Tag Archives: Star Trek

Staff Writer | City on the Edge of Forever

Earlier this year the crew over at IDW released the hard cover of the Graphic Novel adaptation of Harlan Ellison’s second draft teleplay of the famous Star Trek original TV series episode “City on the Edge of Forever.” This is one of the most famous and well-loved episodes of the original series as well as one of the most controversial.

There are two things that make “City on the Edge of Forever” stand out in the Star Trek canon. The first is that it is a fantastic episode. It was well designed, well-acted, it guest stars a young Joan Collins, and had a tragic ending. The other was that it was written by science fiction titan Harlan Ellison and then changed, pretty much beyond recognition, by Star Trek show runners. Continue reading

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Farewell, Mr. Nimoy

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Today is a very sad day in the geek community. Earlier this afternoon, Leonard Nimoy passed away at age eighty three. Although he is certainly not the first of the original cast to pass, his passing is probably the most personally saddening. While I always loved DeForest Kelly and James Doohan, there was something even more special about Nimoy and his most noteworthy character, Mr. Spock. For several generations now, Star Trek in all its varying iterations has been entertaining and connecting with fans in a very special way. There are entire fan conventions dedicated to this one franchise, and the fan base extends across the entire planet. Through all of this, Nimoy has been there. Even before there was a Captain Kirk, there was Mr. Spock.

Leonard Nimoy was not only a beloved character, but also a man who learned to embrace what he had become and the fans who loved him. In addition to Star Trek, Nimoy lent his vocal talents to cartoons from my childhood like Transformers, and more than one documentary that helped to drive forward my desire for learning and knowledge. I know that I will sorely miss his presence on screen and that it will be a long while before I can watch Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan again.

– Andrew

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My Top 10 Favorite Ferengi Episodes

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Being the huge Star Trek nerd that I am, I’ve watched nearly every episode ever made. Over time I’ve come to realize that the Ferengi, little troll-like profiteers, are one of the more underrated species that populate one of my favorite universes. With that in mind, I’ve decided to list my top ten favorite Ferengi-centric episodes. Of course there are side plots involved with all of these episodes, but each of them has the main focus of the episode squarely on the Ferengi. Whether the Ferengi are portrayed as heroes or villains, all of these episodes are worth a watch.

10. “The Ascent” – I’ve always loved the Quark/Odo relationship and I honestly think this is one of the better depictions of it. After crashing on a planet, Quark and Odo must climb a mountain in order to call for help. The catch, of course, is that it is freezing cold and they only have one survival suit. As the episode progresses, the two must rely on one another at the same time that they don’t trust each other at all. Eventually, the two get rescued—though it is in large part thanks to Quark, who despite is outward dislike of Odo, feels a strong kinship with, and respect for his longtime nemesis.

9. “Rules of Acquisition” – One of the earliest DS9 episodes to deal with the Ferengi, it’s also one of the first times we see them moving away from the sniveling creatures that were usually featured in The Next Generation. This episode also has the distinction of introducing the Dominion for the first time, though there is almost no hint at what they would later become. I also enjoyed the more fleshed out characterization of Grand Nagus Zek, as his first appearance in “The Nagus” was pretty unimpressive. Additionally, there is a touching side plot involving Jake and Nog that really warms the heart.

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Sisko Vs. Dukat: An Exploration of Dramatic Foils in Star Trek

DS9

At its simplest, a dramatic foil is someone or something in a piece of literature that serves as a contrast to another. As with many literary techniques, while the idea behind a foil is simple, the execution can be anything but. Writers from Shakespeare to Mary Shelley have used the concept to help define their protagonists by comparing them to other characters that surround them. Harry Potter is filled with them, for crying out loud.

What about Star Trek? The entire franchise consists of 726 episodes, spread across thirty seasons and six series. That’s a lot of writing, so surely there must be the use of a dramatic foil in there somewhere. Of course there is. Given that the dramatic foil is a commonly used device by franchise writers, watching just a few episodes of any of the Star Trek series reveals several of them. There is one pair that stands out in my mind: Captain Sisko and Gul Dukat. Continue reading

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