Character Traits: Star Trek Timelines

Star Trek Timelines is getting me far, far too excited thanks to the constant stream of information we're receiving.

Over successive weeks we've been treated to the reveal of the Constellation Class ship, a Ferengi Marauder, more recently we've been privy to detailed information on a handful of playable characters as well as an insight into the demo from Las Vegas and much to my satisfaction, the Defiant.

The ship reveals have gone a long way to illustrating the care and attention the designers have gone to in recreating the iconic vessels and the very feel of the fabric of the Star Trek universe. The way they move, act, go to warp and appear is very appreciative of the franchise and I like the respect this shows from Disruptor Beam. I thoroughly recommend and direct you to their YouTube channel (it's not SKoST but hey, they're trying(!)) to keep up to date with what's happening and any big reveals.

Going back a little, I did mention those announced characters. Skipping through the ton of comments on Facebook it's apparent that virtually every character ever seen in Star Trek will be available (except the Wadi if you can) and in from different points in the show. At the moment we've only got a smattering of indications plus a few snap-shots of development. 

I was very fortunate to get the chance to find out more about this highly-anticipated game from Rich Gallup, exec producer for Timelines; "Right now we're preparing for Beta to invite people with a fresh set of eyes to check we're making the right decisions or tell us about stuff before launch about things we need to fix. We've been playing this game for over a year and Las Vegas was great to allow fans to see it for five minutes but now we want people to play it for hours and tell us what it's like."

Rich grew up watching The Next Generation with his family right through, dabbled with Deep Space Nine and Voyager but since working on Timelines he's re-watched the whole of The Original Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager and is currently about 12 episodes into Enterprise. "It's been great revisiting stuff that I knew, episodes that were familiar and I'm getting back up to speed on stuff I thought I knew and learning new bits on the way. Now I'm a part of the Star Trek community I was hesitant because there's this stereotype that if you love Star Trek you know the name of every single episode, every single ship and every single character but when you meet up with the people you're making this game for you realise that a lot of them had a favourite show they loved and are familiar with the rest."

As exec producer, Rich Gallup is making sure things are getting done, priority setting and people managing. "Jon Radoff is directing the game and guiding us towards a certain vision," said Rich, "making sure what he wants is what we're making and I make sure the team have the freedom to explore that vision and make sure that they're all OK!"

Each of your characters will have at least one of the core skills; Command, Diplomacy, Science, Security, Engineering or Medical which can be levelled up and will differ between characters ie. Spock is likely to be a better scientist than Malcolm Reed. Your traits and combination of characters will then affect the outcome of the missions you place them into meaning that a diplomatic situation will benefit more from having Picard manage it than sending in Worf.

The first character we saw in any detail was Captain Janeway and my impressions of the game did go up because Timelines will offer three different versions of the Voyager captain. There's Starfleet uniform Janeway, Die Hard/Macrocosm Janeway replete with phaser rifle and finally Queen Arachnia Janeway from Bride of Chaotica!. What a selection - and fortunately we've been spared Fair Haven Janeway or Victorian novel Janeway (please...no....but we would welcome Admiral Janeway!)

Each version of the captain will have its own attributes and differences making each a unique character within the game that will change outcomes dependant on which you choose or get landed with depending on your preferences.

We also got a snap of Kruge who will be turning up here and marks our only full Klingon reveal to date. While I might bemoan Wizkids for not offering him and his Bird-of-Prey as an expansion pack in Attack Wing, here we'll get the chance to add the Genesis-obsessed power-hungry commander to our ranks. Lots of honour and combat bonuses I would think with this one. The artwork does capture a really impressive likeness although I'm a bit confused by the need for him to be running so energetically and I would have liked to see him in that weighty Klingon overcoat barking into a communicator - but who knows, that may very well be a variant in the future!

One of the biggies we were shown was the action-posed Captain Kirk. A character that is as essential to this game as anti-matter is to a warp core, there will be three versions of the Enterprise captain at launch. I can only think there will be one in his movie monster maroon and another in a selected getup from The Original Series. 

