star trek prodigy klingon

A Complete History of Star Trek's Klingons in The Original Series Era

The Klingons are some of Starfleet's best enemies, but the Star Trek aliens have a long history dating back before even the Federation or Starfleet.

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The origin of the klingon empire in star trek, the klingon empire acquires warp drive and a new level of war, starfleet and the klingons engaged in hot and cold war, the klingons vs. captain james t. kirk and how he brought peace.

Star Trek has six decades of history behind the scenes, but the aliens and characters in the narrative go back millennia. Despite being created on a whim for Star Trek: The Original Series , the history of Klingons is one of the most fully realized in the universe. Even though much of it was defined after that first show, how the Klingon Empire took shape is important.

The Klingons were created by Gene L. Coon as a surrogate power for the Soviets to the Federation's United States of America. When the Cold War ended with the fall of the Berlin Wall, the final film with The Original Series ' cast was in production. It told the story of how the Federation made peace with its most iconic enemies. The Khitomer Accords mark a significant point of transition in what it meant to a Klingon. Even though antagonism continued into the 24th Century, the way the Empire (as created by Kahless the Unforgettable) found a way to accept the peace-loving Federation is a remarkable Star Trek story. It's made better with Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds adding new details to this part of the timeline.

The Planned Opening for Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country Was a Disaster

The Klingons shared genetic markers, found in Vulcans and Romulans that point to a single humanoid ancestor more than four billion years in the past. This progenitor race seeded planets with unknown technology that encouraged the evolution of creatures with a head, two arms and two legs. Klingons, however, could trace their origins back to large reptilian or insectoid predators with exoskeletons and redundant organs .

The Klingon homeworld Qo'noS was ruled by Malor in the 10th Century CE on Earth. A common warrior, Kahless led a revolution that became the founding myth for the Klingon Empire. Legends of his battles were shared among Klingons into the 24th Century. He eventually killed Malor in single combat and founded the Klingon Empire. Kahless became a god-like figure in the culture, inspiring wars and warriors for millennia . There were a number of ruling dynasties and civil wars, continuing once Klingons took to the stars.

Four hundred years after Kahless united Qo'noS, the Hur'q species from the Gamma Quadrant sacked their homeworld. This started a period of uncertainty about war as a way of life. During the Second Dynasty, General K'Trelan killed the Imperial Family, installing more democratically minded Klingons in power. They claimed to be members of the Imperial houses to gain the respect of those bloodlines, but eventually they returned to their warlike ways.

Star Trek: Discovery's Klingons Were More Accurate Than the TNG-Era

The Klingons acquired warp drive sometime in the Earth's 20th Century, and they turned their attention on the galaxy at large. While they still warred with each other, there were new planets to conquer and people to fight. Vulcans, who also were new to warp drive, encountered Klingons who opened fire on them. Until diplomatic relations were officially opened, Vulcans would fire first on any Klingon ship, eventually called "the Vulcan Hello." Klingons traveled the stars, warring and exploring, including sending a vessel into the Delta Quadrant.

In the 2150s, a Klingon crash-landed on Earth and was shot by a farmer. Dr. Phlox, a visiting alien, saved his life, and the NX-01 Enterprise was launched taking the Klingon back to Qo'noS. Captain Archer helped this Klingon maintain his honor and relations between humans and Klingons were off to an amiable start, but this didn't last. The NX-01 Enterprise helped refugees flee the Klingons by engaging them in battle. This led to Captain Archer being wanted as an enemy of the state. He was put on trial on Qo'noS and sentenced to the Rura Penthe colony. He escaped, leading to multiple hostile encounters with them throughout the Star Trek: Enterprise series.

In 2154, tyrannical, genetically augmented humans attacked the Klingon Empire, but the Enterprise was able to avert war. However, a Klingon scientist tried to use the augment DNA to create superior Klingon warriors . Instead, a deadly virus broke out, and Dr. Phlox was kidnapped to help cure it. He was successful, but the treatment led to the Klingons losing their distinctive cranial ridges. The Klingons then withdrew from Federation territory, until the Klingon-Federation war.

Why Uhura Speaks Klingon in Strange New Worlds, but Not Star Trek VI

The Klingons weren't seen in what would become Federation space for much of the late 22nd and early 23rd Centuries. They had again entered into a period of infighting and civil war, as any house sought to rule. When Starfleet did encounter the Klingons, there were open hostilities. There was a raid on a planet called Doctari Alpha and a battle at a planet called Donatu V. The Klingons resorted to spiritual studies, usually based on the Kahless myth, though a sect studied time travel at the Borleth Monastery .

In 2256, T'Kuvma, a unique-looking Klingon spiritual leader , united the great houses on the ancient Sarcophagus Ship. He provoked a war with the Federation at the Battle of the Binary Stars, dying at the hands of Michael Burnham. General Kol, who originated Klingons' use of cloaking technology, took control. The war raged for a year, with the Klingons nearly defeating the Federation . When General Kol was killed and the Sarcophagus Ship destroyed, things only got worse. Eventually, Section 31 developed a plan to destroy the Klingon Homeworld, but Michael Burnham prevented it from reaching fruition. Instead, she gave control of the hydrobombs to L'Rell.

A less war-hungry acolyte of T'Kuvma she was able to continue his mission of uniting the warring factions on Qo'noS. She even allied her fleet with the Federation to stop a rogue AI that threatened all life in the Alpha Quadrant. The Timekeepers at the Borleth Monastery also helped Starfleet solve the mystery of the "Red Angel," and helped Captain Christopher Pike fix the timeline after he tried to prevent his future debilitating accident. Time itself needed James Kirk and Spock to take the helm of the Enterprise. However, the tenuous peace wouldn't last for long.

What Made Worf a Better Klingon Warrior on Star Trek: The Next Generation?

A new war broke out between the Federation and the Klingons in 2257, but it was short-lived. When the USS Enterprise and General Kor's fleet arrived at Organia, the powerful beings that lived there forced them to negotiate an end to hostilities. The Treaty of Organia ended the war, but there were still clashes and battles throughout the sector. Klingons armed pre-warp species, as did Kirk and the Enterprise crew, albeit reluctantly. A Klingon who went by the name Arne Darvin was surgically altered to look human, and almost carried out a terrorist bombing on a starbase.

After a little more than a decade of relative peace, a rogue Klingon commander named Kruge took a Bird of Prey to the newly-created Genesis planet. There he destroyed the Starfleet science vessel studying it and killed David Marcus, the son of James Kirk. He defeated the Klingons, killing all but one of them, and stole the Bird of Prey. Another rogue Klingon Captain named Klaa tried to battle Kirk and the Enterprise, but Klingon Ambassador Korrd ordered Klaa to save him from the God of Sha Ka'Ree. With the destruction of the moon Praxis in 2293, the Klingon homeworld was threatened and peace finally had a real chance.

Chancellor Gorkon knew the Klingon Empire wouldn't survive unless it made peace and accepted help from the Federation. A conspiracy of Starfleet officers, Romulans and Klingons (including General Chang) assassinated Gorkon and framed Captain Kirk for it. He was sent to Rura Penthe, escaping with the help of Spock and the Enterprise. They arrived at the peace summit just in time to save the Federation president. Captain Kirk's heroics led to the signing of the Khitomer Accords and all-but the end to open hostility between the Klingons and the Federation . While not completely allies with the Federation, the Klingons and Starfleet were no longer at war.

The Star Trek universe encompasses multiple series, each offering a unique lens through which to experience the wonders and perils of space travel. Join Captain Kirk and his crew on the Original Series' voyages of discovery, encounter the utopian vision of the Federation in The Next Generation, or delve into the darker corners of galactic politics in Deep Space Nine. No matter your preference, there's a Star Trek adventure waiting to ignite your imagination.

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Everything You Need to Know About the Klingons, Star Trek 's Ever-Changing Space Warriors

Klingons are one of the most iconic Star Trek alien races. In 51 years they’ve evolved from deceptive villains to honorable allies—and now, with the arrival of Star Trek: Discovery this week, they’re becoming spiritual warriors once again, at odds with our heroes. Here’s everything you need to know about the past, present, and future of Qo’noS’s finest.

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From enemy, to ally, to enemy.

Klingons have been one of the most persistent elements of Star Trek . They made their debut on the very first season of the original show, and have since appeared on every spinoff series, including Discovery —and in most of the Trek movies, as well.

The Klingons first met by Kirk and his crew in “Errand of Mercy” back in 1967 were very different from the Klingons we know today, both in their physical appearance and in their characterization. Intended as a Soviet parallel to the Federation’s US, the original Klingons were treated as inferior to the Federation’s ideals in every manner. The Klingons were a crafty, savage, and warmongering race, morally corrupt and willing to do anything to get their way—especially if it meant getting the upper hand against the Federation, their long-time rivals in an interstellar cold war.

That nature uncomfortably played into their appearance as well. The original Klingons were given an incredibly Orientalist aesthetic, with white actors having their faces darkened with makeup to appear more alien, plus accented eyebrows highlighted with shoe polish and matching thin mustaches. To the modern eye, the look of original Klingons is deeply problematic, but at the time, it was a huge budget saver; one of the primary reasons the Klingons became such major recurring villains in the original series was that their makeup costs were much lower compared to the prosthetics needed for the Romulans.

After the Star Trek TV series came to an end, then found itself revived as a movie series in the ‘70s, there was finally a budget to make the Klingons appear truly alien—and with it came a complete overhaul of the race that changed their place in the franchise. Their new makeup work gave the Klingons long, flowing hair, sharpened teeth, and distinctive forehead ridges (more on those later), but Klingon culture was given an even greater shake-up. A new language was introduced to further emphasize the differences between the Klingon Empire and the Federation, and, taking inspiration from feudal Japan, Klingons became a species that valued honor above all else, holding strictly defined traditions around the art of war that formed the cornerstones of Klingon society.

Although original Trek creator Gene Roddenberry was hesitant to bring back old aliens when Star Trek returned to TV with The Next Generation , set a century after the original show, the Klingons ultimately became a fundamental part of the series in the form of Michael Dorn’s Worf, a Klingon member of Starfleet and one of the show’s primary characters. Representing a time period when the relationship between the Federation and the Klingon Empire had become relatively amicable, Worf became a lens for the audience to discover the new culture behind the Klingons first hinted at in the movies, examining both their dedication to martial prowess (with the introduction of iconic elements like the Bat’leth, the curved Klingon blade) and their spiritual side. Gone were the savages of the original series, instead replaced by a principled society of honorable warriors.

By the time of Voyager and Deep Space Nine (the furthest we’ve been into Star Trek ’s timeline on TV) the Klingons had become heroes. After a brief period of hostility the Klingons became crucial allies for the crew of Deep Space Nine and the Federation at large in DS9 's seasons-long war with the Dominion, while Voyager examined prejudices and acceptance of the Klingons within Starfleet through B’Elanna Torres, a half-human, half-Klingon engineer troubled by the pull between her two very different cultures.

