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Engadget
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Engadget
The first Star Trek: Starfleet Academy trailer is filled with Easter eggs
We've known Star Trek: Starfleet Academy was coming for a while now , but we finally have some real footage. Paramount just dropped a trailer , in addition to an official announcement that the show will premiere in "early 2026." For the uninitiated, the show is set at the titular Starfleet Academy in future San Francisco and follows a group of cadets and their instructors. The trailer introduces us to all of the major characters, more or less, all while chancellor Holly Hunter does her best space Dumbledore and delivers a rousing speech. Eagle-eyed fans, however, will notice an abundance of Easter eggs in this footage. Starfleet Academy is where nearly every major Star Trek character in franchise history went to school, and they've all left their footprints here. There are shoutouts to James Kirk, Wesley Crusher, Tom Paris and, most interestingly, a class that examines the ultimate fate of Deep Space Nine head honcho Benjamin Sisko. The trailer also re-introduces two fan-favorite characters from previous installments. Robert Picardo returns as the holographic doctor from Star Trek: Voyager and the one-and-only Tig Notaro returns as snark-mouthed engineer Jett Reno from Star Trek: Discovery . Holograms don't age, but people do, so I wonder what kind of sci-fi gobbleygook they'll come up with as to why Picardo now looks older. Speaking of the passage of time, there's the Discovery -sized elephant in the room. Starfleet Academy is set in the 32nd century, after the crew of the Discovery accidentally ended up there at the end of season two. This is 800 years after the 90s shows like The Next Generation and 900 years after the original series. So this means any and all connections between planets and species are likely to be radically different, as eight centuries is a really, really long time. Just think about how different the year 1225 was from today. The show premieres in six or seven months on Paramount+ . Star Trek: Starfleet Academy stars the aforementioned Holly Hunter, Sandro Rosta, Karim Diané, Kerrice Brooks and Paul Giamatti as the half-Klingon antagonist.
Geek Girl Authority
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Girl Authority
STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS: ‘Ad Astra Per Aspera,' a Trans Rights Allegory
How perfect is the utopian society of Star Trek? It's a question the Franchise has asked before, including through Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. And the inquiry continues to be asked today, through Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2's 'Ad Astra Per Aspera.' For the final Trek Tuesday in Pride Month 2025, we're reflecting on 'Ad Astra Per Aspera,' and what it means from the perspective of a trans woman in the United States today. A Future History of Augments In many ways, 'Ad Astra Per Aspera' is the culmination of many decades of Franchise storytelling. This is because the episode draws on Star Trek continuity to form the basis of the prejudice that Starfleet displays against Augments, or genetically altered individuals. This prejudice goes back to the Eugenics Wars, a key part of Star Trek backstory since Star Trek: The Original Series. In The Original Series Season 1's 'Space Seed,' the U.S.S. Enterprise encounters the S.S. Botany Bay. This ship was launched from Earth in the 1990s, in the wake of the Eugenics Wars. Spock (Leonard Nimoy) describes this as a 'strange and violent period in [human] history.' Aboard the Botany Bay is Khan Noonien-Singh (Ricardo Montalbán). Khan is genetically altered, giving him greater strength and intelligence than the average human being. In the 1990s, Khan and other Augments banded together in an attempt to take over the Earth. War and misery ensued. RELATED: Star Trek : The Trans Trill, Explained However, un-augmented humanity was eventually able to prevail. In the wake of the Eugenics Wars, Khan and his soldiers were put into suspended animation aboard the Botany Bay. The ship was subsequently launched into deep space. When Khan is awakened, he attempts to take over the Enterprise. However, James T. Kirk (William Shatner) is able to thwart his plan. Khan and his followers are subsequently exiled to Ceti Alpha V. Seventeen years later, in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Khan has his revenge. Although he is ultimately killed, the cost is incredibly high: he costs Spock his life. While this episode and movie give context to humanity's feelings on Augments, both are set after 'Ad Astra Per Aspera.' The Eugenics Wars Originally set in the 1990s, the Eugenics Wars are considered a low point in human history. They seem to have bled into World War III, a nuclear conflict that caused the death of a significant percentage of Earth's population. Obviously, in our timeline, the Eugenics Wars did not transpire in the 90s. However, this discrepancy was addressed in Strange New Worlds Season 2's 'Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow.' In that episode, La'an Noonien-Singh (Christina Chong) learns