Celebrating Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

25 years ago Trekkies were celebrating the 25^th anniversary of their beloved franchise. The Next Generation was riding high in ratings and reviews. A new series, Deep Space Nine, was just beginning to form in creative minds. Fans were most excited about the newest movie that was to be released on December 6, 1991. It was given the title “The Undiscovered Country” and it was being billed as the final voyage of the original crew. Leonard Nimoy, most famous for his role as everyone’s beloved Vulcan, Spock, was one of the major creative forces behind this film. Not only was he taking on his regular acting role, but he served as one of the story writers. Directing this movie was the talented and beloved Nicholas Meyer, who was widely revered for directing “The Wrath of Khan” and credited with setting the bar for all Trek films. The celebration was a bit subdued, as a few weeks before its release, Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry had passed away. The movie was dedicated to Gene, who was able to watch it two days before he passed.

Star Trek VI was the only Trek film (to date) that I had the privilege to see in a special advance premier screening. I was a high school student living just outside of a small rural Alberta town, and the movie was being shown in Edmonton, one hour drive away. As both of my parents were unable to go, we called upon a family friend to take me. There was a bitter blizzard that evening, and after a few vehicular mishaps, the two of us finally managed to get ourselves seated in the theater just as the trailers ended. There is nothing like watching a Trek film with the room packed full of Trekkies. When the opening image appeared, Gene’s dedication, we all cheered. Then the music started, and we prepared ourselves for an amazing ride of thrills and nostalgia. The opening credits elicited many more cheers as the names of William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Nicholas Meyer, and others appeared. Then, as the introductory music faded, Praxis exploded, and we were off.

The Undiscovered Country may not be my favorite Trek movie (Wrath of Khan forever!), but it in no way disappointed us. After the poorly received fifth movie, many wondered if that was it for the franchise in film. Thankfully, the powers at Paramount Pictures wanted something special for the 25^th anniversary and a more fitting send off than Star Trek V, and #6 delivered. Big time. It has everything that is needed to be a great Trek film. A compelling story that spoke directly to current events of our time (in the story, while the Federation and Klingon empire were seeking peace, America and its allies were coming closer to ending the cold war against the USSR). There was action and humor, suspense and fondness. The pacing of the plot was near perfect, and when the end approached, we had arguably the best moment of closure with the signatures of the actors we had loved for so long appear on the screen as a thank you to us fans. We left the theatre knowing that we had just completed a fitting sendoff to our dear crew of the USS Enterprise.

There are many aspects of this movie that I love. Indulge me in mentioning a few. First, there were some great guest characters. We saw a few old favourites. Admiral Cartwright was back, played once again by the impressive Brock Peters (we had last seen him in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home). John Schuck also reprised his Voyage Home character as the Klingon ambassador to the Federation. Of course, we had Mark Leonard reprise Sarek for the final time (he had just appeared on TNG in Part One of Unification). Some new characters played by seasoned actors were introduced. Kim Cattrall, soon to be of Sex and the City fame, pulled off a fairly good Vulcan in Valeris. David Warner gave depth to the Klingon Chancellor, Gorkon. Kurtwood Smith played the Federation President, his first of three Trek roles. Super model Iman played the shape-shifting Matria. Rene Auberjonois, who we would grow to love as Constable Odo on DS9, was the treacherous Colonel West. We even had Michael Dorn play the grandfather of his TNG character, also named Worf. That’s a lot of star power.

Best of all, however, was General Chang, deliciously played by Christopher Plummer. I would likely rank Chang easily in my Top 3 Trek movie villains. He was cunning, intelligent, witty, and could quote Shakespeare in both English and its original Klingon. Plummer stole virtually every scene that he was in, and Chang sparred with Kirk like few could. I loved watching the final battle scene for nothing more than the gusto that Plummer brought to it. I have never been able to hear the line “Cry havoc! And let slip the dogs of war!” since without hearing Chang’s delightful voice. If nothing else, you have to admit that only a Klingon warrior would bolt an eye patch to his head. Sorry Martok, but Chang proved he was far tougher.

