Star Trek fans are debating the future of the franchise, and some feel it might be okay if it ends forever and never comes back with another show ever again. The big complaints at the moment comes with the recent shows, specifically Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. While Star Trek: Strange New Worlds received a positive reception from fans as it shows the journeys of Captain Pike and his crew, and Star Trek: Lower Decks brought animated fun like never before, many old fans see Starfleet Academy as the worst thing the franchise has ever done and want the entire franchise ended as a result, at least for now.
A Reddit post was started that was quite harsh, as the OP said they would be happy if there was never another Star Trek show or movie ever again. While the OP admitted that they only grew up watching the Kelvin Timeline films, they admitted that nothing in recent years comes close to the classic episodes from the old shows, and it “might be best if Star Trek goes away for now.” That said, the comments is where the real debates began.
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy wanted to bring in a new generation of Star Trek fans by showing how younger hopefuls earned their way into the roles of ensigns, but this turned off a lot of older fans, who hated the idea of young people in a Star Trek series. There were also battles between fans online, one side who raged against the inclusion that has always existed in Star Trek and the other side fighting back. It made the storylines and stories from Starfleet Academy take a backseat to ideals that people brought into the show from their own personal lives. It almost seemed like this Star Trek series would fail regardless of its quality.
However, there are still fans who want to see more from the franchise, but with it going back to the old-school format. “I think part of the problem is that with just 8-10 episodes a season, you don’t have room for the characters to breathe, for the writers to explore more social topics in classic sci-fi style,” one Redditor responded. Another responded to him by saying that Star Trek needs more “boring” episodes with “an ethical conundrum on a closed set. I do not need movie cinematics for the entire show. Give me a bunch of people talking about ethics in a simple set.”
Another Redditor had an idea of what was wrong with Star Trek now, and it had nothing to do with “woke” storylines or inclusion. It had to do with chemistry. He said he showed his wife Deep Space Nine and loved it. “It was fun: Brooks is magic. Then we tried TnG, and again, there was just chemistry all over the screen. The original series was more my thing than hers- she dug the politics, and the experimental quality of the scripts, though.” They then went on to say the new shows are “fun” but “they’re a long way from the vision that drove fans of the franchise in the early years.”
There was another commenter who praised Strange New Worlds and Lower Decks, calling them both “genuinely good shows,” although not near the levels of Deep Space Nine. That said, they also said what is missing in today’s Star Trek shows are more self-contained episodes. “In this regard I think Star Trek works best in the classical TV Format. And indeed the Episode of Discovery I remember best fits this. The story of this space whale and the person with the time-reset device. A singular, self-contained story which can give you insights into characters and explore quirky sci-fi issues.”
One big complaint is the streaming method in today’s society. On top of fewer episodes, which was a recurring complaint for fans, one Redditor pointed out that no one can just tune in and see Star Trek now. “The debate is – ‘do I want to pay another subscription for a streaming service, for just one show?’”‘ – like, I like star trek… but what else is there on P+ and why should I pay for it?”
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