Next month brings the return of New York Comic Con, the massive pop culture event that serves as the East Coast version of San Diego’s annual convention, and Paramount+ will be returning once more with a 75-minute panel centered around Star Trek: Lower Decks.
Scheduled for Saturday, October 14 at 1:45 PM, the annual Star Trek Universe panel will revolve around an early preview screening of Star Trek: Lower Decks (likely episode 408, scheduled to air Thursday, October 19), and will feature additional updates on the state of the Trek world.
STAR TREK Universe Presentation at New York Comic Con
The fan-favorite STAR TREK Universe returns to New York Comic Con, featuring a special advance screening of an all new episode from the current season of the hit Paramount+ original animated comedy series STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS, plus more exciting reveals and surprises for STAR TREK fans in attendance!
Saturday, October 14, 1:45 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. ET, Empire Stage
In addition to the Trek panel, the streamer will also be holding events for its series EVIL and movie Good Burger 2 during the NYCC weekend, have an interactive booth on the convention floor (Booth #1723), and host “Peak Screaming,” a Saturday night Halloween-themed afterparty which will require pre-registration for entry (details to follow).
Step inside, if you dare…to our laboratory of scares. Be electrified by specialty concoctions, and light up the dance floor in your favorite spooky attire as our mad scientist DJ spins the night away. From creepy sights to eerie delights, it’s gonna be a scream!
The event will feature themes that are a part of the Paramount+ “Peak Screaming” collection that curates fan-favorite horror movies and iconic Halloween episodes from beloved series.
The celebration will be held at the Pavilion at the Javits Center Saturday, October 14, from 8:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. ET, and is open to those 21+ and exclusively to New York Comic Con badge holders.
Separately from the Paramount+ events, Lower Decks animation studio Titmouse Inc. will be holding a panel (unfortunately at the same time as the Trek panel) on Saturday, October 14.
Titmouse Inc. — We Make Cartoons!
Meet one of the largest 2D animation studios in America. Talk with directors, creators, producers, and animators. There will be discussions about what shows we make for Adult Swim to Disney to Netflix and how we make them! Come check out screenings of our animation favorites grab free merchandise and get your cartoon questions answered! Plus live drawing prizes from real Titmouse artists.
Saturday, October 14, 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. ET, Room 406.1
Our team will be on site for the NYCC weekend (October 13-15), so watch for all the latest Star Trek news from the convention right here at TrekCore!
Star Trek: Lower Decks is serving up A, B, and C stories in this week’s episode, which explore ideas of teamwork and delegating — wasting no time exploring the show’s slightly new dynamic. “In the Cradle of Vexilon” leans a little too hard into sitcom tropes to be a real winning Star Trek episode for me, but there’s an underlying heart in the Boimler storyline particularly that really works.
The USS Cerritos is assigned to conduct maintenance and repairs to the benevolent supercomputer Vexilon, which maintains a giant ring world known by its current occupants as Corazonia. Captain Freeman (Dawnn Lewis) decides to personally conduct the repairs to the supercomputer… with less than stellar results.
Freeman begins repairs on Vexilon’s computer system. (Paramount+)
Meanwhile, Lieutenant Boimler (Jack Quaid), with support from T’Lyn (Gabrielle Ruiz) leads his first away team to retrofit one of the planet’s power facilities, and has to learn to trust in his command abilities and put his faith in others. And back on ship, Lieutenants Mariner (Tawny Newsome), Rutherford (Eugene Cordero), and Tendi (Noel Wells) are concerned they’re being hazed by more senior officers by being given even more grunt work.
The Boimler-T’Lyn story is definitely the most interesting of the episode, and one that would not have been possible in prior seasons when the characters were still ensigns — so it’s great to see Lower Decks evolve as the characters advance. It’s been a right of passage for a number of Trek characters to get an episode that’s about them learning to command (like Deanna Troi in “Thine Own Self” or Harry Kim in “Nightingale”), and here it’s Boimler’s turn to learn that he needs his crew… as much as they rely on him to lead.
