You liked "Star Trek Into Darkness;" now what?

(NOTE: This article was initially written in 2013 right after Star Trek Into Darkness and at that time no televised Trek was in production.  I recently had someone ask for an update that includes Star Trek: Discovery  ("DISCO" here when abbreviated), and Star Trek: Picard ("PIC" here when abbreviated). At the time of this writing, only three episodes of PIC have aired, and we are awaiting DISCO's third season.)

This is my answer to all of those (and there are more than a couple) who have asked me, "so, what is up with this thing called "Star Trek"?  I have talked elsewhere about the series I like or don't like, but I want to provide some history here for those who may be new, particularly those brought into the fold by JJ Abrams; new films.  To them I say welcome: there's a lot of wonderful viewing ahead of you, just remember to put it in the context of when it was made.  Each show was groundbreaking in its own way, even if it seems outdated now.  Each one is worth at least a look.

To the older fans who were perhaps less impressed by JJ's work, I say: Tsk tsk, young minds, fresh ideas, Mr. Scott.  I recall the hullabaloo regarding each series as it came out, and how it flew in the face of "what had gone before."  JJ's Trek is drawing attention, and most importantly showing Trek is financially viable despite being nearly 50 years old.  You don't have to like it (though I love it like ice cream), but at least give it a tip of the hat for what it is doing to increase interest in our family.

Here's the initial overview of the shows, but below is the watchlist punctuated by "what you should know" and what season of the shows in which to find the listed episodes.  It is in no way authoritative, but should give you a good taste of all of it in about as much time as it would take to watch a single season of any show.  I will of course entertain any questions one might have afterwards!  Some of my interstitial comments are based on supposition, either my own, or that of the amazing Mike and Denise Okuda who wrote this book, that though outdated it a must for ANY nascent or established Trekkie.

Production wise the eight series and first 10 movies were made in this order:

Star Trek (often called "TOS" or "The Original Series") 1966-1969

Star Trek: The Animated Series (TAS) 1973-1974

Star Trek: The Motion Picture (TMP) 1979

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (TWOK) 1982

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (TSFS) 1984

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (TVH) 1986

Star Trek: The Next Generation (TNG) 1987-1994

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (TFF) 1989

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (TUC) 1991

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (DS9) 1993-1999

Star Trek: Generations (GEN) 1994

Star Trek: Voyager (VOY) 1995-2001

Star Trek: First Contact (FC) 1996

Star Trek: Insurrection (INS) 1998

Star Trek: Enterprise (ENT) 2001-2005

Star Trek: Nemesis (NEM) 2002
Star Trek: Discovery (DISCO) 2017-Current
Star Trek: Picard (PIC) 2020-Current

The series ENT was actually set 100 years BEFORE TOS and is a prequel. The series DISCO is set approximately 10 years before TOS in its first two seasons.

Movies 1-6 take place between TOS and TNG and feature the cast from TOS.  Movies 7-10 take place after TNG with that cast, and are concurrent with some events in DS9 and VOY.  

After four years out of production, Paramount released the 2009 film "Star Trek" which though connected to the original timeline above, served as both sequel and reboot with characters from the original making changes to the timeline and creating an alternate reality in the period before TOS.  The sequel "Star Trek Into Darkness" (2013) continues as both sequel and reboot showing some parallel but changed events. When the third film in the series was released in 2016, Paramount pictures began to refer to the events in these films as the "Kelvin Timeline" (KT) to differentiate those stories from the original set of shows known as the "Prime Timeline."

In 2017, DISCO appeared on CBS All Access streaming and is intended to be in the Prime Timeline and associated with those events.  Stylistically the production chose to update the look of the show as not to appear to be set a decade before the original filmed in the 1960s.  In my opinion there are plusses and minuses to this, but the story and characters have done a fair job not violating established continuity while adding to it.  In particular the history of the Spock character and his family have been greatly expanded beyond what we knew, but given that the original films and series introduced a half-brother to Spock that Kirk and McCoy had no idea existed after 30 years of friendship, that's kind of in line with that family.

In 2020, CBS also introduced PIC which is set some 22 years after the end of VOY (around 2399) and deals with a Prime Event described in the first KT movie, the supernova that destroyed Romulus in 2387. Additionally, since 2018 there have been a series of short films set around the DISCO series called "Short Treks" that give some insight into that show. They are worth finding if you sit down for a full DISCO viewing.

If you want to watch them in the order they were made, see the above list.  I recommend taking an overview by following the below regimen with an "in universe" chronological order.  Understand this is like Cliff's Notes, so there will be things you miss, so any questions, please just let me know.  All the older series and most movies are available for NETFLIX streaming.  DISCO and PIC can only be streamed via CBS All Access, though the first two seasons of DISCO are currently available on home video.

What you need to know before you start ENT:

The various small wars around the world in the 1990s were actually the result of a number of genetically enhanced humans born in the late 60s attempting to seize power.  Most were deposed, some went into hiding, and 96 of them were placed on an experimental sleeper ship in 1996 and launched into the depths of space.

In the 2020s, the economy got worse, and eventually lead to a "purist" movement (possibly influenced by leftover genetic supermen) that started WWIII.  In the 2030s and 2040s much of the world was plunged back into a new dark age, and there were some nuclear exchanges in Asia that were devastating.  Despite that, a man in Bozeman, Montana named Zefram Cochrane in the late 2050s started playing around with a leftover ICBM and by 2063 built the first faster than light, or "warp" drive by a human.  His test flight in April 2063 drew the attention of a starfaring sentient species-the Vulcans-who found a bunch of dirty faced Homo Sapiens who now knew they weren't alone in the universe.

The discovery of warp and the arrival of the Vulcans brought a new resolve to the human race.  They began to clean up their messes and unite their planet.  By 2100, they were sending out colony and trade ships using their warp drives.  The Vulcans would advise, but refused to actively help citing the idea that they could not interfere in human development.  By the 2140s Earth has pretty much fully united, and formed a "Starfleet" often much to the Vulcan's chagrin.  They wished a race that only a century before had tried to nuke itself out of existence was taking its time.  Humans are hungry to grow, and a bit resentful of the Vulcans for holding them back.  In 2151, the Earth Starfleet launches the NX-01, Starship Enterprise which is the first ship capable of Warp Factor 5 bringing planets that were once years away to within weeks.

