Star Spotting: Larry Nemecek's Stellar Cartography

Now updated to include Discovery, Larry Nemecek's Star Trek Stellar Cartography is back and better than ever.

Comprising of ten A2 maps illustrated by Ian Fullwood, Ali Ries and Geoffrey Mandel and an accompanying book, the collection comes in a swanky fold out tome to keep it all in perfect condition.

There are a couple of oddball ones in here such as the Vulcan interpretation of their home system as well as the Klingon and Romulan empires in their own languages and styles. These three are the more "artistic" of the fold out maps and while they look authentic to their respective civilisations, they do leave you a little miffed as to what is where and why.

Good thing then that this collection also includes a series of maps detailing the Alpha and Beta Quadrants with irascible scrutiny. In fact in the case of a couple of them there's a stupid amount of information to take in that covers all bases from The Original Series right up to the first season of CBS' Discovery. There's also Known Space, the Cardassian Union, the Dominion War and more to pour over.

Each map, be it the rather artsy Vulcan one or the more detailed Federation editions is neatly stored ready for review within the book and is accompanied by an explanation to their creation and interpretation thanks to a slim companion volume which sits dead centre in the impressive presentation box. While each of the maps provides something very different to pour over for hours (especially a certain couple of them), the book backs up just why certain areas look the way they do or the reasons behind the way the civilisations have chosen to display their understanding of the cosmos in various ways.

The clever bit is having the scope to envision just how the Romulans would extrapolate their star systems or how the Vulcans would represent their homeworld and Larry Nemecek has done a sterling job making each one distinctive and memorable. The themes are all very individualistic with the Klingon maps functional and stark contrasting to those smooth curves of the Vulcan images which has an almost musical, sensual feel to it.

That said there are a couple of the maps which are heads above the rest of the content and these are the foldouts which show Federation space and detail events from the past 50 odd years of the franchise, recounting the path of V'Ger, the location of the Mutara Nebula, precisely where USS Constellation was lost to the Planet Killer and even pinpoints The Battle of the Binary Star from the very latest show, Discovery which I think makes this the first piece of behind the scenes literature from the franchise to do so.

The detail on these Federation maps is mind-blowing and I've gone over them more than a couple of times and on each occasion there's been something new I've caught, another route I've uncovered or episode that I've flipped back to and realised how close location-wise it was to another event from a few decades later.

At the centre of this tri-fold behemoth of a work there's a handy, smaller guide which contains page size versions of the maps plus background and explanations around their appearance in galactic history and details on key civilisations featured within.

The work in this book/collection/tome is amazing and there's always something else and another angle to look at it from. Truly a wonderfully presented and researched work that any fan should have in their library and a resource that will cause many a referential argument - or be the source of the correct answer - for many, many years to come. I for one know this is going to get a lot of use and suspect that there will have to be a fair few more updates with all the new Star Trek series coming out in the next few years....that's a lot more dots and lines to fit on to the maps!

The accompanying book is much easier to use for quick reference yet there's something much more engrossing about looking at the fullblown, unfolded maps when you get the chance. Certainly a lot clearer to scrutinise the detail!

When I briefly caught Larry at Destination Star Trek last year (his second time at the event), he was working on his Portal 47 project plus continuing efforts on Trekland as well as the location tours in Los Angeles plus promoting the updated (and rather spiffing) Star Trek Stellar Cartography.  Definitely a man with a lot to do and here's hoping that the next thing we get to see is the completed Con of Wrath!

Star Trek: Stellar Cartography is available now from all decent sci-fi selling bookshops, online retailers and the like priced RRP £35 ISBN 978-0-7603-6381-2.

Live on YouTube
Like our page on Facebook 

Follow us on Twitter

Add us on Tumblr

When SKoST Talked to Larry - Part Two

Welcome to the second part of the Larry Nemecek interview!

In this conclusion (you can read the first part HERE) we're talking about Enterprise in Space plus, as filming draws to a close on Beyond, what are Larry's thoughts on the current state of Star Trek...

