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This post contains spoilers for season 3 of "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds."

"Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" is not shy about lifting heavily from past "Star Trek" episodes. The series basically remade the classic episode "Balance of Terror" twice during its first season, first spiritually in "Memento Mori" and then literally in the season 1 finale "A Quality of Mercy."

"Hegemony," the two part episode that closed "Strange New Worlds" season 2 and opened season 3, had a cliffhanger and resolution that echoed the famous "Star Trek: The Next Generation" episode "The Best of Both Worlds." For the latest "Strange New Worlds" outing, "Through the Lens of Time," the series pulls from a less beloved "Tng" episode.

"Through the Lens of Time" guest stars Dr. Roger Korby (Cillian O'Sullivan), archaeologist and boyfriend of Nurse Christine Chapel (Jess Bush). The Enterprise is assisting Korby...

"Star Trek: Nemesis" came at an interesting time for "Star Trek" fans. The franchise continued on television after the end of "Star Trek: The Next Generation," which had led into "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" and "Star Trek: Voyager." On the big screen, however, the cast of "The Next Generation" continued to lead the franchise as the main characters of its movies, which included "Star Trek Generations," "Star Trek: First Contact," and "Star Trek: Insurrection." Not all of those movies were great, to say the least, and by the time "Star Trek: Nemesis" hit theaters in 2002, it was unclear what future this cast had, if any.

"Nemesis" is about Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) and his crew being sent on a mission to the Romulan Empire, where an evil Picard clone named Shinzon (Tom Hardy) has taken over. This one wasn't well-received either. Roger Ebert disliked the movie, writing that it...

CBS All Access, later re-named Paramount+, launched in 2017 with the debut of "Star Trek: Discovery" in 2017. This marked a new era for "Star Trek," as the shows were going to be overseen by an all-new creative team, unconnected with the people who produced "Star Trek" from 1987 to 2005. Alex Kurtzman was the new head honcho of the franchise, and he had only entered the scene with his screenplay for the 2009 "Star Trek" feature film reboot. The ethos for the new "Star Trek" shows was, as trends would dictate, very different. Not only were the special effects slicker, but episodic storytelling was a thing of the past. New "Trek" shows were going to adhere to the "one-season, one-story" writing philosophy, allowing for broader tales of spatial derring-do. 

Kurtzman, also a writer of blockbusters like "Mission: Impossible III," "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen," and "The Amazing Spider-Man 2," was fond of violent stories and high-octane action.

Fans love hearing Star Trek actors in new roles, yet it may be ignored how several Trek stars brought some classic sci-fi tales to life in audio dramas!

Star Trek actors are known for their variety of roles outside the franchise, which includes voice work in animation. Jonathan Frakes and Marina Sirtis reunited for the beloved Gargoyles animated series, and other actors excel, taking on a wide array of voiceover roles.

However, one special audio project that brought together several notable Trek actors has fallen to the wayside of fans. It was short-lived when there was so much potential left, but what we got were some great adaptations of some classic sci-fi works, including Alien Voices.

It’s a project made as a love letter to both sci-fi and old radio shows, and it provided wonderful entertainment for the fans. It’s worth tracking down to see these Trek actors...

Warning: this article contains mild spoilers for the "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" episode "Hegemony, Part II." 

At the start of "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" season 3, the Enterprise has found itself in a desperate scrape with the Gorn, a species of malevolent reptiles. The tangle began in "Hegemony, Part I" at the end of the show's previous season, and the Enterprise's crew has been either captured, or faces certain doom at the hands of marauding Gorn vessels. Captain Pike (Anson Mount) has to conceive of a way to pilot the Enterprise to safety, but not before rescuing his kidnapped crew members. He is worried, however, because his girlfriend, Captain Batel (Melanie Scrofano), is infected with Gorn embryos. The Gorn reproduce in the same way as the xenomorphs in "Alien" -- that is, they implant their eggs inside the bodies of living hosts.

The Gorn, of course, were first seen...

At the start of the opening credits of each episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Anson Mount delivers a variation of the same famous speech that so many Trek captains have recited before him, about space being the final frontier, the voyages of the starship Enterprise, and how the mission is to boldly go where no one (or, in the Sixties, where no man) has gone before.

But as the third season of Strange New Worlds is set to debut Thursday on Paramount+, Star Trek as a television franchise...

In the "Star Trek: The Next Generation" episode "Starship Mine", the U.S.S. Enterprise has to undergo a massive, shipwide maintenance routine that requires every single living being -- including the plants -- to be cleared off the ship. It seems that, in its many merry adventures, the Enterprise has taken on a great deal of toxic particles that need to be cleared from the ship's systems. The best way to do this is to run a slow-moving wall of concentrated baryon particles through the entire starship. The field is lethal to organic materials, so everyone has to get off the Enterprise immediately. It's the sci-fi equivalent of getting one's house tented for termites. 

This leaves the Enterprise's senior staff in the care of one Commander Calvin Hutchinson (David Spielberg), who aims to pass the time with an extended reception on the planet below. A chatterbox of the highest order,...