Now Watch:

ENT: (2151-2156)

Broken Bow (S1)

Stigma (S2)

The Forge (S4)

Awakening (S4)

Kir'Shara (S4)

The villain you see at the end of "Kir'Shara" is a Romulan.  This is a warrior race who were Vulcans, but left that planet some 1500 years earlier when logic and peace began to sway that culture.  All but forgotten on Vulcan, the Romulans have been preparing to stretch their influence back toward their ancestral home.  In 2156 (the following year after "Kir'Shara") a war begins between Earth and Romulus, eventually bringing in the Vulcans, Andorians, and Tellarites, all different races near Earth.  The war is so devastating, no human or ally actually sees a Romulan (they tend to destroy their own ships when faced with capture and are extremely secretive).  In 2160 a treaty is negotiated via radio, and a "Neutral Zone" established between Earth allies and The Romulan Star Empire.

In 2161, the allies decide to make their friendship formal and form the United Federation of Planets.  Former Starfleet Captain Jonathan Archer becomes the Federation's first president (NOTE: Though "Federation President is still on Archer's resumé, the Trek Wiki now states he was not the first, but rather served 2184-2192).  The Earth Starfleet becomes the basis for the Federation Starfleet, though individuals from all member races serve.  Starfleet's mission is equal parts protection and exploration, "boldly going where no man has gone before."  Conflict does also break out with the Klingons eventually resulting in a Cold War type of situation with the Federation.

In 2145 the first Warp 8 capable starship is launched, the USS Enterprise, named for Archer's vessel.  She is the Federation flagship and commanded by a Captain Robert April and then a Captain Christopher Pike.

In 2255, a Federation Starship, the USS Shenzhou confronts a Klingon vessel in what becomes known as the "Battle of the Binary Stars." This begins a violent war between the Federation and the Klingon Empires which is described in the first season of DISCO.  In the second season, a Galactic threat leads Starfleet to give command of the experimental USS Discovery to Captain Pike of the Enterprise. (NOTE: Unlike earlier series, DISCO is not episodic and more like modern shows: each season is really one storyline with each "act" of the story comprising 3-4 episodes. Episodes are recommended here in accordance with my original list and the idea of getting an overall feel by watching select hours, but some story elements may be slightly unclear.)

Now Watch:

DISCO: (2255-2257)

Context is For Kings (S1)
Magic to Make the Sanest Man Go Mad (S1)
New Eden (S2)
Such Sweet Sorrow Parts 1 and 2 (S2)

The USS Discovery is catapulted into the far future (the setting for the upcoming S3) while Pike and Spock return to the Enterprise. They complete another tour before Pike hands over command to  Starfleet's youngest Captain, James Tiberius Kirk.  Kirk and Spock begin a five year mission in roughly 2263 (some of these dates are conjecture based on dialog).  

Now Watch:

TOS: (2263-2268)

Balance of Terror (S1)

Space Seed (S1)

City on the Edge of Forever (S1)

Amok Time (S2)

Journey to Babel (S2)

TAS: (2268)

Yesteryear (S1)

Kirk leaves command of the Enterprise in the late 2260s and takes a promotion to Admiral.  The Enterprise goes through an extensive refit, and is pressed into service early when a huge spacecraft called "V'Ger" attacks Earth in 2272 (TMP).  Kirk takes Command again for that mission and continues to lead for a second five year mission.  He then returns to the Admiralty and leaves now Captain Spock to command the Enterprise.

Now Watch:

STII: The Wrath of Khan (2282)

Following the death of Spock, Kirk returns to Earth and asks to return to the Genesis planet, having discovered that Spock has left his consciousness or "katra" in Doctor McCoy.  Starfleet refuses.  Kirk and his crew steal the crippled ship and go to Genesis to find a Klingon vessel attempting to unlock the secrets of the planet.  The world is actually unstable, but has regenerated Spock physically.  After the Klingon commander Kruge kills Kirk's son David, Kirk destroys the Enterprise to kill the Klingons.  He steals THEIR ship and takes his crew with the resurrected Spock to Vulcan where mind melds are used to restore Spock's mind to his body.  (TSFS.)  While returning to Earth for trial, Kirk and crew manage to stop an extra-galactic supership from destroying Earth (and restore the once extinct humpback whale to Earth's ecosystem).  Charges for stealing the Enterprise are dropped, but Kirk is reduced in rank to Captain and put back in command of a new Starship Enterprise where he begins another five year mission (TVH) approximately 2286.

Now Watch:

STVI: The Undiscovered Country (2291)

Following the retirement of the 1701A, Starfleet and the Federation begin a new age of peace with the Klingons, which lasts for nearly a Century with only the occasional hiccup.  In approximately 2311, there is a diplomatic (and possibly military) row between the Federation and the Romulans which results in a complete lack of communication or contact between the two Governments for more than 50 years.  In 2344, the Starship Enterprise NCC-1701-C does rescue some Klingons from a Romulan attack resulting in her destruction.  Somewhere also in this period, the Federation engages in war with the Cardassian Union, and the Cardassians occupy a previously peaceful world known as Bajor, starting a brutal occupation that lasts for decades.

In 2363 a new "Galaxy Class" Starship Enterprise NCC-1701-D is commissioned and begins a new trend: Starships on 20 year missions where Starfleet officers may bring their families, and whole generations will be born and raised in space. In Command of the Enterprise D is Captain Jean Luc Picard, whose previous command lasted 22 years.

Now Watch:

TNG/DS9/VOY (2363-2379)

TNG: Q Who? (S2)

TNG: Best of Both Worlds (S3/S4)

TNG: Ensign Ro (S5)

TNG: Unification (two parts S5)

In 2369, the Cardassian occupation of Bajor ends and the Federation sends a peacekeeping force to take command of an old Cardassian mining station called "Terok Nor."  The station is redesignated as Starfleet station Deep Space Nine.  The command crew is integrated between Federation and Bajoran personnel. The Commander is Benjamin Sisko, a survivor of the Battle of Wolf 359 as seen in "Best of Both Worlds."  The first officer, a Bajoran Major named Kira was a freedom fighter during the occupation and is now a member of the Bajoran militia.  She is NOT happy with the Federation presence.  During the handover of authority, Starfleet discovers there is a stable wormhole leading across the Galaxy into unexplored space, making Bajor a new frontier trade hub, and target for Cardassians who want it back.

