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Star Trek: Leonard McCoy , Frontier Doctor IDW mini-series

#1 Apr 2010 Weeds While overseeing a refit of the Enterprise, Admiral James T. Kirk receives a handwritten letter that can only have come from one person. Dr. Leonard McCoy has joined Frontier Medics, a Federation program that provides medical care wherever its needed. With a stowaway aboard, McCoy and his partner, Dr. Jon Mikael Duncan, fly their antique shuttle, named Joanna , from an Andorian outpost to Ophiucus III, a human agricultural colony struggling with an outbreak of infectious disease. As the disease mutates and spreads, McCoy has to rely on his medical instincts and Theela, a bratty and well-armed Andorian girl, to find a cure. Much to his chagrin, McCoy learns that he and Duncan will be babysitting Theela for some time to come. 2 regular covers shipped in a 1-to-1 ratio. Writer: John Byrne Artists: John Byrne, Lovern Kindzierski Cover artists: John Byrne, Lovern Kindzierski

#1 Apr 2010 Weeds Solicitation: Space, the final frontier... and on that frontier and beyond, humans and aliens alike need medical care. Enter Leonard McCoy, Doctor of Space Medicine, late of the U.S.S. ENTERPRISE... his first assignment: save the human colonists from a mysterious plague on a distant world whose only native lifeform is a vast and suddenly hostile jungle. Shipped with a special variant Byrne gag cover! 2 regular covers shipped in a 1-to-1 ratio. Writer: John Byrne Artists: John Byrne, Lovern Kindzierski Cover artists: John Byrne, Lovern Kindzierski

#1 Apr 2010 Weeds Retailer incentive cover. Writer: John Byrne Artists: John Byrne, Lovern Kindzierski Cover artists: John Byrne, Lovern Kindzierski

#1 Apr 2010 Weeds Variant issue given to retailers at the Diamond Retailer Summit, held April 14-15, 2010, in conjunction with the Chicago Comics & Entertainment Expo. Gold foli lettering and logos on front and back. Writer: John Byrne Artists: John Byrne, Lovern Kindzierski Cover artists: John Byrne, Lovern Kindzierski

#2 May 2010 Error In another letter to Jim Kirk, McCoy tells the tale of his latest adventure. Theela has settled in comfortably with McCoy and Duncan, eagerly listening to the veteran doctor's stories and finding a little romance with the younger doctor. Arriving on Gamma Tarses VII at the request of Montgomery Scott, McCoy encounters the Tarseans, whose rigid cultural protocols make investigating deaths from a mysterious ailment, very difficult. Forced to take a break from his research for a holy day, McCoy stumbles on a secret, then he and his team deduce the stunning cause of the deaths from Scotty's remarks about the Tarsean transporters. 2 regular covers will be shipped in a 1-to-1 ratio. Writer: John Byrne Artists: John Byrne, Lovern Kindzierski Cover artists: John Byrne, Lovern Kindzierski

#2 May 2010 Error Solicitation: Doctor McCoy hates mysterious ailments. He also hates the transporter. Now he finds himself on a world beset with one, where the only means of getting around is the other. John Byrne's tale set in the period before Star Trek: The Motion Picture continues here with two covers from Byrne. 2 regular covers will be shipped in a 1-to-1 ratio. Writer: John Byrne Artists: John Byrne, Lovern Kindzierski Cover artists: John Byrne, Lovern Kindzierski

#2 May 2010 Error Retailer incentive cover. Writer: John Byrne Artists: John Byrne, Lovern Kindzierski Cover artists: John Byrne, Lovern Kindzierski

#3 Jun 2010 Medics McCoy and his team are asked to visit and report on a planet under routine Starfleet observation. On arrival, their ship is fired upon and damaged. Only Duncan's sure-handed piloting gets them down alive. On the ground, they find themselves in a war zone. Theela and McCoy are separated from Duncan, then captured by soldiers. McCoy's interrogation is interrupted by Gary Seven and Roberta Lincoln. It seems that Seven's employers are partly responsible for the surprising situation on the planet. Klingons are responsible for the rest. 2 regular covers will be shipped in a 1-to-1 ratio. Writer: John Byrne Artists: John Byrne, Lovern Kindzierski Cover artists: John Byrne, Lovern Kindzierski

#3 Jun 2010 Medics Solicitation: A planet at war--but all is not as it seems. Especially not when Dr. McCoy finds himself face to face with someone who seems to be from the wrong century! This issue picks up threads from both the Assignment: Earth and Crew minis. Features two covers by Byrne, including a single-panel gag cover. 2 regular covers will be shipped in a 1-to-1 ratio. Writer: John Byrne Artists: John Byrne, Lovern Kindzierski Cover artists: John Byrne, Lovern Kindzierski

#3 Jun 2010 Medics Retailer incentive cover. Writer: John Byrne Artists: John Byrne, Lovern Kindzierski Cover artists: John Byrne, Lovern Kindzierski

#4 Jul 2010 Hosts Aboard the Yorktown, McCoy says goodbye to his friends, Theela and Duncan, who are joining a new research team. Then he says goodbye to new friends, Gary Seven and Roberta Lincoln. Afterwards, Dr. Christine Chapel asks him for help diagnosing an ailment that has caused the death of several crewmembers recently returned from Sigma Thernia 38. McCoy's knowledge of DNA and evolution lead him to a startling discovery. Scalpel McCoy visits an old friend living on Palvarlion IV, Alex Hathway and his daughter Sophie. McCoy learns that Alex is dying of Theising-Barre Syndrome and has been altering time like a surgeon with a scalpel. Alex wants McCoy to continue his work and the doctor must make a decision. 2 regular covers shipped in a 1-to-1 ratio. Writer: John Byrne Artists: John Byrne, Lovern Kindzierski Cover artists: John Byrne, Lovern Kindzierski

#4 Jul 2010 Hosts/Scalpel Solicitation: Our visit with the Doctor comes to an end with two titanic tales -- first, Dr. McCoy must find a way to deal with a virus that just may be smarter than he is... and then a visit to an old friend finds Bones wrestling with a dilemma that cuts across the very heart of his Hippocratic Oath. 2 regular covers shipped in a 1-to-1 ratio. Writer: John Byrne Artists: John Byrne, Lovern Kindzierski Cover artists: John Byrne, Lovern Kindzierski

#4 Jul 2010 Hosts/Scalpel Retailer incentive cover. Writer: John Byrne Artists: John Byrne, Lovern Kindzierski Cover artists: John Byrne, Lovern Kindzierski

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Leonard McCoy

• View history
• 1.2 Early years
• 1.3.1 Aboard the Republic
• 1.3.2 Aboard the Richard Feynman
• 1.3.3 Aboard Starbase 7
• 1.3.4 Aboard the Constitution
• 1.3.5 Starfleet Teaching Hospital
• 1.4.1 The Three-Month Voyage
• 1.4.2 Mission to Capella IV
• 1.4.3 Return to the Enterprise
• 1.8 Later years
• 3 Starfleet service record
• 4.1 Connections
• 4.2 Appearances
• 4.3 References
• 4.4 External link

Biography [ ]

Leonard H. McCoy, the son of David Andrew McCoy and Eleanora McCoy , was born in Atlanta , Georgia , United States of America , Earth in 2227 . His grandfather, Thomas Jackson "T.J." McCoy , M.D., was the Chief of Medicine at Emory University Medical Center in Atlanta in the 2220s . ( TOS novelization : The Final Frontier ; TOS - Strange New Worlds VI short story : " Bum Radish: Five Spins on a Turquoise Reindeer "; TOS comic : " Who's Who in Star Trek, Issue 1 ")

One of his great-uncles was a proprietor to one of the top productive plantations in the South during the 19th century. His ancestor's advantage was a self-mixed form of herbicide. McCoy still had the recipe on Enterprise , and synthesized the concoction in his lab. He later used the " weed spray " to immobilize the swoopers of Phylos . ( TOS novel : The Final Reflection ; TAS episode : " The Infinite Vulcan ")

One of McCoy's grandmothers lived in Tennessee , where she taught Sunday school . ( TOS novel : Vulcan's Forge )

Early years [ ]

In 2231 , at the age of four, Leonard accompanied his father on a trip to Aberdeen , where he briefly met young Montgomery Scott , thus giving birth to not only their shared tastes (such as alcohol), but their smooth delivery in performing as scientist and assistant on 20th century Earth . The two also had done a convincing act while on the android world of Mudd , and when on jury duty during the Kirk / Lester trial. ( TOS - Strange New Worlds VI short story : " Bum Radish: Five Spins on a Turquoise Reindeer ", TOS novelization : The Voyage Home , TOS episode : " I, Mudd ", TOS episode : " Turnabout Intruder ")