Discovery , set a decade before the original show, mixes up the Star Trek timeline a bit. The Klingons are the primary antagonists of the series, with the Federation openly at war with them. However, the show portrays the Klingons as fans have come to know them:  as an honorable warrior race —right down to the forehead ridges. Speaking of which...

The Fall and Rise of the Klingon Forehead

How the Klingons grew from the mustachioed, smooth-headed humanoids of the original series to the ridged aliens of The Original Motion Picture and beyond has been a canonical puzzle Star Trek fans have theorized and debate about for decades. There was never a reason provided for the difference in either the movies or The Next Generation —it was simply declared that these new aliens were still Klingons and that was that.

For years, the closest the series ever got to acknowledging the change was a one-off joke in the special Deep Space Nine anniversary episode “Trials and Tribble-ations,” which saw the crew sent back into the past to the events of the original series episode “The Trouble with Tribbles.” When asked by his colleagues why the Klingons of Kirk’s time looked so different to the Klingons they know of in the 24th century, Worf offers a brief but stern rebuttal: Klingons don’t talk about it with non-Klingons.

Fans finally got an explanation for the disparity between the two kinds of Klingons nearly 40 years after their first appearance thanks to Star Trek: Enterprise , which was set in the years before the formation of the Federation. A two-part story in the show’s fourth season revealed that Klingons have actually always had forehead ridges, but a virus accidentally unleashed on the Klingon homeworld when scientists tried to augment Klingons with human DNA caused victims to develop human physical characteristics, including smooth foreheads. A treatment for the virus was developed by Enterprise ’s resident medic, Dr. Phlox, but the physician theorized that it would take generations for Klingon children to be born with ridged foreheads again.

It remains to be seen whether Discovery , which features pre-original series Klingons with forehead ridges, will have something to say about the bizarre evolution of the feature, given its place in Star Trek ’s timeline. But we do know that the series will provide a biological reason for the ridges : they’re covered in extra-sensory receptors, to help Klingons detect and hunt their prey.

The Long Road to Sto’Vo’Kor

Although Klingons have been established as a warrior race from the beginning (honorable or otherwise), one major element of Klingon culture introduced in their post-original Trek appearances is an emphasis on spirituality, borrowing elements from familiar mythological cultures in our own past to turn the Klingons into quasi-warrior monks. The honor-bound nature of the Klingons has led to many instances of their culture clashing with that of the Federation through a love of rituals and remembrances, especially around the act of honoring the dead.

In the Klingon belief system, the body after death is an empty shell. The soul of a fallen Klingon goes to one of two places. If they lived an honorable life and fell in battle, they go to Sto’Vo’Kor, which is pretty much Klingon Valhalla, a heavenly plane of battles and feasting. If they were dishonored or didn’t die fighting, they go to Grethor, a fiery hellscape where their souls suffer for eternity—after the prerequisite journey on a barge through a river of death to Grethor’s gates, of course. Relatives of the deceased can perform honorable acts in their own lives to ensure their fallen relative’s soul goes to Sto’Vo’kor if they didn’t die in battle—which, in some cases, can include offering their own soul for torture in Grethor in their place, as B’Elanna attempted to do for her mother in the Voyager episode “ Barge of the Dead .”

Aside from their ritualized beliefs and honor codes, Klingon spirituality includes no gods, as legendary warriors killed them thousands of years ago. There is one important figure in Klingon religion, though: Kahless, who was the first ruler of the Klingon Empire and established its honor code. Weirdly enough, by the time of The Next Generation and beyond, the Empire was once again led by Kahless... except this time it was a lab-grown clone of the original, a slightly less intimidating figure and more of a figurehead for Klingon society than an actual ruler.

Talking Klingon

As Star Trek ’s portrayal of Klingon culture developed, so did the need to make the race feel alien beyond the makeup-drenched actors of the original show—and part of that was the development of a whole new language for Klingons to speak in. Originally devised by Scotty himself, James Doohan, and Motion Picture producer Jon Povill as part of the film’s wide-scale re-imagining of the Klingons, the Klingon language (sometimes referred to as Klingonese) as we know it today was really developed during the making of The Search for Spock by Dr. Marc Okrand.

Okrand expanded the handful of words created during The Motion Picture into a fully constructed language, and in 1985, he published The Klingon Dictionary. Originally intended as source material for writers and actors, the dictionary expanded on Klingon grammar, such as its unconventional object-verb-subject form. It also gave Klingon phrases for everything as menial as “Happy Birthday” (qoSlIj DatIvjaj) to insulting someone’s mother with the smoothness of their forehead (Hab SoSlI’ Quch!)

Okrand’s work on the Klingon language flourished, not just because of his own additions to it as Star Trek continued, but through the works of fans. Shortly after The Klingon Dictionary ’s release, fans started to learn and teach the rules Okrand had laid down, and groups like t he Klingon Language Institute started forming in the early ‘90s to study the entirely fictional language. In the years since, translations of famous texts have been made available in Klingon—from Bible passages, to the epic Gilgamesh , to Shakespearian plays (inspired by the line from Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country , “ You have not experienced Shakespeare until you have read him in the original Klingon ”), as well as an entire opera performed in the language , ‘u’ , all done by ardent fans.

Klingons are one of Star Trek ’s most enduring features—their reliable presence across 51 years of the franchise is as defining as their ability to change each time we meet them. Whether it’s in big ways or small, change is fundamental to the Klingons, from the mustachioed brutes of the original series, to the dominating, brutal, and alarmingly spiky armored hunters we’re about to meet in Star Trek: Discovery . No matter how many times they show up, it’s always guaranteed that there’s always going to be something new to learn about them. 

Crossroads (episode)

• View history
• 1.1 Act One
• 1.2 Act Two
• 2 Log entries
• 3 Memorable quotes
• 4.2 Cast and characters
• 4.3 Continuity
• 5.2 Background characters
• 5.3.1 LCARS references
• 5.4 External links

Summary [ ]

• Note: Please obey copyright policy ; do not copy material from other sources without permission.

Act One [ ]

On the USS Dauntless , as The Diviner is being helped back his bed by Ensign Asencia , he suddenly remembers his daughter's name – Gwyndala .

The USS Protostar crew travels to an ice planet where they hope to find transport to Starfleet . After burying the Protostar so it can't be used against Starfleet, the crew hikes to the nearby Denaxi Depot where they encounter a man who introduces himself as Thadiun Okona . Okona offers to give the group transport in exchange for some deuterium . Unfortunately, he is suddenly approached by a Xindi-Reptilian security team who accuse him of smuggling .

Okona is arrested.

At the outpost, the crew separates hoping to find Starfleet. Gwyn is saved from an encounter from an aggressive Klingon by Ensign Asencia, who realizes that Gwyn must be the Diviner's daughter.

Gwyn hides after realizing her father is with Starfleet

When the ensign mentions that Gwyn's father is aboard the Dauntless , Gwyn is spooked and runs off. Pog comes face to face with Dr. Noum . The pair trade insults but Pog is caught off-guard when Noum disdainfully says that Pog is a name reserved for runts . Meanwhile, Dal is intimidated when he comes face to face with Admiral Janeway. Suddenly, he spots Barniss Frex being led to the admiral and runs off before Frex can recognize him. While hiding, Dal overhears Frex describe the "fierce marauders" who destroyed the station and overhears the admiral's vow to catch them. Realizing that she intends to arrest them and concerned that Starfleet might discover the Protostar and accidentally activate the living construct weapon, Dal finds the others and they speed away on a speeder hoping to unearth the Protostar and escape. They soon find Okona, who had stowed away on their speeder hoping to evade security. When Okona suggests he can help them evade the authorities, they let him accompany them.

Act Two [ ]

The Protostar takes off with the Dauntless in pursuit. As Zero does their best to evade them, Murf hatches and accidentally fires the torpedoes when he sits on a console.

The crew watch the new Murf after he hatched

Believing they've been deliberately fired upon, Janeway orders the Dauntless to return fire, careful to disable to the ship, not destroy it. To escape the Dauntless , Dal orders Pog to initialize the proto-drive . Discovering that they're near the Romulan Neutral Zone , Okona suggests that they cross over since no Starfleet vessel would follow them in and he can remodulate their shields so the Romulans won't detect them.  Against Hologram Janeway's advice, Dal has the ship enter the Romulan Neutral Zone . When Janeway seems prepared to follow them in, Commander Tysess refuses to obey her order warning that she is letting her emotions, specifically her desire to find Chakotay dictate her actions, actions which could lead to war.

Before the admiral can decide whether to heed her first officer's advice nor not, the Dauntless is greeted by a D'deridex -class warbird and are hailed by its commander, Kaseth , who warns her not to cross into the zone.

Log entries [ ]

Memorable quotes [ ].

"Jankom Pog is so excited to be meeting a fellow Tellarite! Consider me underwhelmed." "I consider you under… something. Undersized pauper." "Hey, you're Starfleet? Pog needs to tell you… WHA? Pauper? We Tellarites are practically royalty!" "Royalty? HAHAHA! "Pog"'s a name we reserve for runts, short in size and vocabulary.

" Janeway to away team. Status report. " " Captain Janeway? " " I prefer "Vice Admiral Janeway." Is there something I can help you with? Can I help you? " " I, uh… Whew. Didn't expect… I was on my way to… What's it called? I, uh...'" " Try stringing a few words together and we'll start from there. "

" What did you do while I was sleeping?! "

" You're in more trouble than I am! "

"The real me is hunting us with a quantum slipstream Dauntless -class starship? Good luck with that." "Thanks for your support."

Background information [ ]

• The title was announced by Paramount+ on 25 October 2022 . [1]

Cast and characters [ ]

• Billy Campbell reprises his role of Thadiun Okona after last portraying the character onscreen in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode " The Outrageous Okona " in 1988 . Okona last made an appearance in the Star Trek: Lower Decks second season episode " An Embarrassment Of Dooplers ", albeit in a non-speaking portrayal.

Continuity [ ]

• The Xindi-Reptilians make their first contemporary appearance since Star Trek: Enterprise .
• Barniss Frex returns after his introduction in " Asylum " and is shown explaining his story to the Kazon slave trader from " Lost and Found ".
• Okona tried smuggling Ferengi thought makers , an illegal mind-altering device used by DaiMon Bok to control Captain Jean-Luc Picard in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode " The Battle ".
• Tysess warns Janeway of "the negotiations" and a "treaty" as they get close to the Romulan Neutral Zone border. With the season set in 2384, it can be assumed that the Federation and the Romulans were hashing out details on the evacuation of Romulus before its sun went supernova at this time. This intent in confirmed in Star Trek: Prodigy Logs .

