A Psychological Edge in New Voyages' Mind-Sifter

We've waited. Oh god have we waited for this.

Back on January 1st we were presented with the impressively overdue (by a few years) Kitumba and were promised that, come February, we would also see The Holiest Thing which was previewed at the close of that story.

February came and February went as The Holiest Thing was pulled at the last second, ripped apart and is still being put back together as the team were not totally happy with the result. We got a short snippet with the Enterprise receiving some experimental warp engines and Lieutenant Arex at the navigation station but aside from that, it's been quiet.

Actually that's not accurate because 2014 has seen the New Voyages (not Phase II anymore?) film and produce Mind-Sifter. So, 11 months after Kitumba and they're back with several new faces and a very different take on direction in an episode that is, in keeping with The Original Series, out of sequence.

The original story was written by Shirley Maiewski as part of the fanzine Showcase in 1975 before being reprinted as part of the New Voyages fan fiction series from Bantham Books. Regarded as one of, if not the best story of that series, Executive producer (and former Kirk actor) James Cawley always wanted to film it as part of his continuation of The Original Series and finally, nearly 30 years after speaking to the late author about his vision, it's here in it's originally intended glory, unedited.

Mind-Sifter is not what I expected from New Voyages at all. Effectively forgetting that little teaser from earlier in the year the style of the show has changed significantly. There's a lot more atmosphere in the first few minutes and feels as though the show has stepped it's game up to a new level. Brian Gross' introduction as Kirk is a little text-book, leaving him facing away from the camera until the last second of the teaser and for those who haven't been following the progress of the episode you'd be left wondering just who this guy was and why he was the focus of the pre-titles sequence.

New Kirk

Overall Gross' Kirk is a fresh interpretation, avoiding being a copy of his predecessor, James Cawley (who makes a cheeky cameo as a hospital patient believing he's Elvis) nor is it similar to Shatner or Pine. He's much more youthful, not as edgy perhaps as other Kirks and at times I felt he didn't portray the fearlessness I expected from the supposed greatest captain in Starfleet but given the nature of his experiences for three months that's not all too surprising. I doubt we'd be singing and dancing following repeated Klingon torture. When facing the mind-sifter there appeared to be a most un-Kirk-like terror in his eyes which didn't seem right but I'm reminded by exec producer James Cawley (comments below) that Kirk has been undergoing repeated torture for a while however the dialogue around this scene and subsequent on Gateway do suggest this is Kirk's solo meeting with the mind-sifter device hence my thoughts.

When faced with a romantic situation it all seemed both a little uncomfortable and more than a shade rushed. I found it hard to accept Doctor Hamlin would become so quickly infatuated with a patient and one with no history as "Jim Doe". It's still early days for Gross in New Voyages but I'm not convinced that this young Kirk is a fit for the show as he does not give off the air of someone with the presence that Kirk requires to command the respect of his crew. Again though this is a first opinion based on Gross not portraying Kirk as Kirk and instead spending most of the episode out of character in the 1950's. I suspect my opinion will be different after The Holiest Thing which might have benefitted Gross more as his first onscreen appearance proper to establish his captain credentials. Yes, Kirk has experienced a whirlwind relationship before (Edith Keeler) but in Mind-Sifter I have to note that this isn't Full Kirk once more and would such an apparently experienced doctor in such a hospital be this easily swayed? Surely she would be extra cautious if the patient is seemingly OK?

Psychological matters aren't anything new for Star Trek with episodes such as Frame of Mind, City on the Edge of Forever (which it's very similar to in many ways) and a chunk of others but here in Mind-Sifter it's coupled with Klingons and time travel which certainly aren't three elements that I would select to focus on in one episode. Saying that this isn't really your typical Star Trek episode harking back not only to the Kirk/Edith out of time relationship of City but also to the "missing Kirk" explored in The Tholian Web. 

