Any show that tries to paint the federation as less than aspirational has entirely missed the point of trek, and the product is a stillbirth.
Pointing out flaws, or highlighting the morally grey areas like ds9 did is fine, because it still preserves the federation as a multicultural utopia.
E: always nice to get downvotes without further discourse. How does anyone consider “the office but in the alpha quadrant” star trek? I don’t want to watch random people doing a mediocre job in some bureaucratic apparatus while they wear trek uniforms. I don’t want to watch s31 as some sort of idiot CIA. I want to watch modern TNG.
A sense of wonder and optimism, the exploration of fantastic things never seen before. Engagement with philosophy and real world issues through a sci fi lense. A hopeful tomorrow, a ideological roadmap to utopia.
Any show that tries to paint the federation as less than aspirational has entirely missed the point of trek, and the product is a stillbirth.
Pointing out flaws, or highlighting the morally grey areas like ds9 did is fine, because it still preserves the federation as a multicultural utopia.
E: always nice to get downvotes without further discourse. How does anyone consider “the office but in the alpha quadrant” star trek? I don’t want to watch random people doing a mediocre job in some bureaucratic apparatus while they wear trek uniforms. I don’t want to watch s31 as some sort of idiot CIA. I want to watch modern TNG.
A sense of wonder and optimism, the exploration of fantastic things never seen before. Engagement with philosophy and real world issues through a sci fi lense. A hopeful tomorrow, a ideological roadmap to utopia.