Biggest Sci-fi pet peeves?

[Jonathan Hill]

I agree that sound of explosions etc... in space is bad but if I was designing a dog-fighting class spaceship I would probably try to tie the sensors into some kind of positional audio system in the cockpit to allow the pilots to use an additional sense (hearing) to get a better idea of what was going on.

Just my $.02

[sgatelvr]

1. Bad writing/story lines
2. Bad acting
3. The fact that the male star and the female star hate each other until they fall in love (usually in about 3 days or less)
4. Every male star (especially military) disregards all rules, or is always a "bad boy." And everyone else is a dud.
5. Gratuitous sex when the planet/island/city/town/etc is about to be destroyed.

UGGGHHHH!

How about the fact that no matter how many men, women, children, aliens, etc., no matter how strong or how superior their weaponry is, will never, ever kill the bad guy/alien/creature, etc.? Only the male (and sometimes, female) star can do that.

And the hero is almost always recovering from a bad relationship (where he/she was hurt so, so badly) or the death of a spouse. Why can't they just be normal people? Does the fact that they are hurting affect the way they fight?

And why on earth do they have to get their butts kicked horribly before they actually manage to kill the bad guy/alien/creature? Ever heard of a sneak attack?

Why are bad guys such bad shots? (Brutak, your example of the Imperial Stormtroopers had me rolling on the floor!)

[BruTak]

Red Shirt syndrome.

Whenever you see one or two main characters (IE the guys who get thier names in the opening titles) and two guys we've never seen before, nine times out of ten the two "Red Shirts" will both die a horrible and grisly death before the episode finishes.

It's like the old cliche you see in old war movies, a secondary character will show his buddy a picture of A) his mother. B) his wife/sweetheart back home. Or C) both. then gets killed in the closing moments of the movie.

[MarshAngel]

That is so true. You can't afford to love anyone if you want to live. As a result the hero is always an isolated loner with an exwife who secretly loves him even while cursing him for not having spent enough time with her. I don't know why it is they always want to see the happy guy die.

And it truly fascinating how all urgency and time is momentarily on pause while the hero sticks his tongue down the hot girls throat.... ten minutes later he'll have to rescue her from danger.

[BruTak]

That is so true. You can't afford to love anyone if you want to live. As a result the hero is always an isolated loner with an exwife who secretly loves him even while cursing him for not having spent enough time with her. I don't know why it is they always want to see the happy guy die.

And it truly fascinating how all urgency and time is momentarily on pause while the hero sticks his tongue down the hot girls throat.... ten minutes later he'll have to rescue her from danger.

Which leads me on to another cliche.

"Women in Sc-fi movies and TV shows who are physically incapable of doing what the hell they are told!"

[MarshAngel]

I'm watching Star Trek today and i noticed something. It's funny how despite designers world wide pumping out tons of strange fashion every year costume designers for sci fi shows have little imagination. No matter how distant the planet or unique the culture, men wear pants and women wear skirts, especially primitive cultures. How likely is that?

[CatGoddess]

No matter how distant the planet or unique the culture, men wear pants and women wear skirts

And really short skirts at that...

[Sela]

One of the main things that really bugs me is how weak everyone's shields seem to be. What the heck good is it to have shields if after two hits, the shields are down 40%, 60% or 80%?! You would think that by this time somebody somewhere could always could develop a set of shields that can hold more than a few fraking minutes!!!! Grrrrrrr!!!!!!

[MasySyma]

I'm watching Star Trek today and i noticed something. It's funny how despite designers world wide pumping out tons of strange fashion every year costume designers for sci fi shows have little imagination. No matter how distant the planet or unique the culture, men wear pants and women wear skirts, especially primitive cultures. How likely is that?

Your post reminded me of another pet peeve. All primitive cultures must worship the heroes as gods and, when enlighted, allow them to leave peacefully so they can "grow up" like the main characters. I so want to see a primitive culture go "Quick surround him with the pitchforks. Take the phaser thingy, and let's try the settings out on him."

[Bomber]

I'm watching Star Trek today and i noticed something. It's funny how despite designers world wide pumping out tons of strange fashion every year costume designers for sci fi shows have little imagination. No matter how distant the planet or unique the culture, men wear pants and women wear skirts, especially primitive cultures. How likely is that?

I dunno....remember Zippy in Pretense?

[MarshAngel]

I dunno....remember Zippy in Pretense?

umm... No?

[BruTak]

And really short skirts at that...

Nothing wrong with short skirts as far as I can see...

[Bomber]

umm... No?

Tried to find one with both head gear and skirt, but had to settle for this:

http://www.scifigate.net/images/exppretense/image93.jpg

[BruTak]

Whay do the bad guys always start "monologing" - explaining to the hero exactly what their evil plans are and so on?

[MarshAngel]

Tried to find one with both head gear and skirt, but had to settle for this:

http://www.scifigate.net/images/exppretense/image93.jpg

Ahhhhh Zipacna. Kudos to them for that even if they had to grab from an Ancient culture for it rather than think it up on their own. hmmm I wonder if there's anything under that skirt... but that's another thread