Discovering that Boimler’s reticence to trust his away team to help (leading him to do all of the work himself) is based not on his belief that they can’t succeed, but that he can’t lead them successfully, is effective — and the presence of T’Lyn really works here and shows why she’s such a great addition to the core character dynamics. Throughout this episode, T’Lyn serves as the straight woman for Boimler’s antics, and passes along some important wisdom at exactly the right moments.
I love it when Lower Decks calls back to itself and continues building out its own mythos, and the experiences Boimler has after his “death” seeing the Black Mountain and the koala build on previous episodes in a fun way.
Boimler has trouble delegating responsibilities. (Paramount+)
The hazing story on the Cerritos is appropriately zany, complete with a full-on sprint run through the main visual beats of the Deep Space Nine episode “Move Along Home.” This story juxtaposes quite well with the Boimler story on the surface, because it reminds us that while these characters are starting to take on more leadership roles, the show is still about working in Starfleet’s low ranks, and there’s still a lot of humor to be mined from exploring those kind of power dynamics.
Unfortunately, though, the Captain Freeman story is something of a bust. I really don’t respond well to Lower Decks storylines that live or die based on the characters making an obviously stupid choice for the sole reason of driving the plot and injecting some humor into it. (Freeman deciding to fix Vexilon herself, when she clearly had no idea about the computer’s programming, falls into that category.)
Tendi, Rutherford, and Mariner get stuck with chip-scanning duty. (Paramount+)
Yes, the Freeman storyline is clearly designed to have thematic similarities to the Boimler plot — Freeman also should be delegating and is choosing not to — but fresh-faced lieutenants get to make those mistakes authentically. When the show decides that the captain does it, for me, the underlying message is lost, and I am just focused on how this feels like an inauthentic and stupid decision by the character.
Lower Decks is better than making its characters dumb to create a source for drama, and episodes that feature that crutch are never as funny, effective, or interesting as those that let our characters be as good as their position and rank requires — while also creating sources of drama for them to react to and be funny in.
Compare the Freeman story this week with Ransom and Mariner’s encounter with the Moopsy in “I Have No Bones Yet I Must Flee.” Last week, those characters faced an antagonist that allowed them to be good at their jobs with all the excitement and humor that the episode’s plot demanded. That Lower Decks succeeds as a Star Trek show, and not just a generic workplace sitcom. Captain Freeman was Michael Scott in The Office today, and I didn’t love that.
Freeman and Billups run into trouble while repairing Vexilon. (Paramount+)
TREK TROPE TRIBUTES
This episode explores a common trope across the series of a character who must get comfortable quickly with commanding others who is not used to being in that situation. Other examples of this include Spock in “The Galileo Seven” and Worf in “Starship Down.”
CANON CONNECTIONS
The Anomaly Storage Room aboard the Cerritos includes a Vulcan lirpa, the Nomad probe (from “The Changeling”), a Romulan cloaking device (from “The Enterprise Incident”), a Klingon bat’leth, a Betazoid gift box (from “Haven”), a device that seems to function similarly to the Kataan probe (from “The Inner Light”), and the Wadi Chula game (from “Move Along Home”).
Rutherford speed runs through all the chaps of Chula seen in “Move Along Home,” implying that he makes all the exact same moves as Quark does in moving through the game.
Boimler arrives at the Black Mountain before his time. (Paramount+)
OBSERVATION LOUNGE
The extra-dimensional Koala speaks backwards to Boimler — reversed, the Koala says “It is not your time, Bradward Boimler!”
The black-and-white zigzag floor of the Black Mountain chalet (and the backwards-speaking Koala) is a clear homage to the Red Room in Twin Peaks.
This is the fourth episode of Lower Decks not to feature an opening teaser, making Lower Decks the series with the highest number of teaser-less episodes.
Corazonia is Star Trek’s first “ringworld” planet.
There is some fun world-building in this episode, with the idea that the Corazonians settled on this ring planet but were not the species who constructed it.
Corizonia’s power generators greatly resemble NX-class warp cores. (Paramount+)
The power cores on Corazonia, installed during Starfleet’s first contact with the planet, are similar in design to the warp core aboard Enterprise NX-01.
