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Home > Films > S > Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

Saturday March 16th 2024

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home | 1986

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home poster

  • Locations |
  • San Francisco , Los Angeles , California
  • Leonard Nimoy
  • William Shatner,
  • Leonard Nimoy,
  • DeForest Kelley,
  • James Doohan,
  • George Takei,
  • Walter Koenig,
  • Nichelle Nichols,
  • Vijay Amritraj,
  • Madge Sinclair

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home: Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey, California

After a couple of almost totally studio-bound sequels, the Star Trek big-screen series begins to use real California locations with this eco-conscious adventure. The crew of the Enterprise zooms back to 1986 San Francisco in time to save the whale.

Arriving in San Francisco , the crew splits up at the junction of Columbus, Kearny and Pacific Avenues . The crew’s purloined Klingon ship flies under the Golden Gate Bridge .

‘Golden Gate Park’, though, where the crew parks the ‘Bird of Prey’, is actually Will Rogers State Park , 14253 Sunset Boulevard, Pacific Palisades in Los Angeles . The park is the former estate of humorist Will Rogers in the Santa Monica mountains.

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home: Vasquez Rocks, Agua Dulce, Southern California

The 'Vulcan' planet scenes were filmed at Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park , 10700 West Escondido Canyon Road , near Agua Dulce Springs. Named after 19th century outlaw Tiburcio Vasquez , who hid out here, the spectacular location – an outburst of the San Andreas fault where spurs of rock have been thrust out of the earth – has been used in hundreds of Westerns and sci-fi movies, pop videos and photoshoots, dating back (at least) to Werewolf of London in 1935. You can see the rocks in Alpha Dog , Apache , Bill And Ted's Bogus Journey , Blazing Saddles and The Flintstones among many others. Episodes of the Star Trek TV series had been filmed here and JJ Abrams 2009 reboot of Star Trek returns to the site.

The park is in the high desert north of Los Angeles , between Newhall and Acton , off Route 14.

The ‘Sausalito Cetacean Institute’, where the Enterprise crew finds the two humpback whales, was supposedly over the Bay, just north of San Francisco. You can actually find it on the coast about 120 miles south of the city, in Monterey . It's the Monterey Bay Aquarium , 886 Cannery Row, Monterey . The aquarium, by the way, does not contain any whales, but does have loads of other fascinating stuff.

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Visit: California

Visit: Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park , 10700 Escondido Canyon Road, Santa Clarita, CA 91390 ( tel: 661.268.0840 )

Visit: Monterey

Visit: the Monterey Bay Aquarium , 886 Cannery Row, Monterey, CA 93940 ( tel: 831.648.4800 )

California | San Francisco

Visit: San Francisco

Flights: San Francisco International Airport , San Francisco, CA 94128 ( tel: 650.821.8211 )

Travel around: BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit)

California | Los Angeles

Visit: Los Angeles

Flights: Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) , 1 World Way, Los Angeles, CA 90045 ( tel: 424.646.5252 )

Travelling around: Los Angeles Metro

Visit: Will Rogers State Park , 1501 Will Rogers State Park Road, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272 ( tel: 310.454.8212 )

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Monterey Bay Aquarium

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The crew visits the Cetacean Institute to locate the whales.

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Monterey Bay Aquarium is a nonprofit public aquarium in Monterey, California. It receives around two million visitors each year. It opened in October 1984.

(source Wikipedia)

William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForrest Kelley, Catherine Hicks

It's the 23rd century, and a mysterious alien power is threatening Earth by evaporating the oceans and destroying the atmosphere. In a frantic attempt to save mankind, Kirk and his crew must time travel back to 1986 San Francisco where they find a world of punk, pizza and exact-change buses that are as alien as anything they've ever encountered in the far reaches of the galaxy. A thrilling, action-packed Star Trek adventure!

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Star trek iv: the voyage home.

The Star Trek crew goes back in time to 1986 in San Francisco to save the whales; Oscar nominee for Cinematography and Musical Score; Scenes filmed at the Monterey Aquarium, which stood in for a fictitious aquarium across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco; The San Francisco Skyline appears on the screen, put there by Hollywood artists, as a back drop to outdoor filming at the back of the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Jane Wyatt, & Deforest Kelley

The Voyage Home, Nimoy, and Paramount Films

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Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home movie cover

Where was Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home filmed?

City locations.

San Francisco (USA), Los Angeles (USA)

Location Types

Retro, Nature, Film Studio

Location Styles

Cabin, High-tech/Futuristic, Building Dated/Retro

About Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

Ready for a sci-fi adventure like no other? Then join the crew of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home on an intergalactic journey full of surprises and wonders! Directed by Leonard Nimoy, this 1986 American science fiction feature film is based on the classic TV series, offering a unique experience through space and time.

So buckle up your seatbelts; it's sure to go an epic voyage! It serves as the fourth feature-length installment of the franchise and is a follow-up to Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984). The movie marks the conclusion of the story arc which began with Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) and continued with The Search for Spock.

After being held accountable for their actions from the previous installment, the former crew of the USS Enterprise finds Earth facing a crisis due to an alien probe looking to contact extinct humpback whales. With no other options, they journey back into Earth's past to secure some whales that can respond to this probe's signal.

Leonard Nimoy was asked to direct Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home and he also came up with a story idea lacking a primary antagonist. However, the first screenplay by Steve Meerson and Peter Krikes failed to gain approval, prompting Paramount Pictures to enlist Nicholas Meyer (writer/director of The Wrath of Khan) for assistance. Together with producer Harve Bennett, they co-wrote the script which had to be approved by Nimoy, William Shatner, and Paramount execs.

Filming commenced on February 24th, 1986. The Voyage Home was distinct in its extensive use of real-world locations for the film, with many of San Francisco's settings and buildings incorporated as part of the scenes. Industrial Light & Magic provided post-production and special effects for the movie. To create an authentic, lifelike experience for humpback whales, ILM used both full-size animatronics and small mechanized models.

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home Locations

Prior to the release of The Search for Spock, Leonard Nimoy was invited by Paramount to return and direct the subsequent movie. Allowing him more control and freedom compared to his previous experience, they referred to his vision when expressing their desire to have him on board once again - as Nimoy recollects.

After a few adventures that were mainly set in a studio, the Star Trek movie series took advantage of actual California locations for this environmentally-aware adventure. The crew of the Enterprise returns to 1986 San Francisco to save a whale.

Upon arriving in San Francisco, the crew splits up at the corner of Columbus, Kearny, and Pacific Avenues. The Klingon ship that they pilfered then travels below the iconic Golden Gate Bridge. Although the crew of the Enterprise lands at 'Golden Gate Park' with their stolen Klingon ship, it is actually Will Rogers State Park, located in Pacific Palisades.

Originally the home of humorist Will Rogers, this stunning park in the Santa Monica mountains was used as a filming location for Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. Here is a rundown of where other memorable scenes were filmed.

Kirk and Spock first meet Gillian scene in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

886 Cannery Row, Monterey, CA 93940, United States

Kirk (William Shatner) and Spock (Leonard Nimoy) meet Gillian (Catherine Hicks) at the Cetacean Institute in Sausalito, where they also encounter George and Gracie, two humpback whales. In the movie, these majestic creatures are contained in a large tank outdoors near the Pacific Ocean.

However, the Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home scene was actually filmed at Monterey Bay Aquarium - located some distance away from San Francisco - which has a deck overlooking the Pacific. The whales seen on-screen were created with animatronics for closeups, with special effects taking over for shots taken from further away.

Just 120 miles down the coast from San Francisco, you'll find the Monterey Bay Aquarium located at 886 Cannery Row in Monterey. Although it doesn't have any whales on its premises, many other exciting creatures and exhibits await exploration.

To get there from the north, take the Pacific Grove Highway 68 toward Monterey and exit at Del Monte Avenue. Continue straight on this road for 1.7 miles until you reach Cannery Row. If you're arriving from the south, take the 101 Freeway to Munras Avenue and head west for 2 miles until you reach Cannery Row. Public transportation is also an option, and bus number 22 services both Del Monte Avenue and Cannery Row south of Prescott Avenue and is available throughout most days.

The Bird of Prey Water scene in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

14253 Sunset Blvd, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272, USA

Towards the movie's finale, viewers witness the Klingon Bird of Prey dramatically plunging into San Francisco Bay. However, due to safety concerns, these scenes could not be filmed in the real bay - they were instead shot in a large water tank at Paramount Studios in Hollywood. This tank can actually be filled with water for filming purposes and is also equipped with a large background that can be repainted or used as a blue screen.

The crew parks the 'Bird of Prey' at a place known as "Golden Gate Park," but this is actually Will Rogers State Park in Pacific Palisades, located at 14253 Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles. This park was once the estate of famous humorist and actor Will Rogers in the Santa Monica mountains.

If you are traveling by car, head west on Chautauqua Boulevard and make a right onto Sunset Blvd. After 7 Miles you will see the address to your left. If you prefer to use public transportation, bus #652 will drop you off at the Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home filming location.

Chekov and Uhura Look For The "Nuclear Wessels" scene in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

The intersection of Columbus & Mason, North Beach, San Francisco, CA 94133, USA

Chekov (Walter Koenig) and Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) set off to locate the Nuclear Vessels ("wessels" as Chekov says). The scenes for this mission were shot at the intersection of Columbus, Mason, and Greenwich Streets.

The actors had to actually approach unsuspecting local passers-by to film their reactions, who had no idea they were being filmed. To retrace their steps, start by making your way to the North Beach area itself, once there use each street name as your point of reference for navigation.

Find either Columbus or Mason and you'll have no difficulty in finding their intersection. For those planning a visit to this central hub of activity in San Francisco, the best transit route is the 30-Stockton or 45-Union line - they both stop two blocks away from Columbus and Mason’s intersection.

The crew of the Enterprise arrives on Earth scene in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

900 Kearny St, San Francisco, California 94133, United States

After arriving on Earth in 1986, the crew discovers that their mission had taken a toll on the ship's power reserves. Thus, they cloak the Bounty and hide it in Golden Gate Park.

The crew then divides up tasks to be accomplished: Admiral James T. Kirk and Spock search for humpback whales, while Montgomery Scott (James Doohan), Leonard McCoy (DeForest Kelley), and Hikaru Sulu (George Takei) create a tank that can contain the whales necessary for their journey back to the 23rd century.

The Columbus Tower, commonly referred to as the Sentinel Building, is a multipurpose structure located in San Francisco, California. Construction had already commenced before the 1906 San Francisco earthquake caused serious damage to the building site and other parts of the city; it was eventually concluded in 1907.

Nowadays, much of the tower is occupied by Francis Ford Coppola's American Zoetrope studio. It's just a few blocks away from BART and MUNI stations, so you can easily take public transportation there or even walk if you're feeling adventurous.

You can also get there by car or bike; simply enter your starting address into a navigation application and it will provide you with step-by-step directions. Once you arrive, off-street parking is available as well as several nearby parking garages.

Vulcan scene in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

Vasquez Rocks Natural Area and Nature Center, 10700 Escondido Canyon Rd, Agua Dulce, CA 91390, United States

The crew began shooting the opening scenes of Star Trek IV on the planet Vulcan at Vasquez Rocks Natural Area situated near Santa Clarita. This area is a popular filming location thanks to the aesthetics provided by its distinctive rock formations and it's relatively close to Los Angeles.

To give the scenes an even greater sense of realism, matte paintings were utilized. The Vulcan site was named after Tiburcio Vasquez, a 19th-century outlaw who had once sought refuge there.

Characterized by spurs of rock that were thrust out of the earth as a result of the San Andreas Fault, this remarkable place has been used to shoot many Westerns, sci-fi movies, and pop videos since Werewolf of London in 1935. Additionally, various episodes of the Star Trek TV series have been filmed at the location and it makes another appearance in JJ Abrams' 2009 reboot.

You can get there by car, bike, or on foot by following a few easy steps. Locate the nearest highway that has access to Agua Dulce, such as Interstate 14 or Highway 126. Once you reach the correct highway, continue driving until you find Sierra Highway/14th Street West, then turn onto Sierra Highway and take it straight until you reach Escondido Canyon Road. Keep following this road until you reach your destination at 10700 Escondido Canyon Road.

Kirk and Spock discuss their plan scene in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, CA, United States

As Kirk and Spock reflect on their current situation while walking along Marine Drive, situated between the San Francisco Presidio's Fort Point National Historic Site and Torpedo Wharf, they come to a decision regarding their next move after their initial plan fails.

Spanning the one-mile (1.6 km)-wide Golden Gate strait and connecting San Francisco Bay to the Pacific Ocean, the iconic Golden Gate Bridge was constructed at a cost of over $35 million beginning on January 5, 1933. Several designers were involved in crafting this remarkable engineering feat.

Visiting the iconic Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, CA is on the must-do list for many people. Starting from downtown San Francisco, you can take a ride-sharing service or public bus like Muni bus 28; both drop off close to the bridge. For those coming from outside of San Francisco, it's only a short drive away and easy to access from Highway 101 or Interstate 280.

This classic movie is affectionately referred to as "The One with the Whales" - and the nuclear "wessels". The tremendous success of this movie (it was the most lucrative Trek movie until the 2009 reboot) convinced Paramount that Star Trek could succeed in a larger franchise.

This led to another film being approved, as well as Gene Roddenberry getting the chance to develop a brand new show, Star Trek: The Next Generation, and the ensuing 18 years of continual Star Trek productions. The movie is ingeniously simple in its concept. The renowned Star Trek gang, who are normally engaged in space battles against otherworldly creatures to protect the utopian and quasi-Marxist United Federation of Planets, are forced to visit our world - more specifically, mid-1980s San Francisco.

They may have mastered outwitting Romulans but now they must tackle the challenge of confrontational punks on public transport. Star Trek IV is just as entertaining as Back to the Future and does not require any knowledge of the wider Star Trek universe for an enjoyable viewing experience.

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Watch: Star Trek IV Behind-The Scenes-Video Filmed By John Tenuto’s Parents

| December 29, 2007 | By: John Tenuto 71 comments so far

star trek 4 aquarium

Can you imagine any film today, especially J.J. Abrams’ new Star Trek , allowing members of the general public to videotape filming. Abrams did recently allow some workers of the City of Long Beach to observe filming , but all were required to sign NDAs. Of course Star Trek IV was made over a decade before the Internet became a reality and when video cameras were the size of a Buick, nonetheless it was pretty cool. It was also very nice of my parents to spend most of a day of his vacation videotaping the shooting of a Star Trek movie just for me. You can tell he isn’t really a fan as he couldn’t even get the actors names right.

Bloopers And just for fun, here are some bloopers from Star Trek IV

First to be a loser!

So shoot me–this is still my favorite film. Thanks for the look back!

Taking a moment to be sure that nostalgia doesn’t blind your perception, it was with The Voyage Home that the entire franchise began to go from being “epic” and slid toward self-parody…………..a one time opportunity to have the franchise endure wasted!! What a shame!!

Fascinating to see Shatner actually checking out an actual exhibit.

Harry Ballz, I’m disappointed in you. I expected to see that in rhyme.

Talk about wasted opportunities!

I suspect Nimoy would rather we sit back and enjoy his film as opposed to worrying about epic status. Harry–you get the post-Christmas Grinch Award.

They did a movie pertaining to whale For THAT they should have worked for scale The plotline was supremely lousy Watching this film made me drowsy After ten minutes I wanted to bail!!

ah….what would the Internet be without those who are here to lift the blinders of our own misperceptions.

oh and thanks to John and his dad who shot this cool video. If anyone else or their dad has more behind the scenes footage of trek movie making let me know

I loved this movie and frankly I liked the fact that they were able to poke fun at themselves.

Maybe we should learn to do the same.

Ah, that’s more like it, Harry!

Although I’m obviously not in your camp!

My favorite ST film, too, Admiraldeem!

And right on, MiamiTrek!

Wow! Thanks a lot for that video! Your parents have no idea of the history they were watching! By far the best movie with the original cast, and the one to have the biggest impact on society!

Gees,, thats lucky!!

Love seeing Nimoy directing in-costume.

FWIW, some of my favorite trek is what Harry and others might call “self-parody.” I think what really is damning to the franchise is fans who act ashamed of it.

TOS was already silly before Trek IV ever came along.

I think the gentle self-parody aspect made the film very warm and loveable.

It is truly amazing how they allowed the public to watch and videotape a day’s filming. Bravo, and thanks for sharing.

I wrote an article about a similar theme for MarketingProfs. Check it out if you have a chance.

Sorry for the double post — here’s a link to the article:

http://www.mpdailyfix.com/2007/12/inviting_outsiders_in_helps_co.html

Trek IV was an enjoyable film, but it got into whales and things and you could tell that it wasn’t serious science fiction.

#2 – no we won’t shoot you. ST:IV is a guilty pleasure. It was Star Trek at it’s most comfortable, and yet even with it’s insider humour it reached out to a much broader audience.

It was the first Trek that made me feel good inside when I left the theatre, it rekindled my imagination in Trek – and we even see Mr. Spock laugh, and the Enterprise restored.

After such a high note, the ST:V was a dissapointment. I think at that point the movie franchise had in my mind jumped the shark. Don’t get me wrong – Undiscovered Country was good, and First Contact was awesome – but some of the wind had gone from her sails.

Maybe I had gotten older. The days of standing in line hours before a premiere, and getting excited with friends has been replaced with blogs and online tickets.

But for the first time in ages, I’m excited again.

Ok, I’m rambling. But you know I’m right.

Looking forward to the teaser in front of Cloverfield…..

I hope the new film can capture at least some of the charm and appeal of TVH. Great film. Love it.

Awesome! I kept thinking.. this was all REAL footage of Captain Kirk and Spock. Pretty trippy. lol. :)

You excitement is infectious. I know exactly what you’re talking about and I am totally feeling it too.

Is it good for you? ;-)

This is the real thing!

A wonderful film which unclosed an adorable humorous approach, which still was able to deliver an important message – today more topical than ever – and which at the same time gave us true science fiction by means of the time travel realization.

Thanks to John and his parents for the remarkable footage and thanks for the fantastic bloopers, as well!

Awesome to see that behind the scens footage. Very interesting. I have a real soft spot for ST:IV. I was six years old when the movie came out and it was the first Star Trek Movie I got to see on the big screen! For a six year old kid it was pure magic! And now with Star Trek (2008) less than year away I feel like a kid again waiting for Christmas Morning!

#25 i’m really hoping that the Earth (and stars) will move for me, Miami Trek. ;) Without fail the last 5 minutes of TVH brings a tear to my eye. I so want Trek08 to have that same affect on me. I honestly do. Try to do it, JJ and Roberto. Try really hard to deliver us the charm and delight that TVH brought.

Shatner has an interest in marine life. He shot a doc about the manatee a few year back and in it he swam, avec toupee.

Wow, first time I saw that blooper reel! I wish it was on the DVD, but I heard Leonard Nimoy doesn’t like bloopers to be shown publicly.

Voyage Home is still my favorite Star Trek. It was a really fun light-hearted romp and accessible to a wide audience. I think J.J. Abrams movie is going to be in a more serious tone, but I hope it will have its fun moments too.

I mean to say Voyage Home was my favorite Star Trek movie.

#2 “So shoot me–this is still my favorite film:

Why would anyone shoot you? This wonderful outing just shows the TOS crew was equally adept at comedy as they were drama. Just look at some of the lighter TOS episodes. Not to mention the fact that it remains the most successful Trek movie ever made. You and many many more feel the same way and contributed to the movie’s un-equalled success. You’re in the majority, don’t sweat it..

my favorite as well – especially as a biologist :D

John thanks so much for sharing that! Very cool to see! A great little Christmas present.

This was wonderful! I hope the next movie will be like this.

# 30 I have heard that too. But maybe he relaxed his attitude over time, because I first saw those at a convention and he himself was the one that brought the tape and showed it to us as part of his time on stage.

The Voyage Home is my all time favorite Trek Movie. It trackled a subject near to my heart but at the same time it had a lot of laughs. One of my favorite lines from Spock in it is, where he gets dropped off in the park before Kirk and co go for a priza. The bit about sure you will not change your mind and Spock ‘s reply, “Why is there something wrong with the one I have.” That really made me cracked up and nearly got thrown out of the cinema as I have a loud laugh.

The Original Trek series was not silly. It might look out dated by some now but hey they did not have CGI back then or a huge budget. I watched it because of the good stories and action. It was so different to other sci fi show s of that time. I got my interest in Astronomy from watching TOS too.

speaking of deleted scenes and bloopers – did anyone notice the Trek bloopers that could be found in the Target dollar secton? …

I always had one niggling problem with The Voyage Home. “Space Seed” placed Khan’s departure from Earth during the Eugenics Wars in 1996. The Voyage Home was set in 1986, just ten years before. Earth 1986 in The Voyage home looked too much like the real Earth 1986, rather than what 1986 should have looked like in the Star Trek Universe. The same sort of problem plagued DS9’s “Past Tense”, VGR’s trip to 1997 and the whole of ENT.

Funny, I just watched the TVH yesterday! It is interesting to see some behind the scenes takes. I like how he keeps calling him William Nimoy. :) Just a thought. I personaly feel TVH was a nice departure from the, up til then, studio bound films. I think it lent a somewhat broader feel to the movie, not like it was just another Star Trek but a big Star Trek. Although I think TMP accomplished that without location shoots. But that was also a film that was really mostly visual. You will also notice that there isint much dialog in TMP. Lots and lots of reaction shots though!

Very cool video, Thank You for posting it.

Thanks for the video clips.

I wonder if there are any more bloopers from the other Trek movies available on the Internet.

I always thought it would have been great if Joan Collins had made a very brief cameo.

“Nobody’s perfect.” “Oh yeah?”

Priceless. Nimoy actually has a wicked sense of humor.

TOS was odd in the sense that they did air two flat-out comedy episodes during the show’s run – “The Trouble with Tribbles” and “I, Mudd”, which showed the malleability of the show and it’s characters. They could literally be out of character and still in character at the same time.

So similarly, when the opportunity came for STIV, they decided to wrap up their super-serious, death-filled films mini-arc trilogy on a comedic note. A brilliant and enjoyable strategy, but one that should have been used sparingly. Part of the problem with STV was that they seemed to want to keep the silly humor going, but it was poorly delivered, poorly placed, and it dropped like a turd in church.

And to the comment saying STIV was the beginning of the downfall of Trek, was it not the most successful of all the TOS films?

NIce! What a year 1986 was. The Mets won the WS, the Giants won the Super Bowl, Nicklaus won the US Open, and TVH was a big hit.

Trivia Question: Can you name the movie that knocked TVH out of its number 1 slot?

Watched it again for the first time in years. It is very well done. Each of the characters actually get well written, important subplots throughout the film. Uhura and Chekov looking for the wessels, Scotty and McCoy with the transparent aluminum guy, Sulu and the helo, McCoy saving Chekhov in the hospital. I can’t think of another Trek movie where all are used better. And I really enjoy this movie’s lighthearted mood. When I read people moaning about how things aren’t “sci-fi” enough, I think of Shatner’s brilliant SNL appearance, ALSO from 1986! In other words, lighten up.

Trivia answer: TVH was only held the number 1 spot for two weekends, then lost it to The Golden Child, and Three Amigos (!). It was a strong number 2 for about a month into 1987. http://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/chart/?yr=1986&wknd=48&p=.htm

Those home movies and bloopers are GREAT!!

I dunno, as time goes on, I’m actually liking STV more than the saccherine IV, warts and all. Hell, I like V better than FC with it’s smarmy Voyageresque sense of humor and plot holes ten miles wide. (I don’t expect anyone to agree…)

#45 It was the biggest straight box office winner, but TMP remains the champ of all 10 of the ST films in terms of tickets sold, and after adusting for inflation, TMP is the clear champ. That has been mentioned here quite a lot. I think Anthony had a whole story about it once.

As far as being the “downfall”, the success of TVH in late 1986 could be credited as the catalyst for Paramount greenlighting TNG, which premiered the following September in 1987. So, arguably, without those goofy whales, you’d have no uber-serious TNG. I guess some would say the rise of TNG was the downfall of TOS.

Yep, here’s the list:

1 Star Trek IV $109,713,132 2 Star Trek: First Contact $92,027,888 3 Star Trek: TMP $82,258,456 4 Star Trek II $78,912,963 5 Star Trek III: $76,471,046 6 Star Trek: Generations $75,671,125 7 Star Trek VI $74,888,996 8 Star Trek: Insurrection $70,187,658 9 Star Trek V $52,210,049 10 Star Trek: Nemesis $43,254,409

And if I understand the chart on BoxOfficeMojo.com, STIV was the only Trek film to ever grab the top spot for an opening weekend.

#47. I agree that V is better than FC. That’s because it features the characters I personally identify with ST. I just never got into TNG. FC was entertaining, but not “my” Trek. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

BTW, any news on the long rumored fan-produced re-edit of STV?

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Re-Watching Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

Star trek iv: the voyage home.

Release date: November 26, 1986 Stardate: 8390.0 (aka 1986)

Mission Summary

The crew of the Enterprise has been court-martialed by Klingon request for the ship stolen and the lives lost in Star Trek III . Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, a mysterious probe that disables just about everything is headed straight for Earth. The probe sends a signal no one can understand, and when it doesn’t get a response it begins to vaporize the Earth’s oceans and ionize its atmosphere: a recipe for disaster. Spock, newly born again, discovers that the signal is the song of the humpback whale: extinct since the 21st century. In classic Star Trek fashion, the crew go back in time to 1986 San Francisco to nab themselves some humpback whales. Once there, Kirk and Spock seek out whales; Scotty, Sulu, and McCoy look for materials to build a whale tank; and Chekov and Uhura look for replacement energy for their spent dilithium crystals.  Scotty, Sulu, and McCoy trade a formula for transparent aluminum to get the tank materials, while Uhura and Chekov find a nuclear wessel for fuel. Kirk and Spock meet a Dr. Taylor, a whale biologist whose two whales are set to be released into the wild, endangering them both. Though she initially refuses to let Kirk and Spock have their tracking codes. when the whales are released early without her knowledge she agrees, hopping aboard the starship and ultimately deciding to return with her whales and the crew to the future.

