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God (Star Trek)

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" God ", also known as The One , is the main antagonist of the 1989 film Star Trek V: The Final Frontier . This entity claimed to be "God", but was actually a primordial malevolent eldritch being.

He was played by the late George Murdock, who also voiced Boss Biggis in Batman: The Animated Series .

Biography [ ]

The One claimed to be the source of monotheism on a number of planets across the galaxy. It was an immensely powerful eldritch entity. Approximately one million years ago after Q brought the being 0 into the universe through the Guardian of Forever. With Q's help 0 brought The One into the universe as well along with the Beta XII-A entity (also known as *) and Gorgan . The young Q thought the group was going to have some fun but he was totally unaware of how evil they all were.

After the group wrecked chaos across the galaxy including destroying the ancient Tkon Empire the rest of the Q Continuum attempted to arrest them. After a prolonged battle across time and space four Q working together were able to destroy The One's body by sheer will leaving only the head. For The One's many crimes he was imprisoned at the center of the galaxy until he either repented or the heat death of the universe, whichever came first. The Q built the Great Barrier around a star system at the center of the galaxy and imprisoned The One there. 0 meanwhile was banished to the space between galaxies, and the Galactic Barrier was built around the galaxy to keep him out of the galaxy.

Some Vulcans learned of The One and the planet, which they called Sha Ka Reem at the center of the galaxy beyond the Great Barrier where The One was held. In the 23rd century the Vulcan Master T'Rea taught her son Sybok about God and Sha Ka Ree. After her death Sybok went to live with his father Sarek and his wife Amanda along with his half-brother Spock. When Sybok broke in to the Hall of Ancient Thought to meld with his mother's katra he was banished from Vulcan. In the years that followed Sybok continued his studies. Using brainwashing Sybok was able to amass a large number of followers and commandeered the USS Enterprise-A in 2287 to go to Sha Ka Ree. Penetrating the barrier the Enterprise crew discovered the planet that Sybok believed to be Sha Ka Ree.

Sybok along with Kirk, Spock, and McCoy transported down to the planet. The Entity on the planet claimed to be the idea of God found on Earth and a number of alien worlds. He demanded the Enterprise be brought closer so he could escape. The others were lost in amazement over what they were seeing, however Kirk maintained the presence of mind to wonder why God would need a starship. When Kirk asked God why he needed a starship the entity struck him with bolts from his eyes, to the horror of the Enterprise crew and the others on the surface. The One then attacked Spock when Spock also asked what God needed with a starship. McCoy was next in line when he said that he'd doubt any God who inflicted pain for its own pleasure, however Sybok intervened.

When Sybok said that the God of Sha Ka Ree would not do this The One responded that Sha Ka Ree was a vision Sybok created. He then revealed to Sybok that he was not the benevolent God Sybok was searching for. Sybok wrestled with The One to buy Kirk and the others time to escape. The Enterprise fired a torpedo which disabled The One for a few moments, giving Kirk, Spock, and McCoy time to run back to the shuttle. The One pursued Kirk, Spock, and McCoy to kill them. Kirk had Scott beam Spock and McCoy back to the Enterprise . The One chased Kirk up a cliff where he was about to kill Kirk. However Kirk was saved when Spock used a the weapons of a Klingon Bird of Prey against The One, injuring the being and driving him off.

After 0 was able to return to the galaxy in 2374 he was able to briefly take control of the Enterprise-E . 0 stated that he had prisoners to free, meaning The One. Fortunately Q and the Calamarain put their differences aside and worked together to defeat 0 long before that happened, banishing him from the galaxy once again.

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Home > Star Trek V: The Final Frontier Ending Explained

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier Ending Explained
UPDATED: September 25, 2023

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier is the fifth installment in the iconic Star Trek film series. Released in 1989, the movie was directed by William Shatner, who also starred as Captain James T. Kirk. While the film received mixed reviews upon its release, it has since gained a cult following among Star Trek fans.

The ending of Star Trek V: The Final Frontier is often a topic of discussion and debate among fans. In order to fully understand the ending, it’s important to recap the events leading up to it.

The film follows Captain Kirk and his crew as they embark on a mission to rescue hostages held captive by a renegade Vulcan named Sybok. Sybok believes that he can find God at the center of the galaxy and plans to use the Enterprise to get there.

As the crew journeys towards the center of the galaxy, they encounter various challenges and obstacles. They are eventually confronted by a powerful entity claiming to be God. This entity attempts to manipulate and deceive them, but Kirk and his crew remain skeptical.

In the final moments of the film, Kirk confronts “God” and realizes that it is not actually a divine being but rather an imposter seeking power. With this realization, Kirk rejects “God” and exposes its true nature to his crewmates.

The ending of Star Trek V: The Final Frontier can be seen as a commentary on faith and belief systems. Throughout the film, Sybok’s unwavering faith in finding God leads him down a dangerous path. In contrast, Kirk’s skepticism allows him to see through the deception and ultimately save his crew.

Additionally, the ending reinforces one of the central themes of Star Trek – that humanity should rely on reason and logic rather than blind faith. This theme is consistent with Gene Roddenberry’s vision for Star Trek as a show that promotes scientific exploration and human progress.

Some fans have criticized the ending of Star Trek V: The Final Frontier for its rushed and somewhat anticlimactic resolution. However, others appreciate the deeper philosophical questions it raises and the way it challenges traditional beliefs.

In conclusion, the ending of Star Trek V: The Final Frontier serves as a thought-provoking conclusion to the film. It explores themes of faith, reason, and the dangers of blind belief. While it may not be the most satisfying ending for some viewers, it adds depth and complexity to the overall narrative of the Star Trek universe.

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Star Trek V: The Final Frontier

Captain Kirk and his crew must deal with Mr. Spock's long-lost half-brother who hijacks the Enterprise for an obsessive search for God at the center of the galaxy.
When the newly-christened starship Enterprise's shakedown cruise goes poorly, Captain Kirk and crew put her into Spacedock for repairs. But an urgent mission interrupts their Earth-bound shore leave. A renegade Vulcan named Sybok has taken three ambassadors hostage on Nimbus III, the Planet of Galactic Peace. This event also attracts the attention of a Klingon captain who wants to make a name for himself and sets out to pursue the Enterprise. Sybok's ragtag army captures the Enterprise and takes her on a journey to the center of the galaxy in search of the Supreme Being. — David Thiel <[email protected]>
It is the 23rd Century and vacationing Captain Kirk faces two challenges: climbing Yosemite's El Capitan and teaching campfire songs to Spock. But vacations are cut short when a renegade Vulcan with a startling secret hijacks the Enterprise in order to find a mythical planet. Kirk and his crew set out to stop this madman in an adventure that takes them to the center of the universe and, perhaps, before the face of God. With the crew under Vulcan control, the captain must rely on an unlikely alliance to save the galaxy. Meanwhile, a Klingon captain wants to make a name for himself and sets out to pursue the Enterprise and intercept Kirk. — Robert Lynch <[email protected]>
The crew of the newly commissioned USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-A) are enjoying shore leave after the star ship's shakedown cruise goes poorly. At Yosemite National Park James T. Kirk (William Shatner), recently demoted back to Captain after the events of the previous two films, is camping with Spock (Leonard Nimoy) and Dr. Leonard McCoy (DeForest Kelley). Their leave is interrupted when the Enterprise is ordered by Starfleet Command to rescue human, Klingon, and Romulan hostages on the planet Nimbus III. Learning of the Enterprise's mission, the Klingon Captain Klaa decides to pursue Kirk for personal glory. Other officers include Leonard McCoy (DeForest Kelley), Medical officer, Montgomery Scott (James Doohan) engineer, helmsman Hikaru Sulu (George Takei), Pavel Chekov (Walter Koenig), Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) Enterprise reaches Nimbus III, but its transporter beams are inactive, and the Klingon vessel is just 2 hours away and is approaching rapidly. Kirk decides to take a team to the surface to negotiate. Kirk and his landing party attack the hostage location, but the hostages instead take Kirk as captive & force Kirk's team to surrender. On Nimbus III, the Enterprise crew discovers that renegade Vulcan Sybok (Laurence Luckinbill), Spock's half-brother, is behind the hostage crisis. Sybok reveals the hostage situation was a ruse to lure a star ship to Nimbus III. Sybok wants to use a ship to reach the mythical planet Sha Ka Ree, the place where creation began; the planet lies behind a seemingly impenetrable barrier near the center of the galaxy. Sybok uses his unique ability to reveal and heal the innermost pain of a person through the mind meld to subvert the wills of the hostages and crew members. Only Spock (Spock's greatest fear was his father's nonacceptance of Spock as a Vulcan) and Kirk prove resistant to Sybok; Spock is unmoved by the experience and Kirk refuses the Vulcan's offer, telling him that his pain is what makes him human. For example McCoy''s greatest fear was that McCoy assisted his father in medical euthanasia, and could not save him, despite all the knowledge he had at his disposal. Sybok reluctantly declares a truce with Kirk, realizing he needs his leadership experience to navigate the Enterprise to Sha Ka Ree. As Sybok, Kirk and rest of the crew get near the Enterprise, Klaa's vessel reaches Nimus III as well. Kirk pleads Sybok to assume command so he can guide the enterprise out of this. Kirk instructs Scotty to lower shields just long enough for Sulu to fly the shuttle into the Enterprise manually at full speed. As soon as the shuttle is in, Chekov takes it to warp speed, before Klaa's ship can fire upon its position. The Enterprise successfully breaches the barrier, pursued by Klaa's vessel, and discovers a lone blue planet. Sybok, Kirk, Spock, and McCoy journey to the surface, where Sybok calls out to his perceived vision of God. An entity appears, and when told of how Sybok breached the barrier, demands that the star ship be brought closer to the planet. When a skeptical Kirk inquires, "What does God need with a star ship?", the entity attacks him in retribution. The others doubt a god who would inflict harm on people for pleasure. Meanwhile, unnoticed in the commotion, Klaa's spaceship also penetrates the barrier and cloaks itself and starts to monitor the situation. Realizing his foolishness, Sybok sacrifices himself in an effort to combat the creature and allow the others to escape. Intent on stopping the being, Kirk orders the Enterprise to fire a photon torpedo at their location, to little effect. Spock and McCoy are beamed back to the ship, but Klaa's vessel attacks the Enterprise before Kirk can be transported aboard. The vengeful entity reappears and tries to kill Kirk when Klaa's vessel destroys it in a hail of fire (Spock and the Klingon General Korrd force Klaa to stand down). Kirk is beamed aboard the Klingon ship. The Enterprise and Klingon crews celebrate a new detente, and Kirk, Spock, and McCoy resume their vacation at Yosemite.

