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Trek Comics Review: ‘City on the Edge of Forever’ #1

TrekCore Staff

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June 22, 2014

Trek Comics Review: ‘City on the Edge of Forever’ #1

Our Trek Comics editor Patrick Hayes has his first review of IDW Publishing’s City on the Edge of Forever comic adaptation, based on writer Harlan Ellison’s original teleplay.

The regular cover is a stunner by Juan Ortiz, who’s become very well known for his incredible artwork that showcases each episode of the Original Series. It resembles an aged paperback with a giant clock face above a cityscape. The Enterprise is at the midnight position, its nacelles showing the dread hour, an eye is on the saucer section projecting an orange beam down upon a lone crewman running away from the urban setting. This is spectacular and I have got to get this! Grade: A+.

The subscription cover is by Paul Shipper. It’s a flawless portrait of Rand, Kirk, and Spock in a starfield before the titled city. This is just amazing, and I can’t imagine this image looking any more perfect. Grade: A+.

If you’ve never read Harlan Ellison’s original version of “The City on the Edge of Forever,” you’re going to be floored by Scott and David Tipton’s adaptation of the original teleplay. The essential story is the same as the television episode, but it is so much deeper and epic in scope.

The story opens with a drug deal going down on the Enterprise — a drug deal. The dealer, Beckwith, is withholding a narcotic jewel from Lieutenant Lebeque. Beckwith is blackmailing the man to find out what’s on the planet they’re orbiting, to learn what valuable commodities were mentioned in the log, and to be given a landfall pass — and for Lebeque to cover for him. The addict readily agrees and swallows the crystal, instantly feeling the high.

At his post on the bridge, Lebeque is dismissed by Spock, which causes the young crewman make a life changing decision. What follows on Pages 5 and 6 is something I’ve never seen happen between Starfleet officers, and it made me gasp.

An away team has to beam down to the planet and it is nothing like was shown in the television episode–It’s truly epic. There they encounter the Guardians of Forever. That’s right, guardians, plural. There’s a great conversation among Kirk, Spock, and the Guardians before someone enters the portal — and it’s not McCoy.

This is an incredible read, not because of the deviations from the holiest of holy Star Trek tales, but for the relationship between Beckwith and Lebeque, which is as real as any story can get. Outstanding! Grade: A.

This is an unbelievable looking book because J.K. Woodward has painted every page.

The first page’s opening panel is beautiful with the Enterprise in orbit. The two new crewmembers, Lebeque and Beckwith, look fantastic. Beckwith looks as though he could have taken out Vic Tayback’s Krako. Lebeque’s reaction to taking the crystal is deliciously demented; I especially liked the streaks of red coming off of the console. The look of realization and self-loathing he has for himself on Page 4 is perfect.

Speaking of perfection, Woodward is aces on the familiar characters: Spock shines on Pages 7, 10, 11, 13, 14, and 17; Kirk is awesome on 7, 8, 10, 13, 14, 18, and 20; and even Rand looks terrific on 10 and 19. Also aces on this book are the settings. The interiors of the Enterprise are spot on for 1 – 8 and the planet’s surface resembles H.P. Lovecraft’s At the Mountains of Madness on Page 11.

The biggest visual treats are the Guardians; they are not circles for individuals to leap through, but are very, very different — without spoiling it, they are so cool! This book looks tremendous and Woodward was the perfect choice to visualize this. Grade: A.

The narration, dialogue, sound effects, and Guardian-speak are all provided by Neil Utetake. There were a lot more sounds in this story than I expected. The drawn out sound at the top of Page 3 had me “hearing” it sound like the sequence in Star Trek: The Motion Picture where the Enterprise was caught in a wormhole. Great stuff! Grade: A.

Bottom line:
This is mandatory reading. If you’ve ever wondered what the original story of this classic story was, this is the book you’ve been waiting for.

One bonus included in this issue is a two-page behind-the-scenes piece entitled “Only Time Will Tell,” documenting how this project came together. These pages were an extremely interesting read, detailing how both CBS and Harlan Ellison originally declined this project. Grade: A.

– Reviewed by Comics Editor Patrick Hayes

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City on the Edge of Forever #1

Star Trek TNG S6 Blu-ray: Deleted Scenes, Part II

TrekCore Staff

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June 21, 2014

22

Star Trek TNG S6 Blu-ray: Deleted Scenes, Part II

We’ve got more lost footage from TNG Season Six, and today it’s all about “Chain of Command“! Nine scenes have been restored in high definition from the original film negatives — and these scenes are available only on the standalone “Chain of Command” Blu-ray.

On the Blu-ray, each cut sequence is featured in context with the final episode, and we’ve got a full breakdown and analysis below.

Episode 6.10: “Chain of Command, Part I”

Scene 16A: Jellico continues to use intimidation to dominate Picard’s crew, but he also uses a combination of folksy charm and sheer technical expertise to keep them off-balance.

While Jellico recounts the time he played rugby with one of La Forge’s former commanding officers, he also mixes in repair orders to retain the upper-hand in his conversation with Geordi, claiming to hear some sort of issue with the ship’s engines — Geordi hears nothing, but reluctantly complies with Jellico’s order to look into it.

It’s kind of an odd conversation. Jellico comes across as such a stern authority figure in all of his other scenes that this bit of dialogue really cuts into his “all-business” persona that has been established thus far in the episode by watching him try to make small talk with La Forge.

. . .

Episode 6.11: “Chain of Command, Part II”

Scene 6: Troi knows how urgent it is to rescue Picard, but Jellico’s single-minded focus on the mission reveals an even darker side of her new captain.

When Deanna tells Jellico that the Cardassians will likely torture Captain Picard for information on Starfleet operations, Jellico agrees — but then asks Troi to contact Starfleet and have them change out any sensitive codes or other material that Picard had access to, just in case. The counselor is not pleased.

This scene, while presenting a logical request to protect Starfleet’s secure operations, probably pushes Jellico too far into the ‘bad guy’ category. He’s not asking something improper, but it’s just a little too much.

. . .

Episode 6.11: “Chain of Command, Part II“

Scene 7: Gul Madred feigns concern for his captive, even as he hints at far more aggressive means of getting information from Picard.

This short deletion features Madred telling Picard he doesn’t care for using drugs as part of his interrogation process, and it’s certainly no big loss to the episode. Clearly, this twenty-second removal was just cut for time.

. . .

Episode 6.11: “Chain of Command, Part II“

Scene 7: Madred has his captive exactly where he wants him, yet Picard still manages to keep the torturer on the defensive.

When Madred describes how Cardassia struggles with famine in the civilian population, Picard throws the “well-fed military” back at him and tells Madred that the Federation would be more than happy to assist Cardassia with their food shortage issues — only to have Madred refuse the charitable offer.

It’s a nice little conversation showing that Picard is still able to stand by Federation ethics as a way to defuse a potential military engagement.

. . .

Episode 6.11: “Chain of Command, Part II“

Scene 20: Jellico’s proud of his choice for replacement first officer, while Geordi further fuels the mystery of the Cardassian’s plans.

Data thanks his new captain for the promotion to first officer, but tells Jellico that he does not feel more qualified than Commander Riker, who was recently relieved of his post. Meanwhile, La Forge arrives with an analysis of Beverly’s tricorder scans from her clandestine mission to Celtris III, showing nothing out of the ordinary — meaning Picard may have been directly targeted.

Now here is one that would have been nice to keep in the final cut. The broadcast version of this episode shows Data as a bit of a “yes man,” following Jellico’s requests without the same reluctance shown by his fellow officers — this moment of hesitation about taking over the first officer role from Riker allows the android a bit of humanity during the ongoing crisis.

. . .

Episode 6.11: “Chain of Command, Part II“

Scene 20: The grim reality of Picard’s capture and torture begins to sink in, even to the iron-willed Jellico.

Jellico reveals to Data that he only received updated defense plans regarding the Minos Korva system earlier that day — meaning that the Cardassians will be torturing Picard for information he can’t possibly know.

