Nichelle

After the outpouring of affection over the last 24 hours, what more can be said?

Icon, trailblazer, actress, singer, symbol of empowerment, activist - Nichelle Nichols helped change the world into something more positive and far more respectful than we had seen before.

There's always going to be the story of that chance meeting with Dr Martin Luther King which helped keep her on the Enterprise following the first season, the nod from Whoopi Goldberg that Nichols inspired her in her career after seeing Uhura on Star Trek. 

Roddenberry's starship truly encompassed the globe but perhaps none of the characters or actors involved had the impact on civil rights that just the presence of Uhura did in the show.

Nichols onscreen time with the franchise started back with the first production episode, The Corbomite Maneuver and would remain with the series to its conclusion in 1969 before returning in the first six movies. The Undiscovered Country in 1991 would be her final canon appearance as Uhura although Nichols would play her legendary persona in the fan film Of Gods and Men. Sound clips from her appearances would be used even more recently for her animated appearance in Star Trek: Prodigy as part of a holodeck simulation drawing together some of the franchise's greatest crewmembers.

Portraying a character of responsibility (and not just a maid as Goldberg herself noted as a

child), Uhura and therefore Nichols presented a positive, optimistic role model which showed that at least (at that time) in the future everyone would be equal and have the same chances.

I was amazed at how just about every single post on my social media feeds was about Nichols and the impact she had on so many peoples' lives whether or not they met her. Pictures, autographs, memories are all there from fans who were touched by her role in Star Trek.

As a tribute to her memory, here are SKoST's Top Five Nichols Moments as Uhura

5. Mr Adventure

One of the more light-hearted moments from The Search for Spock shows Uhura on duty at a transporter station seemingly in the utter backwaters of Starfleet. Babysitting a junior officer who wants just a little bit of excitement, events soon come to pass. It's only when Admiral Kirk, McCoy and Sulu arrive that things start to hot up and he's forced at phaser-point to sit in the closet. This is a huge highlight for Uhura fans with more to do in one scene than she's had to do for the previous two movies. I'd recommend checking out the novelisation which adds even more to Uhura's narrative than we see on screen.

4. Taking Command

Often over-looked is this entry from TAS, the episode The Lorelei Signal. With the male members of the Enterprise crew subdued, Uhura takes command of the starship and the rescue mission.  Although "just" an animated episode this is a vital moment in the development of Lt Uhura from her position as communications officer into a full-blown commander of the ship and the mission. In later materials following The Undiscovered Country this wil go to the next step with Nyota gaining captaincy of the USS Leondegrance. More importantly it's another evolution of the ability of Star Trek to show the equality of all its characters in the ever-optimistic 23rd Century.

3. The Kiss 

How could any list of Uhura moments be complete without this? While the debate will continue ever-onwards as whether or not it was the first televised inter-racial kiss, it's an episode and a moment that lives on in near mythic status.

Perhaps Plato's Stepchildren as a whole hasn't aged that well and at points descends to a level somewhere near farce but it does have this one key scene. Forced to kiss by the Platonians, Kirk and Uhura made TV history if only because of the audience that saw it. The stories of ruining takes and angles have run around autobiographies and fan circuits for decades but once again Nichols was at the front and centre of a "risky" moment that networks were genuinely concerned about. It was banned in the UK for violent content, not for this watershed kiss.

2. The Gamesters of Triskelion

Maybe an odd one to include and I'm sure there will be debate as to whether there are others that I should have included. However I've dropped this second season episode in for the huge reason that Uhura is part of the unwilling away team alongside Kirk and Chekov.

The Gamesters of Triskelion is unusual precisely for the notion that it sidelines the usual Kirk/Spock/McCoy triumvirate in favour of something different and rarely seen in TOS.

Chekov might have been the new kid on the block in 1967 but to have Uhura as a key player here was massive. Check out the first season and pretty much everything to this point and Uhura is very much a background player - a fact that we know nearly led her to quit. But through perseverance things finally paid off and here she has a starring role. Fighting off unwanted advances from her drill Thall is a key scene with her character at no point becoming a damsel in distress.

