When we talk about time travel in fictional universes, almost all of the narratives follow one of three “truths:”

1. Time is one linear thread. What you do now will have consequence X and if you do something different it will have consequence Y. A simple illustration is the movie Sliding Doors. But the same can be said for Back to the Future or Bill and Ted’s. If you make a change to the prime timeline, it will ripple into the past/future. Your cousins will disappear from the 3x5 photo!

2. Time has branches, a truly infinite number of universes and possibilities. Really, as far as I’m concerned, the best example of this idea is Rick and Morty. That show has the freedom to both cook our brains about the concept and also hold a mirror to its ridiculousness. You also see it more famously in the MCU, with their multitude of Lokis and such, though the TVA is still hell-bent on a prime timeline. But the multiverse is the natural order, with only 80s inspired bureaucracy to keep it in check.

3. Time is a combination of the two, which leads us to Trek. Time is linear, so Jake Sisko can tell his dad to dodge a beam that travels at light speed. But time is also non-linear, so… I dunno… most of Voyager. When Seven came aboard with her temporal node all bets were off as far as what could even be considered a prime timeline.

Moreso, the mirror universe is a parallel to our own, marching along at the same pace and whose characters are developing at the same rate as the prime timeline. So, there is no prime timeline, and no multiverse. Just the clean-shaven and the goatee universes.

And to answer your question: yes, I think Trek trends toward a “prime” timeline. It’s honestly the way our brains work. With all the posturing of the wormhole aliens, we just don’t work in a non-linear fashion. And maybe more importantly, good stories don’t work that way either, Kurt Vonnegut aside. Time travel is wearing plot armor in EVERY movie and show because no one has a handle on it.

Thank you for bringing this up. It’s something I think about too much.

MST3K or RiffTrax. Takes me back to high school.

For reference: https://youtu.be/WgQI655FqtM

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Musically, this is not their most cohesive album. Their top 5 on Spotify is a good introduction to the hits. It’s not my speed, but Uriah Heep has been consistently in my Dad’s top 3 since I was a kid. He does that High Fidelity John Cusack thing where he fills empty air with “alright, top 5 70s artists in order of discovery” or something similar.

1/5, but I mistook “1st mate” for “1st officer.” Still worked, but I think I watch too much Trek.

I’m proud of you! I’m proud of you for creating a space to heal yourself and others. I’m proud of you for reaching out within that space to connect with other people that need the support of a father AND the fathers that want to help (me).

Your emotional vulnerability in this space shows a maturity of character that will be necessary to confront the absence you’ve felt from your parents. Whether you know it or not, you are doing the work! You’ve already taken a stand against letting your abuse ripple throughout your life and the lives of those around you. Keep it up, kid!

Shit rolls down hill? Not in your watch!

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My Thermador is no different, shitty ice maker.

I’m boldly going to drink an ale and hope for what’s to come.

There are a bajillion, but maybe you are looking for a specific genre that nails it on the head.

As someone mentioned, there are thousands of social drama films that could’ve easily happened. The success of that type of film is selling a “day in the life” plot.

Someone else mentioned Office Space. That film is a satire, but it condenses and delivers refined representations of the banality of cubicle life that we all can easily relate to. The characters truly seem to be facsimiles of people we’ve known in our working lives.

Someone else mentioned Michael Clayton. It’s an excellent thriller with flawed characters with believable motives that yes, it could be real. And maybe something like that has happened?

What genre will help us answer your question?

I collect CDs for the same reason - no one can revoke my right to stream my own music in full quality.

“Screw 'em, do what you want” shall be the whole of the law.

I think it would take much more energy to grow the food they need than to just replicate it. That said, if I was stuck for 7 years in space, fresh fruits and vegetables would be the cheapest form of therapy.

The Kanar sounds good. The Romulan Ale sounds way too sweet, though. I think 151, soda and Curacao for color with the rock candy garnish dropped in the drink would be more fitting for something that is supposed to be so strong it’s illegal.

I want to see how big those Targ legs are.

Noted, thanks.

I have copies of the same bands’ albums in four different formats.

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It was the last one for me.