# Your rules if you were the showrunner on a Star Trek series **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 19, 2016, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-rules-if-you-were-the-showrunner-on-a-star-trek-series/775136 "2016-12-19T15:30:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2016, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-rules-if-you-were-the-showrunner-on-a-star-trek-series/775136/121 "2016-12-24T07:12:01Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > One of the plot points in the book (not the actual show, which was its own kind of stupid) was that there were two trading ships, run by competing families. Let’s call them the Montagues and Capulets. And you easily see where all the cheap writing took them. The problem there isn’t the premise, it’s the shitty writing. Also, I’m not talking about that much competition - they are ultimately in the same service with the same goals. I just happen to think having \*everything \*be intra-ship is kind of incestuous (leading to the situation where , say, it \*seems \*like every featured lady on board’s taken a ride on the Worf train…) but having all relationships be one-off guests is ridiculous too. > [@](#): > > Parallel plot threads with different ships would inevitably lead to such shenanigans Tell that to all the cop shows with that premise, they seem to do OK. > [@](#): > > Plus the fact that, if you like one crew and hate the other, you have zero reason to watch the episodes of the “bad” crew, and that affects ratings and ad revenue. I didn’t say the “off” crew wouldn’t be featured in each episode, just that they’d not be the crew “on mission” (and so might be free to do the more arc-y “B” plots) ---
**Author:** ![erysichthon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d07c76/32.png) [@erysichthon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erysichthon)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2016, 9:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-rules-if-you-were-the-showrunner-on-a-star-trek-series/775136/122 "2016-12-25T09:08:29Z")
Photon torpedoes are ENERGY WEAPONS, not physical torpedoes. Starships are built in orbit, not on the ground in fucking Iowa. No more holodeck. No more shaking the camera and having actors fall out of their chairs. No kids on the ship. Spacesuits should be used a minimum of three times per season. Same rule for the shuttlecraft. No godlike beings, and no putting humanity on trial by proxy. And NO TIME TRAVEL. Just no. NO NO NO NO NO. ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2016, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-rules-if-you-were-the-showrunner-on-a-star-trek-series/775136/123 "2016-12-25T20:09:22Z")
> [@zamboniracer](#): > > But only for the adult (preferably shapely) female humanoid characters. The thought of Worf in a miniskirt chills me to the bone. Well, it does something to a bone. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2016, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-rules-if-you-were-the-showrunner-on-a-star-trek-series/775136/124 "2016-12-25T21:57:01Z")
> [@erysichthon](#): > > Photon torpedoes are ENERGY WEAPONS, not physical torpedoes. 😕 That’s news to me. Cite? ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2016, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-rules-if-you-were-the-showrunner-on-a-star-trek-series/775136/125 "2016-12-26T00:15:34Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > 😕 That’s news to me. Cite? In _Star Trek_, the “photon torpedo” was seen to be fired as a globe of light that traveled in a straight line before blowing up at the target. There was never an indication in the original series that the torpedo was encased in something, nor that it could travel in anything but a straight line, so far as I recall. It wasn’t until the movies that the idea that the torpedo was truly a physical casing surrounding some mechanism came into being. _Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan_ memorably shows this idea, especially at the end when one is fired down at the Genesis planet containing Spock’s body Personally, I like both concepts. I did always question how, in the original series, the “torpedo” knew when to “blow up”. That it would do so without contacting a ship was clearly true in “The Balance of Terror”, where, of course, the whole idea was to have analogs to almost every aspect of “Run Silent, Run Deep.” ---
