i hate tom paris
i hate tom paris
he is the worst regular in all of the treks I have seen (TOS/TNG/DS9/VOY/ENT)
his whole thing is representing White american baby boomer dudes
boring as shit
doesn't belong in space
Torres can do so much better.
I don't believe this shit about being such a hot shot pilot.
I think he was sent by the CIA.
Garrett Wang (Harry Kim) and Robert Duncan McNeill (Tom Paris) did a podcast called The Delta Flyers where they do a full episode-by-episode rewatch of Voyager and often rant about the many problems of the show (and about the bits they enjoyed, as well). Didn't get through it all, but it was decent travel listening.
Both of them are pretty often annoyed about how their characters (and most of the others) were stuck on a writing treadmill to obey that absurd syndication demand of an eternal moment, such that new viewers can drop in without feeling like they've missed anything.
Nitpick, but the treadmill was worsened particularly on voyager because it wasn't syndicated. It was the flagship show for the new UPN network so it had even more suits mucking around. Kept Berman off the ds9 sets, so we should all thank Voyager for making ds9 good.
Both of them are pretty often annoyed about how their characters (and most of the others) were stuck on a writing treadmill to obey that absurd syndication demand of an eternal moment, such that new viewers can drop in without feeling like they’ve missed anything.
If there's anything about the modern streaming media format that's a genuine improvement over previous TV network programming, it's this. Writers are no longer forced to maintain a permanent "status quo" for a show, because anybody who wants to can always go back & rewatch old episodes, or just start at the beginning & catch up with the rest of the audience.
I've heard about this show but not listened to it. I will download a few eps and see how it is. I see they are on DS9 now; Terry Farell and Armin Shimmerman are co hosts.
such that new viewers can drop in without feeling like they've missed anything.
I mean in 2024 it's easy to be annoyed about that but at the time of production that wasn't really the wrong thing to do because it was reality of the medium. OTOH I don't think it excuses a lot of the dumb decisions.
DS9 has really benefited from streaming. I only came to understand and appreciate it after multiple re watches this way. Was far from a casual viewer originally. But it didn't make sense. Even if you are willing and able to religiously watch every episode in order, having them separated by a week or months makes it too hard to follow.
It would also be nice to have episodic TV and I don't know that it's always bad. IT just hasn't been the style lately.
Very first thing he did in the series was teach Kim to be racist against Ferengi
I'm going through Voyager for the first time and I've been thinking all of this.
Paris isn't even subtly or subjectively boomer. He's clearly intentionally written to be a guy in the 1950s. They could have written him with one boomer trait to be cute, but they had to have him be obsessed with classic cars, b&w (and sexist) scifi, man caves, being a playboy, etc. Every episode that centers around Paris ends up being the worst in the series.
Torres can do so much better.
I felt this hard. She was one of the best characters of the series, and her falling for Paris sucked. It's also just not believably written in the show. Just one day they were secretly in love?
I've always hated how Star Trek does relationships between the regulars. The Worf and Troi, Worf and Dax relationships sucked.
don't believe this shit about being such a hot shot pilot.
Has real Top Gun vibes
Paris isn't even subtly or subjectively boomer. He's clearly intentionally written to be a guy in the 1950s.
you're right he is too old to be a boomer himself. But like he is there for the boomers. To represent an old kind of masculinity and nostalgia.
Just one day they were secretly in love?
Well actually there was the ep where the invisible aliens were doing experiments on everyone. At the end the 2 of them are discussing how their whole thing could have been mind control from those aliens. Then they kiss and its the end of the ep.
Tom Paris engaging in boomer activities on the holodeck was when the character was at his worse
Tom Paris doing crimes and going rogue (you know the whole point of his character in the pilot episode) was when the character came to life, too bad they only gave Tom's criminality two episodes over 7 seasons before dropping that aspect of his personality completely
but then the cia got him
I watched like a good part of Voyager last year and while it's not like the show has no decent episodes, it's absurd just how little happens to the character and how little development goes into them. For them having traveled through the delta quadrant for seven years, most of the characters feel completely unchanged from the pilot on. Nonsense show.
And Kim’s still an Ensign by the end despite saving the whole crew from the Hirogen. Smh
Imagine working on that show and literally getting nothing to work with for seven years.
They wasted chakotay with terrible episodes and awful backstory. He could've been one of the best characters too.
Every voyager character that wasn't Seven of Nine of The Doctor were never given the chance to become full characters and they hated it. The writing for voyager was absolute dogshit for the actors and most of them will tell ya, that dogshit writing made Tom Paris a superbeing. Robert Duncan MacNeil doesn't deserve NY bla.e here for.the record. From what I can tell he fully agrees with this and did at the time and made it known as far as he could while keeping his job. Actors don't like playing a boring guy who can do everything either. Forgive all people who made Voyagwe that arent Rick Berman and Bramnan Braga who gets away with too much. Dude was dating Jeri Ryan when he was the show runner.
I found a YouTube link in your comment. Here are links to the same video on alternative frontends that protect your privacy:
Paris can't be the worst, Neelix exists
Neelix was annoying because his used car salesman with-a-heart-of-gold personality was completely wasted on the Starfleet crew
The whole point of his character in the first season was to act as a guide thru an unknown region, instead of becoming a boring cook, he should've become the Quark of Voyager, an opportunistic trader and part-time ambassador who would secure the goods but habitually set the b-plot into motion cause he got in over his head trying to acquire 6 months worth of fuel (and a sizable cut for himself) by selling one of the holodecks without the captains' knowledge
well they BOTH want Kes, the child. So no points awarded either way.
neelix is corny or whatever but he doesn't represent the eternal supremacy of White Men over space. which paris does.
He's a nepo baby, his dad's an admiral or some shit
oh shit i forget to mention he has basic as fuck DADDY ISSUES
Named after a city in Fr*nce 🤮
don't forget Lieutenant Marseilles
Never know, he could be named after Paris, Texas
of course he was sent by the CIA, they had perfect blackmail on him (getting a classmate killed)
he even changed his name for this mission
That reminds me, remember Sarah Silverman's Oscar worthy performance when they go back to the future past? She acts almost entirely with her lower lip, presumably as some kind of flex
How do you feel about Nick Locarno?
Ah yes another reason i hate tom paris
just enough character was altered to AVOID having to pay royalties to the writer or whatever of that episode. tom paris is basically an inherent scab.
Worf's son Alexander seemed like a real little shit, ya know? I never thought about Tom Paris like that but I kinda get where you're coming from
alexander is the best pre-teen child character they managed. compare to molly obrien. bleh.
he was a little shit but he was forced to live with Grumpy Worf so cant you see where he was coming from. correct instinct but imperfect analysis. but what's a kiddo to do?
Nog was good. He was a troublesome little shit but his father and uncle constantly talked shit about his hopes and dreams (in early seasons - Later, Rom turned out pretty chill), and he was stuck on a boring space station watched over by a racist cop and run by a racist commander. Nog had a tough childhood
Breaking out my dedicated Voyager hating account to say I fucking hated Voyager. Hope Rick Berman dies in a fire