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Star Trek V: The Final Frontier

1989, Sci-fi, 1h 46m

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Critics Consensus

Filled with dull action sequences and an underdeveloped storyline, this fifth Trek movie is probably the worst of the series. Read critic reviews

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A renegade Vulcan makes Kirk (William Shatner), Spock (Leonard Nimoy), McCoy (DeForest Kelley) and the Enterprise go to a planet at the center of the galaxy.

Genre: Sci-fi

Original Language: English

Director: William Shatner

Producer: Harve Bennett

Writer: William Shatner , Harve Bennett , David Loughery , David Loughery

Release Date (Theaters): Jun 9, 1989 wide

Release Date (Streaming): Dec 16, 2009

Box Office (Gross USA): $52.1M

Runtime: 1h 46m

Distributor: Paramount Pictures

Production Co: Paramount Pictures

Sound Mix: Dolby Stereo, Dolby A, Magnetic Stereo 6 Track, Surround, Dolby Digital, Dolby SR

Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

View the collection: Star Trek

Cast & Crew

William Shatner

Captain James T. Kirk

Leonard Nimoy

Captain Spock

DeForest Kelley

Commander Leonard H. McCoy, M.D.

James Doohan

Captain Montgomery Scott

Walter Koenig

Commander Pavel Andreievich Chekov

Nichelle Nichols

Commander Nyota Uhura

George Takei

Commander Hikaru Sulu

David Warner

St. John Talbot

Laurence Luckinbill

Charles Cooper

General Korrd

Cynthia Gouw

Caithlin Dar

Todd Bryant

Captain Klaa

Spice Williams-Crosby

George Murdock

Cynthia Blaise

Young Amanda Grayson

David McCoy

Harve Bennett

David Loughery

Screenwriter

Brooke Breton

Associate Producer

Co-Producer

Ralph Winter

Executive Producer

Jerry Goldsmith

Original Music

Andrew Laszlo

Cinematographer

Peter Berger

Film Editing

Bill Shepard

Herman F. Zimmerman

Production Design

Nilo Rodis-Jamero

Art Director

John M. Dwyer

Set Decoration

Costume Design

Unit Production Manager

Douglas E. Wise

First Assistant Director

Alexander Courage

Additional Music

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Critic Reviews for Star Trek V: The Final Frontier

Audience reviews for star trek v: the final frontier.

Interesting blend of religion and science fiction. The crew of the Enterprise meets a Vulcan known as Sybock who claims he knows where Heaven is and plays more of the role of a religious cult leader. The performance by DeForest Kelley is one of his best and even William Shatner has a few moments where talent strongly peeks through but still doesn't save this film.

Yes, "What does god need with a Starship?" is a real line that came from this absurd mess of a film. I understand the theme of Star Trek has always been to boldly go where no man has gone before, but 'The Final Frontier' attempts to take the franchise in places it has no business going. William Shatner took the reins of directing after Leonard Nimoy helmed two enjoyable entries in the series in 'Search for Spock' and 'The Voyage Home'. While it's not entirely Shatner's fault that there were heavy production issues with a writers strike and the CGI becoming far too expensive, his direction doesn't do anything to enhance what was already on the page. Apparently according to the producers, this film nearly killed the entire franchise with poor effects, a rehashed and ridiculous plot, and a largely inconsistent tone. This time around, the crew of the enterprise were on leave and enjoying life when they are asked to investigate a hostage situation on Nimbus III. Of course, the hostages just happened to be held by Spock's half-brother, Sybok. Framing Spock as the key to getting through to his brother would have been a nice way for him to finally regain his existence and memory as the Enterprise's second in command, but it never really plays out that way. Sybok manipulates anyone in his path to discover the god in the center of the galaxy and forces the Enterprise crew to take him there. As if the film didn't already struggle to grab my attention, the scenes with 'god' are almost unbearable. The very idea that a Star Trek film would center its plot around a villain taking over the Enterprise with his goons in order to get what he wants has been done so many times before, but throw God in the mix as well? Come on. Luckily, the bond between Spock, Kirk, and Bones is still present to get you through some rough dialogue, as is Jerry Goldsmith's classic score, but 'The Final Frontier' ends up making you wish they would never make another Trek film again. Fortunately, they do get better, but I can't help but sit here in wonderment thinking about just how much the reach of this film far outweighs its grasp. Yikes. +Goldsmith's score +Bond between characters is always there -Lazy script -Absurd villain -God? 4.4/10

The Final Frontier is a decent film, one that leaves a lot to be desired for Trek fans, and here I felt that the film's script was just stitched together too quickly in order to create a follow up to The Voyage Home. Now this isn't an awful film, but it could have been improved upon. I find this entry to be not that bad, but it definitely could have been reworked to make the film standout a bit more. Compared to the previous outings in the series, The Final Frontier will surely divide fans. One reason is for the fact that the story is not that interesting, and the performances are a bit flat. The story itself is sketchy and quite frankly ridiculous, and it makes you question what they were thinking when they green lit the project. There were effective ideas here, but they never really take off, and the film's potential is squandered on a poorly written script, and the end result is one of the weakest films in the franchise. Like I said, I thought it was decent, but it also lacked the sense of wonder, excitement, and adventure than the other films possessed. Fans of the series will surely be disappointed in this fifth film, and you'll want more out of the film by the time the credits roll. If the film's plot would have been improved upon, and the cast would have put a bit more effort into their performances, then The Final Frontier would have been a much better outing than what it turned out to be. I expected much more out of this film, and it's a shame that on-screen result is a decent affair that makes you expect more. The film's flaws are simply due to the fact that the filmmakers simply didn't care about how the film turned out, and they really should have put much more effort into crafting a better story.

This movie was on the cusp of something brilliant, however it only ends up stumbling over its own ambition. It raises excellent questions and sparks superb themes, but the execution of it all is a real let down. Generally considered the weakest Star Trek film in the franchise, the Final Frontier is directed by William Shatner, who's inexperience in such a large director's chair is on full display. There are some good shots and production design, but for the most part, it's mishandled. Shatner does, however, still give an excellent performance as Captain Kirk. The rest of the cast is still great as well, as is the typical Trek fun and humor that the series is known for. The film actually is, believe it or not, not that horrible or unwatchable up until the climax on Sha Ka Ree. There's some good banter between Kirk, McCoy, and Spock, an intriguing sequence on the "Mad Max"-like planet Nimbus III, and the story moves along quite well and holds your attention. Once Kirk and co. get past the Great Barrier, however, everything breaks apart. The visuals grow weak, the story that's been developing the whole movie gets a hugely disappointing resolution, Sybok goes from strong in his beliefs to "oops, I was wrong", and the action gets boring. The big reveal of the film is when Kirk, Spock, McCoy, and villain Sybok get on Sha Ka Ree and encounter who they believe to be God. Kirk gets annoying, questions God, and they find out that it's just some alien posing as God. How'd it get there? How did it communicate with Sybok to make him come here? The movie never explains, and just goes "Oh, it's not God, Sybok dies, Kirk is saved, movie over." Disappointing is not a strong enough word to describe it all. They had potential with this story, and it was playing out decently until you get to what is supposed to be the most exciting point of the film. Shatner drops the ball as director, visuals are subpar, and when it's over, you feel little more than "that's it?" It is not the train wreck that everyone will lead you to believe, but it definitely is a lot weaker than most Star Trek films you can find and is quite an underwhelming experience.

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There was a moment in "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier" - only one, and a brief one, but a genuine one - when I felt the promise of awe. The Starship Enterprise was indeed going where no man had gone before, through the fabled Great Barrier, which represents the end of the finite universe. What would lie beyond? Would it be an endless void, or a black hole, or some kind of singularity of space and time that would turn the voyagers inside out and deposit them in another universe? Or would the Barrier even reveal, as one of the characters believes, the place where life began? The place called by the name of Eden and countless other words? As the Enterprise approached the Barrier, I found my attention gathering. The movie had been slow and boring until then, with an interminable, utterly inconsequential first act and a plot that seemed to exist in a space-time singularity all its own. But now, at last, the fifth " Star Trek " movie seemed to be remembering what was best about the fictional world of "Star Trek": those moments when man and his ideas are challenged by the limitless possibilities of creation.

As I've said, my awe was real. It was also brief. Once the Enterprise crew members (and the Vulcan who was holding them hostage) landed on the world beyond the Barrier, the possibilities of god or Eden or whatever quickly disintegrated into an anticlimactic special effects show with a touch of " The Wizard of Oz " thrown in for good measure. I do not want to give away important elements in the plot, but after you've seen the movie, ask yourself these questions: 1) How was it known that the voyagers would go beyond the Barrier; 2) what was the motivation behind what they found there; 3) how was it known that they would come to stand at exactly the point where the stone pillars came up from the Earth; 4) In a version of a question asked by Capt. Kirk, why would any entity capable of staging such a show need its own starship; and 5) is the Great Barrier indeed real, or simply a deceptive stage setting for what was found behind it? (What I'm really complaining about, I think, is that "Star Trek V" allows itself enormous latitude in the logic beneath its plot. If the Barrier is real, what exactly are we to make of the use to which it is put?) Before we get to ask those questions, "Star Trek V" spends much of its time meandering through some of the goofiest scenes in the entire series. The movie opens with the taking of three hostages on a desert planet, who have been captured for the sole purpose of luring Capt. Kirk and his starship to the planet so that the ship can be commandeered for the voyage through the Barrier. I have explained these plot details in one sentence. The movie takes endless scenes, during which the key crew members of the Enterprise need to be summoned back to their ship in the middle of a shore leave. And that process, in turn, requires interminable scenes of Kirk, Spock and Bones on a camping trip in Yosemite, during which they attempt to sing "Row, row, row your boat" and nearly succeed in sinking the entire movie. If there is a sillier and more awkwardly written scene in the entire "Star Trek" saga than this one, I've missed it.

After the pointless opening scenes, the movie begins to develop a plot of sorts, but it is so confused and inadequately explained that there are times when we simply give up and wait for what's next. That was particularly the case during the inexplicable closing scenes, where the humans and the Klingons seem to join sides after an off-camera speech by a former Klingon leader who had been put out to pasture. Since this leader is identified as having been badly treated by the Klingons in his retirement, how did he suddenly regain the authority to negotiate a truce? And do we really want to see the mighty Klingons reduced to the status of guests at a cocktail party? One of the trademarks of the "Star Trek" saga has been the way the supporting characters are kept alive in little subplots. In "Star Trek V," the Enterprise starts its voyage while the shop is suffering a series of mechanical failures, and that involves countless brief scenes in which Scotty, the chief engineer, emerges from beneath a piece of equipment, brandishes his wrench and says he'll have things fixed in a moment. Two or three of these scenes might have been enough.

