Doom and gloom is nothing new for Star Trek. The franchises has ended what feels like a billion times before Youtube told us Kurtzman was fired every few months. But even with a lead character dead and their body shot into space, Trek finds a way.
Revived for the big screen ten years after being cancelled, Star Trek found a new lease of life following a surge in popularity through the 70’s. With the success of 1979’s Motion Picture came a complete retool of everything with the hugely popular Wrath of Khan three years later; a film that saw an older Admiral Kirk take command of his old ship to face one of his greatest enemies. AN enemy he could only defeat thanks to his former first officer Spock giving his life to save the crew.
The Wrath of Khan was the end of the road, or so many thought. So killing off Spock was a way to close that chapter of their lives and move on to other projects. But of course, the second outing was also a success, but director Nick Meyer had a feeling it would be and put in a caveat. Before his death, Spock mind melded with Dr McCoy and told him to remember…
Limping back home following the defeat of Khan Noonien Singh, the death of Spock is weighing heavy on Admiral Kirk’s mind. Everyone’s going home to be reassigned and the old and battered Enterprise is being put to pasture. Scotty’s got anew job lined up on the fancy new Excelsior, McCoy’s dealing with some emotional distress thanks to Spock and Kirk settled back into his desk job life only to end up on a personal mission thanks to Spock’s old man, Sarek.
Spocks body may have died, but his ‘soul’ was still alive. Vulcans of great importance aren’t supposed to have their bodies shot into space. They’ve brought home, their consciousness and memories removed and stuffed into a big archive. Spock knew he was dying, so he transferred his consciousness to McCoy before melting inside a reactor room. With Kirk now well aware he made a whoopsie, and why Bones has goner weird on him, the plans set: Get McCoy, get a ship, and then go retrieve Spock’s body to put everything back together and warp off to Vulcan before Sarek throws a show at him.
It’s one of the tightest openings of the series. Everything’s laid out quickly. The film starts with a replay of Spocks death and doesn’t waste time. Sure, it doesn’t feel swift with everyone in mourning. But it’s all laid out quick and simple as it needs to be.
When it comes to Star Trek films, it’s generally accepted that the odd numbered ones are the worst. The Search for Spock kind of started that reputation, though it’s a little unfair. Even at this stage, Star Trek carried some baggage. The first film tried to reinvent the 60’s camp style for a more cold and serious sci fi style. It was a hit, but so vastly odd in comparison to what people liked, it narratively and thematically not drowned out by the more intimate and charismatic sequel which, in itself, carried baggage of dragging a baddie of the week into the main plot.
Khan succeeded as it was easy to give the background in a few lines. We just had to know Khan hates Kirk and wants revenge. For TSFS things get a little more complicated. First off, Spocks deader than a can of spam so even with his name in the title, you’ve lost one of the main aspects of what made Star Trek famous. Secondly,it’s such a direct continuation of the story that it comes with a lot of baggage.
To it’s credit, the film does try and keep things self contained by replaying Spocks death over again before the credits and doesn’t waste time in explaining why following Sarek’s wishes is a problem despite focusing on mourning. Not just of Spock, but of the end of an era for them all while giving a peek behind the curtain of Federation politics; something that never got this close to home before in the series. It does feel a little bit clunky as the whole first act isn’t just following up from the end of the second, but giving a chunk more set up.
Basically: Kirk needs to get Spocks body and re-merge it with McCoy. But the Genesis Planet is the heart of a political poop storm. Kirk’s been barred from going so being the mature Admiral he’s become, he steals the Enterprise with his old crew and does what he wants anyway. Meanwhile that poop storm has attracted some rogue Klingons who also decide to go to Genesis believing it could be turned into a weapon; meanwhile Saavik and David Marcus find Spocks coffin. But Spocks body isn’t inside…
The joys of story telling means that some weird stuff happen in the first part of the film. Kirk stealing the Enterprise is a very Kirk idea, especially if you go in with a bit of history to these characters. Though knocking out the Excelsior and getting away does add to the “only ship in range” trope as it seems no other ship is in range to chase the Enterprise. Also Uhura getting their exit plan together just to sit out the rest of the film is a bit of a weird choice.
But it all works with the whole escape from Spacedock being quick and fun. In contrast, Saavika nd David on Genesis slows things down but in a more interesting way than it should be. Their part is slow, oohing and awwing at the weird DIY planet before finding Spocks body reborn, rapidly ageing from child to adult scene by scene. The Klingons joining in, stranding the scientists and creating a hostage situation also gives it a bit of tension.
It’s when it all combined that the Klingon part kicks off though. Christopher Lloyd is a fun antagonist as Kruge. It also brings a real threat: putting Kirk on the back heel with the Enterprise barely functional, the Klingons ready to strike and hostages on the ground. Though it’s when Kruge’s men kill David in a struggle that the tension rises. Crushed by the loss of a son he’s only just started to know, and facing defeat, Kirk hands over the Enterprise. With a caveat. As he beams over the Klingons, beams his own crew to Genesis and leaves his enemy to face the ships self destruct.
