posted
So the Gorn are kind of unique as far as Star Trek aliens go in that they have the least amount of backstory provided. Or rather, they're the most "humanlike" aliens with the least backstory. By this I mean there were plenty of superpowerful energy things that just showed up out of nowhere and vanished just as quickly, but those are sort of in a different category, or so it seems to me.
And anyway, this sort of bugs me, because, like, even one-shot groups like the Sheliak or the Tzenkethi were provided with a "place" in the universe, in that they had a history that was at least alluded to.
(Possible interjection at this point: What about those First Federation cats? Uh. . .)
But I was thinking, the Temporal Cold War sort of provides an excuse for aliens to show up out of nowhere, do mean things, and then disappear again. So perhaps there is no "Gorn space" anywhere near the Federation, either spatially or temporally. Like, they could be like the spherebuilders and from some other universe, or the distant future or past; maybe even evolving right on Cestus III, if some blundering apes hadn't shown up and altered the environment. Sure, it's implied that they had a current territorial claim on Cestus III, but I wouldn't trust a Metron, personally.
Unless I'm misremembering and the Gorn captain said so himself. But, uh, maybe he was lying! Yeah.
Though I hear there was a Gorn mention in a recent Enterprise episode.
Registered: Mar 1999
| IP: Logged
posted
And I guess I should also make the distinction: least backstory for a roughly Federation-level species that recieved a name and played a sizable part in an episode. To exclude various background aliens with names no one outside the makeup department knows about.
Registered: Mar 1999
| IP: Logged
posted
Assuming Gorn Territory to be near (formerly claimed by the Gorn) Cestus Three (which is still several months warp travel from DS9) it's possible that the Gornhold a territory that's still on the outskirts of Federation space and Starfleet has little dealings with them.
There'sa TNG Graphic novel with the Gorn explaining that the Enterprise E was sent to request their aid against the Dominion (explaining why the flagship did jack shit during the war). Unfortunately, the story was weak and the art sucked pretty bad. The Gorn get zero update from TOS and even wear pretty much the same oufits (though some color variation is provided to distinguish characters.
Data kicks a room full of Gorn warriors' asses easily- that's pretty unlikley IMHO.
-------------------- Justice inclines her scales so that wisdom comes at the price of suffering. -Aeschylus, Agamemnon
Registered: Aug 2002
| IP: Logged
"Though I hear there was a Gorn mention in a recent Enterprise episode."
Last week's. The Orion captain talks about having had dealings with Gorn, but "the less said about them, the better".
Registered: Mar 1999
| IP: Logged
posted
Isn't mirror Archer going to wrestle the Gorn onboard the USS Defiant?
-------------------- "It speaks to some basic human needs: that there is a tomorrow, it's not all going to be over with a big splash and a bomb, that the human race is improving, that we have things to be proud of as humans." -Gene Roddenberry about Star Trek
Registered: May 1999
| IP: Logged
-------------------- "Brave men are vertebrates: they have their softness on the outside, and their toughness in the middle" -Lewis Carrol
Registered: Jan 2005
| IP: Logged
-------------------- "Brave men are vertebrates: they have their softness on the outside, and their toughness in the middle" -Lewis Carrol
Registered: Jan 2005
| IP: Logged
posted
The Gorn never had that much story potential due to their un-human appearance. Even Al Pacino couldn't convey anything meaningfull in that makeup. Similar problem with 8472, the only interaction thay had with the characters of Voyager was when they were disguised as humans, so unless they want to rip of V and have them with human skin on (actually, that'd be pretty good if not for copyright restrictions!) they won't be showing up in anything other than viewscreen posturing. On another note, i've never paid much attention to Enterprise but tried to catch an ep the other week, but found the way it was filmed to make it completely unwatchable, do they use another kind of camera or something when filming to make it appear different? or is it just shite?
-------------------- The disappearance of Donald Love
Registered: Jan 2005
| IP: Logged
-------------------- Justice inclines her scales so that wisdom comes at the price of suffering. -Aeschylus, Agamemnon
Registered: Aug 2002
| IP: Logged
posted
Hang on, aren't you the king of the "don't me needlessly rude to newer members" brigade?
I don't think that Enterprise is shot differently. Possibly it's a different filter-to-make-it-look-like-film being used on the video, but nothing really sticks out. In any event, Trek's filming style is fairly conservative and possibly out of date (I think it was David Gerrold who pointed out the oddness of tension being generated in TNG by having two main look mildly concerned at something off camera).
-------------------- Yes, you're despicable, and... and picable... and... and you're definitely, definitely despicable. How a person can get so despicable in one lifetime is beyond me. It isn't as though I haven't met a lot of people. Goodness knows it isn't that. It isn't just that... it isn't... it's... it's despicable.
Registered: Mar 1999
| IP: Logged
quote:Originally posted by Grand Admiral Thrawn: The Gorn never had that much story potential due to their un-human appearance.
quote:On another note, i've never paid much attention to Enterprise but tried to catch an ep the other week, but found the way it was filmed to make it completely unwatchable, do they use another kind of camera or something when filming to make it appear different? or is it just shite?
Besides, I'm only getting my boy Jason's back. And he's really not that new. But thank you for recognizing me as king. You frigging stand-up comedian, you.
-MMoM
-------------------- The flaws we find most objectionable in others are often those we recognize in ourselves.
Registered: Jun 2001
| IP: Logged
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
Printer-friendly view of this topic
