Category: Star Trek

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Picard Season 2 Star Trek

Fly Me To The Moon

Star Trek: PicardThe Borg Queen tries to summon a contemporary human whose body she can assimilate. Jurati shoots the Queen with a period firearm from the Picard estate, but then makes the mistake of allowing the Queen to slip into her mind. The watcher transports Picard back to her base of operations, an unassuming 21st century apartment, and introduces herself as Tallinn, a bit of a letdown to Picard since other than her ears, she looks just like Laris. She is a Supervisor, charged with safeguarding one critical person in Earth’s history, in this case Picard’s ancestor, astronaut Renee Picard, who is slated to be aboard the first crewed mission to Europa. That flight, to a moon of Jupiter conisdered a promising candidate for harboring life, will change history, and together, Tallinn and Picard discover that Q is pulling the strings, trying to get Renee dropped from the mission roster. Q is also meddling in the affairs of geneticist Adam Soong, whose funding has been cut due to fears that his research borders on eugenics, and that he is trying to weaponize genetic manipulation; this makes Soong vulnerable to blackmail, as he is also trying to cure his daughter, Kore, of a genetic condition he hasn’t been able to isolate. Meddling is an understatement when it comes to describing Seven and Raffi’s rescue of Rios from ICE. Meddling barely even begins to describe Picard’s plan to infiltrate an invitation-only gala event for the Europa mission’s crew to ensure Renee’s safety. The plan hinges on Jurati’s skills…but Jurati has a passenger in her mind whose help will come at a cost.

Order DVDswritten by Cindy Appel
directed by Jonathan Frakes
music by Jeff Russo
additional music by Sam Lucas

Star Trek: PicardCast: Patrick Stewart (Jean-Luc Picard), Alison Pill (Dr. Agnes Jurati), Jeri Ryan (Seven of Nine), Michelle Hurd (Commander Raffi Musiker), Evan Evagora (Elnor), Orla Brady (Tallinn), Isa Briones (Kore Soong), Santiago Cabrera (Captain Cristobal Rios), Brent Spiner (Adam Soong), John de Lancie (Q), Annie Wersching (Borg Queen), Penelope Mitchell (Renee Picard), Lea Thompson (Dr. Diane Werner), Leif Gantvoort (ICE Officer #1), Jackie Geary (Mona), Ivo Nandi (LeClerc), Kay Bess (La Sirena Computer), Oscar Camacho (Pedro), Michelle Haro (Guard #1), Shaw Jones (Guard #2), Daniel Mooney (Young Man), Zach Sowers (Security Guard #1), Kareem Stroud (Security Guard #2)

Star Trek: PicardNotes: Tailinn’s transporter “vault” technology is the same kind previously seen in use by Gary Seven (Assignment: Earth, 1968), and Picard is aware of Kirk’s crew’s interaction with him. This is but the first time that the writers of Star Trek: Picard associate the interval of seventeen seconds with fatherhood. After directing the previous two episodes, veteran cinematic time traveler Lea Thompson gets an on-screen cameo as the chairperson ot the committee ending Soong’s funding.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Picard Season 2 Star Trek

Two Of One

Star Trek: PicardPicard and his crew try to stay inconspicuous and keep eyes on Renee, while Jurati finds herself in a constant negotiation for control of her own mind and body with the Borg Queen. Picard is startled to see another familiar face at the gala, one who knows at least something about who he really is: Adam Soong. Soong tries to give him a warning, and then tries to turn the tables on Picard, but before things can go any further, Jurati provides a distraction, the endorphin bump from which allows the Queen to take over completely. Picard finds Renee and tries to give her a pep talk designed to keep her from backing out of the Europa mission, unaware that Soong is there to force that decision by targeting Renee for a hit-and-run “accident”. Picard pushes her out of the way and he becomes the victim of the hit-and-run instead. Rios calls on Dr. Ramirez, whose clinic he was admitted to earlier, to try to save Picard’s life, but even with his vital signs stabilized, he remains in a coma with an unusually high amount of brain activity. Tallinn thinks she can gain access to his subconscious and bring him out of it, but while Picard’s crew is occupied with his immediate fate, Renee is not protected – and Jurati, with the Borg Queen now fully in control, is at large in Los Angeles.

Order DVDswritten by Cindy Appel & Jane Maggs
directed by Jonathan Frakes
music by Jeff Russo
additional music by Sam Lucas

Star Trek: PicardCast: Patrick Stewart (Jean-Luc Picard), Alison Pill (Dr. Agnes Jurati), Jeri Ryan (Seven of Nine), Michelle Hurd (Commander Raffi Musiker), Evan Evagora (Elnor), Orla Brady (Tallinn), Isa Briones (Kore Soong), Santiago Cabrera (Captain Cristobal Rios), Brent Spiner (Adam Soong), John de Lancie (Q), Annie Wersching (Borg Queen), Penelope Mitchell (Renee Picard), Sol Rodriguez (Dr. Teresa Ramirez), Alexandre Chen (Cute Waiter), Ren Hanami (Director Lee), Michelle Haro (Guard #1), Shaw Jones (Guard #2), Richard Leacock (Commander Musa), Zach Sowers (Security Guard #1), Kareem Stroud (Security Guard #2)

Star Trek: PicardNotes: The OV-165 shuttle identified by Renee Picard can also be seen in the opening credits of every episode of Star Trek: Enterprise. The song “Shadows Of The Night”, made famous by Pat Benatar’s 1982 recording, actually dated back to being written for the soundtrack of the 1980 Tim Curry film Times Square, though the song was left out of the movie and thus dropped from the soundtrack. Other artists recorded the song before Benatar’s version, which made it to #3 and won her a Grammy Award. Amusingly, either Jurati/the Queen selected a song that was already on the band’s setlist, or the band was unusually well-prepared in the event of an impromptu performance of “Shadows Of The Night”. Alison Pill did do her own singing, which appears on the season two soundtrack.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Picard Season 2 Star Trek

Monsters

Star Trek: Picard

Inside Picard’s subconscious with him, Tallinn can only watch as Picard psychoanalyzes himself (in the guise of his own father, in a Starfleet uniform his father never wore) and constantly hearkens back to memories of his mother when he was a young boy. His memories center on the family chateau, and the tunnels beneath it, and other than fleeting glimpses of a physical struggle between his parents, Picard’s mind gives up only hints of anything further. He awakens and decides to go on the offensive, asking Guinan to summon Q, an ability he knows she possesses as an El-Aurian. Returning to La Sirena, Seven and Raffi discover that Agnes Jurati is, to some unknown but growing extent, occupied by the Borg Queen; Seven worries that their trip back in time may have brought a far greater danger with them than anything Q has done. After witnessing Tallinn’s mindlink with Picard in her clinic, Dr. Ramirez asks Rios, point-blank, who he is…and he tells her, and then takes her and her son to La Sirena to prove it. In a Los Angeles dive bar, the Queen-as-Jurati no longer cares how much attention she is drawing to herself. In another bar, Guinan uses an ancient ritual to bring Q to her and Picard…but instead they’re arrested in an FBI raid.

