ValueSubtracted

I prefer the goofy-badass-Gorn over the scary-quick-incubatin’-Gorn.

They're iconic for a reason.

The recon is to the timeline and initial encounter with the species

Fair enough - I'll backtrack slightly and say that if there's a retcon, that's where it is, rather than in the Gorn's behaviour.

But there is a bit of wiggle room in "Arena", I think. Kirk certainly seems unfamiliar with the Gorn, but they never really say it's the first contact, and Spock doesn't really say anything one way or the other (a very Spock-like thing to do in any situation).

They definitely have massaged that canon, but I don't think they've really contradicted it.

It's really none of our business...but are they?

“What I loved about the Gorn was it was an opportunity to retcon something into a real monster. What we do in Star Trek—and you’ll see we’ll even do it with the Gorn—is we start by seeing the other and often we end by engaging our empathy and understanding common ground. And that’s great, and it doesn’t mean that there isn’t real evil in the world. And so what we wanted to do with the Gorn was to give you a monster, and a monster that at least at first, seemed irredeemable.”

I find this statement a little aggravating, because in my opinion they really haven't retconned the Gorn. In "Arena", they slaughtered the entire Cestus colony, and the Gorn captain is utterly merciless.

"Arena" is about mercy, but the Gorn didn't really earn it in the episode, which was really kind of the point.

I'm only going to speak for my own playstyle...I've really only ever played as a single-player game, following the linear storyline for the most part. Once you hit endgame, there are 5-player team-up events to participate in, and things like that.

The bottom line for me is that it's not a difficult game to play, the PvP scene is basically non-existent, and there's not really a lot of incentive to get really grindy with it unless you're really a "make the numbers go up" kind of person. The game provides opportunities throughout the year to earn things through gameplay that would otherwise be locked behing IRL currency.

I have spent maybe $10 on the game in the last several years, and even that was more because I was bored more than out of "necessity." That said, I bought a Lifetime Subscription in 2010 that gives me the equivalent of a $5 store credit each month, so I have the means to occasionally "buy" things without spending any money.

Lastly...it's an old game. The gameplay is, by all accounts, pretty dated. But for the price of $0, it's a pretty enjoyable Star Trek sandbox to play in.

Deadline seems to have taken a much bleaker interpretation from the very same content:

‘Doctor Who’ Showrunner Casts More Doubt Over Series’ Future As UK Ratings Plummet: “We Don’t Know What’s Happening”

One thing that I don't think I've seen anyone mention about that "oh, hello" is that it's another fourth-wall breaking moment, this time not from Mrs. Flood/The Rani. Does that mean anything? Who knows!

And there’s Susan, of course.

Good to hear he doesn't seem to have abandoned that thread in the wake of the finale.

(I’m still wondering who Gus is, from Mummy on the Orient Express. Maybe they’re the same!)

Also good to hear he's still a dedicated troll.

Speaking in this week's issue of Doctor Who magazine, Davies wrote: "No, not the end, don’t be mad. Doctor Who will never end!

"There are pathways leading to potential futures – we’ve still got the mystery of that bright and blazing ending, 'Oh, hello,' yes indeed, hello Billie! And there’s Susan, of course."

He went on: "I wonder if we’ll ever find out who the Boss is. Or who the Boss are. (I’m still wondering who Gus is, from Mummy on the Orient Express. Maybe they’re the same!)

"But we don’t know what’s happening yet, and while everyone works that out, I’ll take a pause on this page ... Hopefully, we’ll have news soon, and certainly, The War Between the Land and the Sea is about to break out, so there are great things ahead. Until then."

Eh?

Stories included have not only been written by Tennant, Capaldi and Whittaker, but also by Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy, Chris Chibnall, Steven Moffat and Hugh Bonneville. In fact, there are more than 50 contributors.

Jump 900 years into the past and do a period costume drama.

I always figured TAS was the final two years of the five-year mission...