go to PDT because it’s incredibly nice when that part of the country aligns with Arizona’s time. Granted, that might be weirder for the eastern Mountain time states.
Oh, my gosh. Weyoun is so beautiful! And you can make him smile! Now all we need is a Lakarian City playset... a pile of ash should do.
But what about Okana at the Starfleet Command Party representing our acceptance:
Or much less attractive PRO Okana, representing the season 3 theme change?
Just give us Prodigy S3. Granted, we'd have to see how they work it out, considering they've hit the Picard era.
Maybe we could just have a little "accident" where Admiral Janeway is visiting the Protostar when they all get whisked into the 2430s and can't return so they don't have to deal with Picard crap. It wouldn't be as radical of a future as Discovery - we'll just have a nice, peaceful era with only the occasional threat.
The Protostar has some new worlds to explore, while Janeway struggles to reintegrate into Starfleet and catches up with her still-surviving friends, probably including elderly Mr. Tysess, Tuvok (who, even with conservative estimates, probably still have 3 decades ahead of them) Chakotay (probably not in as good health as Tuvok or Tysess, but holding on), as well as the Doctor.
Besides potentially being able to do TNG monster of the week, you've got at least 1 free episode plot for checking in on Solum. Besides having some plot on thea now non-destroyed Solum, we could have Ilthuran's reaction to being reunited with Gwyn after decades as well as, at a minimum, a bit of comedy from a nice, non-fascist Ascencia (It would be even funnier if this Ascenscia at one point became a legit Starfleet officer).
Actually, that was Barenaked Ladies that did the Big Bang Theory theme. Totally different guys.
Ironically, the Cerritos is on 4 shifts, based one the existence of delta shift.
My Attempt at Jellico circa 2381
I was especially trying to imitate Prodigy's styling of him.
I don't know that it looks like Jellico, but it does look like an experienced officer circa 2381.
The stardates are just there to fill in the document - I got them from event years on Memory Beta and then just put a random date into the stardate calculator.
Note: In a few of these, I have multiple images of what I consider to be the main variants, which I would say are S1 E15 version, S1 E19 version, S2 E5/E9 version, and S2 E14 onward.
Has Anyone Else Noticed Jellico's Face Constantly Changes in Prodigy?
I was looking at references of both TNG and Prodigy Jellico to try to make an LD-style Jellico, when I found how they styled his face varied a lot between episodes - I count about 4 significant variants.
For reference, here is TNG Jellico:
!Jellico as he appeared in Star Trek: The Next Generation
This was his first Prodigy appearance in S1 E15 Masquerade:
!Jellico as he appeared in S1 E15
Definitely a bit yikes, but I also slightly dig the "old man who will bite your hand off if you get within one mile of him" look.
They totally changed his face for his second appearance 4 episodes later, in S1 E19 Supernova Pt 1:
!Jellico as he appeared in S1 E19
I like this look - it feels very Clone Wars. However, I can see why they might have gotten right of it - it makes it difficult for the face to show anything but aggression.
They dialed back the clone wars for his next appearance in S2 E5 Observer's Paradox:
!Jellico as he appeared in S2 E5
I think it was also largely the same in S2 E9 The Devourer of All Things Pt. 1:
!Jellico as he appeared in S2 E5
They might have enlarged the eyes a bit, but I think the other differences are mostly because of perspective differences and facial expressions.
The final, and longest-lived Jellico variant first appears in S2 E14 Cracked Mirror:
!Jellico as he appeared in S2 E14
This model leans on the more realistic side. This one is probably the most recognizable as Jellico from TNG. It also allows much more expressiveness (not just an aggressive scowl), as seen in these images from E15, E16 (It looks like a different variant, but if you go a bit before, it's actually the same one), and E20:
!Jellico as he appeared in S2 E15
!Jellico as he appeared in S2 E16
!Jellico as he appeared in S2 E20
Overall, I think my favorite Jellico is probably S1 E19, but I can see why they had to switch.