1. Got to have a Tailpipe?

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country provided each and every member of the original crew with standout moments throughout its running time. While the use of the Klingon dictionaries to create a "believable" dialogue with the border guards is fun to watch, Uhura's biggest moment here comes from her solution to the challenge of the cloaked Bird of Prey. Remembering that the Enterprise is carrying equipment to catalogue gaseous anomalies, she's the catalyst for Spock and McCoy to perform surgery on a torpedo. Uhura's actions ultimately cause the resolution of the movie, destroying Chang's ship and allowing the crew to save the day in the nick of time.

Nichelle Nichols

28 December 1932 - 31 July 2022

The A-Game? Eaglemoss' XL Movie Enterprise

The Enterprise-A took on General Chang in a lethal prototype Klingon Bird of Prey and even went to find the almighty beyond the great barrier but now she faces her toughest test, how well will she hold together under the scrutiny of us starship collectors as this £49.99 XL edition?

Welcome to Dan Houston with his first XL ships review for SKoST and what a way to start...! UPDATED 12/8/21 with new images

At long last one of the most adored ships in Star Trek fandom has landed on my doorstep, thankfully all in one piece.

After initial shots of this ship were released a few months back I have been eagerly awaiting her arrival. First impressions are not great however as the box itself proudly displays an image of the A which is unfortunately mirrored, how this slipped by is anyone’s guess but we aren’t here for the box art so I will let that one slide.

Upon opening the box and delicately picking her out of the polystyrene packing, like all the other XL releases, the first thing that smacks you is the size and weight of the ship. Its extremely satisfying to hold, the weight really giving off a quality feel. Sitting her in the regular Eaglemoss stand and standing back, the ship looks fantastic, the light white paint with faint aztecing and duck egg blue/grey details all come together nicely, it appears to be a nice model of the Enterprise-A.

Going into further detail lets take a look at the plastic warp engines, there is some use of translucent plastic on the warp grilles. Appearing black until light gives them a dark blue tinge, it’s not a bright clear plastic and is very subtle. The warp nacelle front end caps have the white ‘cross’ painted in which really is a bugbear of mine on the smaller model and we have the NCC-1701-A lettering at the rear of the nacelles which appears to be two or three sizes too big of a font.

Heading down the metal nacelle struts to the secondary hull which is constructed with a metal upper section down to a join into a plastic piece just below the deep blue rec deck windows, we have neat pinstripe and hull detailing, the shuttlebay area is great with nicely moulded shuttlebay doors and at the front the torpedo launcher is neatly picked out with paint application. We have more translucent plastic for the deflector dish giving a nice deep blue. 

All the docking ports are present and sculpted into the sides of the hull and torpedo deck with a fine red outline, though curiously not as much decal detail as the port at the rear of the bridge module. The join line is pretty apparent along the length of the engineering hull which is a shame and also we have a oddity with the decal application in that the Starfleet delta on the hull pennant is a deep shade of silver instead of a light silver, I see a pattern emerging here.

Now onto the two piece saucer section with the upper surface being metal with a plastic lower part nestled underneath, the saucer unfortunately is where the model really slips up. First we have oversized decals at the rear of the bridge and also along the saucer rim, other than those errors the rest of the hull wording and aztec detail is good. It would have nice to have had some clear plastic in the impulse engine but what has been done with the impulse dome in a contrasting blue design and red engine ports looks ok. 

There is missing detail however around the saucer rim of the banding strips that can be seen on the filming model, the windows are incorrect along the rim plus the docking ports are missing. Add to that the fact the RCS thrusters are the wrong colour it seems errors are starting to really pile up.

However here is the big one, whatever reference Eaglemoss have used for the sculpt of the saucer is completely wrong, from the saucer lip to the odd Phase II style bridge with faint docking ports seemingly moulded to the side of the module that were not on the final ship seen on screen. The decal graphics used to decorate the bridge seem to be correct however because the moulding is so wrong it seems to distort how they sit on the model, this is particularly apparent at the rear where the large windows are. 

It seems to be some kind of concept that has been used instead of the actual final design and really is not acceptable on a model of this price and considering just how well fans know this ship plus how Eaglemoss present the product as using actual shots and files to sculpt the model you would have thought that it would be a fantastic replica. All this presents me with a difficult, contrasting opinion.

On one hand as I mentioned this should be pretty damned near perfect for £49.99 and on the other when she is nestled on the shelf next to the other ships in the collection these issues I have mentioned seem to melt away and I’m left with a nice looking model of the A.