Now Watch:

TNG: The Inner Light (5)

DS9: Duet (S1)

DS9: The Visitor (S4)

While negotiating with the Cardassians, the Federation hands over sections of disputed space to the Union.  This results in a militarized dissident faction known as "The Maquis" fighting Cardassians in the disputed areas.  As this is occurring, Starfleet finds there is another advanced starfaring government in the Gamma Quadrant on the other side of the wormhole, The Dominion.  They are more advanced than the Federation, and set their eyes on adding Alpha Quadrant planets to their Empire.  War is inevitable.  Cardassia joins the Dominion.

The 1701D is destroyed by Klingon pirates while saving a planet from a space/time anomaly.  Due to the rising conflict between the Dominion and the Federation, the Enterprise 1701E eschews family space and is more built for battle.  Starfleet intelligence becomes more active. (GEN)

Now Watch:

DS9: Dr. Bashir I presume? (S5)

VOY: Caretaker (S1)

VOY: Tuvix (S2)

The Enterprise E is launched under Jean Luc Picard, 2372.

Now Watch:

ST: First Contact (2372)

DS9: Inquisition (S6)

DS9: In the Pale Moonlight (S6)

VOY: Living Witness (S4)

VOY: Blink of an Eye (S6)

The Dominion War ends with a fragile peace and the Dominion retreating to the far side of the Wormhole.  Cardassia is nearly destroyed.  The peace between the Federation, Klingons, and Romulans is also fragile, but Ambassador Spock now openly works on Romulus for reunification with the Vulcans.  The Voyager returns home after seven years in the Delta Quadrant in 2378.

In 2385, the Romulan Empire has discovered a star will go supernova and is threatening their solar system.  Jean-Luc Picard, now an Admiral, petitions Starfleet to put together a flotilla to evacuate as many Romulans as possible.  An unexpected uprising of androids based on the design of the deceased Commander Data attack Mars, crippling the Starfleet's ability to build new vessels.  Starfleet declares they will not assist Romulus and Picard resigns. In 2387 Ambassador Spock returns to Vulcan to ask the for their help to protect Romulus from the coming supernova.  He arrives with help too late, and along with a Romulan mining ship disappears into a black hole.

The retired JL Picard returns to the vineyards of his family in France, leaving politics and the business of the Galaxy behind.

Now Watch:

PIC: (2399)
Remembrance (S1)
Maps and Legends (S1)
The End is the Beginning (S1)

(NOTE: These episodes also follow the more modern story arc structure. The three listed here comprise the "first act" of the story.)

Sometime in the 31st Century, some 750 years after PIC, the USS Discovery reappears in space. This story will be told in Discovery S3 which will air in 2020.

Please keep in mind the model for "physics" established in Star Trek shows there are any number of alternate universes similar to the Prime; though the events of the new films are different from the "Prime" universe, that timeline has not been erased, but rather both the Prime and Kelvin Timelines exist side by side, with Spock's actions in 2387 in the Prime timeline causing the Kelvin Timeline to exist.  

Now Watch:

Star Trek 2009 (2386/2233/2258KT)

Star Trek Into Darkness (2259KT)
Star Trek Beyond (2263KT)

This list provides one possible narrative overview of the Star Trek series, and I have tried to choose episodes that both demonstrate the message of Star Trek, and shows the connective tissue making this fifty-four year old-and still expanding-tale one cohesive story.  If you have watched all the above, go back now and watch the series you liked the best in its entirety, and welcome to the family.  There is Trek I love, Trek I love not so much, but in the end it is all Trek, and worth at least some consideration.  It is not perfect, but I find I often love Trek not inspite of, but because of its foibles.  It makes mistakes and doesn't always go the right direction…just like the Humans it examines.  

("Star Trek" and all associated series, movies, or images are property of Paramount Pictures and CBS; last photo is from Empire magazine: no profit is being made from their use.  Except to Trekkies who profit from knowing what to watch.)

Dan's Justice League

So, with Man of Steel on the way, the implication from Warner Brothers is that it will set the stage for a DC shared movie universe.  I have to admit, as much as I am anticipating what I have seen of this film, I don't see WB's movie department really being able to build in that way, particularly with they, their TV associates, and right now in my mind their comics, completely unable to come up with a Wonder Woman that works.  It did get me thinking though, who I would WANT to see in a JL project, and I realized, there really hasn't been a project in a while that really captured me outside of the animated shows I have seen on TV, all of which are being cancelled apparently.  So there's that.

So for no other reason than my wish list, here is what I would want to see in any JL project, by bringing together these particular versions of these characters.  One is going to stand out like a sore thumb, but think about it a bit before you declare it "outrageous" (that's a clue).

Superman:

I have not seen MoS obviously, but for my money, if I need a modern version of Superman I am going to draw from Mark Waid's "Birthright."  To me, it is the definitive origin of Superman from a decade that rewrote the story about five times.  Indeed, it stands out to me as the best telling of it in the character's long history.  I do want to give honorable mention to Grant Morrison's "All-Star Superman" which I love a bit more as a story, but Waid does a better job of giving Superman the god-like abilities, while keeping him human.  Morrison's Superman in All-Star is simply a god.

Batman:

Nothing against the actor, but after the huge misstep that was The Dark Knight Rises, Christian Bale doesn't make even the short list.  There's a lot of takes on Batman out there, and many I love, but if I can have just one it has to be the version Bruce Timm gives us in Batman: The Animated Series.  Full credit of course to Kevin Conroy who will forever be the voice I hear in my head when reading any Batman comic.  That guy, he IS The Batman.