that time travel shenanigans have caused the Eugenics Wars to shift to later on the timeline. Nevertheless, the Eugenics Wars still take place, just a few decades later. RELATED: 8 LGBTQ+ Books to Keep Pride Going for the Rest of 2025 There were conflicts with Augments in the years between the Eugenics Wars and 'Space Seed.' One is depicted in Star Trek: Enterprise Season 4. In the episodes 'Borderland,' 'Cold Station 12' and 'The Augments,' we meet a group of Augments created by Dr. Arik Soong (Brent Spiner). In this storyline, the Augments attempt to steal biological weapons in order to cause a war between humans and Klingons. They are motivated by a desire to use the conflict in order to escape Earth control. As a result of Earth's history, humanity develops a prejudice against Augments. This prejudice is explained in Strange New Worlds Season 1's 'Ghosts of Illyria.' In that episode, the Enterprise visits a planet where the population of Augments was so desperate to join the Federation, they attempted to de-augment themselves. However, as a result, they died, and/or transformed themselves into entities that strongly resemble ghosts. But the sad story becomes personal when it is revealed that the Enterprise's first officer, Una 'Number One' Chin-Riley (Rebecca Romijn), is an Illyrian Augment. Augment Like Me In 'Ghosts of Illyria,' Una's Augment blood is a key factor in healing the Enterprise crew. But it also forces La'an to confront her own latent prejudice against Augments. This is because La'an is a descendant of Khan. Throughout her childhood, she faced verbal abuse due to her last name. While Una served as a mentor to La'an, the revelation that Una is an Augment causes La'an to grow angry. But this is because La'an is in denial about the fact that due to her lineage, there is a part of herself that is Augment. Photo Cr: Marni Grossman/Paramount+ ©2022 ViacomCBS. All Rights Reserved. At the conclusion of the episode, Una attempts to hand her Starfleet resignation to Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount). This is because due to prejudice, Augments are not permitted to serve in Starfleet. However, Pike states that Una is one of the best officers in Starfleet. He refuses to accept her resignation, and will hide the truth from Starfleet Command. But in the final moments of the episode, Una reflects on the fact that his reasoning for not turning her in is her extreme aptitude as an officer. 'What if I wasn't a hero…?' wonders Una. 'When will it be enough to just be an Illyrian?' RELATED: 11 New Young Adult LGBTQ+ Books You Should Read for Pride Month Pike's deception allows for a stable situation on the Enterprise for the majority of the first season. But in the season finale, 'A Quality of Mercy,' the truth about Una is revealed to Starfleet Command. In the final moments of the finale, Captain Marie Batel (Melanie Scrofano) boards the Enterprise with a security team. In spite of Pike's protestations, Una is placed under arrest for hiding the fact that she is an Augment in order to serve in Starfleet. The season ends on this cliffhanger. 'Ad Astra Per Aspera' In Strange New Worlds Season 2's 'Ad Astra Per Aspera,' Una is put on trial for concealing her Augment identity. In order to ensure she has a fair defense, Pike recruits Una's childhood friend, attorney Neera Ketoul (Yetide Badaki). Like Una, Neera is an Augment. Her cases are primarily concerned with defending the rights of Augments against persecution. Photo Cr: Michael Gibson/Paramount+ Part of the genius of Star Trek is that it allows for social commentary through the lens of science fiction. By using the genre lens, contemporary social issues that might otherwise be considered 'too contraversial for entertainment television' to be examined. This can allow for important moral lessons. And it can also mean that people from different demographics can see themselves in a single storyline. RELATED: Geek Girl Authority Crush of the Week: Jennifer 'Jen' Sh'reyan As a trans woman, it is easy for me to see the current climate in the U.S. concerning trans people reflected in Una's identity and court martial. In Star Trek, Augments are prohibited from joining Starfleet. Meanwhile, in 2025 America, trans people are barred from taking part in sports and using 'single gender' public spaces, like bathrooms and locker rooms. And if the oppressive regime continues to get its way, we will soon be barred from life-saving healthcare and perhaps public life in general. 