I wanted to make this thread because of discussions about the importance of holding strictly to official canon (what the studio decides is canon), official series canon (canon across a film or TV series that only includes said films or episodes), individual film canon (overt explanations a single film gives about itself), or head canon (what you the viewer decide is canon).

Basically how you feel about including or excluding supplemental explanations or information—outside of a given movie/episode, series, or franchise—to explain how or why certain events make sense.

This thread was brought about because Warbler has had issues with certain scenes in TLJ and whether or not they overtly make sense in context with the rest of the franchise; and he also took issue with whether the Star Trek '09 film, by itself, effectively erased the Star Trek Prime Universe.

I’m interested in talking about the concept of canon and our positions regarding it, not arguing endlessly about specific scenes in specific films (although using specific films as examples is fine.)