Safely home, the whales shake off the probe, all charges against Kirk’s crew are dropped, and Kirk accepts a demotion to captain.

The Voyage Home is the first Star Trek I can remember, and though it’s not my absolute favorite of the films (or the series) it remains the closest to my heart. The “Cetacean Institute” (the Monterey Bay Aquarium) was about half hour from where I grew up and a frequent destination for my younger self. There were no whales, but there was plenty of giant kelp and many playful sea otters, a lovely touch pool, and more information about the salty deep than you could shake a phaser at. At the time I desperately wanted to be a marine biologist, so you can imagine my fondness for Dr. Gillian Taylor, the environmental message, and the bittersweet ending of George and Gracie getting a whole ocean to themselves. It wasn’t until much later that I came to appreciate the Star Trek aspect and since then I’ve seen it many, many times.

It’s easy to point out what makes this movie so different from all other Star Trek movies: comedy. I can’t help but admire the brilliance of applying the usual fish-out-of-water* shtick that our heroes usually go through any time they visit a planet and have it be our planet in our time.  Some fans believed the tone shift decision to be a crass (if savvy) attempt to attract a larger audience, but I think it remains as true to Star Trek as any other film. The Motion Picture , Wrath of Khan , and The Search for Spock are dark, dark films. Death is everywhere. The first has a doomsday machine, a transporter accident, and the deaths of two bridge officers. The second kills Spock, and the third kills Kirk’s son. Good comedy can highlight all the same tensions and fears as drama, and yet be a release from them. They say laughter heals all wounds; the moment for something life-affirming had definitely come.

A great example of this happens very early on in the film. When McCoy approaches Spock on their way back to Earth, and they have this exchange:

McCOY: Umm. Well, I just wanted to say it sure is nice to have your katra back in your head, not mine. What I mean is I may have carried your soul, but I sure couldn’t fill your shoes. SPOCK: My shoes. McCOY: Forget it! Perhaps we could cover a little philosophical ground? Life, death, life. Things of that nature? SPOCK: I did not have time on Vulcan to review the philosophical disciplines. McCOY: Come on Spock, it’s me, McCoy! You really have gone where no man has gone before. Can’t you tell me what it felt like? SPOCK: It would be impossible to discuss the subject without a common frame of reference. McCOY: You’re joking! SPOCK: A joke is a story with a humorous climax. McCOY: You mean I have to die to discuss your insights on death? SPOCK: Forgive me, doctor, I am receiving a number of distress calls. McCOY: I don’t doubt it!

This is one of my all-time favorite little character moments. It’s funny, yes, but it reveals so much about where these characters have come from and how much they’ve changed. McCoy feels closer to Spock having not just carried his soul but fully appreciated his absence. He missed the guy. His line about never filling his shoes is such a sweet thing to say, and yet there’s a hint of tragedy in that Spock can’t (yet) appreciate the emotion or sincerity of it.

Spock is back from the edge of the abyss, in many ways like a child learning how to walk and talk and think all over again. Uncertain steps mark his curiosity toward humans, and yet by the end, Spock is laughing it up and having a great time as they all splash around in the water. The strength of the film is evident by how natural that scene seems, and how well the movie gets us from Point A to Point B without the transition feeling forced or insincere. I’ve always really liked the frame story of Amanda encouraging him to be in touch with his human side because it makes his efforts to fit in on Earth that much more endearing. He really means every ill-fated attempt to be one of the guys, and I especially respect and admire that Spock’s absolute commitment to the truth is never really the butt of the joke. Rather, Kirk’s attempts to “cover” for Spock, to reframe, rephrase, and reinterpret his speech and behavior, are where the humor finds fertile ground. Shatner soaks up the attention, playing the smooth, canny, and yet utterly overwhelmed funny man to Nimoy’s pitch-perfect straight man. The two make a golden comedy duo, and bless Catherine Hicks for holding her own in all those scenes.

They’re not the only ones, of course. I’ve seen this movie at least a dozen times, but the jokes never seem to get old and I laughed just as loudly this time around as I did the first time. Finally everyone gets to have a little fun with their characters. The banter here is perfectly on point and you get such a fantastic sense of the actors bringing to the surface a lot of what had always been alluded to, yet never shown, in the original series. Chekov finally get to take the clash of cultures jokes to the next level; Scotty relishes the chance to play an active role. Sulu is completely in love with his city no matter the time period, and McCoy, for once, gets to play the straight man (with a dash of crankiness). The one who gets short shrift is Uhura, who just seems along for the ride. (A waste of talent, if you ask me. She makes a great comedienne in Star Trek VI , trying to learn Klingon.)

For a time travel story, The Voyage Home makes the most sense of any similar stories I’ve seen. (The exception is how they actually get there. I still laugh every time Kirk suggests going back in time as the obvious solution, as if it were as simple as reversing the polarity, but what can you do.) The way that information unfolds and the characters make discoveries is eminently plausible and intuitive. Kirk makes money the first order of business. The aquarium would advertise on a bus. The yellow pages ad is a stroke of genius. Most of the characters walk to get where they’re going, and they do their best based on a hodgepodge of historical trivia to fit in. Sure they conflate a few centuries, but they’re actually pretty good at it. I love the sense that these characters have done this all before, and even with all their gaffes they’re pretty systematic and professional about it. All those “just like Earth!” planets have come in handy.

It should be obvious that I adore this film. I use it as a gateway drug to get others into the franchise because of its accessibility.  It’s a great introduction to each of the characters, unabashedly silly and entertaining, and yet quintessentially Star Trek . The now-dated world of 1986 just adds to the charm.

One note, though: even on my billionth re-watch there’s something I don’t quite get. Is the implication that the whales have been actively communicating with aliens (or their probes, whatever) for millions of years? Or just that the aliens/their probes pick up the phone once or twice every geologic age and check in?

*How could I resist?

Torie’s Rating: Warp 6

Eugene Myers:  This movie is kind of awesome.

I’m tempted to leave it at that. I wrote that comment in my notes (I do take notes while re-watching these, the better to analyze the material) pretty early in the film, sometime during the first scene at Starfleet headquarters—incidentally, the first scene ever at Starfleet headquarters, as we know it, which may have accounted for some of my enthusiasm.

It wasn’t a surprise that Star Trek IV is good—it’s always been one of my favorites—but I was surprised at how much fun it is, and excited at all the rest of the film to come. “Awesome” was, in fact, the running commentary at the back of my mind through the entire film. Either I’ve seen this movie many more times than I thought, or it’s simply incredibly memorable, because I remembered most of the dialogue just before it was spoken and reveled in hearing it again. I commented to Torie later that this film is like two hours of “best lines,” but that isn’t only a testament to the script, but to the actors. Their relationships and dialogue completely fit the characters we’ve known and loved, spring-boarding from what came before in the television show.

Before beginning this re-watch, I couldn’t recall the theme music at all. But as soon as the opening titles began, it all came back to me. (This is my favorite opening, by the way, simply because the title of the film beams in. Sometimes it doesn’t take much to please me.) The music may not be as sophisticated as Goldsmith’s and Horner’s symphonic scores–which were integrated as motifs through TMP, TWoK, and TSFS–but the score from (to me, unknown) Leonard Rosenman is very good. And it’s entirely appropriate to the more lighthearted tone and adventurous spirit of this film. The music seems more classical to my untrained ears than those that came before, and oddly evokes more of the high-seas capers than the Hornblower-inspired TWoK—though even this seems fitting for a film that features a ship named the H.M.S. Bounty , which actually visits the open sea. This is the most nautical Star Trek gets, until Star Trek Generations brings us aboard a 19 th century Enterprise on the holodeck, or Data sings from H.M.S. Pinafore ( Insurrection ).

Awesome and fun as this movie is, I struggled to find something deeper to say about it. It isn’t as weighty as those that preceded it, by design, but it does serve an important function to the characters and films. I talked earlier about how TMP is a return to the status quo, getting the principals back where they belong so they could continue the voyages we remember them for. In some sense, TVH does the same thing, but I look at it more as the antithesis of TMP.

Both TMP and TVH concern an alien probe that approaches Earth, wreaking havoc in its wake and posing a seemingly impossible problem for humans to solve. In fact, both films feature rather similar dialogue assessing the situation.

DECKER: Jim, V’Ger expects an answer. KIRK: An answer? I don’t know the question.

And in TVH:

FEDERATION PRESIDENT: There seems to be no way we can answer this Probe. SAREK: It is difficult to answer when one does not understand the question.

Now, Sarek could have lifted that from Kirk’s mind during their mind-meld in the previous film, but it does set up an interesting contrast between the two films, which is broadened by the difference in the ultimate solution.

Spock says, “There are other forms of intelligence on Earth, Doctor. Only human arrogance would assume the message must be meant for man.” Not only is this an incredibly insightful and time-saving leap of logic from the only resident non-human onboard, but it could be a criticism of TMP, in which the message was meant for man. Sometimes it’s better not to know everything, and I’ve always loved that the Probe is never really explained (at least, not in canon). It just is.

I was especially struck at the difference in Kirk’s responses to the threats to Earth. In TMP, Kirk acts as though he is the only person who can save the planet, and uses the threat as an opportunity to get back his command. (He’s also indecisive and incompetent.) In TVH, Kirk is only concerned with finding a way to save lives; he leaps into action, trying to solve the problem and try anything to make contact with the probe. When he decides to attempt to destroy it, it is reluctantly, only after it seems there is no other way. He is completely assured and back at the top of his game, and he basically wins everything based on his cleverness and charm.  This is the Kirk we want to see.

Nearly all of TMP is devoted to answering the question, but in TVH they know the answer at the beginning and have to find a way of delivering it. Star Trek IV is about communication, learning how to connect with the probe—and especially with each other. Like his father, Spock faces a question he does not understand: “How do you feel?”

When TMP begins, Spock has devoted his studies to purging his mind of all emotion and abandoning his human heritage. Spock is in a similar place at the start of TVH: he has lost his connection to his human half, nor does he particularly want it back, except because his mother wishes it. (And mother knows best.) Spock essentially resets to the person he was in the original series, struggling with his human half and trying to understand his alien crewmates, which leads to some of the same kind of humor that was so successful on Star Trek , particularly between him and Dr. McCoy. He has lost the comfortable balance and maturity that he had achieved when we see him in TWoK, and regaining it forms his character arc.

At first I didn’t entirely understand why this film is considered part of a “trilogy” with II and III, other than the fact that it picks up where the events of the previous films left off, since it has such a distinct storyline. But as with the Probe, the plot is merely incidental since this film continues Spock’s story and brings him full circle back to where he was.

At the beginning of TVH, Spock tells his mother that he has decided to accompany Kirk and the others back to Earth not out of friendship but because, as he says, “I was there.” By the end of the film, Spock finally understands the question and has discovered the answer. He tells the President: “I stand with my shipmates.”

I initially criticized the shots of Spock laughing and smiling in the water at the end of the film, before deciding that this is the only moment he truly demonstrates and acknowledges his human half, without the influence of spores or alien intervention. His human friends provide a “safe space” in which Spock can show emotion—and this is such a joyful moment, one of the purest in the entire franchise. How often are they allowed to celebrate the fact that they’ve just beaten incredible odds and saved the world?

The plot on the whole succeeds, largely because a) the goals are clearly established and b) it all moves too quickly for us to think about it much. But objectively speaking, it’s kind of silly. It also works because it draws, once again, on a standard plot element from the original series, time travel, even using the same “slingshot” technique that was employed in “The Naked Time,” “Assignment: Earth,” and “Tomorrow is Yesterday.”

In fact, it’s rather remarkable that there isn’t any attempt to catch up viewers at all. It’s as if they have decided only to cater to those who have already seen the original series and the previous films (aside from another montage of video clips from TSFS)—“look, we can travel in time by flying around the sun, just deal with it.” It’s a kind of “damn the consequences” approach that the characters seem to share in the film, and somehow it works.

I think this film has more in common with road trip/buddy movies than with a traditional Star Trek story, with an emphasis on Kirk’s and Spock’s wacky antics together. If the events of this film hadn’t happened, and the crew had been able to proceed to Earth without interruption, Spock would not end where he does, with the understanding that he needs in order to embrace his human half and strengthen the bonds with his friends. Time travel gives them a few more days to get to know each other that they wouldn’t have otherwise had.

Despite my love for TVH, it is not perfect. It may not hold under too much scrutiny, and I am not partial to the bizarre animation that runs during the trip back in time, though it’s better than a shot of the chronometer running backwards. (And it’s interesting in itself, as it foreshadows later events in the film.) The movie contains not one, but two wild chase scenes involving Chekov, which is at least one too many. And it also evokes Moby Dick , more literally in this case than usual.

How is it that in three months on Vulcan, Saavik hasn’t yet told Kirk how his son died? (If you really want to be nitpicky, she did tell him… in the previous movie.) And what is up with the Vulcan Smurf hats?

But there were also several nuances that I had never noticed before. I was delighted when I realized that the Probe was mimicking the position of the whales as they communicated. I also had forgotten this was the first time we saw a woman captain commanding a starship.

Most startling of all was the early plot point about the Klingon-Starfleet peace negotiations, which are briefly referenced in Star Trek III and lay the groundwork for Star Trek VI. I noticed a script credit to Nicholas Meyer in TVH, which I didn’t remember, and I wondered if this was some of his influence, since he picks the Klingon thread up again in his script for the last movie. These tiny nuggets in the background enhance and enrich the overall Star Trek universe, implying an ongoing story beyond the events of the films that improve upon the loose continuity and more standalone nature of the original series.

As at the end of television episodes, this film resets everything to the beginning: Spock is back to being comic relief; Kirk is a Captain again, in rank and practice; and there’s even the Enterprise -A (whose bridge oddly reminded me of the bridge from the Abrams movie—it’s brighter than the refit 1701 anyway). But unlike in the series, the characters have learned something. Because of the events of II, III, and IV, they have grown up and grown closer.

Eugene’s Rating: Warp 6

Background Information

Even before the release of  Star Trek III: The Search for Spock , Paramount asked Leonard Nimoy to direct this installment. He and producer Harve Bennett wanted to take a break from the moody, dark themes of the three previous films and do a comedy with no villain and a clear environmental message.  However, Shatner held out for more money (and a directing gig) so Nimoy and Bennett began pre-planning with the assumption Shatner would not be appearing in the film. For at least eight months Bennett and Nimoy contemplated a Starflett Academy prequel. Eventually Shatner got his ransom and signed on for the film. (He and Nimoy each earned over $2 million, which was part of the reason that TNG was cast with unknowns.) Many ideas were tossed around: oil drilling, a disease whose cure was only available pre-rainforest depletion, etc. but all that material seemed too depressing for a comedy. Eventually humpback whales were chosen because of their unique songs and their enormous (and as such, hijinks-inducing) size.

The script went through many iterations. At first, the Dr. Taylor character was a man–a kooky UFO-obsessed nutty professor type, with Eddie Murphy in mind for the role. Though an enormous fan of Star Trek , he turned it down and chose to make The Golden Child instead. (Conflicting stories say either that he wanted to play a Starfleet officer or an alien, or that the studio nixed the idea, not wanting to mix their two biggest franchises, the other being Beverly Hills Cop .) Paramount hated this script and hired Nicholas Meyer to fix it.

Meyer and Bennett wrote a new one (not even reading the first one) in 12 days, with Bennett writing the beginning and end, and Meyer writing the San Francisco portions. Meyer got the idea for Taylor’s character from a profile in National Geographic about another whale biologist. The studio loved it, though some scenes ended up nixed. One such scene involved Takei running into a distant ancestor of his, a young boy. They went so far as to hire an actor and try to film it, but the boy was not a professional actor and they had to scrap the scene (though it survives in the novelization). Chapel had many scenes (some of which were significant), and all were cut aside from a single line of dialogue and a reaction shot, a sad showing for her final appearance ever as Christine Chapel. Saavik had originally remained on Vulcan, pregnant with Spock’s child (thank you, pon farr), and Dr. Taylor remained on earth to renew her commitment to humpback whale preservation, or something.

With a final script in hand, filming began in February 1986. Unlike any other Star Trek film before or since, it was filmed mostly on location in San Francisco. The aircraft carrier scenes were filmed about the USS Ranger , not, alas, the USS Enterprise , which was out to sea and filled to the gills with classified, unfilmable things. Most notably to my own history, Dr. Taylor’s “Cetacean Institute” is actually the Monterey Bay Aquarium , which had opened just two years earlier in my neck of the woods. (Fun fact! It was funded largely by David Packard, of Hewlett-Packard. More interestingly, his daughter Julie Packard, a real life marine biologist, is the current executive director ). Monterey is nowhere near San Francisco, so they digitally added a skyline in the background.

The film was released on November 26, 1986. Until AbramsTrek, it was the highest grossing Trek film ever made, earning $109.1 million dollars in the U.S. alone. Its astounding success prompted the studio to greenlight The Next Generation . Internationally, the movie’s association with the Star Trek brand was de-emphasized because ST III had fared so poorly overseas. It didn’t really work, though: the film only made $24 million abroad.

Best Line: KIRK: Well a double dumbass on you!

Other Favorite Quotes: MCCOY (on Spock): I don’t know if you’ve got the whole picture, but he isn’t exactly working on all thrusters.

McCOY (to Spock): Well, I just wanted to say it sure is nice to have your katra back in your head, not mine. What I mean is I may have carried your soul, but I sure couldn’t fill your shoes.

McCOY: Come on Spock, it’s me, McCoy! You really have gone where no man has gone before!

McCOY: You mean I have to die to discuss your insights on death? SPOCK: Forgive me, Doctor, I am receiving a number of distress calls. McCOY: I don’t doubt it!

KIRK: The rest of you, break up! You look like a cadet review.

SPOCK: What does it mean, “exact change”?

SPOCK: Are you sure it isn’t time for a colorful metaphor?

SCOTTY: Hello, computer?

SPOCK: They like you very much, but they are not the hell your whales. TAYLOR: I … I suppose they told you that, huh? SPOCK: The hell they did.

KIRK: Pavel, talk to me! Name! Rank! CHEKOV: Chekov, Pavel. Rank, admiral.

SAREK: Do you have a message for your mother? SPOCK: Yes. Tell her I feel fine.

Trivia: On January 28, 1986, Challenger broke apart shortly after liftoff killing everyone aboard. The film is dedicated “to the men and women of the spaceship Challenger whose courageous spirit shall live to the 23rd century and beyond. . . .”

The Voyage Home marks the first involvement of Michael Okuda, who went on to two more decades of design work in the franchise. Here, he created the touchscreen panels (that became de rigeur for all Trek that followed) and the various computer displays.

The punk rocker on the bus who gets nerve-pinched is actually an associate producer, and he wrote the “I Hate You” song playing on the radio himself. The scene was inspired by an an actual experience Nimoy had in New York City. As a New Yorker, I can’t say I’m surprised.

The woman who answers Chekov and Uhura’s question about where to find the nuclear vessels has an interesting story. She had refused to move her car for filming, and so her car was impounded. Angry and somewhat desperate, she approached the producers about being an extra to earn back enough money to get her car out of impound. They agreed but instructed her not to answer any of the actors’ questions–an instruction she obviously ignored. In the end they thought her line was funny enough to include in the final cut, but they wound up having to get her a Screen Actors Guild card in order for her to have a speaking role.

The movie earned four Academy Award nominations, mostly in technical categories: Best Cinematography, Best Sound, Best Sound Effects Editing, and Best Original Score.

The whale scenes were filmed with four-foot-long animatronic puppets. The puppets were so lifelike that U.S. fishing authorities reportedly criticized the film for getting too close to whales in the wild.

Madge Sinclair cameos here as the captain of the Saratoga .

The whale hunters are speaking Finnish–which is a little odd since Finland, unlike its sisters Norway and Sweden, has had no real whale industry basically ever.

This is where the reference of Kirk being “from” Iowa originates.

Previous post: Re-watching Star Trek III: The Search for Spock .

Next post: Re-watching Star Trek V: The Final Frontier . God help us all.

About Torie Atkinson & Eugene Myers

36 comments.

In some ways, I’m rather conflicted about this film. For a long time it was my favorite, but over time I’ve soured on a little. I would still rank it second of the original crew movies, maybe even overall. But the more I’ve thought about it, the more it starts to feel almost like a self-parody. I can sort of live with the McGuffin making absolutely no sense, but with the unrelenting humor it’s like the series jumped the shark (whale, whatever) here.

That said, it is an awful lot of fun. Thank God, they didn’t go with Eddie Murphy, though! Even though he was at his peak, he just wouldn’t have fit. Not to mention, they definitely wouldn’t have been able to afford Shatner then.

(Also, in the trivia section, that should read Cetacean Institute, not Crustacean.)

No, sorry, you have to change the best line, because it is this:

Dr. Gillian Taylor: Don’t tell me, you’re from outer space. Kirk: No, I’m from Iowa. I only work in outer space.

This is, quite possibly, the single most memorable quote from any of the films. It’s right up there with:

Lt Col Fellini: What is that you’re wearing, some kind of uniform? Kirk: This little thing? Just something I threw on.

Kirk: All right, Colonel. The truth is, I’m a little green man from Alpha Centauri, a beautiful place. You ought to see it. Lt Col Fellini: I am going to lock you up for 200 years. Kirk: That ought to be just about right.

which are utterly brilliant.

Of course, I’m not sure how he can be from both Alpha Centauri and Iowa, but I won’t split hairs.

So … yes, a bit of fun, really, on par with ‘I, Mudd’ or ‘The Trouble with Tribbles’. Nothing deep, good humour throughout, but plot holes one could drive a stolen starship through. The acting is fine, the characters well drawn, and, really, almost anything is better than STTMP (though with the next entry in the series this proposition becomes debatable).

Is there any point in hashing through the silliness of Scotty, the mouse, and the transparent aluminium; or the need to find a nuclear wessel; or the handy-dandy-time-travel-trick; or the whale probe (just how do alien intelligences communicate over interstellar distances with creatures who have no technology?); or the fact that Kirk knows Shakespeare, Milton, and D H Lawrence, but thinks Jacqueline Susan and Harold Robbins are neglected giants?

No, there’s not much point. Just let it all wash over you, and enjoy it for what it is, which isn’t much, but it’s fun.

Unless I’m seriously misreading what you wrote near the end, Madge Sinclair was most definitely NOT Janice Lester. That would be Sandra Smith in the Lester role. Sinclair appeared later on as Geordi LaForge’s mother in TNG.

This film was a lot of fun to watch. Sure, there were a few holes but it was a hell of a ride nonetheless, so you don’t really care about them. For the most part the comedy served the characters rather than the other way around (again, a few nits here and there but no big deal), so it generally felt genuine.

I was in my early 20s when this one came out, so I have to admit that I genuinely enjoyed the fact that Catherine Hicks was not wearing a bra for most of the film. So, two more creatures of hers that were in danger of being released into the wild.

ccradio@3: I had forgotten about those additional creatures, but now that you mention them — yes, indeed.

@ 1 DemetriosX and @ 3 ccradio I’ve clearly lost my mind on both counts. Fixed.

@ 1 DemetriosX Yeah, I love me some Eddie Murphy, but that would’ve been a disaster.

Maybe it’s self-parody, but I don’t mind because none of them behave stupidly . They may not fit in, but they aren’t idiots, and I appreciate that.

@ 2 NomadUK and @ 3 ccradio I think it has worth and that it’s more than a bit of fun. It completes the story of Spock, first of all, and while the environmental message may seem cheesy, it’s as relevant as ever. But mostly I like that the characters got to get out and play around a bit. Makes them feel more human.

Every scathing rebuttal I was going to make against this film was disarmed by a single line of the review: “The Journey Home is the first Star Trek I can remember.”

Now I just feel old. Thanks loads.

Torie @5: You totally could have blamed autocorrect, you know. Crustacean, cetacean, flub a couple letters and there you are.

It’s true that nobody acts stupid or really goes out of character for a joke, but there’s a few things that just don’t work right and occasionally push it over the line. Kirk’s little rundown of late 20th century great authors is one. There must have been others they could have gone for that would have achieved a similar effect with more probability. Stephen King would have been a decent choice. I can really see him still being read in 200 years. Far more so than Jacqueline Suzanne or Harold Robbins certainly.

The other, even though it’s a great line, is Chekov’s “nuclear wessels”. Umm, Pavel? You have a starship there with sensors and stuff. Ya think it might be easier to just run a scan? That’s probably the closest anybody comes to doing something really stupid just for a joke.

Also, the guy in the shot of Scotty trying to communicate with a Mac? He’s a total “that guy” and I can’t find his name, but he’s like John Hodgman’s dad or something.

This is a loved Trek film for me. I don;t take it too seriously, always considering it more of a big screen Tribbles episode more than a serious SF film. In the bonus materials on the blu-ray Nimoy says that he had to fight to keep subtitles off the screen for the communication between the probe and whales. Good thing he did. Nothing that appeared int e subtitles would have made that work. Especially with aliens not knowing works much better than knowing. (I always maintained that if JMS ever explained the Vorlans in Babylon 5 he’d wreck them and he did. Same for Hannibal Lector, there is power in mystery and the unknown.) Of course this is the second time Nicholas Meyer has done the fish-out-water time traveler story in modern San Francisco, the first being his film ‘Time After Time” which if you have not seen you really should, like right now.

A breakaway film that really opened the franchise up to a broader viewership.

This film had the power and confidence to laugh at its tropes without diminishing its tropes, and in doing so enriched those tropes. Compare the intimacy between characters in this film to almost any cringeworthy fawning “comedy” out of ST V, for instance.