While PORTAL 47 and The Con of Wrath draw on Larry's history with the franchise, he's also linked in with the Enterprise in Space project. The Star Trek aficionado was asked to work with an array of teachers, engineers, and large-scale project managers—who, like their organizer from Oregon, all were inspired by Star Trek and optimistic sci-fi— as well as the National Space Society, which agreed to sponsor the project. The NSS (which has Buzz Aldrin in its ranks and previously included one Gene Roddenberry and wife Majel as governors) who can see a realistic and beneficial goal: to place an Enterprise into space. Since that first announcement, the project has now been endorsed by Rod Roddenberry and announced a partnering with the eMind cognitive computer technology to run the craft for controllers and students with experiments.

So what exactly is this all about? Big names are being linked, while anyone can sponsor and become a "virtual crew member"... but what's the point? What is this actually in aid of and what's the end result... because it does seem a lot to take in.

A contest to envisage the final eight-foot orbiter design ran last winter. Next will come the worldwide call to those students in "preschool to grad school" looking to place an experiment or project onboard the Enterprise, which will be also partnered to testing a paradigm-busting cognitive computer controller called eMind, re-entry techniques, and perhaps more —including new launch systems. Well, once it's had a run through space, the NSS Enterprise will potentially tour conventions and museums around the world before taking up residence at a major science museum. According to Trekland that could well be the Smithsonian. The fan-funded orbiter will also contain a microchip that will carry the name of all the donors onboard for the whole of the mission.

The lone $20 "virtual crewmember" funding looks like a great holiday gift or stocking stuffer, and the team at Enterprise in Space provides the giftee/honoree certificate download, and just as with any donor the name flies aboard on the microchip to be retrieved later and toured/displayed with the orbiter. After that simple start, other perks are set to come online as well —but don't mistake this for a typical short-term Kickstarter or Indiegogo.

So, far, $26 million in in-kind donations has been pledged from emerging space corporations eager to partner and test with the NSS Enterprise and its future-looking audience and spirit. The orbital mission is hoped to take a week during which the payload will be activated and educational programmes conducted. The experiments themselves will be both powered and unpowered, thus providing a range of different activities to be watched via onboard cameras which will provide internal and external views during the voyage. Enterprise in Space and the winning student projects will be placing "major emphasis" on STEAM - Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics — and thereby providing an incredible once-in-a-lifetime educational opportunity to inspire the next generation and enhance their communication skills, analytical and critical thinking and knowledge of science and the processes involved.

"It's got a lot of parts," explained Larry. "Our Education Department is working on their curriculum, volunteers, outreach... and then on the Engineering side, one of our partners developing a mobile launch platform for the ocean has offered to that to us with no launch fees - that might save a third of the budget."

The E-Mind partnership with Value Spring Technologies is also going and they have now

signed off on the formal documents to use the cognitive computing "mind." "We just added our new video to the EIS website, showing off eMind being used for the NSS Enterprise target student audience," Larry says. "Janet Ivey of the Emmy-winning "Janet's Planet" student science series is now the face and voice of EMind's 'Ali' interface, and as the video shows this will be a big step toward the goal of gibing every student in the world their own talking computer tutor in the palm of their hand. It's getting a lot of people excited!"

The team is still getting the word out about the crowd-funding program to make Enterprise in Space come to life, but it is intended that there will also be some level of corporate involvement— which will mean not all of the project will have to be funded from generous individual donors. That still means that donor names will be on the ship and all the perks already announced will remain in place."One of the goals is about getting kids excited about space again." continued Larry. "We haven't unveiled the schools piece yet and delivered that out, so wecan't know yet what will be going on the ship. A lot of the aerospace industries and sideline industries are very excited because they have a lot of things that they want to sell to NASA and private space industry and need a demo but no-one higher will take a risk so this is perfect for them. Once they fly it they have a proof of concept."

Right now you can see the first videos up at the website, plus all the design and experiments contest info, volunteer and sponsor forms--and of course the simple "virtual crew" donate button at www.enterpriseinspace.org or drop onto Twitter and follow @EnterpriseSat. Volunteers — from social media and local events all the way up to professional skills—are all welcomed.

From this stunning project our conversation turned to the future and the way in which the Star Trek franchise is going due to the direction of its latest custodians.

"On one hand, when the Berman era ended the perception in Hollywood was that Star Trek was tired and needed a rest." recalled Larry, "The reality was that Rick and Brannon needed a rest and that could have been avoided in certain ways."