The story was so poignant and relevant to the world that was in 1991, and in many cases is even more so now. For the first time, our cherished heroes had to confront their prejudices. Klingons had been the enemy for so long it was easy to hate them. As much as Gene wanted the future to be all rainbows and utopia, even the most morally aligned characters have their flaws. The verbal debate between Spock and Kirk at the beginning of the mission highlights this. When Spock tells Kirk that the Klingons are dying, Kirk emphatically responds “Let them die.” In the movies, Kirk developed every reason to hate the Klingons, and he held onto that hate for many years. Likewise, Spock also had his prejudices towards the superiority of Vulcan morals. He had difficulties believing that his own protégé was a traitor due to her heritage. It took both of these iconic characters a great deal of courage and inner strength to admit and overcome this. Twenty-five years ago, as I mentioned, both sides of the Cold War were learning to overcome decades of distrust against each other. Today, we see the divisions more clearly and deeply as our world is divided on everything from religion to politics to race and to ideologies. Each of us needs to make a careful examination of our own prejudices and see what we need to do to keep them in check.

Most of all, the greatest strength of the film was the core group of characters that we had faithfully watched and re-watched for a quarter of a century. Everyone had some great moments. Kirk, Spock, and McCoy all had a great deal of limelight, but we saw great contributions from all the others. Scotty made some key discoveries in the investigation of the conspiracy, Uhura puts her linguistic skills to good use in crossing the Klingon border, and Chekov gets some of the greatest one-liners in the franchise’s history (“Guess who’s coming to dinner”). Most notably was Sulu, now Captain Hikaru Sulu of the USS Excelsior (a Search for Spock throwback). This was the decision that, for me, signaled that this was indeed the end for the original crew. They were finally starting to go their separate ways. This was, indeed, good bye.

Finally, I think that Undiscovered Country was a great movie for bringing closure to this wonderful televisions series that stretched into the feature films. Because it was cancelled after the third season, there wasn’t a final hurrah for the Enterprise and her crew. All of the other television series had it, but not the original. Since this was indeed the final voyage, we fans were able to send off Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Scotty, Chekov, Uhura, and Sulu in grand fashion. I felt that this was by far a better send off than Picard and company received in Nemesis as it left us with a satisfying sense of completion, which is something that every good franchise will eventually need. While the franchise would continue in some shape or form for another twenty-five years (and counting), this was a necessary final chapter for a cast of characters that are permanently etched into the annals of science fiction and pop culture. The Undiscovered Country proved to be more than worthy of a final ride into the sunset, and it ended with the most fitting of final lines, which also seems to set the tone for ending this celebration.

Second star to the right. And straight on ‘til morning.

Why I Love the Original Movie Series

Celebrating the five full decades of Star Trek should be a yearlong event, so I thought I would spread the love of all things Trek. Previously in this series I touched on why I loved the Original Series, the Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise. I then looked at the Kelvin timeline movies, and most recently looked at the animated series. Now, it’s time to look at why I love the ten motion pictures from what is now being referred to as the Prime Timeline. Yes, we are looking at everything from Star Trek: The Motion Picture to Star Trek: Nemesis. I wanted to look at this list of movies separately from the more recent J.J. Abrams movies because the two groups are very different. Many fans enjoy both, but a significant number see the recent trio of films as not true Trek. The two sets of films are different entities, and they are treated as such here.