The scenes between Spock and McCoy and McCoy and Scotty are perhaps the most well written and acted amongst the regular ensemble. Both conversations easily draw your mind to those in the season three episode where Kirk is in dimensional drift and the crew are in mourning for their lost captain. The scenes of reflection are poignant but given the situations they have experienced previously, I didn't buy into it at all. OK, so the passage of time since Kirk's disappearance might be a big factor why they finally call it in but I can't see why some of these conversations would not have happened earlier. One disappointment is that we don't get to see the Kirk/Spock/McCoy relationship fully explored with the two new arrivals.

Anyway, I feel like I'm picking at the show here and that's not fair. There's a lot of positives here and for the most part I enjoyed it, let me tell you. The plot itself is straight forward - the Klingons want the location to Gateway and therefore access to the Guardian of Forever which has led them to kidnap Kirk and drag the information from his mind before casting him into the past, apparently in a total state of delusion.

In effect that moment where Kirk spirals into the past signals a very different turn for the episode with the Klingons playing second fiddle for the remainder of the story and barely getting a look in. Kor, played by Clay Sayre is, as with Kirk, played very differently to the interpretation set out by the original actor (John Colicos). That Kor was much more playful, more calculating and maybe a little more human. This Kor is far more ruthless and very goal focused. There isn't a bigger picture here and the Klingon commander only has one objective. I suspect Colicos would have at least given the indication of something larger behind the scenes whereas we never appreciate the reasons for his actions in Mind-Sifter.

The filming of the scenes aboard the USS Enterprise and those on the planet surface with the Guardian are standard and shot for shot keep within the feel of the original series but the print feels cleaner, more precise and just a lot more on the money. There's much less of the amateur fan feel to Mind-Sifter than I even felt watching Kitumba and it's good to see that fan funds have been put to good use - one thing though is that the audio track has a terrible echo when we have any sound stage scenes and is made very obvious when shooting is taken outdoors.

Past Affinities

The biggest piece in Mind-Sifter has to be the scenes set in 1958. These open the show and dominate a large part of the hour long episode. The filming style here is a lot less rigid, there's more room to play and those location shots outside the hospital only reinforce the improvements that New Voyages has made since it's initial episodes a decade ago (check out the location work on those first two episodes for comparison). The scenes of Kirk's initial commitment to the institution and his later beating are very unnerving and effectively shot with out of place background dialogue and blurred camera work to maximise the disorientation.

What I can say is that Brian Gross does a fantastic job within the scenes set in the 1950's. It's not perfect and I did have to think twice on some occasions as to whether his actions were in character to Kirk but to his credit, Gross manages Kirk's different mental states exceptionally well from a calm, rational captain through to the edge of apparent insanity and pain. His romance with Rivkah Raven Wood's Doctor Hamlin is quick off the mark (as already noted) considering where his mind has been for five week in the hospital and I don't buy the speed of it nor the nature of their friendship given the time span. Keeping it as a friendship would not have wrecked the story as a tinge of romance wasn't a necessity; Mind-Sifter would have survived otherwise.

Those 1950's scenes do crackle with a sense of cringeworthy accuracy in their portrayal of the hospital, silent, forboding and impossible to leave. The brutality Kirk experiences at several points (and not just from the Klingons) are some of the strongest and most emotional powerful New Voyages has attempted and they should be commended for their efforts to give something of an insight into the system as it was. 

Jeff Bond is also impressive as McCoy' very impressive. The nuances of the doctor and his way vocal delivery is great throughout with his double-acting with Spock another high point of this unsual episode. Their work together at the close of the story does seem hurried but Brandon Stacey and Bond do gel and their sparring is effective and well-written. Not only that but McCoy's memorial speech is a great piece of dialogue only tripped up by having Uhura sing Amazing Grace straight after. Oddly the strains of the song over Kirk fighting  with the Klingons and Spock listening in, unwilling to attend is hauntingly brilliant - again the visual direction cutting between the three elements really is a step up from what we've seen in New Voyages before.