"I was worried about the fallow time, but at that time (around 2005) the fan films were exploding and along with those, what has filled in the gap years has been blogs, podcasts, cartoon memes, cosplaying, CGI, model-building and a whole lot more. People can put their stuff online for all to see and comment on. They can get hired for jobs from it and it's become such a whole different world for fan potential and passion. But, we are back in that mindset as we were in the 1970's when fans were saying, "Well if you're not going to make any more, I'm just going to make it myself (i.e. fanzines).

As for "official" Star Trek Beyond on the big screen ? "I was looking forward to seeing

Bob Orci running Star Trek in his own stead, without JJ Abrams, but now I'm curious to see how Justin Lin will direct. People make a mistake when they underestimate him or don't look beyond his Fast and Furious film. Simon Pegg has a finely honed sense of humour and is an old fan who has Star Trek in their heart. A piece of me says it could crash and burn, but at least it will be different! But I'm truly optimistic to see what happens.

"With any Star Trek on big screen, a movie franchise reality means there are some inevitable tweaks which drive fans who are used to 26-episode seasons crazy (changes in tricorders, phasers, uniforms etc...), but these producers and designers always want to do 'better' than they did three years before. Pegg and Lin and their team are saying some of the right things, and with good intentions I hope that the premiere deadline (which has changed since we spoke) doesn't become a sabotaging factor and mean they can't deliver the movie they want, much less one that was bad to begin with. I've made peace with the alternative universe, and at least Prime lives out there somewhere.

"I will say that I've always been impressed that the "JJverse" incarnation was so well cast

and the fact that it's brought tons of fresh new fans in. A lot of new people told me they saw the JJ movies and then latched onto The Original Series, watched The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager and Enterprise and totally bought into the rest of it. A couple of people even don't care much for the JJ movies after getting into the 700 plus episodes. The Netflix access plus the DVDs, the Blu-rays and the remastering has also brought in new fans."
As for Larry, the future holds the possibility of some voice-over work, much more Trekland as well as that new Portal 47 and the Geek Nation Tours which look set to take in even more key Star Trek locations across the US. So there doesn't look to be any grass growing for Star Trek's most well-known afficionado....!

For more information on Larry Nemecek you'd better go seek out Trekland this instant!

Big thanks to Larry for all his time chatting to me and in the production of this article. 

Live on YouTube
Like our page on Facebook 

Follow us on Twitter

+1 us on Google+

Add us on Tumblr

Add to to conversation on Star Trek: Risa

When SKoST Talked to Larry - Part One

Let me take you back to 1993.

Whether by Guardian of Forever, the USS Relativity or perhaps your very own Bajoran Orb of Time, let's travel back and I'll tell you a story.

I'd finished my second year of secondary school and decided to spend a week of my summer holiday away with my grandparents. At this time I was really getting into Star Trek and badgered them to drive me around Warrington (in the UK) to find a copy of The Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion which had been released. Could we find a copy? Could we hell and the morning trip into town turned into a day trip which eventually had us in a bookshop in Blackpool. Alas it was so popular that there didn't seem to be one in the whole of the north-west of England but I did manage to pick up Allan Asherman's Star Trek Compendium. While it was still a great book and a useful reference book, I was bitterly disappointed I hadn't picked up the Companion.

Eventually I did get hold of it and the subsequent red revision (but not the third update for some reason) and still to this day it's one of my on-hand reference books. For many years my copies were well-thumbed, digested, revisited and lauded over due to their superb, accurate content.

My point to all this? Well, it was written by one Larry Nemecek who is one of THE biggest Star Trek gurus on the planet and 22 years later I finally got to speak with him.

"In high school I didn't know what I wanted to do," said Larry when I spoke to him a few weeks ago; "I had so many interests and hobbies. I went into journalism and acting and for a while I thought about teaching those in college. After I got my MA in directing and decided not to teach after all, I thought about getting into politics as a staff person but wound up as a beat reporter near home, then a wire editor, an entertainment editor and the chance to do a lot more interviewing."

Larry still maintained a lot of interests, including Star Trek background and fandom as a working adult. When The Next Generation brought in a new generation of Star Trek fans, he created his own Bjo Trimble-style The Next Generation concordance, a new annual volume self-published each season. And once the concordances were noticed by the writing staff on the show and Pocket Books extended the offer to write the official The Next Generation Companion narrative guide and then a second edition, the young Nemecek family upped and moved to LA....and for around 15 years he was intrinsically linked to the Star Trek franchise.