Wonder Woman:

I saw the 2011 pilot for a proposed Wonder Woman tv series, and I think Adrianne Palicki was a great choice for the sheer physicality of Wonder Woman.  The writing however completely missed the heart. I have nothing but fondness for my delightfully...stimulating childhood memories of Lynda Carter.  If I have to choose a Wonder Woman though, I am going to include the goddess/diplomat/warrior from Greg Rucka's two years on the title.  In a four color land of over-sexual bosomy fantasy archetypes, Rucka's Wonder Woman was a wondrous woman, and definitive in my mind as the hero.  It isn't pants that Wonder Woman needs to be taken seriously; it's heart.


Aquaman:

Every few years, someone comes along and says, "but I am going to do Aquaman right."  The result usually entails more brooding, perhaps a hook, and bouncing between more or less hair on either head or face.  Then, a couple years ago, someone really did breathe new life into "the guy who talks to fish."  I give full credit to Batman: The Brave and the Bold.  Many people discounted this throwback series as too kiddy or goofy, but really it was a fine representation of those pre-Silver Age tales that set the stage for all the classics that helped define those characters for us today.  In Aquaman we find someone who is confident, a little arrogant, and absolutely loves the fact he gets to be a superhero.  That really resonates with me as he is the guy responsible for 5/6 of the Earth.   Is it so bad that some of these heroes might actually enjoy what they do, and what a great role in the league for Aquaman to take.  We'll save the brooding for Batman.

The Flash:

Yeah, I know Barry's back.  Hurray Silver Age and all that.  For me though, I am calling on the 90s, and Mark Waid once more along with William Messner-Loebs and Mike Baron, and bringing Wally West to the table as The Flash.  He had a legacy to deal with, his own fears to calm, and a rogue's gallery in the waiting.  Yet, he could crack a joke with the best of them and was truly a hero.  Perhaps I am jaded as I really found The Flash post crisis, and though watching that old TV show, those comics really brought the character home for me.  And, I miss the Kilg%re.



Green Lantern:

GL used to be one of my very favorites.  After the last couple years of rainbows, a movie so bad it made me like the comics less, and the impact of the New 52 being lessened by keeping the GL continuity though it MAKES NO SENSE WITH THE REST OF THE UNIVERSE (see Batman for this problem too), I almost left him off.  Alas, though, Hal Jordan was at the top of my must buy list for a long time, and I do love the hard sci fi elements of the character and the supporting cast.  So, I must harken back to who made me love the character in the first place, and that was Dennis O'Neil.  Hal was a hero who asked questions, and had Green Arrow along like a bearded Jiminy Cricket to point out things Hal wouldn't always want to see.  Added bonus to picking this Hal: we get Ollie as a freebie.


Martian Manhunter:

Yes, I insist on J'onn J'onzz as being on the League.  He links our heroes mentally, and provides nearly as much power as Superman in a fight.  Oh, and he's the last of his race, blasted from another planet alien who doesn't look like he grew up in Kansas.  Sure, many verisons give us a J'onn who can take purely human form, but I prefer the Justice League Unlimited Manhunter who uses his shapeshifting as a weapon while maintaining a distance from humanity.  He's a great foil for Superman reminding him how different people can be, and I want him sitting in the Watchtower.  I dip from the Bruce Timm well again for this one.


So, there's my dream line-up.  Of course I could go on: the "JSA/Kobra: Engines of Destruction" Power Girl.  The Young Justice cartoon Black Canary.  The Jaimie Reyes Blue Beetle post "One Year Later."  As a villains, the Smallville Lex Luthor  and definitely, DEFINITELY Mark Hamill's Joker from B:TAS.  Commence your arguments... NOW!


Oh.  And a pic of Adrianne Palicki as Wonder Woman, just because.  Somebody get this lady a writer!

Ray Bradbury and the Rockets.

My very favorite author, Ray Bradbury, has passed away.  The man was 91 years old, and had been ill for some time, so it is not necessarily a surprise.  I want to take a moment though and talk about what he did for me.

Rockets.

I don't know what you feel when you hear or read that word, but every time I do I have a sense of longing.  I long for a world where we travel from planet to planet not on the grandiose "Starships" of Gene Roddenberry, or "Star Destroyers" of George Lucas, but on a simple rocket, nose pointed to the skies, aerodynamic fins doubling as landing legs as it sets down on the Red Planet; or going further into the cosmos carrying humans with all their fears and hopes, dreams and darkness, victories and foibles.  "Rockets" were what Ray Bradbury's astronauts used in his myriad of space stories.  Certainly I will not dismiss incredible tales like "Fahrenheit 451" or "Something Wicked This Way Comes," nor the wonderful 20th Century Irish Folk Tales and bits of Americana Bradbury brought to the page in his fever-dream like prose.  What will always stick with me though is the rockets. The adventure they would come to connote for me, and the dangers... But mostly the journey, the Rocket as a simple allegory for The Journey.  How very wonderful, and how envious I was as a child reading these stories of those fictional characters who climbed those ladders, and flipped those switches and turned those dials to shoot their rockets into space.

Whatever awaits you now, Mr. Bradbury, I hope it is as good as your stories.  I hope you are rocketing ahead with this world behind you to new adventures and mysteries.

And thank you for the Rockets.

Happy 43rd, Star Trek!

Yes indeed, it is that time of the year again. The Great Bird of the Galaxy has let our planet revolve around the sun one more time, and we again find ourselves on Trek Day! To celebrate Trek day this year, I made a custom Mirror Universe Sulu based on the new movie, and wanted to share a special Trek story with you as we all huddle around the glow of the intermix chamber and quietly sip our Saurian Brandy.




Once when I was but a young inquisitor for my firm, I was working for a pretty cool boss who was going to go have a nice little meet with a member of one of our competing firms (we were trying to get that firm to work with our firm, so it was actually a friendly conversation in a Neutral Zone!). We went to pick that guy up, when suddenly, he was joined by a DIFFERENT member of his firm, who was there to make sure he didn't say too much to my boss. In the old days, some people would call that guy a “political officer.” So, my boss asked me to distract the Political Officer so she could speak freely with the Officer she actually wanted to butter up and question.

