Rod Roddenberry Celebrates His Father Gene’s Centennial – Exclusive Interview – Looper

Whenever there’s a new “Trek” project — and this has been true ever since your father has unfortunately passed, we’re celebrating his centennial here — but since then, a lot of new “Star Trek,” it’s kind of deviated a little bit from his optimistic future vision. The new shows do this a little bit, but the most obvious example was “Deep Space Nine,” which showed a very flawed, frustrated, humanity and other species. And especially in the later seasons, when there was war and conflict among the crew, what do you say to people who say, “well, that’s not Gene’s vision”?

The truth is I’ve had to struggle with that myself. I am a product of “The Next Generation.” I kind of grew up with “The Next Generation.” Of course, I’ve seen the original a few times, but I love the “Next Generation” cast. I think it shows us who we could be one day as a species. I think it shows us what true leadership is. A leader doesn’t have to lead by saying “You do what I do or what I say or else,” a leader says, “I brought you into this. We work as a team. I respect your opinions because you are experts in those areas. And therefore, when we’re in a situation I want to hear from you, you, you and you, and now I can make an informed decision.” I think the Enterprise and “Next Generation” truly symbolizes what we could be one day and what true leadership is.

“Deep Space Nine,” I’m still in the process of watching all the way through. I do enjoy it. I do see exactly what you’re saying. There is a difference. I think the characters in that, while they’re not all human, they are easier to identify with sometimes. And “Next Generation” you’ve got these, I certainly don’t want to say perfect, but always kind of do-the-right-thing crew members, for the most part. “Deep Space Nine,” you’ve got very flawed crew members with hostility sometimes, and anger and frustration. But those are what people can identify with. And so there is an attraction to those characters from these people because, hey, Kira lashed out and said this thing out of anger, because she was tormented as a child, whatever the case is, and people are like, “I get that. I connect with that.”

I get why people really love “Deep Space Nine.” And the shows that have that, I wrestle with what “Star Trek” is and how many forms it can take sort of the way you are. But I think it is “Star Trek,” because anything at the end that gets you to consider a different point of view, that’s “Star Trek” doing its job right. And I think “Deep Space Nine,” the shows after it, including a lot of the ones today that do have a little bit of a darker tone, sometimes still — not all the time, but still — do the “we’re the Federation, this is the right thing to do.” And also hopefully a lot of times it gets you to think and consider another point of view.