‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Showrunners Talk Season 3 Premiere And “Retconning” The Gorn
‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Showrunners Talk Season 3 Premiere And “Retconning” The Gorn
Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers talk about how they have reenvisioned this iconic TOS alien.
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“What I loved about the Gorn was it was an opportunity to retcon something into a real monster. What we do in Star Trek—and you’ll see we’ll even do it with the Gorn—is we start by seeing the other and often we end by engaging our empathy and understanding common ground. And that’s great, and it doesn’t mean that there isn’t real evil in the world. And so what we wanted to do with the Gorn was to give you a monster, and a monster that at least at first, seemed irredeemable.”
I find this statement a little aggravating, because in my opinion they really haven't retconned the Gorn. In "Arena", they slaughtered the entire Cestus colony, and the Gorn captain is utterly merciless.
"Arena" is about mercy, but the Gorn didn't really earn it in the episode, which was really kind of the point.
Also you can't really retcon a single guy in a suit. There wasn't much on them to begin with at all unless I am kissing something from the animated series. It wasn't like changing the Klingons at all.
unless I am kissing something from the animated series
Well, are you?
What happens on Risa stays on Risa.
It's really none of our business...but are they?
I bet it's a Phylosian.
Yes
Yes! I was just coming here to say the same thing.
The Gorn aren't scary because they're giant Xenomorphs in lizard drag, they're scary because they're intelligent, relentless, and remorseless.
they’re scary because they’re intelligent, relentless, and remorseless
Gorn Queen in 3..2…
I’m kidding, but also, please no.
Stupid sexy Gorn Queen...
"The Arena" is originally the first meeting between the Federation and the Gorn, with Kirk and the Gorn captain fighting one-on-one.
But, in SNW, the Gorn have already been encountered, although little is known about them yet, due to the fact that they leave no survivors and seem to make no effort to communicate.
The recon is to the timeline and initial encounter with the species, as well as adding in a lot of new details that were never part of the original concept.
The recon is to the timeline and initial encounter with the species
Fair enough - I'll backtrack slightly and say that if there's a retcon, that's where it is, rather than in the Gorn's behaviour.
But there is a bit of wiggle room in "Arena", I think. Kirk certainly seems unfamiliar with the Gorn, but they never really say it's the first contact, and Spock doesn't really say anything one way or the other (a very Spock-like thing to do in any situation).
They definitely have massaged that canon, but I don't think they've really contradicted it.
I think. Kirk certainly seems unfamiliar with the Gorn, but they never really say it’s the first contact
There never say it's first contact, but Kirk acts like he's never even heard of the Gorn before.
" I have been somehow whisked off the bridge and placed on the surface of an asteroid, facing the Captain of the alien ship. Weaponless, I face the creature the Metrons called a Gorn. Large, reptilian."
However, that is definitely not the retcon Goldsman was talking about. He specifically says, "t was an opportunity to retcon something into a real monster."
To be fair, the old Gorn rationale for attacking the colony was, "You're in our territory, and we assumed you had hostile intent"...while the SNW rationale is, "We lay eggs in your body, so our young have something to eat when they hatch".
That's a significant difference in character motivation.
The SNW Gorn literally pulled the classic sitcom "stay on your side of the line" routine - basically the same motivation as "Arena".
Yeah, but in "Arena" there was nothing about using humans as incubators / hosts. That's the part they added in, to make them more "monster-like". Without that, their motivation is not much different than our own. With that, they are much more terrifying and alien.
Once they reach a certain age ~ the Gorn slow W A A A Y down. They begin wearing colorful tunics and can be easily subdued with a primitive blunderbuss.