December 1979, after more than a decade since the live action original series first appeared on television, the crew of the USS Enterprise returned for their next adventure. Many have rightfully given credit to Star Wars, being released a couple years before, as the catalyst that allowed Kirk, Spock, McCoy, and the rest another shot at telling us important stories. There was a desire to see more space movies on a big scale, and Paramount had just the franchise to mine. From 1979 to 2002, it was not uncommon news to have new Star Trek movies to look forward to. Some, such as Star Trek V, were duds, but we had some great gems of movies (Wrath of Khan, Voyage Home, and First Contact usually topping your typical fan’s favourite list). While it may not have made as much money as other franchises, it was generally successful and quite often well received. It allowed a new generation of fans to discover the show, and the critical success of movies 2-4 allowed interest in a new live-action series to grow. This resulted in the Next Generation, who would carry on the movie tradition with four films of their own. Despite the flaws and misses of some of the movies, there is so much to love about them that it has been hard for me to come up with my Top 5 reasons for loving them, but here we go!

 

1. Even when bad, there is something to love – Many will argue that the odd numbered films were inferior to the even numbered (except for Nemesis, which many found to be sub-par). While some will speak of “The Motionless Picture” and “Shatner’s Folly” (The Final Frontier), we still have something to love about each of the movies. The Motion Picture was heavily criticized for its slow pace, it is hard to argue that the special effects were brilliant. The Search for Spock is often overlooked because it was not at the same level as the two films that book-end that trilogy, but it struck some fairly emotional cords with its story. Yes, the Final Frontier was loopy, but I have yet to find a film that was able to capture the friendship of Kirk, Spock, and McCoy better than what we saw on their camping trip. Many thought Insurrection was nothing more than a glorified two-part episode on the big screen, but we did get to see some great moments when our beloved characters were able to be in different roles (plus, Geordi finally gets to spend some quality time with his full and proper vision). As for Nemesis, well, we get to see some great cameos of old favourites (Wes Crusher, Guinan, and Admiral Janeway). There is always something good in each of the movies.

2. Big name stars – In Hollywood there are movie stars and television stars. It is difficult to find one who is huge in both. This means that some of our favourite movie stars were only likely to show up in Star Trek in a movie role. We were able to have legends like Malcolm McDowell, Christopher Lloyd, Tom Hardy, and Christopher Plummer take to the stars in memorable roles. The movies were even able to help launch the careers of some great future stars (Kirstie Alley being the most notable).

3. Actor-director precedent – Star Trek III: the Search for Spock set a precedent in the Trek franchise by allowing Leonard Nimoy to work from behind the camera as director. This was a first in the franchise. While many may feel that it was not a big deal as Nimoy was barely in the movie, it was important for a few reasons. First, at the time, many fans were uncertain as to whether or not Spock would return. He had died in the previous movie, and people just did not know how to embrace Trek without our favourite Vulcan. This at least let us know that Leonard Nimoy had not left the Trek family, but was still integrally involved in telling its story. Second, because it was a success, this not only allowed Nimoy a chance to direct “The Voyage Home”, but opened the door for William Shatner to direct the fifth movie (for better or for worse), as well as start people thinking about letting some of the actors in the TV shows direct episodes. This paved the way for the likes of Johnathan Frakes (who also directed back-to-back Next Gen movies), Levar Burton, Michael Dorn, Patrick Stewart, Gates McFadden, Avery Brooks, Rene Auberjonois, Avery Brooks, Roxann Dawson, Alexander Siddig, Robert Duncan McNeill, Robert Picardo, Tim Russ, and Andrew Robinson to have their turn behind the camera. It became a great tradition that all started with the movies.

4. The “You Don’t See That Every Day” factor – the movies allowed Star Trek to do things that had been previously unheard of in Star Trek. It started with Spock’s death in the Wrath of Khan. Never before had a major character been killed, and this led to some great moments for several movies to come. We also were witness to other big events as both Enterprises were destroyed (the original in The Search for Spock, and Picard’s ship in Generations). We were able to see the inside of the Borg cube in much more detail as well. There’s something about having a big movie budget that allows you to do more than you could in a TV series. Everything from climbing a mountain to taking a stroll along the hull of the Enterprise was on the table. We saw the deaths of beloved characters in Khan Singh, Data, and Captain Kirk himself. More could happen than was allowed on the television, and that is what the movies are supposed to be.

