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 unbelievable emergency everyone saw coming, it was up to Kirk to show off as clearly Starfleet’s recruitment board wasn’t bringing the best candidates to the big chair.
Answering a distress call, the Enterprise-B finds El Aurian refugee’s caught in up in a weird energy ribbon and since the ships barely finished, theres nothing they have on board to help the standard way. With Captain Useless in command, Kirk decides not to be a bored observer and takes over. In doing so, he heroically sacrifices his life to save the ship, the crew and their new passengers.
Nearly 90 years later, Picard’s Enterprise-D answers a distress call of it’s own. A small outpost in the middle of nowhere s been attacked by Romulans. Arriving afterwards, the Enterprise crew have to figure out what happened and why.
The connection between the two? Tolian Soren. The scientist they find in the rubble of his lab was also one of the refugee’s saved b the Enterprise-B. After being saved from the energy ribbon, Soren was obsessed with running back to find it again and made some new troublesome pals on the way….[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”13665″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][vc_column_text]Generations is an oddity in itself. Unlike the original cast, there was no cool-down between making the Next Generation finale and the jump to cinematic adventures. Generations was written in a rush alongside the 26 other stories that had to be hammered out for the seventh season and shared a writing team who also had to bring the television adventures to a satisfying conclusion with the lauded All Good Things.
It also had a heavy task in transitioning a TV ensemble into a movie cast, replacing the much loved original stars with a younger cast that could carry on a little bit longer. Throw a handover from Kirk to Picard on top, it also had to become a changing of he guard with a decision made to give Kirk his final moments alongside his replacement.
There was a lot to squeeze in and it wasn’t easy. First off, the baggage. TV franchises always have baggage when they decide to move to the big screen. X Files was one of the more notorious for coming in with a substantial history you needed to know the key points off before it began. On the flip side Serenity worked perfectly as a stand-alone film whether you’d seen Firefly or not. Generations kind of sits in the middle.
Picard has his own personal subplot linked to his family. All the information you need there is on screen. Thats fine. The Duras sisters and Data are a bit trickier. The Duras family as rogue Klingons working with Soren doest have much bite as they avoid the history aside from a line of scorn, which doesn’t highlight the kind of threat they are. Then there’s Datas emotion chip. In the film he doesn’t understand humour so decided to plug in some human emotion, but by itself without the background, it all falls a little flat distracting from the plot more than it adds to it.
Soren’s plot also feels a little underwhelming. Especially as we rope in Guinan for some exposition while she explains the energy ribbon, which she’s dubbed the Nexus, lets you ascend into an energy being where you can live out a fantasy for all eternity. Most of the plot just feels like things happening. Or people telling you things are happening. Which, considering the weakness of the mystery, just drags out a substantiation amount until we get to the third act.
Admittedly it’s a bit of a weird complaint coming from someone who thinks The Undiscovered Country was the best of the entire series, but the story itself lacked a certain spark and perhaps thanks to firing straight into the film following seven long seasons, almost felt as everything was going through the motions for the most part.[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”13663″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][vc_column_text]It was a big moment. Heroes rarely die in Star Trek, at least at this point. When Geordie’s captured 1in the film, we know he’s coming back. Even when Kirk’s declared dead on the Enterprise-B, we know it’s not the end. And not just because the trailers said so. Kirk was Star Trek, which made the moment in itself a huge event in the franchise. Even if it was just one planet he’d saved and not the galaxy, it was a fitting end to have him go happily knowing he’d made a difference.
In the skies above, another icon was about to find it’s end (well, kind of but that’s another story….). Soren needed to manipulate the Nexus to come get him, so he burned stars to force it to change course. In doing so, he was using trilithium fuddled missiles and selling the excess to the Duras sisters, so of course there’s a space fight! Releasing Geordie back to the Enterprise with their own spyware in his visor, they’re able to get their tiny old ship an advantage by gleaning the Enterprise’s defensive systems and start shooting.
The fight doesn’t last long. And the good guys win. But its not about the fight. Its about the aftermath. The good guys win, sure, but the Duras’ get a fatal blow on the ship before they die meaning its warp core breach time. The whole sequence is better than the showdown. It’s not quite on the visceral level of Star Trek Beyond, but the race to evacuate to the saucer and launch it as a lifeboat has more energy than most of the film. When the engineering section blows, there’s no time to dwell on what happened as it knocks the saucer into atmosphere and we get a fairly cool crash scene – all done with some brilliant effects works that’s some of h best miniature model works the franchise had seen.
