Star Trek

By Peter Martin Star Trek In rebooting the franchise, J.J. Abrams faced the daunting challenge of pleasing long-time Trekkies and roping in new viewers who think 'Live long and prosper' is a slogan for an insurance company. This is not your father's Star Trek, but he'd probably like it too (begrudgingly). B...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) The plot is a terribly contrived mess of elements of some of the worst TOS and TNG episodes. We have a troubled, lonely kid with an overactive imagination who causes trouble for the crew. I just more or less described “Charlie X,” “And the Children Shall Lead,” “The Bonding” “Hero Worship,” a...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) Some side issues taint the episode for me, too. There is a replica of the original Enterprise on Wesley’s desk that is actually a pewter collectible that was available at the time. A little blatant product placement there. Normally, that would not bother meat all, but TNG has obnoxiously pro...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) The plan eventually works the disaster, a collision with another ship, is finally avoided. The ship has been caught in a similar loop for ninety years or between Star Trek: The motion Picture and Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, if you perfer to think in geek terms. The Enterprise was fortunat...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) You might think this is the mai ethical conflict implied by the episode title, but it is not. In fact, riker is the only one who has any compunctions about performing the ritual which would involve handing Worf a knife so he can stab himself in the heart. Picard, apparently possessing a newfou...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) “The Masterpiece Society” is based on another script that had been bouncing around the TNG office. The plot centers around a genetically engineered “perfect” society which does not want the ’inferior’ Enterprise crew among them, even when the crew is trying to save the colony from being...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) But I did say ’A Matter of Time” was best viewed without future Trek’s meddling. It is. A major plot pint is no one has ever heard of historians traveling through time to observe past events. In ENT, we learn there is such a thing and the 22nd century Earth Starfleet knows about them. The 22nd centu...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) It is not that bad, but the opening verbal duel with Spock and Picard is the weakest of both episodes. They are just throwing out all of Spock’s plan in one lump in order to justify his being on Romulus before the action starts. Jeri Taylor even makes an effort to distract us with aquip from Spock...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) May I now present ’The Game,” which shall forever be known as the worst episode of Tng and a portent of some of the dreck Brannon Braga would write through the rest of televised trek’s run. This episode was so bad, Gene Roddenberry died what the before it aired just to spare himself the agony.

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) The episode is the penultimate story in the season long theme of the Romulan-Duras conspiracy to take over the Klingon Empire. It began with the selection of Picard as Arbiter of succession, the murder of the current chancellor, Worf’s discommendation under false pretenses, the murder...

By T'Bonz Adam “Mojo” Lebowitz, co-creator of the original Ships of the Line calendar series, thought it would be a great idea to use lenticular printing to make hi-resolution, lenticular 3-D art. Three different ships were chosen: the USS Enterprise 1701 (no bloody A,B,C or D!), the most recent E...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) The episode’s story ties in with the season arc of a Romulan-Duras conspiracy to take over the Klingon Empire. A Klingon spy is exposed to be a Romulan collaborator because he believes the Empire has grown weak by its alliance with the Federation. An overzealous Starfleet admiral takes the...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) The powers that be finally broke the mold with “First Contact.” For the first time, we see what a first contact situation when the prime directive no longer applies would look like. What we get is an homage to ’50’s science fiction films in which the aliens are the Enterprise crew. I would call t...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) The situations is more poignant because it is obvious Picard is still damaged even farther down the line. The subplot of his return to France here is whether he will take an Earthbound engineering job rather than return to Starfleet. (Never mind he is not an engineer.) For a career oriented ma...

By noreply@blogger.com (Jamie Jeffords) Third, and I know this is blasphemy, but Picard should never have returned as captain. This is the first time Starfleet has ever had someone assimilated. He should be whisked away by Starfleet intelligence to be studied in every method save for dissection. If he had been taken by Section 31, t...

By Siskoid(noreply@blogger.com) PLOT: The Enterprise-D gets a distress call from Captain Halk of the USS Marco Polo. Halk is a childhood friend of Riker's, and as we find out in a series of flashbacks, has always been one for taking risks while Riker took the safer road. When the Enterprise finds the Marco Polo, it is surround...

By Jevon Phillips Photo: John Jeffries (classic “Star Trek”), Joseph R. Jennings (“Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan”), Herman Zimmerman (“Deep Space 9”) and Scott Chambliss (“Star Trek” 2009). Paul Cantillon / Lidec Photo; Second - William Shatner observes a mysterious change in Persis Khambatta as Stephen...

By noreply@blogger.com (Siskoid) DIVERGENCES: The Klingon-class cruiser used by the Romulans at the time of The Doomsday Device would make dialogue in The Enterprise Incident redundant. There is a schism and possible civil war between smooth and bumpy headed Klingons, which contradicts even the comics continuity in w...

