Star Trek fics

[osprey_archer]

First, a couple Star Trek fic recs:

Via imelford: How to Avoid Kicking Puppies and Other Valuable Lessons in Leadership, by sparky77.

Because it is funny and sparkly and involves Chekov being annoyed at being treated like a little child.

Also, Absolution, by chaletian.

A short, poignant fic, which involves Chekov feeling guilty and Spock being kind in a totally Spock way.

Evidently I've forgiven Chekov for not being as cute as the original. Funny how those things sneak up on you.

***

You know what I wish Star Trek would have done? I wish they would have made a nod at the original "We're breaking down boundaries!" aspect of the show and included a Middle Eastern crew member. (I also wish said crew member would have been female, because the Enterprise no longer has the excuse of being invented in the sixties to explain its gender imbalance. Extra points if Ensign Fatima Shaheen wore hijab.)

I realize that Star Trek, as structured, had little time to do much beyond credibly reintroduce the original characters and tell some sort of interesting story, so this is not so much a criticism as wishful thinking: it would have been cool.

Comments

[entwashian.livejournal.com]

They sort of did... Faran Tahir played the captain of the Kelvin.

And, yes, more ladies, please. I'm probably going to link it in my LJ, but have you seen this (http://liviapenn.livejournal.com/555204.html)? Gold.

[osprey-archer.livejournal.com]

O.o Is it a bad thing that I didn't realize he wasn't white?

The gender-switched cast list is awesome, though. You know what one of my dreams is? I want someone to make a movie or TV show with a female ensemble cast, with maybe a couple of guys around to be decorative, but the focus is on the girls, and they run around being totally awesome at whatever they're doing, which need not be Saving the World from Aliens but should be something Cool.

[entwashian.livejournal.com]

Lol, isn't that Cleopatra 2525 (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0206476/)?

And I love She Spies (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0315064/), though I'm apparently the only one on Earth who gets its bizarre mix of over-the-top, cheesy parody & dry-as-a-bone wit. Season One, that is. For S2, they tried to mix up the show to make it a hit & it sucked donkey balls.

[exuberantself.livejournal.com]

Chekov fic!

I think the little fella's growing on me. I may have to see the movie a third time to know for sure though. He's just so...young.

Missing the other Chekov did make me dig out my B5 collection though. Walter Koenig only got more appealing when he wasn't being played for laughts.

[osprey-archer.livejournal.com]

Hahahaha. Any reason to see the movie again, right?

You know what's frustrating? Netflix has only season one of the original Star Trek. As Chekov isn't in that season, I can't go back and compare. :(

[exuberantself.livejournal.com]

Second viewings are for entertainment, thirdsies are purely scientific, obviously.

I'm sure Netflix will be remedying that oversight and putting the other two seasons in rotation soon. Until then, try Fancast (http://www.fancast.com/). As a general rec, it's not the best episode ever, but The Way Eden (http://www.fancast.com/tv/Star-Trek/96413/622000168/Star-Trek:-The-Original-Series---The-Way-to-Eden/videos) has one of Chekov's old girlfriends and, as such, more of him than usual.

[osprey-archer.livejournal.com]

Aw, poor Chekov. It can't be easy having your Starfleet girlfriend grow up and join a crazy cult that wears bizarre sixties hippie clothes.

[anait.livejournal.com]

You're not alone in your thoughts about Chekhov being switched for a Middle Eastern character: similar ideas over here.

Yes, I agree. Also, Uhura having more of a piece of the action would have been nice, as the lone female character of any importance. Although she did get good character development, she didn't get to do much re: saving the day-- that was for the boys.

Thanks for the fic rec!

[osprey-archer.livejournal.com]

Well, I wouldn't want them to switch Chekov out; it's not like Russians are often presented as good guys even now. I was thinking more along the lines of either adding a new character or making one of the white American guys (Bones, maybe?) Pakistani.

I really think the Star Trek people dropped the ball re: gender roles in this movie. As the article you linked points out, they actually managed to have even fewer important female characters than the original series, and they didn't do much with Uhura who was the only woman they kept.