Order DVDswritten by Jane Maggs
directed by Joe Menendez
music by Jeff Russo
additional music by Sam Lucas

Star Trek: PicardCast: Patrick Stewart (Jean-Luc Picard), Alison Pill (Dr. Agnes Jurati), Jeri Ryan (Seven of Nine), Michelle Hurd (Commander Raffi Musiker), Orla Brady (Tallinn), Isa Briones (Kore Soong), Santiago Cabrera (Captain Cristobal Rios), James Callis (Maurice Picard), Madeline Wise (Yvette Picard), Sol Rodriguez (Dr. Teresa Ramirez), Ito Aghayere (Guinan), Jay Karnes (Agent Wells), Ivo Nandi (LeClerc), Steve Gutierrez (Ricardo), Dylan Von Halle (Young Picard), Marti Matulis (Prisoner), Oscar Torre (Bartender), Travis Walck (Jester), Cyrus Zoghi (Red Bearded Guy)

Star Trek: PicardNotes: Maurice Picard had been seen before, again courtesy of Q, in an older form in Tapestry (1993), though he had died some time before that (and, as he claims here, with his hair intact). Guinan’s ritual hand gestures were previously glimpsed in another comfrontation with Q in Q Who? (1989). Jay Karnes previously guest starred in another time-hopping Star Trek story (Voyager‘s Relativity episode in 1999), and his appearance here had some corners of internet fandom convinced that he must be playing the same character. Another guest star, James Callis, is better known to genre TV fans as Gaius Balter in the 21st century reboot of Battlestar Galactica.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Picard Season 2 Star Trek

Mercy

Star Trek: PicardIn FBI custody, Picard and Guinan begin to suspect that Agent Wells, their captor, may be acting without authorization. But whether he’s unhinged or not, Wells is also aware that Picard and a group of other uninvited guests were present at the Europa mission gala. Wells has Guinan taken to another room while he interrogates Picard. Guinan gets a visitor as well – Q finally appears, annoyed to find her on Earth in this time period. Raffi and Seven find Jurati, but everything points toward the Borg Queen being in complete control, until Jurati passes up an opportunity to kill Raffi. Having exposed Dr. Ramirez and her son to the truth, Rios finds that he can’t control anything on his ship, thanks to Borg encryption forced into his system by Jurati before she left. A message left for her by Q tells Kore everything about her past and her father’s history of genetic experimentation – and Q offers her the ability to step into the outside world. Picard turns the tables on Wells, asking why it’s so important for him to prove the existence of aliens in 2024, and the results dredged up from Wells’ childhood memories prove fascinating. Jurati, needing advanced electronic components to give her the ability to assimilate, finds an appropriately unethical ally in Adam Soong.

Order DVDswritten by Cindy Appel & Kirsten Beyer
directed by Joe Menendez
music by Jeff Russo
additional music by Sam Lucas

Star Trek: PicardCast: Patrick Stewart (Jean-Luc Picard), Alison Pill (Dr. Agnes Jurati), Jeri Ryan (Seven of Nine), Michelle Hurd (Commander Raffi Musiker), Evan Evagora (Elnor), Orla Brady (Tallinn), Isa Briones (Kore Soong), Santiago Cabrera (Captain Cristobal Rios), Brent Spiner (Adam Soong), John de Lancie (Q), Sol Rodriguez (Dr. Teresa Ramirez), Ito Aghayere (Guinan), Jay Karnes (Agent Wells), Kay Bess (La Sirena Computer), Jackson Garner (Young Wells), Steve Gutierrez (Ricardo), Nanrisa Lee (FBI Agent), Charles Maceo (Merc One), Eduardo Roman (Vulcan #1), Chuti Tiu (Vulcan #2), Oscar Torre (Bartender), Cyrus Zoghi (Red Bearded Guy)

Star Trek: PicardNotes: Seven’s memories of being assimilated at a young age were explored in more detail in numerous episodes of Star Trek: Voyager (The Raven, 1997; Dark Frontier Part I and Part II, 1999). Voyager fans who had spent the week since Monsters speculating that Jay Karnes’ Picard and Voyager characters were related were in for a letdown, but Agent Wells’ flashbacks to meeting Vulcans at a young age may (or, just as easily since they apparently had a ship with working transporters, may not) have had some connection to the Vulcans left behind on Earth to live in Carbon Creek (2002).

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Season 1 Star Trek Strange New Worlds

Strange New Worlds

Star Trek: ProdigyStardate 1739.12: Recovering from his recent experiences involving the loss of the starship Discovery, Captain Christopher Pike has retreated to a cabin in Montana to ride horses, watch movies, and enjoy the companionship of Captain Batel of the U.S.S. Cayuga. But Batel must soon return to her ship, and Pike has been avoiding answering a persistent series of hails to his communicator… which brings new, less welcome company to his door: Admiral Robert April, with orders for Pike to be aboard the Enterprise in mere hours for an urgent mission to recover the ship’s missing first officer. Pike’s Number One, Commander Una Chin-Riley, opted to take part in a first contact mission aboard the U.S.S. Archer at planet Kiley 279 rather than taking shore leave; the Archer has gone silent.

