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Category: Science Fiction

July 26, 2026

These are the Final Voyages of the Starship Enterprise

If Trekkies from the past had invented a time portal TV that could pull in shows from the future, they would have loved watching the season 4 premiere of “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.” And so did I. Just don’t tell them there are only 15 episodes left.

This has not exactly been a good year for the “Star Trek” franchise. 

“Star Trek: Starfleet Academy” was immediately cancelled after its first season. (The second season had already been shot by that point. So, we will eventually get to see it.) 

The Kelvin timeline movie franchise by J.J. Abrams was officially cancelled after failing for many years to get a fourth film into production.

Arguably the jewel of the new Trek universe, “Strange New Worlds” got its decommission orders to wrap it up after five seasons (and a shorter 6-episode final season at that).

All this on the 60th anniversary of “Star Trek.”

This Trekkie is not celebrating.

The Beginning of the End of “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds”

No new series in the pipeline. There is some vague discussion about a movie reboot. (We’ve heard this before.)

Is the Federation breaking up? Are these the final voyages of the Starship Enterprise?

Well, we’ve known for almost 60 years how “Strange New Worlds” is supposed to end. And as much as any faithful Trekkie wants the writers to surprise us, they’ve already shown us the implications of changing the timeline.

Fate can be a bummer.

All this said, yes, I’m still clinging on to that Kirk line (quoting Spock) from the end of “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.”

“…there are always possibilities.”

So, it’s under this near-universal dark cloud that season 4 of “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” launches…

My Thoughts on the Season 4 Premiere: “Valles Marineris”

Yes, of course, I immediately watched the season premiere. 

What’s the plot about? I’ll only say that (slight spoiler) it involves time travel… and dinosaurs. But it was really about purpose, ethics and destiny.  

Yep… classic Trek.

An hour later, I turned off the TV as the credits rolled. I stood up from my couch and smiled. I felt like a kid again. Wow.

This was a really good episode. In fact, it was fantastic! Most importantly, it was solid science fiction with strong writing.

We’ve already got an excellent cast of established characters, led by Anson Mount as Captain Christopher Pike. You just need a script that makes you think a bit and then say, “Whoa!”That’s always been the promise of “Star Trek.” And that’s what “Valles Marineris.” gave us.

This is as Good as It Gets

And to all those reviewers who pulverized “Starfleet Academy” to a quick demise earlier this year (and not entirely undeservedly), let me say this:

You must admit that “Strange New Worlds” is as close to capturing the core spirit of classic Trek as any of the newer series. Yes, this is as good as it gets. It takes big swings, and I believe it’s worth watching. No, every episode isn’t perfect, and the writing has sometimes been uneven.

But remember, every episode of the original series or “The Next Generation” wasn’t a gem either.

The Needs of the Many

“Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” is deserving of way more support.

Because the alternative is… nothing. No “Star Trek.” And that’s currently what’s in the pipeline.

I think we can all agree that we need a little ongoing optimistic “Star Trek” in our lives.

Sure, it might be fun to pick at little problems in the remaining episodes, and that may get reviewers more readers or clicks. 

But any true Trekkie must acknowledge this series continues to successfully ‘hit it’ most of the time. (It’s the only logical conclusion.)

“Strange New Worlds” has always been a shining beacon for the new “Trek” era. 

Fate and Season 5

Season 5 will have to focus on wrapping it all up to the point when Captain Kirk takes command. And that’s going to be bittersweet. I really like this crew, but we know that a few aren’t part of Kirk’s bridge. So, their futures are a huge question mark.

And we also know Pike’s fate as explained in “The Menagerie” from the original series. But that’s for season 5 to work through.

So, this 10-episode fourth season is the last time we can simply sit back and enjoy the ride.

Trekkies Unite!

Both seasons 4 and 5 of “Strange New Worlds” are in the can. This series is ‘officially’ over with 15 episodes left to watch.

But after watching the confident season 4 premiere, I can’t help but feel that the best is yet to come. 

And I hope that the ratings skyrocket for these final voyages of Pike’s Starship Enterprise.

Because if that happens… there are always possibilities.

