Brannon Braga gets new insights

[blacknblue]

If I met him in person? Not gonna happen. I cannot conceive of any circumstance where I would willingly place myself in a position to meet the man.

Braga burned out on Trek twenty years ago. He should have quit after TNG while he was ahead, and gone on to something else that he cared about. He obviously quit caring passionately about Trek after TNG IMO, based on what I saw of his writing. If a man takes pay to do a job, honor demands that he do the best job he is capable of doing. Braga took money for doing piss poor work that he didn't care about. Again, just my opinion. Anyone who burns out on a job owes it to their employer to get out.

[pookha]

These rants strike me as mean and ugly. Famous people are people too . . . Think of him as a fellow sentient being. Think of him as fellow writer and Star Trek fan. Just a thought experiment: What kind of comments would you leave if he posted as story to this board? What would you say if you met him in person? Cool off, he didn't kill anybody . . . well anybody real . . .

well if i met him first i would thank him for the stuff i did like.
but then i would say frankly it was a mistake to want to write the finale when he was hip deep in production prep for threshold and seemingly no longer understood the enterprise characters or really the show itself.

there was no real thought put into how the time in between would have changed the characters, that several of the characters were victims of character assination and what did he have against moore to trash pegasus like that.

[CoffeeCat]

^ oh gees. Him and Ron Moore go way back. Apparently they had a big falling out sometime during the beginning of Voyager about the importance of continuity in Trek series. Moore was for it (he went to DS9 and you can see it went so much more smoothly) and Voyager got stuck with him. And we know what happened with that...

[justTripn]

To be more specific, go ahead and rant against the product, but (and I followed someone's link) don't defame his character, declare you know his motives and intentions, or speculate on his sexual preferences.

In fact my husband DID have a very productive conversation with Bragga that began by my husband saying (accidentally) "What was Jeri Taylor thinking when she wrote Threshold? That was the worst episode of all time." and Braga said, "No that was me who wrote it and I stand by it." (This was soon after Threshold) And that opening led to a respectful, conversation in which my husband questions other choices being made on Voyager, especially in comparison with DS9, and Bragga was eager to engage with him. From that I take it Braga has no problem with criticism per se.

I take offense at the tone of some of the comments, the hatred. My husband is in the media and I know that people often feel free to rail against people in the media. My husband has been called all kinds of things, and people call talk shows and post to blogs without knowing anything. One day the callers were complaining my husband "talks about black neighborhoods but lives in a mansion in the suburbs." (Where's my mansion in the suburbs?) Meanwhile their real problem is with the issue my husband is for or against, but they feel free to drag all kinds of eronious rumors into it about his life and motives. If I google his name I see rants just like one posted on the blog I looked at.

When I read the interveiw at the top of this thread, I hear a guy who gave it his best shot, will stand by his body of work, yet now has some regrets. He now sees what the fans see and has the guts to admit it. He says he killed Trip because that was his favorite characters. Well that is entirely possible. Even Connor at the con said his first reaction when he read the script was to consider it a huge compliment--to himself. How many other favorite characters have been killed by shows? Dr Green on ER? I won't giver away others that might be spoilers to some. Usually it's a great big shocking success, ratings-wise, emotional payoff- or impact-wise. Braga just didn't quite pull that off and he admits it didn't quite work. That's what I'm hearing. I'm gad to hear that kind of self-reflection.

[TPoptarts]

^ Well, and maybe I "killed" the Beebs in my little video in such a contrived thoughtless character-assassination manner because they were my favorite showkillers... I mean showrunners

Gah. I hate being taken too seriously

But seriously? I made that thing like back in May 2005. Like he said he wanted an "emotional reaction". That was my "emotional reaction" to what I saw on the screen and where it came from. Spliced with my evil "humor" but nonetheless

Don't wanna start an argument. You have your opinions, I have mine. Like I honestly don't hate Braga as a person, I've never even met him duh, but I do hate the Beebs in their role as *the_abomination* writers. AKA the episode that killed my favorite Trek and all Trek. And that's their role in my video. I mean like I wouldn't go and say like Scott Bakula is a stupid ass because Archer is like a bad leader or whatever (just an example I have nothing against Bakula or Archer). Because it's like a totally different separate role. Well Beebs get bashed for their role in *the_abomination*. For what they did to my favorite characters on my favorite show. The actors or the characters didn't write *the_abomination*. Well and it obviously didn't write itself the Beebs did. So that's who gets all my *the_abomination* related frustration.