Another irritation is the way in which we meet apparently major characters, including those played by David Warner , Laurence Luckinbill and Cynthia Gouw, who are introduced with fanfares of dialogue and then never developed or given anything to do. The entire movie seems crowded with loose ends, overlooked developments and forgotten characters, and there are little snatches of dialogue where some of these minor characters seem to be soldiering on in their original subplots as if unaware that they've been cut from the movie.

"Star Trek V" is pretty much of a mess - a movie that betrays all the signs of having gone into production at a point where the script doctoring should have begun in earnest. There is no clear line from the beginning of the movie to the end, not much danger, no characters to really care about, little suspense, uninteresting or incomprehensible villains, and a great deal of small talk and pointless dead ends. Of all of the "Star Trek" movies, this is the worst.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

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Film credits.

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier movie poster

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989)

108 minutes

William Shatner as Capt. Kirk

Leonard Nimoy as Mr. Spock

Deforest Kelley as Dr. McCoy

James Doohan as Montgomery Scott

Walter Koenig as Pavel Chekov

Nichelle Nichols as Cmdr. Uhura

George Takei as Sulu

Photography by

Andrew Laszlo
Peter Berger
David Loughery From

From A Story by

Produced by.

Harve Bennett

Directed by

William Shatner
Jerry Goldsmith

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Den of Geek

Examining the Political Themes of Star Trek V: The Final Frontier

The War On Terror meets The Final Frontier and asks the most important question of all time. What does God need with a starship?

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This article comes from Den of Geek UK .

William Shatner fights God. That’s about all anyone remembers from the infamous Star Trek V: The Final Frontier . Over the years, the tale has grown in the telling. Some called it one of the worst films of all time, others call it a box office catastrophe. It killed the careers of the director, producer, the entire special effects company, and nearly ended the entire Star Trek franchise right there and then. It is remembered merely as a vanity project gone horribly wrong.

But ask yourself this. What does God need with a starship? Can you answer it? Can you understand the question? To dismiss it out of hand is to dismiss the opportunity to think. Do not turn your brain off.

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier is the ultimate question. What does God need with a starship? To answer it, we need religion, politics, philosophy, and the human condition. It is an exploration not of space, but of existence. These goals are accomplished, although how well accomplished is left as an exercise for the viewer. Superficially, Star Trek V is a mess. But then again, if you’re watching superficially, perhaps you’re already missing the point. This is not an adventure story. This is a biting, vicious allegory of religious extremism. Relevant now perhaps more than ever, as it shows startling parallels to the current war against Islamic State.

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What started out as an exploration of televangelism mutated into something else via the notoriously troubled production, and some of the allegory was lost. But now, in the modern world, Star Trek V finally makes sense. This is not the film you were warned about. This is not a film where the Enterprise literally goes looking for God. This is one worth seeing for what it is, what it was meant to be, or at least what it has become.

Watch Star Trek V on Amazon

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier is a scathing commentary on radicalization, and the rise of Islamic terrorism. It is right wing. Dark. Subversive. Brilliant. When watched in the light that it was intended, it ceases to be a muddling and bizarre action/adventure film and instead transcends those boundaries. If you like your sci-fi to shine a light on the real world, to engage your brain and challenge your preconceptions, there is the argument to be made that Star Trek V is not only a worthy film, it is one of the most interesting science fiction films ever made.

Stop laughing. I’m serious.

The undulating success of Star Trek means the franchise is hard to predict, even retrospectively. The late ’80s should have seen a continuing strengthening of the franchise on the back of four consecutive hit movies, three consecutive critical hits, and a brand new television series. In actuality, the late ’80s nearly saw the death of the franchise. The Next Generation didn’t hit the ground running. A mixture of rehashes and downright awful episodes punctuated its first season, and even the good episodes didn’t manage to lift it out of the shadow of its predecessor. After Star Trek stock had been so high in 1986, 1987 saw it crashing back to Earth. So what better than to wheel out the original crew for another film? That should fix everything, right?

Well, problems emerged from the start.

A oneupmanship clause in the contracts of Nimoy and Shatner, broadly speaking, stated that whatever Nimoy got, Shatner would get as well (and vice versa). Thus, with Nimoy being awarded the director’s chair to entice him back to the franchise and Spock back from the dead (Nimoy directed Star Trek III and IV ), Shatner now had the right to direct Star Trek V , and have creative control over the story. Unfortunately for him, this freedom coincided with the 1988 writers’ strike, and the resulting backlog of films meant Industrial Light and Magic were busy with Ghostbusters II and Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade . Add into that producer Harve Bennett’s reluctance to join, Paramount’s disdain for the very premise of the film, and you have a first time director trying desperately to control a production with no script, no special effects, and constant interference from the studio.

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The special effects problems were notorious. ILM reportedly demanded an extortionate amount of money, and Shatner was forced to look elsewhere. Without much budget, he sought out unknown artists and was wowed by Bran Ferren’s company, which had previously been Oscar nominated for the visual effects work in Little Shop Of Horrors . Shatner was taken in by a practical yet ultimately mundane display of reflected lights in a cloud chamber and immediately hired Ferren, only for Associates and Ferren to collapse under the difficulty of such a big production.

read more: Star Trek II – IV are an Overlooked Movie Trilogy

That Shatner demanded previews of the effects before commissioning them only added to the workload, and ultimately most of what they made was unusable. The effects that did remain were either of exceedingly poor quality (motion control work was shot at a reduced frame rate to save time), reused from previous films, or redone by others. The climax had to be butchered to account for the million-dollar rockman suit simply not working at all. The disaster killed Associates and Ferren (it was later acquired by Disney and repurposed for imagineering) and Ferren himself left the movie business. Interestingly, he later invented multi-touch gesture interfaces, something which Samsung used as a defense against one of Apple’s myriad of lawsuits.

For anyone to pull together this mess would have been close to godliness, but I’m not sure William Shatner can be blamed for why the film, at least on the surface, turned out to be such a mishmash. He was an accomplished TV director in his own right, if not quite the student of the art that Nimoy had been. He thoroughly knew the actors and characters and allowed them to get the best performance out of themselves, and he had quite the eye for set pieces. This film is full of interesting and occasionally brilliant shots, although it should be noted they sometimes work better as still images rather than in motion.

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His storycrafting, too, was not at fault. His idea was dark, subversive, but literal. The Enterprise encounters a hostage situation in the desert, engineered by a televangelist who believes God is speaking directly to him. They travel to Eden, only to find it resembles Hell. The God they find is actually Satan (the real Satan), who drags Kirk, Spock, and McCoy into Hell itself, from where they must escape.

As you can see, much of the original story found its way into the final film, but with less a focus on the religious extremism and the inherent hypocrisy of religious violence and more of a focus on action and slapstick.

To say Paramount hated the idea was an understatement. Everyone aside from Shatner despised the idea. It was too dark, not enough like Trek , and focused more on big ideas (which didn’t work in Star Trek: The Motion Picture ) and less on character (which worked in all the others). Harve Bennett, who returned to Trek despite his misgivings, clearly had a diametrically opposed vision to William Shatner’s, and the two reportedly fought on nearly every point. They clashed in writing and in editing, with many of the film’s weaker moments coming from the two different directions in which they pulled the film.

read more – The Troubled Production of Star Trek: The Motion Picture

Creative differences don’t have to be a bad thing though, do they? Very often the creative process relies on such conflict, and somehow the good ideas bubble up to the surface. None of the ideas presented by anyone were inherently bad, after all, but ultimately the good ideas didn’t have time to gel. Unfortunately, the creative process was stalled by consecutive setbacks, the first being the failure to secure novelist Eric Van Lustbader (he of the other Bourne novels) as the writer, the second being the 1988 Writers Guild of America strike, and the third being Leonard Nimoy’s commitments to directing The Good Mother which stopped production just as it was starting again.

It seems, therefore, that the filming script for Star Trek V was basically the first draft.

The comedy is probably the one aspect that stands out for its inappropriateness. The Final Frontier is easily the darkest of the six original films in its premise, yet the first third is basically a comedy. Not all of the comedy was a misfire. Nimoy plays Spock back at his deadpan best, even if not all the lines quite hit the mark, and his comedy moments are better than, say, Scottie hitting his head.

But there is a purpose to these scenes that is important. By showing Kirk, Spock, and McCoy enjoying some time off we see that they’re closer to their series selves than their movie selves. Spock is not cold and logical as in The Motion Picture , nor as wise as in Khan or as clueless as Voyage , but something approaching curious. Kirk isn’t suffering from a mid-life crisis at all and seems to be galavanting around like a 20 year old. McCoy is… well, McCoy. Deliberately done so. It’s telling that the comedy almost disappears after the initial setup, and that much of the irrelevant hijinks were left on the cutting room floor (notably McCoy’s prank on Spock that leads to the infamously incongruous “marshmellons”). It’s a symptom of the lack of rewrites, but considering the studio’s demands it’s likely there would have been even more inappropriate comedy. Still, by the time the story reaches Nimbus III the comedy all but vanishes, save for a fan or two.

read more – The Difficult Journey of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

Nimbus III is an odd setting unless you consider the film as an allegory. It is an inhospitable, unwanted desert, the lives of the inhabitants kept miserable due to a string of poor foreign policy decisions by the major superpowers. Considering that the Federation, Klingon Empire, and Romulan Star Empire were originally space America, space Russia, and space China respectively, and that at the time of writing the Russia-Afghanistan war was about to end with a defeat of the Russians, it should have been obvious that Nimbus III was meant to be an allegory of the Middle East.

So what of Sybok? Sybok was always written as unhinged, but at the behest of the studio his character was softened and made more ambiguous. At least, in a way. Originally meant to be a Jimmy Swaggart type of fraudulent televangelist, the character became less overtly allegorical and more sympathetic.

However, over time this change actually has benefited the film enormously. As an extension of the Afghanistan allegory, Sybok is the wealthy and privileged benefactor of the desert people, who uses his warped and “forbidden” religious beliefs to radicalize others to his cause. That he is played by the wonderful Laurence Luckinbill (accomplished stage actor and uncle of the Wachowskis) is a blessing, because at least Luckinbill commits, both in Sybok’s mania and in Sybok’s frequent moments of doubt. Look behind the eyes when Sybok is reconsidering his options, and you can see him strengthening his resolve. One could even claim he is radicalizing himself.

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With the political situation in the toilet, the Federation must act. It must at least be seen to act more than the Klingons and the Romulans, despite the fact that no one cares what happens to the people who live there, even the ambassadors.

So, while the Romulans do nothing at all and focus on building their empire (focusing on cheap and nasty exports like Romulan Ale and poorly built PADDs, probably), and the Klingons send someone by accident, the Federation send a big name as a show of force without committing the best of what they can offer. That the Admiral who sends the poorly equipped Enterprise-A on this unwanted mission is played by Harve Bennett is telling. The failure of the mission to Nimbus III, the film itself and America’s foreign policy in the Middle East all caused by the powers that be and their unwillingness to commit proper equipment and funding.