Brandon Stacey does have a lot of meat on his part this time not only getting to switch Spock into command gold but placing him almost into an opposition role with the crew of the ship once he accepts his field promotion and ends the search for Kirk. He is accepted and their trust allows for events to unfold later in the episode and for Stacey to add a lot of elements to the part, conferring with McCoy and taking a chance to save the captain. 

Having Stacey onboard for Mind-Sifter was essential since both Kirk and McCoy have been recast. For fans of the show his return has provided a key anchor point in the central trio and a valued sense of continuation which has only been maintained by the inclusion of this actor as well as Charles Root as Scotty. It's been a year of major upheavals as casts go but these two stalwarts turn in great performances here although I think Stacey is the most watchable person in the whole cast this time as he seems to peel back a lot of Spock layers from start to finish.

Reading this assessment back, it's hard to say that this is a stroke of genius or that it's bad. It has moments of pure brilliance but then there are points which could have done with a little polish up. On a personal note I thoroughly enjoyed it regardless of these points because it was so different to anything that New Voyages has done and is a step in a direction that Continues has not chosen. A while back I said that New Voyages should be worried about the rise of Vic Mignogna's show and I have to say I was wrong. 

These are two unique beasts taking markedly different paths and ways of storytelling. Both are incredibly well made and I can watch either for a ton of reasons. With this release, New Voyages has maintained its place in the pantheon of fan-made productions and can easily be ranked among the best without any fear of reprisal. James Cawley and the production team can be immensely proud of delivering an episode that challenges, creates unease and places our favourite lead characters far outside their established comfort zones.

With this release out on the expected deadline day my faith in the show has been heartily restored. They have done something brave, unique and outside of the norm. Their benchmark for "good" has been lifted to a new level and while not every element here gets a thumbs-up I can't say it's been a disaster, nor has it been bad or even average. Mind-Sifter has worked to show the show's new found capabilities, their awareness that technology has changed and that there are more ways to bring us into the story than static camera angles and a few bars of incidental music. 

Cawley and associates have made a bold step and an announcement that New Voyages is here for the duration and can produce top quality every time - and on schedule. Mind-Sifter might not be to everyone's taste but it's a bold move and one that I think has paid off. Maybe the biggest test is yet to come when we see if their decision to pull The Holiest Thing for a total rework was the right move for the sake of that quality...

Mind-Sifter is available now at the New Voyages website.

Screencaps with kind permission of Star Trek: New Voyages.

Thanks also to James Cawley and Brian Gross for their comments below.

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Phase II: Why Aren't You Watching?!

Hi, my name's Clive and I have an admission.

Star Trek: Phase II (nee New Voyages) is a revelation. The downside is that since it's arrival back in 2004 we've only been privy to nine (soon to be ten) episodes. But what a collection they have been so far.

The first thing is that until I saw Kitumba my knowledge of the series was purely based on what I read on the internet.  I'd never watched a single solitary minute. The poster for that episode enthralled me; there was hype, there were Klingons and it was one of the "lost" episodes proposed for the original Phase II show in the late 70's. I watched, I reviewed...and then I thought; OK, that was pretty impressive....what else have they done...?

"More than I thought" was the straight answer so let's rewind back and talk about what I believe to be the best online fan series created. Now I've had several conversations with +Carl Thomson and +Mark Thwaite telling, nay preaching...nay ordering them to watch at least one episode from start to finish. Truth be told I'm still waiting but maybe this post will spur them (or shame them!) into watching some Phase II. I believe I may have said something along the lines of:

"Have you seen Phase II?"
"No"
"Then ******* watch it!!!!"

So it's time to prove a point, to reinforce the facts and my argument. From the start then...

Back in the beginning Come What May and to some extent the subsequent In Harm's Way were a little out of focus, definitely fan-produced and reminded me more of 70's Blake's 7 rather than 60's Star Trek. James Cawley's Elvis hairdo sticks out like a sore thumb in the pilot but is mercifully laid to rest by the follow up. They're both fairly average and my attention dropped in and out. The pilot has it's moments with some cute little flash forward moments courtesy of the whirly alien effect and it's bouncy human companion. Now when I watched the first episode after having seen Kitumba I nearly went into cardiac arrest. Was this really the same show I'd reviewed? It seemed light years away but at that moment began a wonderful, somewhat unexpected journey but there were sparks of genius buried within that even I allowed myself to give a little nod and smile to.