Now I’m no great model builder and I know that taking into consideration time and materials there is no way I could make a model of the A for £49.99 that looks any where near as good as this due my skill level as a model maker and I’m never going to show what a balls up I made of the 90s AMT kit!. Let’s just hope that Eaglemoss learns from the mistakes made on this ship so they do not continue on to further XL releases as at this price they are stepping into Diamond Select territory with their electronic starship range which includes the Enterprise-A and from what I’ve seen of images of that it seems the Diamond Select version is superior.

The accompanying magazine also puts a slight downer on the model as the cover shot shows a extremely detailed CGI shot of the ship with a heavy aztec design and little red squares around the perimeter of the saucer which are not present, the RCS thrusters are shown in the correct yellow, the saucer docking port at the side is there, the windows are the correct layout, not the odd blocky versions on the model and of course the bridge looks correct. If Eaglemoss had access to a CGI model of this detail how did it not translate over into the actual product? 

Inside the magazine you will find information on the return of Star Trek on the big screen with The Motion Picture which is a nice read but is a bid odd with no in depth information regarding the Enterprise-A herself.

So am I pleased with the model? Overall I would have to say yes which some of you may find surprising given what I have described but it does look great on the shelf and that is what matters to me. Factor in the price and it does put a cloud over it especially when you compare it to the NX-01 refit which was half the price but a nicer issue. There is potential in this model, with a few improvements and a stunning pearl aztec paint job you would have a fantastic 1701 refit from the motion picture. 

Here's to hoping these improvements are made because this XL Enterprise-A does fall apart under closer scrutiny, after all, much like a certain Montgomery Scott, we all know this ship like the back of our hands.

Are you collecting the XL line? What did you think to the Enterprise-A?

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Shuttles 2: Four Small and Several Years Ago

Continuing our step back and move for completion, the second set of shuttles produced waaaaaaay back in 2015 have now been added to the collecton.

Packed up in one box, the four small units come with their own mini-mags plus a lithograph LCARS print for display. I have however chosen to keep the prints in their wrapping and fortunately away from my own greasy fingerprints(!)

In Pack 2 there is the Spacedock Shuttle from The Undiscovered Country, the larger Type-7 and the Type 15 from TNG plus the Pod 1 craft from Enterprise.

As with boxes one and three which we've covered previously, there is the option to display the ships on their own individual mini-stands but aside from the odd one, they look far better standing on the ground - as they naturally would in the "real" world.

Tackling these in numerical magazine order, we have the NAR-25820 Spacedock Shuttle up first. More recognisable if you flipped it over and stuck some warp engines on as the USS Jenolan from Relics, the Spacedock Shuttle is the most distinctive of the four. Showing off a more sleek design there is a good amount of hull detail although the painting doesn't line up exactly with the hull lines that indicate where it should be - especially along the side windows. 

What is good here is the application of the decals and some of the smaller thruster detail. That pennant on the side doesn't quite line up with the text which is horribly noticeable on this scale - just as much as the occasional paint bleed. The marking out for the entry doors is nice and clean but the grey misaligned paint just knocks it from being a good 9/10 to a steady 7.

The underside is more filled with greebles and also two very recognisable borrowed warp engines from the Galaxy Class Enterprise-D. Certainly a franchise that likes to reuse items. it's one of the most obvious I've seen on a replica for a while and is nowhere to be seen by the time it's refitted out as the Jenolan. 

Some of the joint lines are gaping around those engines and at the rear however the curving nature of the hull sides seems to be hiding a multitude of building sins and works in favour of the finished article.

Second in here it's the gorgeous Type-7 from early days TNG. When I sat this on screen it looked cumbersome, ugly and just terrible but I've clearly matured over time with the model from Eaglemoss looking stunning. The curves and lines of this one are so heavily '80's it almost hurts but importantly and in contrast to the Spacedock Shuttle, the paint all lines up!!!

The decalling is at A+ levels on the Hawking right down to the tiny registry on the sides and the alignment of the sharp Starfleet pennant. The joint lines from the main hull to the pylons and then to the nacelles aren't ll that clean but the fact that we have translucent bussard collectors and translucent warp field grilles more than makes up for it. The shape of this thing is just stunning and Eaglemoss have done it more justice than I ever expected even down to the tiny RCS thrusters and impulse engines to the rear. Magnificent.