**Author:** ![erysichthon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d07c76/32.png) [@erysichthon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erysichthon)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2016, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-rules-if-you-were-the-showrunner-on-a-star-trek-series/775136/126 "2016-12-26T01:57:02Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > 😕 That’s news to me. Cite? From _The Making of Star Trek_ by Stephen E. Whitfield and Gene Roddenberry (Ballantine Books, 1968), page 194: > [@](#): > > The Enterprise is equipped with a second type of offensive weapon, called photon torpedoes, which are energy pods of matter and anti-matter contained and held temporarily separated in a magno-photon force field. These can be used as torpedoes or depth charges, and can be set with electrochemical, proximity, and a variety of other fuses. Photon torpedoes can be fired directly at a target, laid out as a mine field, or scattered in an attacker’s path as depth charges. There’s nothing about a physical casing there, although admittedly the stuff about “fuses” implies some kind of physical component. But the TOS torpedoes were never visually depicted as anything but glowing blobs. From an [interview with Andrew Probert](http://www.trekplace.com/ap2005int01.html): > [@](#): > > **Tyler:** At the time _The Motion Picture_ was in the works, what was your take on photon torpedoes? Did you imagine them as the capsule-shaped things from _The Wrath of Khan_, or as something else? > > **Probert:** I envisioned them as what we saw during the TV era, they were glowing globs of plasma or some sort of energy. They weren’t giant capsules. I envision them as big, glowy, dangerous blobs of… scariness. There is some debate about this in Trek fandom; here is [a relevant thread from a Trek board](http://www.trekbbs.com/threads/caseless-torpedoes.198442/). There are good arguments on both sides. Personally I believe they were always supposed to be energy weapons until _Wrath of Khan_; I think the idea of a 23rd century FTL starship shooting physical projectiles is kind of dumb. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2016, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-rules-if-you-were-the-showrunner-on-a-star-trek-series/775136/127 "2016-12-26T03:06:57Z")
To further muddy the waters, in _Balance of Terror_ what look and act like photon torpedoes are called “phasers”. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2016, 10:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-rules-if-you-were-the-showrunner-on-a-star-trek-series/775136/128 "2016-12-26T10:02:23Z")
> [@erysichthon](#): > > Personally I believe they were always supposed to be energy weapons until _Wrath of Khan_; I think the idea of a 23rd century FTL starship shooting physical projectiles is kind of dumb. Well, I’d say the utility is in a physical projectile that can travel FTL itself, is capable of maneuvering, various fuse settings, and with an adjustable yield of up to the megaton range. (Canon, with the amount of antimatter carried as a warhead—not that such a terrific blast was ever depicted onscreen, nor the supposedly _double_ or more more powerful detonation of the Quantum Torpedoes introduced in later years.) I mean, if you’re crafting your SF setting, you’re perfectly free and able to make up a weapon that functions like the above, but is composed of pure energy or plasma, sure. But I don’t think it’s unreasonable, given the setting we’d seen, for such a weapon to be realized as a mechanical device. ---
**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:** [December 26, 2016, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-rules-if-you-were-the-showrunner-on-a-star-trek-series/775136/129 "2016-12-26T16:18:49Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > To further muddy the waters, in _Balance of Terror_ what look and act like photon torpedoes are called “phasers”. :smack: The first and only time phasers were fired in short bursts that could detonate! ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2016, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-rules-if-you-were-the-showrunner-on-a-star-trek-series/775136/130 "2016-12-27T02:00:38Z")
> [@Ranchoth](#): > > Well, I’d say the utility is in a physical projectile that can travel FTL itself, Which brings up a very important thing as a showrunner to insist upon: **Only ships/vessels with warp nacelles can travel at warp speeds!** I almost gave up on _TNG_ in the pilot when they separate out the saucer, which then blithely continues on at warp speed, while the warp engine and the battle bridge, etc., turn around to face the approaching threat. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2016, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-rules-if-you-were-the-showrunner-on-a-star-trek-series/775136/131 "2016-12-27T02:17:05Z")
Can we just say the first season of TNG never happened? ---
**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:** [December 27, 2016, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-rules-if-you-were-the-showrunner-on-a-star-trek-series/775136/132 "2016-12-27T03:18:18Z")
> [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > … the whole idea was to have analogs to almost every aspect of **“Run Silent, Run Deep.”** Nitpick: _ **The Enemy Below** _. ---