That experience in turn led to his contributions on the Star Trek Fact Files, a sister series of DVDs and notes in Japan, editing the Star Trek Communicator official magazine, producing the Stellar Cartography book, having a The Next Generation alien shuttle (Nenebek) named after him, having the chance to appear in one of the last scenes of the last episode of Enterprise and most recently appearing as Doctor Leonard McCoy in two episodes of Star Trek Continues, on which he still serves as Creative Consultant. I'm probably just barely scratching the surface with that list if I'm totally honest.

When Enterprise ended abruptly in 2005, the parent game company which published Star Trek Communicator almost went bankrupt, Viacom split and then the online world took over, "The last ten years have been a lot of reinvention," said Larry, "It's been a very interesting time. The rulebook is being written for this generation but it still isn't settled."

Speaking to Larry it became clear that his time with the franchise in the 90's and early 00's amassed a great deal of information, interviews and memorabilia. Over time he's attempted to catalogue this immense library and some of this has, in tiny fragments come out through the Trekland blog and the new Trekland: On Speaker collections which are available from the man himself.

The fourth volume - and the latest to be released takes a close look at the genesis of the third spin-off show on it's 20th anniversary; Voyager’s Pilot: Taking Care of Caretaker.

“These are not sound bites and quickie blurbs for TV, but sections of extended, 60 or 90 minutes interviews at season’s end that have now been digitized and remastered, “ Larry explained. 

"It’s all from the producers, writers and designers who really made the creative decisions behind the moments fans love—far more than even the cast. In long extended clips that have never been heard before in public.” 

Making their debuts On Speaker to talk about Caretaker are co-creator/executive producer Jeri Taylor and Emmy-winning production designer Richard James. There’s also director Winrich Kolbe and visual effects Emmy winning producer Dan Curry. 

However, things have moved on and now, due to his long-standing relationship with Star Trek, Larry Nemecek is now heading up the ingenious Portal 47.

Using 21st Century tools such as online, tele-conferencing, webinars and some old fashioned live events, Larry is bringing a packet of features out of his extensive vaults for fans to enjoy...the best we could come up with for a description was that it was a more than just a fan club, more than a podcast and live over the internet.

"I've been saying it's using the best of 21st Century technology to get a backstage pass to the 24th Century in a way you've never had before, all year long from your centre seat at home." explained Larry, "Each month has a couple of 'tele-briefings' via conferencing— a round-table with me and also then a Trek guest, plus a release of some interview audio plus his images or documents (reference materials from Larry's front-row seat during the production of the shows in the 90's and 00's). It's for people who want to hear from the actors but also from the people behind the scenes who made the shows what they are. It's for new fans, it's for bored fans, it's for fans who don't know what they don't know."

Portal 47 also brings participants early one-week advance access to all new guest vidchats and other undated posts at the Trekland blog, plus exclusive access to the Portal 47 closed community on Facebook, as well as 15% discount once a month on a winning bid at Larry's Trekland Trunk events or on future merchandise...for "the cost of a movie for two each month," Larry says, or $25 a month.

Genuinely every fan will be able to find something to entertain and interest them, potentially making this one of the most detailed Star Trek experiences we've ever seen. It also gives people who live in remote areas, or might not be able to get to conventions, the chance to gain even more exquisite knowledge on the 50-year-old franchise.

"When I'm at conventions, then, we can hold Portal 47 meet-ups." said Larry. There will be an annual Portal 47 meetup at Las Vegas, Comic-Con San Diego, or any local convention near to Portal 47 participants where Larry is a guest. On top of that, those involved will receive a further 20% off the one-day personal Trekland Tours of choice from a menu of Star Trek film sites in Los Angeles Larry is now developing (clearly for us in the UK this ain't going to be a possibility in the near future....!) He says as soon as possible he will offer a second time slot for the telebriefings so UK, German and other Europeans can take part on the sessions at a more palatable hour.

September was the launch month for the project and at recent conventions Larry has been promoting an annual package as well as a three month trial but if you email Larry directly mentioning Some Kind of Star Trek you can sign up, receive a free On Speaker CD and a call sheet from one of the later shows as part of your introduction - how's that for a nice little extra?

Along with this massive piece of work, Larry is also making some more tweaks to his Con of Wrath documentary project which has been ongoing for a number of years.