The third is also an early TNG shuttle, the rather TV budget friendly shuttlepod that cropped up a lot in season two. Named here as the Aldrin, the pod was a boxy sprite that this scale suits perfectly.

Allowing for not just clear decalling, the surface features here are distinctive and easy to make out with hatch lines and particularly to the rear where there is a single porthole and some shaded surface greebling. The join line are stealthily hidden under that black central stripe but again, what's not to like with this result. Upping the scale for these shuttles has nailed the quality that can drop off on some of the larger-made-very-small models we've seen so many times. Ok, the windows are blacked out but creating the interiors would be a mammoth and expensive task on a £75 asking price (at time of writing £60 on sale). 

Finally and the only one of the four not to be in a shade of white, we have Pod 1 from the NX-01. Bullet-shaped and more in line with the design lineage of 20th Century space shuttles, the shuttlecraft from the Enterprise is a mix of eras combining the winged atmospheric capabilities of a chunky plane with the need to operate in space.

The work on this one again is excellent with that paintwork being spot on the mark. More impressive than the other three is the fact that the more metallic finish also has lines criss-crossing the hull in a lighter shade plus a lot more distinct panel lines. The hatch for example is a much more intricate (and timeline basic) design with multiple divisions in a fairly small space. Somehow it works.

The black paint around the engine block to the rear is a tad scruffy on the edges and sadly there's no good way of covering up the hull section lines with the central horizontal one very evident when viewed from the back and behind the wings. It's cleverly (slightly) concealed forward of this thanks to the alignment with the bottom of the passenger hatch so hats off to Eaglemoss for that clever positioning.

I do prefer the Type-7 just based on its look and design especially when it comes to the translucent sections on the engines which even the Aldrin pod doesn't manage but on detail you can't get better here than the NX-01 Pod 1. As a pack though these are among the best released together with four blindingly good and "realistic" replicas from the franchise. Could we get a few XL versions in the future perhaps?

Check out all our Starships (and shuttles!) posts HERE

You can find out more on the Star Trek: The Official Starships Collection by visiting the Hero Collector website HERE

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Six of Six

Here’s a thought for you.

It’s 30 years this month since Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Scotty Sulu, Uhura and Chekov filmed their final scenes for the last of the classic crew movies.

While admittedly the last time they were all on the Enterprise together was The Final Frontier, this would mark not just the first 25 years of what is now a 55 year old franchise but also the last adventure for this cast. In an odd twist it would only be 2018’s Destination Star Trek Birmingham where Sulu and Chekov would be seated at the helm and navigation console once more - and Kirk in the captain’s chair. 

Aside from Nichelle Nichols, all of the cast played their roles in at least one other official production, five of them however after The Undiscovered Country finished filming. 

DeForest Kelley had already welcomed in The Next Generation during Encounter at Farpoint, Nimoy in Unification and Scotty in Relics by this point. The Undiscovered Country would mark the final time both Nichols and Kelley would put on the uniforms officially. 

Deep Space Nine would miss out on an actual TOS crew appearance although classic Klingons and the Mirror Universe would be more than enough homage by the time we got to The Emperor’s New Cloak. Sulu dropped in once more for a retread of Star Trek VI from his perspective in Flashback to commemorate 30 years of the franchise. Honest opinion, it’s a mixed bag that was easily trounced by the superlative Trials and Tribble-ations.

Kirk. Scotty and Chekov would return for Generations (including classic Scotty continuity-with-Relics gaff) and Nimoy finally in 2009 and 2013 for the first two JJ Abrams reboots and still their legacy lives on. 

It’s odd to consider that it’s now been longer without The Original Series cast than we had with them - 25 to that point and now 30 years bringing us to 2021. It remains the shortest series by the time it was officially cancelled and still all 79 episodes endure more than many that have come since. The cast, especially in the movies, were a unique mix and represented Roddenberry’s united Earth vision. Ok, Abrams may have slightly ‘updated’ that by changing Sulu’s sexual orientation but otherwise the concept and balls to do something like that in the 1960s remains forever strong.