Starring Molly Hanson (The Marlow Murder Club), Marina Sirtis (Star Trek: The Next Generation) and Mark Williams (Harry Potter franchise), Dream Hacker is the latest slice of AI horror from writer and director Richard Colton.

When neuroscientist, Jennifer Connelly, invents a device to explore and manipulate dreams, her first experiment leads her to a surprising discovery: an AI named “Adam” inhabiting her dream world, opening doors to the unknown.

Dream Hacker is out now on digital platforms from One Tree Entertainment.

When Seth MacFarlane’s The Orville launched on Fox in 2017, many dismissed it as a Star Trek spoof. However, viewers soon found the show was an homage to Trek which stood on its own feet. At the recent Indiana Comic Convention, longtime Trek veteran Jonathan Frakes — who played Riker in The Next Generation before going on to direct many episodes of other series — explained the credentials behind the show’s pedigree.

As part of a Star Trek: The Next Generation panel — featuring Frakes, Brent Spiner, and Denise Crosby — a fan asked the stars about their opinion of The Orville. Frakes was quick to praise the critically acclaimed show, highlighting the love with which MacFarlane created the space drama.

"Nepenthe" -- Episode #107 -- Pictured: Jonathan Frakes as William Riker of the the CBS All Access series Star Trek: Picard. Photo Cr: Aaron Epstein/CBS ©2019 CBS Interactive, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Kate Mulgrew’s Star Trek: Voyager is one of the most under-appreciated shows in the franchise, just by the sheer experimental nature of it. Unlike other shows where the Federation ship travels across the galaxy to learn about new species, Voyager put the eponymous ship in a different quadrant and followed its travel home.

What happens when your Federation ship is light years away from home and you have limited resources, a merged crew, and a small ship with tensions rising? It becomes a perfect place for horror and creepiness to be explored. And boy, does the show explore it in a great way in Season 2, Episode 23, ‘The Thaw’.

How ‘The Thaw’ became Voyager’s creepiest and most underrated episode Harry Kim in Star Trek: Voyager | Credits: Paramount Pictures

Star Trek: Voyager explored many horror-themed episodes throughout its run. From slasher to supernatural to psychological, Voyager did them all, and...

Vendetta

The world of comics is in mourning over the loss of one of their most prolific voices. Peter David passed away Sunday, May 23, at the age of 68. In the comic book world, David was known for his excellent work, including his run on The Incredible Hulk, which many hold as the greatest creative run for the character.

David also wrote dozens of books like X-Factor, Supergirl, Young Justice, Spider-Man, Captain Marvel and more. He was also a prolific novelist, such as in his fantasy parody series Sir Apropos of Nothing.

For Star Trek fans, David is often held up as one of the all-time best writers in the franchise’s history. That runs from 30 issues of the DC Comics series to nearly fifty books (including taking part in novellas and story collections). That outdoes scores of other Trek writers, not just in quantity but quality.

Why David was a...

It’s been years since Star Trek: The Next Generation first aired, but despite that, the love for its characters is still going strong. The show gave fans a fresh take on the Star Trek universe, with several fresh faces leading the way. Led by Patrick Stewart as Jean-Luc Picard and Brent Spiner as Data, the series ran for seven glorious seasons and became a sci-fi classic.

Many of the cast members have stayed connected to the Star Trek universe through spin-offs, movies, and fan events. Others, on the other hand, have explored new paths – such as acting in other shows, writing books, or speaking up for causes they believe in. Some even took surprising turns in their careers, but one thing’s for sure – they’ve all continued to make an impact. So, let’s look at what the Tng stars are doing in 2025.

15. Patrick Stewart (Captain Jean-Luc Picard...

Star Treklegends Brent Spiner and Jonathan Frakes are revealing what they think is the “best” Star Trek show ever made - and spoiler, it’s not The Next Generation. Spiner and Frakes originated the roles of Lieutenant Commander Data and Commander Riker, respectively, in 1987 when Star Trek: The Next Generation premiered. Over the years, the duo reprised their roles in feature films and various other TV incarnations of Trek, including Star Trek: Enterprise, Star Trek: Voyager, and Star Trek: Picard.

After decades of appearing in Star Trek, Spiner and Frakes, who, per Screen Rant, appeared together at South Texas Comic Con, talked about what they consider the best iteration of Trek. The pair both agree that they love what Mike McMahan and his crew from the animated Star Trek: Lower Decksdid for the world of Trek.

Spiner: 'I Love Lower Decks'

They also praised the show’s stars, Tawny Newsome and Jack Quaid,...

Jonathan Frakes and Brent Spiner love Star Trek: Lower Decksand called it "the best show ever" for breaking one of Star Trek's rules. Star Trek: Lower Decks ended on Paramount+ in December 2024 after five seasons. Jonathan Frakes was the first big name from Star Trek: The Next Generation to appear on Lower Decks, voicing Captain Will Riker in seasons 1 and 2. Brent Spiner joined Star Trek: Lower Decks season 5 and voiced an alternate universe (and purple) version of Lt. Commander Data's head.