Links and references [ ]

• Rylee Alazraqui as Rok-Tahk
• Denaxi Visitor #2
• Brett Gray as Dal
• Angus Imrie as Zero
• Ella Purnell as Gwyn
• Jason Mantzoukas as Jankom Pog
• John Noble as The Diviner
• Jimmi Simpson as Drednok (credit only)
• Kate Mulgrew as " Hologram Janeway / Vice Admiral Janeway "
• Jason Alexander as Doctor Noum
• Barniss Frex
• Klingon Pilot
• TSA Monitors
• Denaxi Visitor #1
• Commander Kaseth
• Emergency System
• Billy Campbell as Thadiun Okona
• Daveed Diggs as Commander Tysess
• Jameela Jamil as Asencia
• Xindi Sentry #1
• Xindi Sentry #2
• Xindi Sentry #3

Background characters [ ]

• Xindi Sentry #4
• Human command officer 1
• Human operations lieutenant 1
• Human sciences officer 1

References [ ]

act of war ; Andorian ; barrier ; blizzard ; Brikar ; captain ; captain (title); cargo trolley ; Chakotay ; chlorine trifluoride ; class 9 vessel ; Coalition of Madena species ; cocoon ; combadge ; CR-721 ; Dal R'El's species ; daughter ; Dauntless , USS ; Dauntless -class ; D'deridex -class ( unnamed (×2) ); Denaxi Depot ; Denobulan ; depot ; deuterium ; " dingle-dangle "; emotions ; ensign ; Erstwhile ; exothermic reaction ; eyewitness ; father ; Federation ; field trip ; " hatching ; head of security ; hover skiff ; hover speeder ; junkyard ; Kaseth's warbird ; Kazon ; kilogram : Klingon ; Klingonese ; lieutenant junior grade ; " little guy "; living construct ; Medusan ; Mellanoid slime worm ; memory ; meteorologist ; Milky Way Galaxy ; mind reader ; mommy ; name ; nanosecond ; nimbostratus cloud ; number one ; Orion ; Orion crew ; pauper ; photon torpedo ; Pog ; progeny ; proto-drive ; proto-jump ; Protostar , USS ; Protostar -class ; purple ; quantum slipstream ; Romulan ; Romulan Neutral Zone ; Romulan Star Empire ; royalty ; runt ; savage ; science vessel ; size ; sleeping ; sleep mode ; smuggler ; Starfleet ; Starfleet uniform ; Tars Lamora ; tech ; Tellarite ; " this guy "; thought maker ; transportation hub ; Trill ; Vau N'Akat ; vocabulary ; warp factor ; Xindi-Reptilian ; Xindi-Reptilian language

LCARS references [ ]

armament ; data analysis ; error log ; fuel cap ; ionization chamber ; navigation ; power distribution ; temperature monitor ; turbine ; wireframe mode

External links [ ]

• " Crossroads " at the Internet Movie Database
• " "Prodigy Crossroads" " at MissionLogPodcast.com , a Roddenberry Star Trek podcast
• 2 ISS Enterprise (NCC-1701)

• More to Explore
• Series & Movies

Published Jul 20, 2013

One Trek Mind -- 10 Best Bits of Klingon Culture

Q'aplaH!

That means “success,” though that English translation doesn't quite nail down the full meaning of this traditional Klingon salute. That's because Klingon culture is too mighty for translation!

Even though Spock might be the most famous alien in Star Trek (and maybe the world?) his Vulcan heritage, while thorough, is not quite as richly developed and discussed as much as the Federation's villains/comrades from Qu'onoS, the Klingons.

Perhaps because they were once “bad” but are now “good,” Klingons can remain lovable, yet still a little frightening. To quote the famous Vulcan: fascinating.

While I'm no Klingon scholar (I watch Shakespeare plays in the inferior English), there's enough I know and love about Klingon culture to fetishize. To that end, I present my ten most favorite Klingon... things. If you disagree with me, you dishonor me, and for that you must – DEFEND YOURSELF!

10 - Raktajino

For the more adventuresome members of the Federation out on the frontier, Raktajino, also known as Klingon coffee, was the caffeinated beverage of choice. Seems like everyone on Deep Space Nine preferred it to the typical Terran brew (or Earl Grey tea.)

Captain Sisko took his with a bit of Jacarine peel and Major Kira was such an addict that Quark had to create a non-caffeinated version when she was pregnant with Kirayoshi. (Quarktajino was, by all reports, awful.) Prior to her joining the Dax symbiont, Ezri Tigan was not a fan. Afterwards, though, she was a convert.

We never actually saw Raktajino beans (or roots or whatever), but we did see the smiling faces of everyone at at the replicator when they got their morning mug.

9 - D'k tahgs

The Klingons are a warrior race, and with fighting comes weapons. While certainly the lesser-known of the Klingon armaments, the dagger-like D'k tahg has gotten plenty of play in key Star Trek moments.

With its spring-loaded side blades, this vicious weapon was first seen as it fatally struck David Marcus, Captain Kirk's son. (The thrown knife that kills Crewman Grant in TOS ' “ Friday's Child ” is, if you recall, a Capellan Kligat.)

Kang used a D'k tahg to slay the Albino in “ Blood Oath ” and Kira was stabbed with one in “ The Way of the Warrior .” To have one's D'k tahg stolen was a great dishonor – so when Worf took Drex's, his father Martok did not let this go by unnoticed.

8 - Brak'lul

A Klingon's zest for battle comes from his honor, his desire to sing songs about his triumphs and, should he die in the heat of combat, the ability to spend the afterlife in the presence of Kahless in Sto'Vo'Kor. But some of their bravado comes from a li'l tidbit you don't hear about too much: Brak'lul.

Put bluntly, Klingons are STRONG. From a physiological point of view, they are far superior to many other species. This is made most clear through what is known as Brak'lul – in which Klingons have evolved to have redundant internal organs. Pierce a liver with a D'k tahg? No problem! We've got another one. With that kind of backup, yeah, you might feel a little less hesitant to get into a fight.

7 – Ha'quj

We can spend a lot of time talking about how Klingons look - though anyone reading StarTrek.com isn't going to bug me with such a noob question as “why do early ones have smooth foreheads?” But Klingons aren't just fearsome, they are stylish, and nothing is more stylish than a Klingon in a sash.

The sash, or Ha'quj, isn't just a tough-guy way to set off metal detectors. It can harness all sorts of weapons, but also hold a pin with your house crest. I mean, if you are a member of the House of Martok, you don't just carry a little card in your wallet – you announce this proudly on your chest for all those to see. Q'aplaH!

Everybody needs somebody to love.

A pet targ, while hardly a toy poodle, is an adorable fuzzy creature that wee Klingons can take on walks and tell their secrets to. Of course, that's a domesticated targ. You don't want to mess with a wild targ, though you may end up eating one's heart if you attend enough wedding feasts on Qu'onoS.

5 - Shroud of the Sword of Kahless

Vulcans have Surak, Klingons have Kahless the Unforgettable. (Terrans have Abe Lincoln, probably a politically wise choice for broadcast television, though clearly a mystic/prophet is the equivalent).

While the Knife of Kirom was later used to clone Kahless, the lost shroud (found somewhere out in the Gamma Quadrant) just has a nicer ring to it. For what is inchoate religion and philosophy if not shrouded in mystery and wonder? Discovering the shroud led Kor and Worf on an adventure, where the sword itself led to a Lord of the Rings -like moment.

4 – Rite of Ascension Painstiks

Some of us note the graduation from one level of achievement to another with some sort of written or oral exam. Klingons pass through a gauntlet of painstiks.

It is wonderful to observe (because there is nothing better than watching Worf go “auuuuuuughhhh!”), but nothing I'd want to go through myself. Then again, if you are the tawI'yan (or just in the wedding party) of a Klingon about to get married, you may find yourself on the Path to Kal'Haya – and while the specifics of this are still a little vague, we know this gruesome four day battle involves the following steps: Deprivation, Blood, Pain, Sacrifice, Anguish and Death.

Gee, what's wrong with a trip out a bar, huh?

3 - Bat'leth

A mighty, fearsome warrior like a Klingon could rip a puny Earther apart with his bare hands! With one hand!! Q'aplaH!!! However, why not enter the fray of combat in a little bit of style?

This two-handed, crescent-shaped scimitar is, I think we can all agree, the most badass blade in the galaxy. According to lore, the first Bat'leth was forged when Kahless the Unforgettable cut locks of his own hair, burned them in lava from the Kri'stak volcano and then cooled it in the Lake of Lusor. (I guess he couldn't just order one on Amazon.) Kahless later slew Morlor with the first Bat'leth such that the River Skral ran red with blood. It says as much in the song!

While we don't condone theft or any sort of public endangerment whatsoever, when that dude in Colorado used one to knock over two convenience stores, it was most dishonorable, but still amusing.

2 - Bloodwine

It isn't enough to just sing songs about past victories, you have to DRINK while you do it.

Good luck finding a glass of synthehol on Qu'onoS. One must quaff from a cask of Bloodwine. Q'aplaH!

No one really knows what Bloodwine is made from (or if it has actual blood), but we do know that Worf likes his “very young, and very sweet.”

There probably wasn't much doubt on this one. This Klingon delicacy of gross-lookin' worms, which are best served raw and even better served live, is without question the most wonderful thing about Klingon culture. Riker ate it. Picard ate it. Bashir ate it. I'm positive Dax ate it. (Archer, as a result of augmentation virus treatment, claimed to crave some.)

Know this: the quality of gagh is judged less by its flavor than by the vigor in which it experiences death spasms in your mouth. So . . .with that... how about one more hearty Q'aplaH!

With a culture as unique as the Klingons' I certainly had to leave plenty off the list. Damn me to Gre'Thor if you must. But tell me what YOUR favorite Klingon things are in the comments below.

__________________________________________________________________________

Jordan Hoffman is a writer, critic and lapsed filmmaker living in New York City. His work can also be seen on Film.com , ScreenCrush and Badass Digest . On his BLOG , Jordan has reviewed all 727 Trek episodes and films, most of the comics and some of the novels.

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Star Trek has never known exactly what Klingons look like, until now (maybe)

As Strange New Worlds shows us, whatever you think Klingons look like, you’re wrong

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Apart from the benevolent pointy-eared Vulcans , there’s no fictional alien species more iconic than the Klingons — not only in Star Trek , but in pop culture at large. The spacefaring warriors have evolved over half a century from generic Cold War antagonists into a complicated and spiritual culture that evokes both medieval Vikings and feudal samurai. There is a complete, functional Klingon language studied and spoken by fans around the world, who routinely don the familiar armor and forehead ridges at fan conventions. Most people who are even casually familiar with Star Trek would recognize a Klingon should one pass by on the street ( perhaps in Las Vegas , this or any August), and even applaud the remarkable accuracy of their makeup and attire.

And yet, there is not, nor has there ever been, one definitive Klingon makeup design. Despite fan uproar practically every time a substantive change is made to the craggy foreheads and wispy beards of the space conquerors, their look has been in flux from the beginning, and will likely continue to evolve along with the production technology behind Star Trek itself . In honor of the return of a more familiar appearance in the season premiere of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds , we’ve taken a deep dive into the rocky history of science fiction’s most famous forehead, from 1966 to today.

The brownface era

The Klingons were introduced during the first season of Star Trek , in the 1967 episode “Errand of Mercy.” Writer/producer Gene L. Coon used the story’s conflict between the United Federation of Planets and the rival Klingon Empire over a non-aligned planet as an allegory for Cold War proxy conflicts, but — according to the exhaustively researched book These Are the Voyages: TOS, Season One by Marc Cushman and Susan Osborn — offered only the barest physical description for the new antagonists. In the terse and insensitive parlance of a 1960s television producer, Coon referred to the Klingons merely as “hard-looking Asian types.”

