The former executive producers of Star Trek: Enterprise Rick Berman and Brannon Braga, whose illustrious careers have seen them work across multiple Star Trek projects, including four Trek TV series and four feature films over the past 20 years, have admitted the one thing they dislike about more recent Star Trek shows.
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The pair admitted that they dislike the use of “contemporary” dialogue during a recent appearance on The D-Con Chamber, a podcast hosted by Enterprise stars Connor Trinneer and Dominic Keating. In the interview (hat tip to TrekMovie.com), Berman and Braga explained the importance of ensuring that the franchise’s language feels somehow timeless, and the dangers of including too much current slang, funny though it may be for viewers to see a stony-faced Vulcan attempt a human turn of phrase.
Rick Berman revealed he was actually surprised at hearing certain lines make the cut in newer Trek shows: “I watched an episode of one of the newer Star Treks, where people were saying things like ‘Give me five,’” Berman recalled “And it just doesn’t sit right to me. There’s a certain classical element to Star Trek.”
Why Star Trek Should Remain Timeless
Braga, who co-created Star Trek: Enterprise, explained that, while he and Brannon felt it was important to evolve the tone when working on Enterprise, (moving away from the somewhat Shakesperean feel of the likes of Shater and Co. on The Original Series and more towards interactions that would feel recognisable and relatable to a modern viewer), there’s a limit to how much you can make Star Trek characters sound “more like you and me.”
“The tone is kind of a timeless one; it’s a bit more formal,” Braga said, “You don’t want it to be tainted by contemporary idioms, but at the same time, it can’t be free of them.”
Enterprise deliberately tried to loosen the reins slightly, maybe because it took place earlier in the timeline, at a point when humanity was still a little rough around the edges after the Earth-Romulan and Temporal war. Even so, it seems the producers kept firm boundaries in place to avoid the characters sounding like they stepped straight out of an early 2000’s reality show, and both seem to feel Trek is at its best when the writing avoids a distinctly modern tone, or too many cultural references.
For Berman and Braga, moments like this break the illusion. Trek fans have become familiar with that well known, semi-formal, simultaneously ancient and futuristic way of speaking! Perhaps Star Trek works best when the dialogue suggests a version of humanity that has evolved beyond modern slang.
In older Star Trek series like The Next Generation, and even Voyager, characters spoke clearly, directly, and with a sense of purpose — without sounding stiff or formal for the sake of it, it’s a distinctive classic feel that has become synonymous with the franchise. Modern Star Trek, particularly Discovery and Strange New Worlds, has embraced a more conversational tone that reflects current television writing styles.
It can certainly be argued that updating language choices to move with the times makes characters feel more relatable to today’s audiences. Podcast host Dominic Keating pointed out that “They’ve certainly modernized it for newcomers. Which is not to say Strange New Worlds is not a great-looking show.”
For their part, Berman and Braga aren’t dismissing modern Trek — But some fans may argue it makes the franchise’s recent output feel less like the Star Trek they know and love. Modernising the show is certainly a balancing act as the franchise evolves for new generations.
With several new Star Trek series and films currently in the works at Paramount, including the upcoming Starfleet Academy series, many will be hoping that as the franchise continues to expand, it preserves the unique voice that made it stand out in the first place.
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Star Trek Enterprise and Strange New Worlds are streaming now on Paramount+.
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