Ever since the new Star Trek movie came out the fandom has been super active. We all have a new universe to play in now—and people have been playing. I could write a whole post about the massive fights going on about Spock and Uhura (you don’t want me to, though. It’s been unpleasant), but I find myself more interested in what’s been left behind and what this means for the future of the franchise.
If you haven’t seen the movie and are still inexplicably avoiding spoilers, stop reading now. But as it’s been months, I don’t feel the need to put this under the jump.
As most everyone knows, Star Trek heavily messed with canon. The whole history of the future has been changed and spun off into an alternate timeline. This was explained—not quite plausibly, but satisfactorily enough—in the movie. But as I watched the scene where Spock expositioned his way through it all (with Uhura’s helpful cry of “an alternate universe!”), I couldn’t help but think to myself: “30+ years of canon just died in 90 seconds. What a shame.”
A friend and fellow Trek lover crystallized it for me by asking if we’d ever see Star Trek Universe Prime ever again or if it would all be taped over by a giant space VCR named J.J.? A valid point. I hope we’ll see stories in Star Trek Prime again, but I worry that The Powers That Be don’t feel they’re worth telling because they only exist in Future!Spock’s memories. Will we ever get to see the last adventure of Captain Picard, the stellar Admiralty of Kathryn Janeway? How about the triumphant return of Captain Sisko, fresh from living with the Prophets in a no time no space dimension of awesome? I’m sure there are so many more Deep Space Nine stories to tell.
I know the franchise was badly in need of a reboot, I know the movies were getting stale and ridiculous along with that travesty of a series I hate to name (okay: Enterprise). Still, I cannot help but feel a pang of regret for my lost universe, now discarded, maybe forgotten forever.
All Star Trek Prime needs is better writers, more talented directors, and a depth of vision. Just give me one more ride—and this time don’t bother with the same old bull you gave us in the last few movies. Instead, make it epic, bring in everyone from TNG, DS9 and VOY you can cajole with easy cash and give this universe the send-off it deserves.
