Star Trek
r/startrek: The Next Generation
Star Trek news and discussion. No slash fic...
Maybe a little slash fic.
New to Star Trek and wondering where to start?
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1 Be constructive
All posts/comments must be thoughtful and balanced.
2 Be welcoming
It is important that everyone from newbies to OG Trekkers feel welcome, no matter their gender, sexual orientation, religion or race.
3 Be truthful
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5 Spoilers
Utilize the spoiler system for any and all spoilers relating to the most recently-aired episodes, as well as previews for upcoming episodes. There is no formal spoiler protection for episodes/films after they have been available for approximately one week.
6 Keep on-topic
All submissions must be directly about the Star Trek franchise (the shows, movies, books etc.). Off-topic discussions are welcome at c/quarks.
7 Meta
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Upcoming Episodes
| Date | Episode | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 11-28 | LD 5x07 | "Fully Dilated" |
| 12-05 | LD 5x08 | "Upper Decks" |
| 12-12 | LD 5x09 | "Fissue Quest" |
| 12-19 | LD 5x10 | "The New Next Generation" |
| 01-24 | Film | "Section 31" |
In Production
Strange New Worlds (2025)
Section 31 (2025-01-24)
Starfleet Academy (TBA)
In Development
Untitled comedy series
Wondering where to stream a series? Check here.
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I think you've really pointed out a lot of why I think it's one of the best, if not the best ST series. The characters are not as homogeneous, have more agency, and seem more "human" and complex. While I do think it still has a bit of the "rose-tinted glasses" perspective that has been part of Star Trek since its creation, I think it's for a lot more grit to it and it's more willing to go to darker places and examine moral ambiguity than other series did.
Not that the optimism seen in the other series is bad, just nice to sometimes have series that seem more genuine and relatable examples of the human experience rather than escapism.
I am usually on the other side of this argument, in that my main enjoyment of Star Trek is the exploration of ideas and morality plays that we get from TOS, TNG and the early seasons of Voyager. The utopian setting and unrealistic morality of all the main characters in TNG especially are what makes an episode exploring the nature of individuality or whatever topic work so well.
I enjoy DS9 for what it is, but it also set the stage for modern Trek which is so obsessed with "realism" and galaxy-spanning plotlines in a way that I do not enjoy. If I want to watch just an episode or two, I always reach for TNG or Voyager, but if I want to do a longer re-watch then DS9 is definitely my preferred choice.
Episodic is not always a bad thing, and sometimes it is actually a very important feature! I wish modern TV writers and producers would have the same perspective about serialization, but in reverse.
I'm on that side too :D I like both but am a bit of a sucker for tragedies and non-utopian fiction.
I do, however, agree with your thoughts on the narrative direction. DS9 did indeed open the door for less-Treky series that I don't think necessarily benefitted the ST universe and probably would have been better as independent sci-fi series in their own settings.
https://tenor.com/view/im-playing-both-sides-both-sides-its-always-sunny-frank-retires-s10e09-gif-17913970
I think what makes DS9 work is its core premise, and the problem with some of the newer stuff is they're trying for that tone without that premise to back it up. As Sisko says early on, it's easy to be a saint in paradise, but DS9 isn't paradise; they're at a backwater that's been ravaged by decades of military occupation and is struggling to get by. On Earth, people can just replicate whatever they need for free, but Bajor doesn't have a post-scarcity economy and they often need to make hard choices. Half the crew also isn't from the Federation and doesn't have that strong sense of morality ingrained in them from birth.
Completely agree. The first two seasons are criticized for using leftover TNG scripts. While I think a lot of that is due to the nature of episodic TV production in the 90s, I also think those seasons are incredibly necessary to establish the context of the Federation and how that differs to other cultures in the galaxy (and even on the fringes of the Federation itself). The connection to TNG and the overlap with Voyager also goes a long way to establishing the ethos and morality that the rest of the DS9 story is commenting on.
Take away that foundation and backstory, and you just have another generic space opera.