Newly demoted to Captain, Kirk takes command of the recently commissioned U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-A. After a quick run around the block Scotty discovers that the ship isn’t quite up to Starfleet’s usual standards and begins rebuilding the ship. In the meantime, Kirk, Spock, and McCoy go on a camping trip only for it to be called off when terrorists take an outpost hostage on Nimbus III, the planet of galactic peace. The crew are sent out to negotiate with the ringleader with a ship in pieces. Meanwhile a well-muscled young Klingon captain get’s wind that the flagship of the Federation is nearby and decides to make a name for himself.
| Air Date | 09 June 1989 |
| Production Number | n/a |
| Stardate | 8454.1 |
| Gregorian Calendar Date | Thursday, 26 November 2285 12:26:40 GMT Monday, 28 December 2285 02:36:18 GMT |
| Primary Arc | The Vulcan Way |
| Secondary Arc | Of Gods and Men |
| Tertiary Arc | The Klingons |
| See It or Skip It | Skip It… |
| Previously on Star Trek | Order | Next Time on Star Trek |
|---|---|---|
| The Voyage Home | Chronological | The Undiscovered Country |
| Up The Long Ladder | Air Date | Manhunt |
| Where Silence Has Lease | Production | The Measure of a Man |
| The Voyage Home | Primary Arc | The Undiscovered Country |
| How Sharper Than a Serpent’s Tooth | Secondary Arc | Encounter at Farpoint |
| The Search for Spock | Tertiary Arc | The Undiscovered Country |
Historian’s Note: Much has been written and said about this movie “nearly killing the franchise.” I think it’s a bit overblown. There was a writers strike, ILM wasn’t available to do the visual effects, and William Shatner’s inexperience in the director’s seat likely led to all sorts of issues with the production. The concept and script isn’t all that bad, but like The Motion Picture, they weren’t able to execute everything they had planned. On top of that, the producers and the studio were overly concerned about replicating the success of the prior film through a comedic approach that doesn’t totally fit with the darker message that Shatner was trying to convey.
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