Specialising in Command, Diplomacy and Security, Kirk is said to be an "essential" character in the game which will mean he'll cost an arm, a leg and a starship to buy and add to your crew. Apparently having him lead an away team will add in bonuses as I suspect placing him in the command chair will also do. Comparing this to the more simply imagined Trexels, you can see there is a lot more depth to the Timelines experience. Characters will be a lot more unique visually and statistically helped particularly by the greater range of skill sets available for the developers to tweak on each person - and each iteration of that person!

As a spin on that I suggested it could get more interesting when it gets to nine versions of a character but that might/might never happen (delete as applicable) however Rich and I did a mini-challenge to see if we could work out nine distinct Kirk's...so we did...

1. Yellow shirt Kirk
2. Green shirt Kirk (season one)
3. Where No Man Has Gone Before Kirk (with phaser rifle)
4. Season two green wraparound shirt Kirk
5. Medical bay Kirk kicking that wall monitor device
6. San Francisco Star Trek IV Kirk
7. V'Ger away team Kirk
8. The Wrath of Khan bloodied uniform Kirk
9. Rura Penthe Kirk from The Undiscovered Country

While that was a mental minute and we could have included a ton more, Rich was clear to note that some characters may have one iteration, others perhaps three and maybe some more but it will depend on who they are. According to a reply I had from Mr Gallup on Twitter we're going to attempt 10 Picard's next time (!).

Certainly when we talk about character variants, one of the biggest has to be Spock. The Timelines blog has indicated we will get several versions of the Spock character including his later ambassador role but the one we were privvy to here is skilled as though he's just setting out on the five year mission with Kirk et al. Very, very exciting to see this reveal since Nimoy is foremost in a lot of fans thoughts given his recent passing.

Seven of Nine wearing her blue attire from the later seasons of Voyager also popped up in previews and what we do know about her abilities is that she will be skilled in Sciences and Engineering while she'll be prone to "ignore irrelevancies" which sounds very close to her on-screen character. But just who is responsible for these great images we're seeing?

Well his name is Mike Gardner, "We keep feeding him more and more and more characters and each one if better than the last." noted Rich, "It's been fun challenging him as we're making hundreds of these characters so how do you make each one distinct? The character and the costume is one thing but how do you give them personality and how do you make sure they're not all using the exact same pose? That was a lot easier to do when we were getting started but now we're so far into the game it's amazing to see the stuff he's coming up with!"

We even had two Quark's and two Sulus, notching up different attributes for both characters. While their "generic" versions are pretty cool I was far more impressed and genuinely surprised by the announcement of Naked Time Sulu with his fencing sword and Klingon Quark from Looking for par'Mach in All the Wrong Places. "Everyone needs to have shirtless Sulu!" noted Rich, revealing that the design team, led by David Heron as the main designer, are the ones coming up with the character variants along with Tim Crosby and Jessica Sliwinski. I did ask if there might be a Mirror Sulu and a USS Excelsior captain Sulu to which there wasn't a 'No' but neither was there a 'Yes'!

Uhura has also been granted two versions in the opening salvos of Timelines with a classic look (as a lieutenant) and also one that fans will instantly remember from The Search for Spock where she's faced with putting "Mr Adventure" in the closet. Again the graphics are just sublime and the chosen quotes work exceptionally well with the images. The movie-era Uhura also gives us our first look at how the team have recreated the jacket-style uniform. I've swung the pic in later so you can take a look but I think it looks really good as does the Type II phaser - yep, even got the right weapon type for the right movie. OK Clive, stop fanboying out over this stuff. Now....

"It's a tricky balance because up front you need all the characters everyone loves. we'll have most of those but we do need some back for post-launch content. Then we have the skills and traits which we build onto the core characters. Then we look beyond those and look at what we need. Using variants means we can fill those holes and make sure each character feels distinct. The trait system means that there might be a mission where you need a Ferengi mixing it up in a fight which would be the Klingon version of Quark. We discussed a second Quark and who that second Quark was going to be."

Rich asked me if there was another version of Quark I could have suggested and with a quick head-scratch I was a bit stumped on the spot however I did state that it was best Timelines avoided the Profit and Lace variant. I have begged for it to be struck. "I did suggest to David that it could have been a little different and gone to Kahless Quark," added Rich, "as in the episode there's a moment where Quark and his love re-enact the great Klingon myth and he's dressed as Kahless. There is the possibility that that might come in later!"

