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Tag: Star Trek

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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April 5, 2026

Why I’m Sad “Star Trek: Starfleet Academy” Got Cancelled So Quickly

This fledgling series barely got off its launch pad before Paramount flipped the abort switch. Here’s what I think went wrong.

Sure, it might have been fun to trash “Star Trek: Starfleet Academy” over the past months as many reviewers did. If their goal was to help get the series cancelled, then I suppose they’re happy now. But no true Trekkie can be pleased with the resulting void.

As a core fan throughout my life, I must admit there were a few ‘details’ to complain about with this show. The freshman season of “Starfleet Academy” was certainly a mixed bag.

A Bumpy Freshman Year

The series began slowly and introduced us to a batch of unknown Starfleet Academy cadets. We also had fragments from the Discovery crew and an unusual captain Aki (played by Holly Hunter) who liked to walk around in her bare feet. Then, there was the return of the famous Doctor from “Star Trek: Voyager” (played by Robert Picardo).

So, there were some interesting ingredients here, even without a break-out star character. 

But the storytelling is what’s always most important…. Was it any good?

Well, the first half of the season focused primarily on cadet backstories, and we really didn’t get into compelling “Star Trek” plots until the last few episodes.

By then, it was too late.

It’s Dead, Jim 

The viewers apparently never showed up. Season 1 finished its run. And Paramount promptly announced the series had been cancelled.

Season 2 had already been shot. (Principal photography was mostly wrapped before season 1’s first episode even premiered.) But it didn’t matter.

Yes, we’ll eventually get to see season 2, but our cadets from “Starfleet Academy” won’t get past their sophomore year on Paramount+.

There’s really no way to spin this other than “Starfleet Academy” failed.

How could the warp core implode like this?

Navigating in the Dark

You can take issue with the characters and the storytelling. You might debate that the style was a parsec too far from traditional “Star Trek” we know and love. And you can say the producers abandoned the Trekkie base in search of a younger demographic that never showed up.

Fine. There’s plenty to quibble about.

But how strong was the first season of “Star Trek: The Next Generation?” 

“Star Trek: Discovery” needed a total retrofit after its first season.

Said another way, the producers fixed those problems. They were offered some time to do that. 

But “Starfleet Academy” was set up to navigate its fate without the benefit of any viewer feedback. No ratings. No chance to course correct. 

Absence of Strong Scripts

In time, one could see this show find its footing. But time was the one variable “Starfleet Academy” didn’t have.

You can blame this on Alex Kurtzman, who’s been behind all new “Trek” over the past nine years. You can blame Paramount. You can blame the high cost per episode.

Ultimately, I blame the writers. Strong storytelling and good science fiction plots are critical for any successful “Star Trek” series. And I would say there wasn’t enough of either in season 1.

There are likely any number of reasons that I’m not privy to which contributed to “Starfleet Academy’s” early demise. But I believe my core logic as a simple ‘consumer’ still holds.

It’s All Cancelled

So where does this leave us? “Star Trek” as we currently know it has ended.

  • “Starfleet Academy” is now a dead series walking with one more season.
  • “Strange New Worlds” has wrapped shooting its fifth and final season containing only 6 episodes. (I think ‘cancellation’ also applies here.)
  • There’s no “Star Trek” on the horizon other than a ‘promised’ movie reboot in theaters with few details to date.

“Star Trek” in series form has seemingly ended.

As a Trekkie, I find that entirely discouraging.

Nothing Left to Celebrate?


Sure, there are rumors regarding what might come next. Perhaps we’d get “Star Trek: Legacy” which would be a spinoff from “Star Trek: Picard” or maybe “Star Trek: Year One,” which would be the spinoff from “Strange New Worlds” (Kirk’s first year in the Enterprise’s captain’s chair).

But we’re pretty much eating static right now.

I suppose there’s always time for Paramount to keep the series format alive. We’ve still got season 2 of “Starfleet Academy” and seasons 4/5 of “Strange New Worlds” to watch.

Though those episodes will come and go quickly…

In this moment, the “Star Trek” universe at its 60th anniversary looks rather bleak. Not much to celebrate.

But as Kirk once said, (at the end of “Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan”) “There are always possibilities.”

Hailing frequencies remain open.

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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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