As a new year begins we can’t help but look back at whats been a strangely filled year for Star Trek. 2024 was a bittersweet year with a stunning amount of Star Trek on our screens, all of which was coming to an end in their final and news from behind the curtain about the next steps into the final frontier.
Looking back at the highlights, even with saying goodbye to three separate shows in the wider universe, it’s still been a tremendously good year in the final frontier!
LONE GUARDIAN
One of Star Trek’s biggest surprises in recent years was the animated show built for a teenage audience as a gateway to the franchise and it’s second season was a massive highlight for Star Trek in 2024.
Now protege’s of Admiral Janeway, the outlaw crew became entwined in the search for Chakotay in a story that gave the history of the Protostar, explaining how it became a lost starship in the first season. In telling the story Captain Chakotay was found and saved after being lost in time and living alone on the abandoned ship before Dal and the crew bring hope of escape.
Bringing a new lease of life to Chakotay, and in a way making up for his being lost in the background of Voyages later seasons, the series showed it’s value in using legacy characters to help shape a new generation while giving one of the most satisfying and well-built finale’s the franchise has seen in a long time. Adding Chakotay to the mix without the flashbacks made for an excellent addition to the extended cast while adding an extra layer of emotional nostalgia as he and Janeway were finally reunited.
With the fate of the show now in the hands of Netflix after some studio shenanigans, it’s likely we’ll never see Gwyn’s crew and her officers in training’s first adventure, especially with Ella Purnell’s calendar filling up with other ventures including Sweetpea and Fallout. So if that was the end, it at least ended on a high for the crew of the USS Prodigy.
THE NEW CLASS
With only brief glimpses of the idea in DS9, TNG and the Kelvin Timeline, we’ve never quite seen the Academy in action but it’s an idea thats been floating around for quite some time. Since it became public knowledge that the sixth Star Trek film was almost an Academy-based flashback to bring in younger actors, there’s been a call for Starfleet Academy to become it’s own TV show and now we’re in a world where it’s actually happening!
While the show won’t be released until later this year at the earliest, production began in Canada for the latest addition to the Star Trek world with a surprise batch of cast involved. Mary Wiseman as a guest star was a given, but throughout last year we got more returning cast including Robert Picardo as the Doctor still going strong, a returning Jet Reno and amongst a group of new cadets looking to make their mark, two huge names as regulars in Paul Giamatti and Holly Hunter!
With more announced since then, including Orphan Black and She Hulk star Tatiana Maslani and multi time WWE Womens Champion Becky Lynch, there’s certainly been more than enough news to keep the hype going for the rebuilding of the Academy in the 32nd century!
ENGAGE THE CORE!
Joining an ever growing list of projects that have came to a close, Lower Decks aired it’s final season to close 2024 on the Star Trek calendar. Utilising cameo’s and in jokes aplenty to fuel itself along, Lower Decks had also turned the idea of Star Trek venturing into animated comedy into a bit of a success and even transferred to live action with a Strange New Worlds crossover.
Easily quotable, Lower Decks won a lot of hearts by bringing many fan jokes into the story right up to it’s penultimate episode with the Ensign Kim trope becoming a plot point. But the self deprecating humour of Trekkies everywhere was far from the shows strength as over it’s five seasons it did it’s fair share of character building to make the quirky underdogs into well rounded characters starting – or in one case restarting – their career into Starfleet.
Celebrating everything it had achieved, the finale made a big effort to avoid the old Trek lore and focus on Lower Decks own history to bring the main cast to a satisfying conclusion. With an exciting and engaging adventure that had the Cerritos on Enterprise level duties, we saw the crew rise us to be the heroes of the hour before setting off on new adventures.
TIME TO PLAY THE GAME!
Far from the canon world of the Star Trek Universe, the gaming world based around the long-running Star Trek Online had some fun updates for the expanded gaming media part of the franchise. Long before STO became the dominant game on the video game branch of Star Trek, many others had filled the void from DS9’s Harbinger to the unsurprisingly limited Starship Creator experience. In 2024, now under new management at German-based DECA, STO’s developers decided to play tribute to games of the past byt expanding their fleet with older game assets.
Included in the first bundle was the massive tank-like Typhoon carrier from 2000’s Playstation entry Invasion; Gizmo Games’ entry the Achilles from 2001 PC combat game Dominion Wars; and the Premonition, a Sovereign-styled ship from Blizzard’s Star Trek strategy game Armada. On top of that we even got some carrier pets and the rifle from Elite Force.
Sure, the continuation of the game’s current story featuring Mirror Universe Borg, General Janeway and using our own character as the Terran baddie is also a bonus. Btu nothing beats the nostalgia of grabbing those old ships with new features for Star Trek Online’s expanding force!
FINAL DISCOVERY
Just as The Next Generation had done in the 80’s, Discovery was a complete regeneration of Star Trek even before it launched it’s first episode in 2017. Beginning it’s life as a mystery drama that would tell the tale of Starfleets first mutineer, the show reinvented itself by going beyond any era seen in Star Trek so far to bring the 23rd century idealism into the 32nd.
