We’re just over a month away now from the January 17 premiere of Star Trek: Discovery Season 2, and today CBS has rolled out their new 2019 key artwork and trailer for the upcoming sophomore season — adding Captain Pike, Spock, and the Enterprise right into the mix.
After a late-night leak on Twitter yesterday thanks to a premature image update on the Apple TV app for CBS All Access, the new Discovery Season 2 artwork arrived in full from the studio this morning, featuring returning stars Sonequa Martin-Green (Michael Burnham), Doug Jones (Saru), Mary Wiseman (Tilly), Anthony Rapp (Stamets), and Michelle Yeoh (Mirror Georgiou) joined by series newcomers Anson Mount (Pike) and Ethan Peck (Spock) in a colorful new display of spacebound suspense.
In addition, of course, comes a brand-new trailer featuring tons of new footage from the upcoming season, from Spock locked away in a Federation mental facility to Burnham sporting a new civilian outfit quite reminiscent of the classic Star Trek uniform from the 1960s.
We also get to see Tyler and L’Rell fighting Klingon enemies on Qo’noS, the return of Saru’s sister Siranna (both whom look to be prisoner of the mysterious Ba’ul), Tilly being swallowed by an alien organism, and much more of Spock and Pike aboard the Discovery.
Of note, the former Emperor Georgiou seems to be flouting her involvement with Section 31 to Captain Pike and Commander Burnham — who both seem to be aware of the mysterious organization hidden from the general Starfleet ranks by the 24th Century.
We’ll be sure to update this post with a globally-watchable version of this trailer as soon as possible.
How does Season 2 of Star Trek: Discovery look to you so far? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
We’ve got some minor news to report surrounding 2019’s Jean-Luc Picard-centric Star Trek series to bring you today, thanks to a few production updates coming out of the West Coast this morning — which, as it turns out, will be the home to Patrick Stewart’s return to the franchise when production begins next year.
Star Trek production returns to California next year for the first time since filming wrapped on Star Trek Into Darkness in 2012, as a new report from the California Film Commission has revealed that the “Picard” series — still not yet officially named — has been granted a substantial $15.6 Million tax credit to film in the state, a hefty incentive to keep production local.
Like many mainstream media productions which have been setting up shop in places like Atlanta (home base to the Marvel Cinematic Universe films, and television series like The Walking Dead and Black Lighting, among others) and Vancouver (Supernatural, Arrow, The Flash, and Supergirl, etc.), Trek has been operating outside of southern California for the last several years, seeking tax and other production cost savings in other locations.
Star Trek Beyond shifted to Vancouver for its North American shoot in 2015, and Star Trek: Discovery has of course been operating out of Toronto for the last two years, so the CA-centric plan for the “Picard” series is somewhat of a homecoming for the franchise, as all pre-Beyond installments in film and television were produced in the Golden State.
(In our pure speculation, it also seems reasonable that returning production to southern California was also likely an inticement for series star Patrick Stewart to come back to the role of Jean-Luc Picard.)
Alex Kurtzman and Patrick Stewart on stage at STLV 2018 in August.
In other “Picard” production news, series executive producer Alex Kurtzmanshared a little bit of an update on the development of the series with Entertainment Weekly, indicating that the writers room has now made it through the storytelling phase of about eight episodes of the first season of the show – and he noted how this renewed focus on the Picard character will present itself differently than Discovery’s take on Trek.
Without revealing too much about it, people have so many questions about Picard and what happened to him, and the idea we get to take time to answer those questions in the wake of the many, many things he’s had to deal with in ‘Next Gen’ is really exciting.
‘More grounded’ is not the right way to put it, because Season 2 of ‘Discovery’ is also grounded. It will feel more… real-world? If that’s the right way to put it. It’s an extremely different rhythm than ‘Discovery.’
[If] ‘Discovery’ is a bullet, ‘Picard’ is a very contemplative show. It will find a balance between the speed of ‘Discovery’ and the nature of what ‘Next Gen’ was, but I believe it will have its own rhythm.