The death of the Enterprise is one of the most memorable moments form the film. Sure, the end of a Starship may not be as shocking now, but seeing the iconic Enterprise come to an end was a fairly big deal. Though as memorable as that moment was, it often overshadows Shatner playing Kirk’s reaction to Davids death; one of his best moments in the film era of his tenure.
If the film ended there, it would likely rank a lot higher. Unfortunately the tension bubble is well and truly burst when Kirk and Kruge meet. Whether it’s the obviously dodgy sets or the ridiculously horrible fight sequence – which includes a comically fake leg – once the Enterprise is gone things just drag out. There’s no real excitement in the confrontation,, on taking the Klingons ship or even in getting the revived – and by this point conveniently aged – Spock back to Vulcan to restore his consciousness and essentially cheat death with little fanfare.
In some ways it felt like there was something missing by the end. It’s a bit of a mixed bag of a film. There’s a lot to enjoy, in reality and some really good sequences. From the tension before the Enterprise blows to Sarek’s plea to Kirk. Even the conversation between Kirk and the Fleet Admiral – “The answer is no.” – makes for good viewing. Combined through it does feel like something missing. Maybe it was the clearly cut budget. Maybe it just needed a revised ending so it felt like the build and tension paid off.
Overall, it’s not a bad film. But as it stands, it’s just not a great film either. But luck would be on their side in hindsight. As it turns out, killing Spock wasn’t the end. And neither was killing the Enterprise. A fourth last chance would come making TSFS the middle movie in an accidental trilogy. As a one of movie it was good but forgettable.
Becoming the cool down episode sandwiched between two of Star Trek’s most popular films? It fares better than other films in the odd numbered curse and at the very least, delivered some brilliant moments that rank high for the original line up.
About the author
What If… Spock Never Returned?
Over the years the Star Trek Universe has shown one part of it's original cast to be thee glue that holds it all together. From tempering Kirks emotions in the original series, to becoming a key asset in Starfleet's mission for peace decades later, Spock has been intertwined into several key points in galactic history. His appearance in The Next Generation led to a cultural shift over time that saw Romans and Vulcan's living as one nation. His disappearance during the Romulan Supernova led to the creation of the Kelvin Timeline. Even his strained relationships with his half brother and foster sister would have huge ramifications that would have an undeniable butterfly effect throughout time. But in essence, Spock's existence throughout most of his achievements shouldn't have happened. During Kirk's final showdown with Khan, Spock sacrificed himself to save the […]
A Fistful of Cadets!
Next year we'll be welcoming a new generation of the Star Trek Universe with the doors to Starfleet Academy set to reopen in 2026. Picking up from the post-Discovery era in the 32nd century, the Burn is over, the planets are beginning to align and it looks like even the Earth Defense Force will be lowering shields as the ancient campus reopens to train a new era of hopeful young cadets ready to explore the stars! Following the news that principal photography was all done for the new shows debut season, we thought we'd look back at the cadets of the past who made waves to inspire the generations to follow and who's name may still echo through the halls of the Academy... Saavik: The First Next Generation Long after the Enterprise was exploring strange new worlds, it was merely […]
Kelvin Timeline Producer Robert Orci Passes Away Ages 51
A follower of the Enterprise and it's adventures from a young age, Roberto Orci was introduced to Star Trek by his uncle and would grow up to introduce a short lived, but highly memorable, Captain Robau in thanks and tribute to the uncle that started the journey into sci fi and fantasy. A graduate of Crossroads School for Arts and the University of Texas, Orci would gain his first experience as a television writer in the Xena and Hercules worlds and would begin creative partnerships with Alex Kurtzman and JJ Abrahms through collaborations on Alias, in co creating the popular sci fi show Fringe and many more. Entering the Star Trek world in the 2000's, Orci brought his long time fandom to JJ Abrahms production group following their success with two of Paramounts other franchises, Mission Impossible and Transformers. Tasked […]
Sovereign, Churchill & The Regional Command Unit
Compared to when SFC began fifty years ago, a lot has changed. Even since Quadrant 2 made the decision to operate independently of our Q1 counterparts there have been a lot of social changes that we've always worked to adapt to and keep ahead of with new ideas and innovations. The biggest change from then and now is undoubtedly the growth of the internet as an accessible medium. Whether good or bad, the internet has brought people from all corners of the world together to share in their passions, ideas and complain about films. For Q2, it's become a vital part of the fabric of the club where you can log in to the membership portal, play co-0p games with our favourite starships, or look at pictures from Tesla's latest away mission on bluesky. But when it came to being […]
[Retro Review] Lost In Space: The Caretaker. Voyager S1E1.