Appearing at South Texas Comic Con together, Jonathan Frakes and Brent Spiner were asked about their stints voicing Riker and Data on Star Trek: Lower Decks.Brent and Jonathan effusively praised Mike McMahan's animated comedy, with Frakes explaining how Tawny Newsome and Jack Quaid guest-starring in the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds crossover episode Frakes directed broke a long-held rule in Star Trek about 'no improvisation.'...

When Star Trek: Picardpremiered in 2020, the seventh episode of the first season featured the return of William Riker (Jonathan Frakes) and Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis). In the Season 1 episode titled “Nepenthe,” viewers find out that the couple’s son, Thaddeus “Thad,” had died of a rare disease called mendaxic neurosclerosis, thus leaving the Troi-Rikers, who were married in 2002’s Star Trek: Nemesis, as a family of three, with their daughter Kestra.

Flash forward a few years to Picard’s third season, which featured the entire The Next Generation crew reuniting for a mission against the Borg. At the beginning, when Admiral Picard (Patrick Stewart) recruits Riker to join him, viewers see that there’s a definite strain in the marriage between Captain Riker and Counselor Troi.

Jonathan Frakes recently touched on why Riker and his Imzadi, Deanna, were at odds throughout Season 3 of Picard. The couple, grieving for their son,...

Jonathan Frakes breaks down the real-world rationale behind Captain Will Riker and Counselor Deanna Troi's (Marina Sirtis) rocky marriage in Star Trek: Picardseason 3. When Riker joined Admiral Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) at the start of Star Trek: Picard season 3, it was a shock that he was estranged from his wife, Deanna. Troi and Riker reconciled by the end of Star Trek: Picard season 3, but it was the deepest exploration of their marriage and relationship since their romance was introduced in Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Speaking with Creation Entertainment co-ceo Adam Malin on Creation TV's podcast, Jonathan Frakes delved into how the marital problems Riker and Troi faced in Star Trek: Picard season 3 stemmed from real problems parents encounter after the loss of a child.Star Trek: Picard season 1 revealed that Will and Deanna's son, Thad, died of mendaxic neurosclerosis. Star Trek: Picard season 3 smartly followed up with the grieving...

Star Trek: Tng had an ensemble cast, and more or less all of them got equal focus throughout the seven seasons. With a large main cast, some actors will definitely lose out on storylines. Actress Denise Crosby, who played Tasha Yar, reportedly did not want to just stand as a background actor and left the show in season one.

However, one must wonder if a different actor might have stuck on to the part, and the show itself might have been completely different. According to a casting memo, Crosby was not even in the top five list for the character, and one of the actresses who did make the list, Rosalind Chao, ultimately played Keiko O’Brien.

Star Trek’s casting memo includes Rosalind Chao for Tasha Yar and another character for Denise Crosby Denise Crosby in Star Trek: The Next Generation | Credits: Paramount

The starting seasons of Star Trek: Tng...

Some hail it as one of the best episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Others dismiss it as a silly take on a complex sci-fi concept. When it was released 31 years ago, the Season 7 episode Emergence caught the attention of many Star Trek fans. The episode introduced the possibility of the Enterprise being a sentient being and even showed it giving birth to a progeny.

Emergence deals with the Starfleet ship gaining control over its intelligence and how the crew of the ship tackles the sentience of their ship. Upon rewatching the series, I was astounded at the sheer theories and interpretations that the episode leaves open for the audience, which makes it one of the most thought-provoking episodes in the series.

What happened in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode Emergence? David Huddleston as The Conductor and Michael Dorn as Worf in the episode Emergence from Star Trek: The Next Generation...

The third season of Star Trek: Picard memorably brought back the majority of the cast of The Next Generation, a move that was celebrated by fans. Season 3 drew a near-perfect score of 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, which was firmly the highest of all three seasons.

There was a downside to bringing back the stars of The Next Generation, even if it resulted in very high acclaim. Per ScreenRant, Terry Matalas was doing an interview for The Sackhoff Show when addressed becoming sole showrunner for Season 3 after serving as co-showrunner alongside Akiva Goldsman for Season 2. He remembered having a vision to make Season 3 feel more like The Next Generation, and from there, all it took was getting Patrick Stewart on board. Unfortunately, the budget would not allow for Stewart's co-stars from the first two seasons to return, meaning that "sacrifices" had to be made.

"We got to the end of [Picard Season 2], and Akiva’s like,...

Star Trek: Tng was a global phenomenon upon release, with the cast enjoying a larger amount of fame than the iconic Tos cast, which was canceled after three seasons. Still, only a few main actors got to helm the Captain’s seat and drive the Enterprise, and surprisingly, Marina Sirtis’ Deanna Troi was one of them.

