Remembering 2011.

The past 12 months have been busy for Star Trek despite the lack of original content on TV. Leonard Nimoy bid farewell to convention appearances, Star Trek Las Vegas saw an enourmous gathering and brought us a new World Record for fans in costume, IDW launched a new series of comics based on the Abramsverse, the gaming world was abuzz with activity, and let’s not forget about the Star Trek Light-up Feeding System. In this episode of The Ready Room we look back at 2011, remember those members of the Star Trek family who we lost this year, and look ahead to 2012.

In news we cover Star Trek and the holidays plus some movie news including the conversion from 2-D to 3-D, more casting including Bruce Greenwood as Pike, whether or not any Original Series cast members will appear, and our latest villain theory… it’s someone you’ll never expect. Along the way we take many detours and are paid a visit by a very unexpected guest.

The Undiscovered Country.

In 1991 we bid farewell to the voyages of the Enterprise and its original crew. In a film of heavy Cold War allegory, released just 26 days before the Soviet Union ceased to exist, we were given a final chance to spend time with the characters we had known as Star Trek for 25 years. In this episode of The Ready Room we’re joined by Larry Nemecek to discuss Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, how it worked as a sendoff for TOS, and how it started the Star Trek universe down the road to the world of TNG.

In news we cover Paramount’s plan to feature Star Trek in their 2012 Tournament of Roses float, George Takei’s foray into the Star Trek vs Star Wars feud, the release of the complete Voyage Home score, movie rumors, IDW’s first original Abramsverse content, and we’ll preview two more tracks off of Five Year Mission’s new album Year Two. Plus a character from a galaxy far, far away makes a surprise appearance on the bridge of the Enterprise.

The Search.

Deep Space Nine shaved the head in the Season Four premiere “The Way of the Warrior,” but the shears of change started trimming a season earlier. “The Search” is a title with many meanings. It’s Odo’s search for his people as well as the show’s search for its own identity. It’s the birth of the Dominion, the introduction of the Defiant, Ronald D. Moore’s debut on the writing team, the first Romulan involvement in the series, and so much more. In this episode of The Ready Room we discuss the Season Three premiere and how it marks the beginning of DS9’s greatness.

In news we cover the 20th anniversary of Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country and recount our memories of the premiere, the Dodd’s Furniture Star Trek Mattress Commercial, movie news and rumors including Benicio Del Toro, Edgar Ramirez, Jordi Mollà, and KHAAAN!!!, the results of our Alice Eve poll, and we’ll preview two more tracks from Five Year Mission’s Year Two. Plus Greg teaches us what kind of sound the Prime Spock Probe makes.

The Galileo Seven.

Logic is good for a lot of things, but command may not be one of them. In the first season TOS episode “The Galileo Seven” we see Spock take command for the first time. The results almost get the crew killed, but this episode is an important turning point in the development of Spock’s character. It’s an episode that combines the best elements of The Original Series with the worst, and tosses it all at the viewer like giant spears. In this episode of The Ready Room we discusses “The Galileo Seven,” its importance in the growth of Spock, and how delightfully cheesy the execution of the script turned out to be. We also compare the new IDW Ongoing comic reimagining of the episode with its original TV version.

In news we cover the Trek Nation Director’s Log, TrekCore’s SD/HD Analysis of TNG Remastered, the new issue of Star Trek Magazine, Star Trek Online Season 5, movie rumors about Benicio Del Toro and Alice Eve, and we’ll preview two more tracks from Five Year Mission’s Year Two. Plus Greg does his imitation of Patrick Stewart as Captain Picard as Captain Kirk.

Five Year Mission: Year Two.

A collaboration of five Star Trek fans who endeavor to write and record a song for each of the episodes of The Original Series, Five Year Mission is a favorite of ours here at Trek.fm. Their first album, Year One, quickly rose to the top of our playlists over the past year, and the wait for Year Two has been a long one. On recent shows we’ve been previewing tracks from the new album and now we are pleased to bring you the band itself! In this episode of The Ready Room we’re joined by Noah, Andy, Patrick, Mike, and Chris to discuss the making of Year Two and to give us live acoustic performances of four new tracks!