These days we're a bit spoiled as Star Trek fans. In less than ten years we've had three live action series, two animated shows and there's more on the way. And we have the internet so naturally we'll see everyone complain about it before there's even a trailer. In the mid-90's, things were a little more exciting. The hurdle of Next Gen replacing the original – now fully retired - crew was out the way. DS9 had taken a risk away from the Enterprise and now it was time for a new ship to carry the idea of boldly going forward. In comparison to the giant Enterprise flying the flag of the Federation, Voyager was a more average low key type of deal with a a bit of a makeshift crew that would have everything from a rookie to a […]
Fleet Support Recruitment: Alpha Quarter 2025
Following SFC's 50th anniversary, and looking ahead to whats to come in 2025 and beyond, we've been working on bolstering our fleet-wide operational support and opening the floor for officers to take a larger role in our operations. As part of our redefining our Fleet Support department, five roles were opened up to give more room for members to contribute beyond their unit and help shape the next generation of the club.Our first recruitment event saw two members brought on board to the Fleet Support panel and as we race through our first quarter of the year, we have the final three roles ready for recruitment! FLEET SUPPORT SFCQ2's Fleet Support division has been designed to aid and supplement membership opportunities and solidify a helpful, informative and supportive structure. Each role acts as a secondment to allow members to continue […]
Related
[Retro Review] Lost In Space: The Caretaker. Voyager S1E1.
These days we're a bit spoiled as Star Trek fans. In less than ten years we've had three live action series, two animated shows and there's more on the way. And we have the internet so naturally we'll see everyone complain about it before there's even a trailer. In the mid-90's, things were a little more exciting. The hurdle of Next Gen replacing the original – now fully retired - crew was out the way. DS9 had taken a risk away from the Enterprise and now it was time for a new ship to carry the idea of boldly going forward. In comparison to the giant Enterprise flying the flag of the Federation, Voyager was a more average low key type of deal with a a bit of a makeshift crew that would have everything from a rookie to a […]
No One Expects The Starfleet Inquisition! Retro Review: Inquisition, DS9 S6E18
Stopped from heading to a quiet medical conference, Doctor Bashir is locked down with the crew of Deep Space Nine when internal investigations officer Sloan arrives. Apparently Deep Space Nine has a security breach. Information's being leaked to the enemy and all leads point to one person: Julian Bashir. It's a nice rarity when this era of Star Trek plays out it's story of the week without a B-Plot and Inquisition does it all quiet nicely. Especially as everything's played out from the perspective of Bashir as he's separated from his colleagues which enhances the tense paranoia of whats happening as Sloan probes through evidence that points to the doctor betraying the Federation. Thematically it's a story told many times before, even previously told in Star Trek, but with DS9's tone becoming a little darker by this stage, it worked […]
[Retro Review] Generations (1994)
Kirk's era my have started the phenomenon, but 1994 was a different era. Picard's Enterprise crew had just finished more than twice the amount of seasons of the original with one spin off finding it's feet and another in the pipeline. With the original crew having said their goodbyes in the Undiscovered country, the old was already out and the not quite as old were ready to take over the film branch of the Star Trek franchise. But not without a weird handover ceremony. Years after his final voyage as captain, Kirk is dragged out of retirement to sit in a chair and smile politely as a new captain launched with a new Enterprise. Of course, the new captain was typically useless so when the Enterprise was the only ship in range again, and the ship was dragged into an […]
[Retro Review] Schisms; TNG Season 6
Alien abduction isn't exactly an innovative or creative plot device. Long before the X Files became the most popular brand of alien conspiracy in media, we had everything from the memorably dazzling abduction in Close Encounters of the Third Kind to the found footage wonder The McPherson Tape. For Star Trek, however, it's an odd concept to include. Humanity is a space faring species and some of our best pals are aliens. If one crept into your bedroom in the middle of the night and took you on board their ship, that's more of a diplomatic nightmare than a horrific conspiracy. So when it did happen in Next Gen's Schisms it all felt a bit weird and creepy. Mostly in a good way.
[Retro Review] The One With The Whales (1986)
Closing off an accidental trilogy, Kirk and his disgraced crew wrap up chilling out on Vulcan to go back to Earth for a bit of a wrist slapping. While they saunter back home in a stolen Klingon ship, an alien probe pops round for tea and biscuits on Earth. Except, there's neither tea nor biscuits buit a confusing sense of chaos as it sucks everything around it of power and soaks up Earths oceans for what seems like no apparent reason.
Starfleet Academy Welcomes It’s First Class!
The first batch of cast announcements for Academy focused on veteran actors Paul Giamatti and Holly Hunter, the latter in the role of the new Academy Commandant, but now we're getting a full look at the shows first class of cadets as the first five are ready to enlist!