Still, I wonder why it took so long for them to make up their mind on the face and why they didn't get it right the first time.
Some of the early episodes are important in my opinion but a little rough at times.
Once you hit season 2, there is rarely a bad episode - they're all at the very least funny, except for "A Mathematically Perfect Redemption", which is just the most brutal form of torture and an experiment in anti-storytelling. .
Not totally right. Strange New Worlds, Lower Decks, and Prodigy are all decent as well. TOS is also worth a watch with an episode list, and TAS has a few good ones as well.
Discovery, in my opinion, isn't as bad some say either. It's hardly peak Star Trek, but I've found I enjoy it sometimes. I also have to throw in obligatory Orville suggestion.
As others have set, Lower Decks is not the first show you should watch though - it's more enjoyable after watching everything. Also, both Lower Decks and Prodigy, I'd recommend watching through the first 10 or so episodes before making a judgement - the first few episodes aren't their best. Lower Decks is often funny and at least once a season (from season 2) puts out a masterpiece that belong with the best of Trek. I'd say the top/my favorite LD episodes are (in no particular order):
- S1 E8 "Veritas"
- S2 E5 "An Embarrassment of Dooplers" (I hate the Dooplers, but everything else about that episode is solid)
- S2 E9 "Wej Duj"
- S2 E10 "First Contact"
- S3 E1 "Grounded"
- S3 E5 "Reflections"
- S3 E6 "Hear All, Trust Nothing"
- S3 E8 "Crisis Point 2: Paradoxus"
- S3 E10 “The Stars At Night”
- S4 E4 "Something Borrowed, Something Green"
- S4 E6 "Parth Ferengi's Heart Palace"
- S4 E9 "The Inner Fight"
- S4 E10 "Old Friends, New Planets"
- S5 E2 "Shades of Green"
- S5 E4 "A Farewell to Farms"
- S5 E6 "Of Gods and Angles"
- S5 E7 "Fully Dilated" (I think there were some things I wish this episode did better, but I still enjofed it.)
- S5 E9 "Fissure Quest"
Maybe they are, but those parts haven't developed yet - notice how their arms are bare. There might also be neurological differences in babies that prevent the full influence of the collective.
Pretty much true, but I’ve seen exceptions. At least in the Southwestern US, the smaller the home, the more likely it is the kitchen will be very near the laundry room.
In both my childhood home (built 1997, one story) and my dad’s childhood home (trailer, built 1973), the “laundry room” was basically a hallway off the kitchen.
The washer is never directly in the kitchen or under a countertop, though.
Funny, but I also almost puked seeing Data that way. I guess he can survive as only a head, though - just need a new body.
Now the epic one is Gargoyles, where many Trek actors are in it (including Mulgrew, Spiner, Dorn, and Brooks).
Two of the main villains are played by (and they work together sometimes), weirdly enough, Frakes and Sirtis.
There’s an episode where Frakes’ character is out of jail and threatens revenge upon the main characters, and one responds, “With you and what Starfleet?”
Gul Donal Wants a Statue
cross-posted from: https://startrek.website/post/19850319
> If life's going to be this crappy, at least cast Jeffrey Combs as Elon Musk, Mr. Universe.
Gul Donal Wants a Statue
If life's going to be this crappy, at least cast Jeffrey Combs as Elon Musk, Mr. Universe.
Don't Worry, guys! I've Gone Trek in a They Might Be Giants board as well!
cross-posted from: https://startrek.website/post/19819038
> I'm ParticleMan. This is the #concert-chat channel on the tmbw (This Might Be a Wiki, the main fan wiki for They Might Be Giants) Discord.
Don't Worry, guys! I've Gone Trek in a They Might Be Giants board as well!
I'm ParticleMan. This is the #concert-chat channel on the tmbw (This Might Be a Wiki, the main fan wiki for They Might Be Giants) Discord.
Las Vegas, Nevada in the 24th Century?
What is Las Vegas, Nevada like in the 24th century?
