Hello and welcome to Truth OR Myth, a Star Trek web series that looks at the Truth, or canon, information to dispel any myths that have surfaced on any given topic. In today’s episode, we’re taking a deep dive into Star Trek to see if fans claims about its inconsistencies are true and therefore validate that aspect of their opinion when it comes to “New Trek,” I hope you enjoy…
One of the biggest arguments by those who dislike what has been termed as “New Trek,” is that it has far too many inconsistencies with that of old Trek, as old Trek itself was always almost 100% in it’s adherence to its canon. The question is, is that true? Well today, we find out…
This particular video has been a long time in the making, over a year actually, why? Well, I had to go back through each of the various Star Trek Series and see if I could find any inconsistencies and then catalogue them for use in this video, and what I found shocked me…
You see I didn’t come into this thinking that I’d find many or that I’d find very few, instead, I came into this with an open mind and simply decided to report my finding and let them speak for themselves. Anyone who watches this channel knows I like the New Star Trek’s, and guess what, that’s not a crime. The fundamentals of Star Trek itself teach us that diversity, which includes opinion, is at Star Trek’s very core, so it can often be shocking when some supposed fan of the series comes on this channel guns a-blazing saying how “New Trek” is no Trek at all.
This channel has always been a non-toxic environment for fans of ALL Star Trek, and that included “New Trek”. Numerous Polls done over the years, plus viewership numbers released by Amazon, Itunes, Netflix International etc prove that “New Trek” is actually quite popular, being the best first-run viewing of any of the previous Trek series. But all that being said, you still don’t have to like it. Nor do your likes or even dislikes of any Trek make you any less of a real fan. A Star Trek fan is simply someone who likes Star Trek. That’s it the end, and no one has the right to tell you what makes you a real Trek fan, only you can do that…
Shortly after Discovery’s release, the chunk of fandom that either hated it, or simply disliked it, took the internet in a campaign to attempt to destroy the show, because yeah, nothing says we respect the fundamentals of Trek like a hater cursing out another human being for liking something they don’t, but of course this was the case.
One of the arguments that constantly came up was how Discovery had far too many inconsistencies with canon, the look of Discovery and the events within the episodes simply went against canon. Back then I thought long and hard about that, wondering if it were true, and so I pressed some of them for more information and what Id almost always get is the look of the Klingons.
Well jumping into action, I immediately spoke up about how changing the look of an alien species was no stranger to Star Trek. How Gene Roddenberry himself ad changed the look of the same species for “Star Trek: The Motion Picture“, and you know what their response always was? Well, we have a canon explanation for that look change. Apparently that chunk of fandom forgot that it took 25 years for canon to explain that, that Roddenberry had actually had no plan to ever do so, simply stating, “What change? That’s the way the Klingons always looked, you just couldn’t see it before.”
So that particular argument is invalid at its core. Again, not because they disliked the new look of the Klingons, they’re allowed to after all, but it was their reasoning that was disingenuous. But all these discussions online made me wonder if there WAS truth in their opinion that Star Trek had always been very good with its consistencies in regards to canon so I began to pop on an episode by episode, going through all the Series seeing if that was true. And so now I present some of my findings to you good people and let you decide if Star Trek of old was as consistent as people like to claim…
The Klingons weren’t the only species to get overhauls during Trek’s Long history, how about the Romulans for example? Gaining forehead ridges between the Original Series and The Next Generation. Or how about the Andorians and the Tellarites? They also changed drastically, by “Star Trek: Enterprise“, they were almost a shadow of their former selves.
Remember when we were introduced to the Trill in the TNG episode “The Host“? Well, look at how they changed for “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine“. But species looks weren’t the only inconsistencies in the various shows. Let’s look at some examples from “Star Trek: Voyager“.
Remember the episode “Extreme Risk“, where B’Elanna Torres in intent on harming herself? In that episode, she overrides the holodeck safety protocols all by herself, when the TNG episode “Descent Part 1” established that 2 raking officers command codes were required to do so, something which actually makes a lot more sense.
Or remember when the Borg Children were rescued in the episode “Collective“? Well, what you might not remember was that a baby was also rescued at that time. Yet in every subsequent episode, the Borg baby is neither seen nor mentioned, even in the episode Imperfection where Janeway makes a log entry stating that all the Borg children they rescued, apart from Icheb, would be turned over to the Wysanti, who had agreed to take in the orphans. Or how about Voyager’s Photon Torpedo compliment? Janeway makes it clear that Voyager had a compliment of 38 Photon Torpedoes and that they had no way to replace them after they were gone. Do you know how many torpedoes Voyager fired during it’s run? Approximately 123.
