Are you acclimated to Star Trek: TOS Remastered? (1 Viewer)

[Carabimero]

Have I acclimated to reading ST-TOS-R comics on my iPad?

Yes!

 

[jcroy]

I *think* I purchased that one - at least it was one of the ERB Barsoom comics, whichever one was the first. I jumped off when I realized they were doing a arc adapting one of the novels and then a arc of new, none ERB, material. I pretty much enjoyed the adaptations but the others were pretty lame... like:

....

Exactly. I don't purchase those at all - ever - no matter how much I like the franchise as I've been burned too many times.

Back in the day, another big thing about "tie in" novels, comics, etc ... was that I couldn't figure out whether something was officially canon or non-canon. (Though not in those particular words). For example in the case of Star Wars and Star Trek novels + comics, there was no easy way of figuring out whether they were officially "canon" by the direct approval of Lucas, Roddenberry, etc ...

Even when I was a teenager, I intuitively suspected that a "non-canon" novel/comic was probably pointless to read and that it was just purely a cash grab on unsuspecting Star Wars or Star Trek fans. How I came to figure this out at an early age, was from collecting comics previously.

When I was a kid/preteen buying comics, I eventually got the impression that almost all of the Marvel titles might be a part of the same larger "universe". For example, from following series like "Marvel Team Up", "Marvel Two-In-One", etc ... and eventually Secret Wars.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marvel_Team-Up
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marvel_Two-in-One

Not knowing any better at the time, I thought the writers were smart enough to get the "Marvel universe's" timeline correct so that there's nothing contradicting one another. Further reinforcing this opinion at the time (whether factual or just imagined on my part), was when I first read the "Marvel Saga" series (from 1985) which covered the chronology continuity of the "Marvel universe".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marvel_Saga

On the other hand, I came across the Marvel parody one-shot "Marvel Tails" (from 1983), which featured a Spider-Ham ("Peter Porker"), Hulk-Bunny, etc ... which I strongly suspected was not part of the main "Marvel universe".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spider-Ham


After I stopped collecting comics back then, I already had an intuitive notion of canon vs. non-canon.

 

[jcroy]

(On another OCD tangent).

Here's something else I noticed recently, which I think is another huge manifestation of my extreme OCD compulsive behavior.

Over the past five years so, I always checked every newly purchased dvd/bluray on the computer, as soon as I get home. This was largely to check dvds/blurays for random bad sectors due to manufacturing defects. If the computer encountered random bad sectors on a newly purchased dvd/bluray, I usually went back to the store and did an exchange for another copy. (I made many posts about this on this forum).

More recently I've been buying some technical books. Usually when a particular new book arrives at my home, I always immediately turn through EVERY page one-by-one in the new book, to check for printing problems such as missing pages, shoddy printing where only half of a page was printed, ink smudging, etc ... (This is the primary reason why I don't like buying novels).

It seems very anxiety ridden every time, when I forced myself to check dvds/blurays on the computer or sitting down and going through every page one-by-one in a new book.


I don't know if "perfectionism" is a common sign of OCD, but it seems to be something that heavily manifests in my extreme OCD compulsive completionist/collecting prone hobbies. (In other parts of my life, "perfectionism" is either absent or not very strong).

 

[Carabimero]

Here's what I do: I find some emotional security in a show, like Star Trek, for example, and then feel the need to own everything ever released in that series as part of topping off that emotional security. It isn't about seeing all the sets nice and neat on a shelf for me, but rather having the complete package of emotional security. Star Trek is ideal because it's truly a vast franchise I can go live in for days at a time, episode after episode.

 

[Bryan^H]

I still watch my original Star Trek DVD set(with the red yellow, and Blue cases) over my Blu-Ray set, mainly because it looks closer to what I remember watching in the late 70's early 80's on the family 24" Zenith console.

No way I'd ever watch remastered effects over the original effects....but they do like nice.

 

[jcroy]

Here's what I do: I find some emotional security in a show, like Star Trek, for example, and then feel the need to own everything ever released in that series as part of topping off that emotional security. It isn't about seeing all the sets nice and neat on a shelf for me, but rather having the complete package of emotional security. Star Trek is ideal because it's truly a vast franchise I can go live in for days at a time, episode after episode.

I tried using various tv shows or movies as a form of emotional security. But unfortunately it doesn't do much for me in relieving anxiety. Over the years I found out the hard way that I'm usually very anxious when I'm watching movies or tv shows, with my full attention focused on it.

Since I stopped consuming any booze, I've found very few things which I would consider an emotional security blanket. (Back in the day, I use to consider booze to be my emotional security).

One of the few things I found which does give me some emotional security without any booze (albeit temporarily and usually very short lived), was when I was doing long distance running. I have no idea why this was the case.

 

[TJPC]

(On another OCD tangent).

Here's something else I noticed recently, which I think is another huge manifestation of my extreme OCD compulsive behavior.

Over the past five years so, I always checked every newly purchased dvd/bluray on the computer, as soon as I get home. This was largely to check dvds/blurays for random bad sectors due to manufacturing defects. If the computer encountered random bad sectors on a newly purchased dvd/bluray, I usually went back to the store and did an exchange for another copy. (I made many posts about this on this forum).