Last week we learned that Billups had a pet dragon growing up called Fiddlesticks, and now we discover he has a pet ferret called Lancelot. Lancelot (who normally sleeps in his snuggle tower in Billups’s quarters) apparently does not much like Rutherford, and the feeling is mutual.
“Everything that has ever occurred is science stuff” will surely delight all STEM professionals.
Orions deal with hazing through blindfolded saber fights.
“In the Cradle of Vexilon” is a pretty average episode of Lower Decks because of its reliance on sitcom tropes — but it shows a lot of promise and potential for new story ideas that our main characters’ recent promotions have made possible. The show is at its most successful when it is growing and evolving alongside these characters, and this tale edges close to successfully doing that.
September 21 on Paramount+, Star Trek: Lower Decks heads to Orion with “Something Borrowed, Something Green.”
The second of five VERY Short Trek animated promos just made its way onto the official Star Trek video channels! This time, it’s a visit to Captain Pike’s Enterprise as the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds crew spends time at a holiday party emceed by Lieutenant Spock.
“Holiday Party” stars the voices of Strange New Worlds’ Ethan Peck as Spock, Bruce Horak as Hemmer, Celia Rose Gooding as Uhura, Gia Sandhu as T’Pring, Discovery’sDoug Jones as Saru, and Bonnie Gordon and Eric Bauza in multiple minor roles each.
The short was written by Claire Friedman and directed by Aaron Hawkins.
“Holiday Party” will be followed by three additional (non-canon) Animated Series-style shorts over the next few weeks, each available at 1 PM ET / 10 AM PT on the days listed below, continuing with “Worst Contact” on September 20.
Check back to TrekCore often for the latest in Star Trek franchise news!
Now available for preorder, the Admiral Picard scaled figure replicates Patrick Stewart’s farewell performance as Jean-Luc Picard in a new 11-inch sculpt created in coordination with “showrunner Terry Matalas, costume designer Michael Crow, and property master Jeff Lombardi.”
(Photo: EXO-6)
The figure will include multiple hands, a 2401-era Starfleet phaser, and a bottle of Chateau Picard wine as accessories, and this edition of Picard will arrive clad in his Picard Season 3 jacket, pants, and boots — and with his unique Admiral’s badge.
From EXO-6’s official announcement:
This 1:6-scale figure re-creates this iconic character in exquisite 1:6 detail. Standing approximately 11 inches tall, every element, from his 24th century jacket to his custom black boots, is authentically reproduced. The original portrait sculpt of Patrick Stewart has an authentic, hand-painted likeness.
The EXO-6 Picard 1:6 Scale Articulated Figure includes:
– Fully Articulated Body: More than 30 points of articulation allow the figure to be displayed in multiple dynamic poses, approximately 28 cm tall.
– Realistic Portrait: Lovingly rendered by a top artist, this excellent likeness of Patrick Stewart as jean-Luc Picard is specially hand-painted.
– 24th Century Outfit: With research assisted by Costume Designer Michael Crow, this clothing set matches the onscreen costume as seen in Star Trek: Picard Season 3. Including the jacket, pants and trousers – all matched to the original costume. An authentically scaled communicator badge is permanently affixed to the jacket.
– Boots: Plastic boots sculpted to match the cut and style of the original footwear.
– Display Base: A hexagonal display base featuring the transporter pad will provide additional support for the figure. Two different inserts for the floor of the base can represent the transporter pad or the center of the transporter array.
While other third-party retailers will likely list the figure in the coming days, the fastest way to get the completed Admiral Picard figure once out of manufacturing is to order through EXO-6 directly.
Keep your sensors locked on TrekCore for all the latest Star Trek collectible news!
Star Trek: Lower Decks is back for the third episode of the new season this week, and today we’ve got new images from “In the Cradle of Vexilon” for your review!