Disaster struck McCoy at the age of seven on August 17, 2234 , when Leonard and his cousins built a raft and sailed down the Chattahoochee River . Leonard's cousin, David McCoy drowned when the raft broke apart. ( TOS novel : Ice Trap )

In September 2236 , Leonard, aged nine, and his family moved into another southern town on Earth. Leonard met Mark Rousseau at school, and the two became best friends. The two parted in 2243 when Rousseau entered Starfleet Academy . At the time McCoy was determined to enter medical school. ( TOS novel : The Better Man )

In 2238 , at age eleven, Leonard ate something that was still alive on a dare. ( TOS novel : In the Name of Honor )

While in Texas in 2243, McCoy was thrown from the horse that he had been riding. McCoy suffered a concussion and bruised ribs, and was treated at a hospital in Waco , Texas. After suffering another head injury in 2268 , McCoy briefly forgot everything that had occurred from the time of the first accident until the time of the second accident. ( TOS novel : Dreams of the Raven )

At sometime during his childhood, McCoy attended a religious "revival" meeting held on Earth, led by a preacher who railed against non-human races. This man later made an attempt on the life of the Andorian ambassador . ( TOS novel : Vulcan's Forge )

McCoy first became attracted to his future wife, Jocelyn Darnell , at a high school social in early 2244 , when Jocelyn forced McCoy to dance with her to counter the jealousy of her over-possessive boyfriend, Clay Treadway . Treadway brawled with McCoy there on the dance floor, but McCoy knocked him down and left with Darnell. This began their relationship. ( TOS novel : Shadows on the Sun )

In late 2244/early 2245 , McCoy, aged 17, entered college at the University of Mississippi ("Ole Miss"). During his time there, his roommate was a Tessma , Sinnit Arvid . In 2245 , McCoy met the Trill , Emony Dax at a gymnastic tournament in the Menlo T. Hodgkiss Memorial Gymnasium , and the two had a brief relationship. Undecided at the time on his choice of career, Dax suggested he should be a doctor, because he had "the hands of a surgeon." ( DS9 - The Lives of Dax short story : " Old Souls "; DS9 episode & novelization : Trials and Tribble-ations )

Later that year, McCoy served as an observer aboard the USS Hood ( TOS novel : Crisis on Centaurus ) before officially enrolling in medical school, though he studied at his home in Georgia. ( TOS novel : Shadows on the Sun )

While he was a medical student, McCoy often took skiing trips to the Alps in Europe . ( TOS comic : " No Time Like the Past ")

Shortly after receiving his doctorate, McCoy married Jocelyn, and around 2249 , their daughter, Joanna McCoy was born. ( TOS novel : Shadows on the Sun ; TAS episode : " The Survivor ")

In 2249, McCoy commanded an inoculation program to combat a virus on planet Dramia II . However, when the team left, a plague broke out, wiping out half the population. ( TAS episode : " Albatross ") It was his second extrasolar assignment and his first medical command. ( TOS - Log Six novelization : Albatross )

Later in the 2250s McCoy met Lieutenant Clark Terrell . The two were friends until the latter's death in 2285. ( TOS novelization : The Wrath of Khan )

Early Starfleet Career [ ]

Aboard the republic [ ].

In 2253, after Jocelyn left with Joanna (presumably before becoming involved with Clay Treadway once more), McCoy grew extremely depressed, and by chance saw an advert for Medicine on the cutting edge - Practicing in space . He immediately signed up at the Jackson Mall , entered Starfleet and underwent the course, which was taught by Angelina Mola , before he was assigned as a junior medical officer aboard the USS Republic under the command of Captain Hillios . McCoy worked in sickbay under chief medical officer , Vincent Bando . While aboard the Republic , McCoy saved the life of a ruthless assassin on the planet Ssan . ( TOS novels : Planet of Judgment , Shadows on the Sun , Recovery , The Better Man )

Aboard the Richard Feynman [ ]

In 2254 , thanks to McCoy's excellent work on the Republic , he was made chief medical officer aboard the USS Richard Feynman , under the command of his old friend, Mark Rousseau. However, following a fall-out with Rousseau, McCoy accepted a demotion as a junior medical officer aboard the USS Koop . ( TOS novel : The Better Man )

Aboard Starbase 7 [ ]

By 2255 , McCoy transferred to Starbase 7 as chief medical officer. A few months later, Lieutenant James T. Kirk, of the USS Farragut , was sent to the base for rehabilitation after Kirk was badly injured battling pirates from Epsilon Canaris III . In Kirk's many months at the base, McCoy and he became good friends, and Kirk visited McCoy's home on Centaurus many times. ( TOS novel : Crisis on Centaurus )

While on Starbase 7, McCoy also had a brief relationship with a woman named Nancy Pagano , who later married Professor Robert Crater . ( TOS episode & novelization : The Man Trap )

Aboard the Constitution [ ]

In 2257 , McCoy transferred aboard the USS Constitution (NCC-1700) to work under chief medical officer Christina Velasquez . Also serving aboard the Constitution at that time was McCoy's old friend, Lieutenant Commander Kirk. ( TOS - My Brother's Keeper novel : Enterprise )

Starfleet Teaching Hospital [ ]

McCoy returned to Earth in 2262 , and took up a position at Starfleet Teaching Hospital working with Dr. Carol Marcus and Christine Chapel . In late 2263 , Captain Kirk and Lieutenant Commander Gary Mitchell were placed under McCoy's care after the destruction of the USS Lydia Sutherland at the Battle of Ghioghe . ( TOS novel : Enterprise: The First Adventure )

The Enterprise (NCC-1701) Years [ ]

The three-month voyage [ ].

In 2264 , McCoy accepted Captain Kirk's offer to become Chief Medical Officer aboard the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) . ( TOS novel : Enterprise: The First Adventure )

According to the elder Spock in TOS novelization : Star Trek , "In both our histories the same crew found its way onto the same ship in a time of ultimate crisis." This may imply that there is an untold story set in the prime timeline in which Kirk's crew faced an extremely serious challenge while still a new and untested unit.

McCoy's first stint aboard the Enterprise was cut short when he learned that his father was dying of pyrrhoneuritis . McCoy took an extended leave of absence to look after his father, and was replaced by Dr. Mark Piper . ( TOS novel : Strangers from the Sky ; TOS episode : " Where No Man Has Gone Before ")

A memory that would haunt McCoy for years was when, at the request of his father, he turned off all his life support, allowing his father to die with dignity. However, a few weeks later, a cure for pyrrhoneuritis was developed. ( TOS movie , novelization & comic adaptation : The Final Frontier )

Mission to Capella IV [ ]

Following the death of his father, McCoy was asked by Starfleet Medical to take part in a medical relief mission to Capella IV . He gratefully accepted, to get as far away from Earth as possible and to help others. However, by 2265 , he was tired of locking horns with the Capellans , who refused any modern medical technology. ( TOS episode : " Friday's Child ")

Return to the Enterprise [ ]

McCoy in 2267.

Luckily for McCoy, the Enterprise had returned to Earth for the funeral of Gary Mitchell, so when Kirk offered McCoy his old position as CMO back, McCoy jumped at the chance. ( TOS - My Brother's Keeper novel : Enterprise )

Jocelyn Darnell sent McCoy their divorce papers in 2266 , and McCoy signed them without a fight. Although he would go on to refer to Darnell as "whatsername" and worse, he wore his wedding ring for the rest of his life. ( TOS novel : Shadows on the Sun )

While in a Cordrazine -induced frenzy in 2267 , McCoy jumped through the Guardian of Forever and was transported to Earth in the year 1930 . While there, the shape of time itself hinged on his actions, resulting in a drastically altered timeline when he saved Edith Keeler from a fatal traffic accident. Although time later resumed its normal course, the phaser McCoy had brought with him was stolen by " Rodent ," a Twenty-First Street Mission resident, who was vaporized along with the weapon when he inadvertently triggered it. ( TOS episode : " The City on the Edge of Forever ") Later the same year, while serving aboard the Enterprise , McCoy was accidentally transported into the mirror universe . McCoy risked being left behind in the parallel reality to save the mirror version of Spock from a fatal subcranial hemorrhage . Spock then mind-melded with McCoy, and learned about the Federation of the regular universe. McCoy returned successfully to his own universe, but Spock's visions of a better reality would be passed on to multiple Vulcans in the mirror universe, and lead to a secretive resistance group against the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance . ( TOS - Mirror Universe novel : The Sorrows of Empire )

