Starlog: Data Entry Three.Two

I have to confess that I don't have a favourite Star Trek character. At one time it might have been Spock, Captain Kirk, or any of the characters from the first series. When I was watching The Next Generation, it would have been Captain Picard, or maybe Data at times. I don't know that I've 'connected' with any of the characters, but now that I've been able to view episodes from most of the series, I find that I see them as more multi-dimensional – something I might not have recognized when I was watching the earlier series. I'm as interested in the minor characters as in the more prominent ones, which is likely because now that I'm taking this course, I've been examining the importance of the supporting roles.

#StarTrekCourse @SmithsonianX

Starlog: Data Entry Three.One

While I enjoy watching series where there is some adherence to canon, or the rules that a script may follow, I also appreciate it when the characters deviate from the preset requirements of their persona. If nothing else, it makes me as a viewer sit up and notice that the person is behaving like a human being, with some contradictions in their behaviour. The benefit, if you would call it that, of following the rules for a character in a series is that the viewer knows what to expect. The downside is that this leads to boredom.

The creative potential in not following canon is that the viewer, and more than likely the actor, is challenged to explore a character's potential for change. This can lead to explorations of new directions for the series, the characters, and the viewer. Star Trek has changed over the many years that it has existed, encompassing many new versions, and sets of characters, while more or less adhering to the mission to explore space and time with boldness.

Star Trek has generally followed both adherence to canon, and skipping away from canon when the script, and maintaining the interest of the viewer, requires it. Otherwise it would not have continued to exist from the original series to the current one, and we probably wouldn't have a MOOC on the series and its influence on popular culture. As Scott Mantz states in the video for Star Trek's Unique Universe Overview "Like space itself, canon is fluid, and subject to change". (1)


(1) @ 6:03 minutes.