Remember the episode, “Message in a Bottle?” In that episode, we find out that Harry Kim cant create a new holodoctor for whatever reason. However a short while later, suddenly they’re able to create a version of Cardassian Doctor, complete with a database, with only a few commands. Or how about the episode “Latent Image“, that’s the one where the doctor goes nuts after having to decide which patient to operate on. Well, that particular event occurred 18 months prior to the episode, putting it in season 3. So then, where, during this extreme medical emergency is Kes? Do you know the doctor’s nurse?
Of course Voyager isn’t the only series with inconsistencies.
How about TNG, the episode “Relics” where Scotty is rescued by the Enterprise D crew. In that episode, Scotty asks if Kirk hulled the old Enterprise out of mothballs to come looking for him. Yet we knew from “Star Trek: Generations” that Scotty was there when Kirk presumably died. Or how about in the Deep Space 9 episode “Crossover”, where Kira and Bashir end up in the mirror universe? In that episode, Klingon and Cardassian Vessels decloak in front of the runabout to take the 2 into custody. Yet in the season 7 episode “The Emperors New Cloak”, suddenly the Mirror Universe has never heard about a cloaking device.
How about in TOS’s episode “Balance of Terror”? Everyone is surprised about how the Romulans seemed to have developed a cloaking device and are in shock and awe over it. Yet 100 years earlier in “Star Trek: Enterprise“, the Suliban are actively using cloaking devices and what’s worse? So are the Romulans, see the Enterprise episode “Minefield”.
What about the Damage to Enterprise in “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan“? Suddenly, in “Star Trek III: The Search for Spock“, which takes place just after the previous movie, the Damage to the Enterprise has increased dramatically with no explanation given. Speaking of Star Trek III, how about the look of the Klingon Bridge in that movie? Suddenly in the next movie, “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home“, the Entire bridge has been completely changed, again no reason given.
Remember “Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country“? And that touching goodbye to Sulu at the end? Well look who’s alive and well at the end of that movie, that’s right it’s Dimitri Valtane. Yet the entire Voyager episode “Flashback” deals with the death of that character which happens BEFORE that touching goodbye.
How about the TNG Movies? In “First Contact” alone we get 2 different references to how many Decks the Enterprise E actually has. And then surprise surprise, in “Star Trek: Nemesis“, we get yet another!
How about the Ferengi in Season 1 of “Star Trek: The Next Generation“, how they act, how they move around? They are certainly a far cry from the Ferengi on “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine“.
How about Voyager’s “Alliances”, where Janeway hits us over the head with a big speech about how Alliances are bad and against Starfleet regulations? Yet suddenly in “Scorpion”, she actively seeks out on with the Borg against an enemy she really knows nothing about. We know from “Caretaker” that the mess hall looks like this before Neelix comes along and changes the Captains Private dining room into a kitchen. Then why do other Intrepid Class Starships still in the Alpha Quadrant, suddenly have that exact same Mess Hall? And what about the Doctors Program itself? We’re constantly told that for whatever reason it can’t be copied or backed up. Yet in the Voyager episode “Living Witness”, the entire episode revolves around the Doctors Back Up program. That back up sure would have come in handy a few episodes before in “Message in a Bottle” wouldn’t it have?
How about in the Enterprise episode “Breaking the Ice”, where Archer talks about his trip to a dark matter nebula… Yet suddenly in the episode, “First Flight” dark matter nebulas haven’t even been discovered yet. How about the episode “Sleeping Dogs”, where T’Pol tells us that Klingon Ships don’t have escape pods. Yet suddenly in episodes such as “Bounty” and “The Augments”, Klingon escape pods are a dime a dozen.
How about in TOS where in the episode “The Corbomite Maneuver”, Spock refers to his mother in the past tense, meaning she is no longer around. This is also supported by “Amok Time”, where Spock’s Parents aren’t present for Spock’s Wedding like T’Pol’s were in the Enterprise episode “Home”. However, that directly contradicts the TOS Episode “Journey to Babel”, where we meet both of Spock’s Parents alive and well. And what about McCoys comments about Vulcan in the episode “The Conscience of the King” in that episode McCoy tells Spock about how Vulcan was conquered, and Spock, the logical and factual Half Vulcan First Officer doesn’t dispute this at all. Yet suddenly in the episode “The Immunity Syndrome”, Spock comments how Vulcan has NEVER been conquered in its collective memory.