We went to a cafe in the Eastern European city we were in, and we all ordered our food and “kava c shlagam” (coffee with cream) and sat down to chat. I immediately went to work trying to get the attention of the political officer, and was having a poor time of it. What does a 25 year old American, still just an E4, have to say to a 50 year old Eastern European political officer wearing Colonel rank? While fishing for subjects, I mentioned that back in the days before I joined my firm, my friends called me “Spock.” He immediately turned to me, his eyes wide.

“Spock like 'Star Trek'?” he asked. I confirmed that and told him I was a huge fan.



























So was he. We spent hours mulling over the fine details of “The Corbomite Manuever” and “Balance of Terror” and since he'd never had a chance to see it, I was able to fill him in on the Next Generation, and first couple seasons of Deep Space Nine. He was enthralled. We were still talking Trek long after my boss had finished doing her thing with the guy who was actually the objective.

When we started to leave, this former Communist Political Officer- enforcer of his Empire's will, gave the young American his address and asked if he would send some Trek his way if he ever got the chance. I had to tell him there were rules which prevented that, and he obviously understood, though was a bit sad. Still, he thanked me, and asked if it was OK if we met again when my boss met with his friend again. Just to talk. He wanted to show me his Trek scrap book.























Mission constraints quite unfortunately prevented me from seeing him again. What an incredible experience though to be able to reach out and find camaraderie with a man who should have been an enemy. Knowing that for those three hours we were just fans discussing our beloved Star Trek meant a lot to me, and was a lesson on how to deal with other cultures and countries. I think it would have made Gene Roddenberry proud.


Here we are in the 43rd year of Trek, and it is stronger than ever with a new lease on life in the terrific new film. May the Great Bird of the Galaxy bless our planet for another year (at least until New Trek 2 comes out!).
















And of course, goodnight Jolene Blalock, wherever you are...

Compare and contrast...

...the two most recent films you saw in a theater. Show your work. Be as spoiler free as possible.














Cost of production:
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra- $175 million.
District 9- $30 Million

Starring:
GIJ- Sienna Miller! Dennis Quaid! Channing Tatum! Marlon Wayans!
D9- Sharlto Copely? Jason Cope? Nathalie Boltt?

Director:
GIJ- Stephen Sommers (previous work “The Mummy” and “Van Helsing”)
D9- Neill Blomkamp (previous work... none, directorial debut)

Writer:
GIJ- Stuart Beattie, David Elliot, Paul Lovett, Michael Gordon, and Stephen Sommers
D9- Neill Blomkamp

What the films have in common:
Both feature extensive action sequences involving explosions and gunplay. Both feature a character going through a strange metamorphosis. Both show weapons tech ahead of its time.

Domestic profit as of 06 September:
GIJ- Still $40 million in the hole (Current domestic earnings around $139m, versus production cost).
D9- $71 million profit (Current domestic earnings of $101 Million, versus production cost).

Current Rotten Tomatoes ratings:
GIJ- 37% fresh
D9- 89% fresh

Lessons which will not be learned by Hollywood:
A smart director with a project he personally loves can make a more emotional, intellectually stimulating, and remarkable film with less money than the make up budget of an overblown piece of fluff there to do nothing beyond sell toys and distract an apathetic audience for two hours. The studio will make money on a smart film, and the critical review will be better. Relatively unknown actors who actually believe in the work they're doing will deliver better performances than big names who are just checking the "I need a blockbuster" block.

Summary:
In the end, regardless of the money the smaller, less expensive film makes or how much people agree its a good film, the toy and merchandise sales will out-earn the smaller film at every turn. G.I. Joe is also and easier film to make, requiring no sense of art or plot. It is also an easier film to watch, asking only that you turn off your brain, even if you are a long time fan of the characters (who are barely shadows of their much better conceived former selves). District 9 asks you to immerse yourself in a world perhaps too similar to our own, and watch as a lead character develops from hate-worthy to sympathetic to hero. It asks you to think about where you fall in it's allegory. It's a genuine fine piece of film, that may expend as much ammunition as G.I. Joe, but also tells you why.

Can you guess which one I liked better?

Some random stuff...

Well, time grows short here in the Great and Free Northwest States of Greatness and Freedom, and soon I will be heading to warmer, dryer climates. I've had a few Blog ideas bouncing around in my head, but nothing too definite, so I figured I'd throw out a few little ones.

Though with less fanfare than her High School graduate brother, The Daughter has also reached one of life's milestones; finishing the 8th Grade. Her school did nothing for it, so she wasn't particularly excited, but my youngest is now a High School student as well, and will be attending the school from which I matriculated many years ago. At last we will have revenge.



The Lovely Jennifer started it, but now everyone I know is calling me "Sheldon." If you haven't watched CBS' The Big Bang Theory you may not get the reference. It is a very funny show, however tired of being compared to the main geek in the show, I was going to do a blog entry pointing out five reasons I was NOT Sheldon. I could only come up with three.

In related news, the 3 3/4" Star Trek figures at Wal-Mart have been marked down to five bucks. I have been buying Scottys and putting GI Joe heads on them to make expendable Red Shirts. I see a Landing Party gone horribly wrong in their future...


Related to that- I got my JJprise keychain. It makes me happy to sing the music from the film loudly and fly the ship around. More joy than any keychain should bring any man. BTW- I am campaigning for Jolene Blalock to play T'Pring in the next film. Likely? No, but Star Trek is about hope, isn't it?





Kind of a no-brainer I think...







That's all for now- on the road soon, and I will likely next broadcast from a state with a setting sun on it's flag. Hope I can find sushi...

For my hundredth post, I become a Trek Protestant.

Wow- 100 posts here on Black Owl. Those of you who read, thank you. Those who don't but still manage to get this... who are you? Are you stalking me?

Seriously though, let me point out on this occasion that I recently started Twittering. It's not really a useful thing, but it is oddly enjoyable, particularly when people you don't know start following, and you can follow people you wish you knew. Appealing on some social level I guess, though I wonder if it takes away too much time from experiencing the Big Blue Room. Of course, I am still in Washington, so the Big Room is usually gray and wet.

If you haven't checked out the website the above picture is from, please do. Much funny there if you know your Trek, and even if you are only familiar with the cliches, it is amusing. I credit and thank them as I steal from them for the picture below. I feel a little bit like Martin Luther nailing up 95 theses... perhaps even a little dirty. But do you see it? It's there... it's there. Indulge this shameful mancrush! Old Kirk defined cool- new Kirk's taking the ball and running with it.