In news we cover the results of our Neelix Thanksgiving poll, new movie developments that are multiplying faster than Tribbles, a contest to win a walk-on roll on the next Star Trek movie, some details from Mike Okuda about the TNG Remastered project, and the Anovos Command Division TOS Dress replica. Plus Chris makes whale noises and Greg channels Riker from “The Icarus Factor.”

Past Tense.

Star Trek has often been prophetic, but few episodes have been more prophetic of today’s world than the DS9 two-parter “Past Tense.” Many parallels between the Occupy movement and the Sanctuary Districts of 2024 can be drawn, though it’s not necessarily a clear-cut comparison. Still this episode can come across as being “ripped from the headlines” today, despite that fact that it first aired in 1995 years ago. In this episode of The Ready Room we discuss “Past Tense” and how it shows where we may be headed as the rift between the rich and poor in our society grows.

In news we cover new movie developments, more confirmed guests for Star Trek Las Vegas 2012, the second TNG HD trailer that shows some side-by-side comparison, Star Trek’s ten least-threatening villains, upcoming IDW Star Trek Ongoing comics, and we preview two more tracks from Five Year Mission’s “Year Two.”

These Are the Voyages…

Enterprise was a series that was often misunderstood and was cancelled before its time. Under the guidance of Manny Coto, the fourth season saw the series finding solid footing as a TOS prequel. Bit by bit we were building toward the founding of the Federation and setting up Kirk’s era. Sadly they ran out of time and hastily ended the series with a very misguided finale titled “These Are the Voyages…” also known as the 177th episode of TNG. In this episode of The Ready Room we discuss the Enterprise finale, which has been explained as an intended “valentine” to Star Trek.

In news we look at the upcoming HeroClix Star Trek edition, Star Trek Online Free-to-Play details and changes to the game’s economy, the possible cancellation of Star Trek Infinite Space, Carrie Fisher’s response to William Shatner on Star Trek vs. Star Wars, Google+, and we preview two tracks from Five Year Mission’s upcoming album Year Two.

Scorpion.

As with TNG and DS9, Voyager reached a turning point at the end of its third season. The episode “Scorpion” brought several changes and new elements to the show that shaped the future direction of the journey through the Delta Quadrant. The Borg, Seven of Nine, and even internal conflict that had been missing from the show, all come together to help Voyager grow up a bit. In this episode of The Ready Room we discuss “Scorpion” as well as the nature of Voyager before and after this turning point. In news we look at the possibility of Benicio Del Toro being cast as Star Trek’s next villain, tractor beams, The Captains on Netflix streaming, Star Trek potato heads, IDW’s Redshirt contest, Star Trek Ongoing #2, and we preview two tracks from Five Year Mission’s upcoming album Year Two. 

TNG Season Two.

After completing a successful first season The Next Generation continued to find its identity in season two despite a number of potential setbacks. The departure of Gates McFadden as Dr. Crusher, a writers strike in Hollywood, and continuing struggles to emerge from the shadow of TOS put this new Star Trek series to the test. In this episode of The Ready Room we discuss the good and the bad of TNG’s second season, and how it set up the greatness to come. In news we look at the Comikaze Expo, new names added to the roster for Star Trek Las Vegas 2012, Star Trek: The Exhibition at the St. Louis Science Center, Star Trek’s spookiest moments, and the state of Star Trek fiction and the Enterprise novels about the Romulan War. 

The Way of the Warrior.

DS9 promised a new kind of Star Trek from the very start, yet the early seasons had more in common with the TNG method of storytelling than the rich and intricate Deep Space Nine we came to love. Just as TNG grew the beard with “The Best of Both Worlds,” so did DS9 with “The Way of the Warrior.” Shaving the head set DS9 on a course for greatness and its place as the most unique series in the Star Trek franchise. In this episode of The Ready Room we discuss “The Way of the Warrior” and how it changed Deep Space Nine. In news we look at the official music video for William Shatner’s cover of “Bohemian Rhapsody,” Five Year Missions “Errand of Mercy,” a comparison of Star Trek technology to real-world progress, Microsoft’s progress in holodeck technology, John de Lancie reading “The Raven,” and the Roddenberry Foundation’s $5 million dollar gift to the Gladstone Institutes for stem cell research. 

The Star Trek Pendulum.