At Kiley 279, the Enterprise finds a pre-warp civilization in turmoil, not a warp-capable society ready to make contact with the Federation. The crew determines that the warp signature that attracted that Archer was indeed warp technology, but geared toward manufacturing massively destructive weapons rather than a faster-than-light drive. Pike, Spock, and security chief La’an Noonien Singh beam down to Kiley, disguised as natives of that planet, to recover their missing contact team and to find out how they acquired the technology that they may yet use to obliterate themselves. It turns out that the scientists of Kiley merely watched nearby Federation starships in action – namely the incident that marked the last time anyone in the 23rd century saw the starship Discovery – and Pike decides that, as the Federation is responsible for bringing Kiley 279 to the brink of extinction, it’s his responsibility to stabilize the planet’s precarious peace, despite this violating Starfleet’s non-interference rules.

Order DVDsteleplay by Akiva Goldsman
story by Akiva Goldsman & Alex Kurtzman & Jenny Lumet
directed by Akiva Goldsman
music by Nami Melumad
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds main theme by Jeff Russo

Star Trek DiscoveryCast: Anson Mount (Captain Christopher Pike), Ethan Peck (Lt. Spock), Jess Bush (Nurse Christine Chapel), Christina Chong (Lt. La’an Noonien Singh), Celia Rose Gooding (Cadet Uhura), Melissa Navia (Lt. Erica Ortegas), Babs Olusanmokun (Dr. M’Benga), Bruce Horak (Lt. Hemmer), Rebecca Romijn (Commander Una Chin-Riley), Adrian Holmes (Admiral Robert April), Dean Jeannotte (Lt. Samuel kirk), Gia Sandhu (T’Pring), Melanie Scrofano (Captain Batel), Samantha Smith (Eldredth), Carla Bennett (Palion Aide #2), Jon Blair (Kiley Guard #2), Peter Bou-Ghannam (Palion Leader), Marienne Castro (Shuttle Pilot), Bessie Cheng (Eldredth Aide #2), John Chou (Kiley Scientist #1), Joseph Daly (Eldredth Aide #1), Myles Dobson (Vulcan Waiter), Rong Fu (Jenna Mitchell), Chandra Galasso (Lieutenant), Jaimee Joe Gonzaga (Terminal Jockey #2), Sandy Kerr (Starfleet Scientist #1), Andre Dae Kim (Chief Kyle), David Kirby (Palion Aide #1), Joel Lacoursiere (Kiley Guard #1), Dana Levenson (Newscaster), Andrew Locke (Terminal Jockey #1), Etan Muskat (Starfleet Scientist #2), Daniel Pagett (Kiley Scientist #2), Rachel Sellan (Woman in Elevator)

Star Trek DiscoveryNotes: As these iterations of Captain Pike, Spock, and Una “Number One” Chin-Riley originated in the second season of Star Trek: Discovery, there are numerous references to the events of that season, including the loss of Spock’s adopted sister Michael Burnham, Discovery‘s opening of a wormhole to the future, and Pike’s time-crystal-induced vision of his own future at the Klingon monastery on Boreth. Among the display of planets with which first contact is only now being conducted, other than Kiley 279, is Gamma Trianguli VI, also known as the planet dominated by Vaal (from the original series episode The Apple), Scalos (a planet which will later be found uninhabited in the original series episode Wink Of An Eye), and Xahea, which raises the strange possibility that Ensign Tilly’s meeting with Me Hani Ika Hali Ka Po (Short Treks: Runaway) may have been among the first contacts with that world. Captain Pike has a fondness – perhaps, if you’re Captain Batel, too much fondness – for the 20th century film The Day The Earth Stood Still. Star Trek DiscoveryAdmiral Robert April later boarded the Enterprise with his wife en route to their retirement in the animated Star Trek episode The Counter-Clock Incident. That a shuttlecraft has been named after Discovery‘s Commander Stamets would seem to be in line with Starfleet’s (and Section 31’s) official cover story that Discovery was destroyed in the 23rd century, with all hands lost. (Of course, Discovery‘s adventures continued nearly a millennium later, chronicled in that series’ third season.) After enthusiastic fan response to Anson Mount, Ethan Peck, and Rebecca Romijn stepping into the roles of characters from Gene Roddenberry’s original Star Trek pilot The Cage in season two of Star Trek: Discovery, the characters were given further exposure in the second batch of Short Treks before Strange New Worlds was greenlit in 2020, during the summer of the COVID-19 lockdown. The series couldn’t begin filming until early 2021, and when it launched in 2022, it streamed concurrently with the finale episodes of Star Trek: Picard‘s second season. This premiere episode was the most-watched Paramount Plus original production of 2022; a second season had been greenlit before the first season premiered.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Categories
Lower Decks Season 03 Star Trek

Grounded

Star Trek: Short TreksStardate not given: With Captain Freeman’s Starfleet tribunal continuing, and everyone around her seemingly convinced of the charges that Freeman secretly destroyed Pakled Planet, Mariner is going stir crazy during shore leave on Earth. She sees it as her duty, and hers alone, to help her mother out of this tight spot…but that doesn’t mean she won’t recruit her fellow ensigns to help her steal the Cerritos and set things right. But that doesn’t mean that Boimler, Rutherford or Tendi will let her go it alone. Somewhere between those conflicting objectives… Captain Freeman will need help to come from another source.

Order DVDswritten by Chris Kula
directed by Jason Zurek
music by Chris Westlake

Star Trek: Lower DecksCast: Tawny Newsome (Ensign Beckett Mariner), Jack Quaid (Ensign Brad Boimler), Noel Wells (Ensign D’Vana Tendi), Eugene Cordero (Ensign Rutherford), Dawnn Lewis (Captain Freeman), Jerry O’Connell (Commander Ransom), Fred Tatasciore (Lt. Shaxs), Gillian Vigman (Dr. T’Ana), James Cromwell (Dr. Zefram Cochrane), Carlos Alazraqui (Admiral Les Buenamigo), Phil Lamarr (Admiral Alonzo Freeman), Bobby Moynihan (Gavin), Kari Wahlgren (Sylvia Ront)