'Ad Astra Per Aspera' invites this reading, especially through one of Neera's affecting speeches during the court martial. In that monologue, Neera concedes: 'Permanent genetic modification is illegal under Federation law.' But she continues that other types of immoral prejudice have also historically been 'legal.' This includes 'slavery,' 'apartheid' and 'discrimination against people for how they worshipped, how they loved, their gender, and the color of their skin.' Neera's point is that just became discrimination is legal does not make it right. Through Hardship… There are other parallels between Una's situation and the current situation for trans people in America. Una was able to serve in Starfleet for as long as she has because she 'passes.' This means that her genetic augmentations are not necessarily evident to the casual observer. Photo Cr: Michael Gibson/Paramount+ As Neera states, this is privilege that is available to some Augments, but not to others. She observes that 'some Illyrians have modifications they can't hide, and some of us refuse to.' Again, this reflects an element of the contemporary trans experience. True, some trans people can 'pass' as their true gender. This allows them to avoid being barred from certain privileges, because the average cis person cannot tell they are trans. However, some trans people do not possess this passing privilege, and are visibly trans, even if this is not their preference. And other trans people simply do not wish to adhere to any traditional gender presentation, allowing them to be easily 'clocked,' or identified as trans. RELATED: Star Trek Episode Trilogy: Revisiting 'Unification' Neera argues that this is wrong. Augments shouldn't have to hide their true nature, whether by choice or necessity. Likewise, trans people shouldn't be required to hide our 'transness' in order to be granted civil rights. We are still people, even if we cannot or chose not to adhere to traditional binary gender presentation. Ultimately, Una is allowed to remain in Starfleet in spite of having been outed as an Augment. In fact, we learn that she was personally responsible for informing Starfleet Command of her identity. But while she is allowed to continue to serve, the ruling is focused only on her. The broader prejudice and anti-Augment laws remain in place at the conclusion of the episode. Progress can be incremental. …to the Stars During her court martial, Una speaks about having been inspired by the original Starfleet motto, 'Ad Astra Per Aspera.' This means: 'To the stars through hardship.' She concedes that Starfleet and the Federation are not perfect. However, they have the potential to grow beyond their current limitations. Una says that she understood the motto to mean that 'the stars could deliver us from anything.' She continued, 'That in the mystery and vastness of space, we might not just satisfy our curiosity, our need for exploration, but that in it, we might each also find salvation.' Photo Cr: Paramount+ In Strange New Worlds' subsequent second season episode 'Those Old Scientists,' we learn that this motto later became a recruitment slogan for Starfleet. In fact, Una herself was used in recruitment posters that bore the motto. One of these posters inspired Bradward Boimler (Jack Quaid) to join Starfleet. Boimler is not an Augment. But he was still deeply affected by Una and her story. RELATED: The Premise and How Star Trek Fans Created Fanfic As We Know It This demonstrates that the rights of minority demographics do not just benefit those in said minority. We are all part of the same tapestry. By treating everyone equally, everyone benefits, even those in the majority. This truth was summed up in The Original Series Season 1's 'The Savage Curtain.' As Kirk states in that episode, 'We've each learned to be delighted with what we are.' He credits the Vulcans as having determined this before they did. It is surmised in the Vulcan creed: 'Infinite diversity in infinite combinations.' We Only Reach the Future Together Both 'Ad Astra Per Aspera' and the IDIC are important to me, personally. My spouse, who is also trans, engraved my wedding ring with the former phrase. In 2025, trans people are treated as second class citizens, if we are treated as citizens at all. But I believe that a better society is possible. And I believe that true equality among every person will not just benefit oppressed minorities like myself. Rather, it will benefit everyone, including those in the majority. Our prejudice is holding all of humanity back. But a better world is possible. RELATED: T4TNG: The Accidentally Trans Star Trek: The Next Generation Episode It has been a difficult time for trans Americans. And it seems inevitable that more difficult times lie ahead. But we could be better. And if we want to grow beyond this nascent stage of humanity and achieve our full potential, true equality and empathy will be a necessary goal to reach. It may be difficult to achieve, but I believe we can accomplish it, together. Ad Astra Per Aspera. The Star Trek episodes discussed above are currently available for streaming on Paramount+. Hit It: Best Quotes From STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS' 'Ad Astra per Aspera' Avery Kaplan (she/her) is the author of several books and the Features Editor at Comics Beat. With her spouse Ollie Kaplan, Avery co-authored the middle school textbook on intersectionality Double Challenge: Being LGBTQ and a Minority. She was honored to serve as a judge for the 2021 - 2024 Cartoonist Studio Prize Awards and the 2021 Prism Awards. She lives in the mountains of Southern California with her partner and a pile of cats, and her favorite place to visit is the cemetery. You can also find her writing on Comics Bookcase, the Gutter Review, Shelfdust, the Mary Sue, in the Comics Courier and in many issues of PanelxPanel, and in the margins of the books in her personal library.