Troi had to take the helm in one scene in the film Star Trek: Generations, which starred both the Tng cast as well as part of the Tos cast. Marina Sirtis mentioned that they were doing an explosive scene with practical special effects, which resulted in burning embers falling on the captain’s seat, thus setting her bottom on fire.

Marina Sirtis’ bottom was on fire after a scene in the Star Trek: Tng cast’s movie Marina Sirtis in Star Trek: Tng | Credits: Paramount

Marina Sirtis played Denna Troi for seven seasons in...

Star Trek: Picard season 3 showrunner Terry Matalas explained why it was "terrible" to lose Picard's original actors to make way for the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Santiago Cabrera, Allison Pill, Isa Briones, and Evan Evagora were Star Trek: Picard season 1 series regulars alongside Patrick Stewart, Michelle Hurd, and Jeri Ryan. However, only Ryan and Hurd joined Stewart for Star Trek: Picard season 3, which reunited Admiral Jean-Luc Picard with his crew from the USS Enterprise-d.

Appearing on The Sackhoff Show to discuss his career, including Marvel Studios' Vision Quest and 12 Monkeys, Terry Matalas explained how he joined Star Trek: Picard as co-showrunner for season 2 with Akiva Goldsman. As sole showrunner for Star Trek: Picard season 3, Matalas told host Katee Sackhoff about having to convince Stewart to bring back the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation, but that season 3's budget required the "sacrifice" of losing...

When Gargoyles was first released in 1994, it had the option to stay comfortably put in its animated lane. Instead, it dared to outshine Law & Order, with its moral ambiguity, depth, and serialized storytelling. I agree that Law & Order was a pioneer in its genre that essentially paved the way for episode-wise crime procedurals. But what Gargoyles did by turning that formula on its head and intertwining noir, mythology, and complex human dilemmas into one daring narrative cannot be ignored.

Sure, the supernatural angle was a treat, but what really intensified the animated series was the way it mirrored real-life ethical and legal tensions, while being a cartoon for kids. Streaming now on Disney+, the show is finally getting the attention it deserves. It’s a trailblazing hybrid that was way ahead of its time.

Gargoyles put the critically acclaimed Law & Order to shame

Yes, Law & Order hit...

Well, it is quite evident that people’s tastes are changing, with audience members watching almost everything that comes in theaters and hating most of it, and loving some movies that were really well-made.

However, this change isn’t a new thing since Michael Dorn, who starred in the Star Trek franchise for years, had thought of this taste change 23 years ago when he starred in Star Trek: Nemesis! That is why the actor didn’t appear in further Star Trek films after the 2002 movie.

Michael Dorn knew that the audience’s taste was changing

In 1987, the world was introduced to Sir Patrick Stewart and Jonathan Frakes’ Star Trek: The Next Generation, which, as the title suggests, was a sequel to the original 1966 show Star Trek: The Original Series.

Michael Dorn portrayed the role of Worf in the Star Trek franchise | Credits: Paramount Television

In the 1987 show, Michael Dorn was...

Jonathan Frakes explained why newer shows in the Star Trek franchise have inconsistent VFX and CGI. In a Reddit Ama, Frakes joined writer Ken Lazebnik and science consultant Andre Bormanis to ask fans’ burning questions about the franchise. Among other things, the director and actor explained the reason behind Star Trek’s VFX woes.

The franchise has largely been successful in the longer format, with the original series starting out as a TV show. Unlike its competitor sci-fi franchise Star Wars, which only got into streaming and TV after the movies, Star Trek has always been a TV-friendly IP. Hence, a lot of time crunch has reportedly led to some inconsistent quality in the VFX.

Jonathan Frakes explained why the newer Star Trek shows have VFX issues A still from Star Trek: Tng | Credits: Paramount

While it is tradition for cast members to direct an episode in Star Trek,...

From becoming the youngest showrunner in television history with The Family Guy to being berated by the creators of The Simpsons and especially South Park, Seth MacFarlane has had a complicated reputation in Hollywood. This isn’t to say his entire career has been confined to The Family Guy cutaway gags, as in recent years, the animator has branched out with shows like The Orville.

Speaking of his sci-fi venture, Star Trek star Jonathan Frakes even deemed McFarlane’s creation on brand with Roddenberry’s iconic saga, as both of them leaned toward similar goals.

Jonathan Frakes spoke highly of Seth MacFarlane’s love letter to Star Trek Jonathan Frakes in Star Trek | Credit: Paramount

In contrast to Star Wars, which inclined more towards fantasy than sci-fi, Gene Roddenberry’s creation, despite being futuristic, was rooted in reality with its exploration of themes that hit close to home. Whether it’s sexism,...

Sir Patrick Stewart has played Captain Jean-Luc Picard for decades, starting with Star Trek: The Next Generation. The character was known for his diplomatic leadership style, which preferred talks over mindless action and blind heroism (unlike someone from the original series). However, even he too could not help break one cardinal rule.

Creator Gene Roddenberry was a former military man, and he included many of his experiences in the military in the Starfleet officers. The Enterprise crew had to follow multiple rules, and those were supposed to be taken into account by writers. One of the most important rules was that crew members were not to fraternize with each other.