By the time that The Undiscovered Country closed filming, it marked the end of a long path to return Star Trek to the small screen with Star Wars initally scuppering that plan in the late '70s. The original cast were (by their own admissions on screen and off) coming to the natural end of their journey in 1990/1. It was time and they'd been talking about aging ever since The Wrath of Khan 9 years earlier. But could the franchise survive without them all turning up occasionally for another movie? It had worked on TV with The Next Generation slipping into view thanks to the popularity of the movies but...could it... could there ever be Star Trek without this crew around? We were about to find out and I think we can agree it did although they are in no small way responsible for the continued success of Star Trek to this day - down to the very DNA of shows such as Lower Decks and Discovery which have tipped their hats more than once to Those Old Scientists.

This may not be one of the anniversaries that fans necessarily honour or remember but it truly was the end of an era for Star Trek in what was near the peak of that ‘90’s Golden Age. The Undiscovered Country is rightly considered one of the best although the worryingly racist undertones don't play quite as they did in 1991 in a more enlightened 2021. Of all the six it focuses the most on its characters, allowing each of the main cast time to shine and not subjugating those beyond the "Big Three" Kirk/Spock/McCoy to background performances. It is a truly all-encompassing movie filled with action, a touch of comedy and classic Star Trek moments ending with a sign off for both the USS Enterprise as it is decommissioned and literally for the cast. 

Thirteen Trek movies have been produced over a period of 38 years so far (1978-2016) and notably just under half featured the full TOS crew, four with TNG and three Kelvin and again the influence of those initial six run right the way through even more noticeably in Into Darkness and the badly aging Beyond. Even now you know that if there was a choice to stick on a Star Trek movie you would be hard-pressed not to choose one and on this, the 30th anniversary of the end of the original era, it's well worth revisiting one crew's final, emotional and amazing cinematic adventure. Great to see you out there one last time...

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Mr Spock's Little Book of Mindfulness

What with The Wisdom of Picard from Simon and Schuster, HeroCollector have also gone for something quirky in Mr Spock's Little Book of Mindfulness.

But don't go all out thinking this is some sort of in depth self-help manual because it's taken with a light-hearted approach right across from the words to the free-style illustrations which provide a very individual look to this new publication.

Running to just over 100 pages (116) and nine chapters, Glenn Dakin - recently involved with the brilliant Quibbles with Tribbles - has returned with a book to help us all be that little bit more Vulcan in our lives. 

Offering up advice and direction from the universe's most famed pointy-earred hobgoblin (just quoting McCoy peeps!), Spock's experiences in life are right at your finger tips should it come to Self-Acceptance, Truth (Vulcans always tell the truth nor do they bluff...honest), Family, Love, Change and more. But don't be taking this all too seriously because there is without question a very tongue-in-cheek approach to the writing and certainly the Quentin Blake-esque illustrations placing Spock in some less than logical and emotion-free positions. Every one has real life to it and doesn't fail to raise a smile - the enjoyment is turning the page to see what he'll be up to next. 

The research from Dakin is once more excellent with the author diving into not just The Original Series but probing into the furthest corners of The Voyage Home and The Undiscovered Country and past that into the realms of Discovery to uncover just the right words of wisdom and guidance from Spock. Nothing in here from the Kelvin Timeline which does make you wonder if anything from that path made any sense...!!!

Anyway, I digress slightly because not only does Dakin relate these quotes and sections to our everyday lives (Vulcans don't have social media...) but flips it all around to demonstrate that sometimes the logic isn't always perfect or works out as planned (the needs of the many...or the one) and cleverly weaves in a bit of a deep dive into Vulcan philosophy and their own background as a race including The Animated Series because hell, 

This is one of those books that seems to give in different ways each time I come back to it. I'd err on the side of reading a bit a day rather than piling through and taking in each section at a time as you will end up thinking back to particular episodes, instances and phrases - but don't worry if anything eludes you as Glenn Dakin has also included a handy quote reference section at the end which will align you to the right episode or movie for further details. 

Mr Spock's Little Book of Mindfulness is one of those volumes that sticks in your mind and not
just for the title. It can be a little whimsical in its narrative at times but the whole is such an engaging read with real love for the franchise permeating every page and word because Dakin manages to balance the line of keeping it tonally light while both honouring the legacy and poking that little bit of fun at the franchise with the twists and turns woven into Spock's story - for continuity fans you'll have a whale of a time I have no doubt. 