Of course, Starfleet are in a bind. If they recognize the government on Nimbus III as falling to Sybok’s terrorists then they must surely recognise the terrorists themselves as the new government, something they clearly would not want. There are plenty of such occurrences in history – North Korea and North Vietnam were contemporaneous ones – but the modern equivalent would arguably be IS. As such, it is treated as a hostage situation rather than a coup, something Sybok clearly is happy to play along with. At this stage his motivations are unclear, but it is obvious he wants to engineer a conflict in the region, and that he has the home advantage with guerilla fighters. That space America is heading into the conflict, drastically misunderstanding it and drastically underprepared simply to save international face could quite easily be interpreted a commentary on Vietnam, although comparisons to either Iraq War make sense nowadays.

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We can be certain that The Final Frontier was not written as an allegory on the rise of Islamic State, or indeed any of the events of the last 25 years. Contemporaneous events were the inspiration, some of which I have mentioned, but that a quarter of a century later a film can be politically relevant is startling. It is what separates the very good from the timeless. Animal Farm may be a fine story, but it will forever be an allegory of the Russian Revolution. 1984 may have been a warning about the rise of totalitarianism following the Second World War, but tapped into paranoia about surveillance and the erosion of civil liberties that have always, and will always persist.

Am I saying that Star Trek V should be treated in the same way as 1984 ? No. But perhaps if I had more courage I would say yes.

The plan, as presented, does not work. Sybok is gambling that the Federation will show up, and won’t simply beam the ‘hostages’ off the surface. If the Klingons or Romulans show up, it’s likely they’ll just glass the whole planet from orbit. It’s not like anyone even cares about the so-called Planet of Intergalactic Peace. Also, in a delicious take that to international organizations and their increasingly unwieldy and specific names, “intergalactic” means between galaxies. It should be “intragalactic” or “interstellar.” I’m not entirely sure that wasn’t deliberate. Anyway, the point is, Sybok’s plan is idiotic, but that’s what happens when your script is a first draft. A single line about a magnetic shield would solve all problems.

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Personally, I take it that this was Sybok’s plan B. His plan A was to radicalize the ambassadors and have them take over the Enterprise. Seeing as how he left them unguarded and armed in their office just waiting to be beamed out, it’s more than plausible. A finished script would have made it explicit. In any case, since we only focus on the Federation’s reaction rather than Sybok’s thoughts, it’s impossible to tell what his plan was. In this case, I choose the interpretation where the film makes sense, because that one is certainly there if you go looking for it.

On Nimbus III a battle erupts. What is interesting about the battle is that Sybok’s reaction is “it wasn’t bloodshed I wanted!” An interesting protestation for the leader of a terrorist organization who has armed his followers and staged a coup in the hopes of stealing a battleship. Actual guns too, not phasers. One of them even has a minigun.

Is Sybok deluded? Yes, but it is important to note that he believes what he says. He believes he is a peaceful man and all others are violent, as all extremists do. This non-violent man then parades the captured crew through the street, forces the Enterprise crew at gunpoint to take him to their ship, and then begs defense against the Klingons who are about to kill everything in sight. I’ll just mention again that the Klingons are space Russia, that Russian airstrikes on Syria currently aren’t going down too well, and let you draw your own conclusions.

Safely aboard, Sybok begins radicalizing everyone in sight. His poisonous ideology spreads quickly due to offering easy answers, a way into paradise, self-confirmation of belief, absolution of past misdeeds, and a gun in the face. Sybok releases “pain.” Using his telepathy and standard cold-reading techniques, he conjures up a fantasy whereby a past misdeed or injustice is presented as the source of all the subject’s problems, then forces a confrontation and false epiphany. His techniques are the same used by any religious fanatic hoping to draw people to their cause. There’s an appeal to ego in casting the person as the hero of their own struggle, the easy answers to difficult questions of existence and purpose, and the new pride of being part of the “in” group. That the Enterprise senior staff fall so quickly and so completely under this spell is alarming, although in truth only Chekov, Sulu and Uhura do, which is less than half. For Sybok’s own brand of religion to seem so seductive, the stars had to fall, or at least nearly do so.

Meanwhile, our three heroes are put in prison and escape, which is perhaps not the best scene of this more serious half of the film. Tighter editing probably would have removed this part, although at least we do finally get to see Star Trek ’s first toilet. They are shortly captured after their escape (which sees them randomly fly past different decks of the Enterprise), thus rendering the entire thing pointless.

The best, though is yet to come.

In the interrogation, we have possibly the greatest scene in the entire franchise, where Sybok radicalizes McCoy, and attempts to do so with Spock. McCoy is plagued with guilt about the death of his father, or rather the euthanasia of his father. To make matters worse, soon after a cure was found. A doctor put in the position of doing the right thing yet causing a needless death? Yeah, that’ll screw you up. The acting in this scene is incredible as DeForest Kelley sells McCoy as a man truly hiding a secret pain that he has yet to overcome, his face showing a mixture of abject horror at confronting it, despair at the death of his father and uncontrollable mania before Sybok finally grants him a release.

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The undoing of Sybok is not with his methods, but with his targets. His next attempt is with Spock, who he believes hides the pain of his dual heritage. In fact, he is utterly wrong – Spock carries the old pain but has long since dealt with it. Sybok’s superficial savior undone by his brother, who sees through the illusion.

Kirk too sees through it, but in a different way. He may not have come to terms with his pain (implied, but not stated, to be the death of his son, or perhaps the death of his brother, which he alludes to later), but he understands its purpose and how it drives him to be better. He needs his pain, as do we all. Radicalization preys on the weak, whether that means intellectually, socio-economically, or emotionally.

In Kirk and Spock we see the failure, whether it be due to strength, wisdom or simply one brother knowing another. In McCoy we see weakness, but an understandable one. That he is not utterly converted is because his ties to Kirk and Spock are stronger. He is not in control of his actions after his ordeal with Sybok, as none are after being preyed on by radicals, but having a support network was a greater anchor than the cool new leader with the easy answers. I’ve been to anti-radicalization training (twice, actually), and this is exactly the strategy that works.

Finally, the encounter. We learn that Sybok’s plan was to steal a starship and take it to God. He has constructed a narrative whereby he is God’s messenger and will deliver all to paradise, literally. The location of God is a problem, however. Firstly, it is beyond The Great Barrier, secondly, it is at the center of the galaxy. The first one evokes the second pilot to the series, “Where No Man Has Gone Before,” and the barrier around the edge of the galaxy that caused Gary Mitchell to develop godlike powers and try to kill everyone. There’s got to be a fan theory in there somewhere (and there are several non-canon novels). The second problem is more difficult to overcome. The novelization mentions Sybok using knowledge from God to modify the Enterprise’s engines, but nothing like that exists in the film (there’s that “first draft” problem again).

Eden itself is another desert. Kirk is not impressed, but Sybok is enraptured by the vista. Sybok is of course quite mad, but that he is impressed by somewhere that is identical to his home is telling. Man creates God in his own image, does man create heaven to look like his home? What an intriguing thought.

Jerry Goldsmith didn’t agree. The beautiful and epic “A Busy Man” suggests lush vistas of a Hollywood epic, but juxtaposed against the purple-tinted desert the music almost comes across as sarcastic. The miniature epiphanies, however, invoke the methods of Sybok’s radicalization, in the seat of his power. Yet all the evocations are quite intentional. His score is in equal parts brash and beautiful (this is Goldsmith, after all), but there is a sense of unity that enters the metaphysical. The four note “friendship” motif punctuates the moodier and more epic passages, such as “A Busy Man” and “An Angry God,” as if to remind us that this is not just a battle of ideologies but a battle of social groups. Sybok’s army and the Enterprise’s triumvirate are separated by their views but also their relationships – they are both each other’s “out groups.” The implication presented by these four notes is that the conflict of allegiance is ultimately as important to the characters as the conflict of ideologies.

Considering the cooperation with the Klingons to bring about the conclusion, the music is stating “the enemy of my enemy is my friend.” But why metaphysical? Because by recycling his Motion Picture score, which was also doubling duty as The Next Generation ’s theme, Goldsmith is promoting unity between the two halves of the franchise. That he would later reuse the same four note motif in his score for First Contact for a similar purpose suggests this was his intention, and that I’m not just being a pretentious ass.

Then there is God himself. Yes, we see God. A kindly white man with a beard who asks an awful lot of questions for someone supposedly omniscient. While Sybok grovels and swoons, Kirk asks the question that has plagued mankind: “What does God need with a starship?”

What does God need with a starship? What does God need with anything? What does an omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient entity need with his own, mundane creation? Why do we exist, if God is all existence.

“What does God need with a starship?”

Has there ever been a more piercing question in cinema? Can you answer it? What does God need with a starship? You don’t know, do you? You can’t, it’s one of those questions like “what is the sound of one hand clapping?” except without the obvious sound one can make by flapping their hand that sounds a bit like a fist in a jar of mayonnaise. It’s one of those questions like “if a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?” except without the obvious “how do you know it fell?”, “why selectively apply the laws of gravity but not sound?” and “where do you get off thinking sound only exists because you can hear it?” In short, a piercing philosophical question, but with enough intelligence to promote thought rather than flippancy.

What does God need with a starship? Not just an unknown unknown, but an unknowable unknown. Donald Rumsfeld would be impressed.

Of course, this isn’t God. This is “God” at least as listed in the credits. A malevolent being of incomprehensible power, eternal, timeless, and in desperate need of attention from his followers, “God” is separated from God by only the inversion of commas, at least in the sights of this film. Considering all that has gone before, the allegory, the allusion and the satire, the original intention clearly was that “God” actually be the Abrahamic God. Outright brazen in its attack on the beliefs of billions, it is unsurprising that God was changed to be a mere alien pretending to be God.

read more – The Political Themes of Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

Yet the changes are too few and too subtle to render the original intention obsolete. This is an attack on religion. Specifically on the Abrahamic ones. The original intention was for this to be the Christian God, but with modern events it’s hard not to see it skewing towards other religions again. This is a vengeful God in the desert, commanding that his followers spread his word and his essence through violence. Uncomfortable, but intentional. Of course, had Shatner had his way and written “God” as being the actual Satan, the message would have been perhaps even more unpalatable to those that would take offence.

Still, this is not an attack on any one religion. In fact, this is not just an attack on theism in general. It is also an attack on atheism too.

I’ll ask you again, what does God need with a starship?

The piercing question that skewers the nature of belief also begs another question… is there an answer God could give that would satisfy you? If you want proof of God, what proof would be acceptable to you? Of course, there is no proof of God, not that it matters. There is no experiment that could prove or disprove the nature of God, nor would we understand such an experiment even if it could be designed. God defies proof and defies the scientific method. One can no more prove the existence of God than disprove the existence of God. Yet the nature of the scientific method is that only disproof exists. God is beyond the realm of science; to apply the scientific method to God shows a misunderstanding of both.