The more I see of this game, the more I'm desperate for Autumn (Fall) to get here and this to be released. As a Star Trek game it looks stunning but the real test will be in the gameplay, how your characters work together and how they affect the path you choose to take on missions. Timelines certainly is promising a lot - locations, ships, duty stations, away missions, a plethora of characters I can only begin to imagine, individual stats...and that's just off the top of my head. I would think that there's a heck of a lot more we're not being told with this drip-fed info keeping us from asking some of the more in-depth questions!

But hey, that's not all. Heading to the Las Vegas convention the Timelines team managed to acquire the services of one John de Lancie to help them promote the soon-to-be-released game and showcase their ship battles element. 

The first mission we've seen is the one demoed at Las Vegas and featuring the vocal tones of De Lancie and opens with Q greeting you at the anomaly which bleeds all the timelines into one thanks to the intervention of some pesky Romulans. As a starting level it'll be very hard to get yourself killed but choosing the wrong option could well make your game end in tears, "As you progress you will need to level up and if you're attempting a level where you're not powerful enough you'll lose and have to do it again."

Later into the demo the player heads up against the Mirror Universe Worf so instead of matching wits with Q and the Romulans there might well be more fisticuffs in that part! Given that a lot of mobile/Facebook games only tend to focus on a single factor be it characters or ships, the combination of the two is a master-stroke. It could also have been very dangerous to tackle so many different parts of the Star Trek universe but the initial vids we're seeing offer evidence contrary to that possibility.

"Each ship has different stations and you can assign different crew to them," continued Rich, "These show up as actions in your action bar and determine how your ship acts. The best way to upgrade your ship will be to upgrade your crew and slot them into the appropriate spot."

The latest reveal of the USS Defiant was, well, revealing, showing us the detail the team have gone into ensuring that she has her trademark pulse phase cannons plus that all important cloaking device. From the video on their channel it's apparent that the team have made sure they are giving fans what they want - even down to the correct number of photon torpedo launchers and colour of the phaser beams. What all the gubbins around the screen represent I can't say but finding out is going to be a lot of fun! The Defiant is my favourite ship from the franchise so to see her so painstakingly recreated here is brilliant to see. Also a cool touch that she's the only one in her class with the cloaking ability if we go by the comments from the Facebook page. Again, it's all about that essential attention to detail which is keeping me hooked.

One thing that fans and followers of Timelines have picked up on was a one-off joke that you could assign Locutus of Borg to Ten-Forward. I can assure you this is still possible, heck you could make Martok your Chief Medical Officer (one-eyed or Changeling version?!).

Martok is one of my favourites but I also can't wait to see what they do with Sisko. "David Heron our chief designer is a big Deep Space Nine fan," said Rich, "so you can be assured that every main character is well represented in our launch package."

Reaction has been really good to the game so far, "People love it to the point that makes me nervous!" joked Rich, "We have a vision to achieve and it's been great to show people early versions of the game. I think they can see the promise of it and really hope they love it as much when we show the final version! Hopefully what they picture  is what we picture. We hope we have good game-play and a variety of game-play and a ton of Star Trek for all fans."

"All our testing has been on mobile devices as that's our lead platform but we will be porting it onto the web in some way; definitely Facebook. Game of Thrones Ascent started as a Facebook game and we ported it over to mobile and found that both player bases are equally competitive and viable. It has been as challenging as other projects," continued Rich, "but we won't know if all the work has paid off until we reach Beta (testing) and more people have played the game."

In comparison to Timelines I've felt that Alien Domain or Trexels have focused on one aspect of the Star Trek universe be it space combat or away missions but here in this game there is a serious mix of a lot of elements. "A lot of that came from John Radoff," explained Rich, "He wanted this game to look absolutely gorgeous and he wanted to be able to explore 3D space. That led us down the path to make sure the game looks as good as it does. In terms of the game-play that was through a development project and we wanted to be very true and authentic to the original material. 

"We wanted impressive ship battles but we also wanted other methods for solving problems because Star Trek isn't just about space combat. That's why we have conflicts which is a much more abstract/choose-your-own-adventure style where you can choose to resolve matters with a combination of individuals through a series of trials. We tried a lot of different game-play systems and variations for types of skills and we felt that that was spreading us very thin. Eventually it led us to the current system which ties it all together."