This reveal puts an even darker spin on Picard’s sessions with Gul Madred, knowing that he’ll never be able to supply the information he’s being tortured for. Leaving it out of the episode allows viewers to focus on Picard’s will to resist the Cardassian interrogation.

. . .

Episode 6.11: “Chain of Command, Part II“

Scene 32: Jellico relishes playing the ‘tough guy’ against the Cardassians, but Gul Lemec has the upper hand — and the Cardassian knows it.

A brief conversation with Lemec on the viewscreen has Jellico standing firm in his resolve to not leave the Minos Korva system, but Lemec doesn’t take his stance very seriously and he heads back to join the rest of the Cardassian fleet.

This cut adds nothing to the story, and was an easy choice for deletion.

. . .

Episode 6.11: “Chain of Command, Part II“

Scene 37B: The senior staff offers resistance to Jellico’s battle plans, but the captain’s mind is made up.

Beverly raises her concerns about Jellico’s plan to stage a preemptive strike against the Cardassian fleet hidden in the McAllister Nebula — something that would clearly be taken as an act of war, gambling hundreds of lives in the process. Surprisingly, Troi is the one to speak up in defense of the plan, describing the two million inhabitants of Minos Korva currently under threat of a Cardassian attack.

This one would have fit well into the episode, allowing the different officers to debate the issue ahead of them, even though Jellico’s plans had already been approved by Starfleet Command.

. . .

Episode 6.11: “Chain of Command, Part II“

Scene 43A: Jellico meets with Worf in the shuttlebay to inspect the antimatter mines set to be secretly attached to the Cardassian ships hiding in the nebula.

Worf describes each container as being filled with ‘one hundred antimatter mines,’ and the two discuss some of the technical issues with getting them into place in the nebula. Ronny Cox gives some pretty stilted deliveries on some of these lines of dialogue, which kind of helps this scene’s removal seem appropriate.

Additionally, the shuttlecraft “Feynman” behind the pair is named after scientist Richard Feynman — but the set piece is misspelled as FEYMAN!

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REVIEW: Star Trek TOS — “Serpents in the Garden”

TrekCore Staff

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June 20, 2014

3

REVIEW: Star Trek TOS — “Serpents in the Garden”

Star Trek: The Original Series
Serpents in the Garden
by Jeff Mariotte
Release Date: April 29. 2014
Pocket Books

From the back cover:

Early in his five-year mission commanding the U.S.S. Enterprise, Captain James T. Kirk found himself caught up in a growing conflict on the planet Neural. To maintain the balance of power against a force being armed by the Klingons, he provided weapons to his friends, the Hill People.

Years later, Admiral Kirk learns that the Klingon presence on the planet has grown considerably, in possible violation of the Treaty of Organia. Did his impulse as a young captain turn out disastrously wrong? Should he—could he—have done more to eliminate the Klingon threat? To find out, he embarks on a secret mission back to Neural—where he might just be the only person who can prevent an interstellar war.

My thoughts:

Jeff Mariotte returns to the Trek universe with another novel under the Original Series banner. This novel, however, is a much different story from last year’s The Folded World. Set in the period between the end of the Original Series and Star Trek: The Motion Picture, this Spring’s Serpents in the Garden revisits an episode of TOS that has been practically begging for a follow-up.

“A Private Little War” was a thinly-veiled Vietnam allegory that aired during Star Trek‘s second season. On the planet Neural, two populations, the Villagers and the Hill People, have lived in peace for many years. However, Klingon interference in the form of firearms provided to the Villagers has shattered that peace. At the end of the episode, Kirk feels that his only recourse is to similarly arm the Hill People.

It was an audacious and unexpected ending to a Star Trek episode, with implications that call into question Kirk’s interpretation of the Prime Directive on this particular occasion. Serpents in the Garden takes place a few years after that incident, shortly after Kirk’s promotion to Admiral prior to Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Admiral Kirk travels to Neural along with his aide and a pair of security guards to determine the current situation there. Of course, he discovers that the Klingon interference has worsened, and the ghosts of his decision years earlier return to haunt him.

For the most part, Serpents in the Garden is an enjoyable novel. It is refreshing to have a novel set during this time period, largely (or at least, relatively) unexplored when compared to other settings in the Trek timeline. Tempered by more experience and wisdom, the Kirk of this period is more reflective than his earlier self.

One of the drawbacks of the “anthology” format of the Original Series is the lack of opportunity to revisit earlier stories. Episodes that had an ambiguous or troubling ending didn’t have any impact on future stories; the Enterprise would simply warp off to her next adventure, completely ignoring any consequences that arose from the episode’s events. “A Private Little War” is possibly the greatest example of that. I would think that arming an entire population would have long-lasting consequences, most obviously to the people of the planet, but also to Kirk and the Federation. In this novel, we learn about the consequences that arose from that decision, and the legacy that both the Klingons and the Federation have left behind on Neural.

In Serpents in the Garden, we are introduced to an interesting cast of characters. A young man with a case of wanderlust and his opportunistic rival whose actions reveal he cares little for the consequences of those around him; we also learn more about Apella, the leader of the Victors (formerly known as the Villagers) and how Klingon interference has given him more power, but will ultimately lead to his ruin. I also enjoyed the characterizations of the Starfleet personnel who accompany Kirk to Neural. Mariotte does a great job in fleshing out his supporting cast.

A well-written, tightly-plotted story, Serpents in the Garden was fun to read. It was great to revisit the Neural situation and to learn more about the planet and its inhabitants. Some good character work, and a welcome intrusion into the story by Uhura, Scotty, and Chekov elevate this novel above more pedestrian fare. I enjoyed it significantly more than last year’s The Folded World, and this novel makes me interested in seeing more from Jeff Mariotte.

Final thoughts:

Serpents in the Garden is ultimately about consequences. Kirk must face the consequences of his decision in “A Private Little War,” and the consequences of his decision to return to Neural. What the novel has to say about this topic is not particularly profound or unique, but it does a fairly good job in revisiting the situation in “A Private Little War” and providing a satisfying conclusion.

I wouldn’t say it’s necessarily on my list of “essential” Trek reads this year, but it’s still one I definitely recommend.

– Reviewed by Literature Editor Dan Gunther

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Serpents in the Garden

Star Trek TNG S6 Blu-ray: Deleted Scenes, Part I

TrekCore Staff

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June 19, 2014

24

Star Trek TNG S6 Blu-ray: Deleted Scenes, Part I

We’ve finally reached the release of TNG Season Six on Blu-ray, and once again, we’ve been awarded a plethora of never-before-seen deleted scenes! Just like the cut footage from Season Four and Season Five, all of these new scenes have been rescanned from the original film negatives, just like the remastered episodes from which they were cut.

On the Blu-rays, each cut sequence is featured in context with the final episode, and we’ve got a full breakdown and analysis of the first scenes below.

Episode 6.01: “Time’s Arrow, Part II“

Scenes 10 – 11: Back in 19th century San Francisco, Beverly tries to cope with ancient medicine and ancient attitudes. Her shipmates are increasingly concerned about the mysterious invaders.

Set in and around the Sisters of Hope hospital, this extension of Beverly’s undercover work as a nurse leads her to clash with the on-duty doctor — who is not pleased with suggestions of medical treatments coming from a mere nurse. Across the room, Geordi and Deanna interview a sick patient who reports on a ‘very bad doctor’ who seemed to have motivations other than helping patients. Meanwhile, Picard and Riker act as if they don’t know each other to avoid drawing suspicion to themselves… as the two aliens with the snake-head cane enter the hospital behind them.

None of these cuts really make a difference to the plot, and were easy targets for removal when trimming down the running time of this episode. Good choices for elimination.

. . .

Episode 6.04: “Relics“

Scene 20: Scotty feels sorry for himself because he doesn’t fit into the world of the 24th century. Troi tries to help, but only manages to make things worse.

After Scotty blows up at Geordi in Engineering, he receives a surprise visit from Counselor Troi, who mysteriously wants to know how he’s feeling. He admits that the experience of arriving in the 2360s has been “bewildering,” but declines Troi’s offer to assist with looking up the fates of his friends and family in the Federation historical database.