The following year Doctor McCoy suffered a severe head injury after a gravity adjustment on the Enterprise caused him to fall and hit his head on a bulkhead. Even though Dr. Eduardo Cortejo Alvarez was able to operate almost immediately, McCoy was still left with severe amnesia for a period of about two weeks. During this time he had lost all memory of the past twenty five years, including his prior service on the Enterprise and his relationships with colleagues such as Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock. After Spock was seriously injured and required surgery, the impact of watching Spock dying on an operating table was enough to bring Dr. McCoy out of his amnesiac state, and McCoy was able to save Spock's life. ( TOS novel : Dreams of the Raven )

In 2269, McCoy accompanied Captain Kirk, Spock, and Crewman Alonzo to one of the planets in The Strand where they met Dr. Othello Beck . A few minutes after he arrived, McCoy examined Alonzo's corpse after he was killed by a B'Nai . McCoy then examined Beck's discovery. Unfortunately, he and Kirk were captured and put into cell when they found out about Beck's wife's Logan's disease . They were however able to escape and return to the Enterprise . ( TOS comic : " Year Four, Issue 1 ") McCoy then went to a reception on Aarak III after trading technology for mining dilithium . McCoy was able to throw a bomb away from them and King Marat . McCoy then agreed that they could interfere with Aarak's situation between Marat's government and the traditionalists, despite the chance of losing of the dilithium. McCoy then accompanied Spock in his search for Kirk on Aarak III, to which they were successful. ( TOS comic : " Year Four, Issue 2 ")

McCoy and the Enterprise were then sent to investigate Phi-11 . There he found all the colonists were dead. McCoy and the rest of the ship was affected by a viral lifeform. McCoy, Spock and most of the crew mutinied against Kirk. They were then able to take the Enterprise and return the life form home. ( TOS comic : " Year Four, Issue 3 ") McCoy then went with the away team to the surface of Gobi III to find survivors of the USS Pasteur . He and the away team were then captured by Avatar and place in holding cells. McCoy then examined Mallard and saw that avatar had strip-mined his DNA. McCoy was shocked that Avatar was treating babies as "merchandise" and that there was Human DNA. McCoy helped then Kirk hold off Avatar while Lt. O'Hara escaped with one of the babies. McCoy and the others were then able to return to the Enterprise . ( TOS comic : " Year Four, Issue 6 ")

After McCoy and Scotty attended a biotechnology conference on Starbase 10 , the USS Lexington dropped them off on Denebia for the Enterprise to pick up. They got drunk on Denebian slime devils and engaged in a barroom brawl with some locals and a Klingon named Krong , but afterwards convinced Kirk to ferry Krong to another neutral planet aboard the Enterprise . On this occasion McCoy considered the possibility of leaving the Enterprise at the end of its five-year mission. He had learned the Vulcan nerve pinch , but kept this a secret from Spock. ( TOS short story : " Where Everybody Knows Your Name ")

In 2270 , McCoy went with Kirk and Ambassador Cassady to oversee the ceremony accepting Archenar IV into the Federation. McCoy then went to the surface to look for a leaf that could cure Blake's disease . McCoy and Pavel Chekov were captured by Crawlers . McCoy was then forced to treat the wounded crawlers. Afterward, McCoy resigned and retired from Starfleet. ( TOS comic : " Mission's End ")

McCoy then joined the Federation's Frontier Medic Program using an antiquated starship that he named after his daughter, Joanna . Alongside fellow doctor, Jon Duncan , and Theela went to worlds such as Omicron Testus IV , Ophiucus III , and Gamma Tarses VII where met up with Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott . McCoy, Duncan, and Theela, after the Joanna was destroyed, met up with Gary Seven and Roberta Lincoln at a planet inhabited by clones from the US Army in the 1960s . There they stopped Klingon commander Kloor from exploiting the human clones for war games. He was then rescued by the USS Yorktown under Captain Pike 's former first officer who was now an Admiral and its CMO , Christine Chapel . ( TOS - Leonard McCoy, Frontier Doctor comics : " Weeds ", " Error ", " Medics ", " Hosts ") At least two and a half years later, he was "drafted" (as McCoy himself once put it) back into service for the V'Ger mission. ( Last Unicorn RPG module : All Our Yesterdays: The Time Travel Sourcebook ; TOS movie , novelization & comic adaptation : The Motion Picture )

In 2273 , after the Enterprise' s shakedown cruise, McCoy helped escort ambassador R'Kgg and then recapture prisoner Raytag M'Gora . McCoy then went to Captain Kirk and Spock to investigate a " Haunted house adrift in space. After beaming in, they then heard a woman. McCoy then saw Frankenstein 's monster strangling her. McCoy and the others tried to stun it to no avail. At first McCoy wanted to study it, but was forced to kill it. After the creature was pushed out a window. McCoy then saw the girl run towards them. It then dissipated and Klingons came and captured them. ( TOS comic : " The Haunting of Thallus! ") Kirk, McCoy, the girl and the rest team were able to escape despite Spock being captured by the Klingons. After the Klingons left, McCoy questioned the girl with little success. Back onboard the Enterprise , his analyzed his tricorder readings and realized that she was not Human. He informed Kirk of this. ( TOS comic : " The Haunting of the Enterprise! ")

In 2276 , McCoy was placed in temporary command of the Enterprise by Captain Kirk after complaining too much about how the ship should be run. Captain Kirk beamed down to a planet known as Flyspeck to engage in a routine diplomatic mission. Intending to leave McCoy in command only for one afternoon, Kirk did not realize that he had been transported ahead in time one week. Unable to locate Captain Kirk, McCoy was forced to remain in command of the Enterprise for the week. Complicating the search for Kirk was the arrival of Klingons who had their own designs on Flyspeck, plus having to deal with an Admiral who had a reputation for being difficult. When Kirk realized that he had been transported ahead in time, he asked to be returned to the Enterprise so that McCoy could return command to him. ( TOS novel : Doctor's Orders )

Spock's Fal-tor-pan in 2285.

In 2285 , Khan Noonien Singh escaped from the surface of Ceti Alpha V on board the USS Reliant . Khan went to find James T. Kirk and take revenge against him for leaving him on Ceti Alpha V and not bothering to check on Khan's progress. Khan managed to seriously damage the Enterprise . Khan then took the Genesis Device from the underground laboratory on Regula. In a deadly game of cat and mouse, Kirk finally defeated Khan in the Mutara Nebula, however in a last ditch effort to destroy Kirk, Khan set the Genesis Device to explode. The Enterprise was only able to escape when Captain Spock sacrificed himself to bring the warp drive back on line just before the Genesis Device exploded. ( TOS movie , novelization & comic adaptation : The Wrath of Khan )

Just before Spock had entered the radiation-soaked dilithium chamber, he entered into a mind meld with Dr. McCoy, and transferred his katra into McCoy's mind. Spock's body died shortly after the Enterprise escaped the detonation of the Genesis device, however Spock's consciousness was still alive in the mind of Leonard McCoy.

McCoy stayed on the Enterprise as its Chief medical officer despite the loss of Spock. McCoy then treated the wounded after the Klingons' attacked near the Neutral Zone . He also gave the current science officer, Lieutenant Saavik , some advice on how to meet Kirk's needs. He then told Kirk not to push Saavik too hard. ( TOS comic : " The Wormhole Connection ") When Kirk, Saavik and the away team returned with Klingon defector Konom , McCoy, despite never operating on one, did so none the less. ( TOS comic : " ... The Only Good Klingon... ") McCoy was surprised to hear that the Federation and the Klingon Empire had entered into a state of war against each other. ( TOS comic : " Errand of War ")

In the weeks after Spock's apparent death, McCoy began behaving strangely. As the Enterprise docked in spacedock , McCoy broke into Spock's quarters. This tripped a security alarm on the bridge, and Admiral Kirk went to confront the intruder. Kirk was shocked to find McCoy in the quarters, who asked Kirk why he had been left behind on Genesis, and requested that Kirk climb the steps of Mount Seleya on Vulcan . A horrified Kirk called for medics to be brought to Spock's quarters when McCoy collapsed in his arms. McCoy was examined and it was believed that he was suffering from exhaustion. McCoy promised Kirk that he would stay at his home on Earth for the time.