We still don’t know when we’ll see Jean-Luc Picard back in action again — aside from CBS leadership’s hints towards a vaguely late-2019 projection — but we hope that we’ll learn more about the casting, story direction, and at least an official title soon enough.
In the meantime, what do you think about Kurtzman’s comments, and the return of Trek to sunny California? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Whenever I write about Star Trek: The Next Generation — Terra Incognita, I feel more like I’m critiquing a television show than reading a story. In the past I’ve mentioned how much like an actual television episode this book from Scott Tipton,David Tipton, and Angel Hernandez is, so I’d like to break that down further and discuss the comparisons in greater detail.
The story so far: as Terra Incognita #5 begins, the Enterprise has been called into assisting with the evacuation of the Lolligans, a species suffering from a planet-wide epidemic putting them on the verge of extinction. Lieutenant Barclay, Worf, La Forge, and Dr. Crusher are overseeing the operation, yet there is something about the plague that makes Dr. Crusher think that it can be cured; this is certainly a better option than evacuating an entire planet. With the evacuation fleet approaching, Crusher and company have just 24 hours to fend off enraged, demented Lolligans and solve the mystery behind this illness.
I can’t help but note that this is still the Mirror Universe version of Reginald Barclay, who stowed away aboard the prime Enterprise-D at the beginning of this series. We can recognize him as he has developed the habit of rolling up his tunic sleeves — emulating the sleeveless uniforms of the Terran Empire — which a subtle yet distinctive tell that shows that even though he may look identical to “our” Barclay, he doesn’t fit in this universe. It’s these little devices that the Tiptons put into their stories that connect with the audience.
In terms of the television-like qualities of the books, there are a number. First: the stories are episodic in nature. Self-contained, they wrap themselves up by the end of each issue unlike a typical comic arc, which would be told over four or five issues. That isn’t typical of this comic, which instead, is like an episode in a more-serialized television season.
However, each issue is still connected to the overall back story of the looming threat of the Mirror Universe Enterprise crew hiding in the shadows. We learned from the 2017 Mirror Broken miniseries that the Next Generation counterparts from the other side see the prime universe as a hunting ground for much-needed resources.
There’s also a clear attempt to spread the camera focus around from character to character in these books — last issue was a Wesley-centric piece, where in this issue we see the spotlight on Worf and Crusher. It’s almost like their talent agents were whispering in the Tiptons’ ears, edging the writers to give their clients a little more attention. You can almost hear the interstitial music in the background as Crusher faces down Worf while making a command decision.
Finally, it’s the dialogue: completely authentic and relaxed, it’s truly television-worthy. The Tiptons’ scripting could have come from a lost Next Generation episode discovered in some forgotten vault. Good dialogue sets the basis for believable character interaction and this book has it in abundance.
As usual, Angel Hernandez’s art continues to dazzle us with its sharp accuracy. Hernandez is certainly one of the go-to Star Trek artists in IDW’s stable. This is a good thing, as not only does it grant Hernandez a degree of niche-specialization, but it also increases his profile among Trek comic readers.
Cover ‘A’ is a fantastic action pose with Worf and Riker, fighting back-to-back in combat. From my favourite Trek penciller Tony Shasteen, this is a cover that is completely appropriate for the story and highlights the authentic relationships the Tiptons have created for us. Shasteen’s cover sets this book up for the reader with a high degree of enjoyment and proficiency.
Cover ‘B’ is another photo cover, which I normally dislike, but IDW’s artists have continued the trend of digitally recreating the old Next Generation cast photos into a more illustrative look which fits the comic book presentation much better. This one of Crusher and Worf not only sets the scene but also the expectations for the book, and with the television quality of this story, this cover is completely appropriate.
Retailer-incentive cover ‘A’ is an enjoyable one as well, from recurring artist Elizabeth Beals. While the scene seems to be a bit disconnected from the events of the story, it’s a very good presentation of the characters. But with the Tiptons’ intention to spread the camera attention among the characters, seeing a scene of Captain Picard, Ensign Crusher and Lieutenant La Forge isn’t too off the mark.