At this point, he stops the conversation and asks exactly what a “counselor” is. Troi reveals that the position began on Starfleet vessels “about forty years ago” — and Scotty suddenly realizes she’s a psychologist. “I may be old, but I’m not crazy!” he shouts, and storms out of his quarters, heading to Ten Forward for a drink.

Lost footage of James Doohan makes this the crown jewel of deleted scenes, and we’re so happy that it was able to be restored for this Blu-ray release. Ron Moore, the writer of this episode, had this to say when interviewed for the UK Star Trek Magazine in 1997:

“I hated to lose all that, but the show was eight minutes long and something had to go. It would have been nice to explain why she comes up and kissed him at the end!”

. . .

Episode 6.06: “True Q“

Scene 10: Amanda is frightened that others will discover her new-found powers, but she clings to her dream of a normal life and a career in Starfleet. Also, she loves puppies.

Deanna arrives at Amanda’s quarters with a surprise in tow: a cute-as-a-button white Pekinese puppy named Henry, who needs a dog-sitter while his owner is on an extended away mission. Amanda readily volunteers, and then the two women discuss her future career path in the sciences, or engineering, or medicine — she can’t decide.

This cute scene is a nice moment, but really doesn’t serve any purpose in the episode and made an easy cut from the story.

. . .

Episode 6.12: “Ship in a Bottle“

Scene 3: Barclay is surprised to learn that holodeck character Moriarty experiences discomfort whenever he flashes on or off.

In this extension of the final scene, Barclay has to try multiple times to turn Moriarty “off” before he leaves the holodeck, a process Moriarty finds “most unpleasant.”

It’s not much of a trim, just fifteen seconds or so, and was a simple cut to save remove some of the extra running time from the final episode.

. . .

Episode 6.12: “Ship in a Bottle“

Scene 8: Moriarty wants desperately to gain physical existence, but the Enterprise crew does not yet know the lengths to which he’ll go to leave the holodeck.

As Moriarty pleads his case that his will is stronger than the holodeck’s limitations, Barclay concedes the point that the Enterprise has encountered other beings capable of altering matter with mental powers. Data shoots Barclay down, emphasizing that Moriarty’s consciousness is computer-generated, and can’t possibly affect reality outside of the holodeck.

Again, it’s a section of dialogue easily removed without affecting the narrative, but it’s nice to see that at least one person on board doesn’t believe that Moriarty’s plan is totally impossible.

. . .

Episode 6.14: “Face of the Enemy“

Scene 10: DeSeve, the former Romulan defector, now realizes the Federation is no longer home to him; in his quarters, he realizes that he’s more alone than he’s ever been.

Before Picard visits his quarters, DeSeve attempts to order coffee from the replicator — only to find that he asks the computer in Romulan rather than in Federation Standard. He pauses, thinks hard, and finally remembers the English word for the beverage.

This brief trim is a nice little character beat that serves to emphasize just how long DeSeve was away from humanity during his twenty years on Romulus.

. . .

Episode 6.15: “Tapestry“

Scene 7: Picard finds it hard to believe that he’s really dead; Q does what he can to convince him otherwise.

“Check your heart rate!” says Q, working to make Picard believe his situation. It’s not a huge piece of the story, but it’s a nice conversation that provides some insight into why Picard believes Q so quickly. This would have been nice to keep in the final cut.

. . .

Episode 6.15: “Tapestry”

Scene 26: Picard and Marta, the morning after — everything’s different between them now, and not in a good way.

Marta tells a wonderful story in this scene, recounting their first day at Starfleet Academy and her first encounter with Jean-Luc Picard, wanting to be friends with him right away… and despite Picard’s protests, she now believes that their night together ruined that friendship.

Marta’s description of a young Picard with “that cocky look on your face” is a lovely piece of character backstory, but it really just drags out an already long scene.

. . .

Episode 6.15: “Tapestry”

Scene 34: Lieutenant j.g. Picard visits Engineering, and his conversation with Geordi brings the shocking dreariness of his new life into even sharper focus.

It’s one more Picard-is-a-nobody scene, this time with La Forge. Geordi is having trouble isolating some technical problem in the warp engines, and though Picard offers a few proper-sounding suggestions to identify the issue, La Forge gives him the brush-off and walks away from the blue-shirted Jean-Luc.

It certainly feels like this sequence was cut for time, as it has a bit of a duplicated point from the Riker/Troi evaluation in Ten Forward that immediately precedes it; it’s definitely a nice inclusion in this Blu-ray collection.

	Order Star Trek: TNG - Season 6 on Blu-ray today!		Order TNG's "Chain of Command" on Blu-Ray today!

Trek Comics Review #34: ‘Lost Apollo’ (Part 2)

TrekCore Staff

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June 16, 2014

1

Trek Comics Review #34: ‘Lost Apollo’ (Part 2)

Our Trek Comics editor Patrick Hayes is back with a review of this month’s issue of IDW Publishing’s Star Trek ongoing comic series: the final chapter of “Lost Apollo.”

The regular cover is by Joe Corroney with colors by Brian Miller. It is a drop-dead gorgeous shot of Doctor McCoy before a neon delta shield, with a computer screen overlay atop Bones in the left corner and the medical insignia overlay on his chest. There’s also an unbelievable amount of computer readouts and grids within the shield. The Enterprise flies below the good doctor to complete the image. What isn’t on this cover? This had to have been a planning and coloring nightmare, but it is magnificent. Corroney and Miller have outdone themselves on this one. Grade: A+.

The subscription cover is by Craig Rousseau and it’s got the entire Trek cast as the Angry Birds. Yes, it’s finally happened — Angry Birds have gone Star Trek. What transporter accident caused this to happen? IDW has acquired the license to produce Angry Bird comics, which has its first issue coming out this month, so this was done as a bit of cross promotion. It’s not for me. Grade: B.

Writer Mike Johnson closes out “Lost Apollo” in excellent fashion. As with the first part, this issue begins with a flashback. In 1972, Florida, a soon-to-be astronaut is giving his daughter a kiss tonight, promising that he’ll keep the picture she’s drawn for him on his flight.

Cut to the present, as a huge creature is under attack by two away team members after knocking out one crewman and holding Kirk’s limp body high. The beast cannot be killed, but is scared off after taking six phaser rifle shots. The away team beams back to the Enterprise and science provides some interesting findings about the hostile planet, with the fourth panel on Page 5 being a stunner that intrigues Kirk.

I began to get an inkling on what was coming with the action of Page 10, but I was still surprised by the end of 13. Page 17 is a nice bit of lost history revealed and Spock’s conclusion on 19 was aces. The final three pages were Trek perfection. A hard decision must be made and Kirk’s solution was a gut-wrencher.

This was the first comic story that felt like an episode of the original series. Once I was done, I was so pleased with what I had read. This felt like Star Trek. From the surprises and the conclusion, Johnson has delivered gold. Grade: A+.

I am a big fan of Joe Corroney and was happy to see him back on the pencils for this book, and inking his own work (with Victor Moya and Rob Doan also providing inks).

I love how the first page was a Norman Rockwell moment — and upon turning to Page 2, the content couldn’t be any more different. I really like the design of the creature. The action on the second page rates a splash page and Corroney makes the most of it; it sets up everything a reader needs to know… so much so that the dialogue isn’t really needed if you read the previous issue.

Corroney does an exceptional job of having his characters look like the actors. Even if the characters are in their environment suits, any reader can see that it’s Chris Pine as Kirk in this book. The close-ups on Page 4 are particularly fine. The characters also look good out of their suits for the scenes aboard the Enterprise, with Scotty’s nervous look on Page 12 being great.

Like last issue, some of the backgrounds on the Enterprise (fifteen of them that I counted) are photos from either of the films. I don’t like these. They stand out horribly; it’s like bad blue screen of the early 1970s. I know that using them allows artists, and several have been using these lately in books I’ve been reading, to spend more time on other parts of their books. The majority of the book looks great, I just wish Corroney hadn’t done this.

This grouse aside, the final three pages are the perfect closer for the story. I swear I could hear melancholy music playing as I read them. And that last page is practically poetic. I’m kicking the grade on this up notch, because last issue prepared me for the few backgrounds that bugged, but the rest of the book was beautiful. Grade: A-.