Often a target for not being an extension of the Next Generations style or format, Discovery suffered from being the first show under the harrowing social media microscope and would make several changes to appeal to fans of both old and new styles. In 2024 we saw the final episodes released, closing this generations flagship show in it’s fifth and final season with a format that perhaps did bring the best of both worlds when it came to old and new styles.
Reviving an old thread that was never revisited, Discovery’s final tale would go back to a loose thread from Picard’s era. In the Next Generations sixth season episode, The Chase, Picard;”s former mentor Galen left enough breadcrumbs that could be followed, leading to the discovery of the Progenitors; an ancient and extinct species who had spread the seeds of life throughout the galaxy leading to the knowledge that many warring planets all came form the same source genetic history.
A fairly large reveal, the story was lost in the episodic format and Picard went onto the next mission after Riker goes a bit mad. Centuries later,t eh displaced Captain Burnham and her crew would be tasked with finding the Progenitor technology before rivals of the weakened Federation did. In doing so Discovery ‘s final season played out in an episodic format as the followed the trail and figured out clues with a story of the week vibe that arched into one giant ten part puzzle.
Like any iteration of Star Trek (or any media, for that matter), Discovery’s wasn’t for everyone. But to see the show pick up a thread from Trek’s past to wrap up it’s final season and deliver a final story of exploring the inner strengths of the crew and their shared adventure made for a fitting end while allowing other shows to develop in it’s place.
About the author
Welcoming Our New Fleet Development Officer
To quote Heraclitus, the only constant in life is change. Quadrant 2 has been through many changes before and with the recent appointment of a new Admiralty Board, we're looking ahead with more changes to the fleet structure. With Piers Drinkall joining the board alongside David Shires, there were some discussions about what to do with Piers' Fleet Development role and after some serious thinking, a decision was made. After aiding in Piers' efforts within the Command Training Program, and being a solid right hand on the USS Sovereign, we're pleased to welcome Karl Drinkall to the Fleet Development position. Karl is a sharp mind with a lot to give to the fleet and a clear grasp of our aims and goals in the coming months and years. With his dedication and string mindset, it was an easy decision to […]
[Retro Review] Errand of Mercy
Relations between the Federation and the Klingons are in tatters and the prospect of an all out war casts a shadow over the region. To help prepare for the worst, Kirk and the Enterprise are sent to Organia, a planet populated by inherent pushovers right on the border between Federation and Klingon space. With the prospect of the Klingons getting a foothold that would help their war efforts, Kirk's job is to negotiate a protection order, getting the Organians on their side before the Klingons annexe the planet as a launching pad for conflict. Problem is, the Organians are hardcore pacifists and their native tech is limited. They don't want to be part of any war, and they don't want to change their values to resist. Which becomes a bit of a problem when the Klingons arrive ready to occupy the […]
Dude, Where’s Your Shuttle? Human Best Friend; Strange New Worlds S4E03
It's been a stressful few months for the Enterprise crew and they want, well, demand, shore leave. Choosing a tech-free planet with natural psychedelics in the atmosphere, the command crew take a shuttle down, take in all the wonders the world provides. And then it all goes a bit wonky... Writers: Kathryn LynDirector: Yana Gorskaya Engineers and pilots hate each other. It's the rules. Scotty and Ortegas have been following those rules to the letter, with the bickering pair opening with a dual monologue highlighting how irritating they are to each other between Scotty setting up alerts and alarms to keep the engines in check, and Ortegas duct tapping over the console to get rid of them so she can push the limits freely.While they're constantly irritating each other, the rest of the Alpha shift command team are exhausted. Months […]
Admirals Blog: Gamma Quarter 2403
To say it’s been a sad few weeks for Q2 would be an understatement. There have been fewer constants than Mark Mitchell within the past, Gods knows how many years. The rulebooks? Thats him. Academy? Thats all Mark. Sure, things got updated and edited over the years, but he’s been the backbone of the fleet for as long as I remember. Mainly as I remember him making my Academy exam when I joined the fleet on a whim. It’s because of people like Mark that I stayed. The fleet has always been the people. And he was one of the best people. I was honoured and humbled by the amount of people who went to say their goodbyes to him and while I felt a real sense of loss, it was also a day filled with joyful memories. When it […]
A Fistful of Down To Earth Adventures
Warping through the stars always searching for the next adventure, it's rare that Star Trek ever comes home to Earth. Through all the series, and highlighted in Enterprise, the third rock from our sun is kinda important in the grand scheme of things but our eyes are always far beyond the stars. So for no particular reason at all - certainly not any recent new series launching - we're taking a look at Trek's more Earthbound moments.... Homefront/Paradise Lost Deep Space Nine Season 4 The Founders said they were everywhere. Now we know they're on Earth. Recordings revealed a founder during the bombing of a Federation meeting on the home-world and Sisko is recalled. His knowledge and experience with the Dominion is vital to securing Earth against the inevitable war. But while the Dominion may be the enemy, they aren't […]