This week, newly-promoted Lieutenant (j.g.) Brad Boimler (Jack Quaid) gets to lead his first away mission — joined by T’Lyn (Gabrielle Ruiz), who wishes to observe his leadership of a squad of ensigns. Meanwhile, Captain Freeman (Dawnn Lewis) attempts to repair an alien computer system.
Here are seven new images from this week’s new episode:
STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS — 403: 'In the Cradle of Vexilon'
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"In the Cradle of Vexilon" (Paramount+)
"In the Cradle of Vexilon" (Paramount+)
"In the Cradle of Vexilon" (Paramount+)
"In the Cradle of Vexilon" (Paramount+)
"In the Cradle of Vexilon" (Paramount+)
"In the Cradle of Vexilon" (Paramount+)
"In the Cradle of Vexilon" (Paramount+)
IN THE CRADLE OF VEXILON — Boimler leads his first away mission on an alien megastructure.
Written by Ben Waller. Directed by Brandon Williams.
Star Trek: Lower Decks returns on Thursday, September 14 with “In the Cradle of Vexilon” on Paramount+.
In addition, stick around to hear Jenn’s wish for more Star Trek technical manuals, and Alex’s theory that the WeeklyTrek podcast might become a little bit more infrequent moving forward in the short term as the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes continue into the fall — perhaps unfortunate for our listeners, but something we all support to get a fair deal for the artists on strike!
WeeklyTrek is available to subscribe and download each week on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, YouTube, and Spotify— and we’ll be sharing the details of each new episode right here on TrekCore each week if you’re simply just looking to listen in from the web.
Do you have a wish or theory you’d like to share on the show? Tweet to Alex at @WeeklyTrek, or email us with your thoughts about wishes, theories, or anything else about the latest in Star Trek news!
Widely considered to be among the best seasons of Star Trek since the franchise returned to television in 2017 — and perhaps among the franchise’s best ever — the new Star Trek: Picard — Season 3 Blu-ray set is also the best of the series’ disc releases… but maybe not for the reasons you would expect.
Aside from that editing goof we told you about earlier this week, the technical presentation of the material is typically immaculate in this three-disc collection — and those discs are packed with nearly three hours of detailed behind-the-scenes content. While the interview pieces are mostly standard fare without much new insight into production, this release stands out in two key areas: the five full-length audio commentaries and the impactful deleted scenes.
The Borg fortification at Jupiter. (Paramount Home Entertainment)
BEHIND THE SCENES BASICS
The days of behind-the-scenes material for official DVD and Blu-ray releases being something uniquely special are, in many ways, long gone. Back in the early 2000s and even in the 2010s, churning through every corner of the extra material on a Star Trek home video release was something many fans looked forward to — remember the hours and hours of content on the Next Gen, Enterprise, and Kelvin Timeline Blu-ray sets?
At the time, it was really the only place you could get into the nitty-gritty of what the production team and actors were thinking in bringing each particular season of the franchise to life. Now, however, with the proliferation of social media, iPhone videos and after-shows like The Ready Room with Wil Wheaton, the behind-the-scenes photos, graphics and stories permeating the internet have honestly made it difficult for the on-disc “extras” to provide any knowledge you haven’t already heard before — especially if you are one of the people that truly loves this type of behind-the-scenes content.
Amanda Plummer discusses taking on the role of Vadic. (Paramount Home Entertainment)
In the Picard Season 3 set, there are five behind-the-scenes vignettes and all of them are completely competent — if not a little tired — plus a somewhat-amusing gag reel, and the 42-minute FYC panel that took place ahead of the IMAX screening in April.
The produced pieces are all good, and there are hints of fresh visuals and interviews and secrets being revealed — but only in bits and pieces. To be fair, if you take away all of the 800 quadrillion bits of behind-the-scenes material that has been released previously about Season 3 — since the earliest Terry Matalas tweets back in 2021 — these vignettes do stand alone as solid production capsules for the work that was put into breaking this season.
All that said, it’s disappointing that all of the other great behind-the-scenes segments from The Ready Room have been left out — a trend which has been ongoing since the earliest Discovery disc releases. Every one of those pieces is as informative as the vignettes included here.
