# Star Trek Tech Questions **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 19, 2009, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-tech-questions/521889 "2009-12-19T21:26:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2009, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-tech-questions/521889/161 "2009-12-31T00:46:10Z")
> [@Aesiron](#): > > The serious answer is that he grew it between seasons, and the producers liked it, so they asked him to keep it. And what is the story of Sisko wearing his head upside down? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2009, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-tech-questions/521889/162 "2009-12-31T01:12:07Z")
Unfortunately, I bought Season 1 for my husband (who prefers TNG to TOS), so we’re “stuck”. At those prices, I’m not about to run out and buy season 2 right now. I prefer to watch TV on a TV, so watching online is out. **Carnivorous** –anyone tell you I have an extremely long armspan? 500 meters ain’t gonna cut, boy… ---
**Author:** ![Lok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e8c25b/32.png) [@Lok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lok)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2009, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-tech-questions/521889/163 "2009-12-31T01:20:16Z")
> [@eleanorigby](#): > > **Carnivorous** –anyone tell you I have an extremely long armspan? 500 meters ain’t gonna cut, boy… I believe that “not cutting it” was pretty much what he had in mind. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Illuminatiprimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/illuminatiprimus/32/11520_2.png) [@Illuminatiprimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Illuminatiprimus)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2009, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-tech-questions/521889/164 "2009-12-31T01:36:27Z")
> [@Aesiron](#): > > The second season was even worse. TNG does not get good until the third season. Whilst I agree that S3 was better than 1 and 2 (probably combined in fact) I think it’s debatable whether 1 or 2 were worse. I prefer 2, FWIW. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2009, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-tech-questions/521889/165 "2009-12-31T02:07:29Z")
> [@Lok](#): > > I believe that “not cutting it” was pretty much what he had in mind. 😃 You are quite perceptive, Sir. My I hid behi…would you be my Second? ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2009, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-tech-questions/521889/166 "2009-12-31T02:11:48Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > And what is the story of Sisko wearing his head upside down? 🙂 He wanted to shave his head and petitioned the producers to let him. > [@Illuminatiprimus](#): > > Whilst I agree that S3 was better than 1 and 2 (probably combined in fact) I think it’s debatable whether 1 or 2 were worse. I prefer 2, FWIW. I hate both pretty equally except that the second season had Pulaski, and Shades of Grey, which is a clip episode. That pushes it over the edge for me. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2009, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-tech-questions/521889/167 "2009-12-31T03:01:08Z")
What does it mean, “Clip Episode”? ---
**Author:** ![Jolly\_Roger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/91b2a8/32.png) [@Jolly\_Roger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jolly_Roger)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2009, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-tech-questions/521889/168 "2009-12-31T03:05:37Z")
> [@mlees](#): > > **Lemur866** , how do you account for the civilian merchants like Cyrano Jones? What are they trading for? Anything they want, they can replicate. So why head out into space, which is dangerous, and try trading tribbles to/with Klingons? I’ll say it again…the entire premise of a non money using earth where replicators produce everything needed and humans work only to improve themselves is flimsy and implausible. I can only make trek work for me by ignoring it. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2009, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-tech-questions/521889/169 "2009-12-31T03:45:01Z")
I think there is a Federation Welfare State where one is guaranteed a warm cubicle to sleep in and replicator rights, perhaps some holodeck entertainment. There is a secondary economy for the wealthy and perhaps middle class; making real wine, running a restaurant, growing organic tomatoes, etc. that runs on money. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2009, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-tech-questions/521889/170 "2009-12-31T03:50:03Z")
What godforsaken alien made Wesley’s sweaters? Bill Cosby’s progeny? Truly, they are each a small miracle of hideousness. And William Fucking Shatner aside, I wouldn’t have let Wesley on the Bridge, either! He’s a complete PITA. I recommend beaming him into solid rock. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2009, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-tech-questions/521889/171 "2009-12-31T04:03:52Z")
Carny, why don’t you hide behind T’Pring? That’s not a bad idea. I’m sure she could romance somebody into kicking your ass. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2009, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-tech-questions/521889/172 "2009-12-31T04:13:40Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Carny, why don’t you hide behind T’Pring? > That’s not a bad idea. > I’m sure she could romance somebody into kicking your ass. > 🙂 Romance? She’s so Machiavellian, she’d manipulate someone into wholesale murder! ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2009, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-tech-questions/521889/173 "2009-12-31T05:37:12Z")
> [@Aesiron](#): > > The serious answer is that he grew it between seasons, and the producers liked it, so they asked him to keep it. Yes, but he had to keep it short for the first season he wore it so it would match up. And, in a couple scenes in Insurrection, he actually wore a fake beard, since he’d already shaved it before they realized they needed to go back. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2009, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-tech-questions/521889/174 "2009-12-31T12:13:09Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > What does it mean, “Clip Episode”? I imagine it’s one of those episodes where they show a bunch of “clips” of previous episodes, which take up all the time, and about 2 minutes of new material to tie the clips together. Quick and easy to film and a real cop out. ---
**Author:** ![Illuminatiprimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/illuminatiprimus/32/11520_2.png) [@Illuminatiprimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Illuminatiprimus)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2009, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-tech-questions/521889/175 "2009-12-31T14:07:55Z")
That what it is, and yes it’s fucking shit. I caught a few moments of it the other day when it was showing and it struck me how dumb an idea it is to have a clip show episode part way through the second season of anything - how will you have enough material to make that anything other than crap? ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2009, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-tech-questions/521889/176 "2009-12-31T15:19:34Z")
Originally Posted by carnivorousplant And what is the story of Sisko wearing his head upside down? > [@Aesiron](#): > > He wanted to shave his head and petitioned the producers to let him. I recall reading somewhere that producers wanted him with hair and no beard to differentiate Cisco from A Man Called Hawk. ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2009, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-tech-questions/521889/177 "2009-12-31T21:45:32Z")
> [@BMalion](#): > > I imagine it’s one of those episodes where they show a bunch of “clips” of previous episodes, which take up all the time, and about 2 minutes of new material to tie the clips together. > > Quick and easy to film and a real cop out. They did it a few times on Stargate: SG1. To my recollection, it helped move the plot in that they were briefing important characters (important within the SG1 universe, not important to the show) to let them in on what was going on. Season 6 had them doing this with representatives of the major world powers, Season 7 had them briefing the new President (with a subplot about the Vice President trying to make a power play). I think in both cases, they did this a few episodes before the final sprint at the end of the season in case any of the viewers missed something important. Hell, Babylon 5 made an entire movie (In The Beginning) out of the clipshow idea, but I think something like 2/3rds of it was original footage. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2009, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-tech-questions/521889/178 "2009-12-31T22:01:59Z")
Isn’t the clip show sort of accepted these days? It’s a way to give a lot of the crew & actors a little time off, and save some money they can then spend one some more expensive fun stuff later? I know in scifi shows especially, if the fans are expecting big space battles at the finale, you’ll see a few low budget eps just prior. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2009, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-tech-questions/521889/179 "2009-12-31T22:08:34Z")
If you want to save money for the finale, then you do a few bottle shows, not a clip show. Clip shows are nothing but a rip-off, or a total failure on the part of the writers. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2009, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-tech-questions/521889/180 "2009-12-31T22:15:25Z")
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