Gizmodo
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
Harris Yulin Gave ‘Deep Space Nine' One of Its Greatest Performances
Harris Yulin passed away this week at the age of 87. The Broadway star had a litany of beloved and memorable film and TV roles to his name, like a fan-favorite turn in Ghostbusters II—but Star Trek fans will forever remember him for his incredible turn as a traumatized Cardassian office clerk in one of Deep Space Nine's first all-time classics, 'Duet'. Occasionally a victim of its own success in the eyes of Star Trek fandom, Deep Space Nine's remarkable dramatic arcs through its back half exploring the Federation at war with the Dominion occasionally means that some fans perceive its earliest seasons—more broadly about the sociopolitical tension between the recently liberated Bajoran people and Starfleet's presence to guide Bajor into potential Federation membership—as a slog to get through before you hit the real good stuff. But of several early episodes that shine just as brightly as DS9's very best, 'Duet,' the 19th episode of season one, absolutely is the one that shines brightest. In 'Duet' Yulin plays a delicious dual role. He's initially introduced as the Cardassian file clerk Aamin Marritza, treated on DS9 for a terminal disease largely contracted by prisoners and workers at the Gallitep concentration camp. Immediately recognised by Kira, herself one of the resistance members who helped liberate Gallitep, her interrogation leads her to believe that the haughty Marritza—who after initial attempts at obfuscation, makes no qualms of hiding that he worked at the camp—is actually an assumed identity of the camp's infamous commander, Gul Darhe'el. Confronted with Kira's evidence, 'Marritza''s mask falls, taking full, angry, and insidious credit for being Darhe'el. If that was all there was to Yulin's role in 'Duet' it would still be a remarkable turn. He fills Marritza/Darhe'el with an incredible sense of simmering disdain, a man simultaneously trying to shirk his history at Gallitep from a furious Kira's eyes, while also confident enough in his belief to casually, even proudly, embrace an alternate history of Gallitep's atrocities. Yulin's chemistry having Nana Visitor's Kira as a scene partner is electric, her turmoil between the rightful rage Kira feels as a Bajoran and her duties as an objective officer aboard DS9 crashing against the Cardassian's calm collection. Isolated in Odo's small holding cells, Darhe'el becomes a specter who lingers over the episode and Kira alike, plaguing her moral quandary over whether or not she should help someone responsible for heinous atrocities against her people. But the character has a further layer to him: it's Darhe'el that is the assumed persona. Marritza really did work in the administrative wings of Gallitep, but, like Kira, is sickened to his soul by his complicity in the war crimes that occurred there. Dying of his disease anyway, Marritza went through cosmetic surgery to take on Darhe'el's likeness, targeted Kira for her connection to the resistance cell that liberated Gallitep, and then chose to sacrifice himself to the Bajoran authorities in an attempt to get public condemnation for the crimes that Darhe'el committed. In an instant, Yulin's performance switches, the arrogance and collection that had defined his role up to this point shattering to reveal a truly haunted man beneath many masks. After spending much of the episode horrified by him, Marritza becomes immediately and tragically sympathetic, a mirror held up against Kira as someone still broken by their attempts to process what they experienced during Cardassia's rule on Bajor. That Yulin is able to sell that change as convincingly as he had first masked his 'true' identity as Darhe'el is remarkable, and it climaxes with an incredibly poignant scene where he breaks down in his cell in front of Kira. 'Duet' ends in tragedy regardless. Unable to bring herself to 'help' Marritza face trial as Darhe'el, Kira has to let the grieving man go—only for him to be murdered on DS9's promenade by a vengeful Bajoran, who, unlike her, could not see past the grief they all bore during occupation, whether it was Bajorans or Cardassians caught in their own webs of moral complicity. Deep Space Nine would go on to do a lot in exploring the moral nuances behind even the broad, clear-cut horrors of the Cardassian occupation, the Dominion War beyond it, and their own real-world parallels: but it was Yulin who helped to first put put a complex and sympathetic face on the Cardassian perspective, and did so with such grace to give the series one of its greatest hours.
