These are the Voyages...

What's the use fighting it any more.  The little trekkie nestled in my soul like a Trill symbiont is quivering with excitement, and as we are together one mind, my thrill at seeing the upcoming Star Trek film can no longer be abated.  But rather than do something I'll regret later, like replace my bedroom door with an automated starfleet "whoosh" door or install tiny speakers around my apartment that constantly play the soothing low frequency hum of a dilithium powered warp core, I've decided to feed that inner trekkie by partaking in some of my favorite Trek media.

Here I present to you a sampling of tachyon-infused Trek-media-supplements to satiate your hunger until the film's release at 7pm on Thursday.

 Star Trek First Contact

Arguably the best film of the "Next Generation," 24th century Trek era, what makes this movie so endearing is that rather than attempting dream up some new adventure, First Contact chooses to weave itself into the tapestry of Trek lore by telling the nativity story of mankind's trek through the stars, the birth of warp flight and the moment we first realized we weren't alone.  Even beyond its endearing story, the movie also manages to encapsulate the best aspects of the series, including Data's existential quest for humanity and Picard's ability to quote classical literature.  Also, rather than attempting to breathe life into to some new menace, this film puts a seductively sinister face on the most lethal of all Trek enemies, the Borg.  Had it not been for the abysmal follow-ups, this would have been the ideal swan song for the Trek of my youth.  Still, thanks to this film, I plan on being there with everyone else in Boseman, Montana on April 5, 2063.

Star Trek IV - The Voyage Home

When I say I'm not a "fan" of the original series, it doesn't mean that I don't deeply admire and respect it.  Though of the vast canon of TOS films, I tend to differ from the majority of trekkies by choosing to ignore the supposed brilliance of The Wrath of Khan (KHAAANNN!!).  In fact, the fourth entry, and in my opinion, most "fun" Trek film holds a place in my heart as one of the best films in Trek lore.  When I saw it as a youth, it managed to convey the sense of nostalgia and fun that the aging series represented at the time, even though it was one of my first forays into the previous generation's Trek.  The movie is simply endearing, and ever bit of the cast's chemistry is on full display, like a group of old friends just enjoying each other's company.  Even though they would make two more films after this, neither seemed to capture the levity and joy of this film.

 

Deep Space Nine: Trials and Tribble-ations

Say what you will about the TNG cousin-series and the melodrama of the Dominion Wars, this episode of Deep Space Nine is bar none one of my favorites as the cast is sent back in time (a common device, isn't it?) into the brightly colored past of the infamous TOS episode The Trouble with Tribbles.  As ridiculous as the episode is, the flawless compositing of new Trek and old is one of finest, and most heart warming tributes to the series that started it all.  The episode manages to poke fun at the oddities of the 70's style while still maintaining a palpable sense of reverence and mirth.  If you need a dose of original series but can't stomach the campiness, this is your medicine.

 Star Trek The Next Generation: Tapestry

What made TNG the Emmy award winning show that we all loved, was its ability to at times provide an enjoyable "monster of the week" episode, and at other times manage to be more thought provoking and profound than any television show since.  And when Patrick Stewart was at the helm of an episode, it could be downright poetic.  Tapestry, the only episode to feature John Delancey's "Q" character without containing the letter "Q" in the title, is pure poetry.  Wielding science fiction as its brush, it paints an intimate portrait of what it would mean to change the regrettful parts of one's past, only then to see that removing those loose threads would unravel the tapestry of our lives.  Episodes like these are why Star Trek will be remembered in every generation to come, not as great sci fi, not as great TV, but as masterful story telling.

Star Trek The Next Generation: All Good Things

I realize my remedy of Trek suppliments is a little heavy handed in the TNG deparment, but whenever I think of Trek, I will never forget the first time I saw the series finale of The Next Generation, an episode titled with every ounce of perfection, All Good Things.  I can barely write about the episode without tearing up, but in my mind, no television series has ever concluded on such a high note, or with such perfectly cyclical resolution.  The episode manages to pay tribute to literally every inch of ground the series had trod, and rather than summing things into one pointless whiz-bang conclusion, the episode manages to end exactly where it begins, not adventuring in the stars, or explosions and aliens, but as good friends sitting around a table, enjoying the companionship of the journey.  Five card stud, nothing wild, and the sky's the limit...

Well hopefully a few of these suggestions will help you wait it out as the imminent approach of a whole new generation of Trek looms ever closer.  Or perhaps, if this is your first steps into the world of Star Trek, and you enjoyed the film, this will point you in the right direction to some additional splendid content in what is without a doubt, the most influential science fiction series of all time.  

Peace and long life.

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[Stefanie Peters]

LeVar Burton takes Reading Rainbow behind the scenes of TNG.