**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:** [December 27, 2016, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-rules-if-you-were-the-showrunner-on-a-star-trek-series/775136/133 "2016-12-27T03:20:02Z")
> [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > I almost gave up on _TNG_ in the pilot when they separate out the saucer, which then blithely continues on at warp speed, while the warp engine and the battle bridge, etc., turn around to face the approaching threat. :smack: The same should apply to shuttlecraft, runabouts, “ion-powered” craft, _et cetera_. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2016, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-rules-if-you-were-the-showrunner-on-a-star-trek-series/775136/134 "2016-12-27T06:31:56Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Nitpick: _ **The Enemy Below** _. Nitpick to your nitpick: both. See Memory Alpha. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2016, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-rules-if-you-were-the-showrunner-on-a-star-trek-series/775136/135 "2016-12-27T06:46:11Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > The same should apply to shuttlecraft, runabouts, “ion-powered” craft, _et cetera_. Well, now, shuttlecraft may be warp capable. It’s never exactly established what those runners they land on do, besides support the ship. As I recall, in the episode “Galileo Seven”, fuel is burned from the nacelles of the shuttlecraft; that fuel seemingly has something to do with what was transferred from the phasers to the reactor (it’s all quite confusing). But it’s not enough to conclude that the shuttlecraft has a warp-capable engine. However, IIRC, it’s abundantly clear during _TNG_ that the nacelles on the shuttlecraft are part of a warp-capable engine. This is made clear by shots of the shuttles going into warp, showing the characteristic glowing of the nacelles. Obviously, somewhere in the interim, between the original series and the next generation of ships, shuttles have become warp capable. Which, of course, doesn’t absolve the writers in the original series for using shuttles to do warp travel, such as in “The Menagerie”. :mad: ---
**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:** [December 27, 2016, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-rules-if-you-were-the-showrunner-on-a-star-trek-series/775136/136 "2016-12-27T07:03:48Z")
> [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > Well, now, shuttlecraft may be warp capable. \*Some \*shuttlecraft are warp capable, yes. Those that aren’t have no business venturing into deep space, like in “Metamorphosis” and “Court Martial.” And yes, I too have always wondered how the \*hell \*you can jettison “fuel” drained from a phaser and then set it alight! ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2016, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-rules-if-you-were-the-showrunner-on-a-star-trek-series/775136/137 "2016-12-27T13:07:49Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > \*Some \*shuttlecraft are warp capable, yes. Those that aren’t have no business venturing into deep space, like in “Metamorphosis” and “Court Martial.” > > And yes, I too have always wondered how the \*hell \*you can jettison “fuel” drained from a phaser and then set it alight! Very carefully. 😉 ---
**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:** [December 27, 2016, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-rules-if-you-were-the-showrunner-on-a-star-trek-series/775136/138 "2016-12-27T15:49:53Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > \*Some \*shuttlecraft are warp capable, yes. Those that aren’t have no business venturing into deep space, like in “Metamorphosis” and “Court Martial.” I made a boo-boo. ☹ I was thinking of “The Menagerie,” not “Court Martial.” **DUH!** :smack: ---
**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:** [January 1, 2017, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-rules-if-you-were-the-showrunner-on-a-star-trek-series/775136/139 "2017-01-01T20:50:13Z")
Dilithium crystals. Carry extra ones at all times. Something that important, you should never have a story where you’re in danger because of a shortage of them. ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2017, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-rules-if-you-were-the-showrunner-on-a-star-trek-series/775136/140 "2017-01-01T20:52:40Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Dilithium crystals. Carry extra ones at all times. Something that important, you should never have a story where you’re in danger because of a shortage of them. You’ll just end up with a story where you’re in danger because the extras got stolen/damaged/what have you. 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-rules-if-you-were-the-showrunner-on-a-star-trek-series/775136.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-rules-if-you-were-the-showrunner-on-a-star-trek-series/775136.md?page=8)