Geek Girl Authority
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Girl Authority
STAR TREK: 5 Alternate Lives
The Star Trek Franchise follows the crews of Starfleet ships in the future as they boldly explore the galaxy. But what if our heroes lived a different kind of life? For this week's Trek Tuesday, we're remembering five Star Trek episodes that show our heroes living a different life. Did we include your favorite? Be sure and let us know in the comment section or over on social media. 'The Inner Light' Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 5's 'The Inner Light' is widely regarded as one of the show's best episodes. In this episode, the U.S.S. Enterprise-D encounters a strange probe floating in space. But when the probe zaps Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), he is inexplicably transported into a new existence. RELATED: Star Trek: Guest Star Spotlight on Majel Barrett Roddenberry Picard is unable to contact the Enterprise-D or determine how he might return to his former reality. So eventually, Picard settles into life as 'Kamin' on the planet Kataan. Thus, he lives out a recreation of the final decades of the doomed planet from whence the probe originated. Meanwhile, only twenty minutes pass on the Enterprise-D . However, he does get to keep a flute to remember the experience. We see that he still displays this flute on his desk decades later in Star Trek: Picard Season 3. 'Hard Time' On Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Miles O'Brien (Colm Meaney) had a reputation for being something of a whipping boy. But in Deep Space Nine Season 4's 'Hard Time,' that reputation seems particularly well-earned. The episode sees O'Brien falsely convicted of espionage on the planet Argratha. On this planet, those who are convicted are placed into a virtual simulation. This simulation distorts the prisoner's perception of time. So, O'Brien has served his sentence before Starfleet learns he's been incarcerated. But from O'Brien's perspective, that process took twenty years, not a matter of days. In the wake of his experience, he struggles to readjust as he returns to his normal life about Deep Space 9. 'Far Beyond the Stars' Speaking of popular episodes, there are few Star Trek episodes more universally lauded than Deep Space Nine Season 6's 'Far Beyond the Stars.' In this episode, Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) finds himself inhabiting the life of Benny Russell, a Black author living on Earth in the 1950s. RELATED: Star Trek : Answering Your Questions About Caitians Russell writes the story of Sisko, the Black captain of a space station in the future (sound familiar?). But unfortunately, he faces discrimination and oppression as he attempts to get the story published. In this episode, Sisko is both the dreamer and the dream. 'Workforce' In the Star Trek: Voyager Season 7 two-part episode 'Workforce,' the crew of the U.S.S. Voyager are captured and are brainwashed into believing they are different people. As such, they accept that they have spent their lives living and working on an industrial workforce. While there are some echoes of their previous lives, the crew is unable to remember the true nature of their existence. So, it's up to Neelix (Ethan Phillips) and Chakotay (Robert Beltran), who weren't affected by the mind-warp, to restore the rest of the crews' memories. 'The Elysian Kingdom' Photo Cr: Marni Grossman/Paramount+ ©2022 ViacomCBS. All Rights Reserved. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 1's 'The Elysian Kingdom' saw the U.S.S. Enterprise crew experiencing a whole new reality after they encounter an enigmatic nebula in space. This is thanks to the fact that the nebula bonds with the daughter of Doctor M'Benga (Babs Olusanmokun), Rukiya (Sage Arrindell/Makambe Simamba). As a result, the Enterprise and her crew are transformed into fantasy analogues of themselves. RELATED: Star Trek: The Animated Series : 5 Characters and Species Introduced by the Show The fantasy analogues are taking from the children's picture book The Elysian Kingdom, which M'Benga reads to Rukiya. Interestingly, this book was written by the aforementioned Benny Russell. At the conclusion of the episode, reality is restored. However, M'Benga must accept that his daughter has chosen to remain with the nebula rather than continue waiting in the transporter buffer for M'Benga to cure the ailment with which she is afflicted. These Star Trek episodes are currently available for streaming on Paramount+. STAR TREK: Tracing the Holodeck's History Avery Kaplan is the author of several books and the Features Editor at Comics Beat. She was honored to serve as a judge for the 2021 Cartoonist Studio Prize Award and the 2021 Prism Awards. She lives in the mountains of Southern California with her partner and a pile of cats, and her favorite place to visit is the cemetery. You can also find her writing on Comics Bookcase, NeoText, Shelfdust, the Mary Sue, in many issues of PanelxPanel, and in the margins of the books in her personal library.
Geek Tyrant
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
How George Wendt's Norm From CHEERS Inspired One of STAR TREK's Most Lovable Background Characters — GeekTyrant
Did you ever watch Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and notice that walrus-faced alien who's always sitting at the bar, quietly nursing a drink? Well, that Morn, and this silent space barfly was directly inspired by George Wendt's beloved character Norm from Cheers . His name was officially mentioned in the Season 1 episode 'Vortex' and Morn was always seated at Quark's Bar. Always drinking. Always... just kind of there. He was played by actor Mark Allen Shepherd, and he became one of the most endearing recurring presences on Deep Space Nine, racking up appearances in 93 episodes. According to Deep Space Nine showrunner Ira Steven Behr, Morn was intentionally named and designed after Norm. While Norm would famously stroll into Cheers to enthusiastic cries of 'Norm!' and proceed to spout dry funny one-liners and beer-soaked wisdom, Morn quietly occupied the same symbolic role. Everyone knew him. Everyone had a story about him. Characters on the show often described Morn as chatty, hilarious, and full of gossip... even though we never heard him say a thing. It was a running gag. Originally nicknamed "The Grinch" by the production crew due to his Seussian look, Morn's moniker was changed before filming. While his character never got any actual lines, the writers tried. Behr admitted the writers repeatedly brainstormed bigger roles and actual dialogue for Morn, but the showrunners always cut those scenes before cameras rolled. Still, Shepherd embraced the character. In a past interview with he recalled spending 12-hour days in full Lurian makeup and improvising small moments in the background of bar scenes. Despite never speaking, Morn even showed up in crossover episodes of The Next Generation , Voyager , and Lower Decks . One of his greatest moments came in the Season 6 episode 'Who Mourns for Morn?', which begins with his death. Or so we think. Turns out, Morn faked his death to flush out old criminal partners from a long-con robbery. We learn he'd once robbed a bank, swallowed a fortune in liquid latinum, and stashed it in one of his stomachs. After some chaos, Morn casually strolls back into the bar, alive and bald (the latinum made him lose his hair), with a sheepish shrug that says: 'What'd I miss?' Shepherd said that Morn actually did have lines and recalls the joke he told in the show, saying: 'Finalism finger fink. Obligatory quotient yokefellow, coconut kachina cosmological argument. Bank swallow fish story, inculpate minuteman. Stress certifier in lecithin. Hard-hearted dill, divine minded domineer, mind reader sextuplet, garden fly honey suckle garbage. Palter rimfire, green peace. Change is the ultimate solution.' Yeah, it makes absolutley no sense. Morn's legacy lives on as one of Star Trek 's most amusing Easter eggs and background gags, a tribute to Norm, to bar culture, and to the idea that sometimes, being there is enough to become a legend. Via: CinemaBlend