With the reboot of Star Trek in 2009 the TOS time period came back into style. But is TNG poised for a comeback? Is the Star Trek Pendulum about to swing back toward the Enterprise-D? In this episode of The Ready Room we’re joined by Larry Nemecek to discuss how fandom moves back and forth between the series. We also talk about how each series was a reaction to the one before it, and about the future of Star Trek on television.

In our news segment we look at what it might be like if Seth MacFarlane were to reboot Trek on TV, play with the Star Trek Deck Builder Card Game, William Shatner’s new album Seeking Major Tom, Apple’s Siri, how Quinto may be prepping for the next Star Trek movie, and we cast the next Starfleet engineer. 

Insurrection.

In 1998 Paramount followed up the great success of First Contact with a film called Insurrection. This third outing of the TNG cast on the big screen received mixed reviews from critics and a lukewarm reception from fans. It’s a movie that’s not as great as fans had hoped and not as bad as many make it out to be. In this episode of The Ready Room we discuss Insurrection and look at where it succeeds and where it falls short. In news we cover Leonard Nimoy’s final convention appearance, Creation’s 2012 convention plans, the experience of watching Star Trek in IMAX, the new Star Trek: Expeditions expansion set, Trek.fm games, Star Trek: Phase II “Mind-Sifter,” and the surge in popularity for TNG.

Star Trek Ongoing.

Leading up to the 2009 J.J. Abrams reboot of Star Trek, IDW released a series of comics that told the backstory of the movie. Now the publisher has launched a monthly series that is set in the alternate timeline of the Abramsverse. Titled Star Trek Ongoing, this new series re-imagines episodes of The Original Series under the creative direction of Star Trek 2009 writer Roberto Orci. In this episode of The Ready Room we're joined by Five Year Mission's Mike Rittenhouse to discuss the first issue, where this series may be headed, and how it may tie in to the next J.J. Abrams movie.

In our news segment we cover the details that have finally emerged about TNG HD on Blu-ray, the Star Trek.com poll that named First Contact the most underrated TNG movie, upcoming IDW titles for autumn, hear Ethan Phillips talking about Neelix, get our chocolate fix with M&M’s Star Trek figurines, and discuss Brannon Braga saying that he takes responsibility for decisions that some believe hurt the Star Trek franchise. 

The Temporal Cold War.

It's one of the most puzzling aspects of Enterprise, both in terms of story and purpose. It's the Temporal Cold War. What started off as a central element in the pilot episode “Broken Bow” became a strand that was difficult to tie together with the missions of the NX-01. In this episode of The Ready Room hosts Christopher Jones and Greg Harbin discuss the exploits of Future Guy and the many other players in this conflict that quietly spanned the centuries.

In our news segment we take a look at the DVD release of William Shatner's documentary "The Captains," the upcoming Science Channel premier of Trek Nation, hear Shatner's thoughts on geekdom's favourite battlefield—Star Trek vs. Star Wars—plus find out that Kate Mulgrew wants a Voyager movie. Plus, Greg has fun creating his own video: Jonathan Coulton's Star Trek Nemeses.

The Best of Both Worlds.

It was the turning point for The Next Generation and perhaps for all of modern Star Trek. The season-three finale left fans wondering for the entire summer of 1990 whether Picard was returning or whether Riker was the show’s new lead. It also brought us one of the greatest villains ever—the Borg. In this episode of The Ready Room we're joined by Brian Finifter of Down In Front to discuss “The Best of Both Worlds” and how it changed the course of the franchise.

In our news segment we discuss new developments surrounding the remastering of TNG on Blu-ray, Marina Sirtis's new role as the Wicked Queen, play with Diamond Select's retro Picard and Borg figures, find out about Star Trek Online's plans to go free-to-play, step inside a real-life sickbay, explore the possibility of silicon-based life, hear from the remaining TOS cast on Star Trek’s 45th anniversary, and reveal the results of our poll “Which villain’s name do you most want to shout in battle?”

The Final Frontier.

Yes, that’s right. Star Trek V. It’s a movie many fans pretend doesn’t exist. But if you look closely you can find some good moments in this mess of a film, especially in the relationships between Kirk, Spock, and McCoy. In this episode of The Ready Room we take a look at Shatner’s masterpiece and call it out where needed, praise it in those spots where it deserves it, and admire the beautiful menace that is Captain KLAA!!!!!

