What polarity can we reverse today?

[Aussie Gamer]

Noble 713- Pick the Trekkie/ Trekker or what ever they are called.
Don't get too upset I watch all the originals and NG/ DS9 and most of Voy series.
So I am a fan as well.

[Magnum357]

Ya, I watch Star Trek too, and for the most part, I like it but I must admit all this techno gargon sometimes just doesn't make sense. I've had to constantly look up tech manuals to tranlate what they said into plain english and see if it corresponds in reality or even it in "Star Trek Reality" or whatever that means. Anyway, for the most part, it think it hurts the series more then it helps because it confuses the audience (well.. at least for the idiots out their that can't add 2 + 2) and opens up possibilites of writers creating inconsistancies (which I really hate!). Kinda part of the reason why I like B5 a little better. They try to avoid a lot of the problems ST gets into.

[dogscoff]

yeah, i prefer B5 too, because it focusses more on the politics / relationships of the future than the technology.

I also like farscape, because I get sick of all these super-clever, ultra-professional squeaky clean Trek/B5 uniform types agreeing with one-another and getting it right all the time. It's nice to see the main characters *****ing and arguing and slipping off the moral tightroppe once in a while=-)

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"Pinky, are you pondering what I'm pondering?"
"Uh, I think so, Brain, but balancing a family and a career ... oooh, it's all too much for me. "

[Dracus]

Since Anything with a charge has a polarity, then You can reverse the polarity. We do this to magnets and charged Copper coils every day.

[jimbob55]

Um. Where did i put my sonic screwdriver....

Space opera using 'science' should at least try to remain consistent. ST:TNG would be a lot easier to stomach if they didn't rely on 'the quantum string in his bootlaces is disrupting our crapion array' in order to generate a plot.

"Captain, we appear to have been sucked in by a recurring plot line."
"What does this mean Mr data?"
"It means we are doomed to repeat the plot from a first generation star trek episode using different technobabbel."
"Gawd help us all, go to red alert."
"Are you sure sir? It does mean we'll have to change the bulb".

[Nitram Draw]

Maybe they should hire the writers from the 3 Stooges. I read that they only had ~4 basic plot lines.

[geoschmo]

Star Trek, B5, Farscape, Star Wars, they are all Science Fiction, with a capital FICTION and a lower case science.

So the writers in Star Trek always fall back on a few tried and true plot devices. That is the problem with having a franchise like this. You can't really kill off anyone (unless they wear a red shirt of course) but you have to come up with some sort of drama for the stories to be compelling and get peoples interest.

Star Trek is like your Uncle Gene, everybody's got one. He always tells these fantastic stories about places he's been and things he's done. You've known since you were 12 he was full of crap most of the time, but they are great stories so you keep coming back for more.

B5 doesn't use the techno babble as much, but they have their plot devices for sure. The good guys are always about to get wiped out when suddenly a new race arrives that turns the tide. Can anybody say "Cavalry Charge"?

B5 also has longer story arcs so it's not quite so obvious as in star trek. They don't have to wrap up the story at the end of every episode like TNG and VOY. I think that is why Ds9 was probably more popular with non-trek fans than any of the other series. But it also bothered som hard-core trekkies.

Geo

[This message has been edited by geoschmo (edited 16 May 2001).]