A Further Explanation of Star Trek

Continued Overview of The Next Generation and Beyond

Jun 14, 2009

The "canon," or accepted story arc of multiple films and television shows which compose the Star Trek franchise, is daunting to a casual viewer but can be explained.

The Star Trek franchise began in earnest with a now-unprecedented cast of characters on CBS's Star Trek: The Original Series in the 1960s. To read about this series and the first six motion pictures which paved the way to the robust drama we know today, read "Explaining Star Trek."

In 1987, while the original crew of the USS Enterprise were still dazzling fans on the big screen, Star Trek: The Next Generation debuted in television syndication.

The Torch is Passed

With new episodes absent on television for nearly 20 years, a new crew, this time on the USS Enterprise-D, took the helm to bring new adventures in deep space to audiences across the world. The new series, chronologically set about 70 years ahead of TOS, features a staff led by Captain Jean Luc Picard and comprised of humans, aliens, and an android.

At first dismissed by some as even more cerebral than TOS, the series ultimately gained widespread acclaim from critics and fans. Similar in theme to the original, the Enterprise-D explored new reaches of space as the flagship of Starfleet. Opposite, though, was the nature of the new captain. In many ways Kirk was seen as the archetype of the alpha male leader. Straightforward, aggressive, and egotistical, Kirk led his team through space with a macho bravado and swagger reminiscent of an old-west gunslinger.

Picard, on the other hand, came forth as a diplomat, statesman, and thoughtful leader. The character was brilliantly portrayed by Shakespearean actor Patrick Stewart, who lent an air of a more mature, sophisticated thinker to the commanding officer's role. It should be noted, however, that Kirk's portrayer, William Shatner, was also accomplished in Shakespeare, so it is not implied that the actor's personality had anything to do with the character, though some have drawn that conclusion.

During TNG's television run, plots emerged which joined the "new" crew with characters from the "old" and the seventh film, Star Trek: Generations, paired Kirk and Picard in a mission. The film sent off one crew and introduced the other to film audiences. The eighth, ninth, and tenth films exclusively featured TNG cast members but had mixed reviews from critics and fans.

Other Spin-offs

DS9, VOY, and ENT were three spin-off series in the Star Trek universe which fall into canon but play less of an importance in the larger picture. Respectively, they feature a mixed Starfleet and alien staff on a distant space station, a Starfleet crew marooned deep in a far quadrant of the Milky Way Galaxy and forced to integrate terrorists into their ranks for survival, and an early mission of a Federation ship setting the stage for the rest of the canon universe. DS9 and VOY take place around the approximate timeframe of TNG or soon thereafter, while ENT is, in effect, a prequel that occurs decades before TOS.

The Latest Star Trek Film

Perhaps most confusing to casual viewers is the latest feature film, which places new actors in the familiar roles of TOS and initial six films. It's easily inferred that the newest story shows the crew in their younger days but is also confusing in that the events don't seem to exactly mesh with the known journeys seen in incarnations past.

This lack of continuity is explained via an alternate time-line scenario which, according to the story, is driven by events in the future that create a rift in known time that affects the past. Thus, the prequel that is seen in JJ Abrams' latest version of Star Trek is greatly similar to what occurred just before viewers joined Kirk and Spock on TOS but slightly different to allow new adventures and stories to occur.

The Star Trek universe can be convoluted and seemingly insurmountable for a new viewer, but a dose of acceptance and realization of fiction and fantasy can go a long way in accepting each film or episode as it is: a great story with good characters addressing important topics. That being said, some aliens, tribbles, or good phaser fight along the way make something nearly academic also entertaining, as well.

The copyright of the article A Further Explanation of Star Trek in Sci-Fi TV is owned by Paul Bertolone. Permission to republish A Further Explanation of Star Trek in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.