Would Gene Rodenberry Approve of Star Trek’s Legacy?
It’s a good question, and years ago, I might not have bothered asking, but would Roddenberry really have approved of the direction producers decided to take with Star Trek over the years? Obviously the franchise has been wildly successful, garnering itself a loyal fan-base, while its producers seemed keen on keeping his vision alive in some manner. Unfortunately, whether or not that vision has remained intact still remains in question. I’ve learned a great deal about him through numerous interviews, the second-hand stories from cast and crew, and including writers and directors who worked on the various films and television series over the years, and while I feel that we may owe him a great debt of gratitude for having created a series we love, I’ve come to the conclusion he wouldn’t have approved of much of it.
The fact of the matter is that Roddenberry wasn’t fond of the militaristic nature of Nicholas Meyer’s films, despite having served in the military himself. If he had had his way, we may never have seen The Wrath of Khan. We have Harve Bennett to thank for that. However, it was Gene’s decision to let Wesley Crusher join the crew of the Enterprise-D despite the fact that nobody in their right mind would let a teenager set foot on the bridge of a starship, let alone the flagship of the entire Federation fleet. As some of you may have noted, Wesley’s role in the series diminished following the first few seasons, largely due in part to Roddenberry’s increased absence from the series prior to his death. Believe it or not, the entire concept of a ship’s counselor had been one of the many questionable decisions that left many of Star Trek: The Next Generation‘s writers scratching their head. Had he any real involvement with Deep Space Nine, or Voyager, we may not have even had the Dominion War, or the return of the Borg.
Gene would have been ninety years old as of last week, so the least we can do is take a moment to reflect on his accomplishments both good and bad. It’s safe to say things would have been different for Star Trek, and maybe his involvement, or lack thereof, was for the best, but regardless of whether we agreed with his vision, we owe him a debt of gratitude for giving us one of the most beloved sci-fi franchises of all time.
Tim is a pro-blogger and freelance writer out of San Diego, California. In addition to Fanboy.com, several outlets he’s written for include the Japanese culture and entertainment blog, Japanator, and the collectible toy culture site Tomopop. For more information, follow him on twitter, or check out TimSheehy.com.