A great source of coloring lately has been coming from Stellar Labs, and Sakti Yowono is from this group doing a bang up job this month. She does a really good job in shading the characters’ faces, giving them a lot of depth. Look no further than Page 1, panel four, and Pages 6 and 7 for proof. I love the violet coloring of the creature. Trek fans got scarlet red on the creature that chased Kirk in the first film, and I’m glad to see a different color being used for a “monster.”

The color of the creature was also similar to the deep dark colors of the world it inhabits, so it made sense. Nice creation of a computer overlay on 9 through colors. The bright sound effects also really stand out on the dark planet. Yowono is doing a solid job. Grade: A+.

Go-to IDW letterer Neil Uyetake does a good job on this book with dialogue and narration, but his sound effects are exploding off the page. This story has a lot of them and they look great. I especially like how the creature’s sounds have a little border around them that Yowono picked up on. This issue has some classic phaser and transporter sounds. What more could you want? Grade: A.

Bottom line:
“Lost Apollo” was the first time there wasn’t a flashback or a gimmick to tell a story. This was all original and I loved it. This felt like Star Trek. It’s got a good secret, science, and a moral dilemma, all with great visuals. Grade: A.

– Reviewed by Comics Editor Patrick Hayes

Review: Star Trek The Next Generation – Season 6 Blu-ray

TrekCore Archives

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June 14, 2014

143

Review: Star Trek The Next Generation – Season 6 Blu-ray

Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 6
Release Date: June 24, 2014
Blu-Ray Disc • 6 Discs
CBS Home Entertainment

Seven months after Season 5 hit shelves, we’ve arrived at the next stop on the journey through Star Trek: The Next Generation remastered for high definition Blu-ray. Next Gen‘s sixth season consistently ranks highly with fans, bringing together some of the series’ most memorable and hard-hitting episodes. This year of adventures feels like a definite step-up compared to the somewhat uneven fifth season, with very few episodes encouraging me to hit the fast-forward button.

With the absence of creator Gene Roddenberry following his death in 1991, the show gradually started to embrace a less Utopian attitude to 24th century life, incorporating issues such as espionage (“Chain of Command“), piracy (“Starship Mine“), violence (“Descent, Part I“) and even torture (“Chain of Command“). Naturally, this all made for much meatier storylines and succeeds in adding tremendous depth to many of the characters (especially Picard and Riker, who both undergo significant development in the sixth season).

The penultimate year of TNG always felt like Star Trek at its finest to me. Indeed, both co-producer Ronald D. Moore and actor Brent Spiner don’t hesitate in naming this as their favorite season. It’s like a box of 26 different chocolates, each with their own unique flavor; whether you have the desire to boldly go on a galactic romp (“The Chase“), revisit history – both past (“Ship in the Bottle“, “A Fistful of Datas“) and future (“Relics“), delve into a psychological thriller (“Frame of Mind“) or confront the deepest questions of life (“Tapestry“), love (“Lessons“) and existence (“The Quality of Life“) – Season Six has everything you need.

Two Generations Unite – Scotty and Picard in “Relics“, Season Six

Remastering Quality

Two years down the line, and Star Trek: The Next Generation‘s massive remastering project is entering its final hours. As I type this review, the team over at CBS Digital in Los Angeles are putting the finishing touches to TNG’s final season (due out later this year). After cutting their teeth on the first season back in 2012, this group of industry professionals have perfected their individual techniques to create a product which consistently draws rapturous praise from hundreds of thousands of fans across the globe.

Rebuilding this elaborate and technically challenging 25 year old TV show from the original 35mm film – element by element – is made to look like child’s play when you watch the final product. The stunningly recreated visual effects are all seamlessly integrated into freshly scanned HD footage, hiding the labyrinthine nature of the project that the CBS Digital team are confronted with on a daily basis.

The crew at CBS Digital responsible for the remastering project for Star Trek: The Next Generation

Check out the sections below for a more comprehensive breakdown of the remastering effort this season, but if you’re going to take away just one headline from this review then let it be this – the work on display in Season 6 is quite possibly the most impressive yet. The picture is virtually flawless and the visual effects are incomparable to anything I’ve seen previously. On to the analysis!

I. Live Action Footage

The task facing people like CBS Digital’s Sarah Paul, Sean Sweeney and Kiki Morris is gargantuan in nature: hunting through hundreds of original 35mm film reels to track down every last second of negative needed to rebuild the show from scratch. Sarah takes on her job as if it’s a military operation – every episode is broken down element by element in meticulous detail and at any one time she knows what she has and what she needs. Naturally with a show as complex as Star Trek: The Next Generation, film is misplaced over the years and when that happens the team have no choice but to resort to upscaling existing SD footage. The fifth season was hit comparatively hard by this issue, but thankfully the same can not be said for Season 6. CBS has managed to locate every piece of film necessary to ensure that the sixth season Blu-rays are presented entirely in high definition with no upscaling – fantastic news!

In standard definition, each season of TNG seems to be afflicted with its own particular problem. The old SD copies of TNG’s sixth season (and likewise Deep Space Nine‘s first, which was filmed at the same time) are incredibly soft, far more than earlier TNG seasons. It’s difficult to establish with any degree of certainty why the 1992-1993 seasons suffered so badly, but they’ve always stuck out to me like a sore thumb. Now for the good news – the newly scanned high definition live-action footage of Season 6 on Blu-ray looks phenomenal. Excluding the odd soft focus shot sprinkled throughout the season (“Time’s Arrow, Part II” has the highest amount of ‘hazy’ soft focus shots, although this is clearly an artistic choice) the new HD image is pin-sharp. The crispness of the newly scanned 35mm print is mindblowing – just wait until you see the colors in episodes like “A Fistful of Datas“!

http://youtu.be/rfYkloL3xbk

A special TrekCore Exclusive: We go behind the scenes of TNG Remastered as the original 35mm camera negatives for “A Fistful of Datas” are scanned in by CBS Digital film transfer technician Wade Felker.

CBS Digital’s Marvin Hildebrandt is responsible for adjusting the color timing of the HD footage to ensure a consistent look over the series. Colors are once again vibrant and pop off the screen in stark contrast to the faded and uneven color timing which plagued the SD master tapes. Flesh tones appear realistic, and the slight red tint which was noticeable on some of the previous sets isn’t quite as pronounced here. Black levels are well balanced for the most part; However there are some instances when blacks overwhelm dark scenes, crushing out fine detail (this is particularly noticeable in some of the Celtris III cave shots from “Chain of Command“). This is unfortunate, and extreme care should be taken if a darker-toned show like Deep Space Nine is ever remastered!

The cast and crew weren’t given many chances to shoot on location during the show’s penultimate season, but each of the three episodes that feature outdoor locations has a distinct feel to it: the hazy streets of 19th Century San Francisco in “Time’s Arrow, Part II”; the classic sepia-esque Western look in “A Fistful of Datas” and the distinctive alien lighting of Lore’s unnamed planet in “Descent, Part I“. The high definition experience gives these locations a wonderfully immersive other-worldly quality that really draws the viewer in. San Francisco and Deadwood are especially fun in HD – I was freeze-framing on many of the shots to pick out newly visible store-signs and street posters!

The town of Deadwood … you can almost feel that tumbleweed blow past you! (“A Fistful of Datas“)

Scenes filmed in low lighting generally perform much better thanks to the new high definition transfer, although I feel compelled to add a caveat here. While there are indeed huge improvements in episodes such as “Rightful Heir” (the underground monastery at Boreth looks particularly moody and atmospheric thanks to the new details visible), overly strong black levels have crushed out some detail in other episodes (“Chain of Command” is particularly affected – the texture of the away team’s dark uniforms is no longer discernible in some scenes).

