Except for when TNG did it almost 30 years ago. Star Trek has been doing edgy "we're so progressive" shit since the 1960's.
I love how these people think the fact they're being "controversial" is the reason people don't watch their show, and not that fact that they're terrible writers and creators.
And that episode was fucking cringe because it was clearly trying to beat viewers over the head with a moral instead of just trying to tell a good story.
Piller noted that, unlike "The Masterpiece Society" and "Ethics" earlier in the fifth season, the writers were not overly concerned about portraying alternative viewpoints. He commented, "I don't think there is another side that's easily supportable. I think that bigotry is bigotry, prejudice is prejudice, and it can be said with all the fervor and belief, but it still comes out as prejudice. I don't know how to make an intolerant person attractive."
I’ve seen quite a bit of TNG, but don’t recall that episode. That said, the idea of a society without gender would only come about if there was an undeniably biological position for it. The Asari aren’t female, they’re a monogendered race that took form much like human females (hence why humans will refer to them in feminine manner), and have their own unique method of reproduction.
Hell, lately, a society like that seems more like the left’s aim.
Look, this is exactly why it's nonsense to conflate "gender" (a LINGUISTICS term loosely based on secondary sexual features) and "sex" (a noun that refers to biological reproduction).
There is such a thing as hermaphrodites, and for some species, that's normal. There are also true asexuals, that reproduce without sexual recombination of genes.
I give you the fictional example of the Namekian. They don't have sexes, and don't engage in the act of sex. They reproduce at will, basically. But they all appear "masculine" to human eyes because of their body shape and deep voices. But they're not "male" or "female". Technically, Piccolo is an "it", but he's big and strong, and I'd call him a "he" just to be polite.
I binge watched all of TNG just a few months ago, and that episode sticks out like a sore thumb.
The entire crew is just totally on board with violating a species' right to govern themselves. I can't think of a single other instance in the whole series where that happens. Normally there is ALWAYS some kind of conflicted discussion over whether to intervene, over what gives them the right to impose their morality on others, but not in this episode.
It's one of the few episodes in the show that is propaganda first, entertainment second.
In fact, Riker banged a literally nonbinary alien at one point, and when it decided it was female the authorites gave it a dose of that good ol' Room 101 until it was nonbinary again.
There are already aliens that don't have a gender like humans do. Even if they just mention it in passing, it doesn't really make a difference. If they are pushed into the story, it makes episodes featuring them awkward. Gay charcters always devolve into how gay they are no matter what, and then gay people get mad when they die. It will be the same here, except it will be harder to write about how not "binary" or how trans a character is.
Sentience is reacting to stimuli. Flies are sentient. Sapience is exclusive to people. We only have one data point, so extrapolating doesn't work very well. We can't conceive of all the possibilities.
Also they are late to the party, there already was an alien species with 3 genders.
As in, not Tumblr genders, but actual genders needed for reproduction.
The crew staf ran tests and found the serf class gender other than males and females to be exactly as intelligent as the other 2 ( how convinient and comfortable to have your alien dimorphic species be exactly identical aside from genitals. They probably wrongly believe it is so for humans too ) and thus it was opression.
Which started a revolution that had the possibility to drive the species to extinction by crashing its fertility. But it's okay, because a society that dosen't have equal outcomes dosen't deserve to exist in the future in any form. Stop having children for equality.
Why won't this show just die already? It's painful to hear that it managed to get a third season, then they have to keep adding idiocy like this.
I'm sure I'm paraphrasing someone else's comment, but nu-Trek is Star Trek made by people who don't understand Star Trek, for people who don't like Star Trek.
Putting this garbage in is no replacement for WRITING DECENT STORIES.
Well, if we're talking about inhumany aliens ... but they kind of wrote themselves into a hole with that one, with that panspermia nonsense, didn't they?
Except for when TNG did it almost 30 years ago. Star Trek has been doing edgy "we're so progressive" shit since the 1960's.
I love how these people think the fact they're being "controversial" is the reason people don't watch their show, and not that fact that they're terrible writers and creators.
And that episode was fucking cringe because it was clearly trying to beat viewers over the head with a moral instead of just trying to tell a good story.
Very true.
I remember this episode. It was weird.