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June 7, 2026

Why “The Mandalorian and Grogu” Didn’t Fill Theaters

This is a good summer movie that lots of Star Wars fans skipped. Here is why I think so many people didn’t come back for more Mando and Baby Yoda.

“Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu” has clearly underperformed at the box office. This is not the way. So, what went wrong?

First off, this is not a bad movie. In many ways, director John Favreau has given us the perfect summer flick. Action-packed. Fun. Great special effects.  And the cutest character in a galaxy far, far away.

Plus, it’s fresh “Star Wars” material. We haven’t seen a new movie in over six years.

But with all that is good with it, there’s also this feeling of… been there/seen that.

Nothing New

If there had not been three previous streaming seasons of “The Mandalorian” on Disney+ (2019-2023), I think this movie would have performed much better.

The series had time to provide a deep experience regarding Din Djarin’s backstory. His bounty hunting adventures were only part of the larger narrative, including the Mandalorian people and culture.

But the movie couldn’t simply pick up from where the series left off, because not all movie goers would know (or remember) the previous plot points.

So, the movie was effectively forced to exist as a standalone and otherwise disconnected bounty-hunting adventure. Everything else from the series had to be stripped away.

As a result, Mandalorian fans didn’t get to see anything especially new.

A Razor Crest Isn’t Just Another Ship

Sure, there are a few new characters here, but if you’re a Mando fan, you might be disappointed after watching the movie, because the larger story arc didn’t move forward.

Yes, there were lots of background references to the larger series, but few were allowed enough time to create emotional impact. 

Even the moment when (minor spoiler) we see the new Razor Crest, there’s barely a pause in the dialogue as Mando takes this replacement for his previously destroyed ship (season 2, episode 6).

I listened for an emotional surge in the music, but it never came. He admired this particular ship’s restoration, but you wouldn’t otherwise know the importance of Mando flying another Razor Crest.

The ‘Dadalorian’

I’ve read many reviews that said this felt like a few episodes stitched together. Yes, I agree this could easily have been part of a season 4.

But guess what? We didn’t get season 4.

And quite frankly, I was happy to get to watch a few more episodes, so to speak.

And it’s always nice to spend a little more time with Pedro Paskal’s ‘Dadalorian’ and Grogu.

Baby Yoda Rocks

And if you’re a Grogu fan, you’re in luck. Baby Yoda has a lot to do here.

He delighted the row of kids who were sitting in front of me in the theater. But they certainly weren’t old enough to officially be part of the PG-13 crowd.

Which makes you wonder about the target audience for this movie. It’s PG-13 for all the fighting. And G-rated for Grogu. That’s a difficult balance to maintain to satisfy everyone.

The Challenge Turning a Series into a Movie

I think in many ways it just comes down to this: Successfully converting a TV series into a big screen movie with the same cast is often hard to do.

“Firefly” couldn’t get “Serenity” to fly.

Sure, “Star Trek” did it, but it needed two attempts, and “The Wrath of Khan” certainly didn’t play it safe.

Sigourney Weaver Stopped By

Not only did this Mandalorian flick play it safe, it felt like an extended premiere of season 4.

And while that was fine with me, that won’t draw the crowds who will otherwise watch it in a few months (weeks?) on Disney+.

But wait! This movie’s got the great Sigourney Weaver. Hmmm… well, she actually didn’t seem that excited to be there.

Hold on… We’re introduced to not one, but three Hutt characters, including Rotta the Hutt (voiced by Jeremy Allen White), who is Jabba the Hutt’s son. While that’s certainly interesting to some, more giant slug Hutts didn’t fill seats.

Grogu is Sad

Still, this is a solid movie, and I enjoyed seeing it in a theater. But it was just not enough to satisfy the broader fan base. It feels like the entire human race is quickly losing interest in this particular galaxy that’s now almost half a century old.

As a result, “The Mandalorian and Grogu” has already disappeared from my local multiplex on week 3 of its release. (I’m sure that made Grogu cry.)

At this point, can anything save this franchise? 

“Star Wars: Starfighter,” directed by Shawn Levy and starring Ryan Gosling is set to launch in theaters on May 28, 2027.

I certainly hope the Force is stronger with this next one.

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March 8, 2026

Why Can’t Today’s “Star Trek” Give Us What We Want?