Jo’Bril’s Takaran makeup hides no secrets in high definition – check out those glorious colors! (“Suspicions“)

Small intricate details in sets, costumes and makeup are finally made visible in high definition. This is especially noticeable in the sixth season due to the softness of the original SD master. You’ll have great fun picking out the various aliens stood around the dom-jot game in “Tapestry” (watch out for the Tailhead – a more familiar sight on DS9’s Promenade!); meanwhile, you’re bound to marvel at the terrifying Solanogen-based lifeforms in “Schisms” who look scary as hell in high definition – the makeup and costume hold up remarkably well! A few other things that especially stood out to me – the costumes in “Ship in a Bottle” and “A Fistful of Datas” look particularly rich in HD, and the makeup on aliens like Jo’Bril (“Suspicions“) now boast some amazing detail that has always been lost due to the limitations of standard-def.

Finally, I can’t write about Season Six without mentioning “Birthright“. At long last we get our first glimpse of the Deep Space Nine sets in high definition. Both the promenade and replimat are represented here and they don’t disappoint. The replimat looks especially colorful, with the flora decorating the ceiling sparkling in HD. The brief glimpse of Morn made me smile warmly, and his Lurian makeup only serves to tease the viewer more about the prospect of a DS9 remastering project. Come on CBS, sort out the budget and make it happen!

Morn makes a high-definition appearance in “Birthright, Part I“

II. Visual Effects

CBS Digital‘s work recreating the visual effects for Star Trek: The Next Generation has been consistently superb. As the show became more complex through its run, the team have refined their technique and kept ahead of the curve to ensure their work continues to meet the high expectations of fans. This project is a labor of love for so many of the team behind it, and it really comes across in the final product. To take on the last three seasons of TNG consecutively is no mean feat, but judging by the results on display here, CBS-D have once again risen to the occasion and turned out some beautiful work.

Planet-Creator Extraordinaire Max Gabl is firing on all thrusters once more with another collection of alien worlds that look like they could have just been photographed by NASA. Max has a wonderful talent for mixing realism with fantasy in his art and through collaboration with Eric Bruno‘s compositing team, the Enterprise never looks out of place entering orbit of one of the new planetary creations. So what caught my eye in Season 6? Tagra IV from “True Q“, the newly-designated gas giant Deinonychus from “A Fistful of Datas” and the beautiful planetary collision in the Detrian system from “Ship in a Bottle” (which I raved about in this article) all deserve worthy mentions. However, I reserve some of my highest praise for the varied shots in “The Chase” – one of my personal favorites from Season 6 – and the firestorm-plagued Bersallis III from “Lessons“. Bersallis in particular looks utterly terrifying from orbit, with the huge scale of the firestorms clearly visible. The destruction of Indri VIII in “The Chase” as well as Loren III are stunningly recreated. Max had a full plate this season but has risen to the challenge with customary aplomb – great work, Max!


From the raging firestorms of Bersallis III in “Lessons” to the destruction of Indri VIII in “The Chase“, Max Gabl knows his planets!

Eric Bruno and his visual effects compositing team at CBS Digital habitually up their game so each season things have a tendency to look that little bit more sleek and effortless. Eric himself worked on the beauty-shots of the Enterprise docked at Deep Space Nine in “Birthright, Part I” and has done a stand-up job of giving us our first taste of the station in high definition. DS9 is no longer flat and lifeless – the new shot screams grandeur and elegance with subtle shadows and sparkling lights giving the station a beautiful sense of scale and power. Rusted exposed hull plates jump off the screen in shocking shades of pink and yellow that haven’t been seen since the model was first filmed. Shots like this are a perfect example why CBS needs to lock down a Deep Space Nine remastering project before talented people like the gang at CBS Digital move on to bigger and better things.

Commence station log! This could just be the cruelest tease in home entertainment history if CBS don’t hire these guys to work on Deep Space Nine pretty soon.

It’s worth mentioning a couple of other stand-out moments from this season’s visual effects: “Relics” and “The Chase“. The Dyson Sphere (“Relics“) remains one of the more alien and mysterious objects encountered in the Star Trek universe. At the time the episode was produced, its imposing scale was unprecedented – the design team put together some incredibly complicated maquettes and matte paintings whose details were all but lost in the murkiness of standard definition. Thankfully we can finally see the sphere in all its glory. It’s almost Borg-like in design – complex hull panels criss-cross the surface and stretch off far into the distance giving the impression of a truly huge size. Rusted features on the surface are also visible, leading us to believe that the sphere is ancient in origin. Detail like this is a joy to see, and I’m left dumbstruck knowing that it was there all along, hidden under the murk of standard def.

Prepare yourself! It’s the Dyson Sphere in gorgeous HD (“Relics“)

Finally, “The Chase” gives us the chance to see some pretty awesome starship encounters as the Enterprise warps around the galaxy looking for the key to life’s very existence. There is some beautiful compositing work on display here, especially as the Cardassian ships engage in combat against the Klingons and the Enterprise. I don’t think these models have ever looked so good. I can’t thank the team enough for their work – they’ve done Star Trek proud, something which I’m sure every fan who watches these Blu-rays can agree on!

Wow! The Enterprise is struck by Cardassian fire in “The Chase“. Doesn’t she look amazing?

To highlight every piece of work done with the visual effects this season is an impossible task. There’s simply too much here to cover in a review – especially when I know you’re all wanting to read this as early as possible! So I’ll end the visual effects section with a cute story from “Realm of Fear“. This perfectly illustrates how the most innocuous looking shot on screen can mask days upon days of frustrating and repetitive work for the guys at CBS Digital. We all know the plot – Lt. Barclay encounters strange lifeforms inside a transporter beam which look a bit like giant worms and turn out to be stranded crewmembers of the science vessel U.S.S. Yosemite. Those giant worms were actually puppets whose complex movements were filmed and then composited over the transporter beam to give the cool final effect. I had the pleasure of visiting CBS Digital while this particular shot was being worked on, and discovered that the original production team had filmed dozens upon dozens of different takes of this giant worm, all moving in subtly different patterns over different time-spans. It transpired that no notes existed indicating which takes had been used in the final episode, so staff at CBS Digital had to painstakingly go through take after take trying to match by eye each movement with the blurry low-resolution SD master. Another perfect example why these guys are perfectionists – they’ll work tirelessly around the clock to ensure that even the tiniest details are correct.

Verdict time. It’s a no-brainer: Season Six represents another perfect example of CBS Digital’s quality work bringing TNG into the high definition 21st century. If ever there was an example where more than five stars were necessary to grade the product, this would be it!

Bonus Material

Roger Lay, Jr. and Robert Meyer Burnett are back again with another multi-part documentary covering the history of TNG – “Beyond the Five Year Mission: The Evolution of Star Trek: The Next Generation”. There’s no reunion special on this set – the duo had planned to get a collection of TNG directors together but couldn’t find a date that worked for everybody. Nevertheless, fans have a new trio of audio commentaries, deleted scenes and bloopers to keep them occupied.

So what about that documentary? “Evolution” combines three thirty-minute segments, “The Lithosphere”, “The Biosphere” and “The Noosphere”.

“Part One: The Lithosphere” is frustrating – it’s almost as if this part doesn’t know what it wants to be. The first half of it is purely dedicated to Deep Space Nine. Now I’m a huge Niner, but this stuff really felt out of place to me – numerous archival interviews with Colm Meaney, Michael Piller and Rick Berman, talking about the premise of the show and the pilot, all interspersed with numerous (SD) clips from “Emissary“. I understand DS9 launched during TNG‘s sixth season, but there are almost no references to TNG here. I’d love to have heard the TNG crew’s reactions when they discovered a new series was on the way. At one point Rick Berman hints at potential dischord (“it wasn’t really a conflict, but things got a bit crazy”), but this is never followed up on! Meanwhile the second half of this part is a rather abbreviated compilation of snippets from creative staff including Naren Shankar, René Echevarria and writer Morgan Gendel. There are a couple of cute anecdotes in here (I enjoyed René’s story of how he wanted to kill Will Riker in “Second Chances“), but things are all too brief and the documentary chops unrelated stories together in a rather haphazard fashion.