Sarek soon arrived on Earth and revealed the possibility that Spock's katra might have survived. Sarek did not find the katra in Kirk's mind. The two searched through engine room recordings, and discovered that McCoy was carrying Spock's katra. Sarek asked Kirk to retrieve Spock's body and bring the body and Dr. McCoy to Mount Seleya , claiming that it was the only way both could find peace. Learning that he was suffering from the effects of a Vulcan mind meld, McCoy stated that it was the "green blooded son of a bitch" getting revenge for all the arguments he had lost over the years.

When Starfleet Command refused to allow McCoy, Kirk, and the remaining senior staff of the Enterprise to return to the Genesis Planet , Kirk and his senior officers stole the Enterprise . En route to Genesis, McCoy took the science station, and using Spock's skills was able to use the scanners to determine that there were no vessels pursuing the Enterprise. After arriving at Genesis, they learned that Spock's body had been regenerated by Genesis. Kirk and his crew managed to defeat Commander Kruge . However, they lost the Enterprise in the process. Spock's body had reached the same age as it was just prior to his entering the dilithium chamber of the Enterprise at this point.

After being beamed on board Kruge's Bird-of-Prey , the crew of the late Enterprise proceeded at best speed to Vulcan . Arriving at Vulcan, the crew climbed the steps of Mount Seleya, where Sarek requested that the Fal-tor-pan be performed on Spock. Agreeing to this request, the High Priestess T'Lar performed the Fal-tor-pan, removing the katra of Spock from McCoy's mind and refusing it into Spock's body. ( TOS movie , novelization & comic adaptation : The Search for Spock )

Over the next three months, Captain Spock recovered his memories. Spock and McCoy underwent a number of mind melds to ensure that any remaining vestiges of Spock were transferred from McCoy back to Spock. Despite losing memories of his past life, Spock remembered Kirk's first name as "Jim", to his own fascination. Which McCoy warmly smiled, pointing to his head, for his Vulcan friend.

McCoy named the captured Klingon bird-of-prey HMS Bounty in reference to the mutiny on board the British naval vessel nearly 500 years earlier. McCoy and the senior staff of the Enterprise all voted to return to Earth to face the consequences of traveling to the Genesis Planet to rescue Spock. Spock joined them, even though McCoy was concerned that Spock's recent experiences meant that he was not yet ready to resume his post. McCoy asked Spock what being dead had felt like, saying that Spock really had gone where no one had gone before. Spock for his part said it would be impossible to discuss what he had experienced without a common frame of reference.

On their way back to Earth, the Cetacean Probe arrived, searching for the humpback whales that it had lost contact with. The probe began reconditioning Earth, which endangered the population of Earth. To get the probe to stop damaging Earth, McCoy and the crew of the Bounty traveled back to 1986 . While in the past, McCoy worked with Montgomery Scott and Hikaru Sulu went to find materials to enclose a tank on board the Bounty to hold humpback whales. The Bounty took the whales George and Gracie in to the 23rd century , where they managed to convince the probe to stop its assault on Earth.

After arriving back in the 23rd century, McCoy was concerned that he and Spock were not fully separated from each other, and that depending on his punishment he might not be able to participate in further mind melds with Spock. Spock reassured McCoy that the two men had been completely separated from each other. Though now the doctor had a better perspective in Spock's field of expertise. Understanding his problems with raw data inherent with time travel computation, he told him to make an educated guess. And that even though it wasn't in his nature to do so; no one is perfect. In a session of the Federation Council , McCoy learned that any charges against him had been dropped. The only punishment was directed at Kirk, who was reduced in rank from Admiral to Captain.

Following the council session McCoy joined his friends on the new USS Enterprise as chief medical officer, and stood next to his friends Kirk and Spock on the bridge as Captain Kirk said, " Let's see what she's got." ( TOS movie , novelization & comic adaptation : The Voyage Home )

After launch the Enterprise returned to Earth Spacedock , whereupon most of the crew went on shore leave and Scott set about fixing the large number of technical problems the ship was experiencing. During this time a new bridge module was installed on the ship. Meanwhile McCoy went on a camping trip to Yosemite National Park in California with Kirk and Spock. The trip was nerve wracking for McCoy as Kirk had insisted on climbing El Capitan without any sort of protective equipment. His worst fears were nearly realized when Kirk slipped and fell off the mountain, only to be rescued by Spock at the last possible moment.

At dinner that night McCoy informed Kirk that he and Spock could drive a man to drink, angrily chastising Kirk for his recklessness. After trying to sing Row, Row, Row Your Boat with Spock and Kirk the three called it a night, only to be woken up a few minutes later by Uhura, informing them that they were being recalled to duty by Starfleet.

McCoy once again told Spock no one is perfect after missing their target deck, in the escape from Enterprise 's brig . He came to Spock's defense, reminding their captain that Spock could no more kill his brother Sybok than Spock could kill him, and that Spock is both Vulcan and human . McCoy stated that Spock never ceases to amaze him. Spock replied the same for himself. ( TOS movie , novelization & comic adaptation : The Final Frontier )

Later years [ ]

In 2293 , the Enterprise -A was sent to escort a Klingon diplomatic party, led by Chancellor Gorkon , to Earth. During the encounter, it appeared the Enterprise fired photon torpedos at Gorkon's ship, damaging it. McCoy and Kirk then beamed over to the ship to see if the crew needed assistance. They discovered that Gorkon was dying and McCoy attempted to save the Chancellor, but was unsuccessful due to his lack of knowledge about Klingon physiology. McCoy and Kirk were then arrested and sentenced to serve a life term on Rura Penthe . With Spock's help, the two were able to escape the prison planet. Afterwards, McCoy helped Spock modify a photon torpedo to destroy General Chang 's cloaked starship. ( TOS movie , novelization & comic adaptation : The Undiscovered Country )

In 2294 , McCoy became seriously ill, necessitating the replacement of several organs by ones that had been cloned earlier and held in storage for such an eventuality. ( TOS novel : The Captain's Daughter )

Likewise in 2294, McCoy served aboard the USS Enterprise -B in a temporary capacity as chief Starfleet medical advisor under the command of Captain John Harriman , during a crisis involving the release of Terrellian plague by renegade Klingon forces in the Antares star system. ( Captain's Log comic : " Captain's Log: Harriman ", TNG episode & novelization : Encounter at Farpoint )

Also during this same year, McCoy tracked down his former crewmate, Montgomery Scott, and gave him a stern lecture about his solitary drinking, after Scott slipped into a depressed state following the loss of Captain Kirk. ( Star Trek novel : Engines of Destiny )

McCoy successfully recovered, and in 2296 , was serving under Captain Spock on board the starship USS Intrepid II . ( TOS novel : Vulcan's Forge )

Around the turn of the 24th century , McCoy joined the teaching staff at Starfleet Medical Academy . One of his students was Jo Stern , with who he would form a lasting friendship. Stern would call him "Mac," the only person he allowed to do so. ( ST - The Lost Era novel : Well of Souls )

At some point during the USS Enterprise -B 's time in service, McCoy served as her chief medical officer . ( TNG episode & novelization : Encounter at Farpoint )

In 2327 , McCoy attended Sarek and Perrin 's wedding on Vulcan. ( TOS comic : " Enter the Wolves ")

By 2336 , he was working at Starfleet Medical . ( ST - The Lost Era novel : Well of Souls )

In 2344 , McCoy escorted Spock and Saavik to their wedding ceremony. ( TOS novel : Vulcan's Heart )

In the 2350s , he accompanied Spock to the Romulan Empire , where he met Eric John Stiles . ( TNG - Double Helix novel : Red Sector )

McCoy retired from Starfleet in 2353 .

