A relook at JJ Abrams Star Trek reboot.
Original article date: 5 July, 2016
Have Star Trek fans actually watched the original series?
I understand its highly volatile subject, that JJ Abrams came and destroyed the Star Trek they apparently love so dearly. But I’ve been re-watching some of the great TOS episodes since they popped up on Netflix, and the more I watch, the more obvious it is that the 2009 Star Trek Reboot is an entirely faithful take on the original series, be it paced at a millennial.
I don’t think it was any secret, that Star Trek’s original pilot episode with Captain Christopher Pike was rejected and new pilot was produced as “Where No Man has Gone Before” and accepted for one key reason — the “action” scenes. And I don’t necessary mean starship battles and phaser fights, but in effort to beat the God-like Gary Mitchell, Kirk resorts to a fist fight to bring the first adventure to close. Space Seed, the infamous prequel to “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan” and remade for “Into Darkness” ends in a fight between Khan and Kirk. And so do many episodes that sees the Starship Enterprise in peril.
An counter argument can be made that JJ’s version hits the gas pedal and doesn’t stop throughout which is unlike Star Trek, but many original series episodes in fact feature tense scene after tense scene with little time for Kirk, Spock and McCoy to reflect on the deeper elements of humanity and scientific response. A further counter argument was that Star Trek creator, Gene Roddenberry had shown displeasure of his vision taking military tones with action scenes, and had shown less of the cerebral story telling, particularly in the 1980s and right up until he passed away. And yet, Star Trek fans themselves felt the “Slow” Motion Picture’s attempt to be child of Arthur C. Clarke lacking any sort of pace, and exactly why the original pilot was rejected in the first place.
I understand that JJ essentially used Star Trek to audition for Star Wars, but I really believe that if you break down the 2009 film, the attempts to retell the same themes and story, but in a different way, is what makes up the narrative DNA of the reboot.
A sense of family is a big part of what drives characters in the Star Trek world, as does friendship and the need to work together to solve problems. The original series bares this concept down to its minimum with each main character with their own role and job; McCoy heals, Sulu navigates, Spock thinks, Scotty fixes, Uhura communicates, Chekov protects, Kirk leads. Together they could achieve anything. And JJ uses all these in his reboot, by essential giving an origin story to these abilities.
A final counter argument is perhaps “Into Darkness” not getting Khan correct, despite how magnificent and amazing Benedict Cumberbatch really is in everything he does. Yet I wouldn’t say that one misstep doesn’t actually take away anything from what the new Star Trek emulates from the original incarnation.
Having an appreciation for the films, doesn’t mean I do not adore what the older series, and the newer older stuff tried to do. “The Wrath of Khan” will always be one of my favourite science-fiction films. And the original series, despite dated, are still very entertaining and worth watching.
So if you are into something a little more aged and mature in your television viewing, and have Netflix, I recommend checking out the pilot “Where No Man Has Gone Before” original broadcast as episode 3 in Season 1. Also check out, “Space Seed” (e22, S1) “Balance of Terror,” (e14, s1) “Mirror, Mirror”(e4, S2). Do you have any recommendations for great Star Trek episodes?
