I remember it well, that day I saw the Starship Voyager set course for the Badlands to make history as the title ship of the unprecedented third Star Trek spin-off. It was a chilly January day back in 1995, and a group of friends and I had just returned from a trip to see Generations on the big screen.
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Rewriting Trek /
The fictional universe of Star Trek represents one possible future. That future has been assembled by numerous writers over the course of 45 years, six television series, and eleven feature films. When dealing with such a long span of time, so many contributors, and the evolving nature of society, it’s only natural that elements of this universe will change, stories will contradict one another, and early ambiguities will be filled in by later treks.
Read MoreRiker! Riker! Won't You Please Sit Down? /
William T. Riker always wanted his own command. It was his Number One priority—in terms of his career anyway. It’s hard to imagine the allure of the captain’s chair winning out over Minuet, Etana Jol, or certainly Deanna Troi. Yes, Riker’s love of women has been well documented over the years, but there is one other thread that ran through all of TNG: Riker’s desire to one day command his own ship. Fortunately, in the end, he didn’t have to choose. He got his ship and his Imzadi, too. But the road to that final destination was a long and winding one
Read MoreJaneway and Chakotay: The Relationship that Never Was… Or Was It? /
Troi and Riker. Paris and Torres. Worf and Dax. Janeway and Chakotay.
Wait, Janeway and Chakotay? Yes… sort of. It’s the relationship that’s been the topic of an endless stream of discussion—and fan fiction—since the mid-1990s.
Read MoreJust My Type: Kardashev Civilizations in Star Trek and Beyond /
We often hear scientists throwing around the fashionable statement that any alien civilization is going to be far advanced beyond our own. Such civilizations, they say, could be millions of years ahead of us. But what does it mean for a civilization to be a million years old? In this Captain’s Log we’ll examine an established method for classifying civilizations and find out where we are, where we’re headed, and just how far ahead of us those like the Iconians or that ancient humanoid played by Salome Jens may be.
Read MoreThe Best of Star Trek: Voyager /
Most people I’ve talked to would call finding the top five Star Trek: Voyager episodes a game of Boggle. “Shake the episodes and just pick five. They’re all the same level of garbage.” But there are a few, like myself, who look at Voyager and see classic SF adventure that has more to offer than just a rainbow-colored lizard chef. So here are my picks for the five best episodes.
Read MoreCaptain Janeway and the Ever-Morphing Hairdo /
“When I joined [Voyager] at the eleventh hour, we had nothing but hair problems. Short? Long? With a hairpiece? Without a hairpiece? All the concerns were about my hair—the hair being the trademark of the woman, right?” —Kate Mulgrew, TV Guide Star Trek Special, Spring 1995
Read More10 Years Removed from Voyager: What's the Crew Up to Now? /
It’s been ten years since the last episode of Star Trek: Voyager aired. With the exception of convention appearances, the world of Trek no longer consumes the cast’s lives. Here’s a look at what the actors and actresses behind the Voyager crew have been up to over the past decade.
Read MoreDeForest Kelley: The One and Only /
He’s a beloved fan favorite, and he was also a favorite of his Star Trek co-stars. He was considered a quintessential Southern gentleman, and a selfless, intelligent actor. DeForest Kelley took the character of Dr. McCoy and made him his own. He developed McCoy from the ground up, and when you’re watching Bones be Bones, you’re watching Kelley be Kelley. Dr. McCoy is also a true Southern gentleman because of the man portraying him.
Read MoreThe Best of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine /
Asking a fan to name the five best episodes of a Star Trek series is like asking Quark which Rules of Acquisition are the best. There are too many that lead to profit to choose just five. Neverthless, I’m going to set out to name five of the best episodes from DS9.
Read MoreThe Best of Star Trek: The Next Generation /
Asking a fan to name the five best episodes of a Star Trek series is like asking Barclay which holodeck program is the best escape from reality. There are too many good ones to choose just five. Neverthless, I’m going to set out to name five of the very best episodes from each of the series and explain why I feel they are some of the greatest examples of Star Trek. In this first installment my focus was on The Original Series, and now I’m moving on to the first of the modern series, The Next Generation.
Read MoreBorgified! The Assimilation of Star Trek: Voyager /
“We are the Borg. Lower your shields and surrender your episodes. We will add your series distinctiveness to our own. Your show will adapt to service us. Resistance is futile.”
If there’s one distinct impression that Star Trek: Voyager left on the audience, it’s that perhaps the series should have been called Star Trek: Borg. But is this really true?
Read MoreDon't You Forget About Me: Coming of Age for Star Trek The Animated Series /
Enterprise is often referred to as the fifth Star Trek series. In reality this is not true. There was a series between TOS and TNG that often gets overlooked. One that was created with ink and paper rather than cameras and lights. One that broke new ground for the franchise and kept Star Trek alive before the big screen voyages began. This was, of course, The Animated Series.
Read MoreFrom Unfinished Alien to Pure Vulcan, Or How Mr. Spock Got Cool /
If Vulcan has a cucumber equivalent, Mr. Spock would be as cool as that. With his slightly-upturned eyebrows just right for lifting in wry fascination at the absurdity of human behavior to his understated utterance of “fascinating” often targeting same, Mr. Spock is one calm, collected and unfazed alien.
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