In 2363 , McCoy suffered an injury after tripping over one of his great-great-grandchildrens' toys which necessitated a stay at Bethesda Starfleet Hospital , preventing him from attending the launch of the USS Enterprise -D . In "revenge", McCoy connived the USS Hood to take him to Farpoint Station , where they would be transferring crew to the new Enterprise . McCoy inspected the ship's medical facilities, and was escorted back to the Hood , via shuttlecraft, by Lieutenant Commander Data . McCoy told the young android the ship was new but had the right name, and that if she was treated well she'd always bring the crew home. ( TNG episode & novelization : Encounter at Farpoint )

By 2364 , McCoy was 137 years old while his daughter Joanna was 115. ( TNG episode & novelization : Encounter at Farpoint )

McCoy revisited the Enterprise -D in 2367 , and again in 2371 . ( TNG comic : " In Memory Yet Green... ")

During this second visit, when assigned to assist the Enterprise in rescuing Spock from Romulus after a meeting of the Unification movement was captured with Spock among them, McCoy attempted to take command when he felt that Picard was taking too long to negotiate for Spock's release, approaching the governor of the colony that had captured Spock directly rather than negotiating through the Romulan High Council. However, his actions actually made matters worse as the governor realized McCoy's identity and thus guessed that he had Spock prisoner rather than just another group of Unificationists, leaving McCoy feeling ashamed at the revelation that he had acted like the kind of arrogant admiral he had always hated in his own time on the ship, assuming that they knew better than the captain while ending up making matters worse. However, a conversation with Guinan helped him move past this mistake, and he was later able to use his own knowledge to convince the Romulans to stand down after the unexpected intervention of the returned Scotty, drawing the Romulans' attention to the imminent reunion of another species on the border of the Neutral Zone whose presence would force the Romulants to face a threat on multiple fronts if they pressed the Federation into a fight. ( TNG novel : Crossover )

Spanning these four years, his lifelong friend and colleague Spock asked him a personal question. Comparing the captains of Enterprise (1701,1701-A and 1701-D), which would McCoy summon in a time of need. He answered, in honesty, Spock himself. ( TNG comic : " In Memory Yet Green... ")

This, in fact, came true aboard the bridge of a Defiant -class starship . ( TOS novel : The Return )

Spock swore to secrecy his choice of command; not even to share with Saavik , lest McCoy totally deny it. ( TNG comic : " In Memory Yet Green... ")

During this period, McCoy was also an occasional guest lecturer at Starfleet Medical Academy . ( SCE eBook : Wounds, Book 2 )

By the late 24th century , McCoy was forced to have to wear an exoskeleton, including leg braces, although he later was given implants which allowed him to discard the exoskeleton. ( TOS - Strange New Worlds II short story : " Doctors Three "; TOS novel : The Return , TOS novel : Spectre ) At the age of 144, he assisted Julian Bashir during his operation to remove Borg implants from Kirk's body following his resurrection. The procedure was a success, and McCoy spent some time with Kirk, informing him on what his former crewmates had done with their lives. ( TOS novel : The Return )

In 2375 , he assisted Kirk, Spock and Montgomery Scott in fighting the denizens of the mirror Universe before attending the wedding of Kirk and Teilani and setting out to find a cure when Teilani was poisoned by eugenic child 7. ( TOS novel : Spectre , TOS novel : Dark Victory , TOS novel : Preserver )

In 2376 , McCoy joined in the celebrations surrounding Starbase 11 . ( ST - New Worlds, New Civilizations short story : " 225 Years of Service ")

In 2378 , he and Spock, both wearing the current Starfleet uniform, retrieved an unconscious James T. Kirk from his battle with the Bajoran called Corrin Tal . ( TOS novel : Captain's Peril )

While the USS Enterprise -E underwent repairs in Earth 's orbit in late 2379 , Captain Jean-Luc Picard visited the retired admiral. Picard consulted McCoy about the fal-tor-pan ritual, to determine whether to stay hopeful about a return of his recently deceased fellow officer and friend, Lieutenant Commander Data . ( TNG - Strange New Worlds 8 short story : " Final Flight ")

In 2381 , McCoy assisted in the Médecins Sans Frontières relief operation on P'Jem following the Borg invasion. As of 2381, Admiral McCoy was 154 years old. ( ST novel : A Singular Destiny ).

When Nero and Ambassador Spock were sent back to the 23rd century , causing what was called the Kelvin timeline after Nero's assault of the USS Kelvin , a photo of McCoy and Spock's crewmates aboard the USS Enterprise -A was among the personal effects bequeathed to the alternate Spock after Ambassador Spock passed away in the year 2263 . ( TOS movie : Beyond )

Starfleet service record [ ]

Appendices [ ], connections [ ].

Template:USS Richard Feynman personnel

Appearances [ ]

References [ ].

• ↑ 1.0 1.1 ST - Who's Who in Star Trek comic : " Issue 1 "

External link [ ]

• Leonard McCoy article at Memory Alpha , the wiki for canon Star Trek .
• Leonard McCoy article at the Star Trek Timelines Wiki .
• 1 Ferengi Rules of Acquisition
• 2 Odyssey class
• 3 Yamato class

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Leonard McCoy

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McCoy was born in Atlanta, Georgia in 2227.   The son of David, he attended the University of Mississippi, and is a divorcé.  In 2266, McCoy was posted as chief medical officer of the USS Enterprise under Captain James T. Kirk, who often calls him "Bones".

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Star Trek: Leonard McCoy Frontier Doctor Paperback – November 9, 2010

• Part of Series Star Trek: McCoy
• Print length 104 pages
• Language English
• Publisher IDW Publishing
• Publication date November 9, 2010
• Reading age 16 years and up
• Dimensions 6.4 x 0.3 x 10.1 inches
• ISBN-10 1600107486
• ISBN-13 978-1600107481
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• Publisher ‏ : ‎ IDW Publishing; First Edition (November 9, 2010)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 104 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1600107486
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1600107481
• Reading age ‏ : ‎ 16 years and up
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 10.4 ounces
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.4 x 0.3 x 10.1 inches
• #14,176 in Media Tie-In Graphic Novels
• #15,038 in Science Fiction Graphic Novels (Books)
• #365,904 in Science Fiction & Fantasy (Books)

About the author

John Lindley Byrne (born July 6, 1950) is a British-born American comic-book writer and artist. Since the mid-1970s, Byrne has worked on many major American superheroes. Byrne's better-known work has been on Marvel Comics’ X-Men and Fantastic Four and the 1986 relaunch of DC Comics’ Superman franchise, the first issue of which featured comics' first variant cover. Coming into the comics profession exclusively as a penciler, Byrne began co-plotting the X-Men comics during his tenure on them, and launched his writing career in earnest with Fantastic Four (where he started inking his own pencils). During the 1990s he produced a number of creator-owned works, including Next Men and Danger Unlimited. He scripted the first issues of Mike Mignola's Hellboy series and produced a number of Star Trek comics for IDW Publishing. In 2015, Byrne and his longtime X-Men collaborator Chris Claremont were inducted into the comic book hall of fame.

Bio from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Photo by Corey Bond from United States (John Byrne. Cropped prior to upload.) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)], via Wikimedia Commons.

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His friend James T. Kirk has been promoted to Admiral, the U.S.S. Enterprise is in space dock for a refit, so McCoy is on his own as a member of the Frontier Medics Program in this collection of lively tales written and illustrated by John Byrne. Share the adventure as Bones confronts a mysterious plague on a distant world, contends with his growing distaste for the transporter, fights a virus that just might be smarter than he is, and wrestles with a dilemma that cuts to the very heart of his Hippocratic Oath. Along the way pick up story threads from Byrne's other Star Trek series, Assignment: Earth and Crew

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Star Trek: The Original Series (IDW) #12

Star trek: leonard mccoy - frontier doctor.

104 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2010

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Star Trek: Leonard McCoy, Frontier Doctor

Genres:   Movies & TV , Sci-Fi

Publisher:   IDW Publishing

Writer:   John Byrne

Artist:   John Byrne

Publication date:  April 2010 - July 2010

Status:  Completed

Views:  37,159

His friend James T. Kirk has been promoted to Admiral, the U.S.S. Enterprise is in space dock for a refit, so McCoy is on his own as a member of the Frontier Medics Program in this collection of lively tales written and illustrated by John Byrne. Share the adventure as Bones confronts a mysterious plague on a distant world, contends with his growing distaste for the transporter, fights a virus that just might be smarter than he is, and wrestles with a dilemma that cuts to the very heart of his Hippocratic Oath. Along the way pick up story threads from Byrne's other Star Trek series, Assignment: Earth and Crew

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Star Trek #5 [Direct] (August 1980)

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Cover credits 2005 by Steven Tice.

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Letters from Tony Sprague, Ralph Garver, Mitchell S. Craig, Paul Hayward, Orme Sells, and J. Matthew Kennedy.

Why Star Trek Was A 'Mixed Blessing' For DeForest Kelley

"Star Trek" is a dream gig, but it can also be a nightmare. Brent Spiner, who played the android Data on "Star Trek: The Next Generation," spoke to TV Guide in 1994 about how he will always be Data in the eyes of the public. He could win an Oscar for playing an elderly woman, he said, and still die knowing that Data would be listed first in his obituary . "Star Trek" is such a powerful force in the pop cultural zeitgeist that playing a "Trek" character can mark an actor forever; it must have been hard to walk away from "Star Trek," walk into another audition, and hear "Hey! It's Chekov!" or "Do the Riker thing!"