A Fistful of… Rikers?! Jonathan Frakes clowns about with his camera doubles during tests for “Second Chances“

“Part Two: The Biosphere” is a marked improvement on the disappointing first part. Production Designer Richard D. James and Director of Photography Jonathan West both own this half-hour segment with some truly fascinating stories about their roles in the production of Star Trek. Listen out for James retelling how he convinced the producers to get rid of the expensive plexiglass windows from sets like the Observation Lounge after they plagued the film crew with unwanted reflections. Meanwhile West talks about his involvement all the way back on Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, filming Spock’s death sequence and catching pneumonia on Ceti Alpha II! Throw in some cool info about the reconstruction of the classic Enterprise bridge in “Relics” and Rick Berman revealing how Stephen Hawking rewrote some of the jokes in his “Descent, Part I” appearance and this segment is sure to entertain!

A corner of the classic Enterprise bridge is recreated for the arrival of Scotty in “Relics“

“Part Three: The Noosphere” pulls together interviews with the principal cast on Season 6 and features the long awaited appearance of Guinan actress, Whoopi Goldberg. The Whoop is on strong form recalling how both Rick Berman and Gene Roddenberry couldn’t believe that a film-star at the peak of her career would want to guest on Star Trek. That said, my favorite part had to be when she apologized for saying “bullshit” only a few seconds into her interview! John de Lancie also shines in this segment – listen out for his famous dinner-party allegory and his intellectual breakdown of geek culture at the end of the segment. I found myself really enjoying this part, maybe a touch more than the second part. Nicely done!

Gag Reel: This season’s gag reel comes in slightly shorter than Season 5’s at 5:20 but it doesn’t pull any punches when inducing more fits of laughter. Right from the opening shot of Jonathan Frakes confronting Geordi with a drill(!) in “Aquiel” to Whoopi Goldberg’s distaste for Ferengi scientists (“Suspicions“; “Do you think that Ferengi f**k killed himself?!”), you’re guaranteed five minutes of raucous hilarity!

Patrick Stewart is clearly not a fan of doctors! More hi-jinks in this season’s gag reel

Audio Commentaries: The set contains three audio commentaries, newly recorded especially for this set.

6×04 "Relics" with Ronald D. Moore and Mike & Denise Okuda
6×15 "Tapestry" with Ronald D. Moore and Mike & Denise Okuda
6×21 "Frame of Mind" with James L. Conway and Jonathan West

Deleted Scenes: It’s such a treat watching through deleted footage that’s never been seen before – especially for a show as special as TNG. But when said footage includes an almost legendary clip of the late Jimmy Doohan which was culled from “Relics“, things are taken up a notch. We have an accompanying article which breaks down every single deleted scene included on this set with full review commentary and screengrabs – watch for it coming to TrekCore next Thursday, June 19th!

Summing up the bonus content on offer here, I couldn’t help but feel that the documentary could have been confined to two parts. The first part really is superfluous. Still, parts 2 and 3 don’t disappoint and served up enough fascinating stories and anecdotes to keep me interested. Here’s hoping that Roger and Robert have some surprises in store for the seventh season – let’s go out with a bang, guys!

The Bottom Line? Simply divine, and probably my favorite TNG Blu-ray release so far. Fantastic episodes, breathtaking HD remastering and a whole load of great new bonus features. If you only buy one of these Blu-ray seasons, make sure it’s Season 6!

– Written for TrekCore.com by Adam Walker, June 14, 2014

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Questions? Comments? Thoughts? Post them below and join in the discussion! Plus, don’t forget to pre-order your copy of Season 6 from Amazon using our links to help support TrekCore!

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TNG Season 6 Blu-ray Trailer: HD Downloads, Stills and Comparison & Analysis

TrekCore Archives

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June 11, 2014

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TNG Season 6 Blu-ray Trailer: HD Downloads, Stills and Comparison & Analysis

It feels like a lifetime ago that I wrote the last article on the TNG Remastering project, but after a six month wait we are finally closing in on the release of the Season Six Blu-rays! Back in March we brought you the spectacular trailer teasing the set, so it’s high time that we dug a little deeper. In this article we’ll be comparing some of the newly remastered high definition scenes with their SD DVD counterparts with the aid of uncompressed 1080p screenshots from the trailer. Meanwhile, we have high quality download options for the trailer for those who want to avoid the compression inherent with YouTube’s version.

CBS Digital signed up for the remastering of all three final seasons of TNG, no mean feat given the noticeable increase in complexity as the show matured. At this stage in the game, CBS-D have become such a well-oiled production machine for rebuilding Star Trek: TNG in high definition that their work looks almost effortless. See for yourself with the higher-quality trailer below, presented for download at 1080p, 720p and 480p resolution.

[iframe src=”http://www.youtube.com/embed/60oK7L39cMc” width=”560″ height=”315″]

Download: 480p (36 MB) • 720p (120 MB) • 1080p (301 MB)

The trailer pulls together a delicious collection of clips from the action-packed season, including the long awaited debut of Deep Space Nine in high definition. From the work on display here and the other images I’ve seen so far, it’s no exaggeration to say that CBS Digital have once again knocked the ball way out of the park this season. Without further ado, here are some of my favorite shots alongside their SD counterparts for comparison:

Original SD (DVD)	Remastered HD (Blu-Ray)

Back in the early nineties, CGI was still in its infancy. The colliding planets from the Detrian system were an early example of computer-generated special effects being used on TNG, originally rendered by Digital Magic. The newly remastered gas-giant collision retains the original artistic intent while adding a whole new layer of realism. This shot is pure eye-candy (indeed, it’s sat as my desktop wallpaper for the past 3 months!). CBS Digital lead VFX compositor Eric Bruno‘s trademark technique of bouncing a bit of local light off the Enterprise model is once again present, and succeeds in making the shot all the more substantive. (TNG 6×12: “Ship in a Bottle“)


Deep. Space. Nine. Three words fans have been dying to hear in connection with this remastering project ever since it began. Fan demand for DS9 in high definition is huge, so we’ve all been eagerly awaiting the TNG/DS9 Season 6 crossover episode “Birthright” for the first glimpse at the station in hi-def. Lead CBS-D compositor Eric Bruno certainly doesn’t disappoint – he’s injected new life into the old Cardassian floating bicycle wheel! The station is sparkling with never-before-seen detail and revitalized color, previously hidden in the murkiness of standard definition. The yellow structures (“EPS thermal control radiators” according to designer Rick Sternbach) around the central core just pop off the screen, while the Ops control tower can now be discerned to be an ever-so-slightly different shade to the rest of the station – taking on a brown tinge. The craftsmanship and design of the model comes oozing through in HD – I’ve fallen in love with the show all over again just by looking at this shot. Simply stunning. (TNG 6×16: “Birthright, Part I“)


Scotty’s appearance in the 24th Century will always go down as one of TNG’s greatest moments. In standard definition, “Relics” suffered from an overly soft and blurred appearance (moreso than many episodes that preceded it). Thankfully when CBS Digital re-scanned the original 35mm film from the episode and worked their magic with color correction, detail came pouring through. The haze has truly been lifted! This classic Trek moment looks superb in high definition, and the reconstructed sections of Kirk’s Enterprise bridge look vivid and alive. (TNG 6×04: “Relics“)


The birds-eye view of the Enterprise in Data’s dream stands as one of the most unique and technically brilliant camera moves around the 4-foot Enterprise model. This shot really shines in high definition, and the CBS Digital team have once again done the 4-footer proud. The detailing on the panels, alongside improved contrast, black levels and color timing all guarantee that this is one shot you’ll want to replay over and over again once you grab the Blu-rays! (TNG 6×16: “Birthright, Part I“)



The alien vortex has been recreated in this shot from “Schisms”. It retains the basic properties of the original vortex (coloration, brighter outer ring), but enjoys a more clearly defined structure in high definition. Notice the huge improvement in detail in the carpet in Riker’s quarters and the grill paneling on the wall. It’s still hard to believe that all this was lost in standard definition! Plus, there’s the welcome presence of correct color timing which finally allows us to say goodbye to the pervasive purple hue which plagued this episode! (TNG 6×05: “Schisms“)