Ed Speleers’ first audition tape for the role of Jack Crusher. (Paramount Home Entertainment)
The Making of the Last Generation (42:48) — The longest piece on the set is essentially a full documentary on the amazing production, writing and performances that went into the entire iconic final season (and not just the final episode). It includes some unique sound from people like writer-producers Jane Maggs, as well as associate visual effects supervisor Brian Tatosky, as well as some fun effects renders and an audition tape from Ed Speleers.
Villainous Vadic (20:43) – A fantastic, detailed interview with Amada Plummer, and various producers and creatives, about bringing Vadic to life — and revealing that she had never seen her father’s (Christopher Plummer) performance as General Chang in Star Trek VI. This is the standout vignette in this collection, following Plummer’s few previous contributions to the Picard publicity efforts.
The Gang’s All Here (19:06) – As you’d expect, this glossy interview piece gives each member of the returning Next Gen cast a few moments in the spotlight.
Todd Stashwick between takes. (Paramount Home Entertainment)
Rebuilding the Enterprise-D (16:53) – Talked about ad infinitum since its big reveal at the end of the season and it continues here, with production designer Dave Blass and art director Liz Kloczkowski. While there has been a lot of previous material shared on The Ready Room and through many social media posts from various Picard crewmembers since “Võx” aired, new content includes the Next Gen cast getting their emotional first look at the bridge set and how the various digital display panels work from a behind-the-camera point of view.
Gag Reel (6:10) – A solid six-minute gag reel reveals that Todd Stashwick is like a puppy, Worf “shits phasers” and — despite his love for baseball –Jonathan Frakes can’t catch worth a damn.
The Final Season Q & A Panel (42:35) – An interesting inclusion of a talk held before the April finale IMAX screenings, with participation from Alex Kurtzman, Terry Matalas, Jeri Ryan, Brent Spiner, Michael Dorn, Patrick Stewart, LeVar Burton, Gates McFadden, and Jonathan Frakes. (You may have seen this on YouTube back in the spring.)
DELETED SCENES
Unlike in previous seasons, quite a few of the deleted scenes included on this release are extremely relevant and would have added to an already strong season — forcing you to wonder in some cases why they weren’t included in the final episode edits.
Worf (Michael Dorn) describes his recent past to Riker (Jonathan Frakes). (Paramount Home Entertainment)
Here’s a quick breakdown of the extra scenes, which all come from the latter half of the season.
“The Bounty” (2:52 – 2 Scenes)
The big news here is the new Data synth revealing himself as a hybrid of Data, Lore and B-4 while still on the Daystrom Station, instead of in the Titan engineering bay. The deleted scenes also included a little more backstory about the “new” Worf, who apparently spent “years” hunting down (and executing!) Changelings in his post-DS9 years… before accidentally killing a human, driving him to change his ways.
“Dominion” (3:01 – 3 Scenes)
There are two short and impactful scenes, first with Geordi, pleading with Data and telling the android about his daughters, then one with Seven and Shaw watching from a monitor as Picard and Vadic square off, with Shaw adding some additional context to the Federation’s role in unleashing the changeling virus during the Dominion War.
Both would have been helpful additions, as would the extra dialog showcased between Picard and Crusher as they decide that yes, they have changed enough to execute Vadic. All three brief scenes were illuminating moments that would have added more to the final product with their inclusion than they did being cut out.
Deanna (Marina Sirits) reacts to Geordi’s comments about her piloting skills. (Paramount Home Entertainment)
“Surrender” (0:46 – 1 Scene)
This is a small trim from Data’s mental showdown with Lore, in which he kicks off his gambit of gifting his “evil” brother important elements from his past to overpower him. In this case, the gift is a painting of a crow from the episode “Birthright,” which was referenced overtly in “The Bounty.”
“Võx” (3:28 – 1 Scene)
This is an extended version of Data “consoling” Picard after Jack’s escape in the early moments of the episode. This is the best of the deleted scenes, and adds plenty of heart and smarts to the new Data’s emergence — it’s very hard to imagine the reasons behind this scene being trimmed down.