It's about the Ultimate Fantasy in Houston, Texas in June 1982, which was planned to be the first big arena Star Trek show—but which did not quite go according to plan. As this infamous event melted down on two fronts and yet staggered to completion, fans were already giving it snarky nicknames when I Survived The Con of Wrath buttons began to pop up in the dealer's room by Sunday afternoon.

Jerry Wilhite dreamed of an arena event alongside HoustonCon, and the excitement around Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan propelled the possibility. He talked to Star Trek cast about the possibility of doing something very different involving elements like a one-act play by Walter Koenig, a vocal set by Nichelle Nichols and a band, a talk show that would involve everyone.

"And then, only a week before, they found out that the sell-out announcement fans were getting when they called up for tickets somehow did not exist. There were not 50,000 people over three shows—there were several hundred. When that hit and they went into crisis mode, it then spilled over into the regular convention; news crews started showing up, smelling fraud, and the Paramount folks worried about the PR repercussions, especially as The Wrath of Khan had only been out for two weeks—and they decided to stay. But no one stopped to wonder what did happen?"

There have been a few notorious high-profile convention debacles since. "What was special about this was that Houston was the first, it was the biggest, it was The Original Series cast and it was the first time someone tried to do this and get the whole cast together.

"It was personal to me because it my first road-trip con," said Larry, who attended with a couple of friends from college and his younger brother. "We went and got caught up in the mess. We had to pay for our room twice and so could only stay the one night, took some pictures, went home and forgot about it. Then a few years ago I ran into someone at a party talking about Houston and 'Ultimate Fantasy' and Con of Wrath and it turned out he was the technical director. I suddenly had this lightbulb go off: I had wanted to do something with media, and this was something produceable I thought I could do as a first project. If Harve Bennett and Walter Koenig would talk to me (as the main leaders of the cast for the event) then I thought I would do it."

In the second part of the interview we'll be talking Enterprise in Space, Beyond and more. I'll be putting this up over the weekend.

For more information on Larry Nemecek and Portal 47 plus everything else, seek out Trekland this instant and thanks to the man himself for his help in producing this article.

All images taken from Google

Live on YouTube

Like our page on Facebook 

Follow us on Twitter

+1 us on Google+

Add us on Tumblr

Add to to conversation on Star Trek: Risa

FCD Reviews and Announcements!

A couple of months might have slipped past since First Contact Day 2015 but there's no moss gathering for the organisers as they're already making a big impact with plans for the 2016 event.

From my perspective it was a brilliant event which we now know will be back in 2016. Just to wrap everything up, I grabbed some time for a chat with Wil Ross and David Limburg one more time to get their thoughts on the 2015 event.

"It was absolutely fantastic," recalled David, "One thing springs to mind [as a highlight] was the anti-bullying talk and it was amazing that Laura came forward to talk about it. We had such an amazing response from people to that. [They were saying] no-one's ever done anything like that before at an event and we really think it's an amazing thing you've done to come forward and talk about it and involve us in your experiences and what you intend to do about it.

"The guests were wonderful, Garrett was incredible and the auction was great. We raised a fortune for charity and that says something for such a small event. Thank you to everyone for their contributions."

Wil echoed David's thoughts; "It was great to see everyone and how much fun they were having. It was a completely crazy weekend. So much going on and we had to make some last minute changes but no-one seemed bothered. The only thing they were interested in was having a good time. 

"There are always going to be issues, things that throw you but aside from a few minor hiccups everyone have such good fun and the fact they're still going on about it today just speaks volumes and is more than we could have asked for."

The gents are still waiting for confirmation of their world record for the biggest single gathering of Redshirts which topped out at just over 100. "They [Guinness] have everyone's names, copies of the certificates we printed and we're just waiting for the photo file," explained Wil, "Then we can get confirmation."

For myself Una McCormack and James Swallow's talk, compared by Michael Clark from Visionary Trek was fantastic as was Garrett Wang's session later in the day.

For 2016 there will be a different, as yet to be confirmed, venue. But what else can we expect? Is there anything they'll be taking into that event from 2015? In fact the team are already getting emails asking what they're planning and has really stunned Wil and David.

"Everything worked for 2015," said David, "There wasn't anything that we won't be doing next year. Everything we did is being repeated and being talked about and being compared to other events. In fact we're being compared to some of the much larger events and if we could do stuff why can't they do it?"

"In taking it forward we just want to do more and the first thing that will be notable will be more guests and therefore a bigger venue. That's an immediate thing going forward."