Being a Brit too means that, for me, the humour in here works that much more successfully than a good chunk of the jokes did in Lower Decks and for that, I can guarantee I'll be diving into this Little Book for many occasions in the future and hope to see more of Glenn Dakin's work be it the written word or cartoon very soon!

Mr Spock's Little Book of Mindfulness is available now from HeroCollector HERE priced £11.99

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The Blagger's Guide to...The Classic Movies

You've done it - blagged your way through your first Star Trek conversation you total legend you, but now your peers have pushed the boundary and mentioned something called The Wrath of Khan. 

You'd previously thought this was some sort of euphemism for stomach ache but after taking our extensive Lesson One on The Original Series (aka Star Trek), you're aware that this might be a reference to that guy with the ponytail and corny chat up lines.

Oh heck, they're moving into a new field - but what do you do? Never fear my friend because it's time to take a quick spin into the years between 1979 and 1991 - we're taking Kirk to the cinema!  

It's a real rollercoaster of excellence, missed opportunity and Shatner ego contained in just over a decade. At the centre we still have that familiar crew we discussed in The Original Series - but they're older, wiser and in some cases, wider.  Observations that Kirk seems to be wearing a hairpiece or that Spock's ears seem to change shape every movie are expected standard fayre as you go through the six movies. Scotty's newfound love of facial hair is another change that Trekkies can be guaranteed to notice when in packs...that and Shatner’s fondness for hairpieces...

Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1978)

Key Villain: None except for a giant space cloud. Klingons get a cameo. Could include Roddenberry if you want a fight.

We know you're not a fan yet, but if you're going to tackle this one, drink some Red Bull. Legend has it entire millennia have passed unnoticed during the journey through V'Ger and you could watch the entirety of The Original Series just in the bit where Kirk tours the Enterprise in a shuttlepod. Don't worry about looking for your LCD TV's warranty either, that beige look you get isn't a fault, it's what it's supposed to look like for the full two hours. 

Key suggestion - say "oooh" and "aahhh" every time the Enterprise comes on screen and openly initiate a note on whether or not this is a totally new ship given the extensive overhaul. Avoid mentioning how great you think Decker and Ilia are as characters and that you look forward to seeing how they are developed in the next five films.  If you really want to open up the fandom can of worms, start a sentence with, "I mean, why the heck did they need to redesign the Klingons...?" and watch the sparks fly between fans of Discovery and everyone else - bring snacks because it's gonna be a right bunfight. Don't worry about discussing the actual plot of this apart from the last ten minutes because no-one else will really remember either and will already be thinking ahead to the next one.

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)

Key Villain: Khaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan (say it now, scream it later)

Put the disc cleaner through the blu-ray player because colour is back in town and this is hallowed territory. The guy with the ponytail from The Original Series is back and this time he has pecs and a set of muscled dancers as his posse!!! Now, it may be difficult to blag this one without watching it and memorising the script but here goes our attempt to have your back.  

Standard comments expected will include note of how in the world Chekov knew Khan when he wasn't on the ship during the original episode (Space Seed) plus just how much of The Motion Picture was reused to save a few quid. That said, you'll have to mention the USS Reliant which was originally designed to be the other way up and how tragic the story of Kirk's son is. I would memorise the following quotes; "I have been and always shall be your friend", "Have you ever heard of the Klingon proverb that says revenge is a dish best served cold...?" and "Kobayashi Maru". 

The last of these you can drop into any conversation with Trek friends where the topic is something extremely difficult to accomplish, nay impossible. Your "...you know what..." comment can be that it was neat to reference Ceti Alpha V in Enterprise when they showed the alternative future in season three. Remember friend, you cannot in any way diss this movie or you will be cast out of the Trekhood for all eternity. Additional: it is mandatory to show emotion when the last fifteen minutes are discussed as this is a zenith for fandom. No need for words, just a bowing of the head and a solemn silence for five minutes will do.

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984)

Key Villain: Kruge, Chekov's wardrobe

Title says it all and directed by the guy who played Spock. That's a lot of Spock for your money. Cleverly point out that the guy playing the Klingon Kruge (there's that K thing we talked about in lesson one) was in Taxi and Back to the Future but do it as a compare (was he better in "X" or "Y") rather than a straight fact.  Also drop a comment in about how the Excelsior is much better later on when Sulu is captain (plus points for the cross reference to The Undiscovered Country). 

