It's been a couple years now since Star Trek expanded its franchise with Star Trek: Discovery, and things have only exploded outward from there. New series in the franchise are coming at a rapid rate, though classic fans have taken issue with Star Trek's efforts to modernize its classic show format. Some took issue with the way the series has tried to change canon, and others are upset by a message or agenda newer entries in the franchise are attempting to send viewers.
That message, according to William Shatner, has always been in the Star Trek franchise. Shatner recently spouted off on Twitter about complaints about the perceived agenda of shows like Star Trek: Discovery, and said what's happening in that show is not all that different to what was being done in the original Star Trek or other classic shows.
William Shatner speaks the truth, as Star Trek was often used as a vehicle to highlight social issues through a sci-fi lens to make it a little easier for audiences to digest. It also was a pioneer in creating some pretty big moments, as Shatner was part of American television's first scripted interracial kiss way back during the original series. That's just one of many examples, as one could probably tie several of their favorite episodes to social conflicts of the time in some way.
As is often the case with bold statements made on the internet, not everyone was on board with William Shatner's allegation that Star Trek: Discovery is doing the same things as Star Trek or other entries. Replies to his tweet alleged that Star Trek had changed in the past decade, and presents an agenda of sorts that couples one idea as the right way of thinking, and the other as wrong.
The conversation was bound to be heated, especially considering many of the Star Trek purists tend to value William Shatner's word on the franchise more so than some of the more recent talent attached to the franchise. Shatner got in a pretty high-profile fight with former Star Trek: Discovery star Jason Isaacs some time ago, and has been non-committal about any efforts to re-enter the franchise. Some fans may have taken all that as support for their frustrations for the series, but it seems that's far from the case.
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Do you agree with William Shatner's comments on Star Trek and the current state of the franchise, or do you have another take? Write any and all opinions down in the comments below, and continue to stick with CinemaBlend to stay on top of all the major things happening with television and movies during this fall season.