In our news segment we discuss the most underrated series, the most underrated TOS movie, the J.J. sequel and possible TV series, Star Trek: The Exhibition at Kennedy Space Center, hear David Warner recount his Trek adventures, look at the science of tractor beams, and check in on Patrick Stewart's panel at Chicago Comic Con.

Romulans.

They're an offshoot of the Vulcans who chose conflict over logic. As one of the two original enemy empires from The Original Series, the Romulans have remained almost as mysterious to us as they were to Kirk and Spock. Despite their increased use on TNG and DS9, the Romulans were never fleshed out enough to realize their potential. In this episode of The Ready Room we take a look at this scheming race to uncover what we do know about them, from their first appearance in "Balance of Terror" to their use in the first J.J. Abrams film.

In our news segment we cover Will Decker and The Office, a fan edit of The Motion Picture that creates what would have been the pilot for Star Trek Phase II, “In Thy Image,” the appearance of Star Trek on Amazon Prime, get a preview of IDW’s November 2011 comics, play a round of Klingon and Ferengi Monopoly, check in on the possibility of Vulcan coming back in the next movie, learn about a proposed David Foster Star Trek Series, debate Trek's toughest villains, choose our favourite Enterprise design, and wish a happy birthday to the late great Gene’s birthday. 

Nemesis.

The final Star Trek movie set in the prime timeline saw the TNG era fizzle out with surprising rapidity. After the excitement of First Contact, many felt that Insurrection was just the natural lull of the odd-numbered films. With the long-than-usual gap between releases, fans were expected Nemesis to be incredible. Instead Paramount delivered a film that didn't feel quite right and that stumbled at the box office. After just four outings, Picard and his crew sailed off into the box theatrical sunset. In this episode of The Ready Room hosts Christopher Jones and Greg Harbin take a close look at Nemesis to find out if it is really as bad as many fans claim and try to come to terms with the early end of Star Trek's most successful era.

In our news segment we're joined by TrekNews.Net's Brian Wilkins for a recap of Star Trek Las Vegas 2011. Dominic Keating and Connor Trinneer talk Enterprise, a new world record is set for Star Trek costumes, and Leonard Nimoy says goodbye to Vegas.

The Captains.

Kirk. Picard. Sisko. Janeway. Archer. Every Star Trek fans has their favourite, and each captain has their own unique command style. Sometimes it's hard to put one ahead of the other when ranking Starfleet's leaders, but in this episode of The Ready Room we're joined by Brian Finifter of Down In Front to discuss each of these captains, their pros and cons, and reveal under whom we'd prefer to serve.

In our news segment we look at some new Mego-style retro action figures from Diamond Select Toys and Art Asylum, StarTrek.com’s interviews with Terry Ferrell and Connor Trinneer, a Technorati interview with Alice Krige, a possible animated series from Roberto Orci, and Five Year Mission’s “Year Two.”

Year of Hell.

When Voyager wandered into Krenim space, the events foreshadowed in "Before and After" came to pass with devastating consequences for Janeway and her crew. It's a plotline that should have lasted an entire season, but it still presented some interesting challenges and provided one of the more meaningful looks into the mind of Chakotay. In this episode of The Ready Room we're joined by Anthony Davis and Down In Front's Brian Finifter to discuss the two-parter, where it succeeds and where it fails, what we would have handled differently, and why those devastating consequences were ultimately meaningless thanks to the classic Voyager reset button.

In our news segment we look at the first IDW Comic based on the Abramsverse, the IDW Star Trek-Legion of Super-Heroes crossover, the Star Trek VI sequel novel "Cast No Shadows," Star Trek.com’s interview with Jeffrey Combs, Wil Wheaton and Jeri Ryan on Eureka, Netflix's expansion into Latin America and Canada, and the humorous TNG review podcast Dork Trek. 

Generations.