It seems to be implied that Vegas still exists (not just some legendary destination of the past like Vics) and is still associated with gambling - Chakotay's hallucination of Tom Paris in VOY:"The Fight" mentions Vegas along with Mars and Orion III when mentioning the odds in a fight.
I think the fact that this is a hallucination of Tom in Chakotay's mind, combined with the fact that it was mentioned with contemporarily active places, heavily suggests that Vegas is alive and still has some form of active gambling.
However, I would imagine that a lot would still change for Vegas. Modern-day Vegas has Nellis AFB in it and Creech nearby, so it would have probably been a major target during World War III and as a result been heavily damaged. For urban planning, this probably gave a largely blank slate during redevelopment, so in many ways, Earth probably ended up becoming a typical 24th century city or town with vastly improved public transportation.
It's also important to consider the potential impact of drought - has Vegas significantly downscaled as a result of its water issues, or did they get that sorted out in time and Vegas is still a moderately large Earth city in the 24th century?
Also, what does gambling look like in a post-scarcity society? What are the laws on the books for United Earth? I'm imagining people mostly do it for the thrill, like how Jadzia plays Tongo.
Make a Little Birdhouse in Your Warp Core
cross-posted from: https://startrek.website/post/19747430
> A sequel to https://startrek.website/post/14985611
Make a Little Birdhouse in Your Warp Core
cross-posted from: https://startrek.website/post/19747430
> A sequel to https://startrek.website/post/14985611
You're not the boss of me now!
cross-posted from: https://startrek.website/post/14985611
> "Boss of Me" might be my favorite Flans song... besides "Put Your Hand Inside the Puppet Head"... and "Music Jail"... and "Let Me Tell You About My Operation"... and "If Day for Winnipeg". Nevermind. Please don't make me choose a favorite Flans song.
You're not the boss of me now!
cross-posted from: https://startrek.website/post/14985611
> "Boss of Me" might be my favorite Flans song... besides "Put Your Hand Inside the Puppet Head"... and "Music Jail"... and "Let Me Tell You About My Operation"... and "If Day for Winnipeg". Nevermind. Please don't make me choose a favorite Flans song.
I'm finally going to the 🪩DISCO🪩
cross-posted from: https://startrek.website/post/19356345
> I finally got around to watching some Discovery (though I'm only through the first few episodes of season 4). My thoughts: > - First three are a moderately enjoyable sci-fi drama > - I have to admit, season 3 just presented enough interesting ideas and mystery I was able to ignore most of its flaws > - I've really started to notice death by subplots, though. It feels like they try to do 4 different plots in an episode, 2 which they do okay and 2 which are way weaker than they should be. I would have rather they done 2 subplots really well. > - I felt season 4's conflict was really contrived. The plot could have almost written itself with what happened in season 3. Osyra died and we don't even talk about the aftermath in the Chain - the slavery isn't just going to magically disappear, and there's sure to be a power struggle. Also, killing Book's family was kind of idiotic - talking about grief and obsession again is like beating a dead horse. Heck, if you'd let his family live but still destroyed the planet, we could have had an interesting story on diasporas instead. > - Also, background character development feels a bit weak. I spent half the first couple seasons wondering who the heck Ariam was, and just when I did, they killed her before the audience could develop much of an attachment. They could have at least thrown in a few more crew barbecue scenes. > - I am now more impressed at what Lower Decks did with fewer, shorter episodes a season than Discovery. They really managed to create a sense that we'd been with these characters a long time and that they were growing despite the entire show being shorter than 1 TNG season. I do have a few gripes about season 5 (my main one being how does Ma'ah go from "Beckett is honorable" like, a few hours after meeting her to immediately distrusting her in the finale), but my respect for LD has only grown.
I'm finally going to the 🪩DISCO🪩
I finally got around to watching some Discovery (though I'm only through the first few episodes of season 4). My thoughts:
- First three are a moderately enjoyable sci-fi drama
- I have to admit, season 3 just presented enough interesting ideas and mystery I was able to ignore most of its flaws
- I've really started to notice death by subplots, though. It feels like they try to do 4 different plots in an episode, 2 which they do okay and 2 which are way weaker than they should be. I would have rather they done 2 subplots really well.