Patrick Stewart broke a cardinal rule as Captain Jean-Luc Picard Picard and Crusher in Star Trek: Tng | Credits: Paramount

When traveling across galaxies and cooped up in a self-sustaining ship for many years, there are bound to be a few...

J.J. Abrams achieved peak geekdom when he revived both Star Trek and Star Wars for the big screen. While he directed two movies in the Kelvin timeline, he sat it out for Star Trek: Beyond, after which a fourquel has been in development hell. From a Quentin Tarantino pitch to an origin story, Star Trek 4 has seen it all.

However, time might not be on Abrams’ side if he keeps pushing the development of the film. Actress Zoe Saldana, who plays Uhura in the reboot, urged the team to quicken the process as she felt the actors were getting older and would not suit the characters anymore. As the gap between sequels reaches almost ten years, it is high time Abrams greenlights a sequel.

Zoe Saldana urges J.J. Abrams to quicken the development of Star Trek 4 J.J. Abrams | Credits: YouTube/Brian Penny

The Star Trek franchise...

Everyone always says: Star Wars is for the movies, Star Trek is for TV. Both franchises are two of the biggest sci-fi IPs and have constantly been in competition with each other, but by design, could not be further apart. George Lucas’ story of rebellion and dictatorship is an action extravaganza, while Gene Roddenberry explored profound questions of humanity.

However, it really seems to be the era of Star Trek as Star Wars has been putting out some divisive content for the past few years. It is yet to reach its heyday of the ‘70s and ‘80s, but the Disney era is truly divisive. Apart from Andor and The Mandalorian, the other shows have been mediocre at best. Star Trek, on the other hand, has been killing it on streaming.

A still from Star Wars: Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back | Credits: Lucasfilm

One of the biggest differences between the...

Star Trek: The Next Generation was released in 1987 and introduced the world to a plethora of new characters and actors, who remained iconic forever. Some actors like Sir Patrick Stewart became forever memorable while others… were somewhat forgotten.

One of these actresses, who had found much fame for her role in Star Trek: The Next Generation, was Marina Sirtis. The English actress had portrayed the iconic role of Counselor Deanna Troi in the show. However, no one remembers the Stargate Sg-1 character that she portrayed 6 years after The Next Generation ended.

Marina Sitris also became a part of Stargate Sg-1

It was in 1997 that a show named Stargate Sg-1 was aired, starring Richard Dean Anderson in the main lead. Alongside the actor, a plethora of stars such as Christopher Judge, Michael Shanks, and more had joined across the 10 seasons that the show spanned.

Marina Sirtis portrayed the role of Dr.

Marina Sirtis played Deanna Troi for seven seasons of Star Trek: The Next Generation, four films, and Star Trek: Picard. The counsellor of the USS Enterprise-d, Sirtis’ Troi, was a divisive character, with many fans not very impressed with the characterization and her performance. However, her on-screen romance with William Riker was the highlight.

Deanna Troi and William Riker were the Ross and Rachel of Tng, but funnily enough, there was also a ‘Rachel and Joey’ in the show, which was Troi and Michael Dorn’s Worf. Throughout the seventh season of Tng, the two shared a romantic relationship, but it was unpopular. Even Sirtis disapproved of the relationship and hated Worf’s behaviour during that time.

Marina Sirtis was annoyed at Star Trek: Tng’s exploration of Deanna Troi and Worf’s romance Michael Dorn and Marina Sirtis in Star Trek: The Next Generation | Credits: Paramount

While some TV...

Marina Sirtis’ performance as Deanna Troi may be divisive, but the one thing about her that every fan approves of his her relationship and eventual marriage with Jonathan Frakes’ William Riker. The on-screen couple have an on-and-off relationship in the show and the movies, but share incredible chemistry.

However, the network reportedly tried to axe one of the best TV romances of all time. Marina Sirtis mentioned that there were times when the studio warned the two actors to drop their romantic arc. But, Sirtis and Frakes did not pay heed to it, which all fans are thankful for, as it really adds so much to their characters.

Marina Sirtis and Jonathan Frakes did not listen to Star Trek executives who wanted their on-screen romance axed Marina Sirtis in Star Trek: Tng | Credits: Paramount

Jonathan Frakes and Marina Sirtis have worked together for years as William Riker and Deanna Troi in Star Trek: Tng.

For a generation of fans, Wil Wheaton will always be synonymous with his Star Trek: The Next Generationcharacter Wesley Crusher. Especially since he's reprized the role in Star Trek: Picard, Star Trek: Lower Decks, and Star Trek: Prodigy.

However, he has the closest relationship with his former Next Generation castmates, more than 30 years after the series ended. During an appearance on the Inside of You Podcast, Wheaton talked about how hisco-stars still play a big role in his life and acted as parental figures to him at a young age. "There were moments where I wanted to call them to tell them about things," he said. "That is a supernatural impulse. Everyone has parents. Every child has a mom and a dad. And you want to share that with them. And I've just accepted that when I have that impulse, I text my Star Trek family."