Wil woke up on the Sunday morning to be faced with some issues around the previous night's catering which was out of the organisers' control; "Now we have something in place with a different venue we are going to do food which will be more cocktails and canapes."

The issues with the catering were one of the issues that mean that First Contact Day will not be returning to its venue of the last two years - and it also means that the event will be across two venues with the evening festivities taking place at a hotel because the team want to ensure they are set up properly for the day and for the Admirals' Party (keeping with the 50 years of Star Trek theme) which couldn't happen effectively otherwise.

While I was putting this piece together further progress meant that the venue for the event is now confirmed as Leicester City Football Club. This keeps First Contact Day in the city and offers the organisers a lot more opportunity.

"There will be more guests," reaffirmed Wil, "It has been mentioned to us about quality rather than quantity, well we have quality and it will blow peoples' minds. There are a few "i"'s to dot and "t"'s to cross but we're there or thereabouts. James (Swallow) and Una (McCormack) want to come back and everyone loved them. Alan (Flyng) is also checking his diary."

Having good feedback and all the guests from the 2015 event wanting to return is a sign that the team hit the mark with the two day meet at the Leicester Space Centre. Just from an observational point of view it seemed that everyone - both guests and attendees loved every second and I would think a lot of those who travelled to be part of it will be coming back next year.

In relation to guests, those who attended will remember that Babylon 5 actress Claudia Christian had to cut short her appearance due to unforeseen circumstances. However, David has said that anyone who attended the event and did not get her autograph can contact FCD Events to see about receiving one for a minor donation to the C3 charity supported by Claudia.

Across the two days there were around 900 people who attended the First Contact Day event in Leicester and the team is gearing up for 2016 to be bigger and better. With the names yet to be announced as guests it's more than likely going to top those numbers.

Thoughts for what could happen additionally in 2016 to the already superb event of 2015 has thrown up possibilities of an Attack Wing competition (which was up for this year but had to be abandoned due to a lack of space) and also a retro gaming area. "We have some good contacts who can supply gaming equipment and as many consoles as we want," explained Wil, "I think that would be cool but the big thing to keep with the theme of FCD celebrating Star Trek is to get a replica bridge set."

This is more likely to be an Enterprise bridge from The Original Series rather than The Next Generation with a photo opportunity to be a lot less than was being charged at other events in 2015.

What we can confirm that has already been announced is that Larry Nemecek will be in attendance next year which is a big leap from his Skype appearance this year and Garrett Wang, Voyager's Harry Kim will be acting as MC for the whole weekend. 

Oh and if that wasn't enough did you all spot the out-of-this-world news that the UK will be getting a visit from the Klingon High Chancellor himself?

In the last few weeks the First Contact Day team have been raising money for the victims of the Nepal earthquake through a raffle and this week they hit their £1,000 target meaning that a third guest was announced. We discovered just last night that this is going to be Martok aka J G Hertzler. I utterly flipped in a good way. A lot and annoyed the wife for a good hour. And my dad. And anyone who would listen. Martok is one of my favourite characters of all time and this will is one chance I will not be missing. (JG if you are reading this, I am super-excited!!!)

If you're interested in the raffle it's £2 per ticket and you can take a look at the great prizes on offer by following this Facebook story link right now as it's been extended due to demand. It's for an excellent cause and with nearly £1,100 raised, the team are looking to smash £1,200 very soon. Help them do it!!!

It also seems that next year we'll be manning our own table so you can come and talk Star Trek and help us put together some video materials for the weekend. There might be some other bits we're thinking about but there's a year to go yet! Add into that the generosity of the team from First Contact Day that we will also be given the chance to make one announcement about next year's event before you'll see it anywhere else!!!

Ticket prices will be announced shortly and we'll continue to provide updates on the event as and when we find out more details. Thanks also to Wil Ross and David Limburg for their time.

Looking forward to FCD 2016? Who do you think should be on the guest list or what activities would you like to see included? Why not suggest it here!

Want to continue the discussion on your favourite social media platform? 

Like our page on Facebook 

Follow us on Twitter

+1 us on Google+

Add us on Tumblr

Pick us out on Pinterest
Add to to conversation on Star Trek: Risa

Second Bite of the Cherry: Continues Goes Green

It's all green, green, green it seems at the moment for us at SKoST Towers.