So I successfully restarted my heart and ploughed on. While I have to admit the existence of Come What May it was In Harm's Way that really suggested the potential of the show. Bringing back the Guardian of Forever and introducing a substantially larger plot device sibling as well as drawing on Star Trek history with the inclusion of Pike and the crew from The Cage do work a treat. Not only is Phase II exploring the galaxy but also the rich Star Trek universe and history. Cawley, Quinn and Kelley as Kirk, Spock and McCoy are ok but you're always going to be raising comparisons; it's natural. The spark of Shatner, Nimoy and Kelley isn't quite there but these guys are very watchable together. If anything, Jeffrey Quinn does seem a bit young for Spock however the story is very engaging crossing time and space - and reminding me a little (by its conclusion) of the three Enterprise scene at the end of All Good Things....

The script from Doug Drexler and Erik Korngold is total fan immersion with all the references to classic episodes with unexpected cameos from William Windom as Commodore Decker, reprising his role from The Doomsday Machine and Barbara Luna. The latter is ok but Windom looks a little uncomfortable with his lines. A great shame as his return to Star Trek is a great moment that brings in a ton of continuity which is something that New Voyages/Phase II does manage with greater aplomb than The Original Series. More on that in a bit. Oh yes, and while we're mentioning the unexpected, what could be more so than a shuttlecraft in the garage of a suburban house?!

This episode truly drew me in more than the iffy pilot because there's so much going on and a ton of curve balls that make it super watchable. However, it keeps getting better.

The next two episodes could have done with a little more separation as they both deal with main cast members aging so that Walter Koenig and George Takei can guest star as Chekov and Sulu. Now I'm not complaining as it's great to see them back and appearing to thoroughly enjoy the experience. To Serve All My Days, penned by D C Fontana is a something sequel to The Deadly Years while The World Enough and Time offers something akin to Children of Time with a "future" Sulu storyline. The ending of the Chekov focused To Serve All My Days is bitter-sweet but effective and reminds the audience that Phase II does have some poetic licence to mess it up a bit and for good reason here. The Sulu show even did something that surprised me more than the ending of the preceding Chekov one; it set both the prologue and the epilogue in the future. Clearly not something that would have been possible in the 1960's but here it's a beautifully executed maneuver that even Picard would be proud of - and I'm glad of any excuse to see the Excelsior on screen. So it's a big tool just to get Takei into the Phase II universe (and Grace Lee Whitney) but it works and while we expect the reset it kind of makes sense to a degree. George looks totally engrossed playing a not-quite-Sulu Sulu and I'd happily watch this again and again. 

The show is almost a split for me - the stronger stories are certainly the later ones which also include several cast changes with new actors for Spock (Jeffrey Quinn to Ben Tolpin to Brandon Stacey), Chekhov (Andy Bray to Jonathan Zungre), Sulu (John Lim to J T Tepnapa) and Uhura (Juliette Irons to Kim Stinger) as well as the additions of Peter Kirk and Xon. While this may seem like bloating what was already a fairly sizable ensemble it does add a great deal of diversity and more varied character relationships. But that's not exactly what I'm stabbing a finger at here - the stories themselves keep getting better (with the blip of Enemy: Starfleet in the middle actually). 

Starting with Blood and Fire, passing through to The Child and into Kitumba is a masterful batch of lost Star Trek finally able to make it onto the screen. Gerrold's legendary story that touched on homosexuality gets expanded into a superbly acted, directed and written two part/move length story. Justice is truly served after such a long time and the bar just keeps finding it's being raised just a little more. It's no wonder the calibre of guest star that this show can get when you look at how innovative and boundary pushing Phase II has been. Not only are there those mentioned here, but add in Malachi Throne, Grace Lee Whitney, Eddie Paskey and John Winston to what is an exemplary mix. 