[pookha]

but the problem with braga is he often has bought stuff on his self by talking about his personal life.

speculate on his sexual preferences.

you really dont have to do very much specualtion with braga if one goes back to the intrviews he has done in the past where he talks about the orgies and his collection of gynicolgical instruments.
if he doesnt want people to speculate about the status of his and moore's relationship then dont name the waitress mentioned in shuttle pod one after moore's ex wife.
pick one of your own stories to trash in *the_abomination* and not moore's.

the thing of it is about the time braga probably went back to work on the thing moore had made some snippy comments about enterprise.

frankly to me the pegasus frame felt shoe horned in at the last minute.
i actually question if braga even took time to watch the episode again and used things like the star trek com write up on the episode.

but then i dont agree braga lost all his writing ability a long time ago.
shuttle pod one shows that.
i do believe he made a mistake in trying to be the primary show runner and writing so much.

but you know if by some miracle enterprise would come back while i want manny to be show runner i would still want braga to come in write some.

especially since this layoff over the last year may have given him a chance to have the creative juices refreshed.

[CX]

When I read the interveiw at the top of this thread, I hear a guy who gave it his best shot, will stand by his body of work, yet now has some regrets. He now sees what the fans see and has the guts to admit it. He says he killed Trip because that was his favorite characters. Well that is entirely possible. Even Connor at the con said his first reaction when he read the script was to consider it a huge compliment--to himself. How many other favorite characters have been killed by shows? Dr Green on ER? I won't giver away others that might be spoilers to some. Usually it's a great big shocking success, ratings-wise, emotional payoff- or impact-wise. Braga just didn't quite pull that off and he admits it didn't quite work. That's what I'm hearing. I'm gad to hear that kind of self-reflection.

There was no impact though. None of the characters even really seemed to care that much. The show was over, there was no way for it to have an impact on the audience either really, except for the overwhelmingly negative reaction that's happened.

I read that interview, and I see a guy who admits that his ideas didn't work out the way he thought they would, but under it all, he still doesn't really get why.

[justTripn]

I admit I know nothing about Bragga's personal life, nor do I want to. Heck, I know nothing about Connor Trinneer's personal life, and I don't think I should know. It seems kind of hypocritical for us to be here, hiding behind our pseudonymns, anonomyously passing judgement on these people's characters and personal lives.

Again, I have no problem with a critique of the work itself--I was outraged at "Threshold." But "Shuttle Pod One" is my all time favorite Enterprise epsiode, "All Good Things" is my favorite Next Generation episode, and "Generations" is my favorite Star Trek movie---which leads me to suspect that Braga may be a better writer than anyone here. (Sorry people). Step back and get some perspective. With regard to Braga and Berman, there seems to be some kind of "groupthink" going on--people encouraging each other to get more and more angry at the two--there seems to be some kind of license to get outrageous and use hyperbole in attaking them.

[CoffeeCat]

^I don't know about y'all, but i don't *hide* behind an alias. My real name is right on my blog and I've mentioned it here numerous times and even commented that I prefer it over 'coffeecat' - I don't use internet aliases for anonymity - I use them for fun.

It's Alma Ames. Google it.

The issue is that I'm the blogger you're talking about; I'm not *that* stupid.

I've also read enough interviews with the man to know that he leaves himself wide open for it. And the interview there is nothing more than mere damage control. He "reflects" on stuff all the time but then does other things that totally contradict his seeming "repentance". I don't believe a word the man says because he's a compulsive liar who spews corporate propaganda all the time. If I were to fall for it again, I'd be setting myself up for another disappointment.