Yes, I know this is a spoiler for the uninitiated but it will at least make it look like you have some idea of what's coming. You should at no point act surprised that Spock is back nor that he conveniently looks like Leonard Nimoy again by the end, you just have to accept it. It's also one of those pieces of Star Trek that fans like to quote; "If my grandmother had wheels then she'd be a wagon..." (Scotty about Excelsior) and "Zero...zero....zero...destruct...zero" being another. 

Important to state how amazing the destruction of the Enterprise is in comparison to every other ship obliteration ever - including the saucer crash in Generations (lesson four). 

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)

Key Villain: None. Giant Space Probe sapping Earth dry but not in an evil way. It just wants to talk to the whales.

Maxing out the 1980's, this fourth film was a big box office winner. Closing a trilogy of films, you can lighten up while watching this one, laugh at the fairly on form Star Trek humour and marvel at the fish out of water story. When this comes into conversation you should immediately choose to comment one of the following; "Double dumbass on you", "Where are the nuclear wessels?" (emphasize the "w") or "What does it mean 'Exact change'?", all of which will continue to cloak your lack of Star Trek knowledge as successfully as a Klingon Bird of Prey and raise a knowing laugh from your peers.

Triple fan points for dropping in background notes that Eddie Murphy was nearly in this playing a scientist and that part of the reason it did so well at the box office was because frankly, who the f**k was going to watch Superman IV?!

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989)

Key Villain: Sybok, the writers, the director, the producers

The first rule of The Final Frontier is that you do not voluntarily speak about The Final Frontier.  It's one of the few occasions Trekkies have every right to launch a verbal tirade at their own beloved property so take this opportunity by the proverbial horns and dig in for a wild ride.  Complain bitterly (but don't over-Shatner it) that The Final Frontier is dross and not worth the screentime, moan about the cut budget, that the special effects weren't done by ILM, that Scotty banging his head is NOT funny and that the true vision that Shatner had is lost. 

Do say how nice the Enterprise-A bridge set looks and that the shuttles are cool but that's IT. Set your expectations low for this one to avoid disappointment and it's more than acceptable to scoff at the inability to correctly sequence deck numbers when rocket-booting up the liftshaft. 

Cool points in this one for cross-referencing the use of sets from The Next Generation (don't worry, that's in our next lesson) and that at no time ever has Sybok been mentioned in Star Trek before or after this point in time. You are most welcome to add in for a gold star on your chart that (do this sarcastically) it's not like Spock has any other family we've never heard of (scoff, scoff, wink).

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)

Key Villain: General Chang and assembled conspirators, the one time Klingon blood is purple - and they make a MASSIVE thing of it...

Kirk and McCoy arrested! Sulu captaining the Excelsior! That guy who guest-starred in the last one is back as a Klingon and that one from Sex and the City is a Vulcan (make a crude reference about photo shoots on the bridge with a knowing wink).

Someone rammed this movie full to overflowing so much Christian Slater pops by - it's even got the head of the Von Trapp family spouting Hamlet while he shoots at the Enterprise but manages to avoid going into full song mode.

To be fair, these guys finally realised it was time to call it a day with their sixth outing and it's a good one. If you've hacked The Final Frontier without considering therapy then this will be a breeze and is as varied as The Wrath of Khan. You are permitted to say this is your second favourite but all must come after that sacred second movie. Lots of action, give nods to the story (even if it is showing the Federation negatively regarding the future of the Klingon Empire).

Once you have completed Lesson Three on The Next Generation you'll be able to link this one back in some of the sets plus a cameo from Michael Dorn as Colonel Worf (just go on about how cool it is that Worf's grandad is the defence lawyer in the court scene for now).  To step up a notch there's a chance to discuss why Voltaine is on the bridge when he "apparently" died as part of the flashback Flashback in Voyager (lesson six). Also spontaneously shout, "So where's Tuvok?"

There you have it, you're two lessons into becoming the ultimate Star Trek blagger with a set of knowing facts. The movies are ground that is trodden many a time and fans will have watched all of these six at least ten times a year so be very careful how deep into conversation you get around them.