OK, so we would never have seen movie uniforms turn up in a flashforward back in the 1960's  (etc) but that's where this series is different. While it's in keeping with The Original Series it can think and act outside of that box with the benefit of 50 years experience. It draws on the known future, the inherited forward-story if you will and makes it even more watchable just to see what we "missed" and what could have been. I particularly like the way in which stories are continued across episodes (Ensign Kirk's loss from Blood and Fire for one or the returning villain Kargh) and, on a little nod to his role in the movies, Chekov making it as Head of Security and putting on a redshirt.

Newcomer to the show (at this point), Bobby Quinn Rice, has a big role to fill here as Peter Kirk and does an admirable job from start to finish. While he's not overly used for the subsequent stories (as with Xon), his presence is still felt in each. For me, his arrival marks a key change in the quality of Phase II. I hit Blood and Fire in one sitting. I was glued. We know why this never originally made it to screen but here, with an additional guest appearance from Denise Crosby it's wonderfully realised with some genuinely decent effects, dialogue and CGI to boot. This story has humanity, action, Klingons, blood worms, geniuinely surprising moments for a few characters and a starship load more to enjoy. A true top notch story that SHOULD have been made.

It does become apparent though, even in the double-length Blood and Fire that budget is restraining the show to the established ship sets with the occasional pop over to a Klingon bridge or sneaky away mission. All of the two-parter appears to be on starship sets however because of the quality you tend to only realise afterwards. It's not until Enemy: Starfleet that we get the real feel of an away mission complete with sandy camera filter. Saying that, the CGI also makes dramatic steps forward along the way from some not-too-bad shots at the start through to full blown battle scenes and fleets of Klingons by the time we reach Kitumba. 

Actually, I want to stick with Enemy: Starfleet for a moment. The title made this one anticipated episode and while there is a great story at the heart of it, I felt decidedly let down after the two-part juggernaut. The Eagle is a mighty piece of CGI but sadly it's let down by Barbara Luna in my humble opinion. Whether she meant to aim for a panto performance or not I can't say but it's just a little too much and does detract from the episode. Her appearance in In Harm's Way was nothing like the one she puts on here and the seduction scenes with Kirk are slightly toe-curling. Sorry, readers, but I just can't get excited about this one; probably the weakest of the latter half and maybe of the show thus far and I so wanted it to be the best one.

I can't however strike that at The Child. Now I had read a lot about taking it back to the original idea and making the show as it was meant to be -and they weren't joking. This eighth installment is unrecognisable to the "travesty" that introduced the shorter second season of The Next Generation. Itself a "lost" script from the original Phase II production it makes a heck of a lot more sense and praise has to go to both Anna Schnaitter as Lt Isel and Ayla Cordell who plays her rapidly aging daughter Irska. Their performances truly lift the show and make it an excellent example of how Star Trek could and should have been done. John Povill's story and direction show this story has been (no pun intended) his baby for a long time. Great to see a Deltan on the crew as a nod to Illia from The Motion Picture who was originally intended as the mother figure here.

My thoughts on Kitumba have already been well-documented but I honestly can't wait for The Holiest Thing. New Kirk, Carol Marcus...brilliant. It will also mean that John M Kelley is the only main cast member to be retained since the pilot in 2004 as James Cawley moves off screen to focus on the production of the series. I think for Brian Gross this will be a very hard act to follow. While there is the occasional glimpse of a facial movement or vocal intonation that reminds us of Shatner, Cawley has set out his own portrayal of Kirk admirably - even if there was that hint of Elvis at the beginning! Let's also not forget two other long serving cast members. I've been a little harsh on Charles Root's accent in my Kitumba review and I'm going to take that back. He's done a great job in the role and frankly who cares if Scottish isn't his native vocal sound, I really like the part he plays and hope he sticks with the show. Up there as well is Ron Boyd's DeSalle. He's the Phase II version of Kyle - always there but not too prominent - and he's a redshirt that's survived more than one episode so he's clearly doing something right!