I actually like the fact that the alien presence was inscrutable and incomprehensible throughout, its motives and purpose undetermined. Probably the first (and nearly last) truly alien presence in the entire ST franchise.

@7 DemetriosX

I considered Kirk’s rundown of “great 20th Century authors” to be a mockery that, in order to broadly succeed, had to include only widely recognized, household-name types of schlocky writers, known hacks, essentially a list of subgenius non-Shakespeares.

Including Stephen King on a list of crap writers would probably have broken theaters into a quarrel.

I love this movie, despite some of it’s plot holes and goofs. It feels much more like a theatrical film than it’s predeccesor ( and it’s follower…urrgh ), and it has a much more polished script.

The few plot holes that do kind of bother me:

– Scotty’s cavalier attitude about changing the future. In the novelization, there is some explanation that they did research and found out that the Dr. Nichols they meet at the plant is the same one that did invent transparent aluminum, but of course, this would have deflated the humor of the scene, had it been included in the film. Still, considering that it was Scotty, in “Tomorrow Is Yesterday” who noted that once the ship’s engines were reparied, they would have nowhere to go in that time, his willingness to change history seems a bit out of character ( although he is older and probably a bit less patient ).

– Gillian being taken to the future. Again, violating all the warnings against contaminating the timeline given in episodes like “City On The Edge Of Forever, and “Tomorrow Is Yesterday”.

– Watch the ending in the Starfleet gallery, where our heroes are absolved of all their transgressions, and note the smiling and laughing Vulcans. A gaffe that would be repeated during the similar scene at the end of “Star Trek VI”.

Er… It’s “The Voyage Home” right? At least, it’s always been called that in the UK. Your title says ‘Journey Home’ (and so does Torie’s review).

Whatever it’s called though, it’s a good, fun watch, with the McCoy/Scott double-act producing my favourite scenes – and I also love the back-and-forth that follows Spock’s “Gracie is pregnant”.

@ 6 S. Hutson Blount If it makes you feel better, my little sister saw the SW prequels before the originals, and only knew about Highlander through Wikipedia. Talk about feeling old.

@ 7 DemetriosX Nah, I believe in owning mistakes. My fault. As you can see, I wrote the outline stuff mostly from memory back in August to get ahead on reviews since I knew September and October would be nuts for me.

Also, it looks like “that guy” Is Alex Henteloff . I don’t recognize him from anything, though…

@ 9 bobsandiego Subtitles??? For the whales?? Geez.

@ 10 Lemnoc Agreed, agreed, agreed.

@ 12 Dep1701 The original script did leave her behind to raise the whales or something, but I guess they thought movie audiences wouldn’t like that. Kind of weird seeing as Kirk doesn’t really get the girl, strictly speaking.

@ 13 EngineersMate I’m going to try and make myself feel better about that by noting it took 13 comments before any of you noticed.

Man, I am just not up to my usual standard this week.

bobsandiego@9: Of course this is the second time Nicholas Meyer has done the fish-out-water time traveler story in modern San Francisco, the first being his film ‘Time After Time” which if you have not seen you really should, like right now.

And I enthusiastically second this recommendation. So, yes, right now.

Like I said, it’s two hours of best lines. Every line is my favorite in the moment that it’s spoken.

@6 S. Hutson Blount

Technically Star Trek VI is the first Star Trek I can remember, even though I’m older than Torie. I just never really watched anything Star Trek until then, though I probably caught a few minutes of an episode–I remember it so clearly, they were beaming down to a planet. Remember that one?

That joke worked for me because I was like, “Who?” Their relative obscurity somehow made it seem even funnier. Lots of authors become popular long after their deaths, right?

@9 bobsandiego

I would love to know if there’s a script somewhere that has that dialogue between the probe and the whales.

Probe: “Hey, how’s it going? Where were you? I thought I was going to have to kill all humans.” George: “You wouldn’t believe us if we told you.” Gracie: “Also, who are you again?”

Time After Time has been on my to-watch list for at least a decade. It takes me a while to get around to some movies, but all this Nick Meyer love has reminded me to check it out ASAP, though I used to have it on VHS. Bumping it up in my Netflix queue right now, so I’ll get it as soon as I watch and return Bringing Up Baby , which I’ve only had for a few weeks…

I think the Borg were pretty alien, until they messed them up through overexposure and silliness.

@12 Dep1701

Good point about the time travel paradoxes. I explained away Scotty’s indiscretion this time because Sulu says they’re “a few years too early” for transparent aluminum. If you take him at his word rather than massive, comedic understatement, it isn’t inconceivable that they would be right on time, or not mess with history too badly. I always wished they’d checked into Gillian’s future, but I suppose they couldn’t have. It’s kind of depressing that she could be completely removed from the timeline with no long-term impact.

I refuse to look for laughing Vulcans, and I hope I won’t see them when I re-watch STVI.

I sort of noticed something was off with the title, but it didn’t quite register. And no one on Twitter or Facebook picked up on it either, which is also sort of depressing. I prefer to think of this as a temporary hiccup with a parallel universe that had a different title, where STII was also “The Vengeance of Khan.”

For me, this is the exception that proves the rule, about even-numbered Trek films being the good ones. The humour fell flat, save for a couple of moments (like, since I’d had a green Mohawk myself a few years earlier, I loved the bus scene), and I was mostly taken with noticing how much the actors had aged, and how unflattering the higher-definition lenses made them look.

Chekov as a combovered middle-aged man, Uhura as a portly matron (and, as ever and like Sulu, criminally underused), craggy Spock looking really weird in what looked like a bathrobe from a “high-class” hotel, and balding Jim. They were so huge on the screen, it felt like I could have fit my head in one of Spock’s facial crevasses. I couldn’t bring myself to suspend the disbelief that these would be the people chosen to save Earth. Surely Starfleet had some experienced-but-still-not-dining-cheap-at-4-pm-and-using-their-Zimmer-frame-on-the-ship people who could take the job on?

In fact, I was so disappointed in this one, that I’ve never watched the later TOS films, V and VI (and only half-watched the TNG-era films). I wanted to keep the memory of their earlier work clear in my head: Jim in his confident full power, somewhat younger than I am now myself, Spock, older and wiser, McCoy, the old man, Scotty a vigourous 50 or so, Uhura, Sulu, Chekov, Rand, Chapel – all at the height of their time, as characters and as actors.

Sorry to harsh the buzz. What can you expect from a freak who still thinks Way to Eden was a laugh and a half? :D

@10 Lemnoc, I seem to have had the general thrust of the line wrong in my memory. After I looked up the exact quote, I agree that these were probably better choices, although I don’t know if they used a lot of profanity in their work or not. Spock’s line could be taken as sarcasm or as him still being a bit befuddled and not wanting to admit to a gap in his knowledge.

@16 Eugene: I suppose I’m going to have to order you off my lawn or something. Jacqueline Susann and Harold Robbins were anything but obscure in the mid-80s. They’d both been around for quite a while and were regular NYT bestsellers (and that back when the publishing industry hadn’t turned that little bit of recognition into something totally meaningless – they sold and they sold well). Both even had several of their novels turned into movies. Susann wrote Valley of the Dolls ! The fact that they slipped into obscurity so fast is interesting. I’m on the cusp between Boomers and Xers, and I freely admit I’ve never read any of their stuff, though I’d at least heard of them.

@18 DemetriosX

Correct about the popularity of these authors. No one ever got rich by producing quality, as the bromide goes. “Dallas” was one of the most watched things on TV in this era, essentially unendurable today. Disco… need I say more?

So, yeah, I think the joke revolved around indisputably, inarguably bad, but exceedingly well known authors, elevated into the lofty ranks of Shakespeare centuries on. Perhaps the only cultural icons that survived the rubbish piles of Earth’s (much commented on in ST) WWIII?

@17 CaitieCait

I can understand you not wanting to ruin your Star Trek memories, but I hope you’ll reconsider and try Star Trek VI this time around. It’s really a wonderful film. Torie and I are trying to work out a screening party for next weekend, if you’d like to try to join us. I promise you, everything will be all right.

I’ve heard of Valley of the Dolls of course, but didn’t know the name of the author :(

Good thing they’re remaking Dallas then, eh?

@20 Eugene Myers

Dallas. Yeah, I assume like the recent Star Trek reboot, they’ll get it right this time 8-/

Iowa was established long ago, in all of the written material when the show was being drawn up and maybe the Guide. I am not going to search to find it stated during the series or the animated series- maybe the BLish novelizations- but if I come across it… I mean, I’ve been aware of his birthplace since before the movies.

Kirk’s exchanges with Fellini always reminded me of LCDR “Curly” Cue in D. V. Gallery’s “Stand By-y-y-y to Start Engines”- after ejecting from his fighter, he ends up with the Napa police. When asked to identify himself, he is concise and truthful. When the truth is met with disbelief (based on his pajama clothing and leaving his flight gear in the woods, plus an escaped patient at large that night), he concocts a colorful lie based on their expectations.

The movie is good enough, but I think it was closer to the “stupid” edge than has been acknowledged. It also inspired too many to try forcing bad humor into their Trek scripts.

@ 15 NomadUK Okay, okay, I added it to the Netflix queue.

@ 17 CatieCat Fair enough, but to me that’s the strength of the movies–they allowed the characters to age (and I think, age with dignity). Look at Indiana Jones for an example of what happens when you don’t…

Star Trek VI is my favorite of the films and I think most everyone should see it, but I expect you won’t like it. It’s all about feeling old and obsolete.

Don’t watch V.

@ 18 DemetriosX I can’t really think of modern equivalents to Susann and Robbins. Maybe Sue Grafton or Patricia Cornwell? It’s that category of book hugely popular to people outside of SF/F, i.e. “stuff my mom reads.” I think Robbins in particular is one of the world’s bestselling authors in the modern age, period.

@ Generally I’m really amused at how much this movie is split, more than the others. Humor’s weird that way. There are lots of movies people tell me are hysterical and I find, well, not. It’s a genre I find difficult to recommend.

Oh, Torie, you’re probably right about VI, then. I’m feeling too old and decrepit myself right now, to want to watch other people dealing with it! :)

Ironically, of course, Netflix in Canada has now got most of the TOS movies available streaming (we don’t have mailout service yet), just a few weeks’ late for me, and now we’re up to the ones I’m dubious about wanting to see.

But hey, if I weren’t disagreeing with everyone at once, I wouldn’t be me on this site, now would I? :D

@ 24 CatieCat It occurs to me that I’m pretty obsessed with movies about getting old. Hmm.

In any case, I don’t find VI depressing at all. It’s actually really inspiring in the sense that it deals with letting old biases and racism die the death they deserve. But your mileage may vary…

And we don’t usually disagree! That’s why I find this so interesting. :)

I like VI, but Khan trumps it. (VI would have been better had Alley cam back and reprise Saavik as they wanted her to.)

I agree with your take on the Kirk / Fellini exchanges. On top of that, Kirk might have known that family already lived there and didn’t want to draw any attention that way.

Also. It’s been years since I read Stand By-y-y-y To Start Engines. I wasn’t sure if anyone else remembered it. I still get a laugh out of what Curly and the rest of the Blue Angels did when they saw that transport between the cloud layers. (Or was that the other book? As I said, it’s been years.)

I had to think about this movie for a bit before commenting.

On this movie in general. I think this one, more than any of the other original cast movies, is very much a product of its time. While Star Trek did have that famous “Let’s get the hell out of here.” line, the franchise had been seen as generally a safe zone. While it did have sci-fi violence and dealt with a few hard edge issues from time to time, parents didn’t have to worry about inappropriate language or scenes for their kids. I do remember some parents being upset with the language in this one.

In the theater the laughter was genuine but I do remember hearing some say on the way out things like “I hope they don’t start using that language all the time now.” In a discussion with friends after seeing this one, we likened the experience to the reaction of a character within the movie S.O.B. “Sally Miles says shit!” (If you’ve seen this movie you know what I’m talking about. If you haven’t, it might be worth taking a look at.)

At the time I took The Voyage Home as part satire of our times. Eddie Murphy’s colorful dialogue was showing up everywhere at the time and while Lenny Bruce had been an earlier major force in bringing profanity into stand-up and comedy, Eddie Murphy and others of that time did more to really bring it into the mainstream. Kirk and Spock didn’t go to the extremes practiced by Murphy and others but what they did say was shocking. Mr. Spock Says…! Funny but still shocking.

The last time I watched this one it didn’t hold up for me. There are moments that I still love such as the Bird of Prey de-cloaking and the scene between Spock and his father at the end but overall I’d have to say that too much has happened – in the real world and within the franchise – for me to be able to get into this one as fully as I did back then.

I’m a little excited to find out that I’m not the only Trekkie who dislikes this movie. Oh, it’s not horrible, I guess. But Trek in general has always been really bad at humor (“Trouble with Tribbles” excepted) and even the first time I saw this in my teens I remember thinking how belabored the jokes were. See, it’s funny because he doesn’t know how to say “LSD”! It’s funny because he says “wessels”! It’s funny because Spock doesn’t know how to use vulgarity! Very, very thin beer.

Of course it would get worse, once the makers of Trek decided to make Data into comic relief.

@28 etomlins

Having re-watched “Encounter at Farpoint” last night, I would argue that Data has always been comic relief. I was more annoyed that they decided to make him one of the most important characters ever; Picard and Data dominated the Trek films, and I feel like they gave the other characters short shrift. TNG was always an ensemble show, and the movies became less so, while the original films went in the other direction. They still focused on Kirk, Spock, and McCoy, but the supporting cast was given more to do.

“Having re-watched ‘Encounter at Farpoint’ last night, I would argue that Data has always been comic relief.”

You’ve got a point there. It’s a depressing one, but it’s there.

I must be fair. As you work your way through TNG you’ll remind me that there were actually episodes where Data was used to good effect. Too often, though, TNG resorted to the, “Data says something stupid!” ploy. To make it worse, Brent Spiner actually seemed to think he was good at comedy when he really was no bloody good at it. (He sucked at playing villains, too, but that didn’t stop him either.) But this will all have to wait.

Even in high school I preferred Star Trek III to Star Trek IV and it’s never really changed. There’s a lot that’s silly about III , starting with the casting of Christopher Lloyd and the conclusion of the supposedly climactic fight scene, but at least it’s sort of trying to make us care. And it succeeds; if nothing else, the destruction of Enterprise will remain in my memory as one of the most poignant moments of Star Trek ever. Star Trek IV never tries at all. The only thing I can remember about it are some lame jokes.

The Jacqueline Susann/Harold Robbins line is, I think, a gag specifically meant to twit Harlan Ellison, whose love-hate relationship with the Trek franchise is well known. Several times in his Glass Teat and Harlan Ellison’s Watching essays, he described Susann and Robbins as hacks who were not really writers but what he calls creative typists. He talked about their appeal to the lowest common denominator of “slack-jawed strap-hangers”. He indicates that because their books were insanely popular, some people may assume that what Susann and Robbins wrote was literature.

Interestingly enough, Ellison was asked to write a treatment for the screenplay for Susann’s Valley of the Dolls , and he agreed thinking he could improve it. He says he was removed from the project when 20th Century realized they’d made a mistake giving Susann a contract with an ever-increasing amount of $ depending on how long the book stayed on the NY Times best-seller list; it was there for over a year, seven months at #1. Ellison was replaced with soap-opera writers who could be paid less.

@DemetriosX: That would be Alex Henteloff as Mr. “I Quit Smoking” Nichols. Henteloff was best known for his recurring role as sleazy lawyer Arnold Ripner on Barney Miller .

God, Harlan Ellison. He almost exceeds Andy Warhol in his talent for being famous just for being himself. I had to love how Ellison kept talking up his Hollywood writing career even though his greatest hit was a co-writing credit on the gawdawful film The Oscar. If I ever met the guy I’d ask him about that. I’m sure–if he said anything other than “fuck off”–he’d claim that his original script had been altered, but I tend to doubt that because there’s a bizarre quality to The Oscar ‘s awfulness that you don’t find in other bad movies of the time. People in that movie talk like their dialogue was translated into Martian and back. It must be the Ellison touch. What else could it be?

@31 Bluejay Young

The Jacqueline Susann/Harold Robbins line is, I think, a gag specifically meant to twit Harlan Ellison

Ah, that makes sense! And I really hope you’re right :)

It recently occurred to me, when McCoy asks Spock about “going where no man has gone before”: McCoy’s been dead before, too (in “Shore Leave”). Scotty died and came back to life in “The Changeling.” I’m probably forgetting a few other regular cast members who died and were resurrected in the original series. So maybe McCoy is welcoming Spock into the club after 15 years!

Chekov in “Spectre of the Gun.” I’m trying to think if it ever happened to Uhura.

I don’t think City on the Edge of Forever is a great example. Edith was a critical figure in history that changed everything. No everyone is that important to the course of events.

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Published Nov 25, 2016

The Voyage Home: 30 Facts for 30 Years

star trek 4 aquarium

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home marks its 30th anniversary on November 26th. To celebrate, we are sharing 30 favorite facts from the production we learned while researching the film's co-writer Nicholas Meyer's library archives at the University of Iowa. Let's sling shot around the sun, pick up enough speed, and time warp back to the 1980s for a celebration of one of Trek 's most enduring and beloved adventures.

star trek 4 aquarium

  • Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home was originally named “The Adventure Continues” in its early drafts, a nod to the ending title card of the previous film The Search for Spock which promised “…AND THE ADVENTURE CONTINUES…”
  • Contrary to the myth that no Star Trek sequels were planned until the previous film had been released, The Voyage Home actually began preliminary preproduction and story development during the spring of 1984, a few months before the premiere of The Search for Spock .
  • Producer Harve Bennett and director Leonard Nimoy agreed that they wanted to use time travel and also avoid the use of villains and violence in the film very early in the story development process – in essence, to make what they called a “nice” movie.
  • Bennett referred to The Voyage Home as a “local location” production (a TV term referring to shows that use near-by outdoor locations as a setting to save money on building sets). He referred to The Wrath of Khan as a “bottle show” because almost 65% of the movie was made on the same set (the Enterprise and Reliant were the same sets).
  • When time travel was mentioned as a story possibility for The Voyage Home , Gene Roddenberry suggested the use of a story he had previously developed about the Enterprise crew going to the 1960s and interacting with the actual historical event of John F. Kennedy’s assassination.

star trek 4 aquarium

  • Leonard Nimoy was inspired by the book Biophilia by Edward  O. Wilson, which outlined the concept of a “keystone species” – that if a keystone species were to go extinct, it would threaten all other species.
  • Bennett originally suggested that the species that the Enterprise crew needs bring back to the 23rd century could be the then-recently discovered species of the snail darter, a small species of fish about the size of two paper clips. Bennett joked that the reason for his suggestion was the cost saving, but really it was an inspired idea because the notion that something very small, the tiny of creatures, could have the greatest of impacts is very much a Trek -ian idea.
  • Whales were chosen because of their epic and cinematic size in addition to their gentility and intelligence.
  • It was Paramount executive Jeffrey Katzenberg who contacted Nimoy and Bennett with what he called either the best idea or worst idea: having Eddie Murphy, an avowed fan, appear as the film’s guest star. A script was written by Peter Krikes and Steve Meerson featuring Murphy’s character, an English professor who believed in UFOs.
  • An interesting sequence of that script had the Klingon Bird of Prey decloaking above a football field during the Super Bowl. Everyone there, except Murphy’s character, would have believed it to be part of the halftime show. The idea of having Murphy star in the film was eventually abandoned. Eddie Murphy and William Shatner eventually would team up... in the 2002 film Showtime .

star trek 4 aquarium

  • With production looming and script concerns, Nimoy and Bennett asked Wrath of Khan director and writer Nicholas Meyer to help by joining Bennett in co-writing a new version of the script. Meyer accepted because his friends needed him, and because he liked the duo’s goal of making a “nice” Star Trek movie.
  • Meyer’s portion of the script begins with the line “Judging by the pollution content of atmosphere…” and ends right before the D.H. Lawrence poem, which was co-writer Bennett’s contribution.
  • Admiral Lance Cartwright’s character, played by the amazing Brock Peters, was originally not in the script. Instead, the character was supposed to be Admiral Harry Morrow, played by Robert Hooks, previously in The Search for Spock .
  • Speaking of names, Gillian's character was at one time named Shelley.
  • At one time, George and Gracie were called Adam and Evie.

star trek 4 aquarium

  • Filming began in February 1986. Cinematographer Donald Peterman was nominated for an Academy Award for his amazing work on Star Trek IV . At the time of his passing, Leonard Nimoy called him a "gentleman and a talent." Nimoy had wanted an unusual style for the film and one of Peterman’s contributions, along with production designer Jack Collins, was to use panels to light characters on the Klingon ship to be a contrast to how the characters were usually presented on the Enterprise.
  • There was a sequence scripted, but not filmed, explaining the reason for Saavik staying behind on Vulcan - she was pregnant from her Ponn Farr experience with Spock.
  • The Voyage Home used not only real world external locations, but also real world interiors. The antique store, U.S.S. Enterprise and Cetacean Institute were all real world exterior and interior locations. The Cetacean Institute was actually the famous Monterey Bay Aquarium. John Tenuto's parents happened to be there during filming at the aquarium during the April 1986 production and brought this footage back with them: www.youtube.com .
  • Showing the contribution that special effects technicians, set builders and editors make to a film, the sequences where Spock jumps into the tank with George and Gracie and Kirk reacts while on the tour conducted by Gillian is a masterful example of behind-the-scenes artistry: no less than four locations were required to make that scene work (the real Monterey Bay Aquarium, an ILM created blue-screen environment, a swimming pool in El Segundo, and a set at Paramount). Through editing tricks and slight of hand, all appear to be the same location in the various sequences.
  • The U.S.S. Enterprise CV-65 was actually unavailable for filming. The USS Ranger CV-61 stood in for the Enterprise and if you look very closely you could see the Ranger name on a few of the hats of the real military who served as extras.

star trek 4 aquarium

  • An unseen tag used by the antique dealer to catalog Kirk's glasses gives the date of the crew's visit to Earth as August 19, 1986. However, the newspaper that Kirk and crew look at a few minutes earlier in the film has the date December 18, 1986.
  • The Plexicorp company that "Professor" Scott and his "assistant" Leonard McCoy visit was actually the Reynolds & Taylor Plastics factory in Santa Ana. Interestingly, the real company made custom plastic panels, including ones reportedly for the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
  • The police officer at the hospital was played by Joe Lando, who would go on to fame as Byron Sully from Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman.
  • This film includes the first contributions of one of Star Trek 's most important behind-the-scenes geniuses, Michael Okuda.
  • The dream sequence used to symbolize time travel was originally envisioned by the immensely talented Ralph McQuarrie, the creator of the look of Star Wars. McQuarrie contributed also to the look of  Starfleet Headquarters in The Voyage Home. His unused designs for the refitted Enterprise of Star Trek: The Motion Picture are an inspiration for the look of the U.S.S. Discovery of the new Star Trek: Discovery . The final dream sequence, with ideas from Leonard Nimoy, was created using Cyberware's pioneering 3D scanning and morphing technologies.

star trek 4 aquarium

  • The effects of the film are so incredible that the production received letters of protest for getting that close to real whales during filming. In reality, there are only a few images of real whales in the film, mostly in the breaching sequences. What is usually seen are remote-controlled models created and manipulated under the supervision and design of Michael Lanteri, Walt Conti and their teams of artists.
  • The probe was designed by Nilo Rodis Jamero and built by ILM's model shop. It was meant to be five miles long script-wise, but in reality were an approximately 8 foot and 20 foot model. The probe is meant to be whale-like, with barnacles and the light being reminiscent of a whale's blow-hole.
  • Composer Leonard Rosenman earned an Academy Award nomination for the music of The Voyage Home .
  • The "punk" rocker on the bus was played by Kirk Thatcher, who also created the music used in the famous nerve-pinch sequence. Thatcher was an associate producer on The Voyage Home and was the voice of the testing computer at the start of the film. In fact. Kiri-kin-tha's First Law of Metaphysics, which Spock identifies as "Nothing unreal exists," is named for Kirk Thatcher. Thatcher had worked on Star Wars: Return of the Jedi in the creature shop, and is now a talented director for The Jim Henson Company productions
  • In 1987, Leonard Nimoy and Harve Bennett were invited to screen The Voyage Home in Russia at the Spaso House to celebrate Russia agreeing to join the world community in banning factory whaling. This afforded Nimoy a chance to visit the town his family was from in the Ukraine, his parents being from the same community and both having to escape to the United States from the terrible pogroms against Jews that were occurring at the time. This was the first time a Star Trek film screened in Russia. Bennett wondered if the humor would translate, and was happy that it did... another symbol of the universal connection between people that The Voyage Home celebrates.

Happy Birthday Voyage Home!

Special thanks to Dan Madsen for allowing us to digitize images from the pages of the Star Trek Communicator fan club magazine of the era and to share these special photographs from the set of the film.

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Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home is pure, joyful cinema

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Darren is a TV Critic. Follow him on Twitter @DarrenFranich for opinions and recommendations.

star trek 4 aquarium

2016 marks the 50th anniversary of the Star Trek franchise – and the release of Star Trek Beyond , the 13th feature film in the series. To celebrate this big year, and ponder the deeper meanings of Trek ’s first half-century, the Entertainment Geekly column will look at a different Star Trek film each week from now till Beyond . This week: The only Trek film that feels like a Howard Hawks comedy. Last week: The Trek film about the clashing egos of William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy . Next week: Shatner unleashed .

In 1965, Leonard Nimoy said the first words ever uttered in the Star Trek universe. “Check the circuit!” says Spock at the start of “The Cage,” the original pilot for Star Trek and the first time Star Trek was boring. To modern eyes, Spock doesn’t look like Spock: Eyebrows too big, hair too mussed, a noose-collar atop a too-baggy uniform, flanking an un-Kirk Captain who looks too much like Jay Leno’s chin chest-bursting out of Ray Liotta’s face.