Before officially announcing his Storytime Podcast,...

In 2005, it appeared that "Star Trek" was pretty much over. And, rather tragically, it ended with more of a whimper than a bang. "Star Trek: Voyager" had finally completed its run in May of 2001, and a new prequel series, called just "Enterprise" at the time, was slated to begin the following September. When the World Trade Center Incident occurred on 9/11, though, the national mood changed overnight. The public was very suddenly uninterested in a sci-fi franchise about peace and diplomacy, and turned their attention to grittier, more violent, revenge-based entertainments like "24." "Star Trek" had been flagging in the ratings for a while anyway, but when "Enterprise" debuted on September 24, it seemed doomed from the start.

The "Star Trek" death knell became official in 2002 with the utter failure of "Star Trek: Nemesis," the lowest-grossing "Star Trek" movie to date. Meanwhile, "Enterprise" was eventually re-titled "Star Trek: Enterprise," and it began dabbling with long-form,...

Starting in the seventh season of the ultra-successful "Stargate Sg-1" TV series, noted actor Robert Picardo played a character named Richard Woolsey, a stuffed-shirt overseer who kept a close eye on the members of the Stargate project. Woolsey is not a villain in his own mind -- he seeks only order and oversight -- but his bureaucratic shenanigans caused more harm than help. From 2004 to 2007, Woolsey appeared in seven episodes of "Stargate." His episodes of "Stargate" also overlapped with recurring appearances in the third and fourth seasons of the spin-off "Stargate: Atlantis." In that show's fifth and final season (which ran from 2008 to 2009), Woolsey became a series regular, with Picardo appearing in 20 episodes. 

Picardo might be best known for his role as the holographic Doctor on "Star Trek: Voyager," appearing in 172 episodes over that show's seven seasons. Picardo, however, has been embarrassingly prolific, never having a fallow period since his...

Jonathan Frakes may have joined the Star Trek franchise as an actor, playing William Riker. But he will forever be attached to the franchise due to his contributions as a director too. Along with his The Next Generation co-star LeVar Burton, Frakes directed multiple episodes of the franchise, with his work being as recent as Strange New Worlds.

Frakes also reprised his role as Riker in several other shows, including the ill-fated series finale of Enterprise. The prequel series’ premature cancellation led to a hiatus in the franchise that lasted more than a decade, and the ending was quite controversial. Frakes agreed and mentioned that his appearance was unnecessary.

Star Trek: Enterprise wanted to please fans and brought in Jonathan Frakes in the finale A still from Star Trek: Enterprise | Credits: Paramount

When the going gets tough, a good cameo can fix anything (just look at the MCU). After the...

The great New Zealand-born actor Clive Revill has passed away at the age of 94. He died in Sherman Oaks, California, having succumbed to dementia on March 11. The sad news was confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter by his daughter, Kate Selsby Revill-Oglesby. Revill's storied career encompassed performances on the stage, silver screen, and television, and spanned from Shakespeare to horror and Star Trek to Star Wars, and included many voice-acting credits.

Revill, who would have turned 95 on April 18, entered the Star Trek universe in 1991, when he guest starred as Sir Guy of Gisbourne in the fourth-season Star Trek: The Next Generation episode “Qpid.” The character seeks to marry Maid Marian/Vash (Jennifer Hetrick) and ultimately clashes with Robin Hood/Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) and his Merry Men, a/k/a Dr. Crusher (Gates McFadden), Worf (Michael Dorn), Data (Brent Spiner), Riker (Jonathan Frakes), and Troi (Marina Sirtis).

Among Revill’s other credits,...

The Picard finale was a great affair, but it could have been even bigger! Here's some of the cooler ideas that didn't make it in!

Caution: This article contains Spoilers for Star Trek: Picard Season 3

Star Trek: Picard had a rough go in its first two seasons. Having Patrick Stewart back as Jean-Luc Picard was a great idea, with Star Trek fans excited to see the return of the iconic captain. 

However, the first two seasons were muddled. Seeing a broken Picard looking old as he faced a Romulan plot was hampered by a confusing storyline and a lack of engaging side characters. Season 2 had the return of Q, yet it also suffered with a time travel plotline and a rushed finale. 

Season 3, however, was what Star Trek fans had always wanted: A full-on reunion of the Star Trek: The Next Generation cast on a grand adventure. It was everything fans could hope for,...

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In the "Star Trek: The Next Generation" episode "The Enemy", the Enterprise investigates a crashed Romulan vessel on a radioactive, storm-wracked planet called Galorndon Core. Several Enterprise crew-members are able to beam down and rescue one Romulan survivor, but the storms and radiation prevent everyone from returning. Geordi (LeVar Burton) is left behind, as is a second Romulan survivor named Bochra (John Snyder). At first, the injured Bochra claims Geordi as his hostage, but Geordi explains that the radiation will soon make them sick and that it would be wiser for them to work together to escape. 