Notes: Bozeman, Montana is now a tourist attraction with an automated replica of Zefram Cochrane’s Phoenix taking visitors on a pre-programmed route recreating Cochrane’s first warp flight (as seen in Star Trek: First Contact), with a hologram of Cochrane as its pilot. (Jerry Goldsmith‘s theme from that movie is also heard, as is Cochrane’s preferred traveling Star Trek: Lower Decksmusic, Steppenwolf’s “Magic Carpet Ride”.) This is the second Star Trek series in which James Cromwell has reprised the role of Cochrane from First Contact (he also appeared in the pilot episode of Star Trek: Enterprise). Captain Morgan Bateston (TNG: Cause And Effect) and Tuvok (Star Trek: Voyager) are instrumental in the mission to clear Captain Freeman’s name, though neither character has lines in this episode. Tendi and Rutherford are diving into the gumbo as Sisko’s Creole Kitchen, a restaurant seen in quite a few episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Apparently Starfleet has a long tradition of Earth-based transporter chiefs being incapacitated while unauthorized use is made of their transporters to beam aboard restricted vessels (Star Trek III: The Search For Spock). Guest star Carlos Alazraqui is the father of Star Trek: Prodigy regular Rylee Alazraqui, who provides the voice of Rok-Tahk. Strange as it may seem, Boimler’s log entries reveal that purple is not his natural hair color.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Categories
Picard Season 3 Star Trek

The Next Generation

Star Trek: Picard2401: Her private medical ship boarded by pirates, Dr. Beverly Crusher puts up a fierce fight to repel the boarders, but is injured in the exchange of fire. Fortunately, her son Jack is on hand to put her in stasis and escape before more hostiles can arrive. Prior to going into stasis, however, Crusher sends a cryptic warning to retired Admiral Jean-Luc Picard, requesting his help but urging him not to bring Starfleet in on the matter.

Picard promptly meets with Riker to formulate a plan, though “plan” may be putting it charitably; it involves a surprise inspection of the U.S.S. Titan-A, whose captain they attempt to convince to visit the area of space near the last known coordinates of Crusher’s ship. Captain Shaw, however, isn’t up for a joyride. His first officer, on the other hand, is more sympathetic to Picard’s obvious need for a ship. Now serving as the first officer of the Titan-A after an accelerated Starfleet Academy program netted her the rank of commander, Seven of Nine allows Picard and Riker to borrow one of the ship’s shuttles, though “borrow” may, again, be putting it charitably.

In the seedy District Six of the planet M’Talas Prime, Raffi is deep undercover, trying to gather intelligence on a nebulous threat to the upcoming celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Federation’s founding. The only information she is able to gather is extremely cryptic, but then she witnesses a portal open beneath a building, swallowing it whole, and then another opening in the sky nearby, depositing the wreckage of that building on top of an unsuspecting civilian population. There is a threat, and she’s too late to stop it.

Just outside Federation space near the Ryton system, Picard and Riker board Crusher’s ship. They find her in a stasis chamber, awaiting medical treatment. They also meet her son, who seems to be in a hurry to get away. The large, vicious-looking ship that emerges from a nearby nebula seems to be a very good reason for Jack Crusher to want to get away.

Order DVDswritten by Terry Matalas
directed by Doug Aarniokoski
music by Stephen Barton / additional music by Max McGuire

Star Trek: PicardCast: Patrick Stewart (Jean-Luc Picard), Jeri Ryan (Seven of Nine), Michelle Hurd (Raffi Musiker), Ed Speleers (Jack Crusher), Jonathan Frakes (Captain William Riker), Gates McFadden (Dr. Beverly Crusher), Orla Brady (Laris), Todd Stashwick (Captain Liam Shaw), Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut (Ensign Sidney La Forge), Anthony Azizi (Orion Drug Dealer), Stephanie Czajkowski (Lt. T’Veen), Joseph Lee (Lt. Mura), Chad Lindberg (Ensign Foster), Jin Maley (Ensign Esmar), Jani Wang (Bartender), Christian Crandall (Dark Haired Man), Amy Earheart (Eleos Computer), Grace Lee (Picard Chateau / La Sirena Computer), Ric Sarabia (Human Patron)

Star Trek: PicardNotes: The episode is dedicated to Annie Wersching (1977-2023), who died of cancer months after appearing as the Borg Queen in the second season of Star Trek: Picard (she also made her first TV appearance in an episode of Enterprise). Two of the guest stars in this episode also appeared in Enterprise: Todd Stashwick appeared as a Romulan in Kir’Shara (2004), while Ric Sarabia appeared in Vanishing Point (2002). The music score has many references to Jerry Goldsmith (including the use of his theme from Star Trek: First Contact over the end credits) and some stylistic references to James Horner; the opening legend “In the 25th century…” hearkens back to the opening of Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Categories
Picard Season 3 Star Trek

Disengage

Star Trek: Picard2401: It quickly becomes apparent to Picard and Riker that Jack is the target of the attacking ship. Their only escape route, the shuttle “borrowed” from the Titan, is destroyed, and the Crushers’ ship is in no condition to put up a fight – or even to resist capture. After Seven cajoles him into it, Captain Shaw puts the Titan between the smaller ship and harm’s way, becaming Picard, Riker and the Crushers to safety. The safety, however, is relative and fleeting, as the Titan is now the hostile ship’s sole target. Vadic, the captain of the other ship, hails the Titan, demanding that Jack Crusher be handed over immediately, and despite a scan which reveals just how outgunned the Titan is, Captain Shaw refuses. Vadic gives him a one-hour deadline – and then, just to make sure Shaw knows she means business, uses a tractor beam to hurl Crusher’s ship directly at the Titan, doing serious damage. Outside of Federation jurisdiction and concerned for the lives of his crew, Shaw decides there’s no choice but to hand Jack over to Vadic.

Raffi reaches out to her Starfleet Intelligence handler for guidance on following leads into the recent attack against the Federation, only to be told that the investigation has been ordered closed. She returns to M’Talas Prime to continue investigating on her own, and has to arrange a meeting with a notorious Ferengi criminal through her ex-husband. But her attempt to bribe the information of of that Ferengi nearly proves fatal. Fortunately, someone has Raffi’s back – someone very handy with a Klingon sword. As time runs out for the Titan, Jack Crusher seems more than willing to turn himself over to Vadic to avoid any further bloodshed, and Picard is unable to convince Shaw to not surrender his prisoner. Riker brings Beverly Crusher to the bridge, where a single look confirms some Riker already suspected and Picard seemed unwilling to confront: Jack Crusher is Picard’s son. Picard pulls rank and assumes command, plunging the Titan and her crew into a fight they’re extremely unlikely to win.

