The Five Year Mission Goes On: Star Trek Continues

In terms of the culture of space exploration, and what it will take to become a true space faring society, there is probably nothing that compares to the unique and enduring legacy of Star Trek. And while the original series has been re-imagined in two commercially successful movies, the iconic show has been off the small screen in any form since the last episode of Enterprise in 2005.

Star Trek is alive and well on the internet however, sustained in a myriad of different ways, but none is more ambitious, nor slickly produced than the web series; Star Trek Continues.   A collaboration of Farragut Films, Dracogen Strategic Investments and actor Vic Mignogna, who plays the role of Kirk, STC focuses on the final two years of the original five mission and picks up seconds before the original left off with a replay of the final scenes from last and altogether dismal TOS episode Turnabout Intruder.

STC offers viewers full length episodes which matching the original series in sound, sets and lighting in a manner which is almost haunting.  Although for the most part, the actors don’t come close to matching the screen appeal of the original troika of Kirk, Spock and McCoy, each is played in a serious manner without any sense of parody, and Mignogna captures certain elements of Shatner’s Kirk particularly well. One pleasant surprise is Scotty, played by James Doohan’s son Chris, whose voice, demeanor and physical resemblance to the original Scotty is remarkable.

STC began with 3 short “vignettes” and has thus far produced two full length episodes. “Pilgrim of Eternity,”  which features the return of Apollo from “Who Mourns for Adonis” and the most recent episode, “Lolani.”  Unable to make money off the series without creating property rights infringements, the producers went to Kickstarter for financing the two full length pieces, in a campaign titled Kirkstarter.” Filming took place at the elaborately recreated Star Trek set in Kingsland, Georgia.

The next time Friday night rolls around and you notice once again that Sy-Fy has wrestling, wrestling, as its main event, take a look at Star Trek Continues,  and if you want to see more, make a donation to the cause.

Credit : STC