There’s barely an episode that goes by without at least one energy discharge in Star Trek! In terms of visual effects the energy patterns may appear random, however CBS Digital goes to great pains to ensure that the remastered version follows the outline of the original SD version as closely as possible, with artists such as Tony Graf going frame-by-frame to trace each energy tendril and reproduce it in high definition (TNG 6×16: “Birthright, Part I“)



As much as the outside of the Dyson Sphere impresses in HD, the inside succeeds in causing my jaw to well and truly drop! All that beautiful detail and color were present in the original matte produced back in 1991. Freshly scanned from the original 35mm film print and color corrected, the artistic prowess of original matte painting creator Eric Chauvin shines in this remastered shot. The extra detail now visible in the matte really lends a sense of scale, leaving the viewer in no doubt that the Enterprise is dwarfed by the massive Dyson Sphere. (TNG 6×04: “Relics“)



Another of the sixth season’s most memorable visual effects shots: Amanda and Q take a stroll along the hull of the Enterprise. This shot was tricky to pull off back in 1991 and really suffered from the limitations of compositing techniques available to the original artistic team. Fast forward to 2014 and shots like this become child’s play to a visual effects artist like CBS Digital’s Eric Bruno. Eric has managed to integrate both of the characters into the scene flawlessly (notice the huge improvement in the blacks of Q’s uniform). Meanwhile, the Enterprise model is given some “extra love” with realistic lighting and shadowing alongside some much needed color correction (goodbye purple!) (TNG 6×06: “True Q“)


The two Rikers meet. Shots involving this particular type of editing trickery always fared worse for ware as the original visual effects team were confined to a standard definition workflow while working their editing magic. With the latest editing software and a high-definition workflow, CBS Digital are able to churn out scenes like this without any of the characteristic increase in softness that we’re so used to seeing on DVD and SD broadcasts. CBS Digital colorist Marvin Hildebrandt once again offered his skills to ensure consistency in uniform colors and skin tones. The difference between SD and HD is simply night and day. (TNG 6×24: “Second Chances“)


Riker’s shattering realities were originally created in 1992 using CGI at effects house Digital Magic. Niel Wray‘s CG team at CBS Digital had to start from scratch with this unique effect with only the standard definition copy to work from. The shot is comprised of four different layers – Riker, the Tilosian Doctor, Riker’s prison cell and Ten Forward. They are edited slightly differently in the remaster, however the resulting effect still manages to shock and wow, just as it did when I first saw it over 20 years ago! (TNG 6×21: “Frame of Mind“)


This shot truly blows me away. The compositing on display here with the 4-foot Enterprise model is first class – the golden tones reflecting off the saucer’s underside and the bussard collectors on the nacelles are PERFECT for this scene and lend a huge amount of realism to the Dyson Sphere star which the Enterprise is swiftly moving away from. Major kudos to CBS Digital compositor Janice Lee who worked on this shot – she’s done a terrific job! (TNG 6×04: “Relics“)

What do you think of the remastering of Season Six from the HD screenshots and trailer? Let us know if you agree with our analysis!

The trailer also gives us a teasing glimpse of the next round of deleted scenes – two of more than two dozen coming with Season Six. Setting aside the Troi/Amanda scene from “True Q“, all attention is undoubtedly on the big one: never-before-seen footage of Jimmy Doohan’s appearance in “Relics” This meeting between Scotty and Troi has been discussed by fans for years, but this Blu-ray release is the first time it’s ever been made available to the public. Scotty questioning Troi what she actually does on the ship is hilarious, and the punchline of “You’re a psychiatrist” is pure gold. Having seen the full scene, it’s not hard to advocate that Season Six is worth the price based solely on the inclusion of this gem from the Star Trek archives!

Finally, some pretty awesome news to further sweeten the pot. CBS Digital film hunters Sarah Paul, Kiki Morris and Sean Sweeney have managed to track down every piece of the original negative for Season Six meaning NO UPSCALED FOOTAGE on this set! Our huge thanks to Sarah, Kiki and Sean for their unrelenting quest to track down as much original film as they can. Great job guys!

Star Trek: The Next Generation – Season Six will be released as a six-disc Blu-ray set this month (June 2014). As usual, the set will be loaded full of special bonus features including a three-part documentary, episode trailers, new audio commentaries, a gag reel and the aforementioned truckload of deleted scenes!

Fans in the US & Canada can expect a release date of June 24 for this set. Fans in the UK have to wait a bit longer this time, as Paramount Home Entertainment (UK) have nominated July 21 as their release date. Meanwhile fans in Germany can grab their copy on July 3.

Haven’t already pre-ordered? Secure your copy today using the links below. Fans wanting the single disc “Chain of Command” Blu-ray will have to order from Amazon in the US as most European distributors have decided not to release it.

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REVIEW: Star Trek Enterprise — “Tower of Babel”

TrekCore Staff

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June 2, 2014

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REVIEW: Star Trek Enterprise — “Tower of Babel”

Star Trek: Enterprise Rise of the Federation – Tower of Babel By Christopher L. Bennett Release Date: March 25, 2014 Pocket Books

From the back cover:

The United Federation of Planets has weathered its first major crisis, but its growing pains are just beginning. Admiral Jonathan Archer hopes to bring the diverse inhabitants of the powerful and prosperous Rigel system into the Federation, jump-starting the young nation’s growth and stabilizing a key sector of space.

Archer and the Federation’s top diplomats journey to the planetoid Babel to debate Rigel’s admission…but a looming presidential race heats up the ideological divide within the young nation, jeopardizing the talks and threatening to undo the fragile unity Archer has worked so hard to preserve.

Meanwhile, the sinister Orion Syndicate recruits new allies of its own, seeking to beat the Federation at its own game. Determined to keep Rigel out of the union, they help a hostile Rigelian faction capture sensitive state secrets along with Starfleet hostages, including a young officer with a vital destiny.

Captain Malcolm Reed, Captain T’Pol, and their courageous crews must now brave the wonders and dangers of Rigel’s many worlds to track down the captives before the system is plunged into all-out war.

My thoughts:

Christopher L. Bennett is a master of tying together disparate bits of Star Trek continuity, and Rise of the Federation: Tower of Babel is no exception. By my reckoning, Tower of Babel references the Enterprise episodes “Civilization,” “Bound,” “Dead Stop,” and others, while at the same time tying together plot points from the TOS episodes “The Cage,” “Mudd’s Women,” and of course, “Journey to Babel.”

Bennett has the uncanny ability to make seemingly completely separate plot points tie into one another almost seamlessly. People have used the term “continuity porn” before, but I’m not that what Bennett does qualifies. As the author himself has said, he uses continuity to serve the plot, never the other way around.

I really did enjoy Enterprise when it was on the air. However, one of the areas in which it fell short (with the exception of Season Four) was in taking advantage of the opportunity to create meaningful ties to the original series. This is something that Bennett has done wonderfully with the two books of the Rise of the Federation series. But not only does he tie it to TOS, his story also makes very good use of elements of Enterprise.

There seem to be many Trek fans who did not enjoy Enterprise, and I feel like the temptation would be there to wipe the slate clean, start over, and ignore many of the elements from the television show. Bennett, however, doesn’t do that. He takes elements from some very middle-of-the-road episodes, and fleshes them out in unexpected and refreshing ways. There is a lot in this book for the avid Star Trek fan to pick up on.

I really enjoyed Bennett’s treatment of the villains of the piece. In particular, the rounding out of the characters of the three Orion sisters Navaar, D’Nesh, and Maras, was very welcome, as was the further characterization of Garos, first seen in “Civilization,” and who also played a large role in the last Rise of the Federation novel. It is refreshing to have villains who are multi-faceted, round characters, rather than the one-note villains we often see.

Christopher Bennett is also very good at writing inter-personal and professional relationships. His exploration of the working relationship among T’Pol’s crew aboard the Endeavour is a highlight of this novel. The tension that Thanien believed existed between himself and Hoshi Sato rang very true. Many people feel threatened by a co-worker who is believed to hold favor with their superiors.