Order DVDswritten by Christopher Monfette & Sean Tretta
directed by Doug Aarniokoski
music by Stephen Barton / additional music by Max McGuire

Star Trek: PicardCast: Patrick Stewart (Jean-Luc Picard), Jeri Ryan (Seven of Nine), Michelle Hurd (Raffi Musiker), Ed Speleers (Jack Crusher), Michael Dorn (Worf), Jonathan Frakes (Captain William Riker), Gates McFadden (Dr. Beverly Crusher), Todd Stashwick (Captain Liam Shaw), Amanda Plummer (Vadic), Aaron Stanford (Sneed), Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut (Ensign Sidney La Forge), Randy J. Goodwin (Jae Hwang), Robert G. Morgan (Fenris Ranger), Stephanie Czajkowski (Lt. T’Veen), Joseph Lee (Lt. Mura), Chad Lindberg (Ensign Foster), Jin Maley (Ensign Esmar), Tiffany Shepid (Dr. Ohk), Amy Earheart (Eleos/Titan Computer), Adam Hunter (Security Officer), Naymon Frank (Guard), Grace Lee (La Sirena Computer)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Categories
Season 2 Star Trek Strange New Worlds

The Broken Circle

Star Trek: ProdigyStardate 2369.2: Captain Pike takes personal time to attend to the pressing matter of finding an attorney to represent Number One in her upcoming court martial. Spock is left in command of the Enterprise as she undergoes inspections by Commander Pelia and her team in spacedock. During this layover, Uhura picks up a carefully-masked signal from La’an, from the mining planet Cajitar at the edge of Klingon space, warning of a major threat to the Federation. Spock decides to fake an emergency that will drive the inspectors off the ship so the remaining crew can effectively steal the Enterprise to rescue La’an. Pelia, sensing that something doesn’t add up, remains aboard the ship, not to stop Spock, but to assist him in the role of chief engineer. La’an is holding her own on Cajitar, but summoned her friends when she discovered that a coalition of human and Klingon profiteers are planning to somehow reignite the Klingon war with the Federation to drive up dilithium prices. When it is discovered that they are medics, M’Benga and Chapel are taken hostage by Klingons to treat victims of a recent radiation incident in an underground chamber. That chamber contains a Federation starship, and M’Benga quickly decudes the plan: with “custody” of Cajitar jointly held by the Federation and the Klingon Empire for alternating six-month periods, an attack by a “Federation ship” during a period of Klingon occupation would provide the necessary provocation for war to be declared. With no way to call for backup or get off the ship before it launches, M’Benga and Chapel must relive their own experiences in the war with a substance that provides a burst of berserker rage and and strength, making them a match for the Klingons aboard, something both of them used during the war. A coded warning to the Enterprise makes it clear that the ship is to be destroyed, but Spock knows that doing so may mean the death of two of his closest crewmates.

Order DVDswritten by Henry Alonso Myers & Akiva Goldsman
directed by Chris Fisher
music by Nami Melumad
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds main theme by Jeff Russo

Star Trek: Strange New WorldsCast: Anson Mount (Captain Christopher Pike), Ethan Peck (Lt. Spock), Jess Bush (Nurse Christine Chapel), Christina Chong (Lt. La’an Noonien Singh), Celia Rose Gooding (Ensign Uhura), Melissa Navia (Lt. Erica Ortegas), Babs Olusanmokun (Dr. M’Benga), Rebecca Romijn (Commander Una Chin-Riley), Adrian Holmes (Admiral Robert April), Carol Kane (Commander Pelia), Izad Etemadi (Burly Inspector), Rong Fu (Jenna Mitchell), Emma Ho (Oriana), Andrew Jackson (Captain D’Chok), Alex Kapp (U.S.S. Enterprise Computer), Kyle Kass (Kr’Dogh), Noah Lamanna (Chief Jay), Chiang Ma (Livian), Tiffany Martin (Senior Chief), Jamillah Ross (Lukata), Samer Salem (Inspector Gilan), Hannah Spear (Jen), Alex Spencer (Greynax), Nicolas Van Buren (Klingon Extremist), Abbas Wahab (Ror’Queg), Laura Wilson (Stell), Russell Yuen (Commodore Tafune)

Star Trek: Strange New WorldsNotes: Mitchell eyeballs the ersatz Federation ship as a Crossfield class, with some uncertainty; it doesn’t resemble the previous Crossfield class ships (Discovery and Glenn from Star Trek: Discovery), but those ships, since they were testing spore drive technology, may have been experimental refits of the more traditional 23rd century ship profile seen here, or may simply be a “kitbash” of available parts. The fact that some of the earliest instances of Klingon/human cooperation happened among warmongers is an ongoing problem (Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, 1991). Captain Pike’s whereabouts during these events are revealed in the following episode. Marc Okrand, author of the Klingon Dictionary first published in the 1980s after he invented the Klingon language for Star Trek III: The Search For Spock, is once again credited as the Klingon language consultant. The episode carries an on-screen dedication to Nichelle Nichols (1932-2022), who originiated the character of Uhura in the original Star Trek series.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Categories
Season 2 Star Trek Strange New Worlds

Ad Astra Per Aspera

Star Trek: ProdigyStardate 2393.8: Venturing into Illyrian space on his own time, Captain Pike demands to see civil rights attorney Neera Ketoul, an Illyrian herself and a childhood friend of Number One. He pushes for her to take his first officer’s case, not just for her, but for all Illyrians trying to overcome Federation prejudice. Neera’s defense begins somewhat inauspiciously by grilling Admiral April on the witness stand, but over time she reminds the judges that at one point, many prejudices now thought of as archaic were, in fact, enshrined in the law. But one troubling question weighs on both Neera and on La’an, who can’t seem to find the answer: who turned Number One in to Starfleet, revealing that she was an Illyrian and not human?