Some Scary Ship! The Griffin Incident; Strange New Worlds S4E02
Returning from a conference for future leaders of Starfleet, Spock and La'an (with Kirk hitching a ride) find a long-lost ship adrift. The USS Griffin's disappearance nine years prior had never been explained, becoming a bit of folklore within the fleet. Stum,bling upon it by chance, the trio board the ship hoping to find an answer to the mystery only to get more than they bargained for... Writers: Robbie Thompson Director: Axelle Carolyn I'll preface this now by pointing out I love creepy sci fi settings.. The isolation of being trapped on a derelict ship with no escape and no one to call for help has always been something I've enjoyed from the obvious Event Horizon, even to old classics like The Thing. So I was excited for this one by the trailer alone and can't say I was disappointed! […]
Related
A Fistful of Down To Earth Adventures
Warping through the stars always searching for the next adventure, it's rare that Star Trek ever comes home to Earth. Through all the series, and highlighted in Enterprise, the third rock from our sun is kinda important in the grand scheme of things but our eyes are always far beyond the stars. So for no particular reason at all - certainly not any recent new series launching - we're taking a look at Trek's more Earthbound moments.... Homefront/Paradise Lost Deep Space Nine Season 4 The Founders said they were everywhere. Now we know they're on Earth. Recordings revealed a founder during the bombing of a Federation meeting on the home-world and Sisko is recalled. His knowledge and experience with the Dominion is vital to securing Earth against the inevitable war. But while the Dominion may be the enemy, they aren't […]
A Fistful of ‘Spirk’
We've been spoiled with Spock in the past few years with Discovery introducing a younger iteration of the character long before he became the refined man of logic that made him famous, and continued that story through Strange New Worlds and his time under Captain Pike's command. As Strange New Worlds continues, giving more history to the original series line up and the early meetings of Spock and Kirk as it makes way for the beginning of the Kirk era, we thought we'd look back at some moments that made the partnership one of the most popular combinations in science fiction. JOURNEY TO BABEL TOS Season 2 Spock's got a bit of an issue with sharing. Secret brother who was shunned. Secret sister who's fate was classified. And despite trusting the Enterprise crew with his life, it was clearly only […]
A Fistful of O’Brien
Entering the Star Trek world as an unnamed extra with a few bits of dialogue, O'Brien soon became a fixture on the Enterprise D as it's transporter chief before moving to Deep Space Nine to head up engineering and operations on what was thought to be a backwater outpost before it became one of the most strategically important stations in the quadrant!As the only enlisted or non commissioned officer to feature in the main cast of any Star Trek show to date, O'Brien stands as the only working class hero in the Star Trek universe with a vast and varied career taking from the front lines of the Cardassian war as a soldier, to the front lines of the Dominion War as an engineer, retrofitting DS9, keeping the Defiant from blowing itself apart, and even sniping Dominion troops. All in […]
A Fistful of Justice
Although it's one of the worlds most legendary science fiction shows, Star Trek has always dabbled with format and genre's, all dressed up behind deep space adventures. Whether using the holodeck for a touch of fantasy, or diving into the horrors of war through Deep Space Nine's run, the variety of story telling never seems to fit one mould. But out of all the different tales told in the wonderful world of Starfleet, one that always promises to deliver is the court room drama. This month we're diving into the most captivating of Star Trek's courtroom drama's with a Fistful of Justice! AD ASTRA PER ASPERA Strange New Worlds, Season 2 One of the most modern examples of Strar Trek's court room drama saw Pike's own Number One, Una-Chin Reilly, under court martial for a serious breach of Starfleet regulation […]
A Fistful of Sisko
In the past few years, Star Trek has made several nods to it's past. But while The NExt Generation and Voyager had their continuations, Deep Space Nine continued to 'black sheep' of the family with it's history and name drops being few and far between. Until Academy when we had an entire episode based around the legend of Starfleet's most complex captains. Starting his show as a widower and single parent, Benjamin Sisko started his time in Star Trek as a reluctant hero turned religious icon who's become a prime figure in Bajoran history, the Federation-Dominion war and much more. If you missed his series, first of.... why?! And also, if you want a quick intro - here's our Sisko top five to see what the fuss is all about. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzBkvzPoofQ IN THE PALE MOONLIGHT Season 6, Episode 13 Lets […]
A Fistful of Honour Beyond Bloodshed
Feared throughout the galaxy due to being fearless warriors who thrive on battle and bloodshed, the Klingon's are one of Star Trek's most iconic races and yet, with all their history, perhaps the most misunderstood. Starting off in the original series as authoritarian and distrustful antagonist, they were written as a parallel to Russia with the Klingon Empire in a cold war with the Federation following a long conflict. The Klingons would have a bit of reinvention in the movies thanks to higher budgets giving the producers a chance for a more alien look, while their culture and history would get a little more depth on The Next Generation thanks to the inclusion of Worf, the first Klingon member of Starfleet. But Worf's views on the Klingon culture weren't quite spot on. From a noble house, Worf was displaced and […]
