Latest news with #holodeck
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Paul Wesley Opened Up Making Sure His William Shatner Impression In Latest Episode Was A ‘True Wink To The Fans'
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. In the same tradition that produced a fairy tale story in Season 1, the Lower Decks crossover and musical in Season 2, and the recently-announced puppet episode for Season 4, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3 delivered an episode with an especially kooky premise this week on the 2025 TV schedule. In order to test an early version of the holodeck, La'an Noonien Singh entered a murder mystery simulation revolving around the cast and crew of a TV show from the 1960s called The Last Frontier. It was obviously meant to poke fun at Star Trek: The Original Series, and Paul Wesley, who plays James T. Kirk on Strange New Worlds, opened up about breaking out his William Shatner imitation for the events of 'A Space Adventure Hour.' While Wesley's Kirk performance is usually relatively subdued, 'A Space Adventure Hour' gave the actor the opportunity to enter caricature territory when the Enterprise's short-lived holodeck used Kirk as the model for Maxwell Saint, the lead actor of The Last Frontier. Speaking with TVLine, Wesley had this to say about channeling William Shatner's Kirk from the TOS days, but without going too far with the impression: I realized immediately what an opportunity it was to give the viewers a satirical, more humorous version of what I could have done. Because I know a lot of people are like, 'Wait a minute, where's the pause in the cadence, and where's the gesturing, and that Shakespearean almost element of James T. Kirk that we all know from the '60s?' And I thought, 'Well, here it is. Let me do it for you now.' And I had an absolute blast doing it… I didn't want to overdo it, but I also wanted to do enough where it was a wink to the true fans. Paramount Plus: from $7.99 a month/$79.99 a yearMake sure you stay up to date on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds by signing up for Paramount+'s Essential plan, or go ad-free and get double the catalog with Showtime through the Premium plan from $12.99 a month. You could also get 12 months for the price of 10 paying for the annual Deal Anyone who's spent time watching the original voyages of the starship Enterprise that ran on TV from 1966 to 1969 will instantly recognize that halting, oftentimes overly dramatic dialogue reading. It's so often used for William Shatner impressions, and now Paul Wesley has gotten to do his own within an official Star Trek production. That said, there were times during the shooting of 'A Space Adventure Hour' (which also introduced a new romance for La'an) that Wesley had to pull back a little bit on the Shatner-isms, recalling: I did, obviously, a bunch of takes. And so there were variations in the pauses, where the pause is like, 'Is he gonna say his next line?' And then we settled on sort of the moderate one. Paul Wesley's William Shatner impression was just one of the ways that 'A Space Adventure Hour' served as a funny, yet heartfelt homage to both Star Trek: The Original Series and the behind-the-scenes of it all decades ago. Other examples included Anson Mount playing a Gene Roddenberry-type figure and Rebecca Romijn playing a woman who helped get The Last Frontier on the air and was heavily invested in its success, just like what Lucille Ball did for Star Trek. Unfortunately, the holodeck in this episode proved to be more trouble than its worth, so don't expect Strange New Worlds to revisit this simulation by the time the show's finished its five-season run. Yes, there is an endpoint already plotted out for what's currently the only Star Trek TV series airing. However, we have a long ways to go before reaching it, so watch new episodes Thursday on Paramount+ in the meantime. Also don't forget that Starfleet Academy, the next of the upcoming Star Trek TV shows, will premiere in early 2026.
Geek Girl Authority
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Geek Girl Authority
Computer, Please End Program: 6 STAR TREK Holodeck Malfunctions
On Star Trek, one of the most famous pieces of technology is the holodeck. But unlike most Starfleet equipment, this device is just as likely to malfunction as to operate correctly. For more evidence that this is true, just check the most recent episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. 'A Space Adventure Hour' reveals the first time that a holodeck was tested on a Starfleet ship. And, well… you can probably guess what happens next. For this week's Trek Tuesday, we're recalling six times the holodeck malfunctioned. Did we include your favorite? Cover image credit: Marni Grossman/Paramount+ The Practical Joker The episode that first introduced the holodeck was Star Trek: The Animated Series Season 2's 'The Practical Joker.' In this episode, the holodeck was called 'the rec room.' This is referenced in Strange New Worlds' 'A Space Adventure Hour,' when Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) calls the holodeck the 're-creation room.' RELATED: Two Takes Trek: A Holodeck Whodunnit In 'The Practical Joker,' the computer of the U.S.S. Enterprise under the command of James T. Kirk (William Shatner) gains sentience. This leads to the computer playing 'practical jokes' on the Enterprise crew. Some are more harmless, like printing 'Kirk is a Jerk' on the back of Kirk's uniform. But the situation is more dire for Leonard 'Bones' McCoy (DeForest Kelly), Hikaru Sulu (George Takei) and Nyota Uhura (Nichelle Nichols). They end up trapped in the rec room, where the safety protocols are turned off, leaving them threatened by the simulated elements. Elementary, Dear Data The series that fully introduced the holodeck to viewers was Star Trek: The Next Generation. And in The Next Generation Season 3's 'Elementary, Dear Data,' the show introduced the most memorable holodeck character: James Moriarty (Daniel Davis). The trouble begins when Geordi LaForge (LeVar Burton) instructs the computer to create an adversary capable of facing Data (Brent