More recently I've been buying some technical books. Usually when a particular new book arrives at my home, I always immediately turn through EVERY page one-by-one in the new book, to check for printing problems such as missing pages, shoddy printing where only half of a page was printed, ink smudging, etc ... (This is the primary reason why I don't like buying novels).

It seems very anxiety ridden every time, when I forced myself to check dvds/blurays on the computer or sitting down and going through every page one-by-one in a new book.


I don't know if "perfectionism" is a common sign of OCD, but it seems to be something that heavily manifests in my extreme OCD compulsive completionist/collecting prone hobbies. (In other parts of my life, "perfectionism" is either absent or not very strong).

I guess I have been lucky. I have thousand of DVDs and Blu Rays and except for ones I have made myself, have only had a problem once. I bought the DVD set of the Mini Series The Martian Chronical. Luckily I opened it in the store, because one of the discs had a piece of plastic like a small pencil melted into the playing surface of one of the discs. They actually refused to take it back at first because it was opened! I had to raise a stink with the manager.

 

[jcroy]

I guess I have been lucky. I have thousand of DVDs and Blu Rays and except for ones I have made myself, have only had a problem once. I bought the DVD set of the Mini Series The Martian Chronical. Luckily I opened it in the store, because one of the discs had a piece of plastic like a small pencil melted into the playing surface of one of the discs. They actually refused to take it back at first because it was opened! I had to raise a stink with the manager.

Over the past few years, I've come across one too many defective dvd discs which I exchanged for another copy. In the process, I came across one too many clueless store clerks who wouldn't do an immediate exchange until I dealt with the manager on duty that day.

Gradually towards the end of my time collecting dvds/blurays, it was easier to just deal with amazon when it comes to defective discs.

After awhile, I also came to the realization that most non-dump bin titles were typically less expensive at amazon than at many local offline discount stores, BB, etc .... Sometimes amazon was less expensive than the local dump bins.

 

[jcroy]

Nowadays for stuff which I suspect may be (potentially) OCD prone for me, I usually order from amazon. Usually a lot less headaches than dealing with clueless or hardass local retailers. (The hardass retailers frequently go out of business after several years, due to alienating too many customers who never go back. They're frequently run by folks who don't know how to run a business, and are largely clueless and typically very incompetent).

On the other side of the coin, I also use this "amazon only" ^ as a way of "reverse engineering" my OCD behavior. In practice by going "only amazon" for OCD prone stuff, it eliminates a lot of mindless driving and shopping at local retailers run by the clueless/incompetent. (Most of the time amazon is also a lot less expensive than the local outlets for various OCD prone type stuff).

Ever since I got my driver's license back in the day, in hindsight most of my incessant driving almost always involved driving around town to shop at various retailers of OCD prone type stuff. (This is excluding driving to and from work/school, or visiting friends + family/relatives). Sometimes I even drove to the next big town over, to check out various retailers of OCD prone type stuff.

I guess if I can't "cure" my extreme OCD behavior by any known medical/psychiatric means, then at best I can "reverse engineer" and work within the straitjacket of my OCD mindset.

 

[jcroy]

Also I've found that when I restrict my purchasing of (potentially) OCD prone stuff to amazon, it was a lot easier to trick my OCD mindset with the "I need to do more research" strategy. (Largely to avoid "sight unseen" impulse buying).

Usually with some simple googling, it was easy to figure out whether a particular item is what I think it is. The OCD compulsive "impulse buying" mindset (ie. I want it NOW NOW NOW !!!!!!), usually subsided when I did some research and saw that the particular item was not what I thought it was.

In contrast when I'm at a local retailer which has potential OCD prone type stuff, I've found that the "I need to do more research" strategy of tricking my OCD mind is a lot less effective. (ie. Why did I drive all the way to the store, and not buy anything?).

 

[jcroy]

Over the past few evenings, I watched through some season 5 episodes of Babylon 5.

In terms of rewatch value, I find the first eleven episodes were still somewhat difficult to watch. (Episodes 1 to 11 cover the telepath arc).

Starting at episode 12, skipping episode 13, and going through episode 14 to the end, was slightly easier to watch through. (Episode 13 "The Corps is Mother, the Corps is Father" appears to be a standalone episode told from the perspective of the Psi-Corps). This covers the Centauri fall arc, and the farewells.

If I were to do a season 5 mini-marathon over a day, I would probably start at episode 12 and continue to the end. (Maybe skip episode 13). The first eleven episodes does not seem to make a good marathon watch.

 

[Osato]

WAtching the squire of gothos remastered.
Kirk mentions contacting the discovery at the beginning of the episode.
I'm curious if this is the same discovery ship that will be seen in the new series??? Probably not but an interesting footnote to my watching the episode.

 

[FanCollector]

When does Kirk say that? What's the line exactly? I'm not recalling it now.

 

[Osato]

When does Kirk say that? What's the line exactly? I'm not recalling it now.

He mentions something along the lines of "contacting the discovery".

 

[Osato]

He mentions something along the lines of "contacting the discovery".