The bulk of "The Enemy" is devoted to their rescue. Up in orbit, Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) has to do some clever negotiating with a Romulan Commander (Andrea Katsulas), while Geordi and Bochra find ways to survive below. It's an okay episode. 

It seems,...

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"Star Trek: The Next Generation" was, by all measures, far more successful than the original "Star Trek" that preceded it. The original series wasn't a big hit when it first aired in 1966, and didn't become popular until Trekkies discovered it in reruns in the mid-1970s. By the mid-1980s, the series not only had a passionate following, but several hit "Star Trek" feature films had been made, ensuring that the franchise was long-lasting and widely celebrated. Creator Gene Roddenberry, wanting a project he could more closely oversee, launched the first spinoff "Star Trek: The Next Generation" in 1987, fast-forwarding the timeline of the franchise by about a century. The new show featured a new cast of characters, a new ship, and a new tone. This was, by Roddenberry's orders, to be even more diplomatic and peaceful than even the original show.

The "Star Trek" franchise has always been pretty progressive, but for many years it could also be pretty darn difficult for the women who worked on it. Franchise creator Gene Roddenberry and some of his disciples, including "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" producer Rick Berman, seemed to treat the female characters and the women that played them as eye candy and little more. Though "Star Trek: The Original Series" had only Roddenberry's wife Majel Barrett-Roddenberry as Nurse Chapel and Nichelle Nichols as Lt. Uhura, "Star Trek: The Next Generation" was set to have a little more equality, with big roles for women in counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis), Chief Medical Officer Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden) and Chief Security Officer Tasha Yar (Denise Crosby). Unfortunately, by season 2, two of those women would be gone. 

In a panel at Star Trek Las Vegas in 2018 (via ScreenRant...

In the "Star Trek: The Next Generation" episode "The Survivors", an underrated episode, the U.S.S. Enterprise arrives at a remote colony on the planet Delta Rana IV, responding to a distress call. Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) finds that the entire planet is dead, an uninhabitable desert wasteland. Mysteriously, however, there is a single house left standing, located in a small, inhabitable bubble. Several Enterprise crew members beam down to investigate and find a well-maintained lawn surrounding a completely untouched manse. The officers are greeted by Kevin and Rishon Uxbridge (John Anderson and Anne Haney), a kindly elderly couple who welcome them inside for tea.

The Uxbridge's do not seem to fully acknowledge that the rest of their planet has been completely wasted. They said they witnessed an attack by aggressive aliens called the Husnock but were unaware they were the only survivors. The longer the Enterprise says, the stranger things become.

Arguably, three of the most popular franchises in recent (or past or future) memory are Back to the Future, The Lord of the Rings, and Star Trek, and the stars of all three recently appeared at a Vancouver convention. Christopher Lloyd, John Rhys-Davies, and William Shatner all appeared at the recent Fan Expo Vancouver and posed for an iconic photo together.

Lloyd, who played Dr. Emmett “Doc” Brown in the Back to the Future trilogy, posted an epic photo to the social media site X that featured himself, Star Trek’s Captain James T. Kirk (Shatner), and The Lord of the Rings trilogy’s Gimli (Davies). Lloyd captioned the picture: “The final frontier, the future, or middle-earth…your choice.”

The final frontier, the future, or middle-earth…your choice pic.twitter.com/hRpwhSOEj3— Christopher Lloyd (@DocBrownLloyd) February 23, 2025

RelatedJohn Rhys-Davies Was the Perfect Gimli, But He Nearly Played a Very Different Character...

We Star Trek fans are all about ranking the best and the worst lists in the franchise. Over the years, the captains have been ranked multiple times, and we know it's all about opinion. There hasn't been an official poll that definitively declared one captain from the Star Trek universe as the best out of all of them. But we continue to rank, whether it's uniforms, best episodes, worst episodes, or best characters and worst characters. Recently, Screenrant ranked the 12 Best Love Stories in the franchise. But one couple was noticeably missing. Perhaps the writer didn't think this pairing was high enough to be ranked, but, for me, it's truly a great love story.

Star Trek: Voyager created a pairing that was truly unique with former playboy Lt. Tom Paris [Robert Duncan McNeill] and Lt. B'Elanna Torres [Roxann Dawson], who was half Klingon and half human. Paris had been serving...

Stuart Baird's 2002 film "Star Trek: Nemesis" was one of the franchise's several death knells to come during the early 2000s. "Star Trek: Voyager" came to a close in mid-2001, ending a long-running period of Trek ascendancy. "Star Trek: Enterprise" debuted in late September 2001, and it served as a prequel to the original "Star Trek," set a century before the days of Captain Kirk. It looked different, had a different tone, and aimed to bring Trek to a new generation. Sadly, because of the 9/11 attacks, the world was no longer in the mood for a long-in-the-tooth sci-fi franchise that focused on diplomacy, making peace, and living in harmony. Audiences were now more intent on war, retribution, and violence, and "Star Trek" no longer had a place in the world. 

