Star Trek 60th Anniversary Reflecting on the Franchise The Rick Berman Era

Star Trek 60th Anniversary

Reflecting on the Franchise

The Rick Berman Era

Star Trek: The Next Generation

In 1987, riding on the success of the movie franchise Star trek made its return to the small screen with Star Trek: The Next Generation, a new series following a new crew on a new Starship Enterprise a century after the adventures of Kirk and co.  It is no secret that this is my personal favorite series. The ensemble cast including Patrick Stewart as Captain Jean-Luc Picard, Johnathan Frakes as Commander William Riker, Brent Spiner as the android Lieutenant Commander Data, Michael Dorn as Lieutenant Worf, Levar Burton as Lieutenant Commander Geordi LaForge, Gates McFadden as Dr. Beverly Crusher, Marina Sirtis as Counsellor Deanna Troi, Denise Crosby as security chief Tasha Yar and Wil Wheaton and Wesley Crusher.  Despite a grueling first season (due in no small part to interference by Gene Roddenberry's lawyer Leonard Maizlish) and the departure of Denise Crosby, the show recaptured the magic of the Original Series and found its place in the hearts of the fans.  Season 2 saw the replacement of Dr. Crusher with Dr. Katherine Pulaski, played by Diana Muldaur as well as the introduction of the Borg in "Q Who?".  Other notable episodes in the season include the courtroom drama "The Measure of a Man" (an acting tour de force for Patrick Stewart) and the Sherlock Holmes holodeck episode "Elementary, Dear Data" (a personal favorite of mine).  Season 2 also introduced Whoopi Goldberg as the recurring character of Guinan. Season 3 saw a major change in the writers room with the arrival of Michael Piller, Ronald D. Moore and Ira Steven Behr.  Gates McFadden returned as Dr. Crusher in season 3.  Many fans see season 3 as the series "coming of age", with some of the series best outings, including Romulan centric episodes "The Enemy" and "The Defector", time travel tale "Yesterday's Enterprise", "Sarek" featuring the return of the titular ambassador and father of Spock, and the season ending Borg cliffhanger "The Best of Both Worlds".  Season 4 would conclude the Borg cliffhanger and continue the trend of high quality, engaging episodes.  Season 3 also saw Gene Roddenberry stepping back due to declining health, his role as franchise head and executive producer would be filled by Rick Berman.  Season 4 saw the arrival of Jeri Taylor and Brannon Braga to the Trek writing family. Seasons 5, 6, and 7 would continue the trend and produce a number of popular episodes such as "The Inner Light", "Chain of Command" and "The Pegasus".  Sadly, gene Roddenberry would pass away during early Season 5.  Season 7 would be the series last, ending with the Q/time travel story "All Good Things".  The TNG cast would make the jump to the big screen with 1994's Star Trek Generations, which saw a historic team up of Captain's Kirk and Picard (and the loss of the Enterprise-D), Star Trek First Contact which saw the crew on the new USS Enterprise-E up against the Borg, Star Trek Insurrection in which the crew went against orders to expose Starfleet interference on an alien planet, and Star Trek Nemesis, in which the crew battled Shinzon, a failed clone of Picard created by the Romulans and raised on Remus.


Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

While TNG warped through its sixth season a new Star Trek series (the first with no involvement from creator Gene Roddenberry who died the previous year) would be created by Rick Berman and Michael Pillar. Star Trek Deep Space Nine would take place primarily on the titular space station, a former Cardassian mining station in orbit of Bajor.  In contrast to TNG, DS9 would delve heavily into interpersonal conflict and shades of gray, with early season episodes focusing on the recently ended Cardassian occupation of Bajor, the Bajoran religion and the newly discovered wormhole, and Federation/Cardassian/Bajoran politics.  The cast would be led by Avery Brooks as Commander Benjamin Sisko and feature Nana Visitor and Major Kira Nerys, Rene Auberjonois as Odo, Terry Ferrell as Jadzia Dax, Alexander Siddig as Dr. Bashir, Colm Meaney as Chief O'Brien, Armin Shimmerman as Quark and Cirroc Lofton as Jake Sisko.  Season 3 opened with the revelation that the Dominion, the Gamma Quadrant power hinted at several times in season 2 and encountered -disastrously- in the season 2 finale "The Jem'Hadar" were in fact comprised of three main species: the genetically bred Jem'Hadar soldiers, the Vorta field generals/administrators and the Founders, the true power behind the Dominion: Odos people.  Season 3 would expand on the Dominion threat, while season 4 introduced Klingons into the mix, their conflict with the Cardassians spurred on by the misinformation that Cardassia had been taken over by the Dominions Founders.  Season 4 also added TNG's Worf (Michael Dorn) to the cast.  The Klingon conflict would end mid season 5 in the two parter "In Purgatory's Shadow"/"By Inferno's Light", when Cardassia would be revealed as a new ally of the Dominion, giving the Gamma Quadrant power a foothold in the Alpha Quadrant.  The latter half of the season would be a slippery slope to war between the Dominion and the Federation/Klingon Alliance.  Season 6 and 7 would follow the Dominion War, with the Romulans joining the Federation/Klingon side in season 6 "In The Pale Moonlight" and the season finale "Tears of The Prophets" killed off Jadzia Dax (Terry Ferrell departed the series following contract disputes with executives).  Season 7 opened with the introduction of a new Dax, Ezri Dax played by Nicole DeBoer and the revelation that becoming the Emissary was Siskos destiny from birth, his mother being inhabited by a prophet at the time.  The final 10 episodes of the series would be a single long story arc leading up to the end of the war in the series finale "What You Leave Behind".  While not regarded as highly as other trek series at the time, the series has aged remarkably well, due largely to its serialized nature, and has become a favorite of many of the fans.  The acting and characters (both regular and recurring) in the series is definitely it's strength, with fan favorites such as Sisko, Jadzia Dax, Odo, Garak, Martok and Tora Ziyal among others.