Rich noted that players will want to replay missions again and again to open up different paths determined by which crew members they assign to which challenge and therefore open up more parts of the game tree. "We always wanted a lot of options," verified Rich, "because we know that the Star Trek fan-base is incredibly diverse and we want to make sure that everyone can not only find their favourite characters but can also resolve situations in a way that they would prefer."

There will be a lot of scenarios available at launch with more to come later; "This won't be a game you can complete in half an hour," reassured the exec producer, "We want you to be playing it for hours and hours and as soon as possible we will release new content. For example, Game of Thrones Ascent has been out for two and a half years and we're been releasing new quest content every week. We know how to produce good content consistently. I can't say how much there will be for Star Trek or how often because Timelines plays very differently."

What about Rich's biggest success and at the opposite end, his biggest challenge? Is there something that's been keeping him awake at night? Causing hot sweats (OK I took that to an extreme)?, "It's making a game that Star Trek fans love because we're approaching 50 years of it being around and we've only been making this game for less than two. We've been trusted by our friends at CBS and challenged by the community to make something that is worth their time, love and attention. It's a little terrifying but I think we've been the team to take it on and from the reaction we're proving that we can be trusted to make the next great Star Trek game."

BIG thanks to Rich Gallup and the team at Disruptor Beam for their help with this article and for all the images used.

Are you as excited as I apparently am over Timelines? Which character are you most anticipating? Which ship?

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Supanova 2015 from the Inside

Please give a big SKoST welcome to +James Patrik as he leads us into the world of the convention from the perspective of the fan and the stall-holder - and in Australia!!!

Supanova – one of three gargantuan sci-fi conventions held in Melbourne each year. It's day one, and the fans have arrived in droves to meet the some of the actors from the original Star Trek series.

I work here; rather, I am an exhibitor working at a stall as part of a team selling collectables. 

Right now I’m waiting in line with the rest of the fans. It’s not so bad – there are only a couple of people ahead of me, so it shouldn't be long now. 

I glance around the room, taking in the sheer enormity of the event. Over the next 48 hours, approximately 50,000 people will make their way into the Melbourne Showgrounds like costumed pilgrims seeking autographs and action figures. For everyone else, it’s a circus – a day of fun and frivolity – but for me it’s a day of work, and this is my lunch break.

The queue lurches forward again. A couple more steps. In spite of the vomiting butterflies in my stomach, I take a moment to realise just how tired I am. Unbeknownst to the average convention attendee, these conventions are often hard work. Exhibitors arrive two days beforehand and join an army of hi-vis vest wearing men and women unloading trucks and setting up stalls.

This fluorescent army keeps working right up until the doors open on the first day. A strange electricity hangs in the air in anticipation of the day ahead. I’ll always remember seeing the waiting crowd for the first time - thousands of people restrained by glass doors, just waiting for the right time. It was quite a sight, and one that filled me with excitement and terror.

The line is moving again again, I reach for my pocket to check on my trading card – it is still safe – encased in its hard plastic toploader. Others have glossy photos signed, but I prefer the cards. They are smaller and I can stick them on my wall.

The anticipation finally too much, I nervously begin bobbing up and down on my toes. Up ahead, I catch a glimpse of a familiar face, a face that cannot possibly be real. 

My heart skips a beat.

In spite of my fatigue, I'm still energised. I have always loved sci-fi conventions. The costumes, the colours, the general over-stimulation. In fact, ‘Cosplayers’ have now become integral to these events. Walking attractions in themselves, they spend the day patiently posing for photographs.

These shows are the only time I get to talk to other fans outside of the internet. Each interaction quickly becomes a heated debate about the current season of Doctor Who or an angry review of the latest Ninja Turtles film. Cheesy as it may seem, I feel I’m among my own kind. Sci-fi fans are passionate, knowledgeable and warm. Though they are strangers to me, we are united by a common love, a shared history and a million nerdy conversations.

And so here I stand, in line with my brethren. Behind me, a green Power Ranger and a girl dressed as Deadpool compare tattoos.

“Next!”

A man up ahead beckons me forward as I nervously fumble for my trading card and place it down on the table in front of me. And there he is – the great man himself - George Takei.

Sat before me, his eyes are piercing and clear, his hair a little greyer than I expected, but there is no mistake – George Takei is right in front of me!

