Re: I have to go here.
Originally posted by Trinity Zeldis
Now that I have royal t'd off many of you, I have to ask what is different? For many, the ten commandments is a movie shown around Easter, and Jesus is just something you say when you're exasperated. To others, these things hold a special meaning and wars are fought over interpretation. Is it any wonder, that the mythology of Star Trek, which has touched so many, is likewise treated?
Remember the uproar when onllly a scant ten years ago the Pope considered allowing women into the priesthood? The Pope is synonymous to the Catholic faith as B&B are to Star Trek. They are the interpretors and the final authority on canon. The only difference is, they don't listen to the flock.
Well, I see your point, but while I agree that continuity matters, I must strongly disagree with the reasons you give for it.
To me there is no 'herecy' or 'sacrilege' involved in changing the continuity. My complaint is much more simple that that - it's just plain bad storytelling IMO!
I mean, what if in Star Wars Episode III we find out that Anakin is sterile and cannot have children? Or maybe we learn that Leia isn't his daughter after all? It would collapse the carefully woven story Lucas is telling, and thus we would never see that. For the life of me I cannot see why that sort of analogy is so impossible for B&B to see. Indeed, I find it so blindingly obvious that really confounds me how they can possibly manage to miss it...
There are shows out there that have just as complex (if not more so) established canon than Trek, and yet they see it as not as a limitation as much as foundation to build on. I cannot understand why B&B insist so strongly on seeing continuity only as a hinderance. Some people agree and say that continuity doesn't matter. Well, what if in a future episode of ENT we learn that Archer's father isn't dead after all? It would unravel the show because Archer's initial distaste for Vulcans is based on how their influence meant that his father never got to see his dreams reach the stars, and so the whole foundation for the show begins to crumble. ENT fans would complain soon enough if that happened, I should think (or have B&B done this already?)
When telling a story you have to stick with what you establish, or at least have a very good reason why things aren't what you said and why nobody found out before. The conditions Trekkies are made to endure this way are incredible. Star Wars fans would never accept them, nor should they. And note that Star Wars actually accepts all published material as part of canon, which is something Trek doesn't. Paramount doesn't mind selling us Encyclopediae and Chronologies, yet they can't be bothered to read them, let alone respect them, themselves...
Sadly, it's just too late now, at least for me... I've loved Trek for a long time, but B&B have murdered that love - they have made a mockery of something unique and violated it until it turned into an abomination: The disinterest of the story, the unwillingness to respect the past, the harsh treatment and cold indifference to the characters, the absolute refusal to "boldly going where no one has gone before"...
Alas, Star Trek is dead 
"We think we've come so far... Torture of heretics, burning of witches - it's all ancient history. Then, before you can blink an eye, suddenly it threatens to start all over again..."
- Captain Picard, "The Drumhead" (TNG).
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