7 things nobody wants to admit about Star Trek

Nov. 2, 2015 – CBS Television Studios announced today it will launch a totally new “Star Trek” television series in January 2017. The brand-new “Star Trek” will introduce new characters seeking imaginative new worlds and new civilizations, while exploring the dramatic contemporary themes that have been a signature of the franchise since its inception in 1966. The new series will blast off with a special preview broadcast on the CBS Television Network. The premiere episode and all subsequent first-run episodes will then be available exclusively in the United States on CBS All Access, the Network’s digital subscription video on demand and live streaming service.Pictured: William Shatner as Capt. James T. Kirk in STAR TREK (The Original Series)Photo: ©1966 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved /

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Gates McFadden as Dr. Beverly Crusher and Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut as Sidney La Forge in “Imposters” Episode 305, Star Trek: Picard on Paramount+. Photo Credit: Trae Patton/ Paramount+. ©2021 Viacom, International Inc. All Rights Reserved. /

5. Universal translators

I really, really wish I had one of those when I moved to the United States at the age of 12 with little to no knowledge of the English language. The universal translator is one of those classic pieces that kind of demands a suspension of disbelief from the viewer. While the concept is ingenious and pretty needed to keep the flow of the story going smoothly, the execution often leaves viewers with more questions than answers.

How does it work instantaneously? How does it even translate new languages it has never encountered before? To add to it, there are episodes where there are no available translators, or the fact they malfunction serves as a critical plot point, leading us to question its reliability. These inconsistencies only show that the universal translator’s primary function is to facilitate the story’s pace by quickly bypassing language barriers -a significant and recurring obstacle in real life.

The universal translator is a storytelling tool used to keep the pacing and focus on the narrative. If characters had to struggle with language in every episode, the show would slow down dramatically, and it would keep viewers from its central themes and the episode’s plot. Much like warp drive or phasers, the universal translator exists to serve the story, not to offer a scientific method of instant translation.

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