If your DVD shelf space can spare the room, the Fan Collectives are nice little themed packages that work well if you like to watch episodes built around a particular subject. What I like about the latest edition, the "Captain's Log," is that you get some good face time with all five of the actors who played the captains. For example, William Shatner (James T. Kirk) opens the first disc reminiscing with Joan Collins about their characters, their relationship and the amount of sex appeal that Edith Keeler possessed in the episode "The City on the Edge of Forever." It's a nice pairing and Collins, half-jokingly, makes a pitch to Shatner for her to appear on Boston Legal.

Other topics are covered such as the traits a captain must possess (never showing doubt or weakness, and being intuitive) plus each actor introduces their favorite episodes. The very subject of the captain's log itself is also discussed. You may already know this, but one of the main reasons it's an integral part of the show, according to Patrick Stewart (Jean-Luc Picard), is that the log often introduces a new act, and moves the narrative ahead without having to shoot expository scenes.

One of the more interesting selections in this new Collective was the series finale "These Are the Voyages…" for the Enterprise "Fans' Pick." Talking about the episode, Scott Bakula (Jonathan Archer) is very diplomatic about the much derided episode, saying that finales are often controversial, and he's been involved in a few, but that it was a good sign that the people chose this one. "I was touched, actually, that they picked that last episode."

I think one of the nicer things that can be said about the episode is that it was well intentioned, it just misfired badly. Still, the fans spoke and here it is in all its glory. Note for any future releases: If ever an episode begged for an audio commentary to find out more about the producers' original intentions, it's this one.

[Tim]