Heck yeah!

OK, I give up.

+++++++spoilers follow!!!+++++++++++++


So, I watched it again, and by it I of course mean the new JJ Abrams Star Trek. Pour my Kool-Aid, shave my head, I'm joining the cult. I do indeed believe this is not only a great movie, but a great move for Star Trek. Don't think I have lost my affection for TNG or DS9 or ENT even (never had too much affection for VOY). I can however accept that this is the way forward for Star Trek.

Sure, I had to sacrifice Vulcan. However, as I think back at how many times I have sat in practiced expectation while watching an episode of Trek, waiting for someone to push what I like to call the “Temporal Reset Button” and undo whatever time travel induced changes the villain wrought, I realize this is a great way to show there's no going back. We are playing for keeps. If that is so, then think about the possibilities for future films-

Imagine real Klingons- not bumpy headed Vikings, real honest to God Klingons with smooth brows and goatees, foils for Kirk matching him intellectually as well as physically. Imagine Romulans who return to their Roman-like roots, creatures of honor and discipline, as passionate as their Vulcan cousins are repressed. Boldly going again, optimistic, yet ready to make sure some asses get kicked when they need it. Imagine certain tales being re-experienced. “A Taste of Mercy” where the Enterprise tries to stop the war between Eminiar 7 and Vendikar before the Klingons can take advantage of two planets with virtually no weapons. Imagine Sarek trying to get Spock to leave Uhura and marry T'Pring because there are only a handful of Vulcans left, and there's a responsibility to his heritage. Imagine there's still a sleeper ship from the late 20th Century floating out there, it's crew waiting to be thawed. Amazing possibilities.



On a second viewing, I noticed some more golden moments- the Shatnerian delivery Pine gives during the Kobayashi Maru. Punk Kirk truly becoming Captain Kirk when he starts talking to “his” crew. Spock telling Kirk “out of the chair.” Pike's “punch it,” twice, to Mr. Sulu. Chekov swearing loudly in Russian when he beams up Kirk and Sulu. Spock pulling a Star Trek IV Scotty with Scotty (how d'ya know he dinna invent the thing?). Now, think about this- even in the Next Generation timeframe, warp beaming only works if you can match speed. So, if Scotty wrote the equations, then he must have done it after he reappeared in the 24th Century! Very subtle reference, very nice.

So, there's a whole new Trek, and I have 19 year old kids asking me to burn classic episodes for them because they fell in love with the characters in this film. One day, I can show this movie to grandkids. And best of all, this is new Star Trek, no-colon-fill-in-the-blank Star Trek, but new Star Trek with Kirk, Spock, and Bones, and they aren't seasoned adventurers, but rather in their prime, galloping around the Galaxy, practicing cowboy diplomacy, and going boldly.

Yeah, I'm on board. Sign me up. I just wish I could tune in next week for the next voyage.

So I boldly went to a movie...

Never let it be said that I don't fulfill my promises! I said I would give my review of the new Star Trek movie, and indeed here it is. I have to start out by saying I really need to see this movie again, once it was finished, I was immediately struck by how full this movie was, and there was no way I had absorbed it all in a single viewing. The thing is this; I can't just review the film, because I have to put it in context with my general love of Trek. To be completely honest, I still have to figure that part out, as I will talk about as we go along.

Let me give my quick non-spoiler version-- it is an excellent, smart, summer blockbuster. It's full of adventure, and great moments, and great characters. If you know nothing about Trek, you will love it. If you know everything about Trek, you will probably still love it. There are nitpicks, but what Trek movie or series hasn't had its share of those? Despite some clever elements to the contrary, this in essence is a Battlestar Galactica style reboot, and makes for a Trek fresher than we've seen in quite a while. For my personal hangups, you have to delve into spoiler territory.


SPOILERS+++++++++++++++++++++++++++





NO, SERIOUSLY SPOILERS!+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++





ENGAGE SPOILERS++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++






I won't get into how great the cast is as these characters- they really are. The only standout as not feeling genuine is Simon Pegg, and that is nothing against him, but rather a script which has a character named Scotty who is a lot more Simon Pegg than Scotty.

Pine isn't Captain Kirk at first, but basically just your typical wiseass, however, there is a particular moment in the film when Kirk has assumed command of the Enterprise, and he start giving orders and... there he is, Captain Kirk.

Quinto as Spock has a scene where he is standing before the admissions board of the Vulcan Science Academy, and its a scene we've seen alluded to in Trek repeatedly. In this moment though, Quinto takes ownership of the character of Spock, particularly against the backdrop of Leonard Nimoy in the film. Nimoy's Spock seems less the character he's been playing for 44 years, and more... well Nimoy. Ironically, I came out of this film feeling Quinto was more Spock than... Spock.






Now- the two real standouts here are Karl Urban as Doctor McCoy and Bruce Greenwood as Christopher Pike (above). Neither one had as much screentime as I wanted them to, but both instill their characters with the delightful essence of the original characters. Can't wait to see these two in these roles again.

Zoe Saldana has a remarkable confidence as Uhura, but it is almost overshadowed by the decision to have Spock and Uhura romantically involved. I don't mind that relationship. There's certainly precedent for the idea in the Original Series. However, I would love to have seen the relationship actually develop on screen as opposed to catching it already in place.

John Cho's Sulu and Anton Yelchin's Chekov get some good moments each, and I love Chekov as this 17 year old Russian whizkid. It's funny to listen to a guy who really is Russian deliver the cheesiest fake Russian accent you will ever hear. Sulu gets some swordplay, and flies the hell out of the Enterprise, and that's cool.

Be fair-warned if you are a fan; we do get a bone about this story originating in the Trek universe we know, however the explanation they give really doesn't explain how different everything is. It's a clever thought, and not a throw away, but falls apart under careful scrutiny. Warp physics, transporter technology- completely different. Starfleet ships, including the Kelvin which shows up as existing BEFORE the time incursion from the future which changes everything, are far larger and more mechanical than before. In the "Prime" universe, a ship like the Kelvin in the year 2233 wouldn't have a crew larger than 200- the Kelvin would seem to have four times that. Instead of cramped hallways and clean spaces we get these cavernous areas on the ship much larger than anything we've seen even on ships like the Enterprise D in Next Generation. For the most part though, with these differences, you don't care. It's all exciting. I don't care for a lot of the external features of the new Enterprise, but I wasn't really impressed in my initial impression of the 1701D, so it may grow on me.