Order DVDswritten by Dana Horgan
directed by Valerie Weiss
music by Nami Melumad
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds main theme by Jeff Russo

Star Trek: Strange New WorldsCast: Anson Mount (Captain Christopher Pike), Ethan Peck (Lt. Spock), Jess Bush (Nurse Christine Chapel), Christina Chong (Lt. La’an Noonien Singh), Celia Rose Gooding (Ensign Uhura), Melissa Navia (Lt. Erica Ortegas), Babs Olusanmokun (Dr. M’Benga), Rebecca Romijn (Commander Una Chin-Riley), Yetide Badaki (Neera Ketoul), Adrian Holmes (Admiral Robert April), Melanie Scrofano (Captain Batel), Jim Annan (Una’s Father), Anna Claire Beitel (young Una), Catherine Black (Una’s Mother), Eugene Clark (Vulcan Judge), Nicky Guadagni (Admiral Javas), Beth Hornby (Guard), Alex Kapp (U.S.S. Enterprise Computer), Graeme Somerville (Vice Admiral Pasalk), Iain Stewart (JAG Defender), David Benjamin Tomlinson (Tellarite Judge), Kimberly-Ann Truong (Illyrian Assistant)

Star Trek: Strange New WorldsNotes: Many visual conventions of classic Star Trek courtroom episodes (The Menagerie Part I and II, Court-Martial) are maintained here, from Starfleet dress uniforms to the hand sensor (presumably some means of detecting truthful or non-truthful answers). Una’s fondness for Gilbert & Sullivan – and Spock’s discovery of this – was revealed in the Short Treks episode Q&A (2019). Pike’s visit to the Vaultera Nebula is concurrent with the events of the previous episode, The Broken Circle.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Season 2 Star Trek Strange New Worlds

Tomorrow And Tomorrow And Tomorrow

Star Trek: ProdigyStardate 1581.2: La’an’s day goes from bad to worse when an unknown intruder suffering from a bullet wound suddenly materializes aboard the Enterprise. He hands her a device and warns her to get to the bridge. A sudden surge of energy seems to put the red alert, and when La’an arrives on the bridge, she finds that the Enterprise is under the command of Captain James T. Kirk of the United Earth Fleet. In private, she explains the sudden shift in reality to him, but when he tries to take the device to inspect it, they both find themselves in 21st cebtury Toronto with no idea why they’ve been brought there.

No sooner have La’an and Kirk sorted out basic matters of inconspicuous clothing, money, food, and lodging than a newly-constructed bridge is brought down by some kind of deliberate sabotage. A quick glimpse of the debris reveals technology that shouldn’t exist on Earth in this time period. A fortuitous meeting with a local enthusiast of conspiracy theories yields surprisingly significant information in the search for those responsible for destroying the bridge. But the woman La’an and Kirk have met is not there by coincidence. As the two travelers from Earth’s future are trying to repair history, their new acquaintance is there to undo it in a way that will have very direct consequences for La’an.

Order DVDswritten by David Reed
directed by Amanda Row
music by Nami Melumad
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds main theme by Jeff Russo

Star Trek: Strange New WorldsCast: Anson Mount (Captain Christopher Pike), Ethan Peck (Lt. Spock), Jess Bush (Nurse Christine Chapel), Christina Chong (Lt. La’an Noonien Singh), Celia Rose Gooding (Ensign Uhura), Melissa Navia (Lt. Erica Ortegas), Babs Olusanmokun (Dr. M’Benga), Rebecca Romijn (Commander Una Chin-Riley), Paul Wesley (Captain James T. Kirk), Adelaide Kane (Sera), Carol Kane (Pelia), Dennis Barham (Chess Player #1), Noah Lamanna (Chief Jay), Caden Lawrence (Security Ensign), David Leyshon (Chess Player #3), Luke Marty (Police Officer), Sean Meldrum (Denobulan Cadet), Brian Quintero (Store Security Guard), Robin Schisler (Woman in store), Randy Singh (Institute Guard #1), Desmond Sivan (Young Khan), Mish Tam (Chess Player #2), Allisan Wilson-Forbes (Agent Ymalay), Christopher Wyllie (Grey-Suited Man)

Star Trek: Strange New WorldsNotes: Pelia was the proprietor of an antigue store in Vermont in the 21st century, but was not yet an engineer; in the 23rd century, Pelia does not appear to remember encountering La’an and Kirk in the past (or at least isn’t saying anything about it if she does, which may be a wiser course of action). The Denobulan involved in the argument in the transporter room is the first live-action Denobulan seen since Dr. Phlox was last glimpsed in the closing scenes of Star Trek: Enterprise (though animated Denobulans have been seen in both Star Trek: Lower Decks and Star Trek: Prodigy). The events in this episode would appear to take place not long after the “Project Khan” folder was glimpsed in Adam Soong’s lab at the end of season two of Star Trek: Picard, so Soong’s aughments either grow at an accelerated rate, or “Project Khan” was already further along than previously implied. The Department of Temporal Investigations – last seen following up on the events of the Deep Space Nine episode Trials And Tribble-ations – seems to have its own time-travel gear and a more directly interventionist stance than implied in that previous appearance; clearly this is the Department from a later period in history, possibly the 27th century in which Starfleet has time travel (Voyager: Relativity). Though it’s less ornate, the Department’s hand-held time travel device shares some distinct functional similarities with the Omni from the 1980s time travel series Voyagers! – namely, that history is still affected, and thus the user is forbidden to leave that time period, as long as the light is red. The fact that the Romulan agent in the 21st century is aware that “entire temporal wars have been fought” indicates she may be a participant in, or an occupant of a time after, Star Trek: Enterprise’s Temporal Cold War. She also mentions that these events were meant to happen in 1992, leaving her trapped on Earth for 30 years trying to prevent them, Star Trek: Strange New Worldsan acknowledgement of Khan’s history having been shifted in the Star Trek timeline from the 1990s (Star Trek: Space Seed) to the 21st century (Deep Space Nine: Doctor Bashir, I Presume). Desmond Sivan becomes only the third actor to portray, in live action, a famed Star Trek character previously played by Ricardo Montalban and Benedict Cumberbatch.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Season 2 Star Trek Strange New Worlds

Among The Lotus Eaters

Star Trek: Strange New WorldsStardate 1630.1: A joint mission involving the Enterprise and the Cayuga gives Captains Pike and Batel fleeting opportunities for alone time, but the fallout from the recent trial of Pike’s first officer may have permanently damaged their relationship. The Enterprise is called away to Rigel VII, a planet visited by Pike and a landing party five years ago, resulting the deaths of three members of his crew. Recent imagery from an uncrewed probe’s flyby indicates that there may have been some cultural contamination of the warlike local culture, and to put it succinctly, Pike is ordered to clean up his own mess. He hand-picks a small team – La’an and M’Benga – for their ability to handle themselves in close combat without energy weapons, which seems like a good way to blend in until they’re accosted by locals with energy weapons. Pike, La’an and M’Benga are taken to the warriors’ palace, where they find that Pike’s former yeoman – presumed killed in action during that fateful previous mission – is not only alive, but has turned himself into the local warlord. He orders the landing party to be held captive while the planet’s radiation takes effect, robbing them of their inhibitions and eventually their memory.