This was certainly experienced by DeForest Kelley a prolific TV actor and well-known pop culture heavy prior to "Star Trek." Gene Roddenberry already knew Kelley in the early '60s after the pair worked on a few TV shows together, notably the lawyer show "333 Montgomery." When it came time to cast Dr. Leonard McCoy, the chief medical officer on the U.S.S. Enterprise, Roddenberry knew just who he wanted. 

After "Star Trek" ended in 1969, however, Kelley's gigs slowed. From 1969 to 1981, Kelley only had 10 non-"Star Trek" roles. In contrast, Kelley acted in 14 TV roles in 1959 alone. 

In 2014, StarTrek.com unearthed a rare audio interview with Kelley taken on the set of "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home" in 1986. In that interview, Kelley was frank about how "Star Trek" brought him into the public eye, but also that it kind of damaged his career. He was grateful, of course, and Kelley wanted to stress that intense gratitude, but he also noted that playing Dr. McCoy was like being caught in a trap.

Read more: The Main Star Trek Captains Ranked Worst To Best

Hollywood's Faculty For Pigeonholing

The interviewer noted that Kelley spent a large portion of his career playing tough guys and villains. Kelley retorted that studios are uncreative places when it comes to casting and that many actors are pigeonholed and typecast very quickly . "Hollywood," he said, "has an unhappy faculty for putting someone in a slot." He said that no casting agent was able to take his whole career into perspective, noting that he was capable of a lot more than villains. Later, people would forget that he was capable of a lot more than playing Dr. McCoy.

He also assumed that "Star Trek" wouldn't be an opportunity to be typecast because his two co-leads, William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy, played such fantastical outsize characters. Compared to them, McCoy was "plain." In short, he felt they would draw attention away from him. The actor said:

"[...] McCoy was most-human character in the whole group. I did not feel that way about Bill or Leonard. The captain, you think about ' Flash Gordon' or that sort of thing. And when I saw Leonard with his makeup, with the ears, I thought, 'Well, he's had it.' I thought, 'McCoy is still kind of an ordinary human being walking around out there and I don't think there will be any problems at all.' I was the most surprised man in the world when I was caught right in the same trap ... if you can call it a trap." 

Kelley felt that by being "human," he could move to another gig easily. Ironically, when "Star Trek" gained cult popularity during reruns in the early 1970s, and Kelley's face graced TV screens more and more, humanity began to fall away. 

Not The Most Driven Actor

As mentioned, though, Kelley wanted to communicate that he appreciated the fame "Star Trek" brought him and that he was able to play one character for many, many years. He said: 

"It's been a mixed blessing. I've enjoyed the role tremendously and, as the years have gone by, I have considered myself very fortunate to be a part of this show, which has become the phenomenon that it has. Many actors never get the opportunity to even be in a successful series, and here I have had the opportunity to be a part of what has become something most unusual in this country. So I have to look at it with all gratefulness." 

Kelley then admitted that his unvaried, post-"Star Trek" career was partially his own doing. " I'm not the most driven actor in the world," he said. "I'm a lazy actor." He said he was perfectly content to take the gigs he landed and rarely fretted about his career beyond. What's more, "Star Trek" likely made him wealthy, through residuals as well as a long string of convention appearances. Although he felt he could have acted in a wider variety of roles, he was okay with playing Dr. McCoy . "Not that I was setting the world on fire," he added, "but I had fulfilled myself within." 

Kelley passed away in 1999 at the age of 79. His final role was voicing the space probe Viking 1 in the 1998 animated film "The Brave Little Toaster Goes to Mars."

Read the original article on SlashFilm

Star Trek 2009 Is Worth Revisiting 15 Years Later

By Stephen Wilds

I grew up seeing a handful of Star Trek: The Original Series episodes randomly on television. They somewhat caught my attention, but my Star Trek journey truly began with The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, and Voyager. Until I decided to start doing full re-watches in college, my primary interactions with Captain Kirk and his crew were the movies. As much as I enjoyed and respected that original crew, I always felt they were harder to relate to than some of my favorites. Like most fans, I was unsure about a reboot, but something in the back of my mind hoped that this would get me into these characters even more. Although Star Trek 2009 has its flaws, I remember leaving the theater with renewed vigor for the franchise and the possibilities of future adventures.  

This, however, was not a universally shared opinion. Many fans didn’t like this new version of their beloved classic Trek, claiming that it wasn’t deserving of the title. A lot of the names behind the camera had set off red flags, but even if that was overreacting, what they saw on screen was flashier, faster-paced, more action-based, and violent, with the younger characters full of drama and at each other’s throats. This incarnation didn’t feel right to some lifelong fans and was hard to accept. Some enjoyed the movie, but saw it as too much of a popcorn flick to be real Trek, designed more for general audiences and less for the devoted, as if the filmmakers took all of the wrong lessons from First Contact and set it in an alternate universe – a decision that seemed to be made primarily due to merchandising rights – gave them carte blanche to completely spin the dial when it came to tone.

There are some valid arguments here, but most of it comes down to preference and what individual fans expect from their Trek. Star Trek 2009 is a reboot that still acknowledges the original timeline, even bringing over Spock from the Prime universe, things are changed, but the project does make an effort to appease everyone. For most, the new ship designs, recrafted sets, and polished visuals take a back seat to the characters and how they’re handled.

I’m a huge fan of the cast, solid choices almost all around. It is amusing to see Thor at the beginning. Zachary Quinto as Spock does an excellent job, and it’s easy to hang on to his words looking for the small bits of emotion that might escape. His relationship with the incredible Zoe Saldana as Uhura enriches them both. She compliments him and stands on her own. The character is strong, assertive, compassionate when needed, and works well under pressure. Not to mention the wonderful Karl Urban’s take on Dr. McCoy, who has some of the best lines in the film and possesses a wonderfully unorthodox demeanor and unruly presence. These are the main performances, but they are assisted by John Cho’s portrayal of Hikaru Sulu, Simon Pegg as Scotty, and Anton Yelchin, who played Pavel Chekov. I also feel like we overlook this universe’s version of Christopher Pike because Bruce Greenwood has a wonderful space dad presence and feels different than Anson Mount’s incarnation but still regal and heroic.  

“Space is disease and danger wrapped in darkness and silence.” Leonard “Bones” McCoy

We always need a solid villain, though, and Trek has had some great ones, but that is never guaranteed. Captain Nero is one of my absolute favorites, certainly my #1 Romulan. In a way, he’s more Spock’s villain, a darker reflection that plays off the Vulcan vs Romulan connection, and although there should be no one to blame for what happened to his planet, he needs someone to hate. Sure, Nero could have tried to go warn his homeworld or spent that time in this alternate reality building a new life, something constructive, but he was looking for a furious retribution to help make that pain mean something. 

I think Eric Bana brought some heat to the role and he looked fantastic with the pirate vibe and a converted mining ship that resembled a savage beast on the outside and a demented clock inside. He’s quiet until the violence erupts, a working-class villain who calls Starfleet captains by their first names condescendingly while he plays with his prey, and the crew wants to ensure he’s dealt with so much that once he refuses help, they make sure there’s no way he could slip through time again, firing everything, risking their safety just to make sure Nero’s dead.

Sometimes it’s good to appreciate raw hatred and the lengths someone can go to out of pettiness. The melodrama is thick in space. We see from that first glorious scene a tragic battle, where this is a darker timeline, and people are going to die and be forced to make sacrifices. The music is also a huge boost here, no, I don’t mean The Beastie Boys, but Michael Giacchino‘s score. The notes we hear are bombastic, creating a bold sound that is also meant to jar us at times, and it succeeds in pushing the tone and giving the heroic moments some extra weight. The original theme playing over the credits also helped. 

Captain Kirk isn’t nailed

Right, I’ve put off talking about Chris Pine ’s version of Kirk long enough. I enjoy the character, his new origin, being birthed and christened by such a devastating event, forged in phaser fire and photon torpedoes, tested from breath one. He’s an angry kid with a lot to prove, just like Pike challenges him on, and his bullshit is often called out or catches up to him, the little “cupcake.” Sure, making captain so quick doesn’t make sense, even if they explained how weak the fleet was then, but that’s not my issue. I think it’s Pine. I don’t dislike him, but even after he grew on me, I’m still wondering what’s missing in his performance because it isn’t as wooden as some of his others, and he’s just a dialed-up, younger, more petulant version of the character I know, but I also think he’s the only character that doesn’t sit right with me. In a movie where even the minor characters all have moments that show their personalities and give them quirks that feel right, Kirk is my least favorite part of Star Trek 2009’s ensemble cast.