How about all the times in TNG that we’re told that Data can NOT use contractions, yet in multiple episodes, he does just that? Or how about the fact that starships in Star Trek use transparent aluminium for windows, among other things, yet in “Star Trek Generations” during the crash scene we see a window shatter as though it was glass?
In Deep Space Nine’s episode “A Man Alone, Constable” Odo says that murdering a clone is still murder, guess Odo never watched the TNG Episode “Up The Long Ladder”. In that episode, it was MORE than ok for Riker to kill his clone?
How about the Enterprise episode “Regeneration”? Which Archer and company encounter the Borg. In that episode, Phlox finds a cure for being assimilated, and the good crew discover that before their destruction, the Borg send out a subspace message to the collective, effectively saying that this might bring the Borg to Earth’s doorstep in a few centuries. Yet somehow in “Q Who”, everyone is surprised by the Borgs existence. Wouldn’t Archer and in turn Starfleet archive the information that had learned from that first encounter with this scary species. And then wouldn’t SOMEONE at Starfleet finds that information including the assimilation cure? Yet apparently they didn’t.
Or remember the Enterprise episode “Stigma“, where the Vulcan Medical Representatives have T’Pol discuss the undesirables who perform mind melds and reveal how in Vulcan society these people are doing something which is basically against the law. Yet in the previous episode “Fusion”, Mild Melds are referenced as a forgotten art that T’Pol has no knowledge what so ever of. So that begs the question, if it’s forgotten, how do those Doctors expect T’pol to know about it, let alone for all of Vulcan to make it a crime?
How about, even though it doesn’t make much sense, Earth never has ships around to protect it, always making our heroes the only starships to deal with a massive threat to the planet. You can see this in movies such as “Star Trek: The Motion Picture” and “Star Trek: Generations“. Yet in the finale of “Star Trek: Voyager” entitled “Endgame”, suddenly Earth is able to muster up a large fleet. So why is that? Well, it makes for a good story.
All of these inconsistencies are only about a quarter of the amount I actually found during my research. Of course, if I relayed them all we would be here for hours, but I’m sure you get the point I’m trying to make.
Star Trek has never been a stranger to inconsistencies, and as such it really isn’t a valid reason to back up a dislike for a series with that excuse as again, that problem has always been there. We as human beings like to back up our opinions with factual information as we believe that changes our opinion from opinion to the fact, giving us a better leg to stand on. And this video proves that that isn’t really a valid a leg at all, as ignoring the similar problems in other serious just makes a person a hypocrite.
You’re allowed to like or dislike whatever you want, as I previously stated, but realize that your likes or dislikes are opinions only. And opinions can never be right or wrong. And I think a lot of the problems then end up splitting the fan base and causing outright arguments, stem from this need of some of the fans egos getting in the way, thinking and wanting their opinions to be factual so badly, that they ignore or forget the actual facts, rather preferring to look at previous Trek series through rose-tinted glasses.
Now I know some people out there will attempt to do some fancy dancing around, giving non-canon explanations in a vain attempt to explain away all the inconsistencies I’ve listed in this video, but if I were you, I wouldn’t bother.
This is quite frankly a no-win scenario. The moment you start trying to explain away those mistakes, then you’re just proving my point even more. Because if you can use your imagination to explain away the mistakes in previous Trek, why can’t you use that same great imagination to explain away any mistakes you find in “New Trek”? And the only answer can be that you don’t want to.
If you dislike “New Trek” that’s your choice, but all you have is an opinion with no factual basis when you compare it to Trek’s previous iterations. And although you might not like that, that is how it is. So next time you decide to come into a discussion, whether it’s here or somewhere else, bear that in mind.
Try to live the fundamentals of Diversity and Respect that Star Trek has always taught us, trust me not only will it make your life far less stressful but you’ll save yourself embarrassment. And why’s that? Well simply, there will always be people like me that will remind you of the truth, and arguing against the truth does nothing except making a person look foolish, and that in itself will simply undermine your valid opinions.
So you don’t want to like something, well reveal in your opinion, just don’t be a fool about it…
Thank you for watching today’s episode of Truth or Myth,
What inconsistencies have YOU found contained within all of Star Trek Iterations? What do you think about what I’ve said here? Well leave your comments in the section below and don’t forget to like the video and subscribe to the channel, hitting that little bell icon so you won’t miss a single video we release.
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