Star Trek

“There's got to be a way to have our cake and eat it, too” - Captain Janeway, speaking to an alternate timeline future version of herself, but also summing up how “Endgame” wound up being the best of all possible conclusions for Voyager. This week marks the 11th (!) anniversary of the airing of the final episode of Voyager. I know it makes more sense to do reflections e...

Listen, I know I'm supposed to have a "One Trek Mind" and all. Heck, I'm not even supposed to look at another science-fiction franchise - but I must confess, I saw The Avengers. Twice. You probably did too, and I'm guessing you loved it. Kids around the world are getting together with their friends to play Marvel team-up, because the characters are so strong – but I'm here to tell you, yo...

It's hard to believe it's been three years since Star Trek (2009) finally launched onto screens. Part of me still thinks of it as “the new one,” but another part of me has already accepted Chris Pine's cocky smile, Zachary Quinto's raised eyebrow and J.J. Abrams' ubiquitous lens flares as a part of Trek legacy. Like many of you, I followed every half-rumor leading up to the release...

I tell ya, folks, I was planning to make this week's One Trek Mind a searing, intellectual look at the Kirk-Spock-Bones troika as a symbol of Freudian psychology. I had 90% of it written and then my annoying cat jumped on the keyboard, deleting the file and all the backups. Pets! They make you sneeze, they crap in the house and they still haven't figured out a way to cook their own food. In th...

The story of my courtship and love affair with Star Trek has been well documented in prior One Trek Mind columns. Your comments both here and on Facebook have shown me that I'm not alone in feeling that a love for this franchise is a significant and enriching part of life. However, even we heavy advocates are not always blind yes men. When our franchise stumbles, we're there to help it back on ...

Boldly going where no one has gone before. It's been in the mission statement since the beginning, first uttered by Zefram Cochrane and adhered to by every writer and producer to work on the Star Trek franchise. Of all the strange new worlds our valiant space explorers have visited, one could argue that among the strangest was when Quark, Rom, Nog (ex-)Liquidator Brunt, cousin Galia and Leck th...

Star Trek isn't just a vessel for timeless stories, rich characters or innovations in technology. It's an opportunity to point at your television and say, “Hey, it's THAT guy!” Since the beginning, Star Trek guest shots have been the domain of some of the best character actors in Hollywood. I could list a hundred of them but, considering that I eventually have to leave the house onc...

I live in New York City, so the only stars we see here are framed behind the register at Lindy's Deli. However, I recently took a trip down to North Carolina and was amazed, night after night, by these sparkly lights in the sky. Who's paying the electric bill! I quickly downloaded the Night Sky app for my iPhone and discovered that the two most-striking celestial bodies were, in fact, Ven...

Stern, bereft of emotion, perhaps even a tad diabolical. These are not the words to describe Leonard Nimoy. Nor are they even accurate for Mr. Spock, his most famous character, once you get to know him. But Nimoy's striking visage (aided a bit by some tweaked eyebrows and earlobes) and alien presence made him an instant icon when Star Trek: The Original Series first went on the air. For many, ...

He is the voice we hear over images of the inky blackness of space. He is our first Captain, regardless of additions to official canon. He is, and always shall be, our friend. He is William Alan Shatner and today is his 81st (81st!) birthday. He is also a man who can't be bound to just one timeline. Kirk is, of course, Shatner’s biggest and best role, but it is just the tip of the shatbe...