Another thing - I know I could be dead wrong about him in my blog post. But, it's still my blog. I have the right to speculate based on what I've seen and heard and I can deliver my speculation in whatever sarcastic manner I see fit. If you can't handle it, just close your browser and move on to the next BS artist. Of course, there's always the option of debating the issue head on. I left comments open there for a reason.

In fact, next time just tell me you were talking about my post. I'm a little like Braga in the fact that I like to take my criticism directly.

[Shakabutt]

Does it really matter what the guy says 2 years after it?

The deed is done ,and there is nothing to change that .

[Rigil Kent]

It seems kind of hypocritical for us to be here, hiding behind our pseudonymns, anonomyously passing judgement on these people's characters and personal lives.

Pretty much everyone knows that my name's Phil, and I'm not afraid to add that my surname is Norfleet. I use "Rigil Kent" 'cause it sounds cool, not 'cause I'm hiding behind it.

Again, I have no problem with a critique of the work itself--I was outraged at "Threshold." But "Shuttle Pod One" is my all time favorite Enterprise epsiode, "All Good Things" is my favorite Next Generation episode, and "Generations" is my favorite Star Trek movie---which leads me to suspect that Braga may be a better writer than anyone here. (Sorry people).

And you're entitled to that opinion. Just like I'm entitled to think that he's not that great a writer. SP-1 is okay, but has some serious plotholes in it. AGT, frankly, bored me (but it's a reset button, so that shouldn't be a surprise.) I hated Generations (point of order: I've only really liked Wrath of Khan and First Contact in regards to the movies). And all of this was before I even knew who Braga was.

Step back and get some perspective. With regard to Braga and Berman, there seems to be some kind of "groupthink" going on--people encouraging each other to get more and more angry at the two--there seems to be some kind of license to get outrageous and use hyperbole in attaking them.

Look, just because people happen to share an opinion over something like this doesn't mean it's groupthink. Because you've met the guy and had good interactions with him, I wonder if perhaps you feel like the comments here are a personal attack on you and your opinions. I don't know the guy. I'm not gonna know the guy.

Again, I point to the fact that he was at the helm when the boat crashed. Therefore, he's going to get the lion's share of vitriol, regardless of whether it's deserved or not.

[CoffeeCat]

Again, I have no problem with a critique of the work itself--I was outraged at "Threshold." But "Shuttle Pod One" is my all time favorite Enterprise epsiode, "All Good Things" is my favorite Next Generation episode, and "Generations" is my favorite Star Trek movie---which leads me to suspect that Braga may be a better writer than anyone here. (Sorry people).

This is like comparing healthy organic food to an over-processed twinky.

[hth2k]

When people enter certain professions they also assume the stuff that goes with it. Their own behavior and statements are undergreater scrutiny than those that choose less public professions. The pursuit of fame brings certain negatives such as increased exposure and examination of many things.

Many individuals in the entertainment field and authors work and live under pseudonyms. Many actors change their names. Many radio and TV personalities use pseudonyms.

It is not at all unusual for people to have many different "personalities" they project in different situations.

WHen one is a actor or writer or politician etc. they know they will be judged more criticly on theur words and deeds. This is accepted as part of the territory.

Is if fair? Maybe maybe not. Fact is that it does not matter as they have chosen a public profession and it goes with that choice and their own actions to a greater or lesser degree create the result. Publicity is a tool that is used to keep them in what ever spotlight is currently availible. Long term positive or negative is often irrelivant as long as their name is being bandied about they are keeping in the spotlight and thus not forgotten. Some use outragous actions or statements as such a tool.

Get emotionally involved at your own risk as likely they are not and enjoy the attention.

HtH

[evcake]

he talks about the orgies and his collection of gynicolgical instruments.

Eeewww...I mean, eeewwww. And this person has been writing Trek?

[justTripn]

Yes, Coffee Cat, I'm talking about your post. Also I personally never met the guy. But I have a husband in the media and a kid who is a minor sports star, so I like to encourage civility towards people who have the guts to go out their on a regular basis in front of a huge audience with their story/performance/whatever. Some of it's going to be great, some of it's going to be fall flat. I honor the talent or whatever that got them where they are and I try to back up and give them some room to do what they do.