Spiner). Unfortunately, the computer succeeds in this task a bit too well. The hologram version of Moriarty is so smart, he becomes aware of the fact that he's a hologram. And he wants out of the holodeck! Moriarty would return again in The Next Generation Season 6 episode 'Ship in a Bottle.' Our Man Bashir What's worse than a holodeck malfunction? A holodeck malfunction combined with a transporter malfunction! In Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Season 4's 'Our Man Bashir,' Julian Bashir (Alexander Siddig) is enjoying a holosuite program that bears a striking resemblance to James Bond. Meanwhile, Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks), Kira Nerys (Nana Visitor), Worf (Michael Dorn), Jadzia Dax (Terry Farrell) and Miles O'Brien (Colm Meany) are returning from a mission aboard a runabout. RELATED: Star Trek : Tracing the Holodeck's History Michael Eddington (Kenneth Marshall) attempts to beam the away team off the runabout before it explodes. Due to the explosion, the officers are trapped in the transporter buffer. Eddington acts quickly to save them, but they end up taking the place of characters in Bashir's holosuite spy program. Heroes and Demons Thanks to its holographic doctor and being trapped in the Delta Quadrant, Star Trek: Voyager had its share of holodeck episodes. In the Voyager Season 1 episode 'Heroes and Demons,' The Doctor (Robert Picardo) gets to go on his very first 'away mission.' The action begins when Voyager beams aboard a sample of a protostar to study. But unbeknownst to the crew, they also inadvertently beam aboard a lifeform alongside the sample. This lifeform begins causing crew members to vanish into a Beowulf holodeck program. Thus, it is up to the Doctor to infiltrate the holodeck and rescue the crew from the program. Terminal Provocations Photo Cr: Best Possible Screen Grab CBS ©2020 CBS Interactive, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Sometimes, holodeck malfunctions can have lasting effects. Such was the case for Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 1's 'Terminal Provocations.' In this episode, Samanthan Rutherford (Eugene Cordero) is eager to show off for D'Vana Tendi (Noël Wells). He attempts this via a training hologram he created, Badgey (Jack McBrayer). RELATED: Star Trek: Picard Season 3: Everything to Know About Hologram Moriarty But unfortunately, part of Rutherford's younger and angrier personality affected Badgey's coding. When safety protocols fail, Badgey attempts to murder Rutherford. While Rutherford defeats Badgey in 'Terminal Provocation,' the patricidal hologram returns in many episodes over the course of the series. Su'Kal Photo Cr: Michael Gibson/CBS ©2020 CBS Interactive, Inc. All Rights Reserved. In the Star Trek: Discovery episode 'Su'Kal,' the crew of the U.S.S. Discovery is on a mission to rescue Su'Kal (Bill Irwin). This Kelpien has been stranded aboard a ship for over a century. And in order to keep him safe, the entire ship has been converted into a holodeck. When Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green), Hugh Culber (Wilson Cruz) and Saru (Doug Jones) beam aboard the ship, they are startled to find that the holodeck makes them appear as different species. While it takes until a subsequent episode, Saru is eventually able to convince Su'Kal to shut down the holodeck program, allowing everyone to safely escape from the Kelpien ship. The Star Trek episodes discussed in this article are currently available for streaming on Paramount+. Hit It: Best Quotes From STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS' 'A Space Adventure Hour' 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
31-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
This Week's ‘Strange New Worlds' Is a Little Too Cute for Its Own Good
Strange New Worlds loves being Star Trek. That's different from, say, Lower Decks, a series that loved being about Star Trek and the metatextual acknowledgement of that to the nerdiest of degrees. Strange New Worlds knows that it is Star Trek and enjoys that: its connection to the original, the warts-and-all embrace of episodic storytelling, its desire to poke and prod at itself endlessly, and its willingness to vacillate its tone from high drama to high camp on a dime. Sometimes, that can make for incredibly good fun. But sometimes, when it's just a little too much, the show can lose itself, not seeing the forest for the trees. Unfortunately, this week's episode leans a bit too much into the latter.'A Space Adventure Hour' is a Star Trek holodeck episode. Well, really, it's an extended excuse to do a Dixon Hill-esque riff and do a holodeck episode despite the fact that shipboard holodeck technology wasn't common in Star Trek until the time of The Next Generation, a century beyond when Strange New Worlds is set. 'A Space Adventure Hour' acquiesces to that—it frames La'an as its primary perspective and the person in charge of testing an experimental holodeck system aboard Enterprise because of her history with holographic battle simulators, seen in Discovery, and even Pike nods to the eventual existence of the Rec Room seen in Star Trek: The Animated Series. It ultimately concludes that the technology isn't there to be used aboard starships yet, setting the stage for its eventual refinement and arrival by the time of TNG. But that's all excuses. 'A Space Adventure Hour' exists because the Strange New World team thought, 'We're a Star Trek show, and you know what Star Trek does? Holodeck episodes.' And it is, for the most part, a perfectly fine one of those. 