this post was submitted on 26 Jul 2023
412 points (96.8% liked)
Star Trek
10584 readers
191 users here now
r/startrek: The Next Generation
Star Trek news and discussion. No slash fic...
Maybe a little slash fic.
New to Star Trek and wondering where to start?
Rules
1 Be constructive
All posts/comments must be thoughtful and balanced.
2 Be welcoming
It is important that everyone from newbies to OG Trekkers feel welcome, no matter their gender, sexual orientation, religion or race.
3 Be truthful
All posts/comments must be factually accurate and verifiable. We are not a place for gossip, rumors, or manipulative or misleading content.
4 Be nice
If a polite way cannot be found to phrase what it is you want to say, don't say anything at all. Insulting or disparaging remarks about any human being are expressly not allowed.
5 Spoilers
Utilize the spoiler system for any and all spoilers relating to the most recently-aired episodes, as well as previews for upcoming episodes. There is no formal spoiler protection for episodes/films after they have been available for approximately one week.
6 Keep on-topic
All submissions must be directly about the Star Trek franchise (the shows, movies, books etc.). Off-topic discussions are welcome at c/quarks.
7 Meta
Questions and concerns about moderator actions should be brought forward via DM.
Upcoming Episodes
| Date | Episode | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 11-07 | LD 5x04 | "A Farewell to Farms" |
| 11-14 | LD 5x05 | "Star Base 80?" |
| 11-21 | LD 5x06 | "Of Gods and Angels" |
| 11-28 | LD 5x07 | "Fully Dilated" |
| 12-05 | LD 5x08 | "Upper Decks" |
In Production
Strange New Worlds (2025)
Section 31 (2025-01-24)
Starfleet Academy (TBA)
In Development
Untitled comedy series
Wondering where to stream a series? Check here.
founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
I get the joke. However, I just want to point out that in the later series, red signified command and someone important. When I wear my Commandar Riker costume, I don't appreciate the comments about the red shirt and being expendable.
Complains about being called expendable.
Uses only character there's literally two of.
Haha yes. That may be true there are 2 Rikers, there's only one Commander Riker.
THANK YOU.
The joke about red shirts makes no effing sense any more. It hasn't made sense in over thirty years. I've never watched TOS, I started with TNG a couple of years ago, and I remember thinking during the first season (as a new arrival to the fandom giving it an overdue watch) that the jokes I'd always heard about red shirts were confusing, because random deaths were not that common on the show. People died occasionally, but the trope of unnamed crew members being killed unceremoniously to convey stakes did not appear in TNG, and I couldn't help but notice that captain Picard himself was wearing this supposedly cursed color.
It makes me so frustrated to see this lazy, lazy, lazy zombie joke that just won't go away.
The red shirt part of the joke is referring to TOS exclusively because it was so prevalent. But really it's a larger trope found across lots of different shows and genres. They may not wear red shirts but you'll know them when you see them.
I think it's a great joke and has stood the test of time. You should try watching TOS before proclaiming that the joke doesn't work.
And the guys in the comic are wearing TOS uniforms, including the rank stripes on the sleeve cuffs.
I don't even care about the people who don't know which series is which. The whole joke is a fallacy to begin with, and I wish people didn't actually think it was true.
https://blog.minitab.com/en/adventures-in-statistics-2/using-data-analysis-to-assess-fatality-rates-in-star-trek-the-original-series
It always seemed like red shirts were most likely to die, but that's only because the majority of crew members wore red. Statistically, gold shirts have a much higher fatality rate.