The same effect is gradually being felt aboard the Enterprise as well, and before long a third of the crew is out of commission, including Uhura and Number One. Spock directs Ortegas to raise the Enterprise‘s orbit to avoid the radiation causing the rampant neurological degradation, unaware that this will only put the ship and crew further into harm’s way. On Rigel VII, a jailbreak leaves La’an critically injured, and while M’Benga can perform basic first aid without thinking, his memory of how to stabilize La’an has left him. With help from one of the locals, Pike sets out to retrieve everyone’s memories at any cost.

Order DVDswritten by Kirsten Beyer & Davy Perez
directed by Eduardo Sanchez
music by Nami Melumad
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds main theme by Jeff Russo

Star Trek: Strange New WorldsCast: Anson Mount (Captain Christopher Pike), Ethan Peck (Lt. Spock), Jess Bush (Nurse Christine Chapel), Christina Chong (Lt. La’an Noonien Singh), Celia Rose Gooding (Ensign Uhura), Melissa Navia (Lt. Erica Ortegas), Babs Olusanmokun (Dr. M’Benga), Rebecca Romijn (Commander Una Chin-Riley), Reed Birney (Luq), David Huynk (Zac Nguyen), Melanie Scrofano (Captain Batel), Trevor Coll (Afraid Crewmember), Tarek Gader (Shirtless Crewmember), Alex Kapp (USS Enterprise Computer), Noah Lamanna (Chief Jay), Emeka Menakaya (Tiko), Simon Northwood (Rak)

Star Trek: Strange New WorldsNotes: The events on Rigel VII took place shortly before The Cage (1964), and were the cause of a crisis of self-confidence on Captain Pike’s part in that story, leading him to have thoughts of resigning from Starfleet; previously unrevealed until this episode was that Spock was also critically wounded during that mission. The bronze-age outfits and weaponry (other than the phaser rifles accidentally left behind by the previous Enterprise landing party) all tally with the warrior Pike faced during a Talosian-incuded illusion in The Cage.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Season 2 Star Trek Strange New Worlds

Those Old Scientists

Star Trek: Strange New WorldsStardate 58460.1: The Cerritos visits the planet Krulmuth-B, site of an ancient portal of unknown function. Boimler, Tendi, and Rutherford are elated to be assigned to scan the ancient technology; Mariner is less than thrilled with the assignment. After he and Tendi spar over whether the portal was discovered by Captain Pike’s Enterprise crew or an Orion science vessel whose crew included an ancestor of Tendi’s, Boimler poses for a picture in the portal. But Rutherford’s camera seems to activate the device, and Boimler is sucked in.

Stardate 2291.6: The Enterprise visits the planet Krulmuth-B, finding an ancient portal of unknown function. As Number One, Spock, and La’An do routine scans, someone emerges from the portal – one Ensign Brad Boimler, a junior Starfleet officer from 120 years in their future. After Boimler seems to be reflexively startled by Number One, Pike leaves the ensign in the care of La’An, who reviews standard Starfleet time travel protocols, and adds advice of her own from recent experience. An attempt to return Boimler through the portal is thwarted by the appearance of an Orion vessel. Pike and his crew assume they are pirates, but Boimler realizes this could be the ship on which Tendi’s ancestor is serving and speaks up, annoying Pike by potentially altering history. After parlaying with the Orions for access to the portal, Pike and his crew are alarmed when, just as Boimler is about to walk through the portal, one of his crewmates from the future, Ensign Beckett Mariner, jumps through, thinking she’s rescuing her friend. The portal’s energy exhausted, Boimler and Mariner are both stranded in the 23rd century, unless they can find a solution that somehow doesn’t alter history.

Order DVDswritten by Kathryn Lyn & Bill Wolkoff
directed by Jonathan Frakes
music by Nami Melumad
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds main theme by Jeff Russo

Star Trek: Strange New WorldsCast: Anson Mount (Captain Christopher Pike), Ethan Peck (Lt. Spock), Jess Bush (Nurse Christine Chapel), Christina Chong (Lt. La’an Noonien Singh), Celia Rose Gooding (Ensign Uhura), Melissa Navia (Lt. Erica Ortegas), Babs Olusanmokun (Dr. M’Benga), Rebecca Romijn (Commander Una Chin-Riley), Tawny Newsome (Ensign Beckett Mariner), Jack Quaid (Ensign Brad Boimler), Noel Wells (Ensign Tendi), Eugene Cordero (Ensign Rutherford), Jerry O’Connell (Commander Jack Ransom), Greg Bryk (Captain Caras), Carol Kane (Commander Pelia)

Star Trek: Strange New WorldsNotes: A full-blown crossover with the animated series Star Trek: Lower Decks, Those Old Scientists emerged from discussions between the showrunners of both shows and featured roles for many of Lower Decks’ regulars, though only Tawny Newsome and Jack Quaid got to play their characters in live action. The episode was released almost a full week early, as it was also being shown at the 2023 San Diego Comic-Con. The main titles are animated in a style that splits the difference between Lower Decks’ animation style and the usual Strange New Worlds opening titles, and includes such Lower Decks staples as the unidentified creature feeding on one of the Enterprise’s warp engines and a cosmic koala sighting. There are also many references to characters and the ship from Star Trek: Enterprise. Lt. Ortegas has visited Starbase Earhart (and run into dom-jot-obsessed Nausicaans there), the same place where one Ensign Jean-Luc Picard will have a life-altering experience decades from now (TNG: Tapestry, 1993).