Never mind!!!
https://m.reddit.com/r/startrek/comments/4zj1li/reference_to_uss_discovery_in_tos/

 

[jcroy]

If I were to do a season 5 mini-marathon over a day, I would probably start at episode 12 and continue to the end. (Maybe skip episode 13). The first eleven episodes does not seem to make a good marathon watch.

In terms of the first eleven episodes of season 5, IIRC the "standalone" episodes appear to be:

episode 4 - A View From The Gallery
episode 8 - Day of the Dead

Maybe sometime this weekend, I may try watching the season 5 telepath arc without the standalone episodes, to see whether it has a better "flow" and to check whether there are any other episodes which can be dropped.

 

[jcroy]

When I was making and eating breakfast earlier today, I had episode 2 ("The Very Long Night of Londo Mollari") of season 5 of Babylon 5 playing in the background. I also watched through the first half of episode 5 ("Learning Curve"), before I had to go to work.

I remember these two earlier season 5 episodes didn't have a lot of telepath stuff.


(Some possible spoilers).

As far as I can tell, episode 2 is almost a standalone episode which primarily features Londo having "near death experiences" after collapsing from a heart attack.

The only other parts of episode 2 which contributes heavily to the ongoing storyline, are the scenes with Lennier talking about leaving his post at Babylon 5 and later plans to train as a Ranger, and finally leaving B5 at the end of the episode.


Over the first half of episode 5, one of the Rangers mentions to Delenn about Lennier's progress in Ranger training. (Most of episode 5 is about some Rangers instructors and trainees visiting Babylon 5).


Tonight if I don't feel like watching MacGyver and Hawaii Five-0, I may try watching through the initial season 5 episodes without episodes 2 and 4, while seeing whether episode 5 can also be dropped. (Episodes 6 and 7 both appear to be telepath relevant and probably can't be dropped).

 

[jcroy]

When I got home and was preparing supper, I played the rest of episode 5 ("Learning Curve") from season 5 of Babylon 5 in the background.


(Some spoilers).

After that while I was eating supper, I wanted to see whether going from episode 3 ("The Paragon of Animals") straight to episode 6 ("Strange Relations"), has a good "flow" and pace. It turns out, this 3 -> 6 jump feels somewhat abrupt.

At the beginning of episode 6 ("Strange Relations"), the revelation of Sheridan being previously married to Lochley felt like it popped out of nowhere. I fast forwarded to somewhere in the middle of episode 6, where Garibaldi was thrown into the brig and Lochley asking him about why he tried accessing her classified personnel file.

Also episode 6 is when Bester first appears in season 5. Watching through episode 1, jumping to episode 3, and jumping to episode 6, it would seem Bester pops up "too soon".

It turns out in episode 5 ("Learning Curve"), the Lochley vs. Garibaldi blowup was explicitly built up over some segments, along with the build up to the revelation of Sheridan's previous marriage to Lochley towards the end of the episode.

So I think jumping from episode 3 to episode 5 would have a better "flow" and pacing, than jumping from episode 3 to episode 6.


Skimming through the later episodes, episodes 9 to 11 are telepath heavy where the final showdown between the Psi-Cops (Bester) and the rogue telepaths happens in episode 10 ("A Tragedy of Telepaths") and episode 11 ("Phoenix Rising").

 

[jcroy]

Overall last night and earlier this morning in my rewatch of the telepath arc in season 5 of Babylon 5, I watched through the sequence:

- episode 3 ("The Paragon of Animals")
- episode 5 ("Learning Curve")
- episode 6 ("Strange Relations")
- episode 7 ("Secrets of the Soul")
- episode 9 ("In The Kingdom of the Blind")

(Episodes 10 and 11 has the final showdown between the rogue telepaths and the Psi-Cops + Bester).

Skimming through episode 1 ("No Compromises") and jumping to episode 3 ("The Paragon of Animals"), it doesn't appear to have any problems.


(Some possible spoilers).

This particular sequence has a somewhat better "flow" and pacing, than the original official episode order on the dvds. Besides covering the telepath arc, it also covers Londo's first season 5 trip back to Centauri prime, the evolving Interstellar Alliance politics, and other ongoing "drama" + politics on the Babylon5 station (ie. Garibaldi).

It seems like what makes the season 5 telepath arc somewhat harder to watch than the seasons 2-4, is the slower pace and the heavy dialog. Not a lot of fast action until the final showdown in episode 10 ("A Tragedy of Telepaths") and episode 11 ("Phoenix Rising"). (Though there is some action with the Rangers in episode 5 ("Learning Curve") ).


I think what makes the official order of the first 11 episodes very difficult to watch for me, are the "almost-standalone" episodes repeatedly interrupting the already slow pace + heavy dialog of the prominent telepath arc episodes. Removing these "almost-standalones" (ie. episodes 2, 4, and 8), eliminates these interruptions in this slow moving dialog heavy arc.

Overall, watching the telepath arc without episodes 2, 4, and 8, could be done as a six hour mini-marathon.

 

[BobO'Link]

Jr, you have so much to say about B5 that I think a separate thread would be in order. It would also get attention from B5 fans who don't or won't bother with a Star Trek thread.