One thing that I cannot heap enough praise on for this show is the effects and the stunning work of Tobias Richter who is also going to be master of the CGI for the much-hyped Axanar. I didn't think it would be possible to produce such stunning work on very little money but you can when there's this level of ability. The USS Eagle of Enemy: Starfleet, the USS Copernicus and surrounding space in Blood and Fire, even the nebulous materials that the Enterprise encounters in The Child are awe inspiring on the screen and make every episode a fantastic spectacle. Yes, at the beginning the ship movements were a little bit too smooth and some of the graphics a little jittery but things have moved on at a phenomenal rate to create some very memorable moments. In fact, how many times can you remember the original Enterprise carrying severe battle damage through an episode on screen that you could see?

Oh and then there's the vignettes that have popped up in and around the series. I think there are four to date - Centre Seat, No Win Scenario, 1701 Pennsylvania Ave and most recently Going Boldly which act to whet the appetite between episodes. The first deals with both DeSalle and the returning Lt Cmdr Sulu and a minor navigational error, the second with Kargh as he works to devise a plan of attack against the Federation border. The next is set on the day of the Moon landing in 1969. It's an inspired 11 minutes which is, to say the least, off the wall in more than one way. Klingons, tribbles, Nixon - if I say any more it might all make sense.

What I do want to focus on though is the fourth; it's truly the start of a new era. Kirk has a new face and a little less Shatner. Times are a-changing with the arrival of Brian Gross and also this new swanky vignette that offers something of a prelude into the upcoming The Holiest Thing. While saying goodbye to both Enterprise crew lost on missions and real life individuals who passed away and were associated with the show, it's a glimpse of what could well be Phase II.1. After that wonderful, if brief "hello" to Garth of Izar played by Alec Peters (who is the guy behind Axanar) we get to see a few sneak peeks. 

There's The Animated Series' Arex at the navigation console which is perfect sense now Chekov is down in security and Scotty has a nice shiny new warp core to play with (above).  What was that i said - yes - Arex - a CGI character!!! You have to see it. Go on YouTube here and take a look, it's genius!

It's ALSO the exterior shots which just make this a salivating treat of a vignette and there's definitely a homage here to the drydock departure scene in The Motion Picture as we see the starship's new warp engines and torpedo tubes. Clearly Phase II is starting to increase the notable links between the TV series and the first movie. At the core though the USS Enterprise is very recognisable as her original self but these new tweeks do help to add to the production's individuality. Love it.

Not only do we have The Holiest Thing but Bread and Savagery is in post-production and there's work going on to complete The Mind-Sifter for future release. Despite some behind the scenes rumbles, overly-long delays and the fact this is all done on volunteer time, it's a fan-made masterpiece. We may not be getting a new episode each week, Star Trek fans, but at the moment if we want to get the feel of the Roddenberry universe back this is absolutely the first stop you should be making and exploring.

So, gents, ladies, one and all my original question stands - with the quality that we're getting from this series Why Aren't You Watching?

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You can learn more about Star Trek: Phase II at their website and view their episodes too at YouTube

Revealing Kitumba

The first day in January was set as the premiere day for the latest of the Star Trek: Phase II stories but being the good souls that they are, we got it a little earlier on New Year's Eve.

Dutifully we dropped it around our networks as many other blogs and site did and I slotted in some time to sit down and watch this hour and a bit long episode. After all, this episode has been in Development Hell for what, four years? Jeez. That's a long time to wait for some new material but let's avoid all the background rumbles and focus on what we get to see.

As always please be aware that the following MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS so don't say we haven't warned you. See, we just have. In Bold RED text too so it's unmissable...

Oh and just for the record, this week I was talking to one of my co-contributors and here's the conversation (abridged):

Mark: So, well, I tried to watch that new episode of Phase II the other day...

Clive: Cool! What did you think? I've still got to watch it.

Mark: Erm...I kinda started watching it and then, erm, gave up after about two minutes. I was never the greatest fan of The Original Series....

