Memory Alpha:AOL chats/Ronald D. Moore/ron059.txt

Subj: Answers Date: 9/29/97 6:04:30 PM From:  RonDMoore

<< Is there any point in someone submitting an "improved" version of a script that is already in the process for consideration?>>

I believe this is not allowed under our current guidelines. You get one chance with each script and there's no way to send in an "improved" version.

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The events on Empok Nor are brought up during the second episode and there will be other fallout from that show later in the season. No other promotions are planned for the regular cast at the moment.

<< The "budget" is pretty much irrelevant to continuity issues. Assuming that we are talking about the script stage and not when one is on the floor, it really costs nothing more to type:

SCOTTY (confused) So who brought her out of mothballs to get me?>>

If I was clairvoyant this would've been useful, but since "Relics" preceded "Generations" by a full year, it was a little hard to anticipate the later continuity problem. If you simply must have an explanation, Scotty was confused after being in a transporter beam for so long. I fail to see why that is insufficient.

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No, just nips and tucks from existing footage.

<< If there was one line or one plot idea that you could have changed in DS9, what would it be?>>

Off the top of my head -- I would've kept Odo as a solid for a lot longer.

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Please repost the question.

<< How come ya'll wimped out? Why didn't we get an explanation of the saggital crests on the "new" Klingons in "Trials and Tribbilations"? For that matter, how did Koloth come by them?>>

I do not speak of it with outsiders.

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Can't seem to find the question from #29, but somebody said something to the effect that Gene had softened his stance on there being no contemporary religions on Earth in the 24th century and that TOS has a reference to the "one God" being quite suffcient. Whatever Gene may have felt in the 1960s, I can tell you from personal knowledge that Gene was very much a secular humanist (somewhere out there Jerry Falwell shudders at the mere words) in his later years and felt very strongly that human religions had vanished by the time of TNG. Again, this was a very important part of the Trek universe to Gene and we have tried not to violate it regardless of how we may personally feel about this view.

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This was an ill-considered move. I'll admit that at the time I didn't raise an objection to it, but on reflection is was something that we could've avoided. Mea culpa.

Subj: Answers Date: 9/29/97 6:29:22 PM From:  RonDMoore

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Whatever. Look, I'm not writing LA Law, I'm not advocating some changes in our judicial system, and while I guess this kind of thing can ruin the enjoyment of an episode for some members of the legal profession, I find it hard to get worked up over this subject. The Trek universe has established certain things and one of them is a legal system that is clearly different from our own in many ways. Having Picard represent Data in a hearing where he has a personal history with the presiding judge and where his own first officer is the adversarial counsel doesn't make a lot of sense to me either, but "Measure of a Man" is still one of the very best TNG episodes. "Rules of Engagement" was about responsibility and command and I was willing to invent legal procedures in a fictional setting to tell the tale. In "Dr. Bashir" I had the JAG deal with the plea bargain because we've never seen any form of judicial forum in the UFP that isn't Starfleet related. Your arguments about the military and civilian legal issues obviously make sense, but Trek has said time and again that Starfleet is more than just a military entity and seems to have police and/or judicial functions, so the involvement of the JAG seemed plausible. Now if you strenously object to that, I see no reason that you cannot say, "Well, the JAG had to then go and confer with the Federation Attorney General."

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This is our assumption at the moment and it does raise the very question you'v e asked. We haven't explored this subject in detail yet.

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Salaries and other production costs versus possible advertising revenue and licensing fees, the value of a seven year syndication package over a six year package, the interests of the affiliates to purchase another year, the effect on the overall franchise, merchandising concerns -- a lot of issues to deal with.

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I'll avoid this question for now. The final decision hasn't been made, but I've made my position known within the studio.

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Not that I know of.

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I don't know. Maybe you could write to our publicity department here at Paramount and ask.

<< I saw the first advertisements for Roddenberry's Earth...starts here on Oct. 18...:D My question is .... do you know the staff on that show too, do they work with you guys?>>

That show is not based here at Paramount and I know virtually nothing about it and don't know anyone working on it (except Majel, of course).

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Could everyone wait a week or so before asking further questions on this episode?

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No.