5. The stories – Generally speaking, the story-telling in the original movie series was mostly very good to excellent. Yes, looking for God was a bit hokey, the V’Ger story was slow, and the planet of eternal youth was not revolutionary by any means, but the stories told in the movies were, for the most part, engaging. Death, sacrifice, vengeance, forgiveness, war, peace, loss, rebirth, hope, new beginnings, and the end of a journey were all focused on during the course of ten movies. There were great moments that showed our beloved characters doing something new or in a situation that allowed them to shine in unique ways. Think of a drunken Troi trying to get info out of an equally drunk Zefram Cochrane, Chekov stealing his scenes in late 20^th Century San Francisco, or McCoy trying to give a Starfleet security officer the Vulcan neck pinch. Lots of “fish out of water” moments for so many of our crew members, and they were all due to great story writing.

So, there we have it, my Top 5 Reasons for Why I Love the Original movies. If you want to see how the movies rank against each other, check out Part 1 and Part 2 of my movie article. This also concludes my look at the many reasons why I love all aspects of Star Trek. It has been a fun year celebrating a half-century of this beloved franchise. I hope yours has been equally enjoyable.

Why I Love the Animated Series

Celebrating the five full decades of Star Trek should be a yearlong event, so I thought I would spread the love of all things Trek. Previously in this series I touched on why I loved the Original Series, the Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise. I last wrote on why I loved the Kelvin timeline (my skin has recovered somewhat from the burns that I endured at those who vehemently disagreed with me). Next up, we look at what some consider to be the conclusion of the five year mission of James T Kirk on the USS Enterprise, Star Trek: the Animated Series.

On September 8, 1973 (exactly seven years after Star Trek premiered), the Animated Series warped onto television screens. At the time, animation was still largely seen as a format exclusive to children’s entertainment, so the vibe was a bit different. Death was not as common on these new adventures, episodes were a half hour long, and the theme song was different. The familiar includes most of the main cast. William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Deforest Kelley, James Doohan, George Takei, Nichelle Nichols, and Majel Barrett all reprised their roles, with several supporting characters being voiced by Doohan and Barrett. Only Walter Koenig was not brought back, due to budgetary restraints, although he made his own contribution by writing the episode “The Infinite Vulcan”. 22 episodes were made, and the show won a Daytime Emmy for outstanding Children’s Series in 1975. Many fans felt that they were allowed one last set of adventures with their beloved crew. While this series is not necessarily considered to be canon, there were many elements of it that became incorporated into the other series and films. I will confess that this series is the one that I am the least familiar with, but that has more to do with the fact that I was only able to watch the series in the recent years once they were available on DVD. That does not mean that I am not fond of the series. Here are the top 5 reasons why I love the animated series.

1. The fans were validated – in the reference book “Star Trek – Where No One Has Gone Before”, it was reported that in the early 70s NBC had reworked their Nelson ratings system. They reran the numbers and found that Star Trek, the show they had cancelled in 1969 due to low ratings, had actually been reaching their target audience and had really good numbers. For years NBC was baffled at the amount of fan mail that they had been receiving for Star Trek and were puzzled by the success of the show in syndication. The new ratings system solved that mystery; the show that they thought was a dead duck had actually been the golden goose, and they killed it. The Animated Series was, in part, NBC’s way of saying they had made a mistake and they were sorry. It turned out all along that the fans were right, and the Animated Series was their validation.

2. Sequels to Popular Stories – Ever wondered what happened to Cyrano Jones and the Tribbles? Did you want to return to the shore leave planet? How about wanting another encounter with Harry Mudd? Those were all answered in three separate episodes: “More Tribbles, More Troubles”, “Once Upon a Planet”, and “Mudd’s Passion”. Each fit within the new format wonderfully. We also saw return appearances of other favourite characters such as Sarek (voiced by Mark Leonard), Amanda Grayson, Kor, Koloth, Korax, and Commodore Wesley, and Lieutenant Kyle. The Guardian of Forever was also revisited. It was nice to see the familiar faces that had become so popular with the fans, although they were not all exactly as how they were last seen. The tribbles received an unintentional upgrade. Due to the colorblindness of director Hal Sutherland, who did not realize that the tribbles were not the intended grey, the tribbles appeared pink.

