One theory on why Old and New Star Trek fans are divided

Star Trek has been a fanbase for years that have been all-inclusive, but now fans are picking and choosing who can be a ‘real’ fan, but why?

This site isn’t just about news, because let’s be honest, there’s not a lot of it to go around. Hollywood Reporter and other news-oriented sites are the ones who break the news, and everyone else just regurgitates it. The goal of this site is to be fan-centric. Fan discussions, opinions, previews, and all sorts of things will exist on this site, and that includes fan theories.

A YouTube video caught the eye recently. It’s called The TRUTH About why STAR TREK fans are Divided! and honestly, it’s really intriguing. I’m not someone who is going to take too many hardline stances. Part of that reason is that people have put their politics in their entertainment. Instead of judging a piece of entertainment for its own individual merit, you are now declaring a political allegiance by how you view the material. At least that’s how the fandom sees things.

I for one don’t think we should be that myopic in the way we view things. You can be a conservative and love New Trek, or a liberal and only watch the Original Series. I don’t feel there’s a need to divide ourselves even further by pretending that what you like dictates who you are. Which is why I found the video so dang fascinating.

Mostly because one point that never gets discussed; long-form storytelling. With the new series, you have longer arcs that take the full season. Gone are the individual episodes that may advance minor character plots, romances, ranks, Harry Kim not being able to get a date….ever….but the plot of the episode was not relevant to the previous episode. For instance, the Tuvix episode of Voyager, a favorite of mine to reference. That was over and done within an episode.

Sure, there have always been two-parters and that’s fine. Yet, only with the latter season of Deep Space 9 during the Dominion War did tuning in every week become a necessity. This is essentially how New Trek is done. Not just New Trek, shows like Titans, Hand Maiden Tails, and The Mandolorian all take the same approach. It’s neither good nor bad, just a statement of what is.

Having to keep up with a series week after week after week is hard. I’ve loved watching Supernatural for years, but once I got behind two or three weeks, I lose interest. Not because it’s a bad show but I don’t have the time to give a show three hours. Soon that turns from three hours to six, to a full day as you realize you missed the entire season. That’s part of the issue with New Trek, but the video does a better job exploring the idea.

Let me know on Facebook, Twitter or down in the comments below what you think the biggest issue that separates New and Old Trek from one another?