'A Space Adventure Hour' fits into the milieu of that Trek trope well enough and doesn't really add much along the way: La'an is tasked with testing the system's power draw while the Enterprise is at full operational capacity examining a dying neutron star; she does so by getting it to replicate a 1960s murder mystery whodunit inspired by a series of novels she read as a child, populating her cast of holographic characters with the likenesses of the main crew. It's a holodeck episode, so things go wrong, safety protocols go offline, and suddenly La'an finds out that to get out of the holodeck alive, she must solve a mystery designed specifically to challenge her. That's all stuff that we've seen from holodeck episodes before, from Dixon Hill stories like 'The Big Goodbye' to things like Voyager's 'The Killing Game' or, perhaps most inspirationally, Deep Space Nine's 'Our Man Bashir.' And 'A Space Adventure Hour' does a mostly decent job at hitting those beats, letting the regular cast loosen up and play very different characters from their usual selves, but it doesn't really build on the holodeck stories that come before it so much as it does just point at the expected beats of those stories, going through the motions. At least, until the climax of the murder mystery fizzles out with a 'twist' reveal—more on that later. So it's perhaps better than worse, then, that 'A Space Adventure Hour' isn't really about being a holodeck murder mystery. At least, it's not interested in being a particularly good one: what 'A Space Adventure Hour' is actually about is telling you that the original Star Trek, the show this show is a prequel to, is the greatest television show of all time, one that changed the whole world, and one that should've lasted forever and ever, and any plan to cancel it, or anything like it, is an act of profound hubris and misjudgment. Very funny for that message to come now, in Strange New World's third season, weeks after Paramount announced that it would conclude with a truncated fifth. But anyway! Strange New Worlds is not a particularly subtle TV show, but it's not telling you all this by literally just having characters in Star Trek turn to the camera and go, 'Star Trek is great!' Instead, it is a step removed: the titular 'Space Adventure Hour' and the key connecting conceit of La'an's murder mystery setting is a fictional 1960s sci-fi TV show called The Last Frontier, which has just been cancelled after its first season by a studio executive whose murder sets off the whole whodunnit. Anson Mount plays T.K. Bellows, the shy writer and Last Frontier creator who believes sci-fi shows are a social good and the future of the industry but longs for more, in the vein of a Gene Roddenberry. Rebecca Romijn plays Sunny Lupino, a former model and starlet turned Hollywood producer who backs The Last Frontier because she believes in its potential, our stand-in for Lucille Ball. Paul Wesley is Last Frontier's leading man, Maxwell Saint, a pompous actor playing the ship's machismo-fueled captain, pulling off the most tortured William Shatner impersonation yet committed to screen. Seriously, the pauses are interminable. All the motivations for potential suspects in the executive's murder hinge on the fact that practically everyone involved in The Last Frontier believes in the show as a force for good, even beyond being great television. As more bodies begin to drop and finger-pointing pokes and prods at individual paranoias, as far as pretty much anyone in the holoprogram's cast is concerned, Last Frontier (and through its thin veneer, the original Trek) is unimpeachable. The climax of the murder mystery narrative is even paused so Celica Rose Gooding, playing talent agent Joni Gloss, can give that 'turn to camera and say how good this show is' speech to La'an, evangelizing over a dead body right in front of her that The Last Frontier can, and should be given the opportunity to, change television and the lives of the American people for good. Again: not a subtle show, but the remove from what it's actually saying to what it wants to say to its audience might as well be glass, to the point you're almost a little insulted that Strange New Worlds didn't commit fully and have a holoprogram about a fictional murder on the set of actual Star Trek. Which is odd because we do actually get to see Last Frontier for what it is—the episode is bookended by an extended scene from the faux-show as a cold open, and its credits close out over a 'blooper reel' behind the scenes. And despite what the rest of the episode goes on to do to evangelize its worth, as a parody of the original Star Trek, it's oddly mean. The sets are significantly cheaper-looking than much of what classic Trek ever did, and the script feels like an extended 'Spock's Brain' gag but somehow even more convoluted. The acting (Wesley's Saint is joined by Jess Bush/Chapel and Melissa Navia/Ortegas as actresses Adelaide Shaw and Lee Woods, respectively) is intentionally clunky and ham-fisted, right down to Wesley's exaggerated Shatnerisms. The show all these characters go on to laud as a huge hit and a cultural game changer isn't even close to the original Star Trek's quality; it just kind of sucks. Strange New Worlds has done a much better job of loving homages to the look and direction of Star Trek before—the 'Balance of Terror' homages in season one's 'A Quality of Mercy' remain one of the show's finest hours—so The Last Frontier ends up feeling less like the show being in on a joke and more like the show just laughing at what came before it. It's an especially odd contrast with what the rest of the episode wants to say. But once it's got that unsubtle message out regardless, 'A Space Adventure Hour' remembers that it's technically a holodeck episode and needs to wrap fast, which is where the aforementioned 'twist' comes in. La'an's murder mystery ultimately doesn't really matter, because the mystery plot was an entire misdirect: none of the holoprograms in its setting committed the crime, but instead a holographic rendering of Spock, who was inserted into the program to act as if the real Spock had come to help La'an out with her test. A murderer she never would've expected, she gasps as she figures it out, less because of her personal relationship to Spock but more because the possibility of him being the suspect is thrown from so far out of left field that it doesn't feel set up by the episode itself and more of a gotcha once 'A Space Adventure Hour' remembered that it needed to stop telling you that Star Trek is good and finish its original plot. It's made even more thorny by the fact that this revelation climaxes back aboard Enterprise in reality with La'an going to