“What does God need with a starship?” A question so profound, one wonders if the answer is not 42.

But “God” is not God. When confronted with the truth, that Sybok’s peaceful God is angry, and smites his enemies with lightning bolts, he is temporarily taken aback. He seeks solace and forgiveness in the arms of his former enemies. And thus the divisions are shown once again.

Sybok strengthens his resolve. That the God he knew from belief is not the God of reality is no problem. God defies proof. God requires belief. Sybok believes his God is the true one. Therefore, it is only logical that he should radicalize God. One cannot kill an ideology so easily as to point out the hypocrisy involved. Asking what God needs with a starship only gets you so far. Eventually, man must create God in his own image, or appropriate the existing one and twist it to his own fancy. Sybok radicalizes God, the delusion of extremism is complete, and the real God has another reason to throw us out of paradise.

Kirk, on the other hand, has a different plan. He nukes “God.” One cannot kill an ideology, but a precision strike can accomplish enough for now. Sybok explodes as the Enterprise uses its relativistic weaponry, not quite taking God with it but at least slowing down the spreading of his influence. But, as Sybok’s ideology continues, interstellar cooperation ensues. The Klingons finally kill God with an airstrike.

International unity, superior air power, and commitment to the cause are the way to defeat an ideology. Well, that and wiping out the leaders. For a notoriously left wing franchise, the idea that it supports air strikes against Islamic state is alarmingly right wing. Still, we all know, Kirk got shit done . Is there a real life Kirk to draw parallels to? As it is, we’re done.

At its heart, Star Trek V is a glorious and powerful tale of extremism and the lengths we can go to combat it. Friendship is the ultimate triumph, as bookended by the campfire scenes, and the four note leitmotif in Goldsmith’s heartbreaking score. Friendship builds resolve, exposes darkness and defeats evil. True friendship means acceptance, not change. Catharsis, not salvation. Resolve, but without violence. Trek ideals to the core, but perhaps not the most important.

Superficiality is a sin. Sybok’s undoing was taking the superficial as something more. A superficial understanding of God without considering the underlying motives. A superficial understanding of the human condition, without the contradiction. Kirk needed his pain, Spock’s pain was accepted, and perhaps God needing a starship was not such a bad thing after all. To concentrate on the superficial without examining the essence of the moment is to fail.

That is why you must not dismiss this film out of hand, unless you wish to make those same mistakes yourself. The worst science fiction film of all time? No, far from it. In fact, this, for me, might just be one of the greatest.

Alex Carter

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Published Jun 8, 2017

Star Trek 101: The Final Frontier's New Characters

Star Trek 101 , StarTrek.com 's newest regular column, serves two functions: succinctly introduce Star Trek newcomers to the basic foundations and elements of the franchise and refresh the memories of longtime Trek fans. We're pulling our entries from the book Star Trek 101: A Practical Guide to Who, What, Where, And Why , written by Terry J. Erdmann & Paula M. Block and published in 2008 by Pocket Books. An invaluable resource, it encompasses The Original Series , The Animated Series , The Next Generation , Deep Space Nine , Voyager and Enterprise , as well as the first 10 Trek feature films. Today, we learn about the new characters introduced in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier , which was released 28 years ago today.

SYBOK (Laurence Luckinbill), passionate Vulcan and (surprise!) half brother to Spock

We always thought that Spock was an only child. But now we find out that Sarek had another child, a son named Sybok, from his first marriage to a Vulcan princess. Sybok was smart like Spock, but unlike his brother, he became a revolutionary. On Vulcan, that means he chose to reject logic and embrace the animal passions of his ancestors. How revolting! After Sybok was banished from Vulcan, he went on a quest to find the mythical planet of Sha Ka Ree (think... heaven), reputed to be located at the center of the galaxy. To get there one has to go through an impassable Great Barrier. Sybok decides to steal Kirk's starship to accomplish the allegedly impossible feat.

KLAA (Todd Bryant), hotshot Klingon captain

Klaa is arrogant and ambitious -- in short, your average Klingon warrior. He has one burning aspiration: to gain a rep as "the greatest warrior in the galaxy." The quickest means to that goal is to defeat a great warrior -- so imagine how happy Klaa is when he learns that the legendary James T. Kirk is in the neighborhood.

VIXIS (Spice Williams), female first officer on Klaa's bird-of-prey

She's hot and even more ambitious than Klaa -- and she looks like she could beat him at arm wrestling. As Chekov observes, "She has wonderful muscles."

" GOD" (George Murdock), unidentifed powerful entity

Okay, he's not really God, but pretending to be the Supreme Being is a great scam when you want to get something from naive supplicants. Obviously, this fake deity is not a nice guy -- which is probably why he's been imprisoned on a planet located beyond the Great Barrier, and why he's so keen to find a way out.

Paula M. Block and Terry J. Erdmann are coauthors of numerous books about the entertainment industry, including Star Trek 101; Star Trek Costumes: Fifty Years of Fashion from the Final Frontier; Star Trek: The Original Series 365 ; and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion . They currently are writing the latest in their series of Ferengi novellas, which (so far) includes Lust’s Latinum Lost (and Found) ; and Rules of Accusation . Their most recent non-Star Trek book is Labyrinth: The Ultimate Visual History .

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Star trek v: the final frontier - 10 things that make no sense.

Star Trek: The Final Frontier is recognized as a far from perfect movie - and these are some of the biggest issues.

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier is widely regarded as the weakest of the big screen franchise installments , but it's not quite as terrible as some fans would remember. The story about a renegade Vulcan commandeering the Enterprise in order to seek out God may have served audiences better as a television episode, but it had its moments.

RELATED: Star Trek: 10 Facts You Didn't Know About The Undiscovered Country

Nevertheless, the film tends to get panned due to its oddball story and a paper-thin plot. Amidst this drop in quality compared to previous films is the glaring amount of nonsensical plot holes strewn throughout the script. The following are things that simply don't add up about Star Trek V, which may have contributed to its less-than-stellar status.

Sybok's Powers

The opening act of the film shows the revolutionary Vulcan Sybok on a desolate alien planet where he is accosted and held at gunpoint. He proceeds to tell the man that he carries a great pain inside that requires release if he wishes to move on to a better life. It's unclear why Sybok possesses this power, or how he's able to use it to affect people on such a great scale.

The film never reveals whether this power is manipulative, benevolent, or a combination of both. The novelization goes into slightly greater detail which suggests it was indeed a form of psychological manipulation. That doesn't explain why Kirk, Spock and McCoy were able to see each other's memories, though it could have something to do with the bond of friendship between all three.

Spock's Jet Boots

Captain Kirk's infamous mountain climbing scene is the stuff of legend, and responsible for countless memes and jokes .

The film version of the scene is pretty straightforward and culminates with Kirk slipping and plunging to what should be his death. He's saved seconds before impact by Spock, who is wearing a pair of jet boots. Unfortunately, it's never explained how the boots manage to keep Spock in the air while he's rotated on his side, which is puzzling.

The State Of The Enterprise

The final act of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home gave audiences a glimpse of a brand spankin' new Enterprise - the first of its name to feature a letter designation at the end of its NCC-1701 registry number. This was the first sign that the movie franchise would continue with Kirk and the crew embarking on brand new adventures.

What a pity then, that the Enterprise-A featured in The Final Frontier was a dud on arrival. Why Starfleet would allow such a legendary ship as the Enterprise to have so many bugs, glitches and problems is anyone's guess. It's almost as if they were attempting to snub its legacy by giving Scotty a bonafide lemon.

Why Does Sybok Need The Enterprise?

Sybok's grand plan is to infiltrate Nimbus III and take control of three key Federation delegates, which will trigger a response from Starfleet. His goal was to lure the Enterprise to the planet and facilitate its capture so that he could make the journey to the Great Barrier and discover what lay beyond.

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From a logical standpoint, this makes no sense, whatsoever. Sybok's telepathic powers were capable of influencing even the strongest minds, which means all he'd need to do is take control of the Romulan, Federation and Klingon diplomats to have his pick of any ship within their respective fleets. Better yet, if Sybok believed the Barrier posed no threat, why not use any old ship?

Why Doesn't The Enterprise Crew Retaliate?

Besides the main characters, the crew of the Enterprise in each of the Star Trek films act more like foot soldiers than Starfleet officers. This became a real conundrum in The Final Frontier , especially after Sybok takes control of the Enterprise and sets a course for the Great Barrier.

It would have been impossible for Sybok to comb through the ship and manipulate the minds of every crew member, regardless of the size of its compliment. Any Starfleet officer worth his or her salt would have realized that a hostile force had taken over the ship, and taken steps to retake it. Yet, they seem blissful about taking orders from Sybok, and show no signs of resistance.

The Great Barrier Paradox

The concept of the Great Barrier in the film creates a plot hole that clashes with the animated television series that predated it. The episode "The Magicks of Megas-Tu" established that the Enterprise had already traveled to the center of the galaxy in an attempt to gather research data on a point in creation.

Presumably, they would have come into contact with the Great Barrier already, and learned something of its makeup. While it's hard to classify the animated series as official canon, it is worth noting on top of the fact that Starfleet seems to know about the Barrier's existence in The Final Frontier .

The imposter God entity that attacks Kirk and his companions in the final act is a vicious creature imprisoned on the planet beyond the Great Barrier, who wishes to escape. The Q Continuum novels directly reference this being as "The One," a malevolent entity imprisoned by the Q for his role in a civil war that decimated the Tkon Empire.

It isn't known how the Great Barrier manages to keep The One imprisoned, especially given the ease through which the Enterprise-A passed through unharmed. It seems odd that the Q would take such a huge risk in allowing a bold spacefaring vessel to pass beyond the Barrier, and inadvertently free such a dangerous being.

Sybok & "God"

Sybok's telepathic power is widely considered to be the main cinematic Macguffin of The Final Frontier , seeing as how it is never fully explained. It exists solely to drive the narrative by giving Sybok an easy method by which to subvert followers to his will. However, that doesn't explain his connection to the imposter God entity, or his motivations.

In order for Sybok to have formed a subconscious connection with The One, he would have had to possess extraordinary telepathic powers that allowed him to pick up the being's thoughts. Vulcan telepathy is rather basic, which means it's highly unlikely Sybok would have attuned himself to The One, while other races (notably the Betazoids) would not.

The Torpedo

The weapons of the Star Trek universe are incredibly powerful and destructive in nature. After all, they're designed to blow up entire ships, defend against strange alien forces and galactic threats, and wage open war if the situation called for it. Yet, Captain Kirk sees nothing wrong with ordering Chekov to rain one down right on their position in order to knock out The One.