Clive: Oh. Right....

As you can see I wasn't getting a good vibe. Mark only managed two minutes? Uh oh. This was not looking at all good. Nevertheless I persevered and, securing an hour to stick YouTube through the TV I knuckled down.

So Mark - you should've stuck with it and I'm going to use this post to prove just why your two minutes wasn't enough.

Kitumba is one of THE mythical Star Trek stories that never made it from the page alongside Blood and Fire. We all know it was among the first 12 scripts for Phase II back in the 1970's and would have been a two part story. In fact it would have been one of the highlights of the never-made first season. Here, most likely due to budget and time, it's trimmed back into a one hour and five minute episode and they've done it justice.

The Phase II crew really are mashing up the realms of the motion pictures and The Original Series with both "types" of Klingons along with their different dress styles. Managing to reference back to the Augment virus is a big help as the series begins to make transitions towards the feel of the six classic bigger screen outings yet retaining a wonderful feel of the 23rd Century as envisaged in the 1960's.

The Klingons themselves receive an immense amount of flesh on their backstory here. The concept of honour, the House system and the political makeup of the Empire are all addressed here and you can see how it effectively bridges the generations by taking the Enterprise to Qo'noS. At the heart of the story is a potential attempt to cause a coup which focuses on several key members of the race, the Sacred Leader, the Kitumba, his teacher K'Sia and rallying against them most dishonourably of course, General Malkthon. It's excellently paced from start to finish and I would have had trouble seeing it in it's original two part form. It works very well being slightly extended just over that hour mark.

For anyone familiar with the world of The Next Generation and The Undiscovered Country this actually answers a few questions - but not as many as you might be asking about ten minutes in around the Klingon hierarchy. Bear with it because it all gets unravelled and makes total sense by the time the strains of the closing credits theme are running through your speakers. The costumes particularly for the well-meaning Klingon defector Kali are wonderful (if a little baggy!) and you'll have this nagging feeling you've seen something like it before. Yes - you have. 

The Kitumba is a bit of a spoiled brat role which is nicely played by Kario Pereria Bailey and certainly shows a progression of growth through the story. Malkthon though is a almost a pantomime villain at times and I did expect some mustache twirling at times. However, saying that it is a wonderful role to chew out everything around him although some fans might be more familiar with actor Vic Mignogna as Captain Kirk in Star Trek Continues.

I have to commend the team working on Kitumba because the sets are simply magnificent, transcending time almost with updated computer displays dotted in among the distinctly retro-feel technology of the classic Enterprise bridge or briefing room. At times I genuinely couldn't believe I was watching a fan-made production because the set-up was so good. Yes, there's some slightly hammy accents in there (Scotty for one) but luckily that's outweighed by some great performances elsewhere. 

James Cawley, in his final appearance as Kirk, seems to have channelled just a smattering of Shatner in there for good measure but still keeps this Kirk as his own interpretation and I think makes the captain a touch stronger and more believable than before. Spock and McCoy aren't around that much if I'm honest and both actors, Brandon Stacey and John M Kelley respectively do fine jobs of the parts. Personally I think Stacey is a much better fit for Spock than Jeffrey Quinn. Nothing against Quinn but the nuances of the Vulcan seem to suit the "newer" Spock just that little more comfortably.

Jonathan Zungre as Chekov, Kim Stinger as Uhura and Bobby Quinn Rice as Peter Kirk actually share a lot more of the limelight with Kirk especially during the away mission to the Klingon homeworld as the story develops and hold the show together very well. I found their scenes very easy to watch and certainly it's a group that has developed over time and through several key personnel changes.

While we're talking of cast it's not only a pleasure to see Kirk's nephew Peter on the ship as part of security (yep a redshirt), but also the full Vulcan Xon on the bridge. While it's definitely showing the tip of continuity it's a shame we all know where this character is going to end up. Talking of cast - guest stars - wow. These guys can pull them in. In the past they're featured many legends of sci-fi and Star Trek most notably both George Takei and Walter Koenig (and that's only two). Here we get both franchise design master Andrew Probert and Buck Rogers himself Gil Gerrard early on as Starfleet admirals.. How Phase II got them I'll never kno The quality clearly speaks volumes that means these types of reverred actors want to be involved. It's a big bonus that shows the calibre of fans this show has garnered since its premiere. Take a look at their site for the full list!

