r/startrek

So I just got back from STLV and ended up writing a much more personal reflection than I expected. I've gone for several years now, and the 60th finally made something click for me. I kept returning because I love being surrounded by Trek. I love running into friends I only see once a year. It's great seeing the vendors, actors, cosplayers -- there was a guy this year with an "emotional support tribble!" 😭 -- I just really love being "home" with other nerds who love this little thing that I love too.

But, I've been struggling with some feelings since my first STLV a few years back -- and after coming back from the 60th, I really don't think Creation is what I love about STLV.

The production feels stagnant to me. Customer service has, at best, felt unpolished, and, at worst, oddly adversarial. So much of the experience is explicitly transactional. And then hearing George Takei describe himself onstage as "spent" after his autograph session this year really affected me.

At some point I started thinking about the economics of it: maybe Creation's real advantage is the network effect -- we go because our friends go; vendors go because the fans go; actors go because the fans go -- and so on...

Creation provides the container - the community fills it.

Which led me somewhere I honestly didn't expect emotionally - maybe I've been expecting Creation's STLV to be our home and by association -- they are the ultimate stewards of Trek. But maybe that's wrong, I've got it backwards: Paramount can own the IP, Creation can run the convention, but they don't own our relationship with Star Trek. Maybe we are the stewards.

Anyway, I wrote a full piece here: "Creation Finally Convinced Me That I Don’t Need Creation to Love Star Trek"

Curious to hear from people who were at STLV this year - or last year -- or any year -- even if you completely disagree with me. What keeps you coming back? Is it the con itself or the community that gathers there?

“It’s impossible to fear diversity, and to enter the future at the same time.”

- Gene Roddenberry

I’m in LA with a million theaters and the nearest screening is hours away.

I’m not asking favs. For example, Picard is my fav. But I think I resonate more with Janeway. As a leader in my career, I find my leadership style matches hers most. But more than that, I find that my I resonate with the way she goes about making decisions and the things she prioritizes.

What about you? Who is your fav vs who do you resonate with most?

EDIT: I don’t just mean from the perspective of leadership. Character and personality can and should play a big part of this discussion. Leadership was just part of my example.

I know that battles should never be the main thrust of Star Trek, but what do you think are the best battle sequences?

For me, I'd say: the duel with the Romulans in "Balance of Terror", the first encounter with the Borg in "Q Who" (for the sheer "oh shit" of it), the siege of DS9 in "The Way of the Warrior", the battle to retake the station in "Sacrifice of Angels", the Cerritos and Sh'vahl versus the Klingons and Pakleds in "Wej Duj", and the Protostar and Voyager-A versus the Vau N'Akat in "Ascension". Oh, and the Enterprise-E and Romulans fighting the Scimitar in Nemesis for being virtually the only time Star Trek remembers to use the third dimension.

Hello! My dad is a big fan of Star Trek, specifically the original series & of The Next Generation, & it's one of the few things I've known him to really enjoy throughout his entire life. I've caught him rewatching both series multiple times when I used to live at home & when I moved out he would come over so we could watch the original series together since I had never seen it. Sadly only got through a few episodes before we stopped doing it, but it was still fun to watch with him. But throughout the years he's picked up the occasional Star Trek merch & has a little display in his office for it all. My favorite thing he has is one of the anniversary communicators, but he also has a small model of the original Enterprise along with some other Captain Kurt related stuff as well. (Mid edit while texting my dad - he told me he still uses the communicator on occasion & will sometimes bring it to work with him which is awesome)

As I've gotten older, I've tried to get him stuff he could add to his collection such as the model Enterprise I just mentioned (Birthday gift from my little brother & I a few years back) & recently I've been trying to think of some other Star Trek merch I can get him in the future. My most recent idea was the new Lego set of the bridge & I thought that would be something fun for him to mess with along with being a chance to build it together. However I had some second thoughts after thinking about his situation AKA the second half of my question. He was only born with 1 functioning hand so his right hand doesn't work at all. That means he unfortunately does have some restrictions on what he can do such as building/messing with something like Lego. I also apologize if that sounds ridiculous I might forget something like that, but my dad is very capable with only one hand to where he has driven stick shift cars his entire life so I genuinely forget sometimes he only has one good hand.

But to get to the main point of my question; would anyone happen to know any good Star Trek related gifts that he'd be able to enjoy? As someone who doesn't know a whole lot about the shows or merchandise around the shows any sort of advice would be appreciated 🙂 thanks for reading!

This is my second rewatch of the next generation and still my favorite scene of all. I’m sure this has been posted many times but hope this scene felt the same for many of you as it did for me. Picard looking around the table, Troi saying you were welcome any time. Q in previous scene finally shows some genuine feeling to Picard. Also what was his going to whisper? I’m now starting DS9 watched it sporadically back in the day but I want to fully appreciate it all the way through. I also loved how the Picard series closed out again with a game of cards. I was born in 89 and only started watching Star Trek in the mid 2010’s. What a glorious time it must have been to be a Star Trek fan in the 90’s 🤯

I haven't seen this episode in a while and this is one of those solid episodes that created a heck of an ethical dilemma leaving the viewers to think about what was right.

Although Jono/Jeremiah would need a lot of therapy integration into his true community, I think Picard was wrong to give him back to what essentially was his captor who claimed this boy as a spoil of war. I see the in the same way Janeway separated 7 of 9 for the collective and given time to find out who she is and where she came from.

I guess my question, based on the episode and how these characters were created could Jono/Jeremiah have assimilated back to humanity or would he try to kill more or himself?

I'm going through the new streaming era shows. The cinematography is amazing, of course, but I'm hit or miss with the space battles. I just finished season 3 of LD and the season finale battle was so cool! It's a love letter to 90s Trek (battles) and it was so awesome! I hope there are more in S4 and 5.

For some reason I randomly decided to watch one of the worst ST TNG episodes last night and as my wife and I were watching we kept thinking, are you sure about this one Star Trek? The whole story seems like it was meant for charmed or a completely different show. Did this script come from somewhere else and was rewritten for ST?

Didn't know that Gene Roddenberry and Jonathan Frakes shared the same birthday today.

This is such good Star Trek. I just got to Hegemony and the Gorn look so cool.

Shout out to Lower Decks. We've had it pretty good.

(Take me to your shareholder, algorithm.)

I did not grow up watching star trek I do not pay attention to Star Trek it’s not that I don’t like it I’ve just always prefere Star wars as I grew up with that instead anyway I know the Star Wars community has no popular opinions because everyone is so negative towards the franchise they loved now is it the same for you or no

I bought my lady a Star Trek mug, wherein the Enterprise goes to “warp speed” and disappears when hot liquid is poured into it.

Here’s the thing: in the morning we drink coffee, and most of the time the coffee is not hot enough. The enterprise will stay partially visible and it’s not the prettiest look.

The only hot beverage that will consistently take the ship to warp speed is tea.

Picard may have helped to design the mug.

I was born in the mid 70's so it had been off the air for a while but it was played heavily in syndication. My father was a massive fan so he introduced me to it. My earliest memory of the show is that I really liked that guy with the pointy ears and the doctor sure was grumpy.

I'm curious how others discovered the show, especially those born during a lull in the production.

And I'm compelled to share that I took care of my dad for the last year of his life and the one show he would watch over and over was TOS. It brought him great comfort.

Edit to add: I love how evenly it's split between moms and dads introducing us to the show. Speaks to the legacy of the show and how it really is for everyone. My mother did not like it but she did understand I loved it and supported my interest. She bought me all the action figures and the bridge set when TMP was released.