Spock's quarters to resume dance lessons with him (a thing we're reminded of this episode that he's kept up with her since 'Wedding Bell Blues') and recount her experiences testing the holodeck out and his role in the twist… culminating in the two revealing their romantic interest in each other, sealing it with a kiss. It feels like an odd choice, wherever Strange New Worlds takes this over the course of the rest of the season. Spock's barely moved on from his romance with Nurse Chapel, narratively speaking—a plot that was given a ton of build-up and then all fell apart relatively quickly once they got together. La'an herself was already given a will-they-won't-they romantic arc with a legacy Trek character last season with Kirk, even if it ended unrequited. Especially given how 'Wedding Bell Blues' already used its three-month timeskip to justify La'an immediately compartmentalizing her traumatic history with the Gorn, it feels bizarre to just thrust her into a second romantic arc so quickly, like these are the only two options available to her as a character. It's a peculiar end to a peculiar episode, one that never quite manages to extend its charms long enough to effectively communicate what it wants. Strange New Worlds has gotten by on its charms an awful lot over its past seasons, but perhaps it's becoming increasingly visible that those charms have a limit. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what's next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
Geek Girl Authority
31-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Girl Authority
STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS Recap: (S03E04) A Space Adventure Hour
In the holodeck, nothing can really hurt you. Unless… Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3 episode 4, 'A Space Adventure Hour,' was written by Dana Horgan & Kathryn Lyn and directed by Jonathan Frakes. RELATED: Read our recap of the previous Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3, 'Shuttle to Kenfori.' We open on the hokey, retro Adventure bridge. Adelaide Shaw (Christine Chapel (Jess Bush)) reports the presence of 'space radiation.' From the center seat, Maxwell Saint (James T. Kirk (Paul Wesley)) responds, affecting his voice to resemble the line delivery of William Shatner. Lee Woods (Erica Ortegas (Melissa Navia)) arrives. She reports crewmembers are reporting to sick bay with 'melancholia.' Photo Credit: Marni Grossman/Paramount+ Shaw reminds Saint they're out of their jurisdiction. Saint doesn't care. He tells them to contact the Agonians. An alien appears on the screen. Saint confronts the alien about the radiation. Zipnar admits they need human brain cells to power their radiation. Saint says he'll stop them. Zipnar gives them one minute to surrender their brain cells. But then the Agonians begin firing their 'nuclear lasers' at them. The Adventure counterattacks. But the Agonians are gone, and with them, the humans' brain cells. Saint says they must find the Agonians and retrieve their brain cells. The theme song for The Last Frontier , created by TK Bellows (Christopher Pike (Anson Mount)), plays. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, 'A Space Adventure Hour ' La'an Noonien-Singh (Christine Chong) records a security officer's log. The U.S.S. Enterprise is studying a neutron star. Meanwhile, La'an has been assigned a separate task. Pike and Una Chin-Riley (Rebecca Romijn) inform La'an that she's to test out the new 're-creation room,' or holodeck. La'an ascertains that the technology is based on the battle simulators. Photo Credit: Marni Grossman/Paramount+ La'an asks if the ship's computers can handle the processing power required for the holodeck. Pike explains this is what La'an is testing. Can the technology function while under the rigorous circumstances of a mission? Pike tells La'an to push the holodeck's limits. Next, La'an meets Spock (Ethan Peck) in his quarters. Spock is practicing his dancing. He invites La'an to dance with him. RELATED: Star Trek : Tracing the Holodeck's History La'an joins him as a tango plays. She asks him about the field emitters he's been working on for Montgomery 'Scotty' Scott (Martin Quinn). Spock says the alignment is nearly complete. Thus, the holodeck should be ready once La'an and Scotty have finished designing a program for it. Spock asks if the monitor she's been wearing has been much of a burden. La'an admits she forgot she was wearing it. La'an has yet to choose a subject for the holodeck program. Spock states that violence, relaxation and romance seem to be popular choices for human entertainment. For a moment, it seems as though Spock and La'an may kiss. But La'an has been struck by an idea: 'Amelia!' Detective Moon In engineering, La'an explains the idea to Scotty: Amelia Moon . The 1960s detective stories were a favorite for young La'an. An outsider who frequently found herself in the midst of a crime, Amelia always got justice. It's clear the stories were formative. Scotty says there are 112 of the stories in the database — enough to form the foundation for the simulation. Photo Credit: Marni Grossman/Paramount+ Scotty is concerned about the computer's processing. Pelia is on shore leave. Still, Scotty is offended that La'an questions whether he can handle it. In order to populate the program, they'll use data from the transporter buffer. La'an tells the computer to create a 'challenging' mystery program using the Moon novels for reference. RELATED: Geek Girl Authority Crush of the Week: La'an Noonien-Singh La'an enters the powered-down holodeck wearing her detective costume. Spock is there waiting for her. He tells her he wants to ensure the system is functioning normally. La'an instructs the computer to run the program. Soon, Spock and La'an are standing in the midst of a 1960s Earth mansion. They marvel at the verisimilitude. Then Spock quotes his ancestor, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: 'The game is afoot.' La'an thanks Spock and dismisses him. Spock is available if she needs him. A hologram, Joanie Gloss (Nyota Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding)), approaches