“The Last Generation” (1:45 – 2 Scenes)
A mixed bag here, including a wisely-omitted scene La Forge reminding Troi that she crashed the Enterprise the only two previous times she sat at the helm. Beyond that cringey trope, there is some extra material included in the season-ending moments for our heroes celebrating their friendship at Guinan’s bar… including Worf completing Data’s “young lady from Venus” limerick.
AUDIO COMMENTARIES
The strength of the release is definitely in the five full-length audio commentaries accompanying half the season. It is an absolute welcome surprise to suddenly see audio commentaries back in vogue — something that really hasn’t been a part of recent live-action Trek home video releases. (Lower Decks, though, has been doing a great job!)
Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton) begs Lore to release the Titan. (Paramount Home Entertainment)
Across Discovery Season 3 and 4, Picard Seasons 1 and 2, and Strange New Worlds Season 1, there have been a combined total of just four commentary tracks — so having five new ones all in one release is an incredible breath of fresh air, and hopefully something that will continue in the future.
Here’s a quick run through the five commentary tracks, all of which include showrunner Terry Matalas.
“The Next Generation”
A spirited and often raucous conversation between Terry Matalas and Jonathan Frakes (Will Riker), Jeri Ryan (Seven of Nine), Todd Stashwick (Liam Shaw), Ed Speleers (Jack Crusher), and composer Stephen Barton. One of the big highlights is discussion between almost all the major players about Captain Shaw’s introductory dinner scene.
“Seventeen Seconds”
A more introspective conversation between Matalas, Gates McFadden (Beverly Crusher) and Michelle Hurd (Raffi Musiker), with the highlights including McFadden discussing a line that was cut from her “20 years later” conversation with Picard that she believes helped to frame and support her difficult decision. (There is also a pretty funny reference to Star Trek executive John Van Citters that we won’t spoil here!)
The Enterprise-A on display at the Starfleet starship museum. (Paramount Home Entertainment)
“No Win Scenario”
A powerhouse commentary with Matalas, Frakes, and Stashwick, as the trio breaks down one of the franchise’s true high points. The commentary builds alongside the momentum of a masterpiece episode, culminating with Frakes’ heartfelt admission that he “[loves] being Riker again. Thank you, Terry.”
“The Bounty”
Basically a convention panel with Matalas, Frakes, LeVar Burton (Geordi La Forge) and Brent Spiner (Data), cracking wise for 52 minutes — Burton joins fashionably late, about 20 minutes into the commentary. Stick around to the end to learn the true story of some “minor larceny” involving Burton and his uniform.
“The Last Generation”
A Borg-heavy commentary featuring Ryan, Speleers, Frakes and Matalas, with Ryan “calling bullshit” on Speleers’ assimilation makeup — pointing out how he got off easy compared to her original make-up design as Seven of Nine. Appropriately, the final commentary features Frakes taking a phone call mid-recording.
EASTER EGG HUNT
There’s one more bit of fun behind-the-scenes footage buried in the Season 3 collection, and that’s “One More Hand” (6:02) — an extended recording of the Ten Forward poker game that closed out “The Last Generation.”
Where to find the hidden “One More Hand” bonus feature. (Paramount Home Video)
Hidden in the menus of Disc 3 — press LEFT on your remote when highlighting “Rebuilding the Enterprise-D” on the features menu and a playing card will appear — showrunner and finale director Terry Matalas presents six minutes of improv and laughter as the Next Gen cast take an afternoon to play cards one last time as a united crew.
FINAL THOUGHTS
It’s not surprising that the most successful Picard season also has the greatest home media release of the series, and for anyone who has even a passing interest in what went into bringing this miracle of a year to life, Star Trek: Picard – Season 3 is a must-have… especially in these days where content can just vanish off of subscription streaming services.
Onward to the generation after next. (Paramount Home Entertainment)
Speaking of which — watch for our review of the second chapter of Star Trek: Prodigy when it beams down on Blu-ray at the end of September.
A previous version of this article incorrectly described the content in the “Rebuilding the Enterprise-D” feature. We regret the error.
