Hailing Frequencies Open! A Star Trek-Themed This or That

A ToT for Trek fans? Make it so!

Star Trek: Picard’s third and final season ended last week. To commemorate the end of the series, and possibly the end of an era, I think a Star Trek-themed This Or That is in order.

This mini-ToT has ten questions. I had so much fun writing them that I may have to do another one in the future. If you’d like that, let me know in the comments!

And now for the questions! Warp 9, engage!

#1. Captain Kirk or Captain Picard?

#2. Quark’s bar or Ten Forward?

#3. Vulcans or Klingons?

#4. Spot or Porthos?

#5. Borg or Changelings?

#6. Transporter or Shuttlecraft?

#7. Phaser or Bat’leth?

#8. Raktajino or Tea, Earl Gray, Hot?

#9. Starship or Space Station?

#10. Qapla’ or Live Long and Prosper?

My answers:

#1. Captain Kirk or Captain Picard?

Star Trek: The Next Generation is my favorite Star Trek series, so I’m going with Captain Picard. Kirk is great, too. But I find Picard to be more relatable. He's thoughtful and intellectual. He's complex and complicated. He even got his own series. The fact that he got his own show is a testament to how awesome he is.

#2. Quark’s Bar or Ten Forward?

Definitely Ten Forward. Quark’s bar is too loud and chaotic for me. Total overstimulation. Ten Forward is my kind of bar. It’s quiet and low-key, the bartender isn’t trying to rip me off, and there’s a great view of the stars.

#3. Vulcans or Klingons?

Klingons. I love Klingon culture, I love the way the Klingon language sounds, and I love Klingon episodes. Some of the most iconic characters in Star Trek are Klingons. Martok, the Duras sisters, B’Elanna Torres, L’Rell, Kor, Gowron, and General Chang, just to name a few. Oh, and of course there’s Worf. He has an amazing story arc that spans over multiple series. I especially loved him in the final season of Star Trek: Picard.

#4. Spot or Porthos?

I’m a cat person. I love Spot. He is a pretty cat and a good cat. But am choosing Porthos. I think Porthos is the most adorable animal in all of Star Trek, besides the Tribbles. Porthos is a loyal companion to Captain Jonathan Archer, he loves cheese, and he is one of the first pets on a starship. That makes him a canine legend!

#5. Borg or Changelings?

The Borg are the best villains in all of Star Trek, in my opinion. I admit, I would love to see the Trek universe discover a new adversary. But the Borg have some of the most iconic characters and episodes in the Star Trek franchise. They are so awesome that there’s even a major motion picture about them.

#6. Transporters or Shuttlecrafts?

Transporters. I can understand Doctor McCoy’s fear of transporters. I’d probably worry about my atoms being scattered all over space, too. But they’re such a timesaver!

#7. Phaser or Bat’leth?

Bat’leths are so cool, but they’re not as portable as phasers. Also, I’m not coordinated enough to use a Bat’leth. I’d probably decapitate myself. I am choosing phasers for myself and the safety of everyone around me.

#8. Raktajino or Tea, Earl Gray, Hot?

This is a tough call, since coffee upsets my stomach. Raktajino would probably burn a hole in my stomach lining. But I don’t like the taste of Earl Grey tea. I choose Raktajino, with a side of antacids.

#9. Starships or Space Stations?

I’m a homebody, so staying in one place would be more of my style. I choose space stations, with the caveat that they be near a planet like Bajor. It would be nice to have a place nearby to visit.

#10. Qapla’ or Live Long and Prosper?

I love the way the word Qapla’ sounds. It’s one of my favorite Klingon phrases. But Live Long and Prosper is the ultimate Star Trek saying. It brings to mind so many iconic scenes, like the tearjerker moment in The Wrath of Khan or when Sarek dies in the episode Unification part 1. Live long and prosper even comes with a salute. I’ll take that over a handshake any day!

Thanks for reading my Star Trek ToT, all! I am tagging the usual people. If you’re not a Star Trek fan, please share with your Trek-loving friends! 😊

Buddy Gott Autistic Widower (“AJ”) Danae Kardara Casey Stanley Patricia Timmermans Danish Pannu Brandon Ellrich Danny’s Manifesto Jacqueline Riel Flores Joyce E Cain Vincent Pisano Natalie @.d.h.d

This may be presumptuous, but I am also tagging Wil Wheaton. If you haven’t read Wil’s writing on Medium, you must check it out. He is a brilliant writer who touches on important issues like mental health and surviving narcissistic abuse. I love his latest piece about his relationship with Jonathan Frakes.

For other Trek-related reading, I recommend this piece by Patrick Stewart:

Thanks for reading, everyone. If you do this ToT, remember to tag me! Special thanks to Brett Jenae Tomlin for this opportunity to share my love of Star Trek. Live long and prosper, all! 🖖