Issue 1 May 1996 Freeware
Welcome to Trek Talk, a section dedicated to news and reviews relating to all things Trek.
Star Trek: Regenerations
At last, some decent information on the next Star Trek film has been released. Paramount have settled for the name <I>Star Trek: Regenerations, and it is to be directed by Jonathan Frakes (Cmdr. Riker). It will feature the full crew from The Next Generation including Michael Dorn (Lt. Cmdr. Worf), who will take a break from DS9 for a few episodes.
The plot is said to involve Zefram Cochrane (the bloke who is supposed to have discover Warp Drive), the Borg, and time travel.
The new Enterprise (1701-E) has already been designed, and is supposed to be similar to a cross between the Excelsior and Voyager being long but flat.
Filming is expected to begin in April, and it should be released in the UK around Christmas.
Little Green Men is a Deep Space Nine episode soon to be available on video. It involves Quark, Rom and Nog visiting Earth and accidently being taken back in time to 1947 where they end up crashing in Roswell, New Mexico sparking the 'Roswell Incident'. Needless to say that Quark somehow manages to talk his way out of it and save the day. This is definitely one to look out for.
<I><B>Sky One will start showing season four of DS9 in May starting with Way of the Warrior - the 90 minute season opener.
A third season <I><B>Voyager episode features Captain Sulu in some flashbacks to a time when Tuvok served on the Excelsior. Rumours have been floating around about a Sulu episode for a long time, but maybe this time they will be correct.
The TT Ratings Scheme:
* Disaster ** A Matter of Perspective *** Balance of Terror **** Way of the Warrior ***** Peak Performance
At last the long awaited fourth season of Deep Space Nine has started on video, beginning with a 90 minute opening episode.
The story is based upon the effects the threat of the Dominion is having on the Alpha Quadrant. A fleet of Klingon ships arrive at DS9 requesting shore leave. Worf is assigned to the station to discover why they are really there. It is revealed that the Klingons intend to conquer Cardassia, but the Federation decides to step in and stop them. This leads to the scrapping of the Khitomer Peace Treaty and the beginning of a war between the Klingons and the Federation.
A lot is covered in this episode, and there are plenty of action scenes. All the cast put in good performances, and the script is strong. The final battle between DS9 and loads of Klingon ships is breathtaking. All in all a good episode and a good start to the season.
TT Rating: *****
<I>Initiations is a Kazon story. Chakotay is attacked by ship controlled by a young Kazon called Kar (played by Aron Eisenberg - Nog in DS9). After a brief battle, Chakotay defeats him and beams him aboard. In doing so, Chakotay robs Kar of his right to have the name Ogla which leads to an good almost Klingon type of episode.
TT Rating: ****In <I>Non Sequitur, Harry Kim wakes up in San Francisco. It is revealed that he was never on the Voyager when it disappeared, and now he is working in Starfleet designing Warp engines. He decides that for some reason, he would rather be lost in the Delta Quadrant instead of being safe on Earth, and tries to return to the Voyager. There are some good effects sequences, although some are taken out of previous Trek movies even from the TNG episode, Relics.
TT Rating: ***+
Season 4 of DS9 appears to be an excellent one what with WOTW above and now this video.
<I>The Visitor is set in the future, Cmdr. Sisko is pulled into Subspace in a freak accident, and is only able to return to normal space for a few seconds every few years. Jake Sisko takes it upon himself to find a way to release his father and gives up writing. The script is well written, and the acting is, once again, solid.
TT Rating: ****+
<I>Hippocratic Oath is a story based around the Jem'Hadar - the warriors of the Dominion. They capture O'Brien and Bashir and attempt to get them to release the Jem'Hadar from their addiction to Ketracel White (a drug used by the Founders to control them). Once again, a good episode from an increasingly good series.
TT Rating: ****
Parturition/Persistence of Vision - Voyager 2.2
<I>Parturition is another Paris-Neelix-Kes story. Neelix's jealousy shows itself again in this episode, but this time it is not unfounded. They are sent on an away mission to a planet which is supposed to contain food, but upon arriving they find nothing but a baby alien. They end up taking care of it and this inevitably manages to break down some of the barriers between them. Another fairly average story with some good acting.
TT Rating: ***
<I>Persistence of Vision is a story which features the old favourite, the Holodeck. The Captain is ordered to relax by the Doctor when she begins to become stressed, but soon strange things start to happen. Characters from her Holonovel begin to appear outside the Holodeck and she and Kes are the only people able to see them. Once again, the acting is solid and the story is average. Voyager seems to be having the same problems as DS9 did for the first couple of seasons - the characterisation is a bit hit and miss, and the stories are all very similar (every other episode involves some sort of space anomaly!). I can help feeling that the series needs some original plot lines and and some more action.
TT Rating: **+
Indiscretion/Rejoned - DS9 4.3
<I>Indiscretion is a Kira/Gul Dukat episode. Kira gets word that part of a Cardassian ship has been found. It had been carrying some Bajoran prisoners, one of whom was her friend. Just before she leaves, Gul Dukat arrives at the station and forces her to let him go with her.
A fairly good episode which isn't quite up to the quality of the others this season, but on the other hand is better than most in the first couple of seasons.
TT Rating: ***+
<I>Rejoined</I> is the controversial Dax episode everyone has been talking about. It all starts when Lenara Khan, a Trill and wife of one of Dax's previous hosts Torias, arrives at DS9 on scientific project. As they become reaquainted, they discover they are still attracted to each other - something which is forbidden by Trill society.
Once again a good episode and a good performance by Terry Farrell.
TT Rating: ****
Tattoo is another Chakotay episode, the second this season.
An away team discover markings on a planet which Chakotay has seen before back in the Alpha Quadrant, they form the basis of his tribes beliefs. The crew of the Voyager follow a warp trail to another planet, but strange weather conditions prevent them from beaming down so Chakotay, leads an away team in a shuttle. It turns out that the aliens from this planet had visited Earth many generations ago.
At last, a good episode with some good acting.
TT Rating: ****+
In <I>Cold Fire the crew of the Voyager come across an array similar to the one occupied by the Caretaker of the pilot episode. It is crewed by a small colony of Ocampa who lead them to the female Caretaker. However a problem arises when she begins to blame the crew for the death of the male Caretaker.
This is a refreshing change - a video with two good episodes. There is some good acting and as a follow up to the pilot it does a fairly good job.
TT Rating: ****