and reintroduces herself to 'Amelia.' Gloss says she's the one who discovered the body. Disavowing responsibility for the murder, Gloss says one of her guests killed Tony Hart. Gloss wants Moon to solve the mystery, protecting her clients. Except, of course, the murderer. Gloss indicates the body is in the bathroom. Hollywood, California Noir-flavored voiceover plays as Moon investigates the corpse. Hart, head of Lamond Picture Studios, died of strangulation, murdered in his own home. A script, missing its front page, is next to the bathtub where Hart's corpse lies. A Lamond contract, torn in half, lies on the floor nearby. There's also a drained martini glass with red lipstick on its rim. Other clues include a film reel, a bracelet and a poster for Last Frontier . Photo Credit: Marni Grossman/Paramount+ The narration states that many of the guests currently at the mansion are connected to the Lamond TV show, Last Frontier . This includes creator Bellows, actress-turned-producer Sunny Lupino (Chin-Riley), Shaw, Saint, Woods, Shaw's beau Anthony McBeau (Joseph M'Benga (Babs Olusanmokun)) and agent Gloss. One of them is the murderer. RELATED: Two Takes Trek: Gorn But Not Forgotten Woods asks why one of them would murder Hart. Moon notes that Last Frontier was about to be canceled. Saint protests: they were a hit. But the ratings were not good. Affecting a hard-nosed detective demeanor, Moon says no one leaves until the murderer is found. Moon picks up a martini glass with a lipstick stain, like the one in Hart's room. This evidence seems to suggest the culprit is Lupino. Lupino says the lipstick doesn't prove anything. But Moon has more evidence. Last Frontier was Lupino's first project as producer. She put her career on the line in order to make it. Moon further accuses Lupino of taking a personal loan from the mob to get Last Frontier to air. But since she could only repay the loan if the show continued, she was willing to kill to ensure it wasn't cancelled. I Love Lupino Photo Credit: Marni Grossman/Paramount+ Lupino says the mobster was simply a fan asking for an autograph. She was out with Johnny Carson. Hart had the photo because he was keeping tabs on her to ensure fidelity to Lamond. Lupino admits she invested her own money in Last Frontier . But she got it from selling her and Hart's first house. Lupino believed in Bellows' pitch for Last Frontier , so she was willing to invest her money. She says she approached Hart with a plan, to which he agreed. But before finalization, Saint interrupted them. She says Moon should ask him what happened to Hart. Then she sips her drink. She begins choking. Then she collapses, dead. Her drink had been poisoned. RELATED: Lucille Ball, Patron Saint of Star Trek From the holodeck, La'an contacts Scotty. He says the simulation is pulling more power than expected. La'an says the holodeck's foundation as a battle simulator has affected its programming. Treating her as an enemy opponent, it has determined her strategy and is attempting to adapt. Citing a Moon story, she says she needs a partner. Soon, Spock re-enters the holodeck. He asks La'an why she doesn't end the mission if the holodeck has defeated her. La'an won't declare defeat. Photo Credit: Marni Grossman/Paramount+ Spock has briefed himself on the mystery's details. He inquires after Moon's partner. La'an says he was a 'bumbling idiot.' Spock says this doesn't seem useful. La'an says he'll be much more helpful. Soon, she's introducing 'Detective Spock' to the suspects. Spock says the 'holo Kirk' seems agitated. La'an divulges that he's her top suspect. Surges Elsewhere on the Enterprise , Chin-Riley approaches M'Benga in medical. M'Benga reports frequent fluctuations. Chin-Riley says minor surges are expected due to their proximity to the neutron star. She notes Ortegas has been restored to duty. Ensign Gamble (Chris Myers) reports that auxiliary power is having issues. The lights flicker. Chin-Riley says this is beyond expectations. In engineering, a frantic Scotty answers Chin-Riley's questions. He continues to insist he has everything under control and doesn't need backup. Chin-Riley says she must sign off on his engineering log, which she hopes will be more organized than Pelia's. Before she leaves, she underscores that Scotty is the test's failsafe. RELATED: Two Takes Trek: Is It 'I, Do' or 'I, Q'? In the holodeck, Spock and Moon interrogate Saint about his row with Hart. Saint explains that he's having an affair with Hart's secretary, who was also having an affair with Hart. Further, Saint insinuates that Spock and Moon 'must know how that goes.' La'an says it's not about them. Saint says drama is nothing to kill for. And he convinced Hart that the relationship with the secretary was over. This was accomplished via tabloid photos that imply Saint and Shaw shared a tryst. Shaw, who is now being interrogated, denies this. She knew the show was being canceled. But she is more frustrated that her relationships are all the public cares about. She wants to be recognized for her work. A Starfleet Classic. Ye-haw! Next up for interrogation is McBeau. He had no reason to kill Lupino: he admired her for her desire to make art. McBeau wants people to 'unleash the artistic beast' within. Thus, McBeau has been hosting artistic salons, attended by Woods. Woods has been writing a Western screenplay. The only other person who knew about it? Bellows. Photo Credit: Marni Grossman/Paramount+ Moon and Spock confront Bellows in his room. He's packing his bags. Bellows admits he is disappointed the show has been canceled. He's unimpressed by Woods writing 'another Western.' Bellows says Hart tore up his contract as a favor. Warners has the rights to a book he hopes to adapt. He's been given a chance to direct. He thinks movies change 'hearts and minds,' not television. He denies responsibility for the murder. RELATED: Hit It: Best Quotes From the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3 Premiere Spock has created a conspiracy board. Moon notices the screenplay by Woods has no cover page. But as she considers what that might mean, she's nearly crushed by the chandelier, which