I'm not sure we're actually disagreeing about the universal translator. I'm not necessarily in favor of them; I'm just saying, even if the throw all the technobabble in the world at them, they're still simple matters of narrative convenience.

I guess on the planning thing/not planning thing where you fall depends on where you feel burned. I'm far more tired of stories that are determined to hit point A, B, and C and ending in point D come hell or high water, regardless of whether that makes sense for the characters by the time they get there.

On the other hand, shows that are continuously distracted by the shiny and never finish anything and are just making shit up as they go along in the hope that no one will notice are also kind of annoying.

And...now that I think of it, somehow Supernatural managed to do both. They're not mutually exclusive flaws.