Current mood:	confused
Entry tags:	some thoughts on cannon, star trek 2009

Star Trek 2009



I just finished watching Star Trek 2009.
I haven't been a Trekkie (yes, "trekkIE" not "TrekkER." I was never that serious, can't speak Klingon and don't know the ship's schematics!) since the end of DS9.. well I did watch a couple of Voyagers.. but I was not impressed by their highly and badly edited series premiere (get a PREMIERE right people!) I digress...
I've read many a Trek book, TOS and TNG and even DS9.. I know the history, I know the characters, I know the story...
Star Trek 2009...

NOW HERE'S the BIG SPOILER- the get out NOW SPOILER!!


I WARNED YOU!
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It's all AU.
Kirk's Dad dies as Kirk's Mom gives birth to him in the opening battle... Kirk's Dad did not dye in the original Cannon. Though I must say I loved all the women on board the ship and it's very TNG (and therefore not at all Cannon for the time line) to have Families aboard the ship!
Kirk's answer the the Kobiyashi Maru was entirely wrong. Yes, it's Cannon that he re-programed the test and in the movies it was never revealed (I think) HOW he did that.. but in the TOS novel "Kobiyashi Maru," Kirk's answer was revealed and was funny as hell and worth keeping alive in a movie- so another point on the "This is Not Right" scale!
Spock was Captain Pike's science officer. A woman, the clone aptly named "Number One" (yup, Trek fans Roddenberry reused this name as Riker's nick name in TNG!) was Pike's First Officer. Kirk came up in the rank with his best friend, Gary Mitchell who he wanted as his first officer when he took over the Enterprise. He was angry to get stuck with Spock and lose his friend. That's Cannon. The 2009 movie shows Kirk, an ensign cadet 'sneaking' aboard the ship and in action getting an instant (and highly improbable!!) field promotion to First Officer under acting Caption Spock, both appointed by Captain Pike. 'Cause Spock is his 1st, and he likes Kirk. Yeah.. that'd happen. Like there isn't a line of command on this ship at all!!!
Why IS McCoy, a Doctor going through Cadet training with Kirk anyway?
Since when was Chekov a boy genius?? (taking what would usually be Spock's lines..)
Since when were Uhura and Spock an item?? (pretty good acting there actually!)

And then the Pièce de résistance they blow up VULCAN. THE PLANET. VULCAN.
And they kill AMANDA. Spock's MOTHER.

OK- now we know they aren't just re-writing the script!

And thankfully the script is smart enough to acknowledge that as our (rather mixed up) crew realize that they are dealing with time traveling baddies and are living in an alternate time line/reality.

Cool.

So the thing is..

Spock's 'due to the time traveling baddies we're in unknown territory' speech feels more like a benediction for a new AU series..
and this is borne out at the ending when the future Spock DOES NOT EVEN ATTEMPT to fix the time lines but wishes his younger, and alternate self well as this new, young and completely AU crew in a Universe where the Vulcan race is all but dead, hop into the ship and fly off into new (and AU!) adventures!
Sure, I see the potential for more movies, or even a new TV series.. but it just felt WRONG. Leave this re-written universe just the way it is? WHY?? It's like the end of BBC's Life on Mars- it went left when everything indicated a right hand turn.
WHY would Spock, now ambassador and scientist and long after his Star Fleet days allow a universe where his planet and 6 billion Vulcans died (along with his mother!) just so he could see the ship and crew young again and off on new adventures? Way too Marvel for me!
They didn't even discuss options here! Just went ahead in this new AU universe...

WHY???

OK. Final verdict; COOL Movie! GREAT movie. What was that ending????? WHY didn't they fix it?
WHY????

End Transmission ^ ^