RELATED: 10 Things That Don't Make Sense About The Star Trek Mirror Universe

Sure, he grabs Spock and McCoy and tells them to run (at the last minute, no less), but the resulting impact from the torpedo would have reduced everything within a mile's radius to atoms - including them. Surely a phaser blast would have worked better.

No Court Martials

Although Sybok's telepathic powers are incredible, they do not suggest that those who fall under his spell are entirely incapable of resisting. It seems as if Sybok's numbing of their internal pain (whether permanent or not) inspires them to look at life in a new way, and follow him towards a greater goal.

Proof is seen when both Spock and McCoy refuse to join Sybok on the bridge, remaining loyal to Kirk instead. What about the other crew members? Surely if they were capable of resisting Sybok's influence and remembering their duties as Starfleet officers, they'd be on the hook for a court-martial.

NEXT: 10 Obscure (But Awesome) 2010s Sci-Fi Movies You Can Stream On Netflix Today

What Star Trek Looks Like Before Special Effects

"Star Trek" is one of the most iconic and enduring science fiction franchises of all time, following the adventures of Starfleet in the far-future as they explore space, the final frontier. To bring strange new worlds and civilizations to life, "Star Trek" leans heavily into visual effects, many of them cutting edge for technology available at the time. These special effects did everything from showcasing the starship Enterprise to making the ship's memorable transporter look seamlessly functional. Simply put, "Star Trek" wouldn't be what it is without its meticulously realized visual effects.

It takes a whole team and a whole process to bring these futuristic sights to the screen and these behind-the-scenes photographs offer a look at how it was all made. From extensive use of models and bluescreen to modern digital projection, "Star Trek" uses every visual effect trick in the book to thrill audiences. Here is what "Star Trek" looks like before all the special effects magic.

Khan gets his own space ride

One of the most notable episodes from "Star Trek: The Original Series" is "Space Seed" from the first season. The episode introduces genetic superhuman Khan Noonien Singh (Ricardo Montalban), who went on to become the primary antagonist in "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan" in 1982. Khan and his fellow superhumans are exiled from Earth on an automated freighter, the Botany Bay, encountered centuries later by the Enterprise. After finding the ship in deep space, the Enterprise docks alongside it to investigate the wayward starship for themselves.

American Cinematographer recalled the lengths the production went to capture the deep space adventures of the Enterprise, using a number of different effects. Like the Enterprise, the Botany Bay had its own scale model constructed, a technique used since the series' second episode "Charlie X." Both ships were filmed together against a blue screen, with the starry background added to the shot in post-production. This method demonstrates the scale of the Enterprise, compared to the much smaller freighter.

The Enterprise takes flight again

A full decade after the cancellation of "The Original Series," fans were treated to the return of the Enterprise and its crew with 1979's "Star Trek: The Motion Picture." A special reverence was taken in bringing the Enterprise to the big screen, including a sequence of Kirk and Scotty touring the outside of the hull in a shuttlecraft. After reuniting on board, the Enterprise sets out to confront V'Ger, a cloud-like entity headed towards Earth destroying all in its path. Like many visual effects of the era, the Enterprise's recommissioned voyage is a mix of practical and digital effects.

The behind-the-scenes documentary "Sense of Scale" depicts the painstaking attention to detail and work that went into creating the Enterprise model for "The Motion Picture." A photo from the documentary by Piercefilm Productions reveals the sheer size of the Enterprise model during production on the 1979 movie. Crew members around the model assemble plates, which will be used to impose the Enterprise in space in post-production. Back and literally bigger than ever, the Enterprise's cinematic debut used the best in contemporary special effects technology to impress audiences.

The Klingons strike in Star Trek III

Leonard Nimoy took the helm of 1984's "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock," pitting the Enterprise against the Klingons. The longtime "Star Trek" enemies make their grand entrance in the film as their Bird of Prey decloaks while searching for information on the Genesis Project. The sight is one of the more impressive moments in the film, firmly reestablishing the Klingons as a genuine threat. For help developing the visual effects for "The Search for Spock," Nimoy turned to "Star Wars" effects company Industrial Light & Magic .

Nimoy approached ILM early during production on "Star Trek III," creating scale models for the Bird of Prey and Starfleet's orbital space station, Spacedock. A behind-the-scenes photo from the production shows VFX supervisor Ken Ralston working with ILM for shots involving the Bird of Prey. Impressed by their work on "Star Trek III," Nimoy collaborated with ILM when he resumed his directorial duties for "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home."

Spock joins Kirk at Yellowstone

The first time Captain Kirk and his friends are seen in 1989's "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier," they aren't on an interplanetary mission, but enjoying a much-needed vacation. Kirk, Spock, and McCoy decide to go on a camping trip at Yellowstone, with Kirk going on a free solo climb of El Capitan. Spock interrupts his climb, rapidly catching up with the aid of hover boots, to question why his friend would indulge in such a dangerous activity. While long shots were filmed on location at El Capitan, the close-up shots involving actors William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy were not.

This behind-the-scenes picture from the special edition DVD release of the movie shows Nimoy standing comfortably on a platform, with a fiberglass composite of El Capitan's face positioned next to him and Shatner. Yosemite and its sweeping vista is seen in the background, with the production taking advantage of the on-location filming. Having the actual landscape in frame helps lend the illusion that Kirk and Spock are actually by Yosemite as Kirk makes his daring climb.

The Borg Queen makes her entrance

One of the most sinister antagonists in all of "Star Trek" is the Borg Queen, introduced in 1996's "Star Trek: First Contact." After the Borg Collective infiltrates the Enterprise, turning its engineering bay into a makeshift headquarters, the Queen reveals herself to Data. As the Queen delivers her opening monologue, the upper half of her torso is lowered onto a waiting body. Seamlessly executed, the Queen attaches to her lower half and walks to Data in a single take, without missing a beat.

A behind-the-scenes photo from Paramount Pictures shows "First Contact" director Jonathan Frakes on set with actor Alice Krige in her Borg make-up. The robotic torso is fixed to the floor while Krige's lower half is covered by bluescreen material to facilitate the illusion of it initially being missing. Though Krige moves normally during filming, post-production creates the effect of her affixing to her body and walking. The resulting scene is one of the most visually impressive moments in "Star Trek" history, with a variety of tricks used to bring it all together.

The Star Trek reboot's innovative outdoor shoot

When filmmaker J.J. Abrams resurrected "Star Trek ," starting with an eponymous reboot film in 2009, this new take on the franchise had a decidedly more action-oriented approach. One of the biggest set pieces in the 2009 movie has Kirk and Sulu skydiving from a shuttlecraft above Vulcan onto a Romulan mining platform blasting into the planet. While the precariously hanging platform, Kirk and Sulu fight the Romulans operating it before destroying it in a desperate bid to save Vulcan. Rather than being filmed inside of a studio, the sequence was filmed outside, albeit far from being shot on-location.

Footage from an Industrial Light & Magic "Star Trek" featurette shows production of the mining platform scene, which reveals that it was shot in a parking lot. This exterior approach gave the scene the natural feeling that the actors were outside while still in a tightly controlled environment. The skies above Vulcan and, of course, the massive mining laser, were added digitally in post-production, with greenscreen on the ground to facilitate this. This approach paid off, with "Star Trek" earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Visual Effects for its hard work.

The Klingon home world is a digital construction

One of the biggest action set pieces in "Star Trek Into Darkness" involves a covert mission to recover the villainous Khan (now played by Benedict Cumberbatch) on the Klingon home world of Kronos. The Klingons themselves are heavily redesigned from past "Star Trek" appearances, introduced moments before Khan massacres them in a prolonged gunfight. The battle is set in a rocky region of Kronos, with ash atmospherically falling around the combatants before Khan surrenders himself to Kirk and his landing party. Of course, none of the background on Kronos is actually real.

While the costumed actors are on set for the Kronos sequence, the landscape around them was created and superimposed around them via blue screen, as revealed in a VFX reel from Pixomondo . Lights around the set help make the Klingons appear more intimidating, lending a subtle shadow effect. With so much of "Star Trek Into Darkness" set in Starfleet locations, Kronos is among the most visually striking places in the movie. And though the entire sequence feels like it's shot on a soundstage, how much of it never physically existed is a bit surprising.

Star Trek Into Darkness digitally creates another planet

To take down Khan in "Star Trek Into Darkness," Starfleet Admiral Alexander Marcus (Peter Weller) has the Enterprise loaded with specially designed torpedoes. Suspicious about this secret weapon, Hank McCoy (Karl Urban) and Doctor Carol Marcus (Alice Eve) defuse and disassemble one of the torpedoes on a remote planet. A brief but tense scene in the movie, things nearly turn explosive when the torpedo's failsafe program is accidentally triggered until it is successfully disarmed. Though the landscape resembles any number of Hollywood productions filmed in expansive exteriors like Iceland, it was digitally constructed.

Like Kronos, the planet where McCoy and Marcus carry out their dangerous investigation was largely created in post-production. Actors Karl Urban and Alice Eve stand on set in costume, with the ground and torpedo prop also physically on set. However, as revealed in a behind-the-scenes photo from Atomic Fiction , the background was created through green screen behind the actors. In comparison to its predecessor, so much of "Star Trek Into Darkness" takes place outdoors, with the production digitally creating distinct environments for the story to unfold in.

Star Trek Beyond puts Jaylah into focus

Whereas much of the action in "Star Trek Into Darkness" takes place on the Enterprise, its sequel "Star Trek Beyond" takes place on solid, if unfamiliar, ground. The 2016 movie opens with the Enterprise lured into a trap on the faraway planet Altamid where it crashes on the surface. As the crew faces the villainous Krall, they are joined by the formidable scavenger Jaylah, who has her own violent history with Krall. Taking refuge in the wreckage of the lost Starfleet vessel the USS Franklin, Jaylah is prepared to deal with any enemies with extreme prejudice.

Like many of the planetary environments in "Star Trek Into Darkness," Altamid is similarly largely created from special effects magic. A behind-the-scenes photo from Rodeo FX depicts actor Sofia Boutella in full costume and makeup as Jaylah taking aim with a sniper rifle. Though the wreckage of the Franklin is a physical presence on set, the mountainous background was created through a green screen behind the actor. Like 2009's "Star Trek," the Altamid exteriors were filmed outdoors, to give the movie a natural lighting to help accentuate the illusion.

The USS Discovery's window to the galaxy

The start of this new wave of "Star Trek" programming on Paramount+ began with the prequel series "Star Trek: Discovery" in 2017. Initially set before the events of "The Original Series," the second season of "Discovery" ended with the crew whisked away to the 32nd century. Many episodes feature intense sequences set in the USS Discovery's bridge, with the crew peering out the ship's viewscreen at incoming threats. Like similar viewscreens in the franchise's numerous starships, the Discovery's viewscreen, of course, isn't functional at all.