falls from the ceiling. Moon wonders if Hart planned to credit someone besides her for the screenplay, so Woods killed him. But Spock notices that glass from the falling chandelier cut her face. The holodeck safety protocols are malfunctioning. And the computer won't end the program. Scotty arrives at the Enterprise bridge and asks Uhura to help him with a communication problem. He can't get hold of La'an inside the holodeck. There's no way to get her out or stop the program. La'an has to complete the program to escape. The Last Frontier On the holodeck, La'an and Spock attempt to talk through their predicament. La'an surmises that the only way to survive may be to catch the murderer. They hear Bellows and Saint arguing. Saint's also arguing with Shaw and McBeau. Moon tells everyone to shut up and asks where Woods is located. They find her in another room with a knife in her back, with Gloss standing nearby. Moon accuses Gloss of killing Woods, but Gloss says she was just looking for a light. While Gloss admits she had a lot of money running on the show, that's not her beef with Hart. Gloss was a true believer in Last Frontier . She explains that the show offered social commentary through the lens of science fiction. But the studio was 'more cautious; didn't want to make waves… the cowards!' Gloss thinks the idea was inspiring. She says the show, like all art, could help people discover new parts of themselves. RELATED: Two Takes Trek: Don't Use the Z-Word Gloss is distracted by the fireplace igniting. But it turns out it's a fake fire. She storms off. Inside the fireplace is celluloid film. Moon believes it's the murder weapon. The killer made the same mistake Gloss did, thinking they could burn the film in the fireplace. On the bridge, the neutron star's collapse is imminent. Mitchell (Rong Fu) reports a powerful gamma blast incoming. Sensors begin overloading. None of the ship's systems are responding. Scotty explains that the holodeck is pulling too much power. And Scotty can't turn off the holodeck. Phone Call Scotty says he can manually give them a small amount of power back at a time. They have about 30 seconds of acceleration. Ortegas says she likes a good challenge. Fortunately, she's able to guide the Enterprise out of harm's way. Uhura arrives in engineering. She has an idea for contacting La'an: convince the program that Scotty's a hologram as well. Inside the holodeck, Moon and Spock watch the film they found. It's the raw footage from the Last Frontier scene featured in the cold open. Bellows interrupts shooting over the protests of the director (Frakes). Saint and Bellows begin arguing with each other. An assistant (Scotty) brings Bellows a phone. Bellows reacts to the voice on the phone, emotionally reacting to the news that he's been terminated. After he leaves the screen, Scotty runs up to the camera and directly addresses La'an. He tells her she must complete the program to escape. RELATED: Geek Girl Authority Crush of the Week: Erica Ortegas Bellows did have the motive and opportunity to kill Hart. But Moon is skeptical that Bellows could kill Woods or Lupino, especially since the latter also cared about the show. Bellows enters with a gun and says that's true, but implies Lupino was the one who fired him. He reveals that the show wasn't canceled; Bellows was just being replaced. Despite holding the gun, Bellows says he isn't the killer. Instead, he accuses Moon. He's also suspicious of Spock. Bellows accuses Spock of being his replacement, advancing on him with a gun. Moon tries to wrestle it away, but the gun fires and hits Spock. Bellows staggers away. Holo-Spock Spock has been shot, but he's not severely injured. La'an hugs him. But Spock is impassive. La'an has a realization. She points the gun at Spock and says he's the killer. He killed all the characters and sabotaged the chandelier. Spock says he has no motive. La'an realizes that it isn't Spock, it's a hologram, and he has been since she entered the holodeck. The computer watched La'an with the real Spock earlier and knew she wouldn't suspect him. Photo Credit: Marni Grossman/Paramount+ 'Spock' tells her she has solved the mystery. La'an says 'end program,' and the completed simulation powers down. The computer returns to normal function. Later, Scotty and La'an report to Pike and Chin-Riley in Pike's ready room. La'an says the holodeck holds promise, but it's not ready yet. Scotty suggests the holodeck needs a dedicated server room and power source. Pike allows this to be included in the report… but only as a 'very small' footnote. RELATED: Hit It: Best Quotes From Star Trek: Strange New Worlds ' 'Shuttle to Kenfori' Pike and La'an leave. Chin-Riley approaches Scotty. She tells him that the quality of personnel means there's no reason to do something alone when help is needed. Scotty shares that he detected anomalies on his old ship a week before the Gorn attack. He didn't have time to investigate, but his CO assured him she would. However, she never did, and the entire rest of the crew was killed by the Gorn. Chin-Riley tells him that it wasn't his fault. She says what they do in Starfleet is difficult, and sometimes bad things happen. She says asking for help is a skill, and one valued highly on the ship. Let's Dance La'an returns to Spock's quarters to continue their lesson. While La'an wanted a solo mystery, the holodeck made her think she needed Spock as a partner. La'an says she thinks the computer understood her prompt perfectly. The holodeck knew her better than she realized, giving her a killer she would never suspect. RELATED: Read our Star Trek: Strange New Worlds recaps As they continue to dance, La'an reveals that holo-Spock was the killer. But La'an knows Spock too well to completely fall for the ersatz Spock. The pair is guarded, but they admit their feelings for each other. Spock kisses La'an. Over the end credits, outtakes from Last Frontier play. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds drops new episodes every Thursday on Paramount+. Computer, End Program: 7 Dark STAR TREK: VOYAGER Holodeck Episodes 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.