It’s Star Trek Day, which means that there is plenty of new Trek tie-in merchandise news hitting the web today — and we’ve got it all in one place to let you decide what’s for you!
First up is an official announcement from CBS Studios, who are partnering with rapper and actor Kid Cudi in a new collaboration.
Launching the Star Trek “Boldly Be” campaign this October, the new partnership with the multiple-time Grammy Award nominee and winner will include an original song inspired by the franchise, an “interactive gaming component,” and a new fashion element as well.
The artist shared the news to his 2.6 Million Twitter followers:
In celebration of “Star Trek Day,” “Star Trek” and Scott Mescudi, better known by his stage name Kid Cudi, have joined forces to announce a one-of-a-kind collaboration that reflects the optimistic and inclusive spirit of adventure, discovery, imagination, and most importantly, hope, at the heart of the cultural phenomenon. The collaboration will launch “Star Trek’s” all-new “Boldly Be” campaign.
The collaboration includes Kid Cudi’s unique lens on music with an original song inspired by “Star Trek,” an interactive gaming component and a bold fashion collaboration with “Star Trek” that will launch this October. Additional details will be announced at a later date.
“I grew up watching ‘Star Trek’ with my dad who is single handedly responsible for turning me into a fan,” said Mescudi. “The most important thing to me is to be as authentic as possible. ‘Star Trek’s’ mission has always been about having a hopeful future and when I was first approached about this project it was the perfect marriage of all the things I believe in – being brave and a hero by doing what’s right and fighting for freedom. I can’t wait to share my love of this incredible franchise with the world.”
“Boldly Be” takes its inspiration from “Star Trek’s” ethos of IDIC (Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations), the basis of Vulcan philosophy that the vast variables create truth, beauty and strength. Following Mescudi’s kick-off of “Boldly Be,” StarTrek.com invites fans around the world to celebrate their own selves by sharing their boldest moments and collaborating on stories and visuals that represent “Star Trek’s” enduring message of hope, authenticity, discovery and more.
More information on the Kid Cudi collaboration, and the overall “Boldly Be” campaign, is expected to be released in October.
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Next up is a pair of Star Trek: Lower Decks collectible announcements! Zen Monkey Studios is expanding their line of Trek pins to include four Cerritos character team-up designs.
(Photo: Zen Monkey Studios)
The diamond-shaped pins is available at the Zen Monkey Studios website for $11.99 each; if you purchase the Boimler/Mariner, Tendi/Rutherford, and Freeman/Random pins as a set, the fourth Shaxs/T’ana pin will be added to your cart for free (for a limited time).
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While they’re best known for their work in 1:6-scale figures, EXO-6is taking their first leap into the world of Trek animation in a series of new Star Trek: Lower Decks statues.
Planned as a first wave of Lower Decks statues, the initial set of Brad Boimler, Beckett Mariner, and Badgey are solid renders of the animated characters measuring about 7″ tall each.
Boimler comes with interchangeable arms (to hold a tricorder, a padd, or strike different poses) and a second head (for his signature panicked scream), and Mariner comes with an extra pair of arms so she can hold either a Starfleet phaser or a Klingon bat’leth. Badgey will be a two-pack, with both ‘good’ and ‘evil’ versions of the character represented.
Way back in January, we learned that the now-defunct Eaglemoss “Build the Enterprise-D” model program was on the way to resurrection through De Agostini’s FanHome.com — and now things are finally taking off.
FanHome.com is now taking subscription orders for the big Galaxy-class model program — from both newcomers to the program, as well as those who started their builds through Eaglemoss and have been waiting to resume their construction efforts.
If you are looking to pick up where you left off under a previous Eaglemoss subscription, the FanHome site allows you to begin a new subscription at any assembly build issue — from Stage 2 through Stage 29 — so that you’re not forced to start over from the beginning.
Finally – speaking of large starship models – our friends at Factory Entertainment are moving forward with preorders of their fourth studio-quality Star Trek starship: the USS Enterprise-G from Star Trek: Picard Season 3.