It fell to makeup artist Fred Phillips and actor John Colicos (who had been cast as the episode’s lead Klingon, Kor) to decide what the character — and species — would look like. Colicos takes credit (or blame) for the Klingons’ original look, asking for a “vaguely Asian” makeup effect patterned after conqueror Genghis Khan. At Colicos’ direction, Phillips applied bushy eyebrows, a Fu Manchu, and a heavy layer of greenish-brown makeup to Colicos’ face to make him appear “not of this world.”

Though this became the accepted canonical 23rd-century “ TOS -era” look, the Klingons’ appearance actually fluctuated over the course of the series. In season 2’s Klingon stories, “Friday’s Child” and “The Trouble with Tribbles,” no false eyebrows or dark makeup were used on the (exclusively white) Klingon actors, only short beards, some of them very obviously prosthetic. The brown face paint would return in season 3, and all Klingons who appeared in its short-lived sequel, Star Trek: The Animated Series , would have a brown or orange hue to their skin. This includes individual Klingons who had previously appeared without dark makeup.

There are two major takeaways to any study of the early history of Klingon makeup design. First, that there has never been a point when the look of the Klingons wasn’t changing, and second, that we’re very lucky it did. Ardent Star Trek canonistas rail against any change to Star Trek as a production that cannot be easily explained in-universe, and for almost 40 years, the ever-changing Klingon forehead was exactly that. But maintaining the canon — either through offensive makeup or typecasting — is a dicey proposition.

In short: Change is good.

Enter the latex

When Star Trek made the leap to the big screen for 1979’s Star Trek: The Motion Picture , advances in makeup effects and a much larger budget allowed for the Klingons to receive a complete visual overhaul. Costume designer Robert Fletcher drew the first sketches of the new Klingons, adding a single knobby ridge that extended from the spine to the bridge of their nose. Fletcher wanted the Klingons to look as alien as possible, like a moloch lizard, but according to Fletcher, Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry strongly disagreed with this and wanted the Klingons to appear mostly human. The two came to a compromise, which Fletcher calls “a hairy crustacean.” Fletcher considered the Klingons’ forehead ridges to be the vestigial remains of a species that once had a rigid exoskeleton, a concept that was also incorporated into their costume design.

This concept was translated into a latex makeup design by Original Series makeup artist Fred Phillips and future Oscar-winner Ve Neill, along with a team that included makeup assistant Rick Stratton. By some accounts, it was Stratton who suggested that the Klingons should also have gnarly dental prosthetics, a suggestion that he claims was made mostly to assure himself an extra day’s paid work. Stained, jagged teeth would remain a constant.

Fletcher was called upon to further refine the new forehead design for Star Trek III: The Search for Spock . From here on out, rather than having the appearance of a single, thick spine that wrapped all the way up their necks and down to their noses, which obscured most actors’ faces beyond recognition, Klingons would appear to have a bony but less pronounced plate under their foreheads. The Search for Spock also established the idea of Klingon men growing out their hair.

This became the basic blueprint for the iconic Klingon, with makeup effects from this era being reused for years to come. But even during this era of limited revisions, there was a great deal of variation. According to Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens’ book The Art of Star Trek , Star Trek V director William Shatner encouraged makeup supervisor Richard Snell to make every featured Klingon’s forehead “as unique as a fingerprint.” As Star Trek had recently returned to television with The Next Generation and would continue to introduce new Klingons by the dozen, with the new set of forehead prosthetics designed and maintained by the legendary Michael Westmore. Westmore made an effort to create unique forehead ridge designs for every Klingon guest star, a decision he came to regret as more and more of them appeared on the show.

Over the next decade of stories, it became implied that forehead patterns were inherited traits, which reduced that workload somewhat. For instance, Worf, his brother Duras, and his son Alexander all share a similar set of forehead ridges, while the rival Duras family has their own unique “crest” of sorts. Westmore would remain in charge of Star Trek’s makeup effects department throughout the entire run of The Next Generation , Deep Space Nine , Voyager , and Enterprise , plus the four feature films released during this era, which cemented his version of the Klingon makeup design as the one most accepted by fans.

The Motion Picture ’s opening scenes introduced viewers to big-budget Star Trek, beginning with the new-and-improved Klingons. This radical redesign of The Original Series ’ most iconic villains was merely a consequence of this production’s superior resources, and was never meant to draw attention to itself. However, the rest of the film’s first act is preoccupied with the unveiling of the “almost entirely new” USS Enterprise, emphasizing that the characters are aware of the ship’s top-to-bottom, inside-out refit. Viewers were told to ignore the first aesthetic upgrade but to make a big deal out of the rest of them. This is arguably the moment that broke Trekkies’ brains forever.

For the next 17 years, Star Trek productions successfully evaded the “Klingon forehead problem,” continuing to treat their change in appearance as a retroactive, behind-the-scenes alteration rather than a canonical event. A 1994 episode of Deep Space Nine even brought back the three most popular Klingons from The Original Series , all portrayed by their original actors but sporting the modern craggy foreheads and long, wavy locks. The message was clear: This is how the Klingons look, and how they have always looked. Don’t worry about it.

In 1996, however, Deep Space Nine celebrated Trek’s 30th birthday with “Trials and Tribble-ations,” a comedic time-travel story in which the DS9 crew revisits the events of the 1967 classic “The Trouble with Tribbles,” splicing the modern crew into scenes Forrest Gump -style. By this point, Klingon Starfleet hero Worf had joined the DS9 cast, and since “The Trouble with Tribbles” employs Klingons as its central antagonists, this meant showing both TOS and TNG -era Klingons on screen at the same time. This would force the writers to acknowledge the discontinuity, which Deep Space Nine ’s writers weren’t interested in doing. Rather than make an issue of it, writers Ronald D. Moore and René Echevarria decided to play it for laughs, with Worf reluctantly admitting that yes, those are Klingons, there is a story behind why they look different, and no, he’s not going to talk about it. That’s because in the writers’ eyes, no story could have possibly made sense.

“There’s not a single explanation that is anything less than preposterous,” Moore said in a DS9 DVD featurette.

Eight years later, Star Trek: Enterprise dedicated two full episodes to a preposterous explanation as to why Klingons look different. From the very beginning of the prequel, set a century before The Original Series , Enterprise honored the new Klingon makeup effects, which had been in use for decades and were familiar to a new generation of fans. This was in line with an overall creative decision not to allow the limitations of a 1960s series to dictate how storytellers in the 2000s depicted the distant future. However, during Enterprise ’s fourth and final season, the show became more fixated than ever on the franchise’s past, leading to the two-part episode, “Affliction” and “Divergence,” in which a genetic augmentation turned virus mutates most Klingons to more closely resemble humans in both appearance and temperament. Only a handful of old-school, “mutated” Klingons appear in the episode, and though there’s no documentation on how it was applied, the makeup certainly looks faithful to the original (read: not great).

It is implied that the Klingons spend the next century working on a cure, after which they purge all evidence of this shameful event from their history. This two-parter would turn out to be the Klingons’ final appearance on Enterprise , as the series would be canceled shortly thereafter. All future Star Trek productions would employ some variation on the bumpy-headed Klingon design that Trekkies had come to know, though not all attempts proved to be very popular…

Baldly going

The cancellation of Enterprise in 2005 brought an end to the continuous 18-year run of Star Trek on television under executive producer Rick Berman, but the franchise was almost immediately revived under new management, with director J.J. Abrams and his Bad Robot production company at the helm. Now rebooted as a blockbuster feature film series, Trek once again received the benefit of a fresh start on the big screen, equipped with the latest production innovations and a new set of creative contributors. Though teased behind helmets that obscured their faces in scenes that were shot for 2009’s Star Trek that were ultimately cut for time, the next iteration of the Klingon makeup design was unveiled in 2013’s Star Trek Into Darkness .

This new design, created by makeup effects artists David LeRoy Anderson and Neville Page, had to hold up under the unforgiving eye of IMAX cameras. They were sculpted digitally and then 3D printed as reference for the final latex sculpts. While many of the background Klingons had long manes and beards under their helmets, their leader, portrayed by Sean Blakemore, is totally hairless. This allows him to show off not only a triangular ridged forehead but a central, spine-like ridge that wraps all the way from his brow to his back, harkening back to the original Motion Picture revamp.

Anderson and Page made one major addition to the Klingon aesthetic: scarification and ceremonial piercings, not only through the ears but through the forehead ridges themselves. In a featurette included with the Into Darkness Blu-ray, Page suggests that these piercings are akin to painting icons on the side of a warplane, with each one representing a victory. Apart from this ornamentation, Anderson and Page’s Klingons were not an enormous departure from what had been depicted before, though that hardly dissuaded canonistas — who generally reviled the Abrams films — from harping on the change.

However, criticism of the Into Darkness Klingons paled in comparison to the outrage that surrounded the next iteration of the Klingon makeup design, which debuted in the opening minutes of Star Trek: Discovery in 2017. The series, which would shepherd a prolific new era for the franchise on streaming television, was as bold an aesthetic departure from the TNG era as The Motion Picture had been from TOS . There were a number of canon-fudging new elements on Discovery , but none received quite as much hate as the new Klingons, or as haters on social media dubbed them, “Klingorcs.” Where Into Darkness had been an incremental change in the Klingon aesthetic, Discovery was a total overhaul designed by Neville Page and Glenn Hetrick of Alchemy FX Studios, based on the input of original showrunner Bryan Fuller.

According to a promotional interview with CBS News , Fuller mandated that the Klingons should be hairless, leading Page and Hetrick to consider what might have been hidden underneath the Klingons’ locks. They decided that Klingons’ famous head ridges would house sensory pits that grant them a greater ability to defend themselves from ambush, and that these ridges should continue along the entire circumference of their skulls. The skulls themselves were elongated, evoking the shape of the tall headdresses worn by some pharaohs of Upper Egypt. In a final touch, the new Klingons had a variety of grayscale skin tones not found in humans.

Page credits the influence of H.R. Giger in creating this more alien and unsettling Klingon appearance. The new makeup effects employed the latest in available technology, including 3D sculpting and printing that allowed the makeup team to mass-produce forehead elements and mix and match them so that each character could have a subtly different design. The makeup was accompanied by a dramatically different costume design intended to distort the shape of actors’ bodies and imply additional organs inside their frame.

Honorable retreat

After the backlash against the new look (and the early departure of Fuller), the second season of Discovery immediately rolled back some of the show’s more aggressive changes to the Klingon design. To begin with, long hair was back in fashion (explained in-story by the end of their war with the Federation), but there were also more subtle changes, like the softening of some of the more pronounced alien facial features.

This design was better received, but the controversy seemed to make the producers of newer Star Trek shows nervous about including the Klingons in further stories. Animated shows Lower Decks and Prodigy employed the TNG Klingon designs, while the following five seasons of live-action Trek ( Discovery seasons 3 and 4, Picard seasons 1 and 2, and Strange New Worlds season 1) would feature no Klingons whatsoever. When the fan-favorite Worf returned for the final season of Star Trek: Picard , he appeared with his familiar “turtlehead” latex appliance, honoring current Trek executive producer Alex Kurtzman’s promise back in 2020 that, regardless of Discovery ’s Klingon redesign, Worf would always “look like Worf.”