Geek Girl Authority
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Girl Authority
STAR TREK: Tracing the Holodeck's History
The Star Trek Franchise displays a plethora of impressive technology. However, one of the most interesting and versatile technologies of all is the holodeck. The holodeck affords Starfleet crew members a chance to enjoy various environments and entertainments during deep space missions. But it also opens up a variety of versatile narrative possibilities. For this week's Trek Tuesday, we're trcing the chronology of the holodeck in Starfleet. Did we include your favorite Star Trek holodeck episode? Be sure and let us know in the comment section. 'Unexpected' When it comes to the holodeck, the earliest version of the technology we see seems to have originated with the Xyrillians. This pre-Starfleet tech appeared in the Star Trek: Enterprise Season 1 episode 'Unexpected.' The Xyrillians have technology that is superior to that which was possessed by humans at the time. This includes cloaking devices for their ship in addition to the holodeck. RELATED: Star Trek: Picard Season 3: Everything to Know About Hologram Moriarty The episode sees Trip Tucker (Connor Trinneer) visiting a Xyrillian ship in order to assist them with some repairs. During the sojourn to the ship, Trip befriends one of the Xyrillians. She shows him their holodeck, which is deeply impressive to him. But something so impressive must come with strings attached, no? After visiting the Xyrillian holodeck, Trip returns to the NX-01 Enterprise to discover he's been impregnated by his Xyrillian friend. Whoops! 'Lethe' Photo Cr: Jan Thijs/CBS © 2017 CBS Interactive. All Rights Reserved. Chronologically speaking, the next time the holodeck appears is in the Star Trek: Discovery Season 1 episode 'Lethe.' In this episode, Gabriel Lorca (Jason Isaacs) and Ash Tyler (Shazad Latif) are seen engaging in a tactical drill on the U.S.S. Discovery's holodeck. While this is the earliest appearance of the holodeck on a Starfleet ship, it's worth noting that Discovery was a science vessel that possessed bespoke technology, including the Spore Drive. It's possible that it was still unusual for Starfleet vessels to possess a holodeck at this time. However, a scene in the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3 trailer suggests we could see the installation of the U.S.S. Enterprise's holodeck in the show's fast-approaching third season. 'The Practical Joker' The first time we see a holodeck on the Enterprise is also the earliest appearance of the technology (from the viewer's perspective). This takes place in the Star Trek: The Animated Series Season 2 episode 'The Practical Joker.' In this episode, the Enterprise computer is possessed by an artificial intelligence that beings playing 'practical jokes' on the crew. One of these involves Hikaru Sulu (George Takei), Nyota Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) and Leonard 'Bones' McCoy (DeForest Kelley) becoming trapped in the 'recreation room.' This seems to possess the holographic technology of the holodeck. RELATED: Star Trek: The Animated Series : 5 Characters and Species Introduced by the Show Does this mean that the Enterprise had a holodeck throughout the timeline of Star Trek: The Original Series? It's possible. 'Recreation rooms' are mentioned throughout The Original Series. Rec rooms did occasionally appear onscreen in The Original Series. However they did not resemble the apparent holodeck we see in 'The Practical Joker.' 'Encounter at Farpoint' While a holodeck appeared in The Animated Series, the Saturday morning cartoon was not watched by as many viewers as The Original Series or its associated movies. As a result, the holodeck had to be 'reintroduced' when it appeared on Star Trek: The Next Generation. This took place in the show's pilot episode, 'Encounter at Farpoint.' In 'Encounter at Farpoint,' William T. Riker (Jonathan Frakes) is welcomed aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise-D. When Riker first meets Data (Brent Spiner), the android officer is honing his whistling in the holodeck. The episode takes care to introduce the idea of the holodeck to viewers. Over the course of The Next Generation's seven season run, many episodes would utilize the holodeck, in a variety of different ways. 'It's Only a Paper Moon' Holodecks played an important role over the course of the seven seasons of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, as well. Or rather, holosuites did. These are the civilian versions of the technology. Several of these were owned, maintained and operated by Quark (Armin Shimerman) as a recreational service available at Quark's Bar and Grill. For a modest fee, of course. RELATED: Working 1996 to 2023: The Enduring Legacy of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 's 'Bar Association' While there were many holosuite episodes over the course of the show, one Deep Space Nine Season 7 episode stands out. In 'It's Only a Paper Moon,' Nog (Aron Eisenberg) returns to Deep Space 9 after being treated for his amputated leg (see Season 7's 'The Siege of AR-558'). Soon, he retreats into the holosuite program for Vic Fontaine (James Darren), a 1960s lounge singer programmed by Julian Bashir (Alexander Siddig). 'It's Only a Paper Moon' episode examines the complex relationship between PTSD and escapism. Plus, at the episode's conclusion, Nog arranges for Vic's holosuite to run twenty-four/seven. This creates a fascinating scenario regarding the evolution of holograms, since most holodeck programs do not have the opportunity to continue running nonstop. 