My favorite Trek artist, J.K. Woodward, brings us retailer-incentive cover ‘B,’ an amazingly-dynamic image of both Doctor Crusher and Lieutenant Worf in combat, both armed with phaser rifles against a mysterious assailant. It’s a rich and vibrant picture and as always, Woodward’s accuracy as a painter just staggers my imagination. This is the best cover out of the lot.
In short, this is the continuing story that Next Generation fans should to tune into. At the end of the story, we see another hint that the Mirror Universe may be out of sight — but not out of mind — as the final chapter in this story arrives in December.
The connective thread of the Terran Empire ties everything together, but it’s the perfect background for the Tiptons to show their expertise with themes, characters and the overall pacing of this show… er, comic.
Up at the Star Trek: The Original Series Set Tour in Ticonderoga, New York this weekend, the officially-licensed classic Enterprise reproduction we last visited in 2017, a mini-convention of sorts took place with two generations of Trek leaders: William Shatner (Kirk) and Anson Mount (Discovery’s Pike) lead “Christmas with the Captains” for a group of die-hard fans.
While Shatner served as headliner, displaying his usual gregarious and engaging personality for attendees, it was franchise newcomer Anson Mount who made the biggest splash, sharing a few tidbits about what we can expect from Star Trek Discovery’s soon-to-arrive second season — and in honor of his attendance, the Set Tour team even updated some of their display pieces to represent the Christopher Pike-era of command.
A Pike-era transporter console reproduction on display. (Photo courtesy Star Trek Set Tour.)
The biggest news? Mount revealed that Discovery Season 2 has been extended from its original 13-episode order by one hour, bringing the episode count for 2019 to a total of 14 entries, which will stretch production up in Toronto through December 21 — and Captain Pike will be involved through the end, as Mount expects to be working right up to the holiday weekend. (Last season was also extended during production, from an original 13 to 15-episode order.)
“This is the biggest production I have ever been a part of,” said Mount to the crowd during his on-stage appearance at the local Ticonderoga High School, where the Set Tour team hosts its guest panels. “It’s huge.” Speaking of his experience this season, Mount admitted that a lot of “really surreal moments” happen when one becomes a part of a Star Trek cast. “Sitting in the captain’s chair,” he reminisced, “was strangely emotional.” The actor also told fans that he had actually first been connected with Discovery when he was in the running to play Gabriel Lorca — a role which eventually went to Jason Isaacs — but the producers kept him in mind and he was approached by the series to take on the role of Pike.
Mount, who noted he was only under contract for Discovery Season 2, went on to say that he believes the relationship between his Christopher Pike, who takes command of the USS Discovery during the second season, and series lead Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) will be the core relationship examined during 2019’s run of the series.
The author with DISCOVERY’s Captain Pike, actor Anson Mount.
While the highlight of the weekend’s events took place on the pristine recreation of the 1960s-era USS Enterprise, Mount was less than forthcoming about if we’ll see the bridge of the 2019-era Enterprise that his character commands, indicating that maybe we will… or maybe we won’t. (Guess we’ll just have to wait and see what January brings us!)
In a more intimate gathering with fans on the Set Tour itself, Mount said that by far his biggest geekiest moment was meeting Star Trek actor — turned frequent TV director — Jonathan Frakes, who is helming two episodes of Discovery‘s second season.
Mount also said that he had been asking around about the new Picard show, coming from CBS late next year. While he was careful not to share any details about what he knew, he colorfully described it as a “brilliant idea… [fans will] be really pleased at how smart the concept is.”
Not to outdone by Star Trek’s newest captain, the biggest buzz earlier in the day was around franchise legend William Shatner, who cracked open several bottles of the new Silver Screen Bottling Company’s “James T. Kirk Bourbon” with fans at a bar the night before, following his personally-led tour of the Original Series sets for those who splurged on the true VIP experience.
The Star Trek: The Original Series Set Tour has successfully held a number of these smaller events in the last couple of years, including its annual Trekonderoga convention which takes place every August — and Tour owner and operator James Cawley indicated more was in store for 2019, including an additional appearance by Shatner, as well as one more guest from the newest lineup of TOS-era character performers: Ethan Peck, who takes over the role of Spock in Star Trek: Discovery Season 2.