I’ve seen quite a bit of TNG, but don’t recall that episode. That said, the idea of a society without gender would only come about if there was an undeniably biological position for it. The Asari aren’t female, they’re a monogendered race that took form much like human females (hence why humans will refer to them in feminine manner), and have their own unique method of reproduction.
Hell, lately, a society like that seems more like the left’s aim.
Look, this is exactly why it's nonsense to conflate "gender" (a LINGUISTICS term loosely based on secondary sexual features) and "sex" (a noun that refers to biological reproduction).
There is such a thing as hermaphrodites, and for some species, that's normal. There are also true asexuals, that reproduce without sexual recombination of genes.
I give you the fictional example of the Namekian. They don't have sexes, and don't engage in the act of sex. They reproduce at will, basically. But they all appear "masculine" to human eyes because of their body shape and deep voices. But they're not "male" or "female". Technically, Piccolo is an "it", but he's big and strong, and I'd call him a "he" just to be polite.
I binge watched all of TNG just a few months ago, and that episode sticks out like a sore thumb.
The entire crew is just totally on board with violating a species' right to govern themselves. I can't think of a single other instance in the whole series where that happens. Normally there is ALWAYS some kind of conflicted discussion over whether to intervene, over what gives them the right to impose their morality on others, but not in this episode.
It's one of the few episodes in the show that is propaganda first, entertainment second.
Ignoring the fact that there’s always been a shitload of weird sexual aliens in the series already, I think Riker even banged most of them.
In fact, Riker banged a literally nonbinary alien at one point, and when it decided it was female the authorites gave it a dose of that good ol' Room 101 until it was nonbinary again.
Riker knows how to lay pipe. He fucked a tranny straight.
Waiting for them to introduce "good writting" since the series started.
Watch the fourth movie. I'm not the biggest Star Trek fan but I really liked that movie.
I'm talking about STD specifically.
shit like this is why i no longer watch tv
Hooray! I mean I wanted a series that takes the franchise into the future but they don’t listen to me.
There are already aliens that don't have a gender like humans do. Even if they just mention it in passing, it doesn't really make a difference. If they are pushed into the story, it makes episodes featuring them awkward. Gay charcters always devolve into how gay they are no matter what, and then gay people get mad when they die. It will be the same here, except it will be harder to write about how not "binary" or how trans a character is.
I figured with how bad its numbers are they would have ended it already.
Star Trek is still a thing?
It is hanging on if just barely. Picard gave it a little boost. But that had more to do with Patrick Stewart fanboys than anything else.
That would be fine if they were alien characters but we all know they won't be.
It would be vastly unlikely for a non-sexually dimorphic species to achieve sentience.
Sentience is reacting to stimuli. Flies are sentient. Sapience is exclusive to people. We only have one data point, so extrapolating doesn't work very well. We can't conceive of all the possibilities.
I don't think all humans are sapient, either.
Fixed That For Myself
how about making a show that's good and follows the established canon?
Let's just start with "is good" and go from there....
Fuck IP laws.
Every day I see classics ruined like this, the more I want to start writing my own scifi or fantasy novel.
I laughed.
Also they are late to the party, there already was an alien species with 3 genders.
As in, not Tumblr genders, but actual genders needed for reproduction.
The crew staf ran tests and found the serf class gender other than males and females to be exactly as intelligent as the other 2 ( how convinient and comfortable to have your alien dimorphic species be exactly identical aside from genitals. They probably wrongly believe it is so for humans too ) and thus it was opression.
Which started a revolution that had the possibility to drive the species to extinction by crashing its fertility. But it's okay, because a society that dosen't have equal outcomes dosen't deserve to exist in the future in any form. Stop having children for equality.
into the trash it goes
Why won't this show just die already? It's painful to hear that it managed to get a third season, then they have to keep adding idiocy like this.
I'm sure I'm paraphrasing someone else's comment, but nu-Trek is Star Trek made by people who don't understand Star Trek, for people who don't like Star Trek.
Putting this garbage in is no replacement for WRITING DECENT STORIES.
Avoid STDs
I've been defending the show...but if it goes full balls to the wall woke this season....
I'll just assume the series ended when Discovery entered the portal at the end of S2...
Well, if we're talking about inhumany aliens ... but they kind of wrote themselves into a hole with that one, with that panspermia nonsense, didn't they?
Finally!
Took them long enough!