2 Ups And 7 Downs From Star Trek: Strange New Worlds 3.7 — What Is Starfleet?

10. DOWN — Ask A Stupid Question…

It is rare — the exception, even — for a documentary to have a question either in or as its title (believe me, I've checked). That is, perhaps, because using one suggests that the maker doesn't know what the answer is, or worse, has already decided on one for the viewer. A documentary such as this deserves at least the notion of impartiality, if only not to sully the point. Instead, What Is Starfleet? wears its bias at red alert.

Ask a stupid question, get the most banal answer. The most egregious thing about this high school essay is not the introduction or main body, but the almost patronising simplicity of a conclusion that doesn't match. Because Starfleet's, like, all about the people, you know?

In this instance, the operative is 'fleet'. Without, it's not 'Star,' but it is just the Enterprise. Though it might feel like it at times, that, or the, one ship isn't the entire organisation. Here, the microcosm isn't an effective documentary tool. It is simply an episode of Strange New Worlds, or The Original Series, or The Next Generation… What is Starfleet? There are over 900 other (better) episodes of Star Trek that don't need to ask the question for you to find out.