JC's Trek Talk

What is Star Trek About? A Reflective Essay What is Star Trek about?  This is an interesting and loaded question.  From it's beginning with the original series in the 1960's Star Trek is and always has been about deep, thoughtful, intellectual stories about an optimistic future for humanity.   The concept as conceived by Gene Roddenberry was a future in which humanity (a united humanity) works together with other races and species in common cause.  The cause being exploration, learning and personal betterment.  A future where humanity has overcome its internal struggles and provincial attitudes and prejudices and moved beyond national squabbles, beyond poverty, disease, war, into a more enlightened future.  In the original series this was often shown in the form of episodes that were in truth morality plays, set in a sci-fi concept and a future several hundred years hence. Episodes like "Let That be Your Last Battlefield" that took a very blunt look ...

Star Trek Timeline Bonus: The Temporal Cold War 12th Century AD The Tuterians build the first spheres and begin creating the Delphic Expanse 1944 General Vosk and the Na’Kuhl from 2862 travel to Earth and create an alternate timeline, in which they use Nazi technology to attempt to return to the 29th century, before their defeat.  Jamran Harnath sends Silik to 1944 to defeat Vosk and steal his time travel technology. 2004 Xindi from 2153 visit earth, attempt to alter earth history 2022 Romulan Temporal agent Sera from 2904 travels to earth at this time to kill Khan Noonien Singh, this creates an alternate timeline 2106 The Tuterians (sphere builders) begin manipulating the Xindi into altering human history 2150 Kal Dano travels to this year from the 27th century and hides the Tox Uthat in a cavern on Risa, intending to recover it in the 25th century.  During his next jump the timeships temporal core overloads, sending the ship to the mid 21st century, irradiating the...

Star Trek Timeline The Mid 22nd Century (2150-2169) Enterprise 2150 • Australia, the last holdout nation joins the United Earth government • Construction begins on NX-01 Enterprise • Jonathan Archer is selected as captain of the NX-01 Enterprise  2151 • NX-01 Enterprise launched • First contact with the Klingons • First contact with the Andorians • First contact with the Axanari • Earth Starfleet becomes aware of the Temporal Cold War 2152 • First contact with Risa • First contact with the Romulans • First contact with the Tholians 2153 • NX-02 Columbia begins construction • The Xindi weapon attacks Earth killing 8 million • NX-01 is refit, begins its mission into the Delphic Expanse to confront the Xindi threat • First contact with the Xindi 2154 • NX-01 destroys the second Xindi weapon • After travelling to 1944 Earth NX-01 helps to end the Temporal Cold War • NX-01 is drydocked for a refit • NX-01 captures Dr. Arik Soong and his au...

On Section 31... I have never been wild about the whole concept of Section 31, since it was first established in DS9's season 6 episode "Inquisition" in which the clandestine organization abducts Dr. Bashir and then tries to recruit him.  The organization was portrayed as rogue, operation outside the purview and even official knowledge of Starfleet and the Federation.  This is in contrast to the Cardassian Obsidian Order or Romulan Tal Shiar both of which are well known and operate with the tacit approval of their respective governments.  Although the concept of Section 31 is an intriguing one in the context of DS9s many shades of grey, I personally find it unnecessary and completely antithetical to Gene Roddenberry's original vision of Star Trek.  In season 7's "Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges" Section 31 pops up again to meddle in Romulan Tal Shiar affairs, and then at season (and series) end it's revealed that Section 31 created a virus to commit gen...

Head Canon: Galorndon Core Galorndon Core Hyralan Sector Near the Romulan Neutral Zone 2157 Second year of the Earth Romulan War Coalition forces are looking at locations for a temporary base of operations closer to Romulan space. Top of the short list is Galorndon Core, an L-class world near the border of Romulan space. This info is leaked to the Romulans by a Romulan spy posing as a Vulcan. The Romulan senate decides this is too close for comfort and decide to go “scorched earth” against the coalition. They sent a fleet of 5 ships armed with nuclear warheads to Galorndon core to bombard the planetoid. The fleet arrives at Galorndon Core. They attack the small coalition fleet in orbit. The NX-06 Endeavour is disabled, three other smaller ships (two Neptune class and one Vulcan Vahklas class) are destroyed. The Romulan ships then enter orbit and bombard the planet, firing their entire payloads of Nuclear weapons at the surface. The planet is left irradiated, mired in a nuclear ...

Worst Starfleet Starship Designs: A Rant In 2009 we were introduced to the Kelvin timeline and JJ Abrams version of the classic NCC-1701: Yeah... Dude! It's not a hot rod! It's the Starship Enterprise.  It doesn't need all the aerodynamic fins and sh*#, it's in space.  The supposed scale is ridiculous (and doesn't work), the nacelles look totally stupid, the overall color scheme is more TMP than TOS, and I don't even know what the f*$# is going on with the neck sitting way back on the drive section. In Star Trek Beyond, it had apparently gone through a refit (IRL the ship's neck and pylons were slimmed down to make the destruction by Krall's swarm more plausible).  And it actually looks worse.  A lot worse. Into Darkness gave us this hot mess: The USS Vengeance.  When I first saw it I was like "what is this? Really? Is this a joke???" For a Star Trek ship: NO.  Just no. When Star Trek Discovery was first announced and anticipation was hig...