The company’s FE Masterworks program was first announced back in July during San Diego Comic Con, and the Enterprise-G model — also available with USS Titan livery if desired — joins the previous three ultra-premium models the company has available for commission.
We got to get close up and personal with the company’s Enterprise-G prototype at the August Trek convention in Las Vegas, as seen in the video above and photos below.
Factory Entertainment USS ENTERPRISE-G Model Prototype
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Measuring in 35″ long, 16″ wide, and 11″ tall, the Constitution III-class starship model will also be available in USS Titan livery, if that’s the version you prefer — but either way, bringing one of these built-on-demand models home will set you back a whopping $15,000 USD.
Shatner and Takei signing the companion plaques. (Photos: Factory Entertainment)
Along with the Enterprise-G, the FE Masterworks starship model lineup also includes the refit USS Enterprise from Star Trek: The Motion Picture (with a plaque signed by William Shatner), Captain Sulu’s USS Excelsior(with a plaque signed by George Takei), and the Galaxy-class USS Enterprise-D — all at five-figure price tags.
Happy Star Trek Day everyone! For this year’s September 8 celebration, Paramount+ has two new videos for fans to view, in lieu of an in-person star-studded event — not possible this year with the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, where Trek actors and writers are continuing their picket line activities during this day of franchise publicity.
“Skin a Cat” will be followed by four additional (non-canon) Animated Series-style shorts over the next few weeks, each available at 1 PM ET / 10 AM PT on the days listed below.
(Image: StarTrek.com)
In addition to “Skin a Cat,” Paramount+ has also released this 22-minute video, hosted by Lower Decks actor Jerry O’Connell, celebrating the franchise. O’Connell is also joined by castmates Tawny Newsome and Eugene Cordero, who react to some of the more outlandish moments of the last 56 years.
Unfortunately, because this video is a Paramount+ creation (and not one specifically produced by CBS Studios itself), there is no inclusion (or even a mention) of Star Trek: Prodigy, which was removed from the streaming service back in June… which is a real bummer. (Go buy the Prodigy Blu-rays!)
Check back to TrekCore often for the latest in Star Trek franchise news!
The upcoming strategic computer game Star Trek: Infinite from Paradox Interactive and Nimble Giant Interactive, first announced back in June, now has a release date: October 12.
Announced today along with a new trailer, gamers on PC and Mac systems can preorder the game through Steam in either a standard edition or “digital deluxe” version — gamers who preorder will get special Star Trek: Lower Decks content with the game when it arrives this fall, and those who go for the deluxe edition will also get several special features available by digital download.
Here’s the full press release:
STOCKHOLM – September 7, 2023 – Paradox Interactive and Nimble Giant Entertainment today announced that their upcoming grand strategy game Star Trek: Infinite, under license from Paramount Consumer Products, will launch on Mac and PC on October 12, 2023. Players can now pre-order either the base game or Digital Deluxe Edition, granting them access to bonuses like skins, ships, and special voiceover. Star Trek: Infinite takes players on an interstellar saga with its emergent gameplay and complex choices, as they face the powers of the Alpha and Beta Quadrants.
Players who pre-order Star Trek: Infinite will receive the following bonuses:
– Star Trek: Lower Decks uniform options
– The U.S.S. Cerritos, a science ship with special options for minor nations (Second Contact)
– A Klingon advisor voice line, “Qapla”
The Digital Deluxe Edition (DDE) of the game includes a digital artbook, the game soundtrack, and an in-game music pack featuring iconic compositions from across Star Trek’s illustrious legacy.
Beginning decades before the Star Trek: The Next Generation era, Star Trek: Infinite grants players the power to shape the galaxy’s destiny as a faction of their choice. The immersive grand strategy game puts players in the captain’s chair to lead one of four unique Quadrant Powers: The United Federation of Planets, Romulan Star Empire, Cardassian Union, or Klingon Empire. While remaining faithful to Star Trek lore, Star Trek: Infinite introduces fresh avenues for adventure as players can explore the Alpha and Beta quadrants, govern empire dynamics, handle economic intricacies, and engage with undiscovered civilizations.