Finally, later that year, the initial trailers for season 2 of Strange New Worlds signaled the return of the Klingons, back in the long-haired, craggy-headed flesh. Gone were the extra-bulky bodies, the implied sensor pits, and the inhuman flesh tones. The makeup itself is clearly new, but the aesthetic is unmistakably retro, reproducing the appearance of TNG -era Klingons with modern techniques and resources.

This likely signals the end of bold experimentation with the Klingon forehead. The fans have spoken, and while conceding to the demands of an audience that invariably demands more of what they already have can often be dangerous, few would argue that the online mob was wrong about this one. Still, it would be a mistake to characterize this design reversion as a return to the “real” Klingon forehead. There is no such thing, and there never will be. Like all ongoing fictional narratives (or even complete ones), Star Trek is always changing, as well it should. Attempts to innovate on established concepts and intellectual property should be applauded, even when they’re not entirely successful. Otherwise, we could end up staring into the mirror 50 years from now, embarrassed, with brown foundation and glued-on eyebrows on our faces.

Star Trek: Discovery is cracking open a box Next Gen closed on purpose

Star trek: discovery is finally free to do whatever it wants, the 10 horniest episodes of star trek, ranked by cultural impact, loading comments....

Best Star Trek games of all time

Boldly go where no one has gone before with our in-depth, ranked list of the best Star Trek games of all time.

10. Star Trek Prodigy: Supernova

9. star trek: klingon academy, 8. star trek: invasion, 7. star trek: elite force ii, 6. star trek: bridge crew, 5. star trek: deep space nine – the fallen, 4. star trek: voyager – elite force, 3. star trek: starfleet command iii, 2. star trek: bridge commander, 1. star trek online.

It's only logical that you check out our list of the best Star Trek games of all time.

Star Trek: Resurgence , a new narrative-driven video game based on the famous sci-fi franchise, has just hit the shelves and garnered positive reviews. While it looks like a perfect entry point for newcomers to the Star Trek universe , it also reminded us of all the older titles that deserve more attention nowadays, as well as recent releases that have flown under the radar. Below you’ll find our picks for the very best Star Trek games of all time, ranked worst to best.

Much like the movie and TV franchise they’re based on, Star Trek video games have traditionally been more obscure than Star Wars titles, or at least more demanding from players trying to warp into the unknown. Still, Star Trek has produced a handful of remarkable games well worth checking out if you’ve got the time.

If you need some recommendations to better navigate through the Star Trek movies released so far, be sure to check out our list of the Star Trek movies ranked, worst to best . Likewise, we’ve got plenty of other sci-fi gaming suggestions (old and new) with our lists of the finest Alien , Warhammer 40K , Marvel , and DC games of all time.

• Platforms: PC, PS4/5, Xbox One/Series X/S, Nintendo Switch
• Developer: Tessera Studios

After a successful season 1 on Paramount+ in late 2021 and early 2022, the animated series Star Trek Prodigy received its own tie-in video game in late 2022. Star Trek Prodigy: Supernova is far from being the deepest nor most representative title the franchise has received, but it’s tailor-made for the next generation of fans.

There’s plenty of top-down action and adventure for the whole family here, coupled with reasonable puzzles and a co-op option which seems perfect for Trekkie parents trying to get their children into the universe. In an age when tie-in games are rare and normally undercooked, Star Trek Prodigy: Supernova has almost all the charm of the source material and doesn’t stumble too often.

• Platforms: PC
• Developer: 14 Degrees East

Klingon Academy is one of the many weird, overlooked Star Trek video games that were born from an era when the most obvious projects had already been developed. Movies and TV shows weren’t at their highest peak either during the late 90s and early 2000s, so many off-beat and fascinating titles came out during those years.

Star Trek: Klingon Academy was yet another space flight sim, with the main difference being that it followed a young Klingon warrior joining the Elite Command Academy in order to prepare for a future conflict with the United Federation of Planets. While it was designed as a successor to Starfleet Academy, the unique setting and storyline, coupled with complex systems that rewarded diehard players, placed it among Star Trek’s finest games as years passed.

• Platforms: PS1
• Developer: Warthog Games

The year 2000 also gave us Star Trek: Invasion, a pretty competent and good-looking space combat shooter for the original PlayStation. It perhaps didn’t get enough attention back then because it strayed a bit too far from the spirit of the franchise, but the quality and retro thrills are there.

On the downside, the music largely missed the mark and barely felt like a proper Star Trek soundtrack, plus many ships in the game weren’t canon-accurate. Still, Invasion landed critical shots with everything else and provided a Star Trek experience unlike anything that had come before it.

• Platforms: PC, macOS
• Developer: Ritual Entertainment

Star Trek tried its luck with the first-person shooter genre as well, and found great success twice. While Ritual Entertainment’s Elite Force II isn’t as remarkable as the first installment, there was plenty to love in it, including much-improved graphics.

Oddly enough, Elite Force II also serves as a semi-sequel of sorts to the largely derided movie Star Trek: Nemesis as well as the end of the Star Trek: Voyager series. As for the gameplay, it’s an exciting mix of FPS action and surprisingly solid puzzle-solving. The game resonated well with critics and veteran fans alike, but it was a commercial failure and marked the final Star Trek release by Activision.

• Platforms: PC, PS4, Oculus Quest
• Developer: Red Storm Entertainment

Star Trek: Bridge Crew was hard to fully recommend around launch to the average player or Trekkie because it was strictly a virtual-reality title, but there was eventually an update that introduced the option to play it without VR. It takes place in the Kelvin timeline (created by the 2009 movie) and sees the Starfleet ship USS Aegis searching for a new homeworld for the Vulcans.

Players can choose from four roles: captain, tactical officer, engineer, and helm officer. Many tasks, both story-related and randomly generated, are performed from the ship’s bridge, and it’s all about working as a team to come out unscathed from dangerous and stressful situations. It’s a rather unique and more casual experience that channels much of Star Trek’s distinctive soul without alienating newcomers.

If you do have a VR headset then that's the best way to play, but it's worth checking out regardless.

• Developer: The Collective

Back to the off-beat titles from the early 2000s, we find Star Trek: Deep Space Nine – The Fallen, a rather straightforward but surprising third-person shooter that made good use of the Unreal Engine and allowed itself to be creepy and scary at times.

Players can choose to play through the entire game as either Captain Benjamin Sisko, Major Kira Nerys, or Lt. Commander Worf. The different points of view shed new light on the overall plot, and the entire story isn’t fully revealed until all three paths have been walked. Another nice touch was the inclusion of gadgets and comm mechanics that break up the action and give the whole experience a deeper Star Trek feeling than some of the reskins we've seen.

• Platforms: PC, macOS, PS2
• Developer: Raven Software

The first Elite Force game was specifically linked to Star Trek: Voyager’s sixth season, and introduced the Hazard Team, a new elite security section created to deal with extremely hostile missions. While the USS Voyager makes some repairs after being trapped in a starship graveyard, the Hazard Team is tasked with protecting the ship and the crew.

“Set your phasers to frag”, said the game’s cover, and that certainly wasn’t a lie. Raven Software, generally known for their work on the excellent Star Wars: Jedi Knight titles, made great use of the id Tech 3 engine, which was the perfect choice at the time for top-tier FPS games. Its action-heavy approach also meant it was very appealing to players that weren’t big Star Trek fans. More than 20 years later, this one still feels fantastic to play.

• Developer: Taldren

The Starfleet Command series had a pretty great run, and its third entry remains the best Star Trek space sim and real-time strategy title the franchise has ever had. It packs great story-driven missions split across three factions (Klingon Empire, Romulan Empire, and the Federation), engrossing RPG elements, and RTS mechanics, and yet somehow never feels overcomplicated or obtuse. Moreover, a Borg Collective campaign was also added to the game as downloadable content, though it wasn’t connected to the main storyline.

If you only have time for a handful of Star Trek titles as you explore the best that Trek has to offer, Starfleet Command III is absolutely the must-play of the space sim bunch and also a great accompaniment to a full rewatch of The Next Generation, DS9, and Voyager.

• Developer: Totally Games

In many ways, Bridge Commander feels like a key predecessor to Bridge Crew, with its focus on the ship’s bridge and the crew working together to solve many problems and win battles. As this was a full-blown PC game made for diehard Star Trek fans, it offered a deeper experience than many other entries on this list, featuring tactical gameplay and hands-on control of the many ship systems.

While Star Trek: Bridge Commander might not be everyone’s cup of tea and requires a certain amount of commitment to learning the ropes, we can’t think of a richer game for massive Trekkies. Furthermore, customized scenarios in “simulated environments” can keep it going after the story campaign is completed.

• Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One
• Developer: Cryptic Studios

It’s not often that a franchise’s best game is an MMORPG, but Cryptic Studios’ unyielding commitment to Star Trek Online has paid off for more than a decade now. Like many MMOs before, it originally launched requiring a game purchase and monthly fees, but later shifted to a free-to-play model with premium access to extra content and items.

Even if you don’t spend any money, Star Trek Online keeps expanding in meaningful ways and offers both on-foot and starship action that perfectly captures the IP’s magic with story quests and PvP battles surprisingly well-adjusted to the MMO framework. 

Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: [email protected].

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Fran Ruiz is our resident Star Wars guy. His hunger for movies and TV series is only matched by his love for video games. He got a BA of English Studies, focusing on English Literature, from the University of Malaga, in Spain, as well as a Master's Degree in English Studies, Multilingual and Intercultural Communication. On top of writing features and other longform articles for Space.com since 2021, he is a frequent collaborator of VG247 and other gaming sites. He also serves as associate editor over at Star Wars News Net and its sister site, Movie News Net.

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Star Trek Advertised Enterprise By Having A Klingon Knock Out A Hater

"Star Trek: Enterprise" debuted on September 26, 2001 , the sixth official "Star Trek" series since the debut of Gene Roddenberry's original in 1966. "Enterprise" came right at the end of a massive "Star Trek" renaissance that saw the 1987 debut of the massively successful "Star Trek: The Next Generation," the 1993 debut of "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine," the 1995 debut of "Star Trek: Voyager," and the release of "Star Trek: Generations," "Star Trek: First Contact," and "Star Trek: Insurrection" in theaters. The glut of "Star Trek" was a dream for TV programmers who would often schedule entire blocks of the franchise merely to puff up their docket. Personally, this author recalls a time when "NextGen," "DS9," and the original series would run back-to-back-to-back on certain weeknights.

The Sci-Fi Channel, now called Syfy, also leaned heavily on "Star Trek" when it launched back in 1992. "Star Trek" reruns became part of the nascent cable station's bread and butter, ensuring that audiences would have access to the franchise almost 24 hours a day. Indeed, there was a time in the late 1990s when it seemed that sci-fi channels and Viacom-associated TV affiliates played almost nothing but "Star Trek." The property perhaps stood on the precipice of being overexposed.