Star Trek: Voyager

Following the conclusion of The Next Generation and with DS9 having just introduced the Dominion threat, a fourth Star Trek series, Star Trek Voyager, was created by Rick Berman, Michael Pillar and Jeri Taylor. The flagship show and launch show of the newly minted UPN network, Voyager would follow the adventures of the titular USS Voyager, a Federation starship stranded on the far side of the galaxy, trying to get home from the distant Delta Quadrant, a potential 75 year journey.  The pilot "Caretaker" establishes the ship and how it became stranded across the galaxy.  It also establishes that several crewmembers were lost and that their positions would be filled by former Maquis crew from the Maquis ship Voyager had been pursuing.  The cast would include Kate Mulgrew as Captain Kathryn Janeway, Robert Beltran as Commander Chakotay, Robert Duncan McNeill as Lieutenant Tom Paris, Roxann Dawson as Lieutanant B'Lanna Torres, Robert Picardo and the Emergency Medical Hologram, Tim Russ as Lieutenant Tuvok, Garrett Wang as Ensign Harry Kim, Ethan Phillips as Neelix and Jenifer Lien as Kes.  During its travels Voyager would encounter many dangerous new species, from Kazon sects to Vidiian organ harvesters, to Hirogen hunter to Malon garbage scows. Being in the Delta Quadrant also meant that Voyager would eventually encounter the Borg.  The first hints would be mid season 3, while the season would end with Voyager entering Borg space during a conflict between the collective and the interdimensional Species 8472.  Season 4 would open with the conclusion of the conflict and the addition to Voyagers crew of liberated former Borg drone Seven of Nine, played by Jeri Ryan. "The Gift" would see Seven of Nine un-assimilated and the departure of Jennifer Lien.  Season 4 would see Seven of Nine explore and discover her humanity and the crew make contact with Starfleet some 60'000 light years away.  Season 5 would see a change in the writing staff as Brannon Braga would become head writer/showrunner following the retirement of Jeri Taylor. Seasons 5, 6, and 7 would see more run-ins with the Borg, Seven of Nine character growth and the addition of recuring characters Naomi Wildman (the daughter of Ensign Wildman, born during season 2's "Deadlock") and Icheb, an alien adolescent liberated from the Borg.  Season 7 would see the Kenneth Biller take the reigns as head writer, with Brannon Braga leaving to begin preproduction work on the upcoming Star Trek: Enterprise.  The final season would see Tom and B'Lanna finally get married, and Neelix's departure to live on a Talaxian colony.  The series would end with Endgame, in which a time travelling future admiral Janeway helped the present USS Voyager use the Borgs transwarp network to return to Earth, while at the same time dealing a potentially crippling blow to the Federations mortal enemy.  All in all a satisfactory ending to the series, if a little open ended.


Star Trek: Enterprise

Created by Rick Berman and Brannon Braga, the fifth Star Trek series would go backward instead of forward in time, being set in the mid 22nd century at the dawn of interstellar exploration.  Originally called "Enterprise" the series would follow the first warp 5 Earth ship, the Enterprise NX-01 and its crew in the earliest, pioneering days of deep space exploration.  Starring Scott Bakula as Captain Jonathan Archer, Jolene Blalock as T'Pol, Connor Trineer as Commander Charles "Trip" Tucker III, Dominic Keating as Lieutenant Malcolm Reed, Anthony Montgomery as Ensign Travis Mayweather, Linda Park as Ensign Hoshi Sato and John Billingsley as Dr. Phlox, the series would see first contact with previously establishes planets and races like the Andorians, Romulans, Klingons and Risa as well as introducing the overarching Temporal Cold War story arc, a requirement of the network.  After a lackluster second season and in a bid to boost ratings the series had Earth itself attacked by the Xindi killing 7 million and Enterprise sent into their home region, the Delphic Expanse to counter the threat, a storyline that would span the entire third season.  Season 4 would open with the end of the Temporal Cold War and consist of mostly two and three parters, featuring elements from/building up to the Original Series lore (augments, Vulcan politics, Klingon foreheads, and even the mirror universe).  Sadly, the series would be cancelled by the network executives at UPN, leaving season 4 it's last. In a misguided attempt to nostalgia bait the fans, the series finale, written by Berman and Braga "These Are The Voyages..." jumped ahead from the previous episode 6 years and saw the final mission of the NX-01 and the signing of the Federation Charter recreated on the Enterprise-D's holodeck by Riker and Troi. For a more in depth analysis see my full retrospective post.  Sadly, this would be the last time Star Trek graced the television airwaves for many years.



Next week: J.J. Abrams reboots the movie franchise