By Chris Snellgrove | Updated
My first world problem is simple: Star Trek is my favorite franchise, and Paramount is screwing it up, canceling show after show because of low ratings. That’s annoying, of course, but that’s not my problem…at least, not really. My problem is that whenever I complain about the changes made by NuTrek, I get mobs of fans saying these programs are perfect and I must be a weird, right-wing thug if I don’t agree. God forbid I complain about any changes to the franchise formula or belief, leading those fans to cry out in unison, “Star Trek has always it was so!”
In fact, Paramount has made countless changes to Star Trek in an ongoing effort to do the seemingly impossible: attract new, younger fans to the franchise. Perhaps the best example of this is the will/won’t they relationship between Spock and Chapel Strange New Worlds. Some diehard fans believe that their relationship matches what we saw in it The Original Seriesand others give a more human image of Spock because the characters have such a fun chemistry together. However, according to one of the original major Trek writers, the Chapel was created to emphasize Spock’s. carelessness rather than his hidden personality.
Kiss The Old Spock Goodbye
Controversies about Spock’s relationship with Chapel in the Strange New Worlds are tied to the larger, ongoing debate about Spock’s portrayal on the show. Like other Vulcans, he represses his emotions to the point that most consider him completely emotionless. He was portrayed by Leonard Nimoy, his Spock often entered into conversations with Dr. McCoy who was sad. While SNW it is a precursor to this The Original Seriesit has Ethan Peck playing a very different Spock, who smiles, cracks jokes, gets angry, and insists on Chapel endlessly despite having a Vulcan bride at home.
Critics of Strange New Worlds they chose the Spock/Chapel relationship by breaking several parts of established dogma. First, SNW goes out of its way to establish the Spock/Chapel/T’Pring love triangle, but in TOS, Spock hadn’t seen T’Pring since childhood. In another, while the Chapel of The Original Series she flirted with Spock, she didn’t reciprocate, which seems odd now that we know she’s been singing a lot about how much she wanted him for the past few years. This leaves a lot to be desired TOS writer David Gerrold said that was Chapel’s real purpose: to emphasize how remote and alien Spock is.
The Real Reason the Church Was Built
David Gerrold is one of the most important figures in Star Trek lore. He wrote amazing The Original Series episodes, including “The Trouble With Tribbles” nominated by Hugo. Later, Gerrold became a news editor The Next Generation and wrote most of that biblical series. He also wrote a number of excellent reference books, including The World of Star Trek. In that letter, he wrote that Chapel was “apparently created specifically” to love Spock and that “The need to play Spock’s Vulcan of indifference requires a woman to fall in love with him and be constantly contradicted. Hence, Nurse Chapel.”
In other words, the best way to show how inhuman this unknown character is indeed it was to have a good looking woman throwing herself at him and showing no interest. But Strange New Worlds has turned this formula on its head, using Chapel to constantly demonstrate how of a person this is really unknown. The writers and producers may have done this to increase the romantic tension in the show, lest everything go into special effects and moral dilemmas. Whether you love or hate their on-screen pairing, one thing is clear: these characters and their situation are written. completely in a different way than they were The Original Series.
The Superhuman
At the risk of sounding like an old crank (who, me?), this dramatic change underscores everything wrong with NuTrek. There isn’t much attention paid to who these characters are and how they might actually act. Instead, everything is written to pander to younger viewers who aren’t too into CW-style drama and aren’t into exploring strange new worlds. Unfortunately, this adds up to the worst of both worlds: big changes to the characters and the story drive away old fans, and young fans don’t come. What we’re left with is a show with a shrinking audience, and that’s why SNW it was canceled early and given a much shorter final season.
Now, Strange New Worlds it’s still a fun TV show, and light years better than it was Starfleet Academy (the last “let’s make it for the kids” Star Trek TV show). But as the show approaches its time period The Original Seriesolder fans will be looking more closely at how well it adheres to known doctrine. If it does a good job, this show can finally stick to its arrival and solidify its reputation as a solid complement. TOS. If the show continues to lie with the actors to gain access to a non-existent audience, however, SNW may one day be considered the greatest example of the NuTrek method it failed completely.