We’ll certainly keep watch for those events and when officially announced, we’ll let you know all the details of how you can attend. In the meantime, what do you think of this extension of Discovery’s second year? Sound off in the comments below!
The third in a series of four planned “Short Trek” episodes has now premiered for fans in the US and Canada (sorry Netflix subscribers in the rest of the world). Penned by the Star Trek: Discovery of Bo Yeon Kim and Erika Lippoldt, “The Brightest Star” gives us the first glimpse at his homeworld of Kaminar.
Thus far, each of the “Short Trek” stories have provided us with something different. “Runaway” looked at an aspect of one of Discovery’s main characters in contemporaneous fashion with the show’s timeline; “Calypso” was radically different, taking us to the far future and providing only the lightest of connections back to Discovery; now “The Brightest Star” serves a new purpose: providing us with some important backstory of Discovery’s main alien character, Commander Saru (Doug Jones).
During the first season of Discovery, we were given only hints about Saru’s origins: as a Kelpien, his species are considered to be prey, and have the natural ability to “sense the coming of death,” as the lanky alien phrased it in “The Vulcan Hello.” This new short story gives us significantly more context to Saru’s history, but also asks new questions that it’ll be a lot of fun to get to the bottom of.
“The balance must be maintained.” (CBS)
While we don’t see them in “The Brightest Star,” the hunters of Saru’s species are at least given a name — the Ba’ul — and we learn in this episode that Kelpiens have developed a whole religion based around their role in what Saru’s priest father Aradar (Robert Verlaque) calls “the great balance.” The Ba’ul seem to be vastly technologically superior to the Kelpiens, maintaining a regular ritual harvesting of Kelpiens that appears to include some kind of transporter technology.
Saru gets his hands on a piece of the Ba’ul technology and over a period of time learns how to activate a transmitter system within. He makes contact with someone out in the universe — in a manner reminiscent of how young Sarjenka reached out to Data back in TNG’s “Pen Pals,” this time seen from the opposite perspective.
To my surprise, that person is none other than Lieutenant Philippa Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh), reprising the role of the long-departed officer killed in the Discovery opening episodes. Georgiou offers Saru the chance to leave Kaminar and journey to the wider expanse of the Alpha Quadrant — an extraordinary opportunity for a member of a pre-warp species — but despite the warnings that he’ll never be able to return (thanks to the Federation’s rules about societal contamination), Saru accepts the invitation to the stars.
“It’s nice to finally put a face to the name.” (CBS)
It asks a simple but profound question – if you discovered that there was more to life than your current existence, would you agree to explore it even if the condition was you could never return home?
Star Trek’s answer to that question has always been a resounding yes, to always push towards the next frontier. But the story is often told from the perspective of our Starfleet heroes who see the galaxy for what it is and its significantly expanded potential (save for “First Contact” in TNG’s fourth season, where we come to planet Malcor III through the eyes of its own native scientists).
In many ways, Saru’s decision to leave his homeworld behind and join the wider galaxy is his first major act of courage, that lays the foundations for the progressively less fearful approach he takes throughout his arc in the first season of Discovery. That road, which is also explored in the recent Discovery novel — Fear Itself by James Swallow — begins here, and I’m excited to see where it heads when the show returns in full this January.
Saru finally receives a message from beyond the skies. (CBS)
This could easily have been significantly longer, and both Discovery’s writers and actor Doug Jones himself have promised that we have not seen the last of Saru’s home, telling TrekCore at New York Comic Con that “The Brightest Star” is very much laying the groundwork for a return to Kaminar in Discovery Season Two.
This Discovery short posed a number of questions that I’m hoping we’ll see addressed along the way:
Who are the Ba’ul, and how did the sacrificial ‘prey’ relationship between Kelpien and Ba’ul develop?
If the Ba’ul are a technologically advanced society, how does Starfleet feel about them using sentient creatures as livestock?
Who was captain of the USS Shenzhou during this period?
One last element of this episode that I really enjoyed, was that it provides additional context for the relationship between Saru and Michael Burnham. Even though Burnham is not mentioned at all in this episode, the sibling rivalry that we saw in the earliest episodes of Discovery, as the two characters bickered for attention and approval from Georgiou, is given much more meaning now.