The first film to feature the TNG cast also served as a vehicle for passing the franchise torch once and for all from Kirk to Picard. The result was a story that felt part movie, part TV show, and part barrel roll. Yes, Geordi's greatest escape from engineering comes in this film. But more importantly Brannon Braga and Ronald D. Moore shook up the Star Trek universe with the death of the Enterprise-D and the death of James T. Kirk. In this episode of The Ready Room hosts Christopher Jones and Greg Harbin discuss the seventh Star Trek film, how the death of Kirk was handled, and how some things could have been written differently to deliver a more satisfying transition for the greater fandom.

In our news segment we look at the $5,000 QMx 1701-A replica, the final three convention appearances for Leonard Nimoy, Marina Sirtis bid to land a spot on Dancing with the Stars, preview Star Trek Las Vegas, learn about George Takei's induction into the California Hall of Fame, explain just what The Delphies are (listen up Enterprise fans!), find out when Trek Nation is coming to the Science Channel, get some details about TNG on Blu-ray, watch a new Five Year Mission video, hear what Roberto Orci has to say about possible changes to the Enterprise, take a peek at the new canon Enterprise 1701-F, and find the Voyager theme song closing out the shuttle era. 

Tribbles.

They're cute, they're cuddly, and they're the most furtile creatures in the known universe. Oh… and they're one of the few things that can instil fear in a Klingon warrior. They are, of course, tribbles! In this episode of The Ready Room hosts Christopher Jones and Greg Harbin clear out a space to sit and discuss tribbles from throughout Star Trek including appearances in The Original Series, The Animated Series, and Deep Space Nine. So grab your blood wine and join us for The Great Tribble Hunt!

In our news segment we discuss Google+ giving William Shatner the boot, James Darren’s interview with Star Trek.com, the science behind photon torpedoes, the Borg as a social network, Robot Chicken producer Matt Senreich's comments about Star Trek, the addition of Star Trek to Amazon's streaming service, the end of Star Trek: Vanguard, and we look at the 2011 Hallmark Keepsakes. 

Deep Space Nine.

As The Next Generation began to approach the finish line and with fan support at an all-time high, Paramount knew that they needed to pass the television torch to another crew. In doing so they created a different kind of Trek that was embraced by many fans and shunned by others. In the episode of The Ready Room we're joined by Brian Finifter of Down In Front to take a look at DS9, how the series departed from the classic Star Trek mould, and how it enriched the franchise by telling stories and developing characters in a way we had never seen before.

In our news segment we discuss Mila Kunis’s love of Star Trek, take a look at a lost Larry Nemecek interview with Ira Steven Behr, hear what Mike and Denise Okuda have to say about their role in the new browser-based game Infinite Space, open our ears to a limited-edition collection of unreleased music from TNG, find out what is lined up for the Shore Leave con in Baltimore, look at a Kirk maquette, find out why Pegg is asking for patience on the Star Trek sequel, examine a new technology that may be the first replicator, and play with the new CBS Interactive PADD application for iPad.

Final Frontier: The Animated Series.

As fans wait for a new TV series to appear, few know that we came very close to an animated one appearing online just before the J.J. Abrams reboot began. Three veterans of Star Trek production formed a studio called Zero Room and began developing an animated show called "Final Frontier." In this episode of The Ready Room we're joined by Dave Rossi, Doug Mirabello, and Jose Munoz to discuss the animated series they pitched to CBS and that came close to being picked up by StarTrek.com.

In our news segment we talk about Jonathan Frakes appearance on the Twitter stage, a 3D chocolate printer for Troi, Star Trek on Netflix, the possibility of Brent Spiner appearing in the next J.J. Abrams Star Trek film, Roberto Orci's thoughts on the Star Trek game-film connection, Star Wars vs. Star Trek, Star Trek Online and Steam, Shatner and NASA’s Shuttle documentary, the Tricorder X-Prize, and Ira Steven Behr talking DS9.

Encounter at Farpoint.

When Star Trek returned to television on September 28, 1987, no one knew for sure if this experiment was going to work. Could you really capture lightning in a bottle twice? While the ship still carried the same name, the cast was completely different—and the actors relatively unknown. What's more, the show was syndicated. That doesn't seem like a big deal now, but at the time it was unusual and not known as a recipe for success. In this episode of The Ready Room hosts Christopher Jones and Greg Harbin discuss "Encounter at Farpoint," which turned out to be the seed for all but 86 of the episodes and films in the world's most expansive science fiction franchise. 