In a scene from the fourth season of "Discovery," the bridge crew is seen peering out at a strange starship from their viewscreen. The behind-the-scenes photo, courtesy of OutpostVFX , the visual effects studio behind much of the special effects magic in "Discovery" reveals the entire screen and wall to be a greenscreen. "Discovery" completely reinvigorated "Star Trek" 50 years after the franchise launched after a big part of that is the significant upgrade in visual effects.

The Romulan double agent stands revealed

The first season of "Star Trek: Picard" revolves around two tragedies: The destruction of Romulus and an artificial intelligence attack carried out on Mars. In the years since Jean-Luc Picard's retirement after the Mars incident, the remnants of the Romulan Empire infiltrate the upper echelons of Starfleet. One of the early twists is that high-ranking Starfleet officer Commodore Oh is secretly in league with the Romulans. After revealing her true colors, Oh leads a rebuilt Romulan armada to confront Starfleet from her own starship.

While "Picard" does feature a healthy amount of practical sets and on-location filming, the interior of Oh's Romulan ship isn't one of them. This behind-the-scenes image from Paramount reveals that the inside of the Romulan is entirely blue screen, with the interior added in post-production. Actor Tamlyn Tomita, in costume, is filmed in front of the screen, with a boom mic capturing her dialog. Given that the scenes inside the Romulan ship aren't extensive, creating digitally rather than dressing an entire set is certainly a cost-effective decision.

Captain Pike's crew braves the elements

The 2022 prequel series "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" follows the adventures of Kirk's predecessor on the Enterprise, Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount). In the first season's finale, Pike and a small landing party investigate a crashed starship on an icy planet. The small ensemble beams a safe distance away from the starship, which is balanced precariously at the edge of a rocky cliff seen in the horizon. These landscape shots, like many seen throughout the series, are part of a relatively new visual effects technique popularized by "Star Wars."

"The Mandalorian" uses a facility, known as StageCraft, that projects a digital background on a limited set, offering a more immersive experience for actors than a bluescreen. "Strange New Worlds" uses a similar technique for its landscapes, employing a wall of LED screens on set. The behind-the-scenes photo (via American Cinematographer ) reveals the cast and crew on set filming a scene from the finale as the landing party approaches the wreckage. Featuring a mix of physical set and digital background projected in real-time, "Strange New Worlds" continues the franchise's tradition of using cutting-edge visual effects.

Great Barrier

View history

The Enterprise approaches the Great Barrier

The Great Barrier was an immense energy field of unknown properties surrounding the galactic core of the Milky Way Galaxy . As of 2287 , the Barrier was thought to be impassable, as no probe had ever returned.

In that year, the USS Enterprise -A became the first known vessel to penetrate the barrier, having been commandeered by the renegade Vulcan Sybok , who was on a quest to discover the mythical planet of Sha Ka Ree . Claiming to have been given a vision by God himself, Sybok mentally manipulated the Enterprise crew into approaching the center of the galaxy , believing that God resided on Sha Ka Ree on the other side. Although Captain Kirk believed that the Enterprise would be destroyed in the attempt, Sybok maintained that the danger posed by the Barrier was simply an illusion, an expression of the universal fear of the unknown. Sybok was ultimately proven correct when the ship passed through with no ill effects. In addition, the Enterprise encountered a planet on the other side of the Barrier, seemingly confirming Sybok's vision.

A malevolent alien entity was found on the planet, imprisoned by the Barrier. It impersonated the God Sybok was expecting to find in an attempt to manipulate Sybok into providing it with a starship with which it could escape. Upon discovery of this fact, Sybok attempted to oppose the entity, as the Enterprise crew fired on its location with photon torpedoes . Although this resulted in the death of Sybok, the alien entity survived. The entity was also assaulted with disruptor cannon fire by a Klingon Bird-of-Prey , which had pursued the Enterprise through the Barrier. ( Star Trek V: The Final Frontier )

Background information [ ]

The Great Barrier, and the planet within, would seem to have appeared only at most eighteen years prior to 2287. In the episode TAS : " The Magicks of Megas-Tu ", the USS Enterprise explored the center of the galaxy. At that time the center was discovered to be a point between dimensions surrounded by a matter-energy whirlwind . Presumably the point between dimension had disappeared since no one expected to find it eighteen years later. There also presumably was no Great Barrier back in 2269, since the Enterprise would have to have crossed it.

The fact that the Barrier and center of the galaxy were only some 6.7 hours away from Nimbus III , in the Neutral Zone , at warp 7 is inconsistent with how fast the warp speeds have been established to be later on in Star Trek after Star Trek V: The Final Frontier .

In Star Trek: Star Charts (p. 11), the Great Barrier is depicted as a spherical energy field engulfing the whole galactic core and all the stars within. The diameter of the Great Barrier is approximately 15,000 light years . The planet encountered in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier is not depicted to be at the center of the galaxy. Instead, it is at the outer edges of the energy field, some 7,000 light years away from the center. The point between dimensions, where the crew traveled to in "The Magicks of Megas-Tu", is labeled as a massive black hole called Sagittarius A at the center of the galaxy. This location for the planet would be inconsistent with the movie, but makes it possible for both accounts of the center of the galaxy to coexist, though Sagittarius A* (pronounced "A-star", as it was called in the real world), a supermassive black hole, was not compatible with the creation point phenomenon that was seen in "The Magicks of Megas-Tu". The galactic barrier is connected to the Great Barrier. The Great Barrier is stated to be a related, but distinct energy field.

Apocrypha [ ]

According to the novel Q-Strike , The Great Barrier was created 500,000 years ago by the Q Continuum to imprison the malevolent entity known as The One to the planet for its crimes. According to the same novel, the galactic barrier was also created to protect the Milky Way from 0 (Zero), one of the Q Continuum characters .

External link [ ]

Great Barrier at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
3 Ancient humanoid

Unveiling the Final Frontier What to Expect from Star Trek Discovery Season 5

A s the countdown begins for the highly anticipated premiere of Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, fans are buzzing with excitement over what promises to be a thrilling and epic conclusion to the beloved series. Showrunner Michelle Paradise has dropped tantalizing hints about the upcoming season, teasing a journey that will take viewers to the far reaches of the galaxy and beyond.

The central focus of Season 5 revolves around Captain Michael Burnham, portrayed by the talented Sonequa Martin-Green, as she embarks on an intergalactic hunt for a mysterious treasure with ties to an ancient Romulan starship. This treasure hunt marks a departure from the traditional threats faced by the USS Discovery and sets the stage for a high-stakes adventure unlike any other.

Paradise’s descriptions of each episode offer glimpses into the diverse and captivating storytelling that awaits audiences. From the intrigue of a “red directive” mission in the season premiere to the mind-bending twists of “Face the Strange” and the classic TOS-style adventure of “Whistlespeak,” it’s clear that Season 5 will deliver a rollercoaster ride of excitement and suspense.

One of the most intriguing aspects of this final season is the exploration of endings. While Discovery was not originally intended to conclude with Season 5, Paradise hints that the season will serve as a fitting last chapter for the series. This theme of closure adds a poignant layer to the narrative, as viewers prepare to say goodbye to beloved characters and storylines.

Adding to the tension is the introduction of new villains, including L’ak and Moll, who are vying for control of the ancient power source sought by Burnham and her crew. Their menacing presence raises the stakes and sets the stage for epic showdowns as the season unfolds.

But amidst the action and adventure, Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 remains true to its roots, offering a blend of heart, family, and love that has endeared it to fans since its inception. The promise of beautifully acted scenes, stunning visuals, and breathtaking VFX ensures that the series will go out with a bang, delivering everything that viewers have come to expect and more.

As the final frontier beckons, fans of Star Trek: Discovery can rest assured that Season 5 will be a fitting send-off for one of the franchise’s most beloved series. With its blend of thrilling storytelling, emotional depth, and iconic characters, the journey of the USS Discovery is poised to leave an indelible mark on the Star Trek universe for years to come. So set your phasers to stun and prepare for the adventure of a lifetime as we boldly go where no one has gone before in Star Trek: Discovery Season 5.

When does Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 premiere?

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 premieres on Thursday, April 4, with the first two episodes releasing on the same day on Paramount+.

What is the central focus of Season 5?

Season 5 follows Captain Michael Burnham as she leads an intergalactic hunt for a mysterious treasure with ties to an ancient Romulan starship.

Who are the new villains introduced in Season 5?

Season 5 introduces new villains L’ak and Moll, who are competing for control of the ancient power source sought by Burnham and her crew.

How does Season 5 differ from previous seasons?

Season 5 takes a departure from the traditional threats faced by the USS Discovery, focusing instead on a high-stakes adventure centered around a treasure hunt.

What themes are explored in Season 5?

Season 5 delves into the theme of endings, as it serves as the final chapter of Star Trek: Discovery. Additionally, the season explores themes of adventure, family, and love.

Are there any surprises in store for viewers?

Yes, showrunner Michelle Paradise has teased surprising encounters and unexpected twists throughout the season, promising a thrilling ride for fans.

Will Season 5 feature classic Star Trek elements?

Yes, Season 5 will include classic TOS-style adventures, as well as the signature blend of heart, family, and love that has defined the series since its inception.

What can viewers expect from the season finale?

While Paradise refrains from revealing too much, she hints that the season finale will be a culmination of everything that Star Trek: Discovery has always been, including action, adventure, heart, and sci-fi wonder.

Is Season 5 suitable for new viewers?

While familiarity with previous seasons may enhance the viewing experience, newcomers can still enjoy Season 5 for its standalone storylines and captivating characters.

Will there be any spin-offs or continuation of the Star Trek universe after the conclusion of Discovery?

The future of the Star Trek universe remains bright, with several other series and projects in development. While Discovery may be concluding its journey, the legacy of Star Trek will undoubtedly continue to thrive in new and exciting ways.

Unveiling the Final Frontier What to Expect from Star Trek Discovery Season 5 4

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The final frontier is here for Star Trek 's queerest crew

The final frontier is here for Star Trek's queerest crew

Star Trek: Discovery’s fifth season marks the end of the most diverse and LGBTQ+ inclusive series in the 58-year-old sci-fi franchise.

After a television journey that’s lasted seven years, five seasons, and 65 episodes, the gays, queers, trans nonbinary, and even the straight characters of Star Trek: Discovery sashay away with a bang!

The first two action-packed episodes of the 10-episode final season of the science fiction drama are now streaming on Paramount+ ( and for free on YouTube ). The storyline this time around is pure adventure, mystery, intrigue, and a search for ancient clues (no more spoilers!) that continues this series’ intense focus on the characters’ relationships, but also calls back to Star Trek’s roots.