Georgiou was the entry point for Burnham into Starfleet, as we saw in Discovery’s opener, and now we learn that she served a similar role for Saru — but one much more impactful to his life. Both characters have a strong, enduring relationship with Georgiou, and I hope we continue to explore not just the Georgiou-Burnham relationship, but also the Georgiou-Saru relationship in the context of Mirror Georgiou’s appearance in the ongoing series.
Saru’s father Aradar (Robert Verlaque) and sister Siranna (Hannah Spear). (CBS)
Doug Jones provides his usual bravura performance in this episode, and the other Kelpien characters, including Saru’s sister as played by Siranna (Hannah Spear), give additional depth to the species. I was particularly interested that while Saru rejects Kaminar and the religion and rituals that have developed around the Kelpien’s roles as prey, his father Aradar is a priest of the Kelpien religion and responsible for leading the rituals in which Kelpiens are harvested by the Ba’ul.
“The Brightest Star” is the closest we’ve gotten to a ‘prequel’ for next season, and makes me very excited for the show’s return in mid-January. One more “Short Trek” is still on the way, of course, with the Harry Mudd-centered tale “The Escape Artist” due to arrive in the new year.
The red flower of Kaminar appears in the ‘Discovery’ Season 2 trailer. (CBS)
These are very exciting times for Star Trek — are you excited to head back to Kaminar and see how Saru’s people react to his new life, or did this story set off your threat ganglia? Let us know what you thought of “The Brightest Star” in the comments below!
The next Short Trek episode of Star Trek: Discovery — “The Brightest Star” — has just debuted (after a bit of a technical delay on CBS All Access), and we’re sure you’re ready to dive into a discussion about the story!
Here’s your place to take on all the new Trek lore this episode brought us, with no restrictions on spoilers. If you haven’t yet watched the Short Trek episode yet, here’s your last warning!
This thread will remain open until our episode review is posted.
Star Trek: Insurrection, arguably the most underrated and misunderstood film of the Star Trek oeuvre, turns 20 years old this month. So, yew-cheen chef-faw, everybody (emphasis on the cheen!) — it’s time to recognize this underappreciated Trek masterpiece.
Capturing the sweet spot of Star Trek storytelling with a strong morality tale, important character development, and loads of action and strong visual effects, Star Trek: Insurrection never received the credit it deserves for being a defining slice of the Star Trek pie.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PvErkoMSEo
Certainly the timing of Insurrection’s release is one of the reasons the film is underappreciated, as it came out as Trek’s production peak of the 1990s was coming to an end.
When Insurrection hit theaters on Dec. 11, 1998, to middling reviews and a soft box office, Trek was beginning its nadir away from the limelight. Deep Space Nine was just a few months away from going off the air, which would end Trek’s strong six-year run of having two shows and multiple films all in production at the same time; and Voyager, followed by Enterprise, would conclude in 2005 after 17 consecutive years of Trek on TV with dwindling ratings and buzz.
Insurrection is a rousing two-hour episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, told on a major motion picture budget, with all the action, humor and ethos that have made Star Trek the venerable 52-year old franchise it is.
“In six hours, every living thing in this system will be dead or dying.”
Almost every single episode of Star Trek takes place very far away from Earth, but somehow it took 20 years and nine movies for a Star Trek film to get deep into space with no sign of Earth anywhere on sensors.
Until Insurrection. It is a different kind of Star Trek film. There’s no imminent threat to Earth. The Federation is not under siege. There’s no “search” for resurrection, vengeance or retribution. It’s a smaller film in terms of story and scope, and that is precisely where its success lies.
The Enterprise-E crew interrupts Captain Picard’s attempt to thwart the Son’a.
Coming out just two years after the major critical and creative success of Star Trek: First Contact, it became clear early on that a change of pace was needed when the ninth Trek film was green-lit by Paramount. Longtime Next Generation and Voyager writer/producer Michael Piller, the man most responsible for the success of TNG after his arrival in 1989, was charged with creating the story for the film.