NBC didn’t like Star Trek , didn’t like Spock. A year later, Gene Roddenberry filmed a new pilot. He fired everybody — he fired his mistress! — but he kept Nimoy.

Twenty years later, Roddenberry was gone — to Next Generation , not for long — and Nimoy was in control. Tricky thing, applying words like “control” or “authorship” to anything Star Trek . Nimoy directed Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home , and received a “Story By” credit. So did Harve Bennett, the producer of Movie Two through Movie Five, making him another Man Who Saved Star Trek and another Man Who Almost Destroyed Star Trek . Bennett shares screenplay credit alongside three other men. One of those writers later wrote Double Impact , the movie where Jean-Claude Van Damme headbutts Jean-Claude Van Damme.

And one of those writers was Nicholas Meyer, the man who made Wrath of Khan . Meyer’s generally credited with writing the film’s 20th Century-set Act 2. Perhaps not coincidentally, The Voyage Home has one of the greatest and daffiest Act 2’s of any film ever. Here is a movie that begins as A Race Against Time To Save The Earth and then takes a sharp detour into aquarium etiquette and Bay Area geography; a movie where the stakes are global, and there’s plenty of time for Kirk to take a marine biologist out for an Italian dinner; a movie where Kirk is a noble romantic protagonist who makes his date foot the bill. There’s a wonderful lack of seriousness powering The Voyage Home , recalling Howard Hawks’ loopy genre exercises To Have and Have Not or The Big Sleep . It is the kind of movie where characters spend the whole movie taking a break from the movie.

So it was a team effort, in front of the camera and behind the scenes. But it was a team effort with a leader. And the leader wanted to make a different kind of film. Nimoy later explained the core concept: “No dying, no fighting, no shooting, no photon torpedoes, no phaser blasts, no stereotypical bad guy.” His previous Star Trek film had all those things, and outer space, and aliens, and sets. Nimoy wanted to make a movie about Earth, right now, shot on location, with human people.

Nimoy was an actor, a director, a photographer, a memoirist, a musician, a cameo cartoon voice, a face in advertisements that baited your nostalgia and dared you not to smile. In all things he was Spock. Sometimes that bothered him: He wrote I Am Spock , but also I Am Not Spock . Nimoy was never a dilettante, a preening highbrow — never the Alan Rickman character from Galaxy Quest, that self-loathing Shakespearean slumming for fanboy dollars and residual fame. Nimoy liked Spock, truthfully. He liked the work, occasionally. He liked the money, naturally: $2.5 million for Trek IV . (That’s more than Hemsworth made on Avengers — and that’s mid-’80s dollars, unadjusted.) Nimoy was frustrated with Spock, but it wasn’t merely the frustration of typecasting or of repetition. It was the internal struggle, the human condition: Nimoy struggled with Spock the way Hamlet struggles with Hamlet.

And Nimoy loved people. That sounds like a simple thing to say, until you watch The Voyage Home , one of the loveliest and strangest and lightest comedies ever made, and you realize that “loving people” can be something tangible, like an added filter on the camera. Nimoy loved the supporting players, and his film bestows each of them with a Hall of Fame moment. Scotty: “A keyboard. How quaint .” Chekov: “Nuclear wessels .” Uhura: “But where is Alameda ?” McCoy, undercover as a surgeon, asks an old lady in a hospital what’s wrong with her. Kidney dialysis, she says. “Dialysis!” McCoy sputters — an actual honest-to-god sputter, DeForest Kelley’s voice like an old engine cackling. “What is this, the Dark Ages ?”

Sulu was supposed to get a showcase scene meeting his own great-great-great-grand-something. It didn’t work out — the kid got scared — and Nimoy was still bummed about it a decade later when he wrote I Am Spock . But oh, how I treasure Takei, in his baritone voice, narrating the Enterprise’s warpspeed run into the center of our solar system: “Nine point five! Nine point six! Nine point seven! NINE POINT EIGHT! ” (And The Voyage Home continues one of the great embedded subplots in Trek history: The love story between Sulu and the Excelsior .)

Did I mention that they’re warping straight into the sun so they can travel through time? There’s an energy-sapping probe destroying Earth, apparently because no one can respond to the probe’s message. Is the probe saying “hello” to humanity? “Only human arrogance would assume the message must be meant for man,” Spock chastises.

It’s been said there are no villains in Star Trek IV. In the future, the probe hails from some unknown intelligence that almost destroys Earth by accident. In the past, every hint of antagonism is quickly undercut. At one point, Chekov is captured by the FBI, and there’s a much simpler, more on-the-nose version of this movie where the FBI becomes the bad guys. Maybe that wouldn’t be terrible; maybe it would be sharp, playing the utopian sensibility of the Federation against Cold War paranoia. But in The Voyage Home , it’s an opportunity for a “Who’s On First” routine:

FBI AGENT: Let’s take it from the top.

CHEKOV: The top of what?

FBI AGENT: Name?

CHEKOV: My name?

FBI AGENT: No, my name.

CHEKOV: I do not know your name!

FBI AGENT: You play games with me, mister, and you’re through.

CHEKOV: I am? Can I go now?

At this point, the FBI agent — who looks like the uncanny valley between Paul Rudd and Armie Hammer — whispers to his partner, “What do you think?” His partner says, “He’s a Russkie.” The FBI agent, completely deadpan, missing a beat: “That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard in my life.” Every one-scene character in The Voyage Home is smarter than they should be, wittier than they have to be. Chekov grabs his phaser and tries to fire it, but it’s run low on batteries. He tosses it to the FBI agent, and watch closely here.

The actor is Jeff Lester — who naturally played both “Lane Brody” and “Lance Jarvis” on Baywatch — and he catches the phaser with a look of weary amusement. Here’s a film where the shady FBI guys feel tired, and a bit embarrassed, about being shady FBI guys.

The Voyage Home reminds me of something Dan Harmon told Vulture regarding Cheers : “The characters were so distinct. As with Peanuts , you could put them in outer space and still know which one was Charlie Brown.” The Voyage Home is the inverse of that theorem: It takes its characters from outer space and sets them down on the streets of San Francisco, in the halls of the Monterey Bay Aquarium, in the front seat of a truck. And here’s something strange. You’ve seen Kirk and Spock on alien planets production designed like pop art comic strips, in cosmic mountain ranges battling aliens beyond our ken; you’ve seen them battle gods and monsters.

Yet I don’t think there is any single moment in Star Trek history where Kirk and Spock look better — at once grander and more approachable, like statues of the Founding Fathers buying rounds at sports bar — than the moment when they walk along Marina Boulevard. Behind them: The bay, the Bridge, the fog.

Kirk’s still wearing his magenta-maroon disco suit, looking like the communist dictator of Studio 54; Spock’s wearing a karate bathrobe. You can giggle at the buried joke of the movie — they fit right into pre-digital San Francisco — but you can also appreciate how the movie makes them seem so much bigger by bringing them down to Earth.

No other Star Trek film has done location shooting like this; maybe The Voyage Home is Trek as neo-realism. Legend holds that the “nuclear wessels” scene was shot in secret, with Walter Koenig and Nichelle Nichols talking to random passers-by. That’s maybe not true — counter-legend holds that those are all paid extras — but in the most memorable part of the scene, Russian Chekov asks a nearby policeman for directions to the closest nuclear reactor. The cop says nothing, doesn’t even move; he was an actual San Francisco, working with the production crew in an official capacity. So, actually, hang the neo-realism: The Voyage Home is as close as Trek ever gets to the start of “Duck Amuck,” when Daffy walks off his own film strip.

The humor of The Voyage Home is playful without ever becoming sarcastic, self-aware without ever feeling like self-loathing. The characters feel engaged — watch how Takei is constantly looking around San Francisco, a great grin on his face. Think of how this movie shifts from Act One to Act Two: Spock says they need to save the whales; Kirk says “Let’s time travel!”; and then they aim their ship right into the sun. Think, too, of Catherine Hicks, in a tricky role. She plays Gillian, the whale-loving marine biologist. She thinks Kirk and Spock are crazy, but intriguing; she doesn’t really believe they’re from the future, but she intuitively understands that they’re people she should hang out with.

A lesser film might try to architect this interaction somehow. (Maybe Gillian is an FBI agent; maybe the wrong thing for America circa 1986 is the right thing for the world .) Hell, one of the greatest hours of television ever is a Star Trek time travel episode where Kirk goes to the past and falls in love with the most important woman in history. The Voyage Home has no time for such pretensions. Gillian’s an obvious love interest, but they never really have a “romantic” scene. Gillian thinks Kirk is interesting; Kirk likes how much she cares. And Gillian is allowed to come to the future — where she promptly says goodbye to Kirk, because there’s just so much more to see.

Their final scene together is one of the most graceful light-comedic romance moments in any movie I can think of. “How will I find you?” he asks her — kidding but not quite, Shatner’s laugh a bit too forced. “Don’t worry,” she says. “I’ll find you.” Nimoy holds his camera for two long moments, first of Gillian saying farewell:

Then of Kirk, astonished. What do you think is going through his mind?

Is he amazed that, for once, he’s the one left behind? Is he bemused at the grand divine comedy of existence? Maybe I’m a shameless romantic, but I can’t help but imagine his thought bubble in Shatnerian overspeak: “My god, Bones! I think I’m in love!”

Shatner! My god, Shatner! Another one of the graceful jokes powering The Voyage Home is that, here in the past, Captain Kirk remains the most confident man in the galaxy, despite all indications that he doesn’t know what the hell he’s doing. Needing money, he pawns McCoy’s birthday glasses at an antique shop. The owner will pay a hundred dollars for them. “Is that a lot?” Kirk asks, smiling wide like a con man.

Later, at the aquarium, Kirk spots Spock swimming with the whales, and his wild overreactions belong in a silent movie museum:

Of course, Kirk is a con man in The Voyage Home . To his crew, he pretends to know everything about the past. (“Double dumb ass on you!”) To people in the past, he offers one BS line after another. (“I think he had a little too much LDS.”) The joke of his brimming confidence paired against Spock’s Holy Fool confusion reaches Chico-and-Harpo levels:

But the film isn’t some shallow self-parody of Kirk, or Star Trek . It has heart, and passion — Save the Whales! — and a tremendous sense of fun. When the crew crash-lands into the Bay, they need to climb out of their sinking ship. The whales start singing; the probe is vanquished. Another film might cut away, but Nimoy’s camera lingers, and we watch the crew of the Enterprise cheerfully jump into the water. The line between character and actor falls away, phasered into nonexistence. James Doohan does a bellyflopping dive into the water; Nichelle Nichols splashes water toward DeForest Kelley. At one point, Kirk pulls Spock into the water — or maybe that’s Shatner and Nimoy, fooling around.

And yet, there is a seriousness to the wonderful, exuberant silliness of The Voyage Home . At the film’s beginning, the resurrected Spock is asked a question: “How do you feel?” At the end of the film, Spock has traveled across space and time, has rescued a dead great species from the dustbin of existence, has saved the Earth one more time. And none of that plot stuff matters half so much as Spock saying, nonchalant: “I feel fine.” To feel “fine” is not to feel “perfect” or even “happy,” does not imply tremendous success nor some massive personal change.

To feel “fine” in The Voyage Home is to be aware of your place in the great scheme of existence, content in your place among your fellow creatures. There is such optimism in this movie, and perhaps that optimism is residual from Roddenberry — but Roddenberry preferred grand statements, not whimsy. The Voyage Home needed Nimoy, a thoughtful man with a sense of humor, a leader who loved his people, and loved people in general, and damn it, who loved the whales, and Earth, and the Golden Gate Bridge, and the nightmare intersection where Columbus and Kearny and Jackson hit each other right in front of the Zoetrope Building.

Nimoy died last year, age 82: A long life, and prosperous. Spock will live forever, of course — and The Voyage Home is his magnum opus. Quickly, listen to the theme music for Voyage Home by Leonard Rosenman.

Can you hear the festive melody? Aren’t those bells ringing vaguely yuletidal? There’s no obvious comparison in movie history for Star Trek: the Voyage Home , not many time travel message movies about family and friends and the fear that we’re all doomed because of sins in the past, and how that fear will always crash like waves against the shore of the eternal human hope that it’s not too late, that we can change.

But there is that famous story about heavenly visitors and time travel, a myth about how any person can change a dark-sad future into a happy-better one, a parable that argues that the great heroic act of existence is being an engaged part of a community. So maybe The Voyage Home is our new A Christmas Carol . Maybe Ebenezer Scrooge can save Tiny Tim; maybe the Earth isn’t doomed; maybe, in 2286, whales will still be swimming through oceans unrisen; maybe our descendants will be here, too, in this world someone saved for them. Probe bless us, every one.

THE WHOLE MOVIE IN ONE SHOT:

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Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home returns to theaters for 2 nights to celebrate the film’s 35th anniversary

star trek 4 aquarium

Get your whale songs ready as Star Trek IV: The Voyager Home is set to beam back into theaters next month for a two-night special engagement to celebrate the film’s 35th anniversary.

To coincide with the anniversary and upcoming 4K UHD Blu-ray release of Star Trek: The Original 4-Movie Collection , Fathom Events will bring “the one with the whales” back to select theaters on Thursday, August 19 and Sunday, August 22 .

Originally released in the U.S. on November 26, 1986, The Voyage Home was directed by Leonard Nimoy and stars William Shatner , Leonard Nimoy , DeForest Kelley , James Doohan , George Takei , Walter Koenig , Nichelle Nichols and Catherine Hicks .

Official description:

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home 35th Anniversary REMASTERED When a mysterious alien power threatens the atmosphere of Earth in the 23rd Century, Kirk and his crew must time travel back to 1986 San Francisco to save mankind. Exploring this strange new world, they encounter punk rock, pizza and exact-change buses that are as alien as anything in the far reaches of the galaxy. This thrilling, action-packed, and often hysterical installment of the original motion picture saga returns to the big screen, remastered for its 35th Anniversary! This event also includes the featurette  Three Picture Saga . In this informative and entertaining featurette, cast and crew explore the back-story of one of the greatest story arcs in Science Fiction history –  Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home .

Promotional art:

star trek 4 aquarium

Tickets are available now through the Fathom Events website .

Stay tuned to trekNews.net for all the latest on upcoming Star Trek releases and events.

You can follow us on Twitter , Facebook , and Instagram .

star trek 4 aquarium

Founded TrekNews.net in 2011. UX, visual designer, and published photographer based in the Boston area. Connoisseur of Star Trek, sci-fi, '80s horror, synthwave sounds, and tacos. You can follow Brian on Twitter @brianwilkins .

star trek 4 aquarium

July 10, 2021 at 12:33 pm

Star Trek 4, the san Francisco treat

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July 11, 2021 at 10:20 am

Yes, loved that movie!!

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Christian Bobak

July 11, 2021 at 2:55 pm

Considering this is being posted on the web with an international audience, you should probably mention that this event is only being held in the US. Just looked for Canadian showtimes, and found nothing. Usually, Canada is included in these things.

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July 11, 2021 at 6:16 pm

I was really hoping it would happen in Canada. Perhaps Cineplex still has time to arrange this?

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star trek 4 aquarium

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Walter Koenig, Leonard Nimoy, William Shatner, James Doohan, DeForest Kelley, George Takei, and Nichelle Nichols in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)

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There Is a ‘Plan in Place’ For ‘Star Trek 4’, Says Roddenberry Entertainment

Roddenberry Entertainment boss Trevor Roth has promised that a new Star Trek film will be released in the “very near future”.

A fourth movie in the rebooted film series has been stuck in development for some time and Roth has confirmed that Paramount Pictures has a “plan” in place for big screen projects.

He told ScreenRant at SXSW : “I am not able to say much, but I can say that it is Paramount’s intent to figure out the Star Trek side of movies and what’s going on there. There’s every intent of a new movie coming out in the very near future.”

“There’s a lot of secrecy around what’s going to happen there. But there is a plan getting into place. And we’re very excited to see it return to the big screen.”

Star Trek 4 has been in development for the past eight years and Roth can understand why frustration has grown, although he explained the problems that behind-the-scenes issues can cause.

He said: “People a lot of times are like, ‘Oh, why isn’t this happening or that happening?’ And sometimes those questions are really good questions. And other times, there’s a lot you don’t know that is happening behind the scenes that can make things more difficult than you would think.”

READ MORE: The Foolproof Way to Tell if a Modern Star Trek Movie Will Be Good

Roth continued: “So all in all, we’re getting there to my understanding, and we’re excited, and plans are being put in place. And I know that from the standpoint of the studio, there is no lack of recognition of wanting and needing a Star Trek film coming out.”

Chris Pine has played Captain James T. Kirk in the three previous movies and bemoaned the fact that cast members are always the “last people” to find out information about new projects.

The 43-year-old star said: “In Star Trek land, the actors are usually the last people to find out anything. I know costume designers that have read scripts before the actors.

“It doesn’t really foster the greatest sense of partnership, but it’s how it’s always been. I love the character. I love the people. I love the franchise. But to try to change the system in which things are created – I just can’t do it. I don’t have the energy.”

Memory Alpha

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

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STAR DATE: 1986. HOW ON EARTH CAN THEY SAVE THE FUTURE?

" A catastrophe in the future can only be averted by a journey into Earth's past. "

Admiral James T. Kirk is prepared to take the consequences for rescuing Spock and stealing and then losing the starship Enterprise , but a new danger has put Earth itself in jeopardy. Kirk and his crew must travel back in time in an old Klingon Bird-of-Prey to right an ancient wrong, in the hopes of saving Earth – and the Federation – from certain doom.

  • 1.1 23rd century
  • 1.2 20th century
  • 1.3 23rd century
  • 2 Memorable quotes
  • 3.1 Creation and production
  • 3.2 Continuity
  • 3.5.1 Merchandise gallery
  • 3.6 Awards and honors
  • 3.7 Apocrypha
  • 4.1.1 Opening credits
  • 4.1.2 Closing credits
  • 4.2.1 Performers
  • 4.2.2 Stunt performers
  • 4.2.3 Production staff
  • 4.3.1 Other references
  • 4.3.2 Unreferenced material
  • 4.3.3 Related topics
  • 4.4 External links

Summary [ ]

23rd century [ ].

Saratoga sensor data

Sensor analysis

It is the year 2286 , and an alien vessel is moving through space . The huge vessel is detected by the USS Saratoga , and sensor analysis reveals it to be some sort of probe . The captain of the Saratoga contacts Starfleet Command and informs them that this alien probe is apparently headed to the Terran solar system . Starfleet tells Saratoga to continue the tracking and they will analyze their transmissions and advise.

Klingon ambassador and Kirk image

" James T. Kirk, renegade and terrorist! "

Back on Earth, the Klingon Ambassador to the United Federation of Planets demands the extradition of Admiral James T. Kirk for murdering a Klingon crew and for stealing a Klingon vessel. The ambassador also denounces the failed Genesis Project as a mere weapon and the Genesis planet as a staging area from which to launch the annihilation of the Klingon race. Just then, Ambassador Sarek arrives in the council chambers and says that Genesis was named for creating life and not death. He goes on to accuse the Klingons of shedding the first blood in attempting to possess the secrets of Genesis. Sarek points out that the Klingons destroyed USS Grissom and killed Kirk's son , which the Klingon ambassador does not deny, saying they have the right to defend their race. Sarek then asks if the Klingons have the right to commit murder, which causes an uproar in the council chambers; breaking his silence by calling for everyone else to make silence, the President states that there will be no further outbursts. Sarek says that he has come to speak on behalf of the accused, which the Klingon ambassador decries as a personal bias, as Sarek's son was saved by Kirk. The president tells Sarek that the council's deliberations have already concluded. He then tells the Klingon ambassador that Admiral Kirk faces nine violations of Starfleet regulations . The Klingon ambassador says that the fact Kirk is only facing Starfleet regulations is outrageous and decries that as long as Kirk lives, there will never be any peace between the Federation and the Klingon Empire . As he and his aides storm out of the council chambers, someone in the council chambers calls the ambassador a "pompous ass."

Enterprise crew outside Bounty

The crew of the Enterprise

On Vulcan, Kirk surveys his crew and they all vote " Aye, sir. " Kirk states then to them " Let the record show that the commander and the crew of the late starship Enterprise have voted unanimously to return to Earth , to face the consequences for their actions in the rescue of their comrade, Captain Spock . " Scott tells Kirk that it'll take him one more day to get their Klingon ship, named by McCoy as the HMS Bounty , ready to go; saying that while damage control is easy, reading Klingon is hard. McCoy laments that Starfleet could have at least sent a ship to pick them up as it's bad enough to know they will be court-martialed and likely imprisoned but the worst is going home in the "Klingon flea trap." Kirk says the "Klingon flea trap" has a cloaking device "which cost [them] a lot." McCoy comments that he wishes they could cloak the stench. Kirk looks up and sees Spock standing at a cliff looking down at them and the ship. Spock then walks off and goes back in a room and resumes computer testing of his mental faculties. While the tests show Spock has regained full control of his faculties once again, he is confused when the computer asks him how he feels.

Yominum sulfide structure

Spock retrains his mind

Then, Spock's mother Amanda enters and reminds Spock that as he is half-Human he has feelings and the computer is aware of this. Spock says he must go to Earth with the others and offer testimony because he was there when the events occurred. Amanda asks if the good of the many outweighs the good of the one and Spock says it does. Amanda then says that it was a mistake by his flawed, feeling, Human friends for them to sacrifice their futures because they believed that the good of the one, Spock, was more important to them. Spock says that Humans make illogical decisions. Amanda smiles and agrees that they do indeed.

Saratoga disabled

Saratoga disabled

Just then, at the Neutral Zone, the probe comes close to the Saratoga . The captain orders yellow alert , but the probe, issuing a powerful signal, begins draining the ship of all power. As the Saratoga begins to drift, the captain tries to issue a distress call to Starfleet Command.

James T

" Saavik… this is goodbye. " " Yes, Admiral. "

Meanwhile, at Starfleet Command, the President asks Starfleet Admiral Cartwright for a status update and he tells the president that the probe is headed directly toward Earth and that its signal is disabling everything it comes into contact with. According to Cartwright, two Klingon ships have been lost while two Federation starships and three smaller vessels have been neutralized. He then orders contact with the USS Yorktown and their captain says his chief engineer is trying to deploy a makeshift solar sail hoping they can generate enough power to keep themselves alive.

HMS Bounty leaves Vulcan

Heading home

As the probe continues toward Earth, on Vulcan the Bounty is almost ready for launch. Kirk comes on the bridge and asks for status reports, Uhura says communications systems are ready and the communications officer is "as ready as she'll ever be." Sulu reports the on-board computer will now interface with the Federation memory bank. Chekov reports the cloaking device is repaired and is now available in all flight modes. Kirk admits to being impressed with all that work for such a short flight. Chekov then tells Kirk since they're in an enemy vessel, he didn't want to risk being shot down on the way to their own funeral. Kirk compliments Chekov's thinking and then calls Scott, who tells him that they are ready to go. Scott says the dilithium resequencer has been converted into something not quite so primitive and that he has personally replaced the Klingon food packs as they were giving Scott a sour stomach. Kirk turns and tells all who are not going to Earth that they better get off. He then turns to Saavik , who is remaining on Vulcan, to tell her goodbye and to thank her. Saavik says that she's not yet had the opportunity to tell Kirk how bravely his son David died and that he saved her and Spock and she wanted Kirk to know. Just then, Spock arrives on the bridge and Saavik wishes him a good day and hopes his journey be free of incident. Spock tells Saavik to " Live long and prosper. " Spock gets permission from Kirk to come aboard, and Kirk tries unsuccessfully to get Spock to call him "Jim" as he is in a command situation. Spock also apologizes for only wearing his Vulcan robes as he seems to have misplaced his uniform. Kirk tells Spock to take his station, a move that concerns McCoy as after all that Spock's been through, he's not liable to be ready to assume such responsibilities but Kirk expresses confidence that it will all come back to him. Kirk then tells Sulu and Chekov to take them home. Sulu and Chekov gently lift the Bounty off the surface and as Saavik and Amanda watch, the Bounty heads off into the Vulcan sunset, on course for Earth.

Whale Probe disables Spacedock

The probe disables Spacedock

At the same time, the probe has reached Earth and begins the process of neutralizing Spacedock One before they can get the space doors open. All ships inside the dock, including the USS Excelsior , are neutralized and disabled. The probe then continues into Earth orbit and begins pulling water and moisture from the oceans, and clouds begin gathering over the Earth as the probe continues its transmission.

McCoy and Spock on the Bounty

"You really have gone where no man's gone before!"

Sulu reports planet Earth 1.6 hours away, and Chekov reports there are no Federation vessels on assigned patrol stations, which Kirk finds odd. Uhura tells Kirk that the comm channels are flooded with overlapping multiphasic transmissions sounding almost like gibberish. She asks Kirk for some time to try to sort it all out. Just then, McCoy sits next to Spock and asks if he's busy. Spock says that he is simply monitoring and that Uhura is busy. McCoy says that it's sure nice for Spock's katra to be back in Spock's head and not his, stating that he might have carried Spock's soul but he couldn't fill Spock's shoes. When Spock doesn't understand the quip, McCoy drops it and asks if he and Spock could speak about philosophical matters such as life and death but Spock says he didn't have time on Vulcan to review philosophical disciplines. McCoy tells Spock, " You really have gone where no man's gone before " and is amazed that Spock can't tell him what it felt like. Spock says that they can't discuss the subject because they don't have a common frame of reference. When McCoy asks if Spock is joking, Spock defines a joke as "a story with a humorous climax." McCoy is amazed that Spock is inferring that McCoy would have to die in order to discuss Spock's insights on death. Just then Spock tells McCoy he's receiving a number of distress calls , which McCoy doesn't doubt as he gets up and walks away.