“There is action,” said actor Doug Jones, who plays the alien Saru . He paused briefly as he searched for the right word in a recent interview with Out. “Action mixed with, with family. The relationships in this show are so deep by now, by season five especially, that the action means something when there's so much at stake between all the characters and why we love each other and want to care for each other.”

Love was a theme repeated by everyone connected with the series who sat down to speak with Out recently.

“That's what we strive for in every episode and every season,” lesbian showrunner Michelle Paradise told Out . Discovery was nominated five times for Best Drama at the GLAAD Media Awards and won in 2021. Paradise is especially proud of how her series has been a beacon of LGBTQ + representation, boasting a cast of at least seven out actors who are gay, queer, transgender and trans nonbinary playing roles not all that different from their actual lived experience.

“The representation is so important to us, and it's very, very intentional,” said Paradise. “Every season, every episode, it's intentional.”

When the series launched in 2017, it was intended to be a prequel to the original Star Trek series of the 1960s, set at least a decade before the 23rd century adventures of Capt. Kirk and Mr. Spock aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise . Discovery was the first spinoff whose central character was not a starship captain, and the first to revolve around the misdeeds, keen insights, and growth of a Black woman.

Sonequa Martin-Green plays Michael Burnham, a human orphan raised on Vulcan, the never-before revealed adopted sister of Spock, and Starfleet’s first mutineer — who did ultimately rise to the rank of captain by the end of the third season.

On a red carpet in 2017, Martin-Green told this reporter her hope was to stand up as a role model in the same way Nichelle Nichols did in the very first Star Trek series, as Lt. Uhura. She told Out that Nichols very much inspired her own performance in this leading role.

“I have been very grateful to stand, and I think I can say that I have at this point,” she said. “Everything that she did, the impact she made in front of the camera and behind it, in society, my goodness! She made it so that I could stand with her.”

When Star Trek: Discovery’s third season propelled the crew of the Starship Discovery into the 32nd century, it introduced two new queer characters: teenage lovers Adira (played by Blu del Barrio ) and Gray (played by Ian Alexander ), who are reunited in this fifth and final season. Del Barrio has a recurring starring role and Alexander returns as a guest star in the third episode. Although Alexander previously identified as a trans man, they and del Barrio told Out in 2022 they are both trans nonbinary.

For del Barrio, that evolution of identity occurred just as much in front of the camera on a soundstage in Toronto, as it did behind the scenes.

“I think it's been a really scary thing to do it through this show and to do it so openly and for lack of a better word, but transparently,” they told Out recently. “And at the same time, I'm incredibly grateful to have been able to start and go through the beginnings of my transition while also playing this character.”

As Star Trek’s first-ever recurring gender nonconforming character, and as a 26-year-old exploring their own trans nonbinary identity, del Barrio told Out they were glad for the good that it did for young viewers back on 21st century Earth to see themselves on that same trajectory.

“It really feels like a sacred thing to me,” they said. “This piece of work feels really sacred because there was a huge change going on for me emotionally. Medically transitioning, all of that was during the last four years. It's like a really crazy snapshot in time.”

But becoming a role model was never something del Barrio sought, they said.

“I really did not think that I deserved to be the person to do that. And I think I've now realized that I did not see other trans people in the media. I didn't necessarily see myself, someone that was maybe a little bit anxious and scared and nervous.”

Actor Wilson Cruz told Out that Star Trek: Discovery provides an answer to that feeling of anxiety that so many share in these troubled times.

“I think the best possible word, given this moment culturally and politically, is resilience. I think, if we can inspire you to be resilient in this moment and to show up for your communities, then I will have done my job.” Cruz plays Dr. Hugh Culber, the gay partner of and fellow “space dad” with Anthony Rapp’s character, Commander Paul Stamets.

“Wilson has used this phrase that I'm going to borrow from him,” Rapp told Out . “One of the things that this show is doing, is showing that we're in the future. The fact that two of the main crew members who are really good at their jobs have been there from the beginning.” There’s never actually been an episode dealing with Culber and Stamets’ orientation; it’s just a given that they are a gay couple, as it would be if they were straight.

“And then we brought into our family and crew this brilliant young person. Adira, that we keep kind of saving the universe, that we're among the ones that really make a huge difference. I do think that this sends this message loud and clear that, ‘Hey, we're still alive, we're still going to be here, hundreds of years into the future. We've always been here, throughout history, some of the major minds of the world have been queer folks throughout history. And that will continue to be the case.’”

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Rapp, who was in Tokyo performing his one man musical Without You at the time of our interview, said he and Cruz have heard repeatedly from fans the positive impact they’ve made.

“We've heard from so many people over these several years who've been profoundly impacted by that representation, by seeing the way that we are with each other and how much it's helped them, either young people themselves that were coming out, or just came out, seeing themselves in Adira, and parents of young people who are like Adira. Just seeing that it has been profoundly meaningful to them, that in turn, is very meaningful to us,” said Rapp.

His next statement is especially prophetic given the recent controversy over the International Transgender Day of Visibility. “It’s essential,” Rapp said. “Visibility is essential to the safety and equality of queer people. It always has been, and it is what has made the difference over the last 50, 60 years. People finally were saying, ‘We're here, we're queer, get used to it, etc.’ It's taken a while. In some places, there's still very far to go. But we've taken as much ground as we have because of that visibility.”

A character who became less visible in the prior season was Ensign Sylvia Tilly, always played with aplomb by out queer actor Mary Wiseman . And, without providing any spoilers, it’s a joy to say she is back and better than ever. “Super fun,” is how Wiseman described to Out what it’s like to return in a different capacity than what fans have seen Tilly do before.

“I think it's kind of nice for Tilly to be both inside of it and outside of it,” she said. “It just feels like she has a lot of autonomy. And for me, it's great, because I get to be there, and it's a nice character development that Tilly gets to come in almost as a consulting expert, instead of being just part of the crew, as she always was. I think it orients her in a different way, where she has a lot more agency, and has gained a lot of confidence by going off on her own and teaching at Starfleet Academy.”

Starfleet Academy is the name of the next Star Trek series, now in pre-production, under the supervision of executive producer and man in charge of all things Trek , Alex Kurtzman. He talked with Out about what made Discovery far more LGBTQ+ inclusive than any other iteration of the 58-year-old franchise.

“I think you hire different showrunners, so that they will give you their vision of Star Trek, right? Nobody wants the same vision for every show,” said Kurtzman. “There has to be certain common denominators, right? Trek is about an essential vision of optimism and inclusion and a sense that our future can actually be bright, even in times of darkness. But beyond that, part of what I love about Star Trek is that each writer of each show brings their own interpretation to it, and I think that's how it stays fresh. So, in no way, shape or form am I taking credit for being the one who's doing all of it, because I couldn't. This show doesn't exist without Michelle, just as every other show doesn't exist without the showrunners and all the amazing writers and crew that work on them.”

“That people are feeling seen and that people are seeing themselves, amidst all of the fun and the cool storytelling and the action and the adventure, that's wonderful,” added Paradise. “That is a wonderful thing about this show. And hopefully that's what people think of, among many other things, once the show finishes its run.”

Even when the characters are in a binary male / female relationship, Star Trek: Discovery finds a way to draw parallels to contemporary issues of love across cultures and other barriers. Can a Kelpien ambassador and a Vulcan president find love in the 32nd century?

“Saru and President Karina, played by Tara Rosling, has been such a fun journey, and I think they're both in love for the first time ever as grown adults,” said Jones. “They've had such a sense of duty all these years that now it's like, ‘Wait, but my heart beats as well, so I can have both!’ That's been lovely to explore and unfold and see. Can career and duty and diplomacy and all of the things that they represent, can that also coincide with ‘I love you,’ and me finding out that I think it can.”

David Ajala is back as well, in the role of Cleveland “Book” Booker, also introduced in the third season. “I love the fact that Michael Burnham and Cleveland Book have been through so, so much, but yet they're in a place where they're able to just try to build bridges.”

The ending of the fourth season saw Burnham and Book separate, and the tension between them is palpable in the first four episodes of season five screened for reporters. Ajala said love is a central theme this go-round, in addition to all the Indiana Jones-style action.

“Love, that's my anchor,” he said. “Love has more currency when it is expressed in action. And I think going forward in season five, Cleveland Book is in a position where he's on a redemptive journey and his love is shown in his actions. He is a student of life and a student of love.”

Out asked Ajala where he stands in terms of the LGBTQ+ community, and the well-known mantra, “Love is Love.”

“Absolutely! You said it. So, I stand in the middle of all that love which everyone is deserving of.”

Martin-Green, the series lead, took the opportunity to frame the series’ end as the end of her own personal evolution, standing up as Nichols did, as Kate Mulgrew did, as Avery Brooks did. Each of them in their own way was a pioneer in the Trek universe, expanding what it means to be seen, and to lead.

“I understand now because of the journey that I've taken, because my journey as Sonequa has paralleled Burnham's in a lot of ways. And there's been so much evolution and maturation and growth. I understand now that I do stand, and that that is why the people before me went through what they went through, that they would want me to stand freely, they would want me to stand confidently. And I understand that that's what I do, and that's what I will continue to do in honor of them, and in honor of whoever might come after me.”

When the cast of Star Trek: Picard was introduced at New York Comic-Con in 2019, Martin-Green took a seat all alone in an empty Madison Square Garden theater mezzanine, watching from afar, but spotted by this reporter. For this story, Out asked her if she had any idea back then what her work on Star Trek: Discovery would make possible: The launch of not only Picard but four other Trek series, namely Strange New Worlds, Prodigy, Lower Decks and now Starfleet Academy .

“Oh, my goodness! We just never in a million years would have imagined,” said Martin-Green. “I don't think any of us could have imagined what we were going to be doing. You know, the fact that we were making television history, with me, with so many others, with our diversity, the fact that we were innovating the franchise and pushing it forward, doing it justice. Now, we've become this mothership. Apparently, fans call this, this time is now called the ‘Platinum Age.’ And so, we're the mothership of the Platinum Age, and now we have our own children, and that is mind blowing. It's mind blowing.”

Platinum, with a whole lot of glitter and rainbows on top.

Season 5 of Star Trek: Discovery is now streaming on Paramount+ , with new episodes dropping every Thursday.

'Star Trek: Discovery' Stars React to Show's Ending With Season 5 ›
Cover Stars Anthony Rapp and Wilson Cruz Are the 'Space Dads' We Need ›
Star Trek's Blu del Barrio & Ian Alexander: Transgalactic Heroes ›
Star Trek: Discovery's Anthony Rapp on Playing the Shows First Openly Gay Character ›
Meet the Lesbian Co-Showrunner Queering 'Star Trek: Discovery' ›
How Star Trek Helped 'Discovery' Star Emily Coutts Come Out ›

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