3. Yesteryear – In all of these essays I have written I haven’t used a specific episode as a reason. Well, that will change now. I think “Yesteryear” is one of the strongest episodes of all the series. I would rank it with great classics like “City on the Edge of Forever”, “The Inner Light”, and “The Visitor”. It involves time travel with the Guardian of Forever and has Spock going back in time to help his younger self. It was a great story that really develops the character of Spock, and we get to see Vulcan in a way that we haven’t yet.

4. Increasing the realm of the possible – animated series have a distinct advantage over a live action series, or at least back then they did. Things that directors and producers could only dream of doing but were unable due to budget and technology were now possible with animation. New technology and more alien-looking planetary designs were now achievable. We saw the first holodeck, which would later be adopted by TNG. Most notable in this department was a difference in the aliens. In the Original Series, the ship was almost exclusively manned by humans (Spock being the major exception). Now, we were able to have the Edosian navigator Lt. Arex, and the feline-esque Caitian operations officer M’Ress. Animation allowed more diversity in aliens on the ship in a way that had previously been impossible, and is still limited today in a live action show’s budget.

5. Nimoy’s stand – When the show was first pitched, the idea was to not bring back Nichols and Takei to reprise their roles. This was done to save money by having Doohan do all the male voices and Barrett to do all the female voices. When Leonard Nimoy heard of this, he made a stand that almost stopped the show from happening. Nimoy argued that what made Star Trek special was that it showed great diversity in the crew, most notably the presence of Uhura and Sulu. Nimoy said that Nichelle and George were essential to maintaining that spirit, and if they were not going to be a part of the show, then neither was he. Since nobody could imagine Star Trek without Spock, nor Spock without Nimoy, the producers gave in and Uhura and Sulu were voiced by the original actors. Say what you will, but Leonard Nimoy had power and knew how and when to use it. For that alone, I love what the Animated Series represented.

And there you go. There is one last entry in this series, and that is why I love the Motion Pictures (Prime Timeline, of course). Enjoy!

Why I Love the Kelvin Timeline Movies

Celebrating the five full decades of Star Trek should be a yearlong event, so I thought I would spread the love of all things Trek. Previously in this series I touched on why I loved the Original Series, the Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and most recently Enterprise. For my next entry, I am diving into shark-infested waters. Well, not literally, although that might be safer than what I am attempting to do. Yes, it is time for me to give my top 5 Reasons for why I love the Kelvin timeline movies. If that name does not ring a bell, you may know it by a different title, such as the reboot movies, the JJ Abrams-verse, or the Horrible-Piece-of-Defecation-That-Has-Destroyed-Star-Trek. Yes, not since Kirk and Spock went looking for God in Star Trek V has anything with the name “Star Trek” created such an outcry among the fans. To all the haters of the Kelvin Timeline, I get you. I understand. I feel for you. I have some issues with these movies as well (two words: lens flare). All I am asking you is to hear me out, please. If you really don’t think there is any redeeming quality about these movies, that they are a disgrace to the franchise, and cause for Gene to be rolling over in his grave, then please, stop reading right now. Go back to your life. Find something else to do. Watch The Wrath of Khan or First Contact. Do whatever you need to restore your blood pressure. I am not going to try to change your mind, but I don’t want to get you so upset that you turn violent and start breaking things.

Still with me? Good for you. If you are like me, then you find something good in these movies. If you are hating what Abrams has done to the franchise but are still with me, I hope you are keeping an open mind. If not, you have been duly warned.