It was in that spirit that Space, the CTV Sci-Fi channel in Canada, chose to advertise the then-upcoming "Enterprise" with a "Star Trek"-hating fanboy whining about how there was just too much "Star Trek" in the world. A sixth series, the protagonist of the commercial said, was one toke over the line, as there weren't enough Trekkies in the world to justify the overwhelming volume. Cleverly, the whiner is socked in the face by a Trekkie dressed in full Klingon regalia.

The ad sees an angry young man wearing a "NO MORE STAR TREK" t-shirt and carrying a clipboard knocking on the door of a suburban home. An old woman answers and the angry hater requests that she sign his petition, asking Space to stop running so much "Star Trek." The old woman listens politely as the bitter young man complains that Space is already running four "Star Trek" shows in a row, and that the only audience for such a thing is comprised of basement-dwelling nerds. "They wear stupid costumes," he raves, "go to conventions, and call themselves 'Captain' and stuff! It's gotta stop!"

The old woman says that she won't sign his petition, but that her adult son, Gary, will. She calls Gary, and he emerges from the house dressed as a Klingon, complete with forehead makeup and a long wig . Gary immediately punches the hater in the face, causing him to fall backward. "P'takh!," he yells, a common Klingon insult. Gary's mom then turns to him and yells, in Klingon, that he fights without honor and that he must return to his quarters.

The announcer then implores audiences to get ready for more "Star Trek," as "Enterprise" debuts in a few days.

Despite the 1990s glut of "Star Trek," many sci-fi fans felt like a cat in a sunbeam. This was a time when they could remain comforted at all hours, happy to be warmed by their favorite space opera. Was Space showing too much "Star Trek?" For many, there was no such thing. Whining about "Star Trek" would only invite punches to the face by angry Klingons.

Too much Star Trek?

Modern Trekkies have been similarly spoiled by a second "Star Trek" renaissance. When CBS All Access launched in 2017, it debuted "Star Trek: Discovery," the first "Star Trek" TV series since the cancelation of "Enterprise" in 2005. "Discovery" was merely a statement of intent by Paramount to put all of its eggs in the "Star Trek" basket. In the next four years, the streaming service (eventually called Paramount+) debuted "Star Trek: Short Treks," "Star Trek: Picard," "Star Trek: Lower Decks," "Star Trek: Prodigy," and "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds."

There was a brief window when all six of these shows seemed to be in production simultaneously, and Paramount announced plans for even more "Star Trek" shows. One can imagine an advertisement for Paramount+ wherein a "Star Trek"-hating nerd tried to start an online petition declaring that there was too much "Star Trek" in the world, only to be punched out by Jet Reno (Tig Notaro). Despite the number of "Star Trek" shows, however, seasons had been reduced from their '90s heyday of 26 episodes to a streaming standard of 10-13. Ultimately, the number of raw "Trek" hours was about the same as in the 1990s.

Of course, a hater didn't need to take out "Enterprise" or the Second "Star Trek" Renaissance. The former suffered from poor ratings in a post-9/11 world  and was canceled after four seasons. More recently, the streaming model has proven difficult to make profitable, and Paramount can no longer afford to make as much "Star Trek" as it did, which has led to it canceling most of its shows (as of this writing, "Strange New Worlds" and the upcoming "Starfleet Academy" are the only ones with a definite future ).

Sad to say, that guy in the "NO MORE STAR TREK" t-shirt got his way.

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Jonathan Frakes Sees Opportunities With Streaming Star Trek Movies, Weighs In On “Filler Episodes”

| April 25, 2024 | By: Laurie Ulster 69 comments so far

Earlier this week, TrekMovie’s All Access Star Trek podcast team spoke to director and Star Trek: The Next Generation (and Picard ) star Jonathan Frakes along with Deep Space Nine star Armin Shimerman, DS9 guest star Kitty Swink, and television writer/producer Juan Carlos Coto, brother of late  Enterprise  writer/producer Manny Coto. They had all gathered together to talk about the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network and their team Trek Against Pancreatic Cancer for the Purple Stride walk this Saturday, April 27th. During the wide-ranging chat, Frakes weighed in some some of the latest Star Trek news.

Frakes talks Lower Decks and 2-hour streaming movie format

Jonathan Frakes had some thoughts regarding the future of Lower Decks , reacting to the recent news that the upcoming fifth season of the animated series will be its last . He directed the Lower Decks / Strange New Worlds “Those Old Scientists” crossover, and when asked if he thought there could be another crossover episode, he saw it as a possibility:

“I think the show did so well. You know, [co-showrunner] Akiva [Goldsman] would would certainly take the swing like that. I think [co-showrunner] Henry Alonso Myers would too. I’m not sure how Paramount Plus or Alex [Kurtzman] would feel about it, but it worked.”

After some talk about whether or not Lower Decks could be revived like Prodigy was on Netflix, Frakes brought up that a new format could offer possibilities:

“I do know that there’s a lot of positive energy around the Michelle Yeoh Section 31 movie. So that 2-hour format is now on the table for Star Trek going forward.”

Frakes agreed that in addition to  Lower Decks , this format could also be a home for Terry Matalas’ Star Trek: Legacy pitch for a spin-off of the third season of Picard. When asked, Frakes said “of course” Matalas has spoken to him about Legacy . If Legacy did transform into a streaming movie, Frakes doesn’t expect he would direct, predicting Terry would “hire himself” to helm it as he did for the season 3 finale.

Jonathan Frakes in season 2 of  Lower Decks

Frakes weighs in on “filler episodes”

One of the recent hot topics around Star Trek centers around comments from executive producer Alex Kurtzman about how the modern streaming era of 10-episode seasons forces them to “really make sure that every story counts,” noting he has talked to writers who worked on earlier incarnations of Trek with 26-episode seasons who lamented having to do “filler episodes.” When the subject of filler episodes was brought up, Frakes said of TNG:

“The only filler I thought was real was when they clearly did a clip show [“Shades of Gray”]. That was a piece of shit.”

Frakes agreed with Juan Carlos Coto (a writer and showrunner on the ABC series 9-1-1 ) who said filler episodes were “never intentional.” They pointed out that budgets get spent at the beginning and end of seasons, so “in the middle, there’s a lot of talking.” As Frakes admitted, some of the best material had to be saved for the right time:

“We made 26 episodes a year, they had a set budget for the year and you split it up 26 ways or however they saw fit… and you got to save stuff for the cliffhanger… Like ‘Best of Both Worlds,’ Picard is Locutus and we’re about to fucking blow up the ship and kill him.”

Shelby (Elizabeth Dennehy) and Riker (Jonathan Frakes) in the final moments of “Best of Both Worlds” season 3 cliffhanger finale

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Imagine Deep Space Nine, with 10 episodes per season and how forced and unrealistic many of the storylines and character developments would look.

Cheers to the “filler” episodes !

“Duet”, probably the best episode of Season 1, was a filler episode.

I don’t really count that as “filler”, since it advanced the evolution of Kira’s character. Now, “Looking for Par’Mach…” is filler. Sure, we get to see more Klingon culture, but I could do without the BDSM implications of said culture.

But it the moment dax and word became a couple so not a ‘filler’ ep

I think “Duet” is a bottle episode, but not a filler episode. But we are having a hard time defining filler episodes here at TrekMovie for that reason! “Duet” was a really important episode for Kira’s character that changed her in some way, and was, I’m guessing, a story they really wanted to do. I love “Explorers,” but that strikes me as more of a DS9 filler than “Duet.”

Bottle shows are money savers. Filler shows go back to the writer’s room.

You have to cram 26 episodes into a season. Episodes are being broken while others are being written while others episodes are in pre-production while others are being filmed while others are in various stages of post production. It’s the I Love Lucy chocolate assembly line. You need ideas. At times, any ideas. Some will work well, some will fail, some will have done better if more time, but we can’t worry about that now because we need to keep moving.

If season 1 of DS9 were ten episodes, instead of eighteen, we probably would have lost Q-Less, Move Along Home, and Dramatis Personae off the bat. Duet would have been kept. There would have been more time for the writers to write and write well. We may have gotten other gems that there was never time to develop.

DS9 did an amazing job later in its run running a tight ship with 26 episodes, far more than the other shows, and shorter seasons would have been sad for us – I’d have preferred 52 episodes a season, but the producers would have died. It’s about balance.

Duet was one of my favourite episodes of DS9, filler or bottle or whateverI don’t care it was a high point of the show.

Absolutely. DS9 for me still the number 1 Star Trek show. And it is because of these long story arcs and filler episodes.

Every episode is so thoughtful. This is why my expectations are higher watching the new shows, specially Discovery and Picard.

Great script. Brilliant character development. Connections. Issues. Actors. Producers. The whole thing is truly a masterpiece.

Yes to both points. TBH I don’t mind a more serialized approach like Discovery and Picard, but the so-called “filler” episodes do add a lot to the characters and world-building they can do. Yes, some of them aren’t great, but I’d gladly take that along with the great episodes that can stem from the “filler.”

And I really do think Lower Decks could thrive with a movie format, or even just hour-long specials similar to South Park.

I like the idea of multi-episode streaming movies, viewed online. What are the current series long shows like Discovery, if not that? Multi-part shows, streamed online over 8-10 weeks, loosely or tightly inter-connected. SNW’s breaks that mold a little bit with more seeming stand-alone episodes, albeit connected by the underlying plot threads – Pikes knowledge of his demise, for example.

It’s frequently commented that many seasons of the current shows feel stretched. Movie format suits the kind of storytelling modern Trek wants to do (which is emulate modern action movies).

I love this man so much and hope to see him back as Riker again someday. I would love a Legacy TV movie.

And I agree with him, I don’t look as most shows making filler episodes. As long as they give us good stories and character development I will watch them all. It doesn’t mean every episode is great of course but every viewer will judge it on their own. What people consider filler to them will be an impactful episode to others.

All I know is while none of these shows are perfect I watch TNG, TOS and Enterprise religiously and those shows have way more solid episodes than bad ones in my book.

Everything he touches, turns out amazing.

Thunderbirds has entered the chat, LOL!

I was going to leave it as a snarky comment, but come on. Everyone loves Frakes.

Best episodes. First Contact. Hope Frakes and Ira Steven Behr could direct Berman era movies.

I would love for Behr to be involved again on some level with Star Trek. Still one of the best writers to ‘this day! He and Frakes teaming up to do a movie would be amazing!

If he comes back, will be for the Return of the Sisko! :D I am an optimist. Really hope Avery is just having fun just waiting for the right time and the right script.

Yes totally agree!!! That would be fantastic.

Yep fully agree. The way people view an episode is always different. And yeah there have been tons of ‘filler’ episodes that have become pretty iconic in their own right.

The classic shows have all generally aged well because there are so many episodes and you get such a wide range of stories and character driven episodes fans have gotten to appreciate that sadly the new shows rarely have time for and never get to focus on secondary characters.