Just as there was with the arrival of the much-delayed Kitumba from the Phase II stable, the Star Trek fanbase were going just as mental over Lolani. We'll dispense with the oft-used plot synopsis and just talk about the show. There's a lot to chew over I can say.

Pilgrim of Eternity relied on an established character and acted as a sequel to a story from The Original Series but here the web-series has cut loose and taken on a tale that is 100% its own. The results are mixed and even while I was listening to the theme closing the episode, just adding a few last touches to my inked notes I was still undecided as to my thoughts on the show. 

"Hmmmm..." I said in thought. My wife (of two days) looked up from the laptop "What's up?"

"I'm not sure what I thought of that...I want to like it but...."

I gurned a lot of facial expressions over the next few minutes trying to come up with an explanation, reasons - even just one conclusion...but nadda. Which is why it's taken so long to put finger to keyboard. 

The nearest thing I could equate Lolani to was a football match. It's a game of two halves. At first we're into a hostage rescue where the crew are prey to the wiles of the seductive Orion girl, Lolani (Fiona Vroom above) but then it's a murder story and at that point I was just finding it very uncertain and misfiring a lot. When legendary Hulk actor Lou Ferrigno turns up it switches again into a classic Star Trek tale of morals and right and wrong dilemmas of which Roddenberry himself would have been proud. That second section is very much powered by the excellent Ferrigno and the dinner scene just sparkles as the Orion slaver takes centre stage in what is the pivotal scene in the story and changes where the narrative is going. 

For me that arrival, that scene marked an important step and it's a shame it takes so long for Ferrigno to turn up. He's luckily not a scenery chewer and handles the role of Zaminhon with a rumbling grace that almost makes you want him to succeed. It's a heavy plot, moreso than Pilgrim of Eternity and certainly more detailed in it's thread. I found on occasion though that there were times where the proverbial "ball" was dropped or made my forehead go all Klingony with strife and confusion.

The journey to the arrival of Lou Ferrigno is a little tangled and the limited fan-funding did show through on more than one occasion which doesn't help this rather on-occasion powerful and multi-facted story. The dialogue is mixed and I seriously preferred Pilgrim of Eternity for it's story and script. Here there's a lot of hokey dialogue and on occasion there's a verge on cheesy but then there are some cracking scenes which help balance them out. At times I was half expecting Lolani to ask Kirk to tell her about that thing called love but we avoided that one at the very least. Vroom too seems a little uncomfortable but does give a sterling effort in the role - a shame that there are a couple of points where her makeup slips. She gives a layered performance here from frightened, bruised and battered slave girl through to her eventual form in almost a butterfly-like transformation that seems to take leaps and isn't that visible on the screen. It's those around her that change (and not due to the Orion Attraction) and there does seem a little bit of a disjoint in how it all fits back together at the end.

Ok, I'm being perhaps a little harsh and the fact that a lot of people went out of their way a lot to bring some new Star Trek to the fans always has to be given the highest praise but I couldn't get away from an uncomfortable feeling all the way through. I genuinely cringed at the dance scene but Mignogna's Kirk-Fu almost made up for it save for a few clear total misses that are "landed". Nice bit of a homage to some of Kirk's Greatest Hits and for that, well done Continues. However, while we're on the subject of Mignogna, let's talk Kirk. 

Vic's efforts in producing Continues cannot be faulted. The quality is there, the vision is there - as is a lot of Shatner. Whether he's negotiating, fighting or just taking a seat in the captain's chair, Mignogna exudes Shatner almost at every step. For some this might be welcome and truly fitting with the concept of "continuing" The Original Series even in the feel of the characters however I think that's where Chris Pine and James Cawley have an edge - making the role their own and not trying to match the unique qualities of the Shat. I applaud Vic for his interpretation of Shatner, but perhaps it should have been an interpretation of Kirk? That said, clearly this emphasises the love Vic has for the role and the passion for his work, again something we here at SKoST cannot deny - and he does get a chance to go full Romantic Kirk as well with a sly smooch thanks to those Orion pheromones.