In 2005 Paramount wanted more Trek on the big screen. At the time, J.J. Abrams was working on Mission: Impossible III and had gained quite the reputation with his TV work on shows like “Alias” and “Lost”. Writers Robert Orci and Alex Kurtzman were brought on board, and for the next four years a new Star Trek film was in the works. Fans waited with anticipation, some with more dread and some with more excitement. Rumors flooded the internet. Questions arose at warp speed. Names like Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Ryan Gosling, and Adrien Brody were tossed around as potential cast members. Then, as things began to crystalize, the movie took form. In May of 2009, a new crew of the Enterprise blasted onto screens. We were shown a new version of the classic crew we had loved for over 40 years. Chris Pine was the new James T. Kirk, Zachary Quinto as the new Spock. We even got to see Leonard Nimoy reprise his iconic role, and the Star Trek universe changed. A new timeline was established that allowed the powers that be to pay homage to the original series yet not be chained to the extensive canon that had been previously established. The first movie was a success, and as of this writing two sequels hit the summer screens with a fourth installment in the works.

That is not to say that the new series wasn’t universally well received. Many life-long fans felt that the show lacked the spirit and essence of Star Trek. The exploration was traded in for flashy effects and action sequences. The financial success of each sequel became less and less. Into Darkness retold the story of one of Trek’s greatest villains, Khan Singh, and some felt that the show was just trying to ride the waves of nostalgia without offering anything new. When Star Trek: Beyond hit theaters in the summer of 2016, it was meant to celebrate the 50^th anniversary of Star Trek, yet the tragic death of actor Anton Yeltin (Chekov) and a weak performance at the box office dealt some heavy blows to the beleaguered film franchise. Whether it was lack of story-telling, the perceived slights to what had come before, or too much lens flare on the bridge, the Kelvin timeline series had more than its fair share of detractors. For myself, however, I found that there were some real gems in these stories. Yes, Abrams himself admitted that he was more of a Star Wars guy than a Star Trek guy, but I do believe that Abrams was trying to find a balance between showing love to the old while making the story new again. I have enjoyed all three films for different reasons, and yes, I see the points that the other side makes. In many instances I agree with them, but that does not mean that I could find nothing in this re-imagining to love. I give you my Top 5 reasons here.

1. The Enterprise’s update – Anytime a franchise is rebooted there will be updates to what was familiar. As technology improves things like the starship Enterprise can be reimagined. I like the design of the new ship a lot. It still looks like the Enterprise we loved in the classic series, yet it looks more like something we would see in the future and less like a TV show prop from the 60s. When Shatner and Nimoy appeared in the first motion picture, the Enterprise received a bit of modern tweaking. The same happened here, and for me it works.

2. The timeline solution – Whenever a franchise is rebooted or a new sequel comes out, there is always the fear that it will not stay true to canon. Well, there is a reason why these films are referred to as the Kelvin Timeline. By introducing the time travel element in the first movie, the producers found a way to preserve the existing canon, but allow them freedom to do things differently. To have Vulcan destroyed and Spock’s mother die in the 2009 movie made it seem like anything could happen, and while this timeline might seem familiar in some regards, it gives us the unpredictability that provided the opportunity to tell stories that were new and fresh.

3. Karl Urban channels Kelley – When the casting announcements were made, there was a lot of chatter about it. People had opinions formed before the movie hit the screens. After the movie was released, there were even more debates as to who gave the performance that was most in touch with the original character. Some were great (Quinto as Spock), others were harder for me to accept (Pegg as Scotty), but I thought all involved did a good job. Above and beyond all of the rest, however, is Karl Urban. Urban played the role of our favourite southern doctor perfectly. Yes, he wasn’t DeForest Kelley, but if I closed my eyes I could almost see the old Bones on the screen again. It has been reported that when Leonard Nimoy saw Urban’s performance, he wept tears of gratitude at how much he was reminded of Kelley. I have seen Karl Urban at a few conventions, and he has said that all he wanted to do was honor the rich character that DeForest Kelley made so important to us all. Well, Mr. Urban, you succeeded beyond our greatest hopes. This is the one point that I have yet to hear even the harshest of critics dispute, and for good reason: they can’t.