So what's my hang up? They destroy the planet Vulcan. Vulcan epitomizes the universe Trek exists in for me. Now, it's gone. I am not sure I can get over that. I am not sure how interested I am in a Trek universe which only has 10,000 Vulcans in it. It was a ballsy thing to do, and certainly demonstrates the fact that this is not a movie which suffers from the prequel curse that we know how it all turns out in the end. However, there's no fixing this timeline. Vulcan is gone, so TNG will not happen that way in this universe. DS9, Voyager- precluded (though maybe with Voyager, that's not a bad thing). I would personally have been more comfortable with them destroying Earth than Vulcan. Only time will tell how I will adapt to that change.

There's a few more little things I think I would have done differently. I would like to have seen a few more familiar aliens; would an Andorian have killed them? Not sure how I feel about the bastard child of the Jem'Hadar and the Oompa Loompa either. Since we're on the subject of Willie Wonka, I would certainly have cut Scotty's wild ride through the Enterprise's waterworks (at least it wasn't a sewer line).

However, I think I am overall quite pleased, and do look forward to seeing it again to absorb a little more. It is ultimately a very re-watchable movie, and exciting, and cool, and not stupid. Gotta see how my Vulcan feelings go though before I can decide how I truly feel about Crisis on Infinite Treks. Welcome to Star Trek's new age.

Before I go, there's another factor I have to discuss, and that is the second and third order effects of this film. I saw the movie with my wife, children, dear friends, and good acquaintances. Some of them were big Trek fans, some just moderately knowledgeable, and some (like my daughter) downright hostile toward Trek (I had to offer her a day off from school just to get her to go). When it was over, my daughter liked it a lot, and only we of the long time Trek fan variety had any real reservations about it. So, we came home, and my TOS fan friend and I started talking Trek, and spent the next two and a half hours really talking nothing but- favorite episodes, least favorite, what we liked or didn't like about the other series, etc. Then, the next day at work, I spent most of the day talking about the movie with people who hadn't seen it and wanted my opinion, and a couple who had and wanted more insight into Classic Trek. I spent a good thirty minutes talking over forty year old Trek episodes with a young man who was born during the third season of Next Generation! He wants to watch some of the old ones, and so does his young wife. If this movie can get attention for the original, and give we old timers a chance to remanence to each other and bring young fans in, I really can't fault it. If I am going to drink the kool-aid on this one, if I am going to part with my beloved Vulcan, it's that factor which will do it.

And maybe this will do for this generation what TOS did- already I see it on the cover of Newsweek, and on blogs and websites which wouldn't touch the subject a few weeks ago. Maybe last years The Dark Knight, though great, was as far as we need to plumb our depths of entertainment despair as a nation. Maybe it's time we looked across the street at those different than us, and then looked up and said "let's go out there." Hope isn't outdated and campy and dressed in cardboard sets. It isn't something we left behind in the 60's... it's now. It's exciting, and palpable, and it's moving at warp speed. Maybe, regardless of "canon" and technobabble, it's time for Trek to be cool again.

Wow. What a world where Battlestar Galactica is the emotion driven drama, Star Trek is the epic mythological space fantasy, and Star Wars is the kid level TV show derivative of better properties.

I may just need to beam aboard for that.

I told myself I wouldn't do this...

So, I have been very specifically avoiding any discussion of the new Star Trek film here until I see the movie (this Thursday in Imax if you are waiting for my review...). Regardless of how good or bad the film may be, I was really looking forward to the fact new action figures for the film were coming out in 3 3/4" scale, my favorite figure scale. Sure, I still have some Star Trek: The Motion Picture 3 3/4" figures from 1979, and some Star Trek: The Next Generation 3 3/4" figures from 1987. Finally though I was going to get Classic Starfleet uniforms in the type of scale which would allow Kenner Boba Fett to flee from Hasbro Indiana Jones in my Mattel Dark Knight Batmobile until stopped by GI Joe's Snake Eyes, and beamed onto the bridge by 3 3/4" Scotty. Dream come true, right?

Well, the lovely Jennifer went out and bought all ten of the new figures for me on the day they came out, and they were awful- really poorly produced by Playmates toys. I also bought the Bridge playset (needed it for the above scenario), and it came out of the box damaged.

So, not one to stand for having Geekus Interruptus, I emailed pictures of all the problems- bad molds, lousy paint jobs, broken screens, all to Playmates toys. I then went off on a rant about how well they handled the Trek license in the 90's (I still have a couple HUNDRED of those figures!) and how disappointed I was over this new line. I figured that was that.

Today in the mail, I received free of charge replacement parts for my bridge, and a whole new Kirk figure. Oddly enough, it is much better produced than the ones I bought in the store! Here's a couple of pics:






The non-lipstick wearing Kirk on the right is the gratis Captain...

Playmates had my money- I had already bought all their crappy action figures, yet they bothered to send me not only replacements, but improvements! Good on them. That's a type of customer service sorely lacking these days. Hopefully the next set they put out meet this figures standards.

As for the movie... I will give you my deep thoughts in a week or so, until then click here to read my 2006 dissertation on Trek. Live Long and Prosper.

We'll always have Bespin...

(If you found this on the net, I need to let you know it was written in 2009, and my opinion has changed entirely.  This is all bullshit, nearly every word. I am leaving it in place however because history should be remembered and used as a lesson to inform the future. We should never be afriad to admit we were wrong.  I recommend you please read this from several years later.)


It's always sad when a relationship comes to an end. Times shared are lost; memories once sweet become bitter; bits of your life with that other person conjure both a nostalgia and a sadness. Sometimes, you see the other person and you just don't know if you should say hi, or pretend you don't see them, and you want to be adult, but you are hurt and you consider actually accusing them and then wondering if you should forgive them. I am going through that right now.