The constant lens flares, the flashy lights on top of a duller stage, the cluttered battle scenes, those weird monsters on the ice planet, there are several decisions that I understand why fans question this movie. It goes for a unique look but almost makes the film harder to follow. When things are pumping this hard, it can be tough to get into the smaller details. I absolutely love the way the movie looks in some parts, especially on the planets. My favorite moment like this is when Kirk and Sulu fall after disabling the drill and are teleported out of mid-air, landing on the transporter pad and breaking it. Little details make this 2009 movie feel like a legitimate upgrade as a reboot without trying to step on the past.

I was prepared for this movie. A friend loaned me the prequel comic, a story I genuinely enjoyed, but thought that more of the scenes, or at least the information from it, should have made it into the film. Some of the story elements feel like they come out of nowhere without it. But for many new fans, this is the one that finally got them into Star Trek, made them want to go watch and read more about it, and see what else the franchise had to offer. I know I went and watched more TOS episodes after this, I wanted to prepare for the eventual sequels which, admittedly, didn’t work out so well, but before that, this movie had me excited for what was to come. I’ll always appreciate Star Trek 2009, no matter how different it may have been.

Playing video games and watching old cartoons in the basement of Raccoon City's Police Department, where misplaced commas and lack of pizza are the biggest problems.

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" Bones " was a nickname for Doctor Leonard McCoy in multiple realities.

In the prime reality, "Bones" was short for "Sawbones"; this long version was used by James T. Kirk only rarely, usually using the shortened version "Bones" during their service together. ( TOS : " The Man Trap ", " A Piece of the Action "; Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country )

During a 2267 landing party mission on Pyris VII , Kirk made a special point to avoid calling McCoy "Bones", instead using the nickname "Doc", after finding themselves in shackles hanging alongside a skeleton . ( TOS : " Catspaw ")

After watching a recording by the presumed-dead Kirk in 2268 , Spock used the nickname by telling McCoy " Forget it, Bones ", although he called it something Kirk would have said. ( TOS : " The Tholian Web ")

In the alternate reality , James T. Kirk referred to Leonard McCoy as Bones because, as mentioned by the doctor the first time they met, all his ex-wife left him after their divorce was his bones. ( Star Trek )

Star Trek's Time Travel Rules Aren't Nearly as Confusing as They Seem

Over the six-decade history of Star Trek, there's been a lot of time travel and, confusing it as it may seem, there're clear rules about how it works.

• Star Trek time travel operates with genuine logic, impacting the past and future consistently within the narrative framework.
• Major series and films heavily rely on time travel, introducing rules like the "slingshot" effect and parallel realities.
• Changes in the past affect the future of the Prime Timeline, except for the creation of the Kelvin Timeline as a parallel reality.

As a mainstay of science fiction for six decades, Star Trek is no stranger to time travel stories. On the surface, it may seem as if the rules of time travel are loose in Gene Roddenberry's universe. The first chronological use of time travel comes at the end of Star Trek: The Original Series Season 1, Episode 6, "The Naked Time," when the USS Enterprise is sent three days back in time. Since then, every major Star Trek series has featured time travel, with some even relying heavily on the convention.

Time travel also shows up in the films, from Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home to Star Trek: First Contact . The 2009 reboot Star Trek movie by J.J. Abrams also relies on time travel to create its brand-new universe. Star Trek also uses parallel realities, such as its famously evil Mirror Universe. While there are rules in its universe, the real-life way Star Trek time travel works is, essentially, narrative convenience. What the storytellers want to happen is what happens, but through these choices made by disparate storytellers, a framework emerges.

Time Travel in Star Trek: The Original Series Set the Tone

Star trek has been quietly influencing one of the most popular franchises of all time.

"The Naked Time" and the Enterprise being flung into the past was meant to be the first part of a two-part story. The second part was "Tomorrow Is Yesterday," eventually the 21st episode of the first season. In this story, the USS Enterprise is accidentally flung back to 1969. This episode developed the "slingshot" effect, in which the ship warps around the sun and uses that to break the "time barrier." In this story, the Enterprise is able to successfully erase its presence in the past by undoing the changes they made. In Season 2, Episode 26, "Assignment: Earth," The Enterprise is again in the past on what's supposed to be a "routine" observation mission. Instead, they help Gary Seven -- a mysterious human called a Watcher" -- prevent a nuclear detonation.

In that episode, Spock discovers the Enterprise was always supposed to be a part of the events that day. This is a closed time-loop in which the presence of time travelers was always part of what happened . However, in the famous episode "City on the Edge of Forever," a crazed Doctor McCoy accidentally goes back in time through the "Guardian of Forever" gate and changes history. The USS Enterprise disappeared, but the away team on the planet did not. This was the first time that changes in the past were immediately reflected in the timeline, which is the de facto way time travel manifests in Star Trek . Similarly, in Star Trek: The Animated Series , the Guardian of Forever is used to correct a mistake that erased Spock from history.

In "City on the Edge of Forever," proximity to the Guardian prevented the crew from being affected by the changes. Yet, in "Yesteryear," the crew by the Guardian were not immune, not recognizing Spock when he emerged. Lastly, in Star Trek IV the crew changes the past , but its effects are left vague. Scotty gives a random manufacturer the formula for transparent aluminum, while Chekov leaves behind his communicator and phaser when captured by the US military. How these changes affected the future are not known, but it's presumed that they would have been both instantaneous and unnoticeable upon the Enterprise's return to their present.

How The Next Generation Era Solidified Star Trek Time Travel Rules

One of star trek's best new characters reclaimed a problematic trope.

There were a number of episodes in the second wave of Star Trek that dealt with time travel, including its consequences on the future. In a Star Trek: Voyager two-parter, Ed Begley, Jr. played an important character who was, essentially, responsible for the 1980s and 1990s computer age the Star Trek: The Originl Series storytellers didn't see coming. In Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 's "Past Tense," Captain Sisko has to step in for historical figure Gabriel Bell in the "Bell Riots," an important historical event. Also, Deep Space Nine revealed that Quark, Nog and Rom were the "Rosewell aliens" thanks to a time travel snafu. However, one episode further solidified how changes to the timeline worked.

In Star Trek: The Next Generation 's third season episode, "Yesterday's Enterprise," the USS Enterprise-C was displaced from its time into the 24th Century. The moment it arrived there, the timeline changed and none of the Enterprise-D crew was the wiser. Only Guinan was subtly made aware of these changes due to her El Aurian ancestry. When the Enterprise C went back into the temporal rift, that reality snapped back not just to normal but the moment it first emerged. This was despite the fact that days passed in the alternate present the ship's arrival created. This matches how the temporal changes in the sequel series worked as well. Sometimes other characters were exempt from the changes, and while there were sci-fi reasons given, it was, again, narrative convenience.

In Star Trek: First Contact , the Borg successfully altered the past when it sent a sphere back to 2063. The USS Enterprise-E was immune from the timeline changes because of its proximity to the temporal singularity that eventually allowed them to follow . Since the version of Zefram Cochrane that appeared in The Original Series was ignorant of the Federation, it's safe to assume the presence of The Next Generation 's characters changed that past from what it once was. When they returned to their present, presumably, any permanent changes to the present were, again, unnoticeable.

Star Trek: Enterprise and the Kelvin Timeline Changed Time Travel Rules Further

Star trek: discovery fixed one big mistake the kelvin timelines movies made.

The idea of a temporal war was introduced in Star Trek: Enterprise , again suggesting the version of events viewers saw was not the history the characters in the past series knew. From the war with the Xindi in Season 3 to the various temporal incursions in the earlier seasons, the NX-01 Enterprise experienced a different history than it should've. This suggests that every time travel adventure in Star Trek changed the past, save perhaps for the events in "Assignment: Earth." However, that episode is an outlier because it was conceived as a backdoor pilot for a spinoff starring Gary Seven. At some point, according to both Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds , the Temporal War went from "cold" to "hot," resulting in even more significant changes.

Still, in almost all cases, changing something in the past affected the future of the Prime Timeline. There is one notable exception, which also exists for narrative convenience. When Ambassador Spock and the Narada traveled into the past after the destruction of Romulus, it created an alternate timeline that became a parallel reality running concurrent with the Prime Timeline . Unlike other time travel events that changed Star Trek canon , the Kelvin Timeline continued forward without undoing the events in the Prime Timeline. Star Trek: Picard Season 1 proved this by confirming the destruction of Romulus. And, when those characters time traveled in Season 2, the changes in the past were again reflected in the Prime Timeline's future rather than creating a branch reality.

