We continue our discussion of the Star Trek Films with Star Treks IV – VI. In this episode we discuss killer whales and whether the move to lighten the franchise worked. We also discuss fan opinion of The Final Frontier and whether it’s as bad as people say. We’ll also talk about dark themes in the Undiscovered Country and how the passing of the torch happened years after the successor series was already in place. We also discuss the plots, new characters, directorial choices, and more.
Since this the second part of a single podcast recording there is no five-minute controversy this week.
This week Stephanie is cohost and Ryan and Eric join the cast.
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In 1977, Star Wars was released to movie theaters worldwide and created a smash hit phenomenon. Seeing the fervor for media content and merchandise many other sci-fi properties tried to horn in on the action. Star Trek had had a loyal fanbase since the 60’s and even had a new television series in the works, but with Star Wars blowing up the theaters it made sense that Star Trek could follow suit and also win big at the box office. The TV project, Star Trek: Phase II was shut down and Star Trek: The Motion Picture came to the big screen in 1979. The series of six movies that it spawned led to a revitalization of interest in Star Trek as well as a continuation for the actors who played the iconic roles. In this episode we have the first half of our discussion of the movies in which we talk about Star Treks I – III. We discuss how the big screen changed Trek, the themes of the different movies, whether the evens vs odds rule really works.
Star Trek: Discovery relaunched the Star Trek franchise on TV after a hiatus of over a decade. Set before the original Star Trek series, Discovery’s slick look and darker tones evoked polarization in fandom as some gravitated towards the update and others rejected what they saw as an affront to Gene Roddenberry’s vision of the future. In this episode we talk about those issues as well as the decision to market this on streaming service, CBS All Access instead of on network or cable television. We’ll also discuss the casting, storylines, and themes. We’ll also ask that ephemeral question, “Is this Star Trek”?, before we finally finish up with speculation on the future.