For lesson three we will be steering towards the final frontier and where no ONE has gone before...get ready for The Next Generation!

Rene Auberjonois: In Memoriam

With news earlier last week of the passing of Charlie X actor Robert Walker it was perhaps an even more shocking blow to the Star Trek community to hear of the loss of Deep Space Nine’s Rene Auberjonois.

Already an acclaimed actor with credits such as M*A*S*H and a huge catalogue of voice work, he would first be exposed to the franchise not in 1993 but in 1991 and The Undiscovered Country which celebrated 28 years since release on December 6th. 

His part, that of the conspiratorial Colonel West would be clipped from the theatrical release but be reinstated for the video release the following year. 

Over the course of seven seasons we would become better acquainted with the actor through his role as shapeshifter and station security chief Odo in a role that would be pivotal to the whole series and offer an incredible character development arc that ‘stretched’ from the first episode to the last - but we shall come to that shortly.

Nor would the role of Odo be his last role in the Star Trek universe with Auberjonois returning one more time for the Enterprise episode Oasis as well as appearing in the recent Deep Space Nine retrospective What We Left Behind.

Behind the camera Auberjonois would direct a further eight episodes of the Star Trek spin-off including Hippocratic Oath, The Quickening and Waltz.

In memory of Rene we at Some Kind of Star Trek would like to offer up some of our favourite Odo moments from the series to celebrate his work on Deep Space Nine...

1. Odo becomes a solid; 

Broken Link

While it would be season three’s finale The Adversary that saw a Changeling harm another for the first time in their history, it would take a season for the punishment to be dished out. Guilty of the crime, Odo is stripped of his ability to shape shift and Auberjonois has a whole new aspect of his character to deal with. Great work from Rene here as Odo becomes increasingly ill and realises what he must do...The resulting change in "form" lasted for the following half a season, allowing Auberjonois a chance to spread his wings under Klingon makeup as well as an occasional romance.

2. Finally kissing Kira; 

His Way

Only taken like six seasons?! Years of tension, suggestion and sideways looks all came together on the Promenade. One of the few occasions Rene got to play a softer and more intimate side to his character more openly than ever before - plus he got the girl! I'd also couple this episode with Auberjonois' more relaxed Odo from the future featured in Children of Time which saw him confess all to Kira and lead to this a season later.

3. Unable to break form; 

The Die is Cast

Broken Link may have seen Odo weakened but this was Odo at his most vulnerable, being tortured at the hands of Garak aboard the Cardassian/Romulan assault fleet. Truly a mesmerising performance between Auberjonois and Andrew Robinson that has to be beheld and is one of the pinnacles of the show overall especially when we discover that Odo wants desperately to return home - perhaps the only time we ever really see him crack...

4. "I’m...home"; 

The Search

Single biggest character development EVER just ahead of Bashir turning out to be either a)Changeling or b)genetic superman. Auberjonois wasn’t a fan initially but this gave Odo such a new lease of life and spun the character into a whole new realm that would be instrumental in the structure of Deep Space Nine up to its very conclusion.

5. Quark and Odo; 

(multiple inc) The Ascent

The relationship between these two was immense and putting the two of them together for a full episode was definitely the way to explore it even more. I could've listed a whole ton of moments here from the last conversation they have in What You Leave Behind, maybe Quark showing he does care when Odo is escorted to the Defiant in Broken Link, Odo's masked concerns in Necessary Evil...name an episode and you can see the brilliance of this partnership all the way through the show.

6. Curzon Odo; 

Facets

When is Odo not Odo? When he's taking part in a Trill ritual and gets to host Curzon Dax. Maybe not strictly an Odo moment but one that allowed Auberjonois' the chance to step outside the usual restrictions of the character and play out a little more humour and emotion. 

7. Could it be...?; 

Vortex

Auberjonois first foray into the background - or potential background - of Odo which revealed a more caring and human side than we had seen in the first half of season one. While Vortex isn't going to win any awards, it does allow Odo and Rene to shine and demonstrate that there were a lot of dimensions to the shapeshifter although we'd have to wait a little longer to find out just where he came from... (thanks to James Smith from the Stoke on Trent Star Trek Club for this suggestion).

What are your favourite Odo moments from the series? Comment below!

RIP Rene Auberjonois 

1 June 1940 - 8 December 2019