By noreply@blogger.com (Siskoid) CONTINUITY: Sam Kirk died on Devena in Operation: Annihilate!, a mission which starts with a ship flying into the sun. We now know this was Kirk's time displaced nephew. The Federation President from ST V passes the torch on to the Federation President from ST VI. Carol Marcus (ST II) and Admi...

By noreply@blogger.com (Siskoid) DIVERGENCES: For the first time ever, Kirk and his landing party are wearing body armor. McCoy seems a lot more comfortable and knowledgeable about "ancient" medicine (like sutures) here than he is in ST IV. McCoy has a communicator with an antenna (unless they mean the flip cover acts as an...

By noreply@blogger.com (Siskoid) CONTINUITY: Crew from the original pilot that appear include Christopher Pike, Number One, Philip Boyce, Yeoman Colt and José Tyler. Scotty was chief engineer aboard Pike's Enterprise (TOS novel: Enterprise: The First Adventure). Spock finds it hard to think of a scenario in which he wo...

By orfilms@gmail.com (slashfilm.com) The STAR TREK Blu-ray boldly ventures beyond the final frontier with over three hours of sensational bonus footage including branching pods that allow for enhanced exploration, more fascinating features on the starships, planets, props, costumes and sound of STAR TREK, as well as a S...

By noreply@blogger.com (Siskoid) CONTINUITY: Reference is made to Kirk's "last orders" (The Tholian Web). The female Romulan Commander and Subcommander Tal were first seen in The Enterprise Incident. Next for the SBG Book Club: Strike Zone (TNG), Betrayal (DS9), Invincible Part I (SCE), Invincible Part II (SCE), Plane...

By Mark Strauss Star Trek has long been described as a cult phenomenon…but is it an actual cult? Some anthropologists think so. Following the example of anthropologist Margaret Mead, they lived among the natives and studied their rituals-that is, they went to Star Trek conventions and fan clubs. Here's...

By noreply@blogger.com (Siskoid) Yes. Why not? It's a story essentially about an aborted destiny, and the characters' struggle to fulfill that destiny despite Nero's attempts to stop them. In a sense, that's why the film can endure such a light weight villain. Nero's not the real enemy. History's pressure on the Enterprise c...

It turns out, I think, that a lot of our fears, while well-founded, were unnecessary. JJ Abrams may not be one of us in the convention-going sense, but I think he has something in common with us, and I think it's a big reason why Star Trek made so many of us so very, very happy.

By Annalee Newitz But then there's your private Star Trek, the story that matters to you. For me, Star Trek: TNG is always going to be a personal story about finding community and solving problems even when it hurts. That will never change, no matter what happens. And for its many passionate fans, Star Trek is a z...

By Henry Chamberlain Anyone who still wants to pretend not to know how to form a Vulcan hand greeting is the real nerd. We’ve gotten way past that. We even have a United States Space Shuttle named after The Enterprise so we moved on a long time ago. It’s become part of us and Abrams knows this. He knows we’d all love to see...

By Siskoid(noreply@blogger.com) DIVERGENCES: Most divergences are due to the last 3 seasons of Enterprise and include... Archer IV is misidentified as Larocus Prime (Strange New Worlds). Klach D'Kel Brakt is misidentified as a Klingon system, when it is actually the Klingon name for the Briar Patch (The Augments). Andoria...

By orfilms@gmail.com (slashfilm.com) Related Stories Charlie Rose Interviews JJ Abrams Star Trek Cameos RevealedStar Trek London Press Conference: Part ThreeStar Trek London Press Conference: Part TwoStar Trek London Press Conference: Part OneMatt Damon Turned Down Captain Kirk Role in JJ Abrams’ Star Trek? [This art...

By Annalee Newitz When celebrated science fiction writer James Tiptree, Jr. (AKA Alice Sheldon) started watching Star Trek in the 1960s, she wrote in letters to her friends about how the one aspect of the show that truly fascinated her was Spock. She wrote a fan letter to Leonard Nimoy, explaining that his se...

By David Pepose If you care about this universe (and I do, damn it), you won’t sit passively through J.J. Abrams’s restart Trek. You’ll marvel at the smarts and wince at the senselessness. You’ll nitpick it to death and thrill to it anyway. David Edelstein, New York Magazine

By Hugh Hart Tiny Enterprise Models Channel Quirky Star Trek VisionsNew Star Trek Trailer Sets Course for Fan BuzzHello, Romulus! Star Trek Premiere Goes on TourNew Star Trek Will Be Younger, Faster, LouderAbrams’ Star Trek, Original Series Meet in Mashup

By Siskoid(noreply@blogger.com) TOPIC: Rodriguez looks at love and dating through the filter of Kirk's experiences. The advice should lead you from pathetic "Redshirt" to "Captain" of your own destiny. Your romantic mission is just like Starfleet's, to explore strange new worlds, seek out new life and new civilization...