People have been complaining about the extreme lack of character development of the Discovery bridge crew for five seasons now. With more episodes and not about the galaxy being in jeopardy every season maybe we could’ve gotten at least a few Detmer or Owo focused stories.

And it’s just fun to turn on a random TOS or VOY episode that is really harder to do with the new stuff.

And yes Frakes is amazing! He embodies the Star Trek spirit like no other!

Yes this is it exactly! The ‘filler’ episodes gave us a wide range of character development this new stuff just does a passing glance at because it’s too serialized and plot driven. In the golden era of Trek you got both. DS9 hello?

Those shows can really slow down and give us some great stuff. One of my favorite Enterprise episodes is Shuttlepod One. I adore it because you get real insight into Reed and Trip. It’s no way an episode like that could ever be made today because they don’t have the room and there isn’t enough shooting or explosions.

BTW, a little off topic but have you been watching this season of Discovery at all? Any thoughts? I don’t think I’ve seen a single post from you about any of the season or episodes so far.

I just watched the first episode of the season a week ago. It was OK but just not for me. I really only watched it because it connected to The Chase, one of my favorites.

I said I would try and watch the next episode but no motivation. Discovery just isn’t for me I guess. I still haven’t finished watching seasons 3 and 4 either lol.

But I hear others are really enjoying it though. Good for them. 😊

How about yourself dear? Maybe I might try it again later when it’s over and if I hear good things about the ending.If not, no bother. I haven’t looked in any of the threads on this board discussing the season.

I am enjoying it for the most part: certainly more than I thought I would lol.

But it’s still Discovery and there are still scenes of people discussing their feelings or just a lot of back and forth discussions that feel pretty aimless or just there to pad the episode. I really didn’t like the last episode at all but the one before that one was great and felt like the type of story you would get out of a Berman era show.

So it’s up and down but I do think a lot people are liking it overall including this board which says a lot lol.

I’m still a little nervous it may not stick to landing by the end but we only have 5 more episodes and then the show is done for good. Wow.

Good to know. I do know the show is trying to connect more to classic Star Trek like TNG and DS9. That’s a big positive at least and maybe why more people are excited about it right now. But are a lot of people watching it this season? No one I know online is really talking about it as much like before but maybe just where I lurk on social media.

Hopefully it will end well for its fans.

Yeah that seems to be a topic in a number of places and if a lot of people are watching the season since discussion over it seems to be generally down this season. The only answer real answer I have is I have no clue.

But it was cancelled for a reason, maybe a lot of people were already watching it less in season 4 like yourself. If that’s true not a shock less are watching it now. It’s going to take more than latching your season to a 30 year old TNG episode to get those people back if they already left

Well regardless who is watching I do hope they are enjoying it. I may try and give it another chance at some point.

Oh however I have started watching Prodigy for the first time and you were so right! That show is phenomenal!! I just thought I was too old for it but it’s so much fun and loving Janeway with the new characters!

I’m on episode 9 now but can’t wait to finish it. I’m really excited when the real Janeway shows up but Hologram Janeway is so much fun too. The new characters really feel fleshed out as well and loving the storyline. This feels like Star Trek of old again. I’m so happy you and others convinced me to watch it.

I really can’t wait for season 2 seeing how great season 1 is so far. 😊

Wow that’s amazing news! 😀

I’m so happy to hear that. Yeah Prodigy is great. It doesn’t mean everyone loves it and it obviously didn’t get that many viewers (but I think due to calling it a kids show and why people like you stayed away) but the show just has so much heart and why I love it.

This is the show I’m most excited to see again and can’t wait to see the kids on the Voyager A with Admiral Janeway and the Doctor.

And see there is something you like in NuTrek after all!

Haha indeed!

Prodigy does an amazing job with its characters and manage to tell fun and interesting stories. I thought I wasn’t going to like Dal or Gwynn much and they became very lovable once I realize everything they been through and becoming more of a team. Jangom Pog cracks me up and Rok is adorable.

I also love it has a strong connection to Voyager. I’m very excited to have the real Janeway back too. It’s proof I shouldn’t judge something until I see it but I never thought it was bad just not for me.

That’s great to hear, Legacy. I was similarly surprised upon first viewing of PRO, at the quality of the show’s writing, visuals and overall Trek ‘feel.’ It’s a rare example of modern Trek done Right.

So true Danpaine. There is so much of NuTrek I feel they either get wrong or too focused on action and big stakes instead of just telling a solid story which Prodigy really seems to do.

I don’t need another story about trying to destroy the galaxy. This show is more my speed and makes this old bird really appreciate the Star Trek I fell in love with again.

Get ready for the next 11 episodes. You will be surprised how great is Prodigy. Can’t wait to watch Season 2 on Netflix.

I’m going to watch the next few episodes this weekend. It’s only gotten stronger. And I peeped ahead with some of the surprises and happy Captain Jelico and the Xindi makes an appearance. I know just small cameos but still happy to see them back. I don’t know what happens next in the story so can’t wait!

Will season 2 come out this year? I really hope so now. We need more quality Trek like this show.

It’s been confirmed by Netflix it will debut this year at least but zero word on when.

So great to hear! Without a doubt this show has a new fan and I’ll be watching season 2 the day it drops!

I truly can’t wait now and nearly done with season 1. 🙂

Yes you are so right! I just finished episode 14 this weekend and it’s just so much fun. I was excited to see Admiral Janeway back and shrieked when the Xindi appeared lol. One of my favorite species in Star Trek.

The story just feels so well thought out and loving how they are handling all the characters in it. I’m going to try and finish the rest of it by this weekend.

I can’t believe I didn’t bother to watch this until now.

Great to see more Prodigy love. It’s my favorite of the new shows. I love how it walks the line of being a very unique take on the franchise, while capturing the heart and soul of the older shows. The serialized story works well as a connective tissue and giving their adventure long-term stakes, but having done a rewatch in a random order made me realize just how well a lot of the episodes work on their own (once you get past the initial part connecting to the main story).

Now I just need Netflix to hurry up and release it, lol.

Yes I really appreciate how the episodes still feel very episodic but the main story connects very well. That was the problem I had with Discovery and Picard. I felt the serialized story fell apart halfway through but there are not enough episodic stories to keep me invested.

Right now Prodigy is doing both. I’m very surprised how solid the story telling is here.

I watched the silver age of Star Trek as a kid. Now that I’m older, I appreciate the hard work that the great Rick Berman, Brannon Braga, Michael Piller, and others did. They worked tirelessly around the clock to bring the audiences the best stories and best productions they could with what they had. I don’t use or believe in “filler episodes. ”

If I was going to use that concept, I would use it to describe Disco, Picard, and SNW. These three shows have a beginning and end but nothing substantial in the middle….it’s like they are filling in stuff to get to the end.

I so agree with you dear. I really appreciate all the amazing shows we got in the 90s. It was such a great time to be a fan and I been watching Trek since the 60s. So many great stories and characters.

I think people like Berman, Piller, Moore, Braga etc gets more praise today to see how many quality stories they produced with half the time and money these new shows gets now (and still nowhere as compelling or thoughtful as we got back then).

I did really enjoy Picard season 3 but it’s still not nearly as good as TNG was but it at least tried to be.

Season 3 was more like an extended TNG movie to me and it was a lot better than 3 of the 4 TNG movies with a much better send off for every character than Nemesis.

Yeah I loved the send off they got in season 3. It’s just a much more and satisfying ending than what we got in Nemesis.

I just loved the last episode so much and will always feel special to me. It was a great Trek season overall even if it still wasn’t perfect.

Yes fully agree season 3 felt like a movie and gave us some great drama and twists. I actually like most of the TNG movies minus Generations (hated how it killed Kirk) but they are below the TOS movies but still far above the JJ reboot movies for me. I barely even count those as canon, but my opinion only of course.

Even though I liked it more than others, Nemesis was a real let down as well so it was nice to give them a better ending on this show.

Did Frakes threw some shade towards Kurtzman about crossover episodes? or am I misunderstanding his comments there. In any case I am also of the camp that apart from clip shows, which should never exist, fillers can be the best episodes of any series. I mean I rewatch the “filler” episodes much more, episodes like “Duet” from DS9, “Timeless” from Voyager, “The Inner Light” from TNG. Even in other series for example like Stargate or Farscape I usually prefer the excellent filler episodes rather than the ongoing serial ones. Or in the X-Files. I think that show had some phenomenal “filler” episodes.

I agree with pretty much everything except calling Timeless a filler episode. It was anything but because that was Voyager’s 100th episode and was supposedly one of the most expensive to shoot that year.

And you can’t bring Geordie on and call it that. 😉

Thanks for clearing that up actually, I knew Takei’s episode “Flashback” was an anniversary episode but didn’t realize till now that “Timeless” was actually the 100th episode.

If you go to a Star Trek Jeopardy special event, you will beat everyone. Totally forgot Timeless was the 100th episode, which by the way, it was one of my favorite VOY episodes.

“ If you go to a Star Trek Jeopardy special event, you will beat everyone.”

Unless it involves correctly spelling the given name of the D’s chief engineer.

Lol thanks but there are plenty of things I don’t remember and Timeless was a big deal at the time. And I listen to The Delta Flyers which did an amazing job going through the entire show and Timeless was one they really discussed in-depth.

I think Frakes did indeed throw Kurtzman under a bus there. “Those Old Scientists” is receiving a lot of accolades, so that tracks.

If Duet and (in particular) TIL are “filler” episodes, the term is meaningless.

“Filler” and “bottle episode” are getting used interchangeably lately. The Inner Light I’d say is neither. Duet is definitely a bottle episode.

YASSSS!!! Filler and bottle are getting bandied about nilly-willy.I said this when Battlestar started on SciFi and people griped about the short seasons. Even in the best of 22-26 episode seasons, I’ve always said there’s room to cut 12 hours of filler, whether it’s an entire episode or just meandering subplots.

Standalone EPs on ‘x files’ became more effective than the on the going alien invasion arc

DS9’s “Far Beyond the Stars” was a filler, and it’s still one of the best episodes of television ever. So don’t tell me that filler episodes can’t be great.

I disagree about “Far Beyond the Stars” was a filler. That was not cheap with the new sets and everything. I think a DS9 filler episode is more like “Rivals.” That one was very bad.

Sorry, friend, but “Far Beyond the Stars” was NOT a filler episode. That goddamn thing MEANT something. Filler episodes are just fluff… like the one where Quark gets the sex change.

“Far Beyond the Stars” was absolutely not filler but an AMAZING episode, unexpected, thought provoking, and considered by many to be one of the best episode of DS9.

I always welcome reading about an interview with Frakes, he’s a gem of the franchise. And I say let the films come. More opportunities to bring in variety (and hopefully quality) as to content, writers, directors. If one sucks they can move on to another in a different direction. Good interview.

It really depends on the episode in question. If the “filler” serves to advance the story or the evolution of the characters, then what could be seen as a “filler” isn’t really a “filler”, if that makes any sense. Ultimately, it all depends on the budget.

I’m glad that Frakes is basically the unofficial spokesman for all things ‘Trek, as far as the live aspects of the franchise. BTW, does LeVar Burton and any other ‘Trek alumni do work for the franchise, either in front of the camera or behind the scenes?