Real or imagined, that stress can have a large impact on productivity and decision-making. I felt that Bennett’s treatment of this issue was excellent. On the flip side of that issue is the tension between Reed, T’Pol, and Archer. Because Reed used to be a subordinate of both T’Pol and Archer, he feels that they don’t trust him enough to take care of a situation. Reed feels that he must prove himself capable of captaining a Federation starship in a crisis.

One aspect I loved in Tower of Babel was the characterizations of Valeria Williams and Sam Kirk, who are implied to be the ancestors of future Starfleet captain James T. Kirk. Rather than just relying on the feeling of “ooh, cool, Kirk’s ancestors!,” Williams and Sam Kirk are fully fleshed-out characters in their own right. Williams is a truly fascinating character with a lot of potential to be explored in further novels, as is Kirk. I’m really looking forward to seeing where Bennett takes these characters next!

Final thoughts:

There is a lot going on in Tower of Babel — my review didn’t even touch on Trip’s role, or the story of Maltuvis, the Saurian dictator with aspirations of galactic domination, or the unexpected reveal at the very end of the novel of a familiar threat to the Federation looming on the horizon. The prose is very dense, but still very accessible. As is the case with Kirsten Beyer’s take on the Voyager universe, I think that people who were initially not fans of Enterprise will still very much enjoy this series.

Not only does Tower of Babel continue the Enterprise story begun in A Choice of Futures, it shows the building blocks of the Federation itself, a story that resonates through the entire rest of the Star Trek universe. I very much recommend this entry in Rise of the Federation — it has become one of my most anticipated novel series in the Star Trek lineup.

I can’t wait to see where Christopher Bennett takes us in the next installment!

– Reviewed by Literature Editor Dan Gunther

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Trek Comics Review #33: ‘Lost Apollo’ (Part 1)

TrekCore Staff

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May 30, 2014

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Trek Comics Review #33: ‘Lost Apollo’ (Part 1)

Our Trek Comics editor Patrick Hayes is back with a review of this month’s issue of IDW Publishing’s Star Trek ongoing comic series: the first chapter of “Lost Apollo.”

Interior artist (and one of my favorite all time artists) Joe Corroney provides the art for the main cover with a gorgeous shot of Spock with phaser ready, from a classic scene from the 2009 film. There’s a really cool computer overlay atop part of his image, while below an away team is beaming to a desolate planet’s surface. I love this art, and the colors by Brian Miller of Hi-Fi just make it all the more awesome. Grade: A+.

The subscription cover is another photocover, this time showing Chris Pine as Captain Kirk looking stunned at information he’s just received via his communicator. I love this image; IDW has really hit a good streak with these variants. Grade: A+.

Mike Johnson’s “Lost Apollo” begins in the most unlikely place: Cocoa Beach, Florida.

It’s March 1970, and Steve comes bounding into his house radiating joy as he’s been chosen by NASA for an Apollo mission. His wife is happy for him, but not thrilled with the timing since she’s very pregnant with their first child. He responds with a smile, saying, “Don’t worry sweetheart. It’ll be years before we’re ready to launch. But when we do, heck… I’ll be going where nobody’s gone before!”

Page 3 opens two hundred ninety-one years later, in orbit above the unexplored planet Hinrichs V. Lieutenant Sulu is asking Captain Kirk if he can be part of the away team that’s about to beam down to the planet. Lt. Marcus weighs in with an unsolicited opinion, which gives Kirk a nice muttered response. He relents, to which Sulu says he owes Marcus.

Before Kirk can leave the bridge, Spock stops him and questions the necessity of their beaming. What follows is a classic Trek question: why go to the planet, when the vast technology on the Enterprise can accomplish the same goals safely from orbit? The planet’s surface is nothing like we’ve seen the crew visit before. The beauty of the world only builds tension for the inevitable, and they come across the inevitable on Page 11.

It is remotely related to the opening two pages, but will hopefully be explained fully next month, as an exit is required that readers know will not go smoothly. The situations that occur during this exit are pretty rote material as they build to a cliffhanger for. A little more relation to the opening pages might have increased my enjoyment. Grade: B+.

The pencils on this issue are by Joe Corroney, who inks some of his work this issue, with Victor Moya and Rob Doan inking other parts. The opening pages are appropriately dated. All I could think was, ‘You’re not watching Mad Men, it’s Star Trek.’ The third page’s Enterprise is gorgeous and the fourth page’s characters look fantastic.

But Corroney does something I’ve not seen him do before with some of his backgrounds: a few panels are obviously sourced from photos, and it really doesn’t meshing well with the rest of the art. Those panels stand out clearly as photocopies, and they’re an unnecessary distraction. I would rather there be no drawn backgrounds than have these. For example, Page 5’s first three panels are using this technique, and they’re a blurry mess.

Panels 4 and 5 have Corroney doing original art for the backgrounds and they look terrific. Even the final panel, which has no background, looks superior to those first three. Things improve once on the planet which fully warrants Kirk’s “…wow.” There’s a nice Jurassic Park homage, followed by some fauna of a different sort. The action on the planet is good, with the final two creatures being slick.

I’m bored to tears with the creatures that seem to populate sci-fi movies created by Neville Page and Patrick Tatopoulos. Corroney gives me the aliens I want and need, and not the blasé Hollywood creations. I’m liking all of this, save the photostated backgrounds. Grade: B+.

Excellent coloring on this issue by John Rauch, who sets things up perfectly in the past before transitioning to a beautiful Enterprise orbital shot. The interiors of his Enterprise are powder blue with nary a lens flare in sight, hooray!

The coloring on the planet is great, capturing a good mixture between past and present Trek with dim colors and splendid brights that hearken to the 1960s. Grade: A+.

Scene setting, dialogue, transmission, and four sounds come courtesy of Neil Uyetake. All are done well, but I need a transporter sound when characters beam about. Not having this iconic sound is like ignoring lightsabers in a Star Wars comics. It should not be avoided. Grade: B+.

Bottom line:
The first part of “Lost Apollo” was enjoyable, but I’m really hoping next month’s follow-up will kick the story up a notch. Grade: B+.

– Reviewed by Comics Editor Patrick Hayes

Scott Bakula’s “NCIS” and John Cho’s “Selfie” to Networks; Linda Park Launches New Web Series

TrekCore Staff

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May 15, 2014

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Scott Bakula’s “NCIS” Spin-off Heads to Series

“NCIS: New Orleans,” the second spin-off of CBS’s top-rated military drama, has been ordered to series as part of the 2014/2015 television season. The series lead, Star Trek: Enterprise captain Scott Bakula, will play New Orleans native Dwayne Pride, NCIS agent in charge of the local field office.

Bakula will be joined by co-stars Zoe McClellan (JAG, Dirty Sexy Money, Star Trek: Voyager’s Tal Celes), CCH Pounder (The Shield, Warehouse 13) and Lucas Black (42, Fast and Furious series).

The “NCIS: New Orleans” cast appeared on a pair of “NCIS” episodes in April which served as a backdoor pilot for the new series.

[iframe src=”http://www.youtube.com/embed/hrKxtEQhBls” width=”560″ height=”315″]

John Cho Joins Karen Gillan for “Selfie”

Hikaru Sulu actor John Cho will be joining Doctor Who redhead Karen Gillan in ABC’s “Selfie,” a new comedy adaptation of Pygmalion (and My Fair Lady), which centers around social-media obsessed Eliza Dooley (Gillan) who hires marketing expert Henry Higenbottam (Cho) to help rebrand her image and help build up her real-life social skills.

The upfront trailer for “Selfie” is embedded below.

[iframe src=”http://www.youtube.com/embed/dQqozmwlE00″ width=”560″ height=”315″]

Linda Park Launches “Urbn Harvest” Cooking Web Series

Actress Linda Park, best known to Star Trek fans as communications officer Hoshi Sato, launched her new Urbn Harvest web series last week, which focuses on ways city dwellers can grow and cultivate their own vegetables, raise chickens, and experiment with other forms of agricultural harvesting without having to move out to traditional farmland.

Her first episode has been embedded below; the series will continue weekly on the Urbn Harvest website.

[iframe src=”//player.vimeo.com/video/94487144″ width=”560″ height=”315″]

Sources: CBS, ABC, UrbnHarvest