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Season 2 Star Trek Strange New Worlds

Subspace Rhapsody

Star Trek: Strange New WorldsStardate 2398.3: Investigating a subspace fold with unusual properties, the Enterprise is once again visited by Lt. Commander James Kirk of the Farragut, whose presence has La’An noticeably on edge. Hypothesizing that the subspace fold could be used to speed up long-range communications, Spock and Uhura have been trying to send signals through it to no avail. Commander Pelia suggests transmitting music into the fold, and the effect is immediate and unpredictable, causing members of the crew to burst into song in moments of extreme emotion. Even Spock is not immune, particularly after learning that Nurse Chapel has successfully applied for a three-month fellowship to study under Dr. Roger Korby. Worse still, the effect is spreading throughout existing subspace communications networks, affecting others across the galaxy in the same way. The Klingons, despite being accustomed to singing songs of their deeds in battle, are less than amused, and a major diplomatic breakdown looms unless Captain Pike and his crew come up with a show-stopping grand finale.

Order DVDswritten by Dana Horgan & Bill Wolkoff
directed by Dermott Downs / choreography by Roberto Campanella
original songs by Tom Polce and Kay Hanley / additional lyrics by Dana Horgan & Bill Wolkoff
music by Nami Melumad
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds main theme by Jeff Russo

Star Trek: Strange New WorldsCast: Anson Mount (Captain Christopher Pike), Ethan Peck (Lt. Spock), Jess Bush (Nurse Christine Chapel), Christina Chong (Lt. La’An Noonien Singh), Celia Rose Gooding (Ensign Uhura), Melissa Navia (Lt. Erica Ortegas), Babs Olusanmokun (Dr. M’Benga), Rebecca Romijn (Commander Una Chin-Riley), Paul Wesley (Kirk), Melanie Scrofano (Captain Batel), Dan Jeannotte (Lt. Sam Kirk), Bruce Horak (General Garkog), Carol Kane (Commander Pelia), Rong Fu (Jenna Mitchell)

Star Trek: Strange New WorldsNotes: With a history that stretches from dancing, singing Murf, to Kira singing “Fever” while Odo plays piano, to musically inclined space hippies, to Uhura serenading Charlie Evans in one of the original series’ earliest episodes, there’s never been a shortage of musical moments in Star Trek, but Subspace Rhapsody marks the first attempt to elevate that concept to a full-fledged stage-style musical sustaining across a full episode. It helps that almost the entire cast is musically inclined as well, and a soundtrack release followed almost immediately. Kirk’s mention to La’An that he has a steady – and pregnant – girlfriend is almost certainly a reference to Carol Marcus (Star Trek II, 1982). Bruce Horak – who starred in season one as Hemmer – makes his second comeback of the season, this time in Klingon guise.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Season 2 Star Trek Strange New Worlds

Hegemony

Star Trek: Strange New WorldsStardate 2344.2: As the U.S.S. Cayuga checks in on Parnassus Beta, a human colony outside of Federation space, Captain Batel continues her long-distance relationship with Captain Pike via subspace communication, which is suddenly cut off with the arrival of a crash-landing Starfleet shuttlecraft, followed closely by an enormous Gorn ship. By the time Enterprise responds to the Cayuga‘s distress signal, the Cayuga has been reduced to a field of debris orbiting Parnassus Beta. Worse still, the Gorn claim that the colony is in their territory, and any attempt to rescue either colonists or any survivors from the Cayuga will be seen as an act of war. Even with Admiral April’s explicit orders to avoid initiating hostilities, Pike and a small, hand-picked team go to the surface, hiding their shuttlecraft from detection by drifting through the Cayuga‘s debris. They find the Gorn present in great numbers, but also a contingent of surviving colonists and Cayuga crew members, including Captain Batel. Among the survivors is Lt. Montgomery Scott, the sole survivor of the last Starfleet ship attacked by the Gorn before attacking Parnassus Beta. His ingenuity provides what could be some tactical advantages, assuming he and the others survive long enough to eliminate the Gorn’s transporter scattering field and return to the Enterprise alive. Aboard the Enterprise, Pelia and Uhura devise a plan to dismantle the Gorn’s scattering field and rescue the humans on the surface, but when it happens, it will leave no doubt that Starfleet has taken a more aggressive posture and possibly start a war. The plan is a success, though the Gorn beam the colonists – including several of the Enterprise landing party – to their ship instead, attacking the Enterprise immediately afterward. As the crew awaits Pike’s orders, Captain Batel is put into stasis in sick bay, having been implanted with fast-hatching Gorn eggs in the Gorn’s attack on the planet.

Order DVDswritten by Henry Alonso Myers
directed by Maja Vrvilo
music by Nami Melumad
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds main theme by Jeff Russo

Star Trek: Strange New WorldsCast: Anson Mount (Captain Christopher Pike), Ethan Peck (Lt. Spock), Jess Bush (Nurse Christine Chapel), Christina Chong (Lt. La’an Noonien Singh), Celia Rose Gooding (Ensign Uhura), Melissa Navia (Lt. Erica Ortegas), Babs Olusanmokun (Dr. M’Benga), Rebecca Romijn (Commander Una Chin-Riley), Martin Quinn (Lt. Scott), Adrian Holmes (Admiral Robert April), Melanie Scrofano (Captain Batel), Dan Jeannotte (Lt. Sam Kirk), Carol Kane (Commander Pelia), Rong Fu (Jenna Mitchell), Matt Jensen (Ensign Appel), Alex Kapp (USS Enterprise/Cayuga Computer), strongNoah Lamanna (Chief Jay), Emeka Menakaya (Tiko), Simon Northwood (Rak)

Star Trek: Strange New WorldsNotes: Still a mere lieutenant in a room full of lieutenants, this is Scotty’s first appearance, chronologically speaking, in the prime Star Trek timeline; he’s also a former student of Pelia’s (though maybe it’s a good idea to look past his transcript). This is the first time an actual Scottish actor has played the role of Scotty. Since this season-ending cliffhanger premiered in the midst of a combined strike of the Writers’ Guild of America and the Screen Actors’ Guild, the ensuing wait for part two of the story would prove to be lengthy.

LogBook entry by Earl Green