4. Spock’s Approval – there are so many things about Star Trek that are iconic. The Enterprise is widely recognizable, Kirk is a legend, and everything from Tribbles to Klingons have become well known even among the population that know little of Trek. There is one character, and with it one actor, that is the most iconic in all of Star Trek, and that is Spock portrayed by Leonard Nimoy. These movies were able to bring closure to Nimoy’s character. He was essential to the first movie, a neat cameo in the second, and a touching tribute in the third. None of this would have been possible if Leonard Nimoy had not agreed to do it. Nimoy had retired from acting by this time. He was under no obligation to be a part of this project. I believe that had he disapproved of the films, he would not have been a part of them. Nimoy’s validation should rightfully carry much weight, and I think he saw much of the value that was in those films. Leonard Nimoy loved Star Trek, and if the new movies were good enough for him, then that should mean something to his fans. You may not have to agree with his opinion, but you cannot help but respect it.

5. A new generation – As I mentioned before, I understand why some fans utterly despise this incarnation. There are Star Trek groups that forbid any mention of the Kelvin Timeline in any way, and some fans can see literally nothing of value in these movies. I will use what I think is my strongest argument for why I love these films. It has allowed a whole new generation to discover Star Trek. With Netflix and other media-streaming providers, the youth who were not fortunate enough to be raised by Trekkie parents had a way to be introduced to the franchise. I have attended two conventions in Las Vegas, and I talk to some of the kids and younger adults who were not even around when the Next Generation and Voyager were on the air. Many of them became fans because of these movies. When they saw the movie, they looked up the show to see what the fuss was all about, and they were hooked. They would then start to binge-watch all the series, and before long were as knowledgeable and fanatical as those of us that have been around for the majority of the five decades that Trek was there. Some agree that the Abrams movies are mere shells of what Trek was, but they admit that they might not have seen Star Trek without them. So, whether you love or hate these movies, you cannot discount the fact that it has brought new fans into the fold.

Well, there you are. I hope to hear your comments on this. Due to the controversy that is wrapped up with the Kelvin Timeline, I respectfully ask that all comments be that: respectful. Each of us is entitled to our opinions, which is why IDIC is so beautiful and delicate to manage. I welcome your thoughts and opinions (but please, be civil). Next up in this series: the Animated Series!

Why I Love Enterprise

Celebrating the five full decades of Star Trek should be a yearlong event, so I thought I would spread the love of all things Trek. Previously in this series I touched on why I loved the Original Series, the Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, and most recently Voyager. Next on our list is the show that ended Trek on television (at least until Discovery comes along) by taking us back to the beginning of the Federation, Star Trek Enterprise.

The year was 2001. Voyager had returned to the Alpha Quadrant earlier in the year, and a new Trek series was eagerly anticipated. Set in an era prior to the establishment of the Federation, the setting occurred in a universe where relationships between Earth and Vulcan were cool, many species had yet to be discovered, and the warp-speed travel was still new. The premise of the show has Captain Johnathon Archer taking command of Earth’s first Warp 5 ship. Joining him are some of Earth’s finest along with some alien allies. As the show progressed and the exploration began, we were able to see the seeds planted that ultimately led to the growth of the United Federation of Planets. There was no Prime Directive, no replicators, no holodeck, just the grit of the early explorers.

It has been said that no series of Trek has been so polarizing. There was a great deal of resistance, and many found ample material to complain about. Some hated the theme song (it had lyrics for Spock’s sake!), others disliked the apparent continuity errors, while some criticized what was described as decisions made to try to up ratings at the expense of good character development and story-telling. This was the first trek series since the Original that was cancelled due to low ratings, and some have argued that the franchise has never recovered from Enterprise. The show did not even contain the words “Star Trek” in its title until the third season. Producer Rick Berman had said that he felt the studio rushed the production of Enterprise, claiming that the television market had become saturated with Star Trek by having three series going seven seasons each over 14 years and felt the franchise needed to catch its breath before moving on. Some fans agreed.