“How do you ‘out-Borg’ the Borg?” said the late Piller in a production interview about the film. “How do you create a villain or adversary the will be their equal? The answer is you don’t try. Make a different kind of movie.”
Piller’s original premise for the Insurrection featured Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) on the hunt for an old Academy classmate gone rogue, an idea that then morphed into a Heart of Darkness–style showdown between Picard and Data (Brent Spiner). And then that framework was whittled down even more. The ebb and flow of the overall creative process in making the film is chronicled in incredible detail in his book Fade In — The Making of Star Trek: Insurrection, which was published posthumously by his wife, Sandra Piller, and highlights the way writers had to often navigate studio decision makers to get to a final product.
“We’re through running from these bastards!”
Under the watchful eye of director Jonathan Frakes, Insurrection is packed with energizing action set pieces that stand the test of time and certainly don’t get the credit they deserve.
The opening duck blind scene on the Ba’ku planet is strikingly visual and beautifully shot by Frakes, who also plays Commander Will Riker in the film. With its callback to the great TNG episode “Who Watches the Watchers,” it drops the audience straight into a mystery that unravels satisfyingly across the next two hours.
The distinctive sight of the cloaked Data slowly being revealed to the Ba’ku is among the most memorable scenes in the film for the way it uses modern effects and Starfleet technology juxtaposed against an idyllic and seemingly technologically-primitive society.
Writer Michael Piller (left, in ball cap) watches Jonathan Frakes film the ‘Riker Maneuver.’
That opening intrigue is followed closely by what can only be described as the “Gilbert and Sullivan chase.” Yep, it’s the one where Picard and Worf (Michael Dorn) sing Gilbert and Sullivan’s “A British Tar” to try and get through to Data and snap his programming back into place. The sequence is an exemplary illustration of what Trek does with astonishing success: broad humor.
Sure, everyone loves when Trek gets deep into the mythos with stories about the Dominion War or the Borg or stoic Vulcan mysticism, but some of Trek’s most popular and acclaimed episodes are comedies. From “The Trouble with Tribbles” to The Voyage Home to “Bride of Chaotica!,” Trek’s sense of humor cannot be dismissed. And Insurrection’s playfulness was cut from the same cloth as “A Piece of the Action” and “Take Me Out to the Holosuite.”
“I’ve never seen a sunrise. At least, not the way you see them.”
Where the film admittedly suffers slightly is in the climactic battle between Picard and guest villain Ru’afo (F. Murray Abraham), which, despite some late restructuring, is fairly paint-by-numbers and steals plot points from a couple of late-season Next Generation episodes (most notably “Ship in a Bottle” and “Homeward”).
But it does give us the unforgettable image of the Sovereign-class Enterprise-E sweeping across the face of the collector as it explodes, beaming Picard to safety at the last second. (And, sure, if you are a nitpicker you can complain all you want about the ship’s mismatched size ratio compared to the Son’a collector. But while you’re doing that, I’ll be munching on my popcorn and having a blast.)
Director Jonathan Frakes (Riker) gives some pointers to young Michael Welch (Artim).
And if space battles are your thing, the Enterprise squaring off against the Son’a ships in the Briar Patch is as underrated as it gets. Seeing Riker go through the paces of command and eventually come out on top in a well-articulated battle, with easy-to-follow motivations and great pacing (plus one joystick-fueled ‘Riker Maneuver’) is a worthy highlight of any Trek film.
Much in the same way as the actual film told a smaller and more intimate story, the fourth of composer Jerry Goldsmith’s five Star Trek film scores was also a refreshing change of pace. From the opening theme, “Ba’ku Village,” to the underrated (and aforementioned) “The Riker Maneuver,” Goldsmith’s soft, musical design for Insurrection sounds like no Trek before or since.
“I wonder if you’re aware of the trust you enGENDER, Jean-Luc Picard.”
“I think this film is a more romantic film than any of the others have been,” said the late Goldsmith of his score. “So that makes it a little different for me.”
Goldsmith’s score is a perfect complement for the film, with a lighter balance that has only enhanced its place in Trek’s musical pantheon across the past 20 years.