It is a moment frozen in time. This man – through books, VHS tapes and comics – has been a part of my entire life. The realisation is staggering, and the world seems unreal as he sits across a table from me breathing the same oxygen.

George picks up my trading card to inspect it. My mouth feels like it’s filled with peanut butter, but I manage to say hello. His brow furrowed, he reaches for his spectacles and gingerly slips them over his ears, now squinting at the card I have placed before him. 

I freeze. 

What could possibly be wrong? Does he not want to sign my card? Everyone else is having photos signed. I start to panic.

“Great. I've pissed off Captain Sulu”.

And then it happened – with a practiced flourish he signs my card, offering me a smile and a single word of approval in his familiar iconic baritone.

“Outstanding!”

I shake his hand and politely say thank you as I suppress a childish squeal and return to work, clutching my signed card.

The next day, I had the good fortune of also meeting Walter Koenig, who like his contemporaries is sporting a little more grey these days, yet is still recognisably Chekov. A little less shy this time, I decide to try some witty banter.

“You were one of my action figures when I was a kid”.

Koenig smiles.

“I take great pride in that young man." he replies quickly, himself a toy collector.

He too signs my card and sends me on my way. As I return to work, I ponder the iconic nature of these two men. Takei and Koenig – for me, no longer mere actors but pillars of my youth and a reminder of my 24 years spent trekking. As I write this, the world still mourns Leonard Nimoy, and I wonder if I will ever again have the chance to meet an original series actor.

The convention ended, my feet sore and my body exhausted, I return home and inspect my treasured autographs once again. The items themselves aren't important; they are merely props with which to tell this story – proof that one day, not too long ago, I got to meet Sulu and Chekov for real.

Takei - as in Okay

How have I missed this?

To Be Takei might not be your standard movie offering but I genuinely had no idea that there was a film purely focusing on the diverse life and experiences of Enterprise helmsman and Excelsior captain and all round top guy, George Takei.

Back in the nineties I grabbed a copy of his To the Stars autobiography and was surprised at the diverse ways in which his life had turned. I wasn't as enamored with it as I had been with both of Shatner's Memories books but I still found it to be a great read and full of wonderful anecdotes about George Takei.

Directed by Bill Weber and Jennifer M Kroot, the initial release of this biopic was January 2014 but it will now receive a universal release with the USA opening on (provisionally) August 22nd 2014

To Be Takei looks to place a lot of the material in that book onto the screen as well as more intimate details about Takei's life with partner Brad and more on the events that have taken place since the original publication of the book. George's rise to even greater levels of fame are clearly going to be explored here and I'd say that's the biggest change since he originally put pen to paper. The focus on his sexuality is a major piece here since it had to be "closeted" to ensure his career was a success in the early years while now it is openly and happily acknowledged.

As with Wil Wheaton, the coming of the digital age and the explosion of social media has provided George with a whole new audience as well as the ability for long-time Star Trek fans to follow his tweets, Facebook musings and Google+ highlights - damn it even my step-son follows him and he won't ever be found watching the teaser of a Voyager let alone the titles or anything thereafter. His material on any platform is very accessible to all ages and George has 100% hit the mark and the button which makes people interested in what he has to say whether it's over a weird meme or on gay rights for which he has become a major voice in the USA and dare we say, globally.

This trailer gives a fantastic journey into the original Sulu's life seeingly intercut with interviews from Nichelle Nichols, Leonard Nimoy, Walter Koenig, Bill Shatner and even the current Enterprise helmsman, John Cho, giving their thoughts on the popularity of Takei. Aside from the cast there are critics and journalists who join the fray to talk about his life from internment during the Second World War right up to today.

It looks like a stunning story and much expanded since the commitment to paper a while back and I'm genuinely excited to see the result which looks to hit just about every emotional tick-box you can imagine from pulling at your heart over his formative years through to the possibly comedic interactions we see with his partner, Brad at several points in this two minute trailer. 

Considering George Takei's meteoric rise in popularity in the last decade this could well be as surprise a hit as Star Trek (2009) but with a larger appeal to the general public who have warmed to the former Star Trek actor because of his seemingly endless and tireless activity and ambassadorial nature for gay rights in particular. Also, who can resist any of those memes he posts which reveal a very "smart humour" or some of the more hard hitting material that we see him share on his sites? For those people who aren't familiar with his background, To the Stars autobiography or his life away from Star Trek I guarantee this will be an absolute eye-opener and you'll instantly love the guy and follow his posts on whatever platform you choose to frequent.