Cartwright and President at headquarters

Starfleet emergency

Back on Earth, the situation is worsening. Reports from all over the world pour into Starfleet Headquarters . These reports include weather conditions worsening around the planet, such as how temperatures in Juneau , Alaska were dropping and cloud cover was up to 96%. In Tokyo , Japan , all power was gone and only available from reserve banks. Both it and Leningrad had 100% cloud cover and their temperatures were decreasing rapidly. The president asks about worldwide cloud cover and a report of 78.6% comes in. At that point, Cartwright orders a planet-wide emergency and declares red alert . Just then, the influence of the probe comes over and power begins to fade. Cartwright tells the president that even with planetary reserves, they are doomed without the sun. The president states he is well aware of that fact. Just then, Sarek enters into the command center and the president laments that there may be no way to answer the probe. Sarek comments that one cannot answer easily if you don't understand the question. Then Sarek suggests that the president issue a planetary distress signal while there is still time.

President broadcasts message

" Avoid the planet Earth at all costs!"

Still en route to Earth aboard the Bounty , Uhura tells Kirk that a signal is finally coming through from the Federation. Kirk tells her to put it on screen and they all watch in shock as the president tells all ships everywhere to not approach the planet Earth as the probe is causing critical damage to the Earth, almost totally ionizing the atmosphere. The president says that all power sources have failed and all Earth-orbiting starships are powerless. The probe, according to the president, is vaporizing Earth's oceans and that everyone on Earth will not survive unless they can find a way to respond. The president warns all ships to save their energy and to save themselves and they should avoid the planet Earth at all costs. He then bids farewell and the transmission fades. A stunned Kirk and crew are amazed at what they saw and heard. After a moment, Kirk asks to hear the probe's signal and Uhura patches it through. Spock says that the probe signifies aliens of great intelligence that somehow, are unaware of the signal's destructive nature and that he thinks it illogical that the probe's intention is hostile. When McCoy asks if this is the probe's way of saying hello to the people of the Earth, Spock points out that only Human arrogance assumes the message must be meant for them. When Kirk asks if it could be for some other lifeform, Spock does point out the signal is pointed at Earth's oceans. Kirk asks Uhura to adjust the probe's signal to account for what it would sound like underwater. When she does so, Spock theorizes there can be no response to the message. He then excuses himself to test the theory and he is quickly followed by Kirk and McCoy.

Phylum search mode - Humpback whale match

Spock's theory

In the Bounty 's lab, Spock discovers that it is in fact a whale song , specifically that of the humpback whale . McCoy at first wonders who would send a probe across the galaxy to speak to whales, but Kirk and Spock recognize that whales were on Earth ten million years before Humans. Humpback whales, Spock points out, have been extinct since the 21st century , and so it is possible an alien intelligence sent the probe to establish why they lost contact. Kirk wonders if they could simulate a response to the probe's call, but Spock says the language would be gibberish. Kirk asks if the species could exist on some other planet, but Spock answers that they were indigenous to Earth. When Kirk says they must find a way to destroy the probe before it destroys Earth, Spock reminds Kirk the probe would neutralize the Bounty with no effort. Spock does say then that they could theoretically go find some humpback whales. McCoy realizes what Spock is suggesting and is about to ask Kirk to " wait just a damn minute, " but is interrupted by Kirk, who orders Spock to start computations for a time warp .

McCoy and Kirk on the Bounty

Kirk's bright idea

In the Bounty 's cargo bay, Kirk asks Scott if they can enclose it to hold water and Scott says he could and McCoy agrees that Kirk is about to go swimming " Off the deep end, Mr. Scott! " Kirk tells Scott they have to go find a couple of humpback whales. McCoy asks Kirk if he is seriously going to attempt time travel in " this rust bucket. " Kirk responds that they have done it before . As he and McCoy head back toward the bridge, McCoy wonders aloud about the plan;

Kirk says that's it and McCoy comments that Kirk's plan is crazy. Kirk tells McCoy if he has a better idea now's the time to tell him. On the bridge he asks Spock about the computations and Spock is working on them. Meanwhile, Kirk has Uhura open a channel to Starfleet Command.

Kirks message to Earth

"We're going to attempt time travel. "

Meanwhile the situation on Earth is worsening. A faint transmission believed to be from Admiral Kirk is received and Cartwright orders it put through. Kirk advises Starfleet of their analysis of the probe's signal, tells them that Spock's theory is that only the extinct humpback whale can properly answer the probe and they are going to try time travel. At that moment, Kirk's signal degrades. Cartwright orders the transmission picked back up, but just then the windows behind him shatter and the wind and rain begin to blow into Starfleet Headquarters. At this point, all anyone in the command center can do is wait.

On the Bounty , Spock has completed his calculations and informs Kirk their target is the late 20th century . Unfortunately he can't be more precise because of the limits of the equipment aboard the Bounty . Additionally he had to program some of the variables for his time travel computations from memory. When McCoy worriedly recites a line from Hamlet , " Angels and ministers of grace, defend us, " and Spock recognizes it as act one, scene four, Kirk establishes his faith in Spock's memory and has the ship prepared for warp speed. Kirk orders Chekov to raise the shields and then tells Sulu to engage the Bounty 's warp drive. " May fortune favor the foolish, " Kirk says as the Bounty engages to warp speed.

HMS Bounty slingshot approaching Sol 1

The Bounty slingshots

The ship slowly accelerates up over warp nine and then as they get closer and closer to the Sun, the ship begins to shake seriously between the effects of high warp and the high solar gravity. A console next to Uhura blows out, but she says she's ok. At the last moment, Kirk orders Sulu to kick in the last of the thruster power, and the Bounty successfully performs the slingshot effect around the Sun . For a brief time, the crew is unconscious as Kirk dreams of their voices and faces (quotes from later are heard here, including Scott saying " Admiral, there be whales here! "), of a whale, and eventually of a person falling from space, through Earth's atmosphere and landing in a lake in a tranquil forest, with a sound of what may be a ship landing.

20th century [ ]

Earth on Bounty viewscreen

20th century Earth

Kirk awakens to find ship and crew seemingly still intact. He rouses Sulu from his unconsciousness and Sulu finds the braking thrusters have successfully fired. When the viewer is activated Spock determines by the atmosphere's pollution content they have successfully arrived in the latter half of the 20th century. He then reminds Kirk they may already be visible to the Earth's tracking devices of the time and so Kirk orders the cloaking device engaged. The Bounty crosses over the terminator into night and Spock homes in on the west coast of North America . There, Uhura finds a whale song , but is confused to find it coming directly from San Francisco . Just then Scott calls needing to see Kirk immediately.

Scott, Kirk, and Spock on the Bounty

Dead in the water

Scotty reports a new problem, informing Kirk and Spock the Klingon dilithium crystals have been drained by the time travel and are de-crystallizing. Unfortunately, even in the 23rd century, re-crystallization is not possible and Scott gives them 24 hours before they lose all power and become visible – and dead in the water. Spock theorizes that because of the use of nuclear fission reactors in this time period, they could construct a device to collect some high-energy radioactive photons safely which could then be injected into the dilithium chamber which, in theory, could cause crystalline restructure. Spock then points out that nuclear power was widely used on Naval vessels.

Enterprise crew aboard Bounty

Mission briefing

From his seat at the Bounty 's helm, Sulu recognizes San Francisco and tells everyone he was born there. McCoy remarks that it really doesn't look all that different from the San Francisco of their time. Kirk instructs Sulu to set the ship down in Golden Gate Park . He then assigns everyone to teams, Uhura and Chekov will take care of the photon collection. McCoy, Sulu, and Scott are assigned to find materials to construct a whale tank aboard the ship; and Spock and Kirk are to attempt to find the two humpback whales they detected in San Francisco. Kirk then tells everyone to be very careful as most of the local customs will doubtless be surprising to the time travelers. Everyone then looks at Spock and Kirk says " It's a foregone conclusion none of these people have ever seen an extraterrestrial before. " With that, Spock tears a piece of fabric from his robe and wraps it around his head like a headband which covers his eyebrows and ears. Kirk calls late 20th century culture extremely primitive and paranoid. Chekov is to issue everyone a phaser and communicator but the crew is to maintain radio silence except in emergencies, and anyone in uniform should remove their rank insignia. Kirk firmly tells everyone that they should do their job and get out of there as their own world is waiting for them to save it, if they can.

The Bounty lands in Golden Gate Park , accidentally crushing a trash can (as well as indenting the surrounding ground) under its invisible landing gear, and when the hatch opens, it scares two sanitation workers, who drive out of the area leaving trash behind. Oblivious to this, the Enterprise crew continues onward, Uhura gives the coordinates of the whales to Kirk who quips, " Everybody remember where we parked! "

Kirk Cab Co taxi 2

"Well, double dumbass on you!"

In San Francisco, the crew has trouble adjusting, from watching out for traffic – to which Kirk swears back at a taxi driver – to Kirk's realization that they're going to need some money , being that Earth of then still saw it as a driving force. Kirk and Spock go to an antique shop to sell the glasses McCoy earlier gave Kirk on his last birthday . Kirk receives one hundred dollars (wondering aloud if that's a lot) and then divides it among the teams. He and Spock walk down the streets of San Francisco and Kirk wonders how they're going to find the whales. Spock finds a city map and starts to work out the coordinates on the map. Kirk sees an ad for the Cetacean Institute and the two attempt to get on a bus , only to be tossed back off because they don't have "exact change" and don't know what the term means, either.

In another part of town, McCoy, Scott, and Sulu walk the streets. McCoy wonders how they'll make the whale tank. Scott says he'd normally do it with transparent aluminum but he and Sulu both realize the material doesn't exist yet, so they'll have to make do with a 20th century equivalent. Just then they notice a mural ad on a wall for the Yellow Pages .

Chekov nuclear wessels

"Nu-cle-ar… wessels."

Elsewhere, Chekov and Uhura have also been perusing the phone book and have found the address for the Alameda Naval Base . Unfortunately, their luck in getting those directions isn't entirely successful with people (including one SFPD police officer ) completely ignoring them and a lady telling them the ships are in Alameda , which they already knew but they don't know how to get to Alameda.

Spock swimming

Spock takes a dip

Kirk and Spock finally find a bus and, after Spock renders a punk rocker unconscious with a nerve pinch , they arrive at the Cetacean Institute and join in with a tour group which is being led by Dr. Gillian Taylor , a guide and whale lover. Taylor escorts the tour group to the Institute's pride and joy, the only two humpbacks in captivity, named George and Gracie . Kirk comments on the amazing stroke of luck in finding a male and a female humpback in a contained space, they can beam them up together and be on the way home. Spock jumps into the whale tank and performs a mind meld with one of the whales. During Spock's mind meld, he is noticed by a completely astonished Kirk and then an elderly lady in the tour group, which raises Taylor's ire and she and Kirk run back up to the tank and she confronts Spock. Spock tries to explain that he was trying to communicate. Kirk attempts to act as if he's there to help Taylor, but when Spock tells him that if they think the whales are theirs to do with as they please, then they'd be as guilty as those who caused the whales' extinction. At that point, Taylor throws both of them out, threatening to call the police as Spock was messing with her tanks and whales. Spock says the whales like her very much, but they are not " the hell "her" whales, " and when she asks if they told him that, he admits they did.

Kirk and Spock in San Francisco

Kirk and Spock review

As they walk away, Kirk asks about Spock's mind meld. Spock says the whales are not happy with how Humans have treated their species, which Kirk finds understandable and asks if they will help. Spock says he believes he was successful in communicating the Enterprise crew's mission.

Dr. Taylor is outraged by their actions, but later tries to relax with the whales and tells them the intruders didn't mean them any harm. Just then her boss, Bob Briggs , steps up and asks how Gillian is doing and she admits she's very upset. Briggs sympathizes but points out again that they endanger the whales' lives by keeping them at the Institute and they take the same risk letting them go. He tries to calm her by reminding her that they've never been proven to be as intelligent as Humans, but Taylor doesn't buy it, angrily saying she doesn't limit her compassion for someone based on an intelligence estimate.

USS Enterprise (CVN-65), 1986

The nuclear wessel

Chekov and Uhura finally find the location of a nuclear vessel. Chekov begins attempting to make contact with Kirk as Uhura locates the exact coordinates of the reactor. Once Kirk is reached, Chekov reports they found the ship which pleases Kirk, and then Chekov tells Kirk "And Admiral… it is the Enterprise ." Kirk acknowledges and asks the plan. Chekov says they'll beam in that night, get the photons and beam out before anyone can ever know they were there. Kirk approves the plan and tells them to keep him informed.

Kirk and Spock Italian

"I love Italian… and so do you."

Just then Taylor approaches in her truck and agrees to give Kirk and Spock a ride back to San Francisco. Taylor asks Kirk where he's from and he says Iowa . Then asking what Spock meant about the whales' extinction, Kirk says he meant if things go as they are, the humpbacks will disappear forever, but Taylor recounts what Spock said exactly, including referring to the whales as already extinct. Kirk promises that they have nothing to do with the military teaching whales to retrieve torpedoes or "dip shit stuff" like that. Spock then blurts out the fact that Gracie is pregnant , which causes Taylor to slam on her brakes, stopping the truck in amazement because this is something nobody outside the institute knows. She demands to know how Spock knows this. Kirk says he can't say but if she gives them a chance, he'll promise they're not in the military and have no harmful intentions toward the whales. He then says that they may be able to help them in ways she can't imagine. Taylor figures she probably won't believe it either. Kirk and Spock manage to agree that she's not catching them at their best. Kirk then suggests that they all go out to dinner and discuss this further. Taylor asks if they like Italian food and Kirk and Spock banter back and forth for a moment before Kirk can get out that he loves Italian and he tells Spock he does too.

McCoy and Scott at Plexicorp

"Professor Scott" and his assistant

In the meantime, Scott and his team have managed to find a manufacturer of large plexiglass walls – Plexicorp – and he and McCoy masquerade as scientists from Edinburgh who are to tour the plant – unbeknownst to the plant's head, Dr. Nichols . Scott makes a scene, but is given a tour of the plant by Nichols and Scott, playing the role, asks if McCoy (his "assistant") can accompany. Nichols says he can and as he commandeers a forklift for them to ride on, McCoy tells Scott " Don't bury yourself in the part! "

Sulu approaches a helicopter pilot and begins speaking to him about the old Huey 204 helicopter on which the pilot is working. The pilot asks Sulu if he's flown any and Sulu says he's flown "here and there." Sulu then tells the pilot that he flew something similar during his Academy days, and the pilot recognizes that the helicopter must be old to him which Sulu admits, but says it's still interesting. He then asks if he can ask a few questions and the pilot agrees to answer them.

Scott, McCoy, and Nichols

Altering the future or preserving history?

Meanwhile, at Plexicorp, after the tour, Scott tells Nichols that they have a very fine plant here and Nichols compliments Scott's impressive knowledge of engineering skill. Scott then says he sees Nichols still working with polymers . Nichols asks what else he'd be using. Scott asks how big a piece of the plexiglass need to be at the measurements they'll need for the Bounty 's cargo bay , holding the pressure of the water that will be inside. Nichols says that a six inch piece would do it. Scott then supposes he shows Nichols a way to make a wall that would do the same thing but only be one inch thick. At first Nichols thinks Scott is joking but McCoy suggest Scott make use of Nichols' computer and he obliges. Although Scott mistakes the old computer for one he can talk to, when Nichols finally tells him to just use the keyboard , Scott does so and quickly comes up with the formula for transparent aluminum. Nichols says it'd take years to work out the dynamics of the matrix, but McCoy tells him he'll be richer than he can dream. When Nichols asks what Scott wants, McCoy excuses them and they go over to the corner. McCoy tells Scott that if they give Nichols the formula, they alter the future . Scott then asks how it is they know Nichols didn't invent transparent aluminum? McCoy agrees to Scott's logic and they go off to make the deal.

Taylor and Kirk at Dinner

Out to dinner

Kirk and Taylor bring Spock back to Golden Gate Park. She asks if Spock won't change his mind about dinner and Spock wonders if there's a problem with the one he has. Kirk says that's a little joke and then tells Spock goodbye. Taylor asks how Spock knew that Gracie is pregnant when nobody knows that. Spock says that Gracie knows she's pregnant and he'll be here in the park. Taylor asks Kirk if Spock is going to just hang out around the bushes and Kirk just shrugs and says it's his way. As Gillian and Kirk drive away, Spock is beamed back aboard the Bounty . Kirk and Taylor are at a pizza restaurant and Kirk allows Gillian to order for them. He then asks how she ended up as a cetacean biologist. She says she is just lucky and a sucker for hard luck cases, mentioning that while she'll never see the whales again after they're released, they'll be tagged with radio transmitters so they can keep track of them. She then asks why Kirk hangs around with " that ditzy guy who knows that Gracie's pregnant and calls you admiral. " Just then, Kirk's Klingon communicator beeps. He tries to ignore it, but it keeps beeping and Taylor notices, calling his communicator a pocket pager and then asks Kirk if he's a doctor. Kirk finally answers it and feigns irritation, saying he said not to call him. Scott is the one calling, he apologizes for the interruption but he thought Kirk would want to know he's beaming Chekov and Uhura in now. Kirk says to tell them to set their phasers on stun and wishes them good luck. He then kills the transmission. Taylor asks for an explanation, Kirk asks when the whales are leaving. Gillian asks who he is, he asks who she thinks he is. Taylor then speculates he's from outer space. Kirk reiterates he's from Iowa, but that he works in outer space. Taylor says she was sure outer space would play a role sooner or later. Kirk then decides to tell her the truth to try and gain Taylor's cooperation in getting the whales. Kirk reveals that he is, by her calendar, from the late 23rd century and he's come back in time to bring two humpback whales with him so they can repopulate the species in his century. Taylor is enthusiastic about getting the details (while not believing a word of it). Kirk asks again when the whales are leaving. Taylor decides to go ahead and tell Kirk that Gracie is indeed very pregnant and that at noon the next day, the whales will be shipped out. At that point, Kirk jumps up and tells Taylor they have to leave just as the pizza arrives. Gillian asks if they can have it to go and then asks Kirk if they use money in the 23rd century and Kirk confirms they don't.

Uhura Chekov collector

Sneaking aboard

At the same time, aboard the Enterprise , Chekov and Uhura hide briefly from a guard and his dog. They then finish their way to the reactor and Chekov attaches the collector to the reactor. When Uhura asks how long this is going to take, Chekov says it will depend on how much shielding there is between them and the actual reactor.

Back at Golden Gate Park, Taylor tells Kirk that was the briefest dinner she's ever had and the makes it clear she doesn't believe Kirk's story at all. Kirk asks what the whale's radio transmitter's frequency is, but Taylor refuses to tell him, citing that it's classified information. Kirk then tells Taylor that he is here to take two humpbacks to the 23rd century and if he has to do so, he will go to the open sea to get them but he'd much rather have hers as it'd be better for him, for Taylor, and for the whales. Gillian once again implores Kirk to tell her who he really is, but he ignores the question and asks her to think about this but not to take too much time and if Gillian changes her mind about helping them, he'll be right there in the park. As Taylor drives off, Kirk walks toward where the Bounty is parked and Taylor hears the transporter beam taking Kirk aboard and sees the light in the corner of her eye. She looks back and sees Kirk gone and drives on, puzzled.

Aboard the Bounty , Kirk asks for an update. Spock says the tank will be finished by morning and there has been no word yet from Chekov and Uhura since beam-in. Kirk grows frustrated that they are so close with two whales that will work great for them if they don't let them slip from their grasp. Spock says there is a possibility then their mission will fail. Kirk reminds Spock he's talking about the future of everyone on Earth and as he walks away angrily ask Spock that as he's half-Human does he not have any feelings about that? McCoy and Scott look at Spock but he does not answer and simply stands there contemplating Kirk's words.

FBI Agent and Chekov

Wrong place, wrong time

Chekov and Uhura continue to collect the photons. On the Enterprise bridge, their attempts have been noticed in the form of a power drain evidently coming from somewhere aboard and the Enterprise crew begins investigating. Meanwhile, in the reactor area, Chekov and Uhura have gained enough photons and Uhura calls for transport but the signal is very weak. At that same time, the Enterprise crew confirms the power drain and the duty officer calls the commanding officer and reports intruders aboard. Uhura finally makes contact with Scott but as power is down to minimum, he'll have to transport them out one at a time. Chekov sends Uhura first with the collector. Uhura transports out safely with the collector, but due to radiation, Chekov's beam-out fails, and as soldiers converge on the reactor area, Chekov continues to try to contact Scott but his signal fails and he is discovered and taken prisoner. Chekov is held for interrogation. Chekov kept his Starfleet ID with him which is discovered by the investigator. He asks Chekov why he is on the Enterprise and what the communicator and phaser are for. Chekov simply reiterates the truth about being a commander in Starfleet and gives his rank and serial number. The investigator and his aide see that he's obviously Russian but the main investigator says about Chekov " …of course he's a Russkie, but he's a retard or something! " While they're distracted, Chekov picks up the phaser and tries to hold the investigators saying if they don't lie on the floor he'll have to stun them. The investigator tells him to go ahead and do so. Chekov apologizes and tries, but the radiation has disabled his phaser. He attempts to escape captivity but just before he can get off the Enterprise , he falls off a ledge landing in the ships elevator shafts and is injured. The Marines who were chasing Chekov call for a corpsman.

Cetacean institute deserted

On the Bounty Uhura is desperately searching for any sign of Chekov. Kirk comes on the bridge and asks if she's found anything and Uhura says she should never have left Chekov behind, but Kirk tells her to keep looking and that she did what was necessary. He then contacts Scott and asks for a progress report on the recrystallization. Scott says it'll be well into the next day but Kirk says that's not going to be good enough and he needs to speed it up. Scott acknowledges and mutters to Spock how Kirk is in "a wee bit of a snit." Spock agrees and offers that Kirk is a man of deep feelings and Scott wonders what else is new.

That same day, Taylor arrives at the Institute and lets herself in. She then heads back to the aquarium where she is shocked to see the whales gone. She runs back inside, horrified, only to be intercepted by Briggs who tells her that to avoid a mob scene with the press they were taken away the night before and they felt it would be easier for her. In tears and anger, Taylor slaps Briggs hard across the face and calls him " You son of a bitch! " before storming out of the Institute, getting back in her truck and speeding back to the park in hopes of finding Kirk.

Taylor hits the cloaked ship

Desperately seeking Kirk

Gillian Taylor aboard the HMS Bounty

" Hello Alice. Welcome to Wonderland. "

Sulu meanwhile, has the helicopter he was speaking to the pilot about earlier and is using it to transport the large pieces of plexiglass to Golden Gate Park to be installed aboard the Bounty . Just then, Taylor arrives in the park and begins yelling for Kirk, when she sees the helicopter lower itself down and then she sees a man seemingly appear waist up out of thin air. After being stunned for a brief moment, Taylor begins running toward that spot still screaming for Kirk when she bumps into something invisible. She stands and feels along the cloaked Bounty 's landing gear, screaming for Kirk still and saying she needs his help as the whales are gone. Scott notices her and yells down at Kirk that they have a problem. Kirk sees Taylor screaming for him on a monitor and then transports her aboard. When Taylor materializes in the transporter chamber Kirk tells her " Hello Alice , welcome to Wonderland . " Taylor is amazed then that what Kirk had told her before was true. Kirk shows her the whale tank and she tells him that the whales were taken the night before without her knowledge. She says that while they're in Alaska by this point, they're tagged, as she said, so they can track them. Kirk says that they can't go anywhere just yet. When Taylor wonders what kind of a ship this is, Kirk says it's a ship with a missing man. Just then Spock appears to tell Kirk full power has been restored. He then greets Gillian and welcomes her aboard and Taylor can only nod back at Spock, seeing him without the headband for the first time and his ears and eyebrows are exposed to her. Just then an upset Uhura calls Kirk and says she's found Chekov in Mercy Hospital . Chekov is going into emergency surgery and he is not expected to survive. McCoy comes up and tells Kirk he's got to be able to go to the hospital and begs Kirk not to leave Chekov in the hands of 20th century medicine. Spock comes up and tells Kirk he believes McCoy to be correct and they must help Chekov. Upon questioning from Kirk, Spock concedes that it is not the logical thing to do, but it is the Human thing to do. Kirk asks if Gillian can help them. She asks how and McCoy says they'll have to look like physicians.

Kirk Taylor McCoy in surgery

Unexpected guests

In the hospital, McCoy, Kirk, and Dr. Taylor begin their search for Chekov. While McCoy walks down a hall he passes by an elderly woman who is in serious pain. He stops and asks what's wrong with her and she says it's kidney dialysis . McCoy mutters to himself about this being the Dark Ages . He reaches into his bag, gives the woman a pill and tells her to swallow it and if there's any problem for her to call him, then very kindly touches her face. She takes the pill and he walks away. Kirk and Taylor finally locate Chekov and after meeting up with McCoy, the three grab a stretcher, put Gillian on it, cover her up, and run for the elevator. They reach the next floor and when they try to go into the operating room where Chekov is in, they're stopped by hospital security. Taylor screams as if in pain and McCoy tells the police guards that the woman has " Immediate postprandial upper abdominal distention! " The guards let them in, Kirk asks McCoy what he said she had and he says cramps. Just then, McCoy steps up to the operating table before the attending surgeon can start drilling on Chekov's head. The surgeon demands to know who they are and then what sort of device McCoy is using. McCoy diagnoses Chekov's problem as tearing of the middle meningeal artery. The surgeon asks if McCoy's degree is in dentistry. McCoy gets angry and asks how the surgeon would explain a slow respiratory rate and pulse with coma and he says fundoscopic examination , which McCoy argues is useless in this case. The surgeon says the pressure can be relieved by a simple evacuation of the expanding epidural hematoma. McCoy passionately tells the surgeon that the artery must be repaired and you can't do that by drilling holes into the patient's head. He then asks the surgeon to " put away [his] butcher knives, " and let him save Chekov before it is too late. The surgeon threatens to have the new arrivals removed, but Kirk takes his phaser out and moves the surgeon and the nurses into a small room where he melts the lock. McCoy heals Chekov's injury with a cortical stimulator . When Chekov comes to, Kirk asks him his name and rank. Chekov recites his name and gives his rank after looking at Kirk as admiral.

