Star Trek New Voyages boldly goes where no Star Trek spin-off has gone before; it tries to really recreate the original series and the original five year mission, doing so with original characters, reproductions of the original sets and even the original music. It does so out of love--and given the first three episodes we might conclude that it is a well-meaning but amateurish fan-boy exercise, mildly entertaining but incapable of any real claim to Trekdom.
And then this episode happened. The Enterprise is caught in a space-time distortion, Sulu takes a shuttlecraft with a computer expert to a destroyed Romulan ship to get the navigational data that will help him pilot the vessel out of harm. He is then caught in a transporter beam, and comes back to the Enterprise 30 years older with his -- wait for it -- daughter. She is caught in the space-time ether, but perhaps can be drawn into the current universe with some of Scotty's transporter magic. Sulu can't remember the necessary data, has to undergo many trials and tribulations. Game on.
Unlike past episodes of New Voyages, this one is NOT derivative of other stories--it is completely original. It is clever--completely worthy of the Original Series, with plenty of drama and a tour-de-force from George Takei as the older version of himself. There is tragic drama and terrific suspense.
It can be criticized--it has spats of bad acting and amateurism, and the usual corny special effects (although some are good!). But guess what folks, the Original Series had the same issues on many occasions. In a great Trek episode, the story is brilliant, the actors impassioned, and the drama very human and real. This one fits the bill in all categories, and we have some real Trek. After 40 years, it's frankly a bit eerie, but enjoy it while it is here.
And then this episode happened. The Enterprise is caught in a space-time distortion, Sulu takes a shuttlecraft with a computer expert to a destroyed Romulan ship to get the navigational data that will help him pilot the vessel out of harm. He is then caught in a transporter beam, and comes back to the Enterprise 30 years older with his -- wait for it -- daughter. She is caught in the space-time ether, but perhaps can be drawn into the current universe with some of Scotty's transporter magic. Sulu can't remember the necessary data, has to undergo many trials and tribulations. Game on.
Unlike past episodes of New Voyages, this one is NOT derivative of other stories--it is completely original. It is clever--completely worthy of the Original Series, with plenty of drama and a tour-de-force from George Takei as the older version of himself. There is tragic drama and terrific suspense.
It can be criticized--it has spats of bad acting and amateurism, and the usual corny special effects (although some are good!). But guess what folks, the Original Series had the same issues on many occasions. In a great Trek episode, the story is brilliant, the actors impassioned, and the drama very human and real. This one fits the bill in all categories, and we have some real Trek. After 40 years, it's frankly a bit eerie, but enjoy it while it is here.