For those looking for a sci-fi reason for this, one could say that the mysterious "Red Matter" Spock used had something to do with it. However, the Kelvin Timeline isn't necessarily the only parallel reality created by time-travel. In Star Trek: Discovery , the Guardian of Forever implied to Philippa Georgiou that there was a period in the Mirror Universe's past where it was the same timeline as the one fans know. Though, Enterprise showed that divergence happened, at least, as far back as Vulcan First Contact. Still, save for it and the Kelvin Timeline, Star Trek 's rules of time travel suggest changes in the past affect the future of the Prime Timeline.

There Are Still Unanswered Mysteries About How Time Travel Works in Star Trek

The new star trek series could erase the kelvin timeline, but shouldn't.

When it comes to the real-world story reasons for creating an alternate timeline versus a parallel reality, it's all down to narrative needs. The Kelvin Timeline needed a future unencumbered by existing canon, thus it existed without changing the Prime Timeline. However, most of the time travel incursions in the Star Trek universe don't work that way. Yet, events change for other, inexplicable reasons such as the birth and rise of Khan Noonien Singh . In "Space Seed," the The Original Series Season 1 episode that introduced the character, his reign of terror happened in the 1990s . Yet, Strange New Worlds fixed that in Season 2.

Khan's descendent, La'an Noonien Singh, was recruited by a Temporal Agent to fix an attack in the past. When he passed his Time Gizmo to her, the timeline changed around her, including erasing the Temporal Agent's body. While in the past, she encountered a Romulan temporal soldier sent back to the 1990s to kill Khan. Without him, Starfleet and the Federation would never form. Yet, when she got there, she found no evidence of Khan's existence. Eventually, she discovered him as a child in the mid-21st Century. She implied to La'an that certain "canon events" will happen regardless. Perhaps because of the changes made to the time in Voyager , Khan's creation didn't happen until later.

While these aren't the clearest rules, time travel can explain many things, including Strange New Worlds ' advanced technology . These changes alter the look and capabilities of Star Trek 's future, but the "big" things still happen. Christopher Pike captains the Enterprise and is debilitated in an accident. James T. Kirk replaces him, preventing a Romulan war. This can also mean that time travel events that don't happen on screen can also change the timeline in ways the characters (and the audience) would never realize . In fact, all these various stories told by different generations of storytellers over decades fit together even this neatly is a kind of miracle in itself.

Star Trek's series and Kelvin Timeline films are available to stream on Paramount+, while the first 10 films stream on Max. All are available to own on DVD, Blu-ray and digital.

The Star Trek universe encompasses multiple series, each offering a unique lens through which to experience the wonders and perils of space travel. Join Captain Kirk and his crew on the Original Series' voyages of discovery, encounter the utopian vision of the Federation in The Next Generation, or delve into the darker corners of galactic politics in Deep Space Nine. No matter your preference, there's a Star Trek adventure waiting to ignite your imagination.

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I've been missing detmer & owosekun in star trek: discovery season 5.

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Where’s Saru? Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Sidelined The Kelpien Hero

Strange new worlds could have the answer to a big star trek: discovery mystery, a classic star trek movie alien returns in discovery season 5 episode 8.

WARNING: Contains SPOILERS for Star Trek: Discovery season 5.

• Detmer and Owosekun's absence in Star Trek: Discovery season 5 has been keenly felt by fans and the crew of the USS Discovery.
• Lt. Commanders Detmer and Owosekun have only made brief appearances in two out of the six episodes of season 5 so far.
• Star Trek: Discovery season 5's new bridge characters makes it feel like the USS DIscovery has a new crew.

Lt. Commander Keyla Detmer (Emily Coutts) and Lt. Commander Joann Owosekun (Oyin Oladejo) have been conspicuously absent from Star Trek: Discovery season 5. Both Detmer and Owosekun have been serving on the bridge of the USS Discovery since season 1, as the helmsman and the operations officer, respectively. Although they have not been featured as prominently as some of the other characters, Detmer and Owosekun are compelling characters who have always been a welcome presence . More than any other Star Trek show, Discovery focuses on its lead, Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green), but Detmer and Owo have been a part of her story since the beginning.

Star Trek: Discovery season 4 expanded the roles of Lt. Commanders Detmer and Owosekun, as they both helped the USS Discovery uncover the truth about the Dark Matter Anomaly. In Star Trek: Discovery season 4, episode 8, "All In," Owosekun accompanied Captain Burnham on a mission to a black-market casino, where her hand-to-hand combat skills proved incredibly useful in earning money in a fighting ring. Detmer, too, was part of an away team a few episodes later, in Star Trek: Discovery season 4, episode 11,"Rosetta," when Discovery visited the homeworld of Species 10-C. Star Trek : Discovery season 5 is the show's final season, and it's likely Detmer and Owo will return before the end, but their absence throughout much of the season so far has been keenly felt.

Detmer's piloting skills have also come in handy on multiple occasions, and both officers excel when stationed on the bridge.

Despite the potential for a great storyline in season 5, Doug Jones's Saru has been absent for much of Star Trek: Discovery's final season.

Detmer & Owosekun Have Been Noticeably Absent From Star Trek: Discovery Season 5

Detmer and owosekun have only appeared in two out of discovery season 5's six episodes so far..

Detmer and Owosekun have briefly popped up in a couple of episodes of Star Trek: Discovery season 5, but have otherwise been completely absent. Lt. Commander Asha (Christina Dixon) and Lt. Gallo (Natalie Liconti) took over Detmer and Owo's stations on the USS DIscovery's bridge, while Keyla and Joann were only mentioned in dialogue. After the events of Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 5 , "Mirrors," Detmer and Owo were ordered to polit the ISS Enterprise back to Federation Headquarters. This means they will likely remain absent for the rest of Discovery's search for the Progenitors' technology, which is disappointing, as both characters would be fun additions to this intergalactic treasure hunt.

When Captain Burnham brought Commander Rayner (Callum Keith Rennie) aboard as the USS Discovery's new First Officer, he did quick meet-and-greets with the ship's crew members. Detmer and Owosekun were conspicuously absent from these scenes as well, again replaced by Asha and Gallo. Despite all their talk of family, Discovery's crew has not fully coalesced into a solid core group the way other Star Trek casts have. As Star Trek: Discovery season 5 was filming, the cast and crew were unaware that it would be the show's last season, making it all the more unfortunate that Detmer and Owosekun do not have more of a presence in what will be Discovery's final episodes.

Star Trek: Discovery Feels Like The Starship Has A New Crew In Season 5

Star trek: discovery changes its dynamic every season..

Since the days of Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and his Starship Enterprise crew, most Star Trek shows have featured ensemble casts. While the Captains were more or less the main characters, the other senior officers also featured prominently in certain episodes. Star Trek: The Original Series came to focus on the iconic trio of Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy), and Dr. Leonard McCoy (DeForest Kelley), while Star Trek: The Next Generation would have episodes that often showcased one character. Star Trek: Discovery has always centered Michael Burnham by design, but that means some of the other characters have been sidelined.

Discovery has struggled to find its identity, experimenting with different kinds of stories and cycling through crew members.

Over the course of its five seasons, Star Trek: Discovery has struggled to find its identity, experimenting with different kinds of stories and cycling through crew members. When Michael Burnham became Captain of Discovery at the end of season 3, it finally felt like the show had found its rhythm. Star Trek: Discovery season 4 still focused on Burnham, but allowed more of the characters to play a larger role. Burnham is a great character, and she will always be Discovery's star, but the crew felt more like a family than ever in season 4, and Star Trek: Discovery season 5 has shifted the dynamics yet again.

New episodes of Star Trek: Discovery stream Thursdays on Paramount+.

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THEORY: Did ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Finally Resolve The “Calypso” Mystery?

| April 23, 2024 | By: Iain Robertson 35 comments so far

“ Face the Strange ,” the fourth episode of Star Trek: Discovery’s  final season, gave us a fun, old-fashioned Trek time travel adventure, but one scene in particular seems to tie into an intriguing and previously unexplained look into the far future.

Playing the long game with Short Treks

In “ Calypso ,” the second episode of Star Trek: Short Treks , we were presented with a vision of a future USS Discovery where the ship had been abandoned for almost 1,000 years. The ship’s sole inhabitant was Zora, a sentient AI with a penchant for watching musicals from Hollywood’s Golden Age to pass the time. While season 3 of Discovery partially delivered on the showrunner’s promise to provide a link to “Calypso” by showing how Zora emerged from the “ Sphere Data ,” just how the USS Discovery ended up abandoned in that far future has remained a lingