Star Trek!

[ivyfic]

OMG Star Trek.

So, Spock went back in time to make sure he got together with Kirk. That was the movie, right?

Or at least, when Spock goes back in time and Kirk tells him he hates Spock, Spock falls all over himself to get them to be friends. It was kind of cute.

- I <3 Scottie’s assistant/pet/sidekick. Adorable.

- Chekhov is what Wesley should have been. Underaged supergenius, yes, but freaking adorable.

- I love the changes to the characters. I can haz fic now? I even find myself loving Spock and Uhura. (Though jethrien did not help by laughing uncontrollably while they were kissing.) I love this because Spock is dating his student, which he has cleearly rationalized because she is the smartest person he knows and therefore the logical choice (riiiiight). And then he "logically" assigns his girlfriend to another ship! OMG Spock you idiot. And Uhura, go you for smacking him upside the head when he’s being ridiculous.

- Also there’s the whole Kirk is lusting after Spock’s girlfriend thing. Which is fun. :)

- I also like the destruction of Vulcan for what it does to Spock’s character. He’s clearly wrestling with the emotional devestation of that, and the loss of his mother, and seems much more willing to accept his human side, and his emotions, which is very different from the show’s Spock. He’s also now one of the last of his kind instead of one of the most powerful races in the galaxy, which changes him a lot. As cesperanza pointed out in her post, this makes Spock even more, allegorically, a space Jew. It also makes him Princess Leia. :)

- I am also not bothered by Spock/Uhura because I have a new OTP. Kirk/Bones. Oh, Karl Urban, doing your best DeForest Kelly.

Overall, I loved this. I thought it was very respectful of the original, and was quite happy with the alternate timeline explanation. Though there are some *hem* logical flaws, it got the most important thing riight--the characters. Details are different, but personalities are right. And it had a lot of character moments, and plenty of the humor the original series was known for.

I can haz TV show now? No, really. Can they make this into a TV show? I’d watch it. And it would be a whole lot better than Enterprise, which is still canon, since the time-splitting event happened after it. But there was a lot of time travel in that show… I think the only answer is just to deny that Enterprise is canon.

Comments

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

Or at least, when Spock goes back in time and Kirk tells him he hates Spock, Spock falls all over himself to get them to be friends. It was kind of cute.

Yes. That was so cute. Spock was all *flail* "But he is my best friend ever! He can't hate me!" *flail*

Chekhov is what Wesley should have been. Underaged supergenius, yes, but freaking adorable.

Completely and totally yes.

[trinityvixen.livejournal.com]

I <3 Scottie’s assistant/pet/sidekick. Adorable.
I did too! That's just what Scottie needed, you ask me. He's so isolated down in Engineering!

Chekhov is what Wesley should have been. Underaged supergenius, yes, but freaking adorable.

Lots of the people I saw it with were grumbling about his accent. I saw it as an excuse to make the expected "nuclear wessels" joke but it was done with fun, not mockery. I liked him a lot, and I totally agree with your analysis. ("I can do zat!")

As for Spock, okay, I'm biased, but the film didn't help me not be biased since it was better about creating a new Spock than it was about creating a new Kirk. So, yeah, I loved his whole story. I rewatched First Contact recently, and it occurred to me that this is now a Federation that has lost its parents, not just Kirk and Spock who have. The Vulcans were the ones to shepherd humanity out into space and prosperity. And now they're gone. I really think there's a lot that could be done with that, thematically.

And, surprisingly, I even loved the Uhura relationship. It snuck up on me. I know she kissed him in the lift and all, but it seemed like a slightly inappropriate advance on her part in trying to reassure him than outright romance. And then they made out on the transporter platform while Kirk was like, "I'm experiencing cognitive dissonance trying to imagine, let alone actually see, what I'm seeing." I think you're right about this and other things shaping a Spock who turns more towards humanity than Vulcan-ity(?). Which is a totally different outlook for the character as the crew we used to know comes together to face new things in the future. I like that we have new versions of familiar characters--we know them enough to be comfortable, but they're different enough to still surprise us.

I totally want more from this AU. :)

(Also, I'm informed that, much as you might like to let it get overwritten with everything else, Enterprise is still cannon. My roommate pointed out one line of Scotty's where he mentioned transporting "Admiral Archer's" beagle. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.)

[ivy03.livejournal.com]

this is now a Federation that has lost its parents
I was thinking about that as well. I actually like Enterprise, though I don't htink it meshes terribly well with the rest of Trek continuity. One of the things I liked about it, though, was that the Vulcans were a kind of benevolent conquerers, who have bridled humans as a "child race" until they are ready. And I think much of the ideals of the Federation are based on the Vulcans--non-interference, tolerance, reverance of science and logic. So destroying Vulcan changes the climate of the Federation quite a lot. And seeing as that was a massive terrorist attack by a Romulan ship, however unaffiliated, and I think we're going to see a Federation driven by fear that's a lot more war-mongering than the one we know. (Hmmm...sound familiar?)

It also changes Spock a lot, since he is no longer a member of a dominant and self-labeled superior race, but of an almost extinct one.

I had not noticed the Archer call out! For some reason I caught the bit about the beagle but not the name. Oh, that's hilarious. I love it. Poor Porthos IV, or whatever number beagle he's on by this point.

Chekhov I just found adorable. The accent was done for laughs, obviously, but it worked for me. You have a kid who, despite his age, and despite his accent, is on a starship because of his genius. But rather than being the cocky self-important teen genius type we've seen so much of (Wesley, Lucas on Seaquest...) he's really awkward and shy, except when he knows what to do. And the rest of the crew looks on him with the appropriate level of skeptical tolerance for someone of his age. Of course, the crew is now all cadets, one of many plot holes, but whatever. Handwave!

Fandom already seems to be embracing Spock/Uhura. I've already seen speculation about writing fic detailing Uhura's long looooong undertaking of seducing Spock, cause you know how reluctant he'd be at such an illogical undertaking. But he really seems tender toward her. I also love that he just sucks at relationships. He needs Uhura to kick his ass when he's being too logical.

[trinityvixen.livejournal.com]

And seeing as that was a massive terrorist attack by a Romulan ship, however unaffiliated, and I think we're going to see a Federation driven by fear that's a lot more war-mongering than the one we know. (Hmmm...sound familiar?)

I never considered those parallels. I'm hoping they don't go there, personally. Half the fun of the movie was how absurdly hopeful it was, but you're right about the allusions and they probably can't be denied forever. As for the changes to Spock, again, spot-on-the-money. Which goes hand-in-hand with his moving more towards human in this reboot. Maintaining his Vulcan aloofness in this universe would be exceedingly lonely.

I had not noticed the Archer call out!

I confess darkling1 was the one who noticed it, not I. I never made it past episode one of Star Trek: Enterprise.

Fandom already seems to be embracing Spock/Uhura. I've already seen speculation about writing fic detailing Uhura's long looooong undertaking of seducing Spock, cause you know how reluctant he'd be at such an illogical undertaking. But he really seems tender toward her. I also love that he just sucks at relationships. He needs Uhura to kick his ass when he's being too logical.

Even without their history, I'd have thought Kirk/Spock would still be the dominant ship given their hostility within the movie. That's like slash fanfic gold, isn't it? I'm glad to see the thoughtful fanficcers are actually trying to make something of what seemed (to me) a very different, awkward, yet intriguing direction to take those characters. I mean, I am slightly pissed that Uhura becomes a supportive girlfriend trope, but I am willing to excuse that for the fact that she was assertive and talented. Granted, she didn't have much to do, but that could be expanded. Poor thing had to carry the entire female representation of the whole movie, practically, so she's not doing too bad, considering.

Be sure to pass along any finds, by the by. I'm so thoroughly charmed by this reboot that I'm entirely ready for more. Until such time, fanfic!

[jethrien.livejournal.com]

(Though jethrien did not help by laughing uncontrollably while they were kissing.)

I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!

I just couldn't contain the unbridled glee!