Still, Enterprise had a loyal, though smaller, following. Many enjoyed seeing the early growth of humanity as it became an interstellar power. We were entreated to the first encounter with the Klingons in the pilot episode. Some appreciated the new characters, new races, and what life in the 22^nd century was like. Some were fascinated by the depiction of humans that were not quite at the utopian level that Roddenberry had envisioned. I enjoyed the series myself, though I had a few more dislikes about it than any other series, but since we are keeping it positive here, I give you my top 5 reasons for why I love Enterprise.

1. Shran – Played by the amazing Jeffery Combs, Shran was the first major Andorian character. I loved how they developed this character. He started out as an adversary and quickly grew into one of the most trusted allies of the Enterprise crew. He was tough, quick-tempered, and fierce. His lines were brilliantly written, to the point where when I get tired of a particular human of Caucasian descent, I think about calling him “pink-skin”. I think the saddest part of the cancellation of Enterprise was the revelation that had it lasted a fifth season, Shran would have become part of the crew and a Jeffery Combs a main cast member.

2. Dr. Phlox – Our favourite (and first) Denobulan. He was a wonderfully refreshing character. Funny, different, and showed that the Denobulans were more than just another alien with a different forehead. His physiology was just different enough to add a “cool” factor. From his extremely long tongue to his literal ear-to-ear grin, Dr. Phlox provided us some comic relief. There was more to him than that, however. He became a moral compass to the crew who, unlike the Vulcan T’Pol, could share an outsider’s perspective and an excitement of exploration that gave a great deal of balance to the crew.

3. Explaining the Klingons – For many decades there was one important question that was not answered for the fans. In the Original Series the Klingons looked like deeply tanned humans with cool mustaches. When the films began, their foreheads became ridged and prominent. No explanation given. The closest we came was in the DS9 episode “Trials and Tribblations” when Worf tells his crew mates that the reason they looked different was because it was a ‘private matter”. Well, Enterprise came up with the best possible explanation. It bridged the story line with the Augments and DNA

4. Nods to the future and the past – Some classic aliens and characters were either updated or foreshadowed. On the list of upgrades, we have the Orions, Tellarites, Gorn, and Tholians. Foreshadowing of the future we have Arik Soong (ancestor of Data’s creator, Noonien Song, all played wonderfully by Brent Spiner), the Organians, and, naturally, the United Federation of Planets. We found out what the early days of the Terran Empire was like as well as the fate of the first USS Defiant from the classic episode “The Tholian Web” when we were taken to the mirror universe. I can overlook the early introduction to the Ferengi and the Borg knowing that this series showed respect to the series that came before.

5. Scott Bakula – I have been a fan of Bakula since “Quantum Leap”. I liked what he brought to the role of Captain Johnathan Archer. He was tough, had a chip on his shoulder, and was determined to push humanity into the galaxy. Yes, he was flawed. He made big mistakes. This is what helps me identify with him. He also admitted those mistakes. He owned them. He worked to improve himself. All of this was brought with great strength in Bakula’s performance. Add to that the fact that Mr. Bakula is one of the most well-liked and respected actors in Hollywood. At a convention with Connor Trineer, he mentioned that after every day of shooting, Bakula would personally thank every member of the crew and cast. He treated everyone on set as if they were equally important. For this reason, I am proud that he was a part of Enterprise.

It’s been a long road, getting from there to here (sorry, I couldn’t resist), but these are the top reasons why I love Enterprise. There are others, of course, and I may have overlooked some of yours, so feel free to add them to the comment section. In what will likely be a far more controversial topic, the next article in this series will be why I love the Kelvin Timeline film series.