Cast-wise, Lolani has a Big Four in the driving seat with Mignogna backed by the seemingly very young but still capable Todd Haberkorn as Spock, Larry Nemecek as Bones and Chris Doohan as Scotty. All do an admirable job to back up their placing in the opening credits and if Shatner and co had made it into a 1969 - 1970 season perhaps Doohan Snr would have made his way from the end titles to a more elevated status. The acting from these guys is great but sadly they don't get enough time to explore their roles here with the limelight firmly elsewhere. Larry is just grumbly enough and there's the right kind of twinkle in the eyes of Chris that would make his dad proud. Really good to see and with that pinch of their own personalities in there as well. My other concern thoiugh is for the actors behind Uhura (Kim Stinger) and Sulu (Grant Imahara). 

Sadly they get sidelined with barely a decent line between them for the duration of Lolani while better scenes and dialogue are headed off by crew addition Dr Elise McKennah (Michele Specht) and Kenway (Matthew Enway). McKennah has some wonderful sparring with Mignogna's Kirk and the relationship between the two does verge from flirty to comical on occasion but there does seem to be some good chemistry here that could do with more exploitation in future stories. I wasn't convinced by Specht's arrival in the show but her role as the counsellor has moved on greatly and works very well in light of the dealings with Lolani here. Indeed, Lolani's best scenes are when she is with either Mignogna or Specht.

Kenway's story is the larger focus here due to his involvement with the title character but I just don't buy the role. Is it love? What does he want? Kenway seems a little weaker than I might expect from your usual redshirt and his motivations do seem suspect by the episode's conclusion as do some of the decisions that Kirk makes by the end of the story. Getting teary-eyed and sentimental goes against the grain of the role itself that Mignogna has tried so closely to follow. The problem with Kenway is that we have a guest star helping a guest star which detracts from the main cast and some of the drama is lost because at least one of the main protagonists isn't key to series. Hopefully it won't be a one off performance and his return next time will help build the role - making him a one episode character will only weaken the story.

It also seems that the two big Star Trek series in Phase II and Continues have something of a Buck Rogers-faceoff going on with Gil Gerrard turning up in the recent Kitumba and now former Colonel Wilma Deering, Erin Gray appearing here, twice, as Commodore Gray. Definitely one of the senior brass you wouldn't want to cross, even on a good day. If you were also wondering that's Boba Fett from Attack of the Clones playing Ensign Tongaroga.

I had hoped for a little bit more grit however this is a story that would have fitted perfectly in the three seasons of The Original Series which is definitely where Phase II has an edge - they are pushing the boundaries and trying new things while Continues is doing just that - continuing. Kirk gets the girl, for a bit, replete with romantic music and there isn't even a glimpse of vaseline on the lens or soft focus. Admirably those fantastic behind the scenes people have achieved the true look of the 1960's series in lighting and overall mood. There's all sorts of purples and greens bringing back the feel of the original show. Even the external shots of the USS Enterprise feel more like the models by Matt Jeffries than the CGI stunners of Phase II. That said they are beautiful and set the mood superbly. Not that they look unfinished but just very authentic especially if compared to the Mike Okuda remasters of recent years. The sets too deserve a credit. From the bridge to the crew quarters through to the transporter room and the briefing room it's as though the production team literally beamed them straight out of the 1960s, added some twists to bring in 21st Century with a graphic or an effect to wow us.


I had planned to launch this review after the premiere of Phase II's The Holiest Thing to see how the two shows are comparing however with that delayed we chose to go with this as a solus post. With the benefit of a week or so's breathing space since the launch of Lolani it's a credit to the original show and all involved should be praised. My opinion still stands that it's not quite up to the level of Pilgrim of Eternity but yet there has been progress, development and everyone involved seems a lot more comfortable that in the previous installment. I also suggest that it would be harsh to compare this episode across to Phase II as they have a ten year headstart on experience at the least. By the end of the story there's a real sense though that Continues has captured the essence of The Original Series maybe in a closer fashion than Phase II. In fact it's better that the two shows do have some form of divergence that echoes from their very titles. 

While Lolani has been a slight disappointment it's still exciting to see a new episode of Star Trek brought to the screen for the fans at the least. Ok, I'll also admit that with two weeks of mulling over the show I'm beginning to see the attraction of Mignogna's Kirk (don't let on though). There's a lot of love and dedication evident here and while I've pointed out some niggles it's a step - more a staircase - above a lot of the fan productions that are loitering around the internet these days. 

Just one request I suppose - More Please - and soon.

Did you know you can now join up with us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter or even +1 us on Google+? If you didn't why not drop over there now!