- I felt season 4's conflict was really contrived. The plot could have almost written itself with what happened in season 3. Osyra died and we don't even talk about the aftermath in the Chain - the slavery isn't just going to magically disappear, and there's sure to be a power struggle. Also, killing Book's family was kind of idiotic - talking about grief and obsession again is like beating a dead horse. Heck, if you'd let his family live but still destroyed the planet, we could have had an interesting story on diasporas instead.
- Also, background character development feels a bit weak. I spent half the first couple seasons wondering who the heck Ariam was, and just when I did, they killed her before the audience could develop much of an attachment. They could have at least thrown in a few more crew barbecue scenes.
- I am now more impressed at what Lower Decks did with fewer, shorter episodes a season than Discovery. They really managed to create a sense that we'd been with these characters a long time and that they were growing despite the entire show being shorter than 1 TNG season. I do have a few gripes about season 5 (my main one being how does Ma'ah go from "Beckett is honorable" like, a few hours after meeting her to immediately distrusting her in the finale), but my respect for LD has only grown.
Here's Some Parliament Class Love
cross-posted from: https://startrek.website/post/19150268
> The Parliament just feels like a more beautiful version of the Nebula - it is rather elegant while keeping that Galaxy-class kitbash feel, combined with a bit of Miranda in the square edges of the saucer and a smidge of Sovereign in the nacelles. > Nebula just looks derpy by comparison > > True, Nebula and Parliament have a bit different purposes. However, other than nacelles, they actually seem to be about the same size interior-wise (based on some very Memory Beta info).
Here's Some Parliament Class Love
The Parliament just feels like a more beautiful version of the Nebula - it is rather elegant while keeping that Galaxy-class kitbash feel, combined with a bit of Miranda in the square edges of the saucer and a smidge of Sovereign in the nacelles. Nebula just looks derpy by comparison
True, Nebula and Parliament have a bit different purposes. However, other than nacelles, they actually seem to be about the same size interior-wise (based on some very Memory Beta info).
Has anyone else been receiving scam messages lately?
Over the past few days, I have received 2 identical scam direct messages from freshly created accounts on different instances (I immediately blocked user and messaged instance admins, with no response yet), namely aggregatet.org and feddit.rocks. I was wondering if others had experienced this issue, so I could see if it was an escalating issue.
How Many Kims on the Anaximander / Is the Anaximander sufficiently staffed?
I went through LD 5x09 "Fissure Quest" to try and count/estimate the amount of Kims on the Anaximander.
The most we see on screen together not including Lieutenant Kim is 8 Kims on the Beagle Bridge (6 First Contact Uniforms, 1 Voyager uniform, 1 Delta Flyer uniform): !
In the scene immediately after the opening credit, we see two non-Lieutenant Kims with the Voyager uniform:
Combining the 8 Kims seen on the Beagle with the extra Voy Kim on the Anaximander, I estimate there to be at least 9 Kims (besides Lt).
However, there are some inconsistencies.
We only see 6 (non-Lieutenant) Kims in the prison, despite it being somewhat implied the Anaximander is mostly empty besides Garak and Bashir:
In one count the mess hall scene, I counted what was at least 6 and at most 11 Kims.
Overall, I'm sticking with my initial estimate of 9 for now.
I wonder what could account for variations in Kims. Were some actually locked up somewhere on the ship? Did Lieutenant Kim forget one?
Also, assuming there are 9-11 Kims, is 14-16 crew (adding Boimler, T'Pol, Curzon, Garak, and the LMH) enough to run a Defiant-class, which usually has compliment more in the 40s? It could be possible that since it's a Section 31 ship that it's outfitted to run with less agents.
P.S I find it a nice bit of canonical accuracy that most Kims are wearing First Contact uniforms (and likely made it home), as since most timelines are close to Prime, uniform designs shouldn't be that different.