Where the original Enterprise blew up, and there was a moment of sad regret, the death of the D focused on relief. Theres more tension in the crash than in the entire movie, so when they finally stop sliding across Veridian III and look up at the skies it’s a strangely heartwarming moment that makes you think, sure it’s all rushed together but the era’s at an end.
It’s an oddly satisfying conclusion. Kirk died saving the day, giving due to the new generation of Captain. The Enterprise is no more. But it all feels like the closing of a chapter. As if the Next Generations grown up and beyond the constraints of their show, ready to properly lead the franchise out of the shadow of their predecessors once and for all.[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”13662″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][vc_column_text]That’s not to say it’s all bad. Far from it. There was a lot to enjoy as both a stand alone film and as a fan. For a start, the Enterprise looked more functional than it ever had. Throwing some money at a busier bridge and working with the model to upgrade it for cinema gave everything a different vibe. Even the overpowering yellow lighting in Ten Forward showed more reality than just another space background ignoring the star they were parked at. Even the planer DS9 uniforms, their inclusion happy accident, helped in a slam way to refresh the look a fair bit.
Some of the smaller parts to the film also made for some fun moments. From Worf finally getting a promotion to Data crumbling under the pressure of guilt when Soren kidnaps Geordie during his escape from the Enterprise.
Splitting Picard from the action was also a great choice towards the final act. Soren as a villain wasn’t great, but Malcolm McDowell gave an intriguing performance despite being just a catalyst to the end.. Early in TNG the idea was that Riker was the action hero leading away teams, Picard the talker. Flipping the destinations, with Picard confronting Soren to talk it out while Riker took the Enterprise into battle, was a nice choice that highlighted their strengths.
Though the whole reason Picard went solo was just to fail; Soren had been directing the Nexus so he could re-enter on its terms. And he won, of course, letting Picard get sucked inside to find that Kirk never really died, he was there all along waiting for the third act! And with that, two generations come together with Picard getting some sage advice before he convinces Kirk to leave paradise and come rewrite history.
At this point in time, TNG was a huge show. Everyone knew Captain Kirk. So seeing the two come together to pass the baton was quite a bit of fun. An idealistic Picard bonding with a Kirk who just wanted to stop, having done more than enough world saving in his time. The sequence wast spectacular, but Shatner’s charm made it all work. With a slow acceptance that he couldn’t sit out a dangerous mission, or letting himself live in an illusion, there’s an odd weight to his accepting line. “Who am I to argue with the captain of the Enterprise?”
Using the Nexus to re-enter the timeline is where things go weird. Why not go back to the beginning, put Soren in prison and hunt down the Duras sisters? Well that’s no fun. Going back just a few minutes, just before Soren launches a missile that brings the Nexus to him, means a race against the clock and that’s far more interesting narratively even if Spock would frown at the logic behind it. The two on one fight itself is a bit of a classic choreographed fight scene despite the stunning location shoot, but all that really matters is that Kirk clings on despite all the odds and saves the day, working with Picard to stop Soren and losing his life in the process. For real, this time.[/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/4″][vc_single_image image=”12350″][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”3/4″][vc_column_text]Our latest issue of Comms takes a look at the last year of Star Trek, sci fi, superheropes and more!! With the usual features including What If, Fistful Of Data and more, the “All Good Things” issue of Comms is available as part of SFCQ2’s free membership! To find out more visit our Comms preview or Enlist Today![/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″][vc_row_inner css=”.vc_custom_1618165085813{background-image: url(https://sfcq2.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/backing-2.png?id=11299) !important;}”][vc_column_inner][vc_widget_sidebar sidebar_id=”cs-hub-notices”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_widget_sidebar sidebar_id=”gp-standard-sidebar”][news widget_title=”On Screen” post_association=”disabled” size=”blog-small-size” per_page=”3″ image_width=”80″ image_height=”60″ excerpt_length=”0″ cats=”402″][vc_column_text]▷ MORE[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”15px”][news widget_title=”Fleet Alert!” post_association=”disabled” size=”blog-small-size” per_page=”3″ image_width=”80″ image_height=”60″ excerpt_length=”0″ cats=”1″][vc_column_text]▷ MORE[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”15px”][news widget_title=”Features” post_association=”disabled” size=”blog-small-size” per_page=”3″ image_width=”80″ image_height=”60″ excerpt_length=”0″ cats=”444″][vc_column_text]▷ MORE[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
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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 […]
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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] Schisms; TNG Season 6
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[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!
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[Retro Review] The Search For Spock (1984)
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...
