by Chris Snelgrove
| Published
Star Trek fans these days often complain about continuity problems caused by similar shows discovery and Strange new worldsBut such complaints are not really new. In fact, various plot points about project It generated a wave of fan anger over the continuity changes, and those complaints continued with the release of the Kelvinverse films. Historically, fans have blamed the writers for these issues, but it turns out that all of Star Trek's biggest continuity issues may have been caused by Captain Picard during the events of First contact.
Star Trek: First Contact did that
And as you remember, Star Trek: First Contact It had continuity concerns built right into its narrative thanks to a plot about the Borg returning to Earth in the 21st century and destroying the timeline as we know it. Captain Picard followed the Borg into the past and defeated them while the others in his crew helped Zefram Cochrane complete humanity's first historic flight at super-speed. This journey caught the attention of nearby Vulcan and brought Earth into the wider galaxy, but while the film suggests that Picard has completely fixed history, subsequent continuity issues prove that he may have made things worse.
Before we go any further, it is important to focus on some Star Trek Continuity issues that fans have focused on ever since project It began airing in 2001. This show remixed the Vulcan mind into something only some Vulcans could do, much to the dismay of their community, which went against everything we knew about it from The original series. Other continuity issues come from the show's bizarre insistence on having episodes with the Ferengi and the Borg, two races that no one in Starfleet seemed to have ever heard of before Picard's failed adventures in The next generation.
It's not Nero's fault
Subsequent Star Trek reboot films attempted to avoid continuity issues by making it clear that this was a different world in which the Romulan Nero traveled into the past, changing history forever. But that doesn't explain why Chekhov's age is different, or why Khan's race and healing blood are different, or even why Solo is now openly gay. While it is possible to explain other changes such as an increase in the size of a Starfleet ship as a result of Nero's timely attack on the Federation, none of these specific changes can be attributed to that, but one theory is that all of this may have been inadvertently caused. By Picard.
Not all of Star Trek's continuity timeline changes Kelvinverse The movies made sense as a result of Nero's attack, and none of the continuity issues Enterprise faces made any sense at all. However, some fans have noted that while saving humanity from the Borg, Picard made major changes to the timeline in the year 2063. It is entirely possible that this explains the continuity changes seen in project (which begins in the year 2151) and Star Trek (2009) which is located in the year 2255.
Picard and the butterfly effect
This Star Trek theory is obviously not perfect, but it may explain many of the continuity changes that fans are complaining about. Think of it like the butterfly effect: even small changes Picard made in the past can have big impacts on the future. First contact It came out five years ago project And it's 13 years before the first Kelvinverse film, so it would make sense that we're now witnessing a timeline permanently altered by Picard's shenanigans, with each new on-screen adventure influenced by Picard's previous actions.
This theory will explain later problems related to Star Trek: Discovery Continuity that ranged from changes in the appearance of the Klingons to Spock Suddenly we have an amazing Mary Sue sister we've never heard of before. Interestingly, Strange new worlds This theory is implicitly supported by an episode that confirmed that key details such as Khan's birth date had been changed due to the constant interference of time travelers.
Now, it's one thing to have a fun Star Trek theory, but it's another thing for fans to accept this as the reason behind all these major continuity changes. For better or worse, fans need to prepare for more change. Because the next Trek movie will be an original film that seemingly rehashes First Contact Aliens And humanity joining the United Federation of Planets – events we've already seen on screen – looks like Journey's continuity won't be entirely consistent with decades of established lore.
oh well. Maybe the next time Captain Picard travels to the past, he can focus on making his franchise make sense. Or just make it interesting again. Honestly, we'd agree!