The only thing that I could really quibble with is one fight scene towards the conclusion. Everything goes really well to this point; theres great dialogue, tightly directed scenes, mind-blowingly big crowd scenes (those Klingons ain't CGI my friends) and a captured essence of The Original Series of which Roddenberry would be proud. So why oh why is such an important sequence at such a late stage in Kitumba, which has been totally serious and played straight since the first second played slightly for laughs reminiscent of The Trouble with Tribbles?! Fortunately the rest of the episode kept me so glued that I'm almost happy to overlook it but for some it might tip them the other direction. Perhaps a slight misstep in an otherwise brilliant outing.

So we can nail on about great performances but there's more to Kitumba than that. At times I was reminded of Babylon 5 in the way it was filmed and the feel of the sets to some degree (it too had somewhat limited funds) but also the way in which CGI is so magnificantly utilised. I was expecting some form of sets by Bacofoil and starships by Kelloggs but this almost made me lick the TV in Enterprise Envy. The work here by Tobias Richter is staggering by any standard. No more is the Klingon fleet a series of blips on a sensor screen; they are there to be seen whether Birds-of-Prey or battle cruisers, all are immaculately rendered and just lift this production to another level. Seeing a firefight between the Klingons and the TV Enterprise cannot but make your day once you've seen it - and that's not even halfway through. There's more after that. Perhaps some of the more clever moments are the starships in the Qo'noS sky that are occasionally glimpsed or perhaps it's the recreation of a slightly-busier-than-we-remember K-7 space station as the titles roll. Whatever it is, you have to see them.

The music too adds a ton of weight to the experience. Drawing on the classic incidental score and theme there is no doubt where this series is throwing it's weight. It adds to the sense that this is fully in keeping with the feel of the 1960's show. Remember those end of act dah dah daaaaahs? Yep, they're here for you and a total pleasure it is to hear them over the fade out.

I have to say that having watched some of the earlier episodes, watching Kitumba, even for the music was such a dramatic difference. It's not as light nor is the "comedic" music from The Original Series used quite as heavily - nor do we have the occasional swing into the tones of The Next Generation as I noticed in the pilot episode recently. Indeed, Come What May is a slightly prophetic title now in hindsight as this is a show which has definitely come of age, matured and honed its brand if you will. 

The acting, effects and stories are much tighter and exceptional considering the restraints that the Phase II team must be under. It's a marvellous experience and ten years is like chalk and cheese. With the remastering that took place a few years back on The Original Series the mix of '60's style uniforms and sets doesn't seem out of place with the gorgeous CGI starships and scenes. Seemless. What's even nicer is that the stories themselves are getting better with this being a real tour de force for the Phase II production team. It has soul, adds background to the franchise and could easily fit into the canon universe - and that's probably the biggest issue. It never will be and that's a shame. We have JJ Abrams ramping up the big guns and the action heroes in the latest movies while attempts to bring back the essence of the Roddenberry vision have to skrimp and scrape a few dollars to make an hour of TV. That's not justice if you ask me.

So, Mark, if you are still reading and didn't give up after two minutes (!) I hope you'll take an hour our, plug YouTube through your tellybox and watch this story. As I've noted, it's a different ballgame to where New Voyages started and there are more than a few cringeworthy moments in those early shows but time and experience has ironed out the issues to make this a great fan-made series.

Best of all? We only have to wait for February for episode nine, The Holiest Thing, and not another near-five years and the trailer is already very tempting with the introduction of one Carol Marcus.....

You can follow the voyages by dropping by the Phase II website right now and learning more about the show. While you're there, watch an episode or eight...

All images reproduced by kind permission of Phase II

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