The entire Next Gen ensemble is rewarded during the film’s two-hour running time with prominent character development moments tethered to the influence of the metaphasic rings around Ba’ku. From Geordi’s (LeVar Burton) view of a sunrise to Riker and Troi (Marina Sirtis) rekindling their old flame, the fountain of youth emanating from the Ba’ku planet touches each character and underscores everything happening in the film.
In a deleted scene, the romance between Anij (Donna Murphy) and Picard (Patrick Stewart) ends with a kiss.
That quest for eternal youth becomes all the more poignant when Dr. Crusher (Gates McFadden) realizes the Son’a and the Ba’ku are the same race, with the former manipulating the Federation to try and return home and harness the metaphasic radiation in the rings surrounding their home world. The tragic juxtaposition between Anij (Donna Murphy) and Ru’afo magnifies the choices our TNG heroes have made in their own lives: and how much lost youth they can reclaim as they feel the energizing effects from being around the Ba’ku.
“How many people does it take, Admiral, before it becomes wrong?”
Ultimately, the answer to that question comes in the form of an android and a little boy playing in a haystack. “Don’t forget. You have to have a little fun every day,” Artim (Michael Welch) tells Data at the film’s conclusion.
Sure, it’s a little bit hokey. (OK, maybe a lot a bit hokey.) But that doesn’t make its message any less powerful (and it is one taken to heart by Trek’s first couple, as the next time we see them in Star Trek: Nemesis, Riker and Troi are finally together and getting married).
With our Trek favorites firing on all cylinders in this film, the production is wonderfully enhanced by a sensational guest cast including three award-winning stage actors in Oscar-winner F. Murray Abraham, Tony Award-winner Donna Murphy, and Emmy Award-winner Anthony Zerbe taking on the role of the gruff Admiral Dougherty.
F. Murray Abraham as Ru’Afo, Donna Murphy as Anij, and Anthony Zerbe as Admiral Dougherty.
All three provide unique takes on what could have been standard Trek tropes — especially Murphy, who examines a “perfect moment in time” as a love interest for Picard that balances a curious line between smoldering pursuit and take-it-or-leave-it passivity. As if to enhance that fact even more, Picard and Anji never even share a kiss on screen, which is certainly not the typical way Hollywood frames a romantic lead (although they do kiss in a wisely deleted extra scene).
As for Abraham’s Ru’afo and Zerbe’s Dougherty, they could certainly be critiqued as standard Trek “big bads” and “badmirals,” but that would discount the broad strokes both actors bring to their roles. Ru’afo feels over-sized and manic on the big screen, while Zerbe’s “Ssssend your sssships.” exasperation is an unforgettable Trek betrayal.
The film was released to average reviews, and it grossed just $119 million worldwide. Adjusted for inflation, its box office totals rank it 11th out of 13 Star Trek films.
“Where can warp drive take us, except away from here?”
Unfortunately, part of the fallout from that generally poor reception was losing Frakes as director for the follow-up, Star Trek: Nemesis. Frakes’ deft guidance could have saved that film from the hands of the Trek-ignorant director Stuart Baird, a bad fit for Star Trek from the start. But that’s a story we’ll tackle when we look back on Nemesis after 20 years.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIWxT_WYyaw
For now, watch Insurrection with a fresh set of eyes. Don’t think of it as a once-every-few-years Major Motion Picture Event!, but instead view it as one of those great two-part Next Generation episodes that you can never get enough of.
That’s the best context for all Trek —and it’s what makes Star Trek: Insurrection a misunderstood classic.
Today at the UBS Global Media and Communications Conference, newly-minted CBS chief creative officer David Nevins spoke to investors on a number of topics concerning the television studio — ranging from programming inquiries about their Showtime cable network to the growth of CBS All Access in 2019 — and he shared a few thoughts on the status of the expanding modern Star Trek franchise.
The executive spoke about how putting Discovery (and the announced subsequent shows, Star Trek: Lower Decks and the still-unnamed Picard series) on the CBS All Access streaming platform was a “brand-defining decision,” leading the OTT service to a slate of “mainstream but upbeat, positive sci-fi.”
