The Most Hated Star Trek Episode Is Extremely Vital to the Franchise’s Future

By Chris Snellgrove
| Up to date 1 hour in the past

Primarily, the general public’s reception for Star Trek: Unusual New WorldIt has been largely constructive because of a gifted forged, strong writing, and extremely excessive manufacturing worth. Nevertheless, for a lot of Star Trek followers, this collection made one misstep: the musical episode “Subspace Rhapsody.”

Definitely, this episode pales compared to extra profitable musical episodes like Buffy the Vampire Slayer“As soon as Extra With Feeling” and the songs could be just a little (okay, a plot) extra catchy. Nonetheless, I believe followers ought to nonetheless respect this controversial episode as a result of it proves that the writers of one of the best sci-fi franchise are at all times prepared to take inventive dangers.

As longtime Star Trek followers know, the franchise hasn’t at all times displayed the creativity that went into the musical episode of Unusual new worlds. For instance, the primary episodes of The subsequent technology recycled scripts written for a canceled Unique collection sequel collection which might have launched new characters like Decker and Ilia. These characters had been then recycled for Star Trek: The Film and later impressed the characters of Riker and Troi in TNG.

The franchise has after all had different by-product moments. New deep area (a private favourite) has lengthy been accused of a rip-off Babylon 5, And Star Trek: Nemesis is a lame retread of Khan’s Wrath. Talking of Khan’s Wrathhis struggle sequence in opposition to the nebula was reshot and recycled for episodes of The subsequent technology and even Picard.

Star Trek has a protracted by-product historical past. Unusual new worldsThe musical episode is a refreshing reminder that the franchise continues to be able to shocking us.

That hasn’t stopped many followers from wringing their arms over every part from the plot to its lyrical execution. Like a veritable refrain of geeks, most of those irritated followers joined their voices to make a singular declaration: “Star Trek mustn’t have a musical episode. » These followers have a really particular thought of ​​what the franchise ought to and mustn’t do, and like a poorly skilled goal, they’re at all times ready to pounce on any episode or movie that deviates from what they think about Star Trek ought to do.

Nevertheless, it is the type of myopic imaginative and prescient that does greater than maintain the franchise again. If such followers had their approach, the franchise would have died many years in the past.

The subsequent technology is taken into account one of the best Star Trek Show by many older followers, however not solely this collection very totally different from The unique collectionhe solely achieved true greatness when he was free of the affect of franchise creator Gene Roddenberry.

In flip, New deep area grew to become the TRUE the best Trek present ever made by explicitly ignoring the storytelling restrictions of earlier reveals. These embrace Roddenberry’s ban on creating battle between characters.

Despite the fact that I am unable to hum a single tune or bear in mind a single lyric, I like the primary Star Trek musical episode as a result of it proudly ignores all the principles. Traditionally, Star Trek has been held again by followers who need nothing greater than to circle the solar and return the franchise to an imagined golden age (just like the ’90s).

Star Trek would by no means have survived if the writers had not been prepared to take dangers, and Unusual new worlds“The writers realized a strong reality: Star Trek might be Nothing. I ought to by no means once more be held again by grumpy followers who do not wish to put down their TNG DVD units and admire a franchise that has lastly remembered the knowledge of James T. Kirk: “Danger is our enterprise.” Unusual new worlds is able to lead us into a greater, brighter, bolder future, one episode (and, sure, one tune) at a time.