Not that I’m aware of. Robert Duncan McNeill was in talks to direct for “Discovery,” but the push for more diverse directors (women and POC) meant he wasn’t what they were looking for. He didn’t seem to have hard feelings about it from the interview I read over at Trekcore. A shame — I always thought he was a great director and it would’ve been interesting to see what he brought to the table. (Then again, I’m biased as I share a birthday with Robbie and saw great potential in the Tom Paris character before TPTB milk-toasted him.)

Roxann Dawson is another Trek actor/director whose name I see pop up on the odd TV drama from time to time, too. No idea why she hasn’t done any modern Trek or if she was even interested in doing so.

As for LeVar Burton I VAGUELY recall he was a bit vocal about where Star Trek was going during his “Enterprise” directing days and has been critical of the franchise’s direction since. Maybe he just wasn’t interested.

If Legacy gets green-lit, it will probably be a series of movies. I LOVED PICS3, but nostalgia can only get you so far. I don’t know if Par+ wants to pay the TNG cast the big bucks. I’d encourage everyone to watch the HECK out of the S31 movie. If Par+ sees good viewership, they’ll make more of them.

YES – back in 1990 I saw George Takei at a convention in Boston; we all agreed Star Trek V (released months earlier) was not very good but George asked us to keep going to see it and buy the VHS when it came out — it was a way to send a message to Paramount we wanted MORE Star Trek.

Respectfully of course, I don’t feel it’s the consumer’s job to ‘watch the heck’ out of something, hoping more product will be made as a result. If the Sec. 31 film is good enough to deserve another watch, then I will. If it’s bad or mediocre I’m not going to revisit it. Simple. It’s their job to properly entertain us, we’re the ones paying the bill every month.

No one does ‘filler’ EPs if they can help it. Mr frakes was right about “shades of grey’, knocked together to get TNG s2 over and done with.

LOVE Jonathan Frakes. Would love to meet him!

Fun discussion topic — not looking for arguments but suppose it’s inevitable here, LOL. There are many definitions of ‘filler episode.’

As a discussion point, regardless if an episode is considered good/great/bad, what are some examples (in any Trek series) that you consider to be a ‘filler’ episode and why?

Discussion topic :)

‘filler’ and ‘bottle episodes’ are two different things. Yes, a bottle episode CAN be filler but often is NOT. Filler is just filler — can be beloved, but still filler.

Ingenious Marketing: ‘Enterprise’ Promoted with Klingon’s Knockout Response to Trek Critic

A bold advertisement strategy took an unconventional turn when a disgruntled individual sporting a “NO MORE STAR TREK” t-shirt began a door-to-door campaign. This young man, armed with a clipboard, approaches a home only to be greeted by an elderly lady. His mission: to rally support against the television channel Space for airing excessive amounts of “Star Trek.”

The man’s rant accuses “Star Trek” fans of being reclusive nerds who obsessively dwell in their basements, adorn themselves in “stupid costumes,” and participate in conventions while self-appointing the rank of ‘Captain.’ His tirade is cut short, however, when an elderly woman declines to endorse his petition, suggesting instead that her grown son, Gary, might be interested. Gary exits the household garbed as a Klingon warrior, promptly strikes the hater, and rebukes him with a fierce “P’takh!”—a noted Klingon slur. Following the assault, Gary’s mother chastises him in the Klingon language for his dishonorable conduct and sends him back inside.

As the advertisement concludes, a voiceover excitedly entices viewers to anticipate the arrival of “Star Trek: Enterprise,” which was scheduled to premiere shortly afterward. Despite the ’90s being saturated with “Star Trek” content, fans were delighted, akin to basking in a sunbeam’s comfort, content with endless hours of their beloved space-faring adventures. The sentiment of “too much Star Trek” was foreign to enthusiasts, who viewed any criticism as an affront worthy of a Klingon’s wrath.

FAQ Section

The “Star Trek” franchise has showcased a multitude of innovative marketing tactics over the years, but few can compare to the audacious ad that featured a vigorous defense by a Klingon enthusiast. The campaign not only underscored the dedication of “Star Trek” aficionados but also cleverly leveraged the humor and cultural elements of the franchise to entice viewers. An overt message was clear: “Star Trek” has fostered a community where passion for the series is so profound that even a fictitious Klingon is compelled to defend it. As “Enterprise” was poised for its debut, this advertisement reaffirmed the franchise’s vitality and the unwavering enthusiasm of its fanbase.

Screen Rant

Star trek: discovery’s 4 number ones explained.

Star Trek: Discovery has had four different Number Ones over the course of its five seasons, including Captain Michael Burnham.

• Star Trek: Discovery features a rotating cast of Captains and Number Ones, showcasing dynamic leadership changes throughout the series.
• Characters like Saru, Burnham, Tilly, and new addition Rayner bring diverse personalities and skills to the USS Discovery crew.
• The evolution of these key roles, from First Officer to Captain, demonstrates the growth and adaptability of each character over the seasons.

Just as Star Trek: Discovery has featured several different Captains of the USS Discovery throughout its five-season run, the show has also introduced four different Number Ones. Since its beginning, Discovery has been less of an ensemble show than previous Star Trek series, and the crew of the USS Discovery has been constantly shifting. Discovery tells the story of Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green), who has gone from being an accomplished First Officer to a notorious criminal to the Captain of Discovery. Burnham has filled the position of Number One more than once, and two of her best friends have also taken on that role.

Ambassador Saru (Doug Jones) and Lt. Sylvia Tilly (Mary Wiseman) have both served as First Officers of the USS Discovery, although their careers have since taken them in different directions. In Star Trek: Discovery season 4, the show found a dynamic that worked well, with Burnham as Captain and Saru as her First Officer. But Discovery can never go too long without shaking things up, and Callum Keith Rennie's Commander Rayner did just that when he joined the cast of Star Trek: Discovery season 5 . As Captain Burnham's newest Number One, Rayner has proven to be a great addition to Discovery's crew, despite (and also because of) his gruff, no-nonsense command style.

Every Star Trek Discovery Captain In All 5 Seasons

4 commander/captain saru, under the command of captain gabriel lorca & captain michael burnham.

During the two-part premiere of Star Trek: Discovery, Saru was serving as the Chief Science Officer on the USS Shenzhou, under the command of Captain Philippa Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh). After Commander Burnham committed mutiny and Captain Georgiou was killed, Saru was promoted Commander and became First Officer on the USS Discovery, under the command of Captain Gabriel Lorca (Jason Isaacs) . Although Saru had not yet gained the confidence he would in later seasons of Star Trek: Discovery , he proved to be a capable and compassionate First Officer.

Saru took over command of the USS Discovery after Lorca was revealed to be from the Mirror Universe, and he shared "joint custody" of the ship with Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) for most of Star Trek: Discovery season 2.

Saru commanded the USS Discovery for its journey to the 32nd century, and he was promoted to Captain. Saru later took time away from Starfleet to become a member of the village council on his homeworld of Kaminar. After the Dark Matter Anomaly destroyed Kwejian, Saru returned to Discovery as Captain Burnham's First Officer, retaining the rank of Captain but choosing to go by the designation Mr. Saru. As the first Kelpien in Starfleet, Saru had already made history , but in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, Saru accepted a position as a Federation Ambassador, adding another achievement to his impressive resume.

3 Commander Michael Burnham

Under the command of captain philippa georgiou & captain saru.

When Star Trek: Discovery began, Commander Burnham was serving as the First Officer on the USS Shenzhou, under the command of Captain Georgiou. After her subsequent mutiny, Burnham served six months in prison before transferring to the USS Discovery, where Captain Lorca assigned her as a Specialist in the science division. After Michael helped end the Federation/Klingon War, she was fully reinstated as a Commander and became Chief Science Officer on Discovery. At the end of Star Trek: Discovery season 2, Burnham wore the Red Angel suit to lead the USS Discovery into the 32nd century.

Michael Burnham was a fine First Officer (aside from the whole mutiny thing), but she truly excels at being a Starfleet Captain.

Captain Burnham arrived in the future a year before Discovery, but she later reconnected with her former crew and reluctantly accepted the role of Captain Saru's Number One. Michael served as First Officer throughout Star Trek: Discovery season 3, until she helped take the ship back from Osyraa (Janet Kidder), the leader of the Emerald Chain. Saru then suggested that Burnham take over as Captain , and Admiral Charles Vance (Oded Fehr) assigned Michael as Captain of the USS Discovery. Michael Burnham was a fine First Officer (aside from the whole mutiny thing), but she truly excels at being a Starfleet Captain.

With its time travel plot that saw Captain Burnham run into her past self, Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 4, "Face the Strange," illustrates just how far Michael has come since Discovery season 1.

2 Lt. Sylvia Tilly

Under the command of captain saru & captain michael burnham.

Sylvia Tilly began her Star Trek: Discovery career as a cadet aboard the USS Discovery under the command of Captain Lorca. After the end of the Klingons' War with the Federation , Tilly was promoted to Ensign and was placed on the command track. She continued on this trajectory until Discovery traveled into the future. When Captain Saru demoted Burnham for insubordination, he asked Tilly to be his First Officer. Although she was initially reluctant to take the job, fearing others on the ship were better qualified, Tilly's fellow crew members assured her she was the right choice as Number One.

After Commander Burnham helped take the USS Discovery back from Osyraa and became Captain, Tilly remained First Officer and was promoted to Lt. junior grade. Tilly then began to question whether she wanted to remain on the command track, and spoke with Dr. Hugh Culber (Wilson Cruz) about ways she could step out of her comfort zone. Culber recommended Tilly for a mission that involved leading a group of young Starfleet cadets. Although the mission quickly turned dangerous, Tilly successfully coached the cadets through it, and she later accepted a teaching position at the recently reopened Starfleet Academy.

Star Trek: Discovery Proves Starfleet Academy Show Doesn’t Make Sense Without Tilly

1 commander rayner, under the command of captain michael burnham.

Callum Keith Rennie's Commander Rayner joined the cast of Star Trek: Discovery for its fifth and final season, and the gruff former Captain has proven to be a breath of fresh air. In Discovery's season 5 premiere, Rayner held the rank of Captain and commanded the USS Antares, but was asked to accept early retirement after making a questionable call during a Red Directive mission. Captain Burnham, however, asked Rayner to be her new First Officer after Saru accepted a position as a Federation Ambassador.

Commander Rayner has proven invaluable to Discovery's mission and remains a highlight of Star Trek: Discovery season 5.

As a Kellerun, Commander Rayner's personality contrasts sharply with the more optimistic crew of the USS Discovery, and his command style is very different from Burnham's. Rayner has struggled to relate to Discovery's crew members and adapt to Michael's command style , but his advice and knowledge have helped save the day on multiple occasions. As Discovery races against couriers Moll (Eve Harlow) and L'ak (Elias Toufexis) to find the Progenitors' treasure, Commander Rayner has proven invaluable to the mission and remains a highlight of Star Trek: Discovery season 5.

New episodes of Star Trek: Discovery stream Thursdays on Paramount+.

Star Trek: Discovery