When asked about how CBS All Access subscriber growth will be targeted for expansion as the service moves into 2019, Nevins mentioned a number of the planned shows coming next year (including Jordan Peele’s new take on TheTwilight Zone), and the next round of Star Trek programming became part of the conversation.
‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Season 2, in January, is in a great place. There’s huge anticipation for ‘Picard’ — that’s one of the most-loved ‘Star Trek’ characters of all time, [played by] Patrick Stewart. That’ll be at the end of the year [2019], so there will be something [on the schedule] there.
And then we’re doing these short films [‘Short Treks’] in between.
While series producers Alex Kurtzman and Heather Kadin indicated that full production on the Picard series would kick off next spring, this comment from Nevins is the first clear window for the arrival of the Picard series that’s come from CBS’s leadership.
Unfortunately, the topic of Star Trek: Lower Decks didn’t surface during the 40-minute presentation, perhaps indicating that the upcoming animated series is on a much longer pre-production path than the Picard series, which has had an operating writers room for a few months now.
Should we learn any more about when either of the two still-unscheduled Trek series will beaming to subscribers, we’ll certainly let you know — but in the meantime, we’ve got the next Discovery “Short Trek” beaming down this week for viewers in the US and Canada.
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The third entry in the Star Trek: Discovery “Short Treks” series arrives next week, and today we have our first good look at the Saru-centric flashback tale, “The Brightest Star!”
Please watch in full-screen mode as source does not allow a larger in-line video player.
With a trailer debuting through Entertainment Weekly this morning, we can see Saru (Doug Jones) back on his native Kelpian homeworld of Kaminar, engaging with his people in some kind of ritual centered around an energy-infused artifact — with his curiosity aimed towards the skies.
Here’s the official synopsis for “The Brightest Star”:
“The Brightest Star” (Thursday, Dec. 6) — “Before he was the first Kelpien to join Starfleet, Saru (Doug Jones) lived a simple life on his home planet of Kaminar with his father and sister. Young Saru, full of ingenuity and a level of curiosity uncommon among his people, yearns to find out what lies beyond his village, leading him on an unexpected path.”
Written by Bo Yeon Kim & Erika Lippoldt. Directed by Douglas Aarniokoski.
CBS has also released this official still from the mini-sode, featuring Saru and his fellow Kelpiens at work in the swamps of Kaminar:
“The Brightest Star” arrives on December 6 on CBS All Access (9:30PM ET) and Space (9PM ET). Release availability for global Star Trek: Discovery viewers is still undetermined.
A new Star Trek: Discovery commercial debuted on television last night ahead of the coming January premiere of Season 2 of the sophomore series, with the first new footage from the new episodes since the last trailer at New York Comic Con.
Currently only available through third-party uploads, the newest look at Discovery Season 2 includes extended bits of action from the rescue of survivors from the downed USS Hiawatha — Burnham’s escape from the violent structural collapse of the crashed ship as first seen in the summer San Diego Comic Con trailer — more asteroid field action from the early moments of the season, and most notably, bearded Spock (Ethan Peck) making his escape from a Starfleet medical facility…
…and sporting a smile to his captain, Christopher Pike (Anson Mount).
Aside from the apparently happy Spock — something we certainly saw in “The Cage”, which takes place before Discovery, and again in both “Amok Time” and in The Motion Picture — this commercial also reveals that we’ll see Spock and Pike together while the interim captain of the Discovery is still in charge of the Crossfield-class vessel, as denoted by his appearance in the blue uniform we’ve now come to expect from the series.
We’re hoping for a more official upload of this commercial from CBS to make its way online soon, and if and when that happens, we’ll update this post with a better-quality video of the newest peek at Discovery.
Star Trek: Discovery returns to CBS All Access and Space with the next “Short Trek” mini-sodes on December 6 and January 3, followed by the debut of Discovery Season 2 on January 17 (to follow January 18 on Netflix globally).
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Order theStar Trek: TNGBlu-ray Collection!
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Star Trek: DiscoverySeason 1 Blu-ray
Star Trek: DiscoverySeason 2 Blu-ray
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