Some time back there was a disproved rumour that Takei didn't operate his pages himself. The release of this movie should reinforce that he is behind the keyboard and takes a keen interest in his fans. As it's noted here in the trailer, no-one gets more positive reactions than Mr Sulu and this will be the icing on that very cake.

We'll be hoping to review the full movie as soon as it's released. Until then, here's the trailer...

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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

Star Trek Into Darkness: The End in Sight

In the UK if you're reading this on Thursday 9th 2013, Star Trek Into Darkness is now in cinemas. The wait is over and we are now enlightened.

If it's Tuesday or Wednesday, you're still going to need a bit of a fix, right?

Star off by heading to the newsagents and picking up either (or both - sod it!) the SFX Star Trek special or this month's Star Trek Magazine which will give you some movie meat to slobber over. I'm off later to purchase so I'll let you know if they're worth the cover price.

How about this - two minutes of the cast talking with JJ about the movie. There's no spoilers and mainly it's JJ, Chris Pine and Simon Pegg doing the talking but it should ease the pain in preparation for later this week. If you're in the US or any other country, this is just another step/notch to tick off on the road towards premiere day which I hear will only be attended by Pine, Pegg and Cumberbatch in what is supposedly going to be a "low-key" affair in comparison to the other events across the globe we've seen in the last few weeks.

If that's not satisfied the hunger then how about this - a brand-new character profile and this time it's looking at helmsman Sulu played by John Cho.

This is about as non-specific and non-descript a preview as possible, focusing mainly on the opening Spock and the volcano sequence as well as some shots of Sulu going through the motions on the bridge of the Enterprise under the supervision of JJ Abrams during filming. As usual, here's some nice little screen captures from the limited new footage to keep you up to date. Featurette courtesy of SFX Magazine.

Great close-up of the new-style LCARS display aboard the shuttle

The volcano bites back

In discussion with Chris Pine and visionary JJ Abrams

And it's not over there. As the day draws to it's close in the UK, Are You #The1701 dropped the Carol Marcus sized bombshell of her character profile. 99.9% focused on the Meet Carol clip from recently it's an opportunity to welcome the newest crewmember onto the cast and see what she thinks about the relationships between the new science officer with Kirk and Spock. Additonally there's a few behind the scenes shots of Alice Eve working with a variety of actors and even one of Marcus regaled in the formal Starfleet greys complete with hat. Clip courtesy of Paramount.

Formal Marcus

In conversation with JJ

Still from video

Still from earlier trailer

I also caught this clip of Peter Weller talking about the movie over the weekend and forgot to post it - apparently he gives away a clue about his character in here but I can't for the life of me see it - please drop a note at the bottom if you do because I'm obviously missing the nose in front of my face, so to speak! The uniform he's wearing here does look slightly different to the one we've seen in the trailers (pic for comparison also left). Does this indicate that Marcus is actually part of some other organisation...say, Section 31 and this is THEIR uniform?! How about that for a possibility!

Also fans can look forward to an EXCLUSIVE clip being premiered on MTV News tomorrow. It'll be shown at 7.56pm ET so don't miss it! This will be followed by a half hour chat on the channel featuring Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Benedict Cumberbatch, Zoe Saldana and JJ Abrahms.

Just as a nice little addition to today's blog - how about Nimoy vs Quinto in this brilliant and quirky little viral from Audi. My favourite bit in this? It has to be Prime Spock singing along in his Mercedes to a certain timeless classic or maybe it's The Wrath of Khan homage...or maybe...ok, ok it's just all a bit good and who care's if it's a blatant attempt to sell cars this just turns into pure Star Trek indulgence after about one second.

"...Fascinating..."

You can't help but raise a smile when you watch it. Perhaps one of the best commercials to have come out of the franchise during the Star Trek Into Darkness promo campaign if I do say so myself! 

With not long to go, don't forget you can catch up by clicking the Countdown to Star Trek Into Darkness link below to see all the SKoST updates...and if I hear one more comment about Star Wars impacting on JJ's ability to do Star Trek 3.....!!!

All stills clipped by SKoST