Is “Star Trek” falling into a black hole of missed opportunities and fan disillusionment? Well, here’s one Trekkie’s opinion.

There are numerous theories why “Star Trek” has had a bumpy ride during these past years. While on the one hand, Paramount+ has given us multiple new series, they were often uneven (“Discovery” and “Picard”). Plus, the best ones were cancelled too soon. (“Lower Decks” and “Strange New Worlds.”)

And then there’s the problem with the movies… or lack of them.

Kelvin Timeline Abandoned

We waited ten long years for the fourth Kelvin timeline movie… only to have it recently cancelled after so many false starts. (The Kelvin timeline was a clever ‘alternate reality’ version of the “Star Trek” universe, which allowed the producers creative license to make certain narrative changes in this Kirk-era prequel.) 

I remember reading that the problem was the huge price tag vs. the expected box office. 

The writers would have had Chris Hemsworth come back as Kirk’s father. But Thor was too expensive (not to mention all the other actors).

That would have been a wonderful way to wrap this version of “Star Trek.” And I expect many of the other proposed scripts had potential as well. But the producers clearly couldn’t make it work. 

A New Ship with Nowhere to Go

So, Chris Pine’s Kirk and crew won’t get their final voyage together on their new ship that was constructed at the end of 2016’s “Star Trek: Beyond.”

Sure, I’ve read there’s now a completely new movie reboot in the works. And that’s fine (if it actually happens).

But that doesn’t change the fact that Trekkies waited a decade for the movie they wanted… and then never got. 

“Star Trek” on Paramount+

Instead, we’ve seen a “Star Trek” renaissance explode on television via Paramount+ since 2017. And that’s not so bad, right?

But this great streaming run is seemingly ending. “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” has wrapped filming its truncated fifth and final season. 

And the new “Starfleet Academy” has had a rough first season. They’ve already shot the second season, but the series hasn’t been picked up beyond that.

A lot of fans (myself included) are angry that we never got the spin-off series “Star Trek: Legacy” after “Picard.” With Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) helming the new Enterprise-G, that series would have been spectacular. It would be the perfect bridge between the old and the new.

Instead, we got a show about some cadets in Starfleet Academy that nobody asked for.

Kurtzman Trek

It really shouldn’t be that hard to read the room when it comes to satisfying the core fan base.

I certainly understand that the recipe for “Star Trek’s” ongoing success must include bringing in new fans. And that means evolving the franchise.

I know that many Trekkies have been piling blame onto Alex Kurtzman lately. He’s the showrunner behind all the recent Star Trek series on Paramount+. And he’s clearly been tweaking the “Star Trek” formula.

There’s nothing wrong with updating the “Star Trek” universe. But I would say the core elements of great science fiction storytelling must always apply.

No, not every Trek episode has to be perfect, but with so few episodes being created for each season (10), there’s not much room for misfires.

Grading “Starfleet Academy’s” Freshman Year

“Starfleet Academy” has launched to a slow start. Happily, it’s been picking up steam. Episode 9 is the best yet. 

It’s directed by Jonathan Frakes with a more exciting plot that gets out of the classroom and tests the rigor of our cadets. Plus, we get to see Captain Ake, played by Holly Hunter finally act a little more like a strong starship leader.

Still, you might say a good 9th episode is a little late in the semester.

I think the problem with “Starfleet Academy” is that it’s trying so hard to be fresh, it doesn’t feel enough like “Star Trek.” It’s too loose and too often silly.

Sure, it gives us the Doctor from “Star Trek: Voyager” and a couple characters from “Discovery” as anchors. But that’s not enough.

This series has some real work to do, but I’m not sure how you course correct when your second season is already in the can.

“I Don’t Believe in a No-Win Scenario”

I’ve read that some fans are complaining about the politics of “Starfleet Academy.” I don’t think that’s the problem. Being a Trekkie has always required being open to inclusive ideas. That’s the point of “Star Trek.” For 60 years.

Not to oversimplify, but I think this all comes down to the basics. We need to focus more on better storytelling. Better character development. Better science fiction. 

And please just give the core fans more of what we want.

Then, I think more of everyone will show up.

I hope it’s not too late.

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