In our news segment we wish a happy birthday to J.J. Abrams, say our farewells to composer Fred Steiner, tune in to Michael Giacchino as he talks to Collider about scoring Star Trek, find out what Simon Pegg has to say about Star Trek and Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, find out more about the new Abramsverse comic series as The Comic Book Resources interviews IDW Chief Creative Officer Chris Ryall, turn the pages of a new Star Trek Trivia Book, and discuss the trailer of William Shatner's new documentary "The Captains."

The Voyage Home.

After the heavy themes of The Wrath of Khan and The Search for Spock, the studio gave fans a lighthearted ending to the storyline that proved that Star Trek could laugh at itself—something that hadn’t happened since the original series episode “The Trouble with Tribbles.” The result was Star Trek's biggest box office pull ever, a record that stood until 2009. In this episode of The Ready Room we take a look at this whale of a film and find out why Chris feels its some of the most fun you'll have watching Trek while Greg would rather listen to a Catian's claws being run down a chalkboard.

In our news segment we see that, at long last, Walter Koenig is getting his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, celebrate Captain Picard Day, take a first look at a new IDW comic book series set in the Abramsverse, hear Anthony Montgomery and Garrett Wang speaking out about Enterprise and Voyager, peak into a starship development program at the US Department of Defense, find out more about the upcoming browser-based game Infinite Space, and get the scoop on more Star Trek 2 news. 

TOS vs. the Abramsverse.

Few things have divided the Star Trek fan community like the J.J. Abrams reboot of Star Trek. Many embrace it as a needed shot in the arm that has revitalized the franchise. Others despise it to the point of calling J.J. a Denebian slime devil—or worse. Can there really be two Kirks and two Spocks? Or is TOS hallowed ground that should be left alone? In this episode of The Ready Room hosts Christopher Jones and Greg Harbin are joined by Trek.fm feature writer Lisa M. Lynch and Brian Finifter of Down In Front to debate the original Star Trek vs the reboot.

In our news segment we look at a new Abramsverse video game coming to consoles and PCs in 2012, J.J. Abrams talking Star Trek 2, the opening weekend results for Super 8, writers Roberto Orci and Damon Lindelof getting their planking fetish on, the science of J.J.’s Star Trek, the Hero Complex Film Festival, and some details about a new Star Trek TV Series pitched by William Shatner. Plus, we're joined by Five Year Mission for a live performance of tracks from their album "Year One," and a sneak peak at "Year Two."

The Future of Trek on TV.

Fans may have had a blasé reaction to Enterprise, but with so many years of broadcast silence the one thing everyone is now clamouring for is new Star Trek on television. It will happen. There's no doubt about it. Just when that will be and what for it will take, however, are up for debate. In this episode of The Ready Room hosts Christopher Jones and Greg Harbin look at some of the concepts that have been proposed as well as some that fans have on their wish lists—Final Frontier, Federation, Titan, Star Trek Online, a series based on the adventures of the Enterprise-B, and one set in the Abramsverse.

In news we discuss Star Trek 2 vs. The Hobbit, TNG Remastered in HD, the Star Trek Red Sea Resort, the Trekathon event that screened and rated all 11 films in one sitting, an interview in which Malcolm McDowel gets all up in Kirk's face, the cancellation of $#*! My Dad Says, and Leonard Nimoy's appearance in Bruno Mars's new music video. Plus, Larry Nemecek joins us to discuss his current documentary project, The Con of Wrath.

An Enterprise Retrospective.

It's the series Trek fans love to hate on. As the last incarnation of Star Trek on television, Enterprise often gets blamed for killing the franchise. Is that really a fair label? In this, the premiere episode of our general Star Trek discussion show, hosts Christopher Jones and Greg Harbin take a look at Enterprise to find out just what it brought to that future world that we love, and why fans who wrote it off at the time should give it a fresh look.

In our news segment we discuss possible villains for the next J.J. Abrams Star Trek film, look at the production schedule and possibility of J.J. directing, and find out why the studio is demanding 3-D. Plus, Lisa M. Lynch sits down with George Cordero to get the low down on the upcoming Frank and Son Star Trek Fan Day.