'Fair Haven'/'Spirit People' On Star Trek: Voyager, the holodeck played an important role. This is because the U.S.S. Voyager was trapped in the Delta Quadrant, far from home. For this reason, the holodeck provided an especially valuable release for the ship's crew, who were confined aboard the ship for much longer than they had expected. In the Voyager Season 6 episode 'Fair Haven,' Tom Paris (Robert Duncan McNeill) programmed an idealized Irish village to provide the crew with an escape from reality. However, due to various — ahem — complications, the program ultimately has to be shut down to be retooled. In Voyager Season 6's 'Spirit People,' Paris has completed the repairs to the program and it is brought online once again. However, the situation once again becomes complicated when the hologram citizens of Fair Haven begin to suspect the Voyager crew of being the titular 'spirit people.' This episode provides the particularly fascinating (and at times unsettling) perspective of the holograms as they grapple with their understanding of their existence as holograms. Star Trek: Lower Decks Photo Cr: 2020 CBS Interactive, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Because the series is set just after Voyager returned from the Delta Quadrant, Star Trek: Lower Decks has the next chronological appearances of the holodeck in the Franchise. Thanks to its focus on crew downtime aboard Starfleet vessels, the holodeck appears throughout Lower Decks. In Lower Decks Season 1's 'Moist Vessel,' Beckett Mariner (Tawny Newsome) is assigned the 'worst jobs on the ship.' These include emptying the holodeck's holofilters. This task demonstrates one of the practical elements of holodeck tech. And it also allows Jack Ransom (Jerry O'Connell) to reveal that the holodecks are used 'mostly' for sexual gratification. This functionality is further confirmed by Doctor T'Ana (Gillian Vigman) and Shaxs (Fred Tatasciore), who frequently utilize the holodeck for erotic purposes. This can be seen in Lower Decks Season 3's 'Room for Growth,' Season 4's 'I Have No Bones, Yet I Must Flee' and Season 5's 'The New Next Generation.' RELATED: 7 Star Trek Stories to Watch After Reading Star Trek: Lower Decks: Warp Your Own Way Later in Lower Decks Season 1, in the episode 'Terminal Provocations,' Samathan Rutherford (Eugene Cordero) uses the holodeck to program Badgey (Jack McBrayer), a training hologram. This demonstrates another function of the holodeck. However, Badgey possesses patricidal tendencies that will haunt the California class crew for seasons to come. Another function of the holodeck is demonstrated in the Lower Decks Season 1 episode 'Crisis Point.' 'Crisis Point' involves a program created by Bradward Boimler (Jack Quaid) to be serve as training. However, Mariner hijacks the holodeck program and transforms it into a 'movie.' This allows our lower deckers to take part in fourth-wall breaking 'upper decks' adventures. These include a sequel programmed by Boimler in Lower Decks Season 3's 'Crisis Point 2: Paradoxus.' 'Kobayashi Maru' Even those who know almost nothing about Star Trek have heard of the Kobayashi Maru. This intense Starfleet Academy exercise can be seen in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. It also appears in the Kelvin Universe timeline, as seen in Star Trek (2009). But the first time the memorable program appeared on the small screen was in Star Trek: Prodigy Season 1's episode 'Kobayashi Maru.' In this episode, we see Dal R'El (Brett Gray) use the holodeck to test his mettle in the titular legendary exam. RELATED: Star Trek : 7 Delightful Data Stories But the U.S.S. Protostar crew would learn about the dangers of the holodeck in a subsequent Prodigy Season 1 episode, 'Ghost in the Machine.' When the holodeck malfunctions, the crew is left to navigate a series of program fragments. The varied nature and settings of these programs demonstrate just how versatile the holodeck can prove to be. Star Trek: Picard Photo Credit: Trae Patton/Paramount+. ©2021 Viacom, International Inc. All Rights Reserved. Because the holodeck is not a focus on Discovery's latter seasons, which are set in the 32nd century, the latest appearances of holodeck technology on the Franchise timeline take place in Star Trek: Picard. Set during the end of the 24th century and the beginning of the 25th, Picard demonstrates just how far hologram tech has advanced since The Next Generation began. This includes ships with holoemitters throughout their interiors. And there's also the wider availability of the 'mobile emitter.' This future technology allows holograms to move freely in a non-holographic environment. It first debuted in Voyager Season 3's 'Future's End, Part II.' RELATED: All the Picards on the Table: Jean-Luc's Wild Card Appearances In Picard Season 3's 'No Win Scenario,' another function of the holodeck is demonstrated. This episode sees Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and his son, Jack Crusher (Ed Speleers), visiting a holodeck version of the Los Angeles edition of Ten Forward aboard the U.S.S. Titan-A. As Picard explains to Crusher, the holodecks are given a separate battery circuit. This allows crew members to utilize the technology for necessary relaxation even when a ship is in the most dire or circumstances. Most of the Star Trek episodes discussed above are currently available for streaming on Paramount+. However, Star Trek: Prodigy is currently available for streaming on Netflix. Computer, End Program: 7 Dark STAR TREK: VOYAGER Holodeck Episodes 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.