By Siskoid(noreply@blogger.com) CONTINUITY: See the last volume for the basics. Scotty mentions the time Kirk was lost in the interphase (The Tholian Web). The da Vinci has helped Pakleds (Samaritan Snare) in the recent past. Gomez uses what she learned in Peak Performance to generate the warp pulse. A 150-year-old McCoy pu...

By Charlie Jane Anders According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word "prequel" was actually invented for science fiction by Anthony Boucher, writing in the Magazine Of Fantasy & Science Fiction in 1958. But prequels have become ever more common in recent years, with prequels to The Thing and I Am Le...

By orfilms@gmail.com (slashfilm.com) Related Stories Star Trek IMAX Poster Doesn’t Even Try; Plus Seven New PhotosStar Trek Sequel AnnouncedExpect Star Trek Reviews on April 7th and A Rant on the Future of Film CriticismNew Star Trek Movie Trailer - What Do You Think?Star Trek: 60 New High Resolution PhotosNew Star Trek Fea...

By noreply@blogger.com (Siskoid) CONTINUITY: The Tholians aren't a major power today because their ships never achieved the same speeds as ours. The Dominion War has eased tensions between them and the Federation. The Tholians stole the original Defiant in The Tholian Web. McCoy's inoculation against space madness from...

By orfilms@gmail.com (slashfilm.com) Rodney Perkins at Twitich: “Abrams’ film is a very entertaining and reverential take on the Star Trek mythos. The acting and casting are spot on. The story mixes old and new elements of the Star Trek universe. The effects are breathtaking. Some people will inevitably nitpick this film but J.J. A...

By Graeme McMillan Countdown - plotted by the movie's Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, and scripted by Tim Jones and Mike Johnson from Orci and Kurtzman's production company - doesn't just set up next month's JJ Abrams-led reboot in style (complete with great art by David Messina); it also offers what may be...

By orfilms@gmail.com (slashfilm.com) Related Stories New Star Trek Movie Trailer - What Do You Think?Star Trek: 60 New High Resolution PhotosNew Star Trek Featurette Shows Nothing NewStar Trek Will Be Finished Next WeekThe Physics of Kirk’s Star Trek Car JumpNew Star Trek Banner JJ Abrams‘ Star Trek will make its world prem...

By noreply@blogger.com (Siskoid) PLOT: While the Enterprise is way on the other side of the Klingon Empire, the Federation loses contact with Organia and the Klingons start a new war. Months away from the action, the crew attempts the impossible - creating a tachyon duplicate of Mr. Spock with the transporter and sending it...

By noreply@blogger.com (Siskoid) CPP/When Lwaxana walks off the transporter, the second shot of her has own going down the same step a second time, and in a different direction. The Best of Both Worlds, Part I - EO/The Borg can't see through the nebula, but the Enterprise can.

By noreply@blogger.com (Siskoid) DIVERGENCES: The dates are based on the FASA role-playing game's timeline and often contradict accepted canon. There are a heck of a lot of references to corporations for a world where money is supposed to be a thing of the past (maybe it isn't yet). The appendix indicates that the Enterpris...

By Siskoid(noreply@blogger.com) CONTINUITY: The Enterprise's destination is Draconis, which might refer to a variety of locations using that word in the Trek universe. DIVERGENCES: Kirk has never heard of a black hole (even a scientifically inaccurate black hole like this one). Uhura is just a touch too white.

By John Scott Lewinski See also: Review: Tweaked Star Trek Shines in New HD DVD SetStar Trek's 10 Cheesiest Classic CreaturesNew Star Trek Will Be Younger, Faster, LouderBootleg Star Trek Trailer Shows Young Kirk, SpockWorries Surface as Abrams Previews Star Trek in EuropeNew Star Trek Teaser Posters Beam...

By Todd Brown What happened, J.J.? Your relaunched Star Trek has tumbled all the way off the list from first place last week. Is it disinterest? Disaster? Nope, it's just been an incredibly busy week in the land of science fiction. Between Terminator, Watchmen, and a surprising amount of scifi television...

By noreply@blogger.com (Siskoid) So I'm gonna try my hand at continuing the daily Trek reviews with other Star Trek media, at least for now, at a rate of 6 comics and one novel a week (the latter on Sundays). As previously mentioned, comics are going to run chronologically, while novels will jump around from series to series,...

By Brian Lam Inside, I don't usually get star struck, but how can a geek not get excited seeing both Harold from Harold and Kumar and Sylar in the same theater sitting in the same row watching themselves on the screen. And it was Trek! Not the old Trek, and Not even Next Generation, but a new kind of Trek with...

By Brett Love Filed under: Science Fiction, OpEd, Video, WebWell, kind of. Star Trek: New Voyages aims to pick up where the original Star Trek left off by filming new adventures for Kirk, Spock, and the rest of the crew of the USS Enterprise, NCC-1701. This is not your ordinary fan film project though. Now a...