McCoy, Kirk, and Taylor come out with Chekov on the stretcher. The guards ask how the patient is doing and Kirk says he'll make it. But the guards realize they came in with a woman, to which Kirk simply mutters " One little mistake! " The guards run in, see the surgeon and others are trapped, and are informed the patient has escaped.

Taylor surprise

"Surprise!"

Realizing their cover has been blown, the three start running the gurney down the hospital corridors with the police guards after them. They run around several corners and pass the elderly woman to whom McCoy gave the pill, who is happily telling everyone that a doctor gave her a pill and she grew a new kidney, which has all the hospital doctors and nurses stunned. They continue running and when Chekov tries to look up, Kirk puts his head back down on the gurney. They finally run into an elevator and the police officers run down the stairs intending to catch them at the next level but the four have disappeared from the hospital and have been beamed to safety while the elevator was in motion. When Kirk asks where the whales might be, Gillian says she can show them if there's a chart on board. But all Kirk wants is the radio frequency. Taylor wants to go with Kirk but Kirk says their next stop is the 23rd century but Taylor, saying she has no one there, insists on helping the whales but Kirk won't hear of it. He then asks her again for the radio frequency and Taylor tells Kirk it's 401 megahertz . Kirk thanks her for everything and then orders himself beamed up but Taylor jumps into his arms just as he's being beamed aboard.

HMS Bounty crew

On a whale hunt of their own

On the Bounty , Kirk and Taylor come on the bridge just as Scott calls Spock to tell him that he's ready. Sulu is taking a few moments to readjust to the Bounty 's helm console as he got used to the Huey. Kirk accuses Taylor of tricking him but Taylor says Kirk will need her. He tells Taylor to sit down and orders Sulu and Chekov to take off. The Bounty , still cloaked, lifts off from Golden Gate Park just as a couple of joggers are running by and they get blown over by the dust and wind. The Bounty lifts up into the skies above San Francisco and head toward Alaska. As power settles in and stabilizes, Kirk orders Uhura to start scanning for the whales on the frequency Gillian gave him. When they reach the proper altitude, Kirk orders full impulse power which Sulu estimates should get them to the Bering Sea in twelve minutes. Scotty reports the whale tanks are secured but this will be the first time he's ever beamed up four hundred tons before. When Kirk asks why it's that much, Scotty reminds Kirk they're having to beam aboard not just the whales, but the water around them as well. Kirk then checks with Uhura but the whales haven't been located yet.

HMS Bounty

The Bounty over the whalers

At that same time, McCoy checks on Spock who appears to be concerned. Spock says that he has tried to use the calculations he used to get them to the 20th century as a reference when calculating to return to the exact moment they left the 23rd unfortunately there are some issues with the calculations that just aren't working out. McCoy says Spock will have to take his best guess. Spock says guessing isn't in his nature and McCoy says that no one is perfect. Just then, Taylor recognizes the whales' signal and Uhura confirms. She detects another signal, which is determined to be a whaling ship. Kirk orders the Bounty into a full power descent and they arrive over the whales just in time to prevent the whaler's harpoon from hitting one of them. When the harpoon bounces off seemingly nothing the whalers are confused. Then the Bounty decloaks over the whaling ship causing the whalers to panic and turn away from the whales in terror. Scotty asks for ten seconds to redirect power from all over the ship to the transporter. Scotty then beams the whales and the surrounding water into the whale tank. The tank creaks, but holds the whales and water securely. Scotty tells Kirk they have full power and as the Bounty leaves Earth behind and enters warp, Kirk takes Taylor to see the whales. But first, he stops and asks Spock about his time calculations and because Scotty couldn't give Spock exact figures he will have to make a guess. This statement surprises Kirk, who calls it extraordinary. When he and Gillian leave, Spock thinks Kirk is confused but McCoy tells him that means Kirk feels better about Spock's guesses than he would most anyone else's facts. Spock then understands it as a compliment and endeavors to make the best guess he can.

George and Grace in aquarium

"There be whales here!"

At the whale tank, Kirk quotes a line from "Whales Weep Not," which Taylor recognizes. Kirk then notes the irony of how in the past when men were killing the whales, they were destroying their own future. Scotty notes the whales seem happy to see Gillian and hopes she likes the tank. She calls it a miracle but Scotty says that's still to come and Kirk explains that their chances of getting home aren't great and she might have been better off staying where she belonged. Taylor says she belongs with the whales as she is a whale biologist. And suppose they do make it to the 23rd century, who there knows anything about humpback whales? Kirk admits her point there. Just then the ship shudders and Scotty reports a power fall-off. Kirk tells Gillian to stay with the whales and heads to the bridge.

HMS Bounty slingshot approaching Sol 2

Altering the trajectory

The ship is at high warp approaching the sun and Scott reports that warp 7.9 is the best he can do. Spock reports that not only can they not make breakaway speed, they might not even escape the sun's gravity so he shall try to compensate by altering their trajectory. Spock then requests thruster control which Kirk grants. At the right moment, Spock orders the thrusters fired and the Bounty again disappears behind the Sun.

HMS Bounty evacuation

Abandoning ship

Everyone wakes up again and Kirk asks if the thrusters fired. Spock reports they did and Kirk wonders where they are. Just then, he hears the drone of the probe as the Bounty begins to lose power. As the ship's systems shut down, the Bounty plunges through the Earth's atmosphere and when McCoy wonders where they might be Kirk can only tell him " Out of control and blind as a bat. " At Starfleet Command, the original transmission from Kirk to Starfleet fades. Cartwright calls for it to be restored just as the window shatters as it did before. This time Sarek points at something which is revealed to be the Bounty , and Cartwright notes it's heading right for the Golden Gate Bridge. The Bounty sails under the bridge and crash lands in San Francisco Bay . Kirk orders the hatch blown . He looks outside, sees it's the right place and now the task at hand is to get the whales out before the Bounty sinks. Kirk orders everyone to abandon ship. When he can't reach Scott, Kirk runs toward engineering after telling Spock to ensure the safety of everyone else. Kirk runs down toward the whale tank and manages to force the door open, and pulls Scott and Taylor out of the tank area which is almost completely submerged. Taylor notes the whales are trapped and if they're not freed, they'll drown. Scott says the bay doors have no power and that the explosive override is underwater. Kirk sends them out through the bridge hatch and he swims underwater to the explosive override and pulls it open, knocking the hull of the Bounty open and allowing Kirk and the whales to swim out of the ship. Kirk reaches the surface just in time and is pulled up to safety by Spock and Taylor. After a few moments the whales are seen swimming. Meanwhile, the probe keeps calling for the whales and everyone at Starfleet just watches and waits as the power completely fails.

George and Gracie sing

Whale songs

Having oriented himself pointing straight downward, George begins to sing back to the probe, to which it also orients itself downward to a vertical position before replying. After a few minutes of communication with the whales the probe deactivates its scanner and the weather on Earth begins to calm. Power begins to be restored all around the planet and as the probe leaves the way it came, it passes Spacedock and power is restored aboard the station. As the skies clear over Earth, the Enterprise crew and Gillian celebrate at the Bounty 's crash site.

Enterprise crew in bay

Vulcan overboard

Kirk pulls Taylor in the water and everyone else except Spock jumps in. Kirk gets up on the ship and manages to toss Spock in, going with him as well. The crew celebrates the end of the crisis in the water as a Starfleet shuttle heads toward them to pick them up. Having saved the Earth, George and Gracie head towards the Golden Gate Bridge for open water to explore the new world they've entered, free from the threat of Human hunters.

James T

Standing trial

However, Kirk and crew still have to face court martial. In the Federation Council Chambers, the President calls the trial to order. Kirk, McCoy, Scott, Chekov, Sulu, and Uhura are brought in from where they were being held, only to be joined by Spock, who was sitting in the Council with his father. The president reminds Spock that he does not stand accused, but Spock intends to stand with his shipmates and the president accepts. He then lists the charges and specifications against the Enterprise crew: conspiracy (which is directed at Bones), assault on Federation officers (which is directed at all of them), theft of Federation property (the starship Enterprise ) (which is directed at Kirk, Scotty, Bones, Sulu, and Chekov), sabotage of the USS Excelsior (which is directed at Scotty), willful destruction of Federation property (again, the USS Enterprise ) (which is directed at Kirk, Scotty, and Chekov), and disobeying direct orders of the Starfleet commander (which is directed at Kirk). The president asks Kirk for his plea, and on behalf of all the officers, Kirk announces he is authorized to plead guilty. The president then says that because of "certain mitigating circumstances," though, all charges are dropped, except for one, and that charge: disobeying a superior officer, is directed solely at Admiral Kirk. The president asks Kirk if he recognizes the need for keeping discipline in any chain of command and Kirk tells the president he does. The president announces that Kirk's punishment is that he will be reduced in rank to captain, and as a consequence of that rank, he is given the duty for which he has demonstrated unswerving ability: the command of a starship. The council chamber begins to cheer until the President silences them and he then tells Kirk that he and his crew have saved Earth from its own short-sightedness and the people of Earth are forever in their debt. At that point, the council chambers breaks into cheering and applause, with people coming down to congratulate the Enterprise crew.

Kirk and Taylor kiss

"See ya around the galaxy."

Kirk sees Taylor and she says how happy she is for him and thanks Kirk before starting to leave. Kirk stops her and asks where she's going. Taylor says since she's got three hundred years of catchup learning to do, she's going on board a science vessel. Kirk asks if this means goodbye, especially as one might say back in the 20th century, he doesn't even have Gillian's telephone number and asks how he'll find her. Taylor says she'll find him and kisses him goodbye. " See you around the galaxy, " she says just before departing.

Spock and Sarek Federation council

Father and son

Meanwhile Spock has caught up with Sarek and as his father is planning to return to Vulcan, he wants to take his leave of Spock. Spock thanks Sarek for the effort he put out for them, Sarek says there was no effort as Spock is his son and in any case, he was very impressed with Spock's performance during the crisis. Sarek then recalls how he initially opposed Spock's entrance into Starfleet, saying that his judgment may have been incorrect. Sarek says that Spock's associates are people of good character. Spock tells Sarek they are his friends. Sarek accepts that and then asks if Spock has a message for his mother. Spock says he does, and to tell Amanda that he feels fine. He raises his hand in the Vulcan salute and tells his father to " Live long and prosper, " and Sarek reciprocates. Then Spock turns from Sarek, who starts to leave Council chambers en route to Vulcan, and Spock rejoins Kirk and they walk out of the chambers themselves.

USS Enterprise-A in spacedock

"My friends…we've come home."

Flying through spacedock in a travel pod , following an orbit shuttle leading them, the crew heads toward their new assignment. McCoy, saying the bureaucratic mentality is the only constant in the universe, expects they will get a freighter, while Sulu hopes for Excelsior . When Scott asks why Sulu would want "that bucket of bolts " Kirk simply tells Scott that " A ship is a ship ," to which Scott begrudgingly agrees.

Spock, Kirk, McCoy, and Scott on Enterprise-A, 2286

" Let's see what she's got. "

From the forward window, the crew notes the Excelsior come into view, but, rather than docking with it, the travel pod continues over it revealing their true destination – a Constitution II -class starship, USS Enterprise , with the primary hull proudly displaying its Starfleet registry : NCC-1701-A. The crew beams as Kirk joyfully announces " My friends… we've come home. " As the new Enterprise departs the Spacedock, the crew takes up their familiar positions on the bridge. With eager anticipation, Sulu informs the captain that the helm is ready. As Kirk takes the center seat, he gives the order: " Let's see what she's got! " With a flash, the Enterprise engages her warp drive, ready to once again boldly go where no man has gone before.

Memorable quotes [ ]

" Behold the quintessential devil in these matters! James T. Kirk, renegade and terrorist! Not only is he responsible for the murder of a Klingon crew, or the theft of a Klingon vessel! See now the real plot and intentions. Even as this Federation was negotiating a peace treaty with us, Kirk was secretly developing the Genesis torpedo, conceived by Kirk's son and test-detonated by the Admiral himself! And the result of this awesome energy was euphemistically called the Genesis planet, a secret base from which to launch the annihilation of the Klingon people!! "

" We demand the extradition of Kirk! We demand justice! " " Klingon justice is a unique point of view, Mr. President. Genesis was perfectly named the creation of life, not death. The Klingons shed the first blood while attempting to possess its secrets. " " Vulcans are well known as the intellectual puppets of this Federation! "

" Your vessel did destroy USS Grissom . Your men did kill Kirk's son . Do you deny these events? " " We deny nothing. We have the right to preserve our race! " " Do you have the right to commit murder? "

" Mr. Ambassador, with all respect, the Council's deliberations are over. " " Then Kirk goes unpunished? " " Admiral Kirk has been charged with nine violations of Starfleet regulations. " " Starfleet regulations?! That's outrageous!! Remember this well. There shall be no peace as long as Kirk lives! "

"You pompous ass!"

" You'd think they could at least send us a ship. It's bad enough to be court-martialed and to have to spend the rest of our lives mining borite, but to have to go home in this Klingon flea trap? " " We could learn a thing or two about this flea trap. It's got a cloaking device that cost us a lot. " " I just wish we could cloak the stench! "

" Emergency channel 0130. Code red. It has been three hours since our contact with the alien probe. All attempts at regaining power have failed. " " It's using forms of energy we do not understand. " " Can you protect us? " " We are launching everything we have. " " Our systems engineers are trying to deploy a makeshift solar-sail. We have high hopes that this will, if successful, generate power to keep us alive. "

" Cloaking device now available on all flight modes. " " I'm impressed! That's a lot of work for a short voyage. " " We are in an enemy wessel, sir. I did not wish to be shot down on the way to our own funeral. " " Good thinking. "

" …and Admiral, I have replaced the Klingon food packs. They were giving me a sour stomach. " " Oh, is that what that was? "

" Saavik… this is goodbye. Thank you. " " Sir, I have not had the opportunity to tell you about your son. David died most bravely. He saved Spock. He saved us all. I thought you should know. " (to Spock) " Good day, Captain Spock. May your journey be free of incident. " " Live long and prosper, Lieutenant. "

" I don't know if you've got the whole picture, but he isn't exactly working on all thrusters. " " It'll come back to him. "

" I may have carried your soul but I sure couldn't fill your shoes. " " My shoes? " " ...Forget it. "

" Come on, Spock. It's me, McCoy! You really have gone where no man has gone before! "

" You mean I have to die to discuss your insights on death? " " Forgive me, Doctor. I am receiving a number of distress calls. " " I don't doubt it! "

" There are other forms of intelligence on Earth, Doctor. Only Human arrogance would assume the message must be meant for man. "

" Are you planning to take a swim? " " Off the deep end, Mister Scott. "

" You're proposing that we go back in time, find humpback whales, then bring them forward in time, drop 'em off, and hope to hell they tell this probe what to go do with itself?! " " That's the general idea. " " Well, that's crazy! " " Got a better idea? Now's the time. "

" Angels and ministers of grace, defend us. "

" May fortune favor the foolish. "

" Did you see that? " " No, and neither did you, so shut up! "

" Everybody remember where we parked! "

" Why don't you watch where you're going, you dumb-ass! " " Well, a double dumb-ass on you! "

" It's a miracle these people ever got out of the twentieth century. "

" The rest of you, break up. You look like a cadet review. "

" Weren't those a present from Doctor McCoy? " " And they will be again. That's the beauty of it. "

" I'll give you one hundred dollars. " " Is that a lot? "

" What does it mean, exact change? "

" Excuse me, sir. Can you direct me to the naval base in Alameda? It's where they keep the nuclear wessels . " (no response) " Nu-cle-ar wes-sels. "

" Ooh, I don't know if I know the answer to that. I think it's across the bay. In Alameda." " That's what I said, Alameda. I know that. " " But where is Alameda!? "

" Excuse me! Excuse me! Would you mind stopping that noise? (punk rocker turns up boombox louder) EXCUSE ME! WOULD YOU MIND STOPPING THAT DAMN NOISE?! (punk rocker flips Kirk off) "

" Your use of language has altered since we arrived, Admiral. It is currently laced with... shall we say, more colorful metaphors." " You mean the profanity. " " Yes. " " Well, that's simply the way they talk here. Nobody pays any attention to you unless you swear every other word. You'll find it in all the literature of the period. " " Such as? " " The collective works of Jacqueline Susann. The novels of Harold Robbins. " " Ah. The giants. "

" To hunt a species to extinction is not logical. " " Whoever said the Human race was logical? "

" They like you very much, but they are not the hell your whales. " " I … I suppose they told you that, huh? " " The hell they did. " " Right. "

" If we play our cards right, we may be able to find out when those whales are leaving. " " How will playing cards help? "

" Very little point in my trying to explain. " " Yeah, I'll buy that. What about him? " " Him? He's harmless. Back in the sixties he was part of the free speech movement at Berkeley. I think he had a little too much LDS . " " LDS? "

" I have a photographic memory. I see words. "

" Are you sure it isn't the time for a colorful metaphor? "

" You're aren't one of those guys from the military, are you, trying to teach whales to retrieve torpedoes, or some dipshit stuff like that? " " No, ma'am. No dipshit. "

" Gracie is pregnant. " (Gillian suddenly stops her truck) " Alright, who are you, and don't jerk me around anymore. I wanna know how you know that? "

" You're not exactly catching us at our best. " " That much is certain. "

" I love Italian. " (Kirk looks at Spock) " And so do you. " " Yes. "

" I find it hard to believe that I've come millions of miles! " " Thousands! Thousands! " " Thousands of miles on an invited tour of inspection! "

" Don't bury yourself in the part! "

" Hello, computer. "

" NOT NOW, MADELINE!!! "

" You realize, of course, if we give him the formula, we're altering the future. " " Why? How do we know he didn't invent the thing? "

" Are you sure you won't change your mind? " " Is there something wrong with the one I have? "

" Wait a minute! How did you know Gracie's pregnant? Nobody knows that. " " Gracie does. "

" Don't tell me. You're from outer space. " " No, I'm from Iowa. I only work in outer space. "

" Okay, the truth. I am from, what on your calendar, would be the 23rd Century. I have come back in time to retrieve a pair of humpback whales in an attempt to... repopulate the species. " " Well, why didn't you just say so? Why all the coy disguises? "

" You play games with me, mister, and you're through! " " I am? May I go now? "

" All right, make nice. Give us the ray gun. " " I warn you, I will have to stun you. " " Go ahead. Stun me. " " I'm very sorry, but... " (Chekov uses the phaser but it doesn't work, making only a weak noise) " Must be the radiation. "

" They left last night. We didn't want a mob scene with the press; it wouldn't have been good for them. Besides, I thought it would be easier on you this way. " " You sent them away without even letting me say goodbye?! You son of a bitch!! " (slaps him hard)

" Hello, Alice. Welcome to Wonderland. "

" Is that the logical thing to do, Spock? " " No, but it is the Human thing to do. "

" Well, what's wrong with you? " " Kidney dialysis. " " "Dialysis"? What is this, the Dark Ages? (McCoy gives her a pill out of his bag) Now you swallow that. And if you have any more problems, just call me. "

" This woman has immediate post-prandial upper abdominal distension! Get out of the way! Get out of the way! " " What did you say she's got? " " Cramps. "

" Tearing of the middle meningeal artery. " " What's your degree in, dentistry? " " How do you explain slowing pulse, low respiratory rate and coma? " " Fundoscopic examination... " " Fundoscopic examination is unrevealing in these cases! " " A simple evacuation of the expanding epidural hematoma will relieve the pressure. " " Good God, man! Drilling holes in his head's not the answer! The artery must be repaired! Now put away your butcher knives and let me save this patient before it's too late!"

" We're dealing with medievalism here! Chemotherapy! Fundoscopic examinations! "

" Pavel, talk to me. Name! Rank! " " Chekov, Pavel. Rank, admiral! "

" He's gonna make it! " " He? You went in with a she! " " One little mistake. "

" Doctor gave me a pill and I grew a new kidney! The doctor gave me a pill and I grew a new kidney! "

" Where would the whales be by now? " " At sea. If you have a chart on board, I'll show you. " " No, no, no. All I need is the radio frequency to track them. " " What are you talking about? I'm coming with you. " " You can't. Our next stop is the twenty-third century. " " Well, I don't care! I've got nobody here. I have got to help those whales!! " " I have no time to argue with you, or even tell you how much you've meant to us. The radio frequency, please. " " The frequency's 401 megahertz. " " Thank you, for everything. Scotty, beam me up! " " Surprise! "

" Spock, where the hell's that power you promised? " " One damn minute, Admiral! "

" Guessing is not in my nature, Doctor. " " Well, nobody's perfect. "

" Admiral! There be whales here! "

" He means that he feels safer about your guesses than most other people's facts. "

" They say the sea is cold but the sea contains the hottest blood of all. "

" My God, Jim. Where are we? " Out of control and blind as a bat."

" Captain Spock, you do not stand accused. " " Mr. President, I stand with my shipmates. "

" The charges and specifications are: conspiracy, assault on Federation officers, theft of Federation property, namely the starship Enterprise , sabotage of the USS Excelsior , willful destruction of Federation property, specifically the aforementioned USS Enterprise , and finally, disobeying the direct orders of the Starfleet Commander. Admiral Kirk, how do you plead? " " On behalf of all of us, Mr. President, I'm authorized to plead guilty. " " So entered. Because of certain mitigating circumstances, all charges but one are summarily dismissed. The remaining charge, disobeying the orders of a superior officer, is directed solely at Admiral Kirk. "

" James T. Kirk, it is the judgment of this council that you be reduced in rank to Captain, and that as a consequence of your new rank, you be given the responsibility for which you have repeatedly demonstrated unswerving ability: the command of a starship. "

" I'm so happy for you I can't tell you! Thank you so much. " " Wait a minute! Where are you going? " " You're going to your ship, I'm going to mine. Science vessel. I've got 300 years of catch-up learning to do. " " You mean, this is goodbye? " " Why does it have to be goodbye? " " Well... like they say in your century, I don't even have your telephone number. (they laugh) How will I find you? " " Don't worry. I'll find you. (kisses Kirk) See you around the galaxy. "

" I am returning to Vulcan within the hour. I would like to take my leave of you. " " It was most kind of you to make this effort. " " It was no effort. You are my son. Besides, I am most impressed with your performance in this crisis. " " Most kind. " " As I recall, I opposed your enlistment in Starfleet. It is possible that judgment was incorrect. Your associates are people of good character. " " They are my friends. " " Yes, of course. Do you have a message for your mother? " " Yes. Tell her... I feel fine. "

" The bureaucratic mentality is the only constant in the universe. We'll get a freighter. " " With all due respect, Doctor, I'm counting on Excelsior . " "Excelsior? Why in God's name would you want that bucket of bolts? " A ship is a ship, Mr. Scott. " " Whatever you say, Sir. Thy will be done. "

" My friends. We've come home. "

" All right, Mr. Sulu, let's see what she's got. "

Background information [ ]

Challenger dedication

The dedication displayed at the beginning of the film

The Voyage Home Australian poster

Australian poster for The Voyage Home

  • The film is dedicated " to the men and women of the spaceship Challenger ", which exploded shortly after liftoff on 28 January 1986 , almost ten months before the release of Star Trek IV .
  • Prior to the release of the 2009 film Star Trek (which as of October, 2009, grossed over $384.9 million), The Voyage Home was the highest-grossing Star Trek film, making $109.7 million in the United States. Due to the success of this film, Paramount decided to make the second Star Trek TV series a reality (after the unsuccessful attempt of Star Trek: Phase II ). That series eventually became Star Trek: The Next Generation , which premiered the next fall. The first US VHS tape release of the movie contained a small promo clip for The Next Generation , briefly introducing the new Enterprise and characters.
  • Outside of North America, the film's title was changed to The Voyage Home: Star Trek IV (see UK trailer below), and references to the Star Trek brand were consciously avoided. This was done largely because Star Trek III: The Search for Spock had suffered badly from competition with Ghostbusters outside of North America and only grossed just over ten million dollars. A special prologue (see Trivia section below), in the form of a captain's log was created to detail the events of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and Star Trek III: The Search for Spock to aid newcomers, narrated by William Shatner himself. [1] (X) While the tactic was somewhat successful, the rest-of-the-world gross of around $24 million was still less than a fifth of the film's overall total, and so Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country was marketed as normal worldwide ( Star Trek V: The Final Frontier was not theatrically released in most countries). Although the early VHS releases also carried the inverted title, when the film was eventually released on DVD, its title reverted to Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home worldwide.
  • The Voyage Home was released in the United Kingdom on 10 April 1987 . It launched at the top of the box office and stayed there for two weeks. It earned £2,697,776 overall. [2]
  • The Voyage Home is ranked #2 out of the #11 Star Trek-based films according to Box Office Mojo, not adjusting for inflation, which makes it the most successful film until the 2009's Star Trek . [3]

Creation and production [ ]

  • This film marked the start of Michael Okuda 's nineteen year relationship with the Star Trek franchise, both movies and television. For this film, he designed the computer displays as well as introducing the "touch screen" computer consoles, seen in the rest of the Star Trek films and television shows (except for Star Trek: Enterprise ).
  • According to several issues of the DC Star Trek comics letters page, the film was originally scheduled for release in the summer of 1986, but was delayed due to William Shatner still filming episodes of TJ Hooker and they had to wait until its shooting season was completed before Shatner could join the project.
  • The letters page of at least one issue (26) of the DC Star Trek comic also refers to the film by its apparent working title, Star Trek IV: The Adventure Continues .
  • The character of Dr. Taylor was originally a male character who was a wacky college professor who was a " UFO nut," and, for added humor to the lighthearted script, actor Eddie Murphy was offered the role. Mike Okuda 's DVD text commentary, as well as William Shatner's Star Trek Movie Memories , indicate that Murphy, as a fan of Star Trek, had approached Nimoy and Bennett about a role in the film, but later he decided to appear in The Golden Child instead (a decision he admits later was a big mistake), and Catherine Hicks won the rewritten and revised role. Nicholas Meyer later stated that when he came in to write the 20th century section of the film, he realized the earlier drafts were written with Murphy in mind.
  • An early draft of the script had Sulu meeting a young child on the streets of San Francisco who was his distant ancestor . According to William Shatner's Star Trek Movie Memories , the scene was an idea pitched to Harve Bennett by George Takei, who was delighted when he discovered the scene was to be shot. However, when it came time to film the scene, the child they hired to play the role of Sulu's great-great-great grandfather was not a professional actor, and his mother was on set, causing the child to be extremely nervous. Consequently, they couldn't get anything done with the boy and eventually they had to move on. The scene was scrapped, much to the heartbreak of Takei. The scene survives in Vonda McIntyre 's novelization . In the novel, while Sulu, McCoy and Scotty are walking the streets of San Francisco, a young Japanese boy walks up to Sulu, thinking him a relative and begins speaking to Sulu in Japanese and Sulu would find out the boy's name was Akira Sulu. After the boy leaves, McCoy asks who that was and Sulu tells him that the boy was in fact, his great-great-great grandfather.
  • Early drafts of the script had Saavik remaining on Vulcan due to her being pregnant with Spock's child, following the events of the previous movie when young Spock went through pon farr as he aged rapidly, implying that he had sex with Saavik on the Genesis Planet .
  • The scene where Kirk says "LDS" instead of "LSD" originally called for Gillian Taylor to ask if he was dyslexic on top of everything else.
  • Most of the shots of the humpback whales were taken using four-foot long animatronics models. Four such models were created, and were so realistic that after release of the film, US fishing authorities publicly criticized the film makers for getting too close to whales in the wild. The filmmakers reportedly said that they enjoyed telling those same authorities that except for the live shots toward the end of the film, the whale scenes weren't real. The scenes involving these whales were shot in a swimming pool in a Los Angeles area high school. A large animatronic tail was also created, for the scene on the sinking Bird-of-Prey, filmed on the Paramount car park, which was flooded for the shoot. The same spot was previously seen as a part of planet Vulcan in Star Trek: The Motion Picture . The shot of the whales swimming past the Golden Gate Bridge was filmed on location, and nearly ended in disaster when a cable got snagged on a nuclear submarine and the whales were towed out to sea.

