Star Trek needs to retire the overplayed “Badmirals” trope
Star Trek created the concept of Starfleet to show the world how to cooperate with one another and how to get along through a shared vision. After Gene Roddenberry lost power over the Star Trek franchise, the concept of Starfleet being “perfect” was changed. Now there was more hostility internally, bad leaders were everywhere and conflict ran amok. It wasn’t what Roddenberry wanted Starfleet to be, but it’s what short-sighted writers decided to turn Starfleet into.
The laziness of making the “good guys” and also the “bad guys” was abused time and time again, so much so that every time a character with the rank of Admiral appears onscreen, they’re almost always a villain. It’s a trope that has become known as “Badmirals”.
It turns out they’re everywhere, and so widely used that even Star Trek.com posted an article about it in November of 2022. It’s become a tired trope and it’s time to stop using it.
Star Trek has to get back to showing what collaboration looks like
They say media reflects the times we’re in, but media, especially science fiction, should also show us what we’re striving for. That’s something that Star Trek hasn’t done a great job doing through each of the new series. Some series, like Prodigy and Strange New Worlds, do a great job of showing how to get along with people who disagree with others.
In other shows, not so much.
Star Trek has to go back to showing us unified. Showing people who disagree but still work together to overcome their issues. That’s something so many people don’t know how to do anymore, and it’s apparent that reinforcing destructive narratives isn’t doing anyone any good.
Focusing more on how to come together and live in step with each other should be Star Trek’s priority. Constantly introducing characters from Starfleet as enemies only reinforces the notion that you can’t trust people.
Especially people you’re supposed to.
It also affects how we view Starfleet. If so many bad people get promoted to the ranks of Admiral, what does that say about the outfit we’ve all come to know and love? It’s fine to have characters who disagree with one another on how to proceed, but constantly turning those we’re supposed to trust into enemies only reinforces the notion that the concepts that Roddenberry preached will never happen.
And we need those ideas and visions more than ever. So it’s time that Star Trek started embracing a more responsible plan of action. End the “Badmirals” trope, and let conflicts come from outside of the Federation.