In 2002, "Star Trek: Nemesis" was released to unenthused audiences and low box office receipts. Made for a budget of $60 million, "Nemesis" only earned $67 million worldwide,...

Star Trek: The Next Generation had some notable guest stars over its seven season run, including Dwayne Johnson, Teri Hatcher, Mick Fleetwood, and Seth MacFarlane. Star Trek: The Original Series actor DeForest Kelley even put in an appearance in the pilot episode "Encounter at Far Point" before three other iconic characters from The Original Series made their debuts. Mark Lenard [Sarek], Jimmy Doohan [Scotty], and Leonard Nimoy [Spock] were all part of the series, with Nimoy in a two-part episode.

Not all of the actors on The Next Generation had the opportunity to work with the actors from The Original Series, and for Marina Sirtis, she was very hurt, according to an interview in the August/September 1997 edition of Star Trek Communication, The Magazine of The Official Star Trek Fan Club, that she never got to work with Leonard Nimoy.

Sirtis filmed a scene with Doohan that was deleted, and she...

Tawny Newsome was already a huge fan of Star Trek before she was cast as Beckett Mariner on Star Trek: Lower Decks, the animated comedy which came to a close after five seasons last month. Newsome believes it was her love of the franchise that helped her get the job on Lower Decks. In an interview with Television Academy, Newsome talked about how series creator, Mike McMahan, asked her to "riff about Star Trek" during her audition. Newsome ended up talking about Deanna Troi's [Marina Sirtis] ball gowns on Star Trek: The Next Generation.

But as much as she knew about Star Trek and all of its iterations, when it came to the Easter eggs in Lower Decks, she didn't know all about them. But her lack of knowledge only pushed her to know more, and she was constantly looking up information. Sometimes, that involved calling McMahan or doing some research on her own,...

Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis) served as the ship's counselor on the USS Enterprise-d throughout all seven seasons of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Originally conceived to be the Spock (Leonard Nimoy) of Tng, Troi became more of a caregiver character and, in many ways, formed the heart of the show. With a Betazoid mother and a human father, Deanna Troi inherited empathic abilities from her mother, Lwaxana Troi (Majel Barrett-Roddenberry). Troi could sense the emotions of those around her, which proved useful both as a counselor and as the trusted advisor to Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart).

Counselor Troi's character was largely inspired by Lieutenant Ilia (Persis Khambatta), a character who was originally conceived for the abandoned Star Trek: Phase II and later appeared in Star Trek: The Motion Picture. As a Deltan, Ilia also had empathic abilities, and her relationship with Captain Will Decker (Stephen Collins) has many...

The fourth and final Star Trek: The Next Generation movie, Star Trek: Nemesis, put a nail in the coffin of what was—at the time—a dying Star Trek franchise. Star Trek: Nemesis saw Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) confront a younger clone of himself, Shinzon (Tom Hardy), who had been created by Romulans to secretly replace Picard. Shinzon had been discarded to the mines of Remus before becoming the new Romulan Praetor to exact his revenge. Star Trek: Nemesis' subplot featured the discovery of B-4 (Brent Spiner), an inferior Soong-type android built before Lt. Commander Data (Brent Spiner).

In theory, Star Trek: Nemesis' high-stakes cinematic action, with a screenplay and story by Academy Award-nominated John Logan with Brent Spiner, was designed to draw casual moviegoers. Further, Star Trek: Nemesis' themes of identity and duality in its Picard and Data storylines were supposed to create that cerebral Star Trek touch.

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A fun piece of trivia, culled from Larry Nemecek's invaluable sourcebook "The Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion": the character of Tasha Yar on "Star Trek: The Next Generation" was originally conceived as a Latina character named Lieutenant Macha Hernandez, intended to be the tactical officer on board the Enterprise-d. Lieutenant Hernandez was largely inspired by the military grunt character Vasquez (Jenette Goldstein) from James Cameron's "Aliens," a film that was still new at the time. Indeed, Goldstein was briefly considered for the role but was quickly turned down when it was revealed she wasn't Latina. After some further development, Hernandez was changed to Tanya, then Natasha, then just Tasha Yar after casting had begun. The character went from being a tactical officer to a security chief.

A wide swath of actresses auditioned for the role of Tasha,...

Both during and after its seven-season run, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine has been set apart from the rest of the Star Trek franchise. Whereas other Star Trek shows have had great crossovers and reference each other constantly, Deep Space Nine has, for the most part, stood alone. With its more mature themes, political intrigues, seasons-long arcs, and space station settting, Deep Space Nine was always going to be different from more episodic and adventuresome shows like Star Trek: The Next Generation or Star Trek: Voyager.

It's hardly surprising Deep Space Nine is something of an outcast from Star Trek. Despite this distance, however, Deep Space Nine has always been a fan favorite, with some of the best episodes in all of Star Trek. Indeed, some of the same darker themes and more dramatic storylines that make Deep Space Nine so great have also set it apart from the rest of the franchise.