I recently broke up with George Lucas. We've had an active relationship since I was six years old and my dad took me to the Cine Capri Theater in Phoenix (then the largest movie theater in Arizona, now torn down and replaced with an office building) to see that new spaceship movie Star Wars. It was my first time in a movie theater, so I wasn't really sure what to expect. The lights dimmed, a bunch of words rolled up the screen, and then it happened. The Imperial Star Destroyer took forever to pass overhead. It was beautiful, and every molded, sculpted, honest to god modelwork detail burned its way into my head and at that moment Dan was born- the Dan who today practices geek the way most people practice their religion.

Of course The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi followed, and though there were those damn Ewoks, this was a monumental mythology, timeless, and nothing to do with Earth, but rather some Galaxy far, far away. This was an epic that made Tolkien look like a poser. It sponsored countless hours of running around the acre of land I grew up on with a piece of aluminum pipe pinched off at one end as my mighty lightsaber. My collection of toys grew from my set of Star Wars figures. I sent in little blue proofs of purchase and got Boba Fett in the mail. I still have that Boba Fett.

Years went by. Eventually, my dear George Lucas told me he was going to give me more. He made a whole new trilogy. I know a lot of people who told me I should break it off then. People who didn't care for midi-chlorians or Gunguns, or anguished cries of "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!"

You know what? I was good. Maybe I should he seen it sooner. Maybe it should have paid more attention to things like remastered originals and Hayden Christensen. I was an apologist though-- George may not have done it like I would have, but my kids loved the new trilogy- it did for them what the original did for me, and there were some pretty cool lightsaber fights. Nope- I just didn't notice he was drifting away.

Then, she appeared.



She wasn't timeless or mythological. She was straight American early 21st Century. Not from a Galaxy far, far away. She was from Nickelodeon. She was iCarly, Hannah Montana, Zoey 101- she was Miley Cyrus with a lightsaber. Along with her she brought funny battle droids and cute little baby hutts and some cross dressing hutts too. But I was willing to try. I watched.

About 10 minutes. This was all the imagery from Star Wars, but patronizing down to what Hollywood seems to think teenagers and kids are like, and what parents allowing such crap to be devoured by their children would support. Lame PSA after-school-special type life lessons mixed in with cutesey nicknames and slapstick. More than that, it was rewriting what Lucas allowed Genndy Tartakovsky to do in his far FAR superior version of the same story which inspired awe and cheering, and not cliches and cookie cutter story telling.

So, it's over. Maybe too late, maybe I gave him more time than I should have, but George and I are done. I will always have my movies (non-remastered) and I have my Boba Fett, but as of now, this relationship is over. Someone else can be Lucas' b*tch because I just can't do it anymore. He gave me some of the best times of my life, but I am just not willing to stay in this abusive relationship.

What kind of a world is this where Battlestar Galactica has become cooler than Star Wars?

Geek talk!

OK- I have been bad and talking about everything but my usual geeky subjects, so let em take a moment to talk some full frontal nerdity.

Mouse Guard: Read it. Read it now if you can. The colors are gorgeous, the story adventurous, and it's a good tale with no giant crossover anywhere in sight. Eat it up, yum.

Star Trek: That movie is going to make Star Trek mainstream, and bring in all kinds of cash for Paramount. I don't want Star Trek mainstream. What makes Trek Trek is it ISN'T lowest common denominator. Maybe they can pull it all off, and it will appease me the guy who can give you Kirk's serial number off the top of my head (SC 937-0176CEC), and still appeal to everyone. Good luck. Regardless, they can't take my Classic Trek DVDs away, so either way, I win. Wow! I don't believe in the no-win scenario!

Batman RIP: Should have been called "Batman WTF." This was really written by the guy who gave me All-Star Superman? Yikes.

Batman- Brave and the Bold: New cartoon on Friday nights. Very much the old 1950s Dick Sprang Batman, and well worth your 22 minutes a week. This being out with Dark Knight so popular really speaks to the greatness of this character. Lot of fun to watch- can't wait to see their version of the Joker.

New Guns 'N Roses album: Not bad- not Guns 'n Roses. Just heard my first 'Apocalyptica' song though. Metal version of Bowie's "Heroes" sung in German by the lead singer of Rammstein. Neat!

That's all for now. Be on the look out, I will soon be shamelessly plugging a new website I will have rolling after the New Year. Thank you God, for the internet.

Batman's Smart.

Comic geeks like me can laugh at this picture.

Grammar geeks like me can debate the meaning of this post's title.

Geeky, squared.

I can't review this film.

So, I had every intention of pouring my adoration and praise on this film, this thing we call "The Dark Knight." So, I looked around to see what others were saying, see how the buzz was. I watched the box office. I was all ready to give my honest efforts to convince people what an incredible film this is, and get them to go give it a shot.

I guess I don't have to.

Look at the other movies I give lip service to here-- "Hancock," "Superman Returns;" these are movies I don't think got a fair shake and needed to be relooked. It seems obvious the remarkable piece of film Chris Nolan has given us has found its audience, and it really doesn't need me to help.

I was looking forward to pointing out the sublime intensity Heath Ledger brought to the Joker, to the point that you never look at the screen and say "oh look, it's Heath Ledger" but rather "oh God, it's the Joker." But a thousand other reviews have already done this. I want to talk about how this movie is a marvelous crime film that could just as easily have names like "Coppola" or "Scorsese" attached; that's been done as well.

As far as my reaction to the film, you can pretty much read Jett's review at Batman On Film here. He pretty well sums up how I felt after the film as well.

And, for once, a truly fine film is actually making the money it deserves. Now, I suppose my only hope is the overwrought, over-produced, over-long "Titanic" gets deposed as highest grossing film.

So, I am not really going to talk about "The Dark Knight." Leave the kids at home and go see it. It's the Batman movie I have been waiting for since Denny O'Neil (or back when Frank Miller still got it).

Wait! I do have a complaint. The movie makes "Batman Begins" seem old-fashioned. I really liked that movie...

Will there be a third? Will the Dark Knight Return? If he does I hope he brings at least one of these guys with him.





I do wish he could bring this guy.