One of the biggest and most consistent rallying cries I hear from not just the fans, but those that work on the franchise is that Star Trek should continue to genre-bend. Something they've done quite a lot in recent years. We've had horror episodes, animated series, and even the rare one-off musical. Right now, Star Trek is as eclectic as any series going. But it shouldn't be.
Every time Star Trek tries to be a comedy series, or do fantasy stories, it loses something in the translation. The series is what it is, a morality play that examines society through the lens of science fiction. That's what it was always meant to be and what creators going forward should always focus on. This is how and where Star Trek works best.
Yet, the push to have more non-traditional Star Trek series and episodes is on the rise. Which is perplexing. Why isn't Star Trek good enough? Why is it that fans want Star Trek to be anything other than Star Trek? Now, it's ok to like all sorts of things, not just Star Trek. We all do. Be it sports, musicals, horror, or whatever else that tickles your fancy. So it baffles me that fans want Star Trek to be all things.
If you want more horror-related things in your life or more musicals, you don't need to ask Star Trek to supply those things, just go out and find other properties that fill that niche. Seems like an obvious statement, yet, more and more people seem to want to push this idea that Star Trek isn't enough as it is or as it was.
But that's just not true, it is. So why now? Why write this now? Well, leave it to the world of professional wrestling. While scrolling through the interwebs, I stumbled across a post on Twitter where a fan was lamenting the notion that one specific wrestler wasn't in the WWE. The general retort to his musings was "Ok, so go watch his current work in the company he's in now. If you're a fan, it shouldn't matter what company he is with".
That mentality resonated with me because it was so applicable to so many ideas. If you like something, go enjoy it. If you want something else, go enjoy something else. So the same thing applies here. Star Trek is what it is, and if you want to watch more shows that are not Star Trek, that's cool. There are plenty of amazing franchises out there to sink your teeth into. You don't need Star Trek to change up its entire ethos just because you want more horror, comedy or what have you.
You don't need to force a company or property to be all things for all fans. You don't need to be mad that a steak house only serves steak. If you don't want steak, that's ok, but stop demanding that the restaurant cater to your specific tastes. There are other options out there, so enjoy them. There are other shows and films that provide quality content, so enjoy them.
Star Trek has thrived and dominated for nearly 60 years because it knew what it was, yet, recent failings have highlighted the flaw in Star Trek's current belief that they are "genre-less". They're not. They have a specific genre fans expect from them, and when they deviate from those expectations, the franchise stumbles.
We don't need a Star Trek musical series or a Star Trek comedy series. We need Star Trek to go back to being Star Trek. That's when the franchise is at its best. As we've seen time and time again.