# Hating on Star Trek: The Next Generation **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 2, 2014, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hating-on-star-trek-the-next-generation/689871 "2014-06-02T22:45:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2016, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hating-on-star-trek-the-next-generation/689871/141 "2016-09-16T17:35:37Z")
> [@Nonsuch](#): > > The one thing that really struck me as off about the way TNG treated kids (well, apart from the fact they couldn’t write believable kids) is that when a kid lost his parents in an away mission, the kid would just go back to their quarters to stew in their grief, alone and unsupervised. Couldn’t they find a family on board willing to foster a kid who was just orphaned? There’s just so much wrong with the whole Enterprise Friends and Family program. As you mentioned, what happens to children who are orphaned while on board? Do they just dump them at the nearest starbase or do they become the property of Starfleet and the ship? Is there daycare on board? According to the internet, there are 1100 people on board the Enterprise. What percent are families of crew? And what percent of the crew are in roles related to taking care of the families - pediatricians, teachers, family counselling, etc. Or is it all just dumped on Dianna Troi and Dr Crusher to deal with? What happens if a family gets divorced? What do the non-Starfleet spouses and children do all day? Drink space-chardonnay in 10-Forward while the children run around the engineering spaces getting into trouble? You know what we never saw a lot of in most of the TNG Star Trek series? News. Sure, TOS and Enterprise they were exploring the unknown and Voyager got itself tossed halfway across the galaxy. But in TNG and DS9, they spend a lot of time in civilized space and have real-time FTL communications. There’s never monitors in the background of the 10-Forward lounge showing random CNN shit going on around the galaxy. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2016, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hating-on-star-trek-the-next-generation/689871/142 "2016-09-16T18:13:10Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > There’s just so much wrong with the whole Enterprise Friends and Family program. > > As you mentioned, what happens to children who are orphaned while on board? Do they just dump them at the nearest starbase or do they become the property of Starfleet and the ship? Answered above. > [@](#): > > Is there daycare on board? Yup. Lots more nonessential personnel consuming energy and other resources. > [@](#): > > According to the internet, there are 1100 people on board the Enterprise. What percent are families of crew? And what percent of the crew are in roles related to taking care of the families - pediatricians, teachers, family counselling, etc. Or is it all just dumped on Dianna Troi and Dr Crusher to deal with? Nope. Lots of nannies and teachers; plenty of babysitting work available for girls of Wesley’s age. (How often did we see any of **those**? Poor kid had, what, one girlfriend in four–five years. And she was only a passenger!) > [@](#): > > What happens if a family gets divorced? No idea. But they’re obviously mature enough to deal with it without conflict. > [@](#): > > What do the non-Starfleet spouses and children do all day? Drink space-chardonnay in 10-Forward while the children run around the engineering spaces getting into trouble? Work to “better” themselves, of course! > [@](#): > > You know what we never saw a lot of in most of the TNG Star Trek series? News. Sure, TOS and Enterprise they were exploring the unknown and Voyager got itself tossed halfway across the galaxy. But in TNG and DS9, they spend a lot of time in civilized space and have real-time FTL communications. There’s never monitors in the background of the 10-Forward lounge showing random CNN shit going on around the galaxy. They never do stuff like read magazines, listen to rock music, or watch old movies and TV shows either. And they’re always traveling back to the 20th or 21st centuries. For them, pop culture doesn’t exist. Apparently today is about as interesting as it’s going to get. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2016, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hating-on-star-trek-the-next-generation/689871/143 "2016-09-16T18:27:29Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > There’s never monitors in the background of the 10-Forward lounge showing random CNN shit going on around the galaxy. That’s because Ten-Forward is a “happening” place. They don’t want anything there that might bring down the mood of the patrons. (You’d think they’d serve real alcohol to liven things up a bit, but noooooooooooo! :mad: I guess they’re more worried about people staring silently out the windows and slitting their wrists.) ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2016, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hating-on-star-trek-the-next-generation/689871/144 "2016-09-16T18:38:03Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > What happens if a family gets divorced? I’d love to see this as the focus of an episode: \*“Ha! Workin’ late at the lab again?” “What’s your problem? I gotta earn a living, don’t I?” “Yeah, right! More like banging that green twat assistant of yours!” “You stupid bitch! I oughtta wring your scrawny neck!” “Yeah? Try it, asshole! I’ll push you out an airlock so fast you won’t know what’s happened until your balls pop!” “Martian cunt!” “Regulan bastard!” “Fuck this shit! I’m going to Picard tomorrow and tell him I want a divorce!”\* ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2016, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hating-on-star-trek-the-next-generation/689871/145 "2016-09-16T18:51:46Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > …Compare this episode to “11001001” (a heavily cybernetic species steals the _Enterprise_ after tricking its crew into abandoning it) and “Conundrum” (a species gives the entire crew amnesia - including Data, this time - and tries to trick the crew into thinking they’re involved in an interstellar war)… I actually liked both of those episodes. I think “11001001” was the only decent episode in the entire first season. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2016, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hating-on-star-trek-the-next-generation/689871/146 "2016-09-16T18:55:52Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > I’d love to see this as the focus of an episode: > > \*“Ha! Workin’ late at the lab again?” > > “What’s your problem? I gotta earn a living, don’t I?” > > “Yeah, right! More like banging that green twat assistant of yours!” > > “You stupid bitch! I oughtta wring your scrawny neck!” > > “Yeah? Try it, asshole! I’ll push you out an airlock so fast you won’t know what’s happened until your balls pop!” > > “Martian cunt!” > > “Regulan bastard!” > > “Fuck this shit! I’m going to Picard tomorrow and tell him I want a divorce!”\* Sounds like a perfectly normal Tellarite marriage to me. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2016, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hating-on-star-trek-the-next-generation/689871/147 "2016-09-16T19:02:40Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Sounds like a perfectly normal Tellarite marriage to me. It’s definitely like most of the Terran ones I know! 😃 _“Hey! What’re you doin’ with that phaser? Put it down, bitch! Hey, hey, don’t point that thing at me, it might go off! Oh shit, **nooooooooooooo—!** ”_ ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2016, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hating-on-star-trek-the-next-generation/689871/148 "2016-09-16T19:42:35Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > They never do stuff like read magazines, listen to rock music, or watch old movies and TV shows either. And they’re always traveling back to the 20th or 21st centuries. For them, pop culture doesn’t exist. Apparently today is about as interesting as it’s going to get. ☹ All pop culture was destroyed in World War III. That’s why the only music Zefram Cochrane had available on his maiden flight was a nearly 100 year old Steppenwolf CD. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2016, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hating-on-star-trek-the-next-generation/689871/149 "2016-09-16T19:45:58Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > I’d love to see this as the focus of an episode: > > \*“Ha! Workin’ late at the lab again?” > > “What’s your problem? I gotta earn a living, don’t I?” > > “Yeah, right! More like banging that green twat assistant of yours!” > > “You stupid bitch! I oughtta wring your scrawny neck!” > > “Yeah? Try it, asshole! I’ll push you out an airlock so fast you won’t know what’s happened until your balls pop!” > > “Martian cunt!” > > “Regulan bastard!” > > “Fuck this shit! I’m going to Picard tomorrow and tell him I want a divorce!”\* Don’t let the transporter beam hit you in the ass! ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2016, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hating-on-star-trek-the-next-generation/689871/150 "2016-09-16T19:48:15Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > All pop culture was destroyed in World War III. That’s why the only music Zefram Cochrane had available on his maiden flight was a nearly 100 year old Steppenwolf CD. Not a CD, it was a small, octagonal and transparent green cartridge of some kind. ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2016, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hating-on-star-trek-the-next-generation/689871/151 "2016-09-16T20:34:20Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Yes, I used to do living history, and I know about young/underage children serving in the American, British, and other militaries until relatively recently. Sometimes they enlisted legally, sometimes not, and occasionally with the connivance of their parents and the recruiter. Often they came from poor families with many children, or they were simply orphans. > > Somehow, I don’t see a parallel with children on the \*Enterprise \*here. > > (Occasionally, a ship’s captain would have his wife on board as well, or allow his officers to bring their wives along on a voyage. I shudder to think what their lives must have been like, though they were of course of a much hardier breed than I imagine the average wife of a Starfleet officer would be.) Not the families, but young midshipmen were why I was fine with Wesley piloting the ship…if you squint and not think too hard. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2016, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hating-on-star-trek-the-next-generation/689871/152 "2016-09-16T20:56:56Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > All pop culture was destroyed in World War III. That’s why the only music Zefram Cochrane had available on his maiden flight was a nearly 100 year old Steppenwolf CD. Steppenwolf _cover band_, if we go by the DVD release. I don’t remember if the theatrical version had the real band or not. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2016, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hating-on-star-trek-the-next-generation/689871/153 "2016-09-16T21:11:58Z")
(highlighted important bit) > [@running\_coach](#): > > Not a CD, it was a small, _ **octagonal** _ and transparent green cartridge of some kind. 8-Track! 🙂 . ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2016, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hating-on-star-trek-the-next-generation/689871/154 "2016-09-16T21:39:48Z")
> [@Dale\_Sams](#): > > Not the families, but young midshipmen were why I was fine with Wesley piloting the ship…if you squint and not think too hard. I think sixteen has long been the minimum legal age you can enlist in any service, as long as you have your parents’ permission. So this doesn’t bother me either. Service personnel are one thing. Underage civilians along for the ride are another. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2016, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hating-on-star-trek-the-next-generation/689871/155 "2016-09-17T00:10:47Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Sounds like a perfectly normal Tellarite marriage to me. Tellarites do not argue for a reason. They simply argue. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2016, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hating-on-star-trek-the-next-generation/689871/156 "2016-09-17T00:29:29Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > All pop culture was destroyed in World War III. That’s why the only music Zefram Cochrane had available on his maiden flight was a nearly 100 year old Steppenwolf CD. He had Roy Orbison on a jukebox, too, IIRC. “Ooby Dooby,” I believe it was. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2016, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hating-on-star-trek-the-next-generation/689871/157 "2016-09-17T00:31:02Z")
> [@Zebra](#): > > beige???!? The future is beige? Really? Office cubicle beige? Yeah, that era Enterprise has the interior out of a '91 Corolla. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2016, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hating-on-star-trek-the-next-generation/689871/158 "2016-09-17T00:34:10Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > All pop culture was destroyed in World War III. That’s why the only music Zefram Cochrane had available on his maiden flight was a nearly 100 year old Steppenwolf CD. Offhand, the only pop-culture predictions I can think of are that professional baseball and television would essentially disappear by the mid 21st-century. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2016, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hating-on-star-trek-the-next-generation/689871/159 "2016-09-17T01:20:52Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Offhand, the only pop-culture predictions I can think of are that professional baseball and television would essentially disappear by the mid 21st-century. Along with, it would seem, C&W music. I could live with that… :o ---
**Author:** ![drewder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/57b2e6/32.png) [@drewder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewder)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2016, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hating-on-star-trek-the-next-generation/689871/160 "2016-09-17T02:01:51Z")
One thing that DS9 did was redeem Worf. On TNG they had Woopie Goldberg beat him in the holodeck at target practice to show that she was someone not to be messed with as well as to try and score feminism points. On the first DS9 episode with Worf they had him did batliff fighting with dax, who has 8 lifetimes of experience including a man honored by the Klingons, and although she held her own Worf decisively wins the battle. They would go on to turn Worf into a paragon of Klingonness including where he was imprisoned and would fight and win countless one on one battles against gem hadar without any proper medical care and finally having the Gem Hadar commander declare that he could not defeat Worf… only kill him. So what I’m saying is TNG made Worf a joke and DS9 made him into a legend. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hating-on-star-trek-the-next-generation/689871.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hating-on-star-trek-the-next-generation/689871.md?page=9)