Enterprise crew, 1986

The crew of the USS Enterprise in San Francisco, 1986

  • Some of the Bird-of-Prey footage is reused from Star Trek III: The Search for Spock .
  • A shot of the Bird-of-Prey heading to the Sun at warp speed was reused, with added disruptor fire in TNG : " Redemption II ".
  • The aircraft carrier sequences were actually filmed aboard the conventionally-powered Forrestal -class carrier USS Ranger (CV 61) . Ranger can be distinguished from Enterprise by her longer rectangular superstructure (barely visible behind the hair of Nichelle Nichols ) and different arrangement of aircraft elevators. Enterprise was out at sea at the time and unavailable for filming. Even if available, in 1986, the engineering spaces of the nuclear carriers were deeply classified and filming a movie in them would have been impossible. All Enterprise sailors and marines were played by Ranger personnel (in certain scenes, freeze-frame reveals sailors wearing Ranger ball caps rather than Enterprise ones).
  • Dr. Taylor orders Michelob beer over dinner, one of the few instances where an actual product is named in Star Trek . While the beer's label was never shown, another company managed to have a rare Trek moment of product placement . The computer used by Scotty at the Plexicorp factory is clearly a period-appropriate Macintosh Plus , and Apple Computer Company – as it was then known – receives a credit at the end of the film. Pacific Bell advertising is also prominently visible. Star Trek V: The Final Frontier offers one of the few other instances of product placement in the franchise's history, when Kirk, Spock and McCoy go camping wearing Levi's jeans. Another instance of this was in the opening sequence of Star Trek Generations , when a bottle of Dom Perignon was smashed on the hull of the Enterprise -B at the ship's christening. In Star Trek , a young Kirk uses an integrated Nokia mobile car phone, while Uhura is seen ordering Budweisers in an Iowa bar .
  • The Voyage Home is the first Star Trek production to be directed by a member of the main cast. While Leonard Nimoy had also directed the previous film, he was not a member of the main cast, only appearing at the end.

Continuity [ ]

  • This film establishes that Hikaru Sulu was born in San Francisco.
  • This marks Majel Barrett 's final performance as Christine Chapel .
  • The slingshot effect used by the Bounty to travel into the past was previously used in " Tomorrow is Yesterday " and " Assignment: Earth ". Kirk directly references these events when he says " We've done it before ", referring to the slingshot maneuver. In Assignment: Earth and this movie, the Enterprise travels back exactly three hundred years, a fact perhaps explained by Spock's comment that he had to program some of the variables from memory.
  • The film marks the last on-screen appearance of a Starfleet commodore , seen as a non-speaking extra in the Federation Council chambers, until the Star Trek: Enterprise episode " First Flight ". It remained the chronologically-latest sighting of the rank in-universe prior to the appearance of Commodore Oh in Star Trek: Picard .
  • The city of San Francisco would be visited by time-traveling Star Trek characters again, in the episodes TNG : " Time's Arrow " and TNG : " Time's Arrow, Part II ", and DS9 : " Past Tense, Part I " and DS9 : " Past Tense, Part II ".
  • Brock Peters, who plays Admiral Cartwright in this film (and later in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country ), also played the father of Benjamin Sisko in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine .
  • This film establishes that Kirk is from Iowa. However, Kirk doesn't specifically say he was born in Iowa but was from there. According to Roberto Orci , one of the writers of Star Trek , the USS Kelvin was headed to Earth where James T. Kirk was eventually going to be born in Iowa and not on the Kelvin or Medical shuttle 37 in the alternate reality created by the Narada 's arrival in 2233 .
  • During the final courtroom scene, one shot of the crew filing in has the entire main TOS cast in it: Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Scotty, Uhura, Chekov, and Sulu are entering the room, and Rand and Chapel are visible in the audience behind them. This is the only shot in the entire franchise in which all of these characters are on screen at the same time.
  • A copy of the San Francisco Register seen in the film dates the 20th century part of the film to Thursday, 18 December , 1986 . This is consistent with marketing for the film, which used the phrase "Stardate: 1986". Leonard Nimoy, in an interview about the film's release on "Good Morning America" in November 1986, mentions that the crew journeys back in time "300 years to now," which strongly suggests 1986 as the destination year and, perhaps less strongly, suggests the crew's own time is 2286.
  • The headlines and text in the newspaper are fictional, and can't be straightforwardly linked to real events. Notably, however, one headline mentions that a "Geneva summit [is] in doubt". This is in the context of "nuclear arms talks". Two Geneva summits have been held between the US and other nuclear powers; one in 1955 and one in 1985.
  • Kirk states in his Captain's log near the opening of the film that he and his crew are in "our third month of our Vulcan exile", following the final events of Star Trek III . The date of the events of Star Trek III however are not entirely clear . Upon traveling to the 23rd century , Gillian mentions that she has "three hundred years of catch-up learning to do" after being transported to the future, though may have been casually approximating the time difference. StarTrek.com , Star Trek Chronology and Star Trek Encyclopedia  (3rd ed., p. 691) use this the line from Gillian to date the film to 2286. Memory Alpha also uses this year.
  • Kirk makes a reference to the HMS Bounty mutiny having occurred five hundred years ago (from his own time). Since that event took place in 1789, it suggests his own time is 2289, though he, too, may have been casually approximating.

Monterey Bay Aquarium

The Monterey Bay Aquarium , used as the setting for the Cetacean Institute . The top picture shows how the aquarium looks in real life, and the bottom is how it was adapted for the film

  • The lighted table in Starfleet Command eventually became the famous "pool table" located in main engineering of the USS Enterprise -D .
  • The USS Saratoga seen in early scenes was actually a slightly modified shooting model of the USS Reliant from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan .
  • The bridge set for the aforementioned USS Saratoga was a simple redress set of the bridge of the Grissom from Star Trek III (which itself was a redress of the Enterprise bridge from the first three films). The camera angles used for scenes aboard the Saratoga do not make clear whether modifications seen to the bridge set at the end of the film had yet been made. The shot of the Captain from the Yorktown , which sent a transmission to Starfleet HQ, was also filmed on this set.
  • The Bridge of the HMS Bounty was different from its appearance in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock .
  • This film has a sense of historical irony regarding ship names. The film depicts the USS Saratoga and mentions the USS Yorktown (which Roddenberry claimed became the Enterprise -A) while featuring the aircraft carrier Enterprise (which was actually portrayed by the real life USS Ranger ). During the period before World War II, the aircraft carriers USS Enterprise , USS Saratoga , USS Yorktown , and USS Ranger , were four of the seven fleet carriers in United States Navy service. The other three were Saratoga 's sister-ship, Lexington , the unique Wasp , and Enterprise 's sister, USS Hornet . All seven of these ships served in the Pacific. Only Enterprise, Ranger, and Saratoga survived the conflict, and were decommissioned shortly after its conclusion.
  • The clothes worn by Leonard Nimoy as Spock during his swim in the whale tank were auctioned off in the It's A Wrap! sale and auction . [5]
  • During Spock's retraining, an original configuration Constitution -class ship appears on the monitor.
  • The whaling ship used in the film was a World War II minesweeper called Golden Gate . [6]
  • The whale hunters speak Finnish , even though the script called for a crew of famous humpback hunters like the Norwegians, Icelanders or Russians to be used. [7] Finland has never had any sort of whale hunting industry. However, Norway, a prominent whaling country, has a minority of Kvens, who speak a dialect of the Finnish language.
  • Director Nimoy mentioned in the film's DVD commentary that in the scene where Gillian Taylor slaps Bob Briggs for letting the whales leave without letting her say goodbye to them that Catherine Hicks really did slap Scott DeVenney rather hard, and that while DeVenney was neither expecting it nor very happy about it, he took it and was a good sport about it later.
  • Since the producers decided not to use subtitles for the Finnish dialogue or the probe/whale song sequence (although Paramount at one point did want subtitles for the film's climax), this is the only film of the first six Star Trek movies to not have any subtitles – not even to establish location or timeframe.
  • Due to Star Trek III: The Search for Spock being released direct-to-video in some European and South American territories, a prologue recapping the events of The Search for Spock , narrated by Shatner, was added to release prints of this film in the territories listed above. The UK home video masters were also used for the Australian video release. Some of these releases omitted the Challenger dedication in order to make room for this prologue, but some releases kept both the prologue and the dedication.
  • Though he had been distinctly unimpressed by Star Trek III: The Search for Spock , US President Ronald Reagan viewed this film, at the White House , on 20 December 1986 . ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 160 , p. 53)
  • Several costumes, props, and items from this movie were sold off on the It's A Wrap! sale and auction on eBay, including a puppet which stood in as an alien ambassador. [8]
  • The Voyage Home and Star Trek Beyond are the only two Star Trek films to not feature a starship Enterprise as the primary setting of the film. In both cases, it is due to the destruction of the Enterprise , and its replacement, the Enterprise -A, is seen at the end of the film.
  • The Saratoga is popularly assumed to have been harmlessly disabled by the probe even though it's not seen again. And it is generally surmised that the probe just made a big mess on Earth for everyone to clean up. The overall light, comedic nature of this film tends to lead credence to the widely popularized sentiment of Star Trek IV being the only film in the series in which absolutely no one dies.
  • This is the only film where none of Star Trek 's signature weapons (phasers, photons, and disruptors) are fired at a ship or individual with the intent to neutralize, kill or destroy. Only two attempts at using a handheld weapon are made; once by Chekov aboard the Enterprise , which fails, and once by Kirk, in which he melts the lock on the door to the room where the surgical staff is confined adjunct to Chekov's operating room at Mercy Hospital.
  • Due to the events of the movie, DC Comics' first set of comics had to change course with their stories to accommodate the events of the movie. To this end, they had Spock's mind ravaged by a virus, forcing Kirk and his crew to take the HMS Bounty , which was docked within the Excelsior , and return to Vulcan. Thus, Kirk and his crew were fugitives again, this time for abandoning the Excelsior .
  • This is the last Star Trek film to use the 1975-1986 Paramount Pictures logo.
  • Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home 's network television premiere occurred on the March 4, 1990 edition of The ABC Sunday Night Movie , the fourth consecutive and last such TV broadcast debut of a Star Trek film on the American Broadcasting Company until the 1999 TV premiere of 1996's Star Trek: First Contact .
  • For the occasion of the film's 35th anniversary , Fathom Events organized a limited theatrical release on 19 and 22 August 2021 in select North American cities of the 4K Ultra HD version of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home , whose remastering to such had just been completed. Aside from the film itself, the 2009 The Three Picture Saga special feature was also shown. [9] [10] [11]

Video and DVD releases [ ]

  • US Betamax release: 1987

Merchandise gallery [ ]

story album

Awards and honors [ ]

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home received the following awards and honors.

Apocrypha [ ]

  • The novel The Rise and Fall of Khan Noonien Singh, Volume One established that Chekov's Klingon phaser and communicator, which he threw at the investigators on the Enterprise in order to make his escape attempt, were sent to Area 51 and then subsequently recovered by Roberta Lincoln (who was sent by Gary Seven ) before they could be analyzed and potentially alter history.
  • In the novelization of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home , during the court martial, when the president tells Spock that he's not accused, Spock tells the president " Mr. President, I stand with my shipmates. Their fate shall be mine. "
  • The novelization also expands on McCoy and Scotty's discussion on whether or not they should give Dr. Nichols the formula for transparent aluminum. In the novel, Scotty knows for certain that Nichols did indeed invent transparent aluminum and so it is OK for them to give him the formula and it may well be essential that they do so .
  • The unfilmed scene between Sulu and his great-great-great grandfather (see above) was also featured in the novelization .
  • In the novelization Kirk recaps the tragic events of " The City on the Edge of Forever " while discussing a possible time travel with Spock and McCoy.
  • After her initial shock, Gillian begins to like the transporter and is actually quite surprised when she finds out Doctor McCoy dislikes and distrusts it.

Links and references [ ]

Credits [ ], opening credits [ ].

  • William Shatner
  • Leonard Nimoy
  • DeForest Kelley
  • James Doohan
  • George Takei
  • Walter Koenig
  • Nichelle Nichols
  • Mark Lenard as Sarek
  • Jane Wyatt as Amanda
  • Majel Barrett as Commander Chapel
  • Robert Ellenstein as the Council President
  • John Schuck as the Klingon Ambassador
  • Brock Peters as Admiral Cartwright
  • Robin Curtis as Lt. Saavik
  • Catherine Hicks as Gillian
  • Gene Roddenberry
  • Leonard Rosenman
  • Peter E. Berger
  • Jack T. Collis
  • Don Peterman , ASC
  • Ralph Winter
  • Leonard Nimoy & Harve Bennett
  • Steve Meerson & Peter Krikes
  • Harve Bennett & Nicholas Meyer
  • Harve Bennett

Closing credits [ ]

  • Kirk – William Shatner
  • Spock – Leonard Nimoy
  • McCoy – DeForest Kelley
  • Scotty – James Doohan
  • Sulu – George Takei
  • Chekov – Walter Koenig
  • Uhura – Nichelle Nichols
  • Amanda – Jane Wyatt
  • Gillian – Catherine Hicks
  • Sarek – Mark Lenard
  • Lt. Saavik – Robin Curtis
  • Federation Council President – Robert Ellenstein
  • Klingon Ambassador – John Schuck
  • Admiral Cartwright – Brock Peters
  • Starfleet Communications Officer – Michael Snyder
  • Starfleet Display Officer – Michael Berryman
  • Saratoga Science Officer – Mike Brislane
  • Commander Rand – Grace Lee Whitney
  • Alien Communications Officer – Jane Wiedlin
  • Starship Captain – Vijay Amritraj
  • Commander Chapel – Majel Barrett
  • Saratoga Helmsman – Nick Ramus
  • Controller #1 – Thaddeus Golas
  • Controller #2 – Martin Pistone
  • Bob Briggs – Scott DeVenney
  • Lady in Tour – Viola Stimpson
  • 1st Garbageman – Phil Rubenstein
  • 2nd Garbageman – John Miranda
  • Antique Store Owner – Joe Knowland
  • Waiter – Bob Sarlatte
  • Cafe Owner – Everett Lee
  • Joe – Richard Harder ( deleted scene )
  • Nichols – Alex Henteloff
  • Pilot – Tony Edwards
  • Elderly Patient – Eve Smith
  • Intern #1 – Tom Mustin
  • Intern #2 – Greg Karas
  • Young Doctor – Raymond Singer
  • Doctor #1 – David Ellenstein
  • Doctor #2 – Judy Levitt
  • Usher – Theresa E. Victor
  • Jogger – James Menges
  • Punk on Bus – Kirk Thatcher
  • FBI Agent – Jeff Lester
  • Shore Patrolman – Joe Lando
  • CDO – Newell Tarrant
  • Mike Timoney ( Electronics Technician #1 )
  • Jeffrey Martin ( Electronics Technician #2 )
  • Marine Sergeant – 1st Sgt Joseph Naradzay , USMC
  • Marine Lieutenant – 1st Lt Donald W. Zautcke , USMC
  • R.A. Rondell
  • Gregory Barnett (also Starfleet technician )
  • Steve M. Davison
  • Clifford T. Fleming (Stunt helicopter pilot)
  • Eddie Hice ( Mercy Hospital patient )
  • Bennie E. Moore, Jr. ( Starfleet technician )
  • Charles Picerni, Jr.
  • Sharon Schaffer ( Mercy Hospital nurse )
  • Spike Silver ( Stunt double for Walter Koenig )
  • Patrick Kehoe
  • Douglas E. Wise
  • Frank Capra III
  • Ken Ralston
  • Brooke Breton
  • Kirk Thatcher
  • Amanda Mackey
  • Bill Shepard
  • Keith Peterman
  • Kenneth Nishino
  • Jay Peterman
  • Gene S. Cantamessa , CAS
  • Steven G. Cantamessa
  • Mark Jennings
  • Michael Lantieri
  • Clay Pinney
  • Brian Tipton
  • Don Elliott
  • Robert Spurlock
  • Robert Fletcher
  • Eric Harrison
  • Joseph Markham
  • Dan Bronson
  • Mary Etta Lang
  • James L. McCoy
  • Silvia Abascal
  • Carol O'Connell
  • Monique DeSart
  • Lily LaCava
  • Kal Manning
  • Lloyd Gowdy
  • Frank McKane
  • Calvin Sterry
  • Waverly Smothers
  • Mike Brooker
  • Richard Dow
  • Ron Greenwood
  • Bart Susman
  • Charles Sertin
  • Dick Bayard
  • John H. Matheson
  • Ed Charnock
  • Jerry Gadette
  • Joe Hubbard
  • James Bayliss
  • Richard Berger
  • Michael Mann
  • Michael Meehan
  • Stu Statterfield
  • Ray McLaughlin
  • Andrew Lipshultz
  • Bruce Birmelin
  • George Villaseñor
  • Thomas Bryant
  • Reel People, Inc.
  • Harry Moreau
  • Mark Mangini
  • David Stone , MPSE
  • Michael J. Benavente
  • Warren Hamilton , MPSE
  • Stephen Flick , MPSE
  • John Pospisil
  • Alan Howarth
  • George Budd
  • Solange Schwalbe
  • Tim Mangini
  • Dan O'Connell
  • Ellen Heuer
  • Destiny Borden
  • Christopher Flick
  • Doug Hemphill
  • Else Blangsted
  • David Marshall
  • Leonard Rosenman and The Yellowjackets
  • Ralph Ferraro
  • Record Plant Scoring
  • Terry Porter
  • Dave Hudson
  • Mel Metcalfe
  • Jack Cooperman , ASC
  • Gina Neilson
  • Robert Cecil Thorson
  • John R. Craig
  • Joe Adamson
  • Barbara Harris
  • Sylvia Rubinstein
  • Brigette Roux-Lough
  • Rebeca R. Brookshire
  • Susan Sackett
  • Susan Smith
  • Kevin F. Barry
  • Industrial Light & Magic , Marin County, CA
  • Ralph Gordon
  • Mike Gleason
  • Chris Evans
  • Ellen Lichtwardt
  • Warren Franklin
  • Erik Jensen
  • Selwyn Eddy III
  • John V. Fante
  • Peter Daulton
  • Toby Heindel
  • Pat Sweeney
  • Ray Gilberti
  • Pete Kozachic
  • Marty Rosenberg
  • Jim Hagedorn
  • Bruce Vecchitto
  • Lori J. Nelson
  • Tim Geideman
  • Todd Heindel
  • Rick Anderson
  • Tony Hudson
  • Mark Miller
  • Pete Romano
  • Craig Barron
  • Frank Ordaz
  • Caroleen Green
  • Randy Johnson
  • Eric Christensen
  • Bruce Walters
  • Ellen Ferguson
  • Ralph McQuarrie
  • Bob Finley, Jr.
  • Brad Jerrell
  • Mike Olague
  • ILM Computer Graphics
  • Craig Caton
  • Allen Feuerstein
  • Shannon Shea
  • Nancy Nimoy
  • Richard Hollander
  • Mark Peterson
  • Michael Okuda
  • Hal Landaker
  • Alan Landaker
  • Donald Hansard, Sr.
  • Music by Alexander Courage
  • Craig Huxley
  • Written by Kirk Thatcher
  • Arranged by Mark Mangini
  • Performed by Edge of Etiquette
  • MCA Records and Tapes
  • Monterey Bay Aquarium , Monterey, California
  • Humpback Whale Sounds, Courtesy of Roger Payne and New York Zoological Society
  • Mark Ferrari and Debbie Glockner-Ferrari of the Humpback Whale Fund
  • Howard Weinstein
  • Apple Computer Company
  • Roy Danchick
  • RAdm Charles Reynolds McGrail
  • Capt. Walter Davis
  • Lt. Sandra Stairs
  • Lt. Lee Saunders
  • Mr. John Horton
  • Marine Detachment, USS Ranger
  • US Coast Guard , Long Beach
  • US Coast Guard, San Francisco
  • Westheimer Company
  • Todd-AO/Glen Glenn Studios
  • Technicolor
  • Industrial Light & Magic

Uncredited [ ]

Performers [ ].

  • Joe Adamson as Mercy Hospital doctor
  • Cynthia Brian as street passerby
  • Michelle Chateau as nun
  • Ron Cragg as Federation Council guard
  • Jay Crimp as Vulcan electrician
  • Monique DeSart as Madelaine
  • Michael DiMente as Deltan ambassador
  • Paul Giebner as Enterprise (CVN-65) sailor
  • Brooks Gulledge as Enterprise (CVN-65) sailor
  • Christine Hansen as nun
  • Robert Jack as Enterprise (CVN-65) sailor
  • Stephen Liska as Torg (archive footage)
  • Joel Marston as Starfleet Admiral
  • Genevieve Martin as Vulcan noblewoman
  • Mary Mascari as Mercy Hospital patient
  • Nanci Meek as mental patient
  • Ralph Moratz as Mercy Hospital visitor
  • Leonard Nimoy as Mercy Hospital visitor
  • Ken Peacock as Enterprise (CVN-65) sailor
  • Trainee Enterprise crewmember
  • Layla Sarakalo as street passerby
  • Louise Schulze as Female cafe employee
  • Melanie Shatner as Female jogger
  • Madge Sinclair as Saratoga captain
  • Teresa E. Victor as Aamaarazan councilor
  • Philip Weyland as tourist
  • Rhoda Williams as alien vocals
  • Aamaarazan councilor
  • Andorian admiral
  • Andorian commodore
  • Arcadian delegate
  • Arcadian councilors
  • Ariolo councilor
  • Caitian officer (brown)
  • Caitian officer (black)
  • Civilian FBI agent
  • Three Deltan ambassadors
  • Mercy Hospital nurse 1
  • Mercy Hospital nurse 2
  • Mercy Hospital OP nurse 1
  • Mercy Hospital OP nurse 2
  • Mercy Hospital PA announcer
  • Eleven Mercy Hospital staffers
  • Nine Mercy Hospital visitors
  • Five street passersby
  • Aquarium tourists
  • Bus passengers
  • Plexicorp workers
  • Restaurant cooks
  • Restaurant patrons
  • Street passersby
  • Whale hunters
  • Kasheeta councilor
  • Purple-skinned alien councilor
  • SFPD officer
  • Saratoga navigator
  • Saratoga bridge crewman and woman
  • Tellarite dignitaries
  • Vulcan Federation councilor 1
  • Vulcan Federation councilor 2
  • Vulcan female delegate
  • Vulcan delegate
  • Xelatian councilors
  • Animatronic puppet – Bzzit Khaht councilor

Stunt performers [ ]

  • Vince Cadiente
  • R.A. Rondell as taxi driver
  • Unknown stunt performers as two Starfleet technicians

Production staff [ ]

  • Gregory Barnett – Assistant Stunt Coordinator
  • Jim Bissell – Technical Advisor: Opening Sequence
  • Tom Boyd – Musician: Oboe
  • Al Fleming – Makeup Artist
  • Pieter Folkens – Advisor, Designer, and Sculptor: Humpback whales mechanics
  • Casey Simpson – Lighting Technician
  • Rick Stratton – Makeup Artist

References [ ]

18th century ; 19th century ; 20th century ; 1960s ; 21st century ; 40 Eridani A ; .45 automatic ; 747 ; Aamaarazan ; " abandon ship "; ability ; acceleration ; acceleration curve ; acceleration thruster ; act ; act of war ; accusation ; accused ; ailing patient ; aircraft carrier ; Alameda ; Alameda Naval Base ; Alaska ; Alice ; " all ears " ( ear ); " all hands "; " all the tea in China " ( tea , China ); alternative ; AMC Hornet ; American ; amplification wave ; Andorian ; anesthesia ; angel ; annihilation ; answer ; appointment ; aquarium ; Arcadian ; Ariolo ; Arkenite ; arm ; arrival ; arrogance ; arson ; assault ; assistant ; assistant director ; associate ; Atlanta Falcons ; atmosphere ( air ); Atomic Energy Commission ; attention ; attire ; aux power ; axiom ; band ; bathroom ; base ; bearing ; beer ; behavior ; Bering Sea ; " between a rock and a hard place "; binoculars ; bio-sterilization capsule ; birthday present ; " blind as a bat " ( blind , bat ); " bloody "; " blow the hatch "; blue whale ; BMR ; BMW 2002 ; bolt ; " Bones "; borite ; Bounty , HMS ; bowhead whale ; brain ; braking thruster ; breadstick ; breakaway speed ; brochure ; bucket ; Buick LeSabre ; Buick Riviera ; bumper sticker ; bureaucratic ; " bury yourself in the part "; bus ; bus stop ; Busch Gardens ; bush ; buster ; butcher knife ; button badge ; Bzzit Khaht ; Cab Co. ; cable car ; cadet review ; Caitian ; calendar ; calf ; California ; California State Assembly ; camera ; candy striper ; cannula ; Canon ; Captain Video ; captivity ; cargo bay ; cargo bay door ; Carlton ; case ; Cernan, Eugene ; cetacean ; cetacean biologist ( whale biologist ); Cetacean Institute ; chain of command ; chance ; charge ; chemotherapy ; Chevrolet ; Chevrolet C 30 Step Van ; Chevrolet Caprice Classic ; Chevrolet Chevette ; Chevrolet Townsman ; Chevrolet truck ; China ; choice ; CIC ; City Council ; Chrysler LeBaron ; classified ; climax ; cloaking device ; closing speed ; cloud ; cloud cover ; clue ; Coca-Cola ; Code Red ; coefficient ; coffee ; coffeemaker ; coin operated laundry ; Coit Tower ; collector ; colorful metaphor ( profanity ); Columbus Avenue ; coma ; combat information center ( CIC ); command duty officer ; commanding officer ( commander ); common sense ; communicator ; comm channel ; communications ; communications officer ; communications system ; compassion ; compliment ; computation ; computer ; comrade ; conclusion ; condition report ; conspiracy ; constant ; Constitution IIi -class ( unnamed 1 and 2 ); contact ; coordinates ; Copernicus , USS ; court martial ; contact ; corpsman ; country ; cops ; crab ; cramps ; creature ; credit card ; crisis ; critical condition ; crop top ; Crown ; crutch ; crystalline restructure ; cubic foot ; culture ; custom ; damage ; damage control ; damage report ; Dark Ages ; data ; Datsun ; Datsun 510 ; Datsun Truck ; day ; " dead in the water "; death ; degree (academic); degree (angle); deliberation ; demotion ; density ; dentistry ; departure ; deposition ; destruction ; device ; devil ; DeSoto Cab ; dialysis ; Diet Coke ; Diet Pepsi ; dilithium chamber ; dilithium crystal ; dilithium sequencer ; dinner ; discipline ; distance ; distress call ; Doctor ( physician ); Dodge 600 ; Dodge Lancer ; dollar ; Do not enter sign ; door ; Earth ; Edinburgh ; Efrosian ; elapsed time ; electrical power ; electronics technician ; Embarcadero ; emergency ; emergency channel ; emergency channel 0130 ; emergency light ; emergency reserve ; emergency surgery ; emergency system ; emergency thruster ; enemy ; energy ; energy reserve ; engineering ; Enterprise , USS (CVN-65); Enterprise , USS (NCC-1701); Enterprise , USS (NCC-1701-A); epidural hematoma ; escape hatch ; escape route ; estimated time of arrival (ETA); estimating ; Excelsior , USS ; exile ; exit sign ; explosive override ; extinction ; extradition ; extraterrestrial ; E-Z Scrub ; fact ; Fairground Hotel ; false killer whale ; farm boy ; Federal Bureau of Investigation ; Federation ; Federation Council ; Federation President ; feeling ; Feinberg's Loan and Pawn ; Fiat 124 Sport Spider ; Fiat X1/9 ; figure ; " fill your shoes "; fin whale ; finger, the ; Finnish ; fire alarm ; fireman ; fish ; fishing ; " fish story "; Fisherman's Wharf ; flea trap ; floor ; floor plan ; Flyer Industries E800 ; fog ; foot ; Ford Escort ; forklift ; formula ; frame of reference ; Free Speech Movement ; freighter ; frequency ; Friar Tuck ; friend ; friendship ; fuel component ; fundascopic examination ; funeral ; fusion era ; gangway ; garbage can ; garbage truck ; garbageman's significant other ; Genesis ; Genesis Device ; Genesis Torpedo ; Geneva ; genocide ; George and Gracie ; ghetto blaster ; giraffe ; glasses ; GM New Look ; God ; " God damn "; Gold Dust ; Golden Gate Bridge ; Golden Gate Park ; Gottlieb ; Gramalkin ; gravity ; gray whale ; Great Northern Railway ; Grissom , USS ; ground cushion ; Grumman LLV ; guest ; guidance system ; guide ; guilt ; gumball machine ; gums ; gun ; habit ; Hamlet ; Handi-Wrap II ; hangar deck ; harm ; harpoon ; harpoon gun ; hatch ; hate ; head ; headline ; heat shield ; helicopter ; hello ; high school ; " hit the deck "; home ; Honda Accord ; Honda Civic ; horoscope ; hostility ; hospital bracelet ; hospital gown ; hour ; Huey 204 ; Human ; humpback whale ; hundred ; hunting ; Hyster ; " I Hate You "; ice cream sandwich ; idea ; identification card ; " If we play our cards right "; image therapy ; impulse power ; inch ; infrared ; insight ; intelligence ; intention ; International Harvester Scout ; intruder ; Iowa ; irony ; Italian food ; job ; jogger ; joke ; judgment ; judo ; Juneau ; Junior Mints ; justice ; juxtapose ; Karmann Ghia ; Kasheeta ; katra ; Kearny Street ; kelp forest ; keyboard ; kilometer ; kidney ; kidney pill ; killer whale ; Klingon ; Klingon crew ; Klingon food pack ; Klingon language ; Klingon vessels lost to Whale Probe ; Knott's Berry Farm ; knowledge ; " kook "; L.A. International Airport ; landing pad ; landing procedure ; landlubber ; language ; Latin language ; Lawrence, D.H. ; lay-away ; Lay or Bust Poultry Feeds ; LDS ; " learn a thing or two "; learning ; leave ; Leningrad ; lens ; lie ; life ( lifeform ); lightbox ; lighthouse ; light year ; Lincoln Continental Mark VII ; lion ; literature ; location ; lock ; logic ; luck ; M16 rifle ; M203 grenade launcher ; macho ; Macintosh ; Magic Mountain ; magnetostatics ; mains ; main power ; mammal ; manufacturing ; manual control ; Marcus, David ; MARDET ; marine theater ; Market Street ; mass ; master chief petty officer ; mating ritual ; maximum speed ; Mazda ; Mazda B-Series ; mean sea level (MSL); media circus ; medievalism ; medical degree ; medical tricorder ; medicine ; megahertz ; megaton ; memory : memory bank ; memory test ; mentality ; Mercury Capri ; medical system ; Mercy Hospital ; message ; metaphor ; MG B ; Michelob ; microphone ; middle meningeal artery ; mind meld ; mile ; military ; milk ; million ; mind ; mining ; minke whale ; minute ; miracle ; miracle worker ; Miranda -class ( unnamed ); mission ; Mission District ; mistake ; mitigating circumstance ; MMR ; Moby Dick ; money ; monitoring station ; morning ; mouse ; Movieland Wax Museum ; M Series Walkie Stacker ; multiphasic transmission ; murder ; museum ; mushroom ; Mustang ; mutineer ; name ; name tag ; nautical mile ; naval vessel ; navigational signal ; negotiation ; news machine ; Neutral Zone ; night ; Nissan 280ZX ; noise ; noon ; North America ; nose ring ; novel ; nuclear fusion ; nuclear fission ; nuclear fission reactor ; nuclear power ; nuclear vessel ; nun ; nurses station ; nurse's cap ; Oberth -class ; ocean ; officer ; " off the deep end "; Oldsmobile Ciera ; Oldsmobile Cutlass Calais ; Olvera Street ; OMNI ; " on course "; onion ; open sea ; operating room ; opinion ; orbital shuttle ( unnamed 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ); Orbital shuttle 5 ; Orbital shuttle 7 ; order ; OrthoLav ; outer space ; owner ; Pacific Bell ; Pacific Basin ; pager ; Palace of Fine Arts ; paper towel ; paper towel dispenser ; parking ; past tense ; patient ; peace ; peace treaty ; pedestrian crossing sign ; pepperoni ; percent ; performance ; permission ; phaser ; photographic memory ; photon ; picnic table ; piercing ; pill ; pirate ; pizza ; place ; plan ; planet ; planet distress signal ; Planetary Reserve ; plant ; plant manager ; plastic wrap ; playing card ; " play our cards right "; plea ; Plexicorp ; plexiglass ; Plymouth Reliant ; plot ; poker ; police ; pollution ; polymer ; Pontiac Fiero ; Pontiac Firebird ; Pope Olive Oil ; Portola Brand Sardines ; pound ; Powell & Mason ; Powell Street ; power ; power drain ; power source ; pregnancy ; press ; pressure ; priority 1 ; probability ; probe ; problem ; professor ; property ; pulse ; puppet ; pygmy sperm whale ; quadrant ; question ; Queen Mary, The ; radiation ; radio frequency ; radio silence ; radio transmitter ; range ; rank ; rank insignia ; ray gun ; red alert ; reentry ; reference ; renegade ; rescue ; reserve bank ; reserve power ; respiratory rate ; result ; " rich beyond the dreams of avarice "; right ; Robbins, Harold ; Robin Hood ; " Roger "; room ; Russian language ; Russkie ; rust bucket ; sabotage ; St. Paul Hotel ; salinity ; Saloon, The ; Sam ; San Diego Zoo ; San Francisco ; San Francisco Bay ; San Francisco City Hall ; San Francisco Chronicle ; San Francisco Department of Sanitation ; San Francisco Ferry Building ; San Francisco Municipal Railway ; San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge ; San Francisco Police Department ; San Francisco Register ; Saran Wrap ; Saratoga , USS ; Sausalito ; scene ; Scots language ; screen ; scrubs ; Seaboard Air Line Railroad ; seal ; sea otter ; seat ; seawater ; SeaWorld ; secret ; Sector 5 ; security corridor ; service number ; Shepard , USS ; shield ; shipmate ; shoes ; short-sightedness ; shrimp ; shorts ; side effect ; signal ; silence ; singing ; slaughter ; slingshot effect ; Slits, The ; Smith & Wesson Model 15 ; smoking ; solar flare ; solar sail ; SONAR ; " son of a bitch "; Sony ; soul ; sound ; " sour stomach "; Spacedock One ; spacedock door (aka space door ); Spanish Inquisition ; speaker ; species ; specimen ; speed ; stairs ; " stand by "; Starfleet ; Starfleet Academy ; Starfleet Command ; Starfleet Commander ; Starfleet regulations ; Starfleet uniform ; starship ; status report ; stench ; storage tank ; story ; street ; Stryker ; subject ; subbscription ; sucker ; summit ; Sun ; superior officer ; surgical mask ; surprise ; Susann, Jacqueline ; suspicion ; swim ; system map ; systems report ; " tango ; Taylor's science vessel ( science vessel ); teaching ; team ; team leader ; Team 2 ; teeth ; Telegraph Hill ; telephone ; telephone booth ; telephone number ; temperature ; terminator ; terra incognita ; Terran solar system ; terrorist ; testimony ; test program ; " that's the ticket "; theater ; theft ; theory ; thing ; thousand ; three smaller ships neutralized by Whale Probe ; thruster ; thruster control ; time ; time continuum ; time re-entry program ; time travel ; time warp ; tire iron ; tissue ; toast ; toaster oven ; Tokyo ; ton ; torpedo ; tour ; tour of inspection ; tracking device ; trajectory ; Transamerica Pyramid ; transmission ; transparent aluminum ; transporter ; transporter beam ; transporter power ; trash can ; travel pod ; travel pod 05 ; tricorder ; tricycle ; truth ; toucan ; Toyota Corolla ; unicorn ; universal constant ; underground storage system ; United States Government ; United States Marine Corps ; United States Navy ; United States of America ; Universal Peace and Hello ; universe ; University of California, Berkeley ; Universal Studios ; uranium ; Valvoline ; value ; variable ; violation ; visit ; visor ; Volkswagen Beetle ; Volkswagen Rabbit ; vote ; Vulcan ; Vulcan (planet); Vulcan language ; Vulcan nerve pinch ; Vulcan salute ; walker ; wall ; warm-blooded ; warp drive regulator ; warp speed ; Washington, DC ; water ; weapons system ; " wee "; Weintraub ; Wendy's ; west ; West Coast ; whale ; whale hunter ; whale song ; " Whales Weep Not! "; whale tank ; whaling ; whaling ship ; whiteboard ; White Rose ; White GMC Xpeditor ; Winchell's Donut House ; Winchester Model 1200 ; Wonderful World of Whales, The ; Wonderland ; word ; year ; yellow alert ; Yellow Pages ; Yerba Buena Island ; Yorktown , USS ; Yorktown chief engineer ; zebra ; Zober, Sandi

Other references [ ]

Memory test: 1987 ; anti-graviton ; anti-neutron ; bioengineering ; Cambridge ; carrot ; checkmate ; Constitution -class ; electron configuration ; gadolinium ; Kiri-kin-tha ; Kiri-kin-tha's First Law of Metaphysics ; Klendth ; Klingon mummification glyph ; knight ; Loonkerian outpost ; New York Times ; magazine ; magnetic envelope ; Massachusetts ; matron ; metaphysics ; molecular formula ; object ; pawn ; queen ; rook ; sensor ; sine wave ; three-dimensional chess ; toroidal space-time distortion ; T'Plana-Hath ; universal atmospheric element compensator ; Vulcan philosophy ; white ; yominum sulfide

Phylum search mode : Alopex lagopus ; amphibian ; armadillo ; Beardius baerdi ; Cancer productus ; cattle ; Cervus elaphus ; Chama arcana ; chameleon ; Ciona intestinal ; Coleonyx brevis ; Crisia occidental ; crocodile ; Dasypus novem ; feline ; flatworm ; insect ; kangaroo ; lamprey ; lion ; Martes pennanti ; Megaptera novaeangliae ; moth ; Myotis volans ; nautilus ; Orcinus orca ; Ovis dalli ; Physeter macro ; Plethodon dunni ; Podiceps auritus ; Sciurus griseus ; Sebastes mustinus ; trilobite ; Tursiops tancts ; virus ; Vulpes velox ; Ziphius cavitro

MUNI system map : Albany ; Alcatraz ; Angel Island ; Bay Farm Island ; Belmont ; Berkeley ; Brisbane ; Brooks Island ; Burlingame ; Daly City ; East Richmond ; El Cerrito ; Foster City ; Hillsborough ; Kensington ; Millbrae ; Oakland ; Oakland Army Base ; Oakland Supply Depot ; Piedmont ; Richmond ; Richmond-San Rafael Bridge ; San Bruno ; San Francisco State Fish and Game Refuge ; San Mateo ; Tiburon

San Francisco locations : 101 California Street ; 123 Mission Street ; 30-Stockton ; 345 California Center ; 44 Montgomery ; 50 Fremont Center ; 580 California Street ; 601 California Street ; 650 California Street ; Baker Beach ; Bank of America Center ; Bathhouse Building ; Bay Street ; Embarcadero Center ; Fort Mason ; Fort Point ; Gateway, The ; Greenwich Street ; Holiday Inn Chinatown ; Hoyt Street ; Hyatt Regency San Francisco ; Marina Green ; Mason Street ; Mount Davidson ; Mount Sutro ; One Maritime Plaza ; One Market Plaza ; One Sansome Street ; Sentinel Building ; Stockton Street ; Sutro Tower ; Treasure Island ; Twin Peaks ; Van Ness Avenue ; Yerba Buena Island

Unreferenced material [ ]

A-13 ; Adams ; Argus ; Bandit V ; bio-sterilization capsule ; Clampett ; Com Sat 4 ; Com Sat 12 ; Delta V ; dirt bike ; dyslexia ; Engineering Control ; four dimensional time gate ; great flood ; hiber-sedative ; Intrepid , USS ; Jesus ; Joe ; K-12 ; Leaning Tower, The ; Lee ; maternity leave ; Mona Lisa ; Noah's Ark ; parallex matter echo ; Pleadian Quadrant 5 ; Pleadian Quadrant 7 ; Quadrant 12-340 ; Reon VII ; rescue shuttle ; Rigel ; Rigel IV ; Rigel V ; San Francisco Bay Area ; Sector 15 ; Seron, Ralph ; shore patrol ; Shres ; Sphinx, The ; Sulu, Akira ; Vegan D virus ; warp drive regulator ; Zanxthkolt Dynasty

Related topics [ ]

alternate timeline ; Riverside ; Starfleet ranks ; time travel

External links [ ]

  • Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home at StarTrek.com
  • Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
  • Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home at Wikipedia
  • Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home at the Internet Movie Database
  • Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home screenplay  at Star Trek Minutiae
  • Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home screenplay at CCDump.org
  • Filming locations at FilmInAmerica.com
  • " Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home " at MissionLogPodcast.com , a Roddenberry Star Trek podcast
  • 2 Tellarite

IMAGES

  1. Monterey Bay Aquarium, 1986 v 2021: Scenes from Star Trek IV: The

    star trek 4 aquarium

  2. Star Trek Aquarium Decor Enterprise and Defiant

    star trek 4 aquarium

  3. star trek aquarium decor

    star trek 4 aquarium

  4. Star Trek 4: The Voyage Home (4/10) Movie CLIP

    star trek 4 aquarium

  5. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home at Monterey Bay Aquarium

    star trek 4 aquarium

  6. Star Trek Aquarium Decor Enterprise and Defiant

    star trek 4 aquarium

VIDEO

  1. Star Trek Online Ship Reviews

  2. Update! Star Trek Reveals Troi & Betazoids Have A Predator

COMMENTS

  1. Monterey Bay Aquarium

    The Monterey Bay Aquarium is a public aquarium located south of the city of San Francisco in Monterey, California. The aquarium contains various aquatic life to include fish, octopus, penguins and sea otters. The aquarium does not host large marine mammals such as dolphins and whales. Monterey Bay Aquarium was used as a filming location in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, specifically to show ...

  2. Star Trek IV: Did You Know That...

    By Maria Jose and John Tenuto. startrek.com. During April of 1986, I (John) was getting ready for final exams and couldn't accompany my parents on a vacation they were taking to California. Little did I know my voluntary absence from that year's family vacation meant I missed an opportunity to watch the filming of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.

  3. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

    Walter Koenig, Nichelle Nichols, Vijay Amritraj, Madge Sinclair. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home: 'Sausalito Cetacean Institute': Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey, California. After a couple of almost totally studio-bound sequels, the Star Trek big-screen series begins to use real California locations with this eco-conscious adventure.

  4. Our history

    The Aquarium gained movie-star status as the Cetacean Institute featured in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. October 1986: The Aquarium was awarded accreditation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). AZA is a prestigious organization dedicated to advancing excellence in animal care, conservation, and education, serving as a global ...

  5. Cetacean Institute

    The Cetacean Institute scenes of Star Trek IV were filmed at the Monterey Bay Aquarium in Monterey, California. The name was changed because it was necessary, for plot reasons, to move the aquarium to Sausalito. The Cetacean Institute symbol is actually the logo of the Monterey Bay Aquarium. (Star Trek Encyclopedia (4th ed., vol. 1, p. 128))

  6. Monterey Bay Aquarium, 1986 v 2021: Scenes from Star Trek IV: The

    Several scenes from the film Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986) were filmed at Monterey Bay Aquarium. This video contains scenes from that film, with photo...

  7. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home at Monterey Bay Aquarium

    SYNOPSIS. It's the 23rd century, and a mysterious alien power is threatening Earth by evaporating the oceans and destroying the atmosphere. In a frantic attempt to save mankind, Kirk and his crew must time travel back to 1986 San Francisco where they find a world of punk, pizza and exact-change buses that are as alien as anything they've ever ...

  8. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

    Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home is a 1986 American science fiction film, ... Kirk and Spock discover a pair of humpback whales in the care of Dr. Gillian Taylor at a Sausalito aquarium, and learn they will soon be released into the wild. Kirk tells her of his mission and asks for the tracking frequency for the whales, but she refuses to cooperate.

  9. Monterey Bay Aquarium

    STAR TREK IV: THE VOYAGE HOME. The Star Trek crew goes back in time to 1986 in San Francisco to save the whales; Oscar nominee for Cinematography and Musical Score; Scenes filmed at the Monterey Aquarium, which stood in for a fictitious aquarium across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco; The San Francisco Skyline appears on the screen ...

  10. STAR TREK IV: THE VOYAGE HOME

    STAR TREK IV: THE VOYAGE HOME. The Star Trek crew goes back in time to 1986 in San Francisco to save the whales; Oscar nominee for Cinematography and Musical Score; Scenes filmed at the Monterey Aquarium, which stood in for a fictitious aquarium across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco; The San Francisco Skyline appears on the screen, put there by Hollywood artists, as a back drop to ...

  11. Facts and figures

    Pumps push up to 2,000 gallons of seawater per minute into the Aquarium. ... 1986: "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home" Location and schedule . 886 Cannery Row, Monterey, California; Open daily, except Christmas Day . Contacts. Hours and admission 831.648.4800 Tickets. General inquiries.

  12. We Visited Monterey Bay Aquarium, Home to Deep Sea Creatures ...

    Only two years after the aquarium opened in 1984, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home featured key scenes shot there. Though it was named the Cetacean Institute and located north of San Francisco in the ...

  13. Where was Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home filmed?

    However, the Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home scene was actually filmed at Monterey Bay Aquarium - located some distance away from San Francisco - which has a deck overlooking the Pacific. The whales seen on-screen were created with animatronics for closeups, with special effects taking over for shots taken from further away.

  14. Watch: Star Trek IV Behind-The Scenes-Video Filmed By John Tenuto's

    10 Star Trek: Nemesis $43,254,409. And if I understand the chart on BoxOfficeMojo.com, STIV was the only Trek film to ever grab the top spot for an opening weekend. December 30, 2007 11:00 am. #47 ...

  15. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)

    Shortly after arriving on 20th century earth, the crew cross the street at the corners of Kearny, Pacific, and Columbus Streets in San Francisco, California. The donut shop on the right is now a coffee shop located at 200 Columbus Avenue. Here they pass the saloon at 1232 Grant Avenue and across the street to 1230 Grant Avenue.

  16. Re-Watching Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

    The "Cetacean Institute" (the Monterey Bay Aquarium) was about half hour from where I grew up and a frequent destination for my younger self. There were no whales, but there was plenty of giant kelp and many playful sea otters, a lovely touch pool, and more information about the salty deep than you could shake a phaser at. ... Star Trek IV ...

  17. The Voyage Home: 30 Facts for 30 Years

    Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home marks its 30th anniversary on November 26th. To celebrate, we are sharing 30 favorite facts from the production we learned while researching the film's co-writer Nicholas Meyer's library archives at the University of Iowa. Let's sling shot around the sun, pick up enough speed, and time warp back to the 1980s for a ...

  18. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home is pure, joyful cinema

    Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home is pure, joyful cinema ... Here is a movie that begins as A Race Against Time To Save The Earth and then takes a sharp detour into aquarium etiquette and Bay Area ...

  19. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)

    Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home: Directed by Leonard Nimoy. With William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan. To save Earth from an alien probe, Admiral James T. Kirk and his fugitive crew go back in time to San Francisco in 1986 to retrieve the only beings who can communicate with it: humpback whales.

  20. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home returns to theaters for 2 nights to

    Get your whale songs ready as Star Trek IV: The Voyager Home is set to beam back into theaters next month for a two-night special engagement to celebrate the film's 35th anniversary. To coincide ...

  21. Aquarium

    A makeshift aquarium was created on a captured Klingon Bird-of-Prey to transport George and Gracie to the 23rd century. (Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home) Captain Jean-Luc Picard kept a fish named Livingston in a spherical aquarium in his ready room. (TNG: "Encounter at Farpoint", "We'll Always Have Paris")

  22. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)

    Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home: Directed by Leonard Nimoy. With William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan. To save Earth from an alien probe, Admiral James T. Kirk and his fugitive crew go back in time to San Francisco in 1986 to retrieve the only beings who can communicate with it: humpback whales.

  23. There Is a 'Plan in Place' For 'Star Trek 4', Says ...

    Roddenberry Entertainment boss Trevor Roth has promised that a new Star Trek film will be released in the "very near future". A fourth movie in the rebooted film series has been stuck in ...

  24. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

    STAR DATE: 1986. HOW ON EARTH CAN THEY SAVE THE FUTURE? "A catastrophe in the future can only be averted by a journey into Earth's past." - 1986 TV ad Admiral James T. Kirk is prepared to take the consequences for rescuing Spock and stealing and then losing the starship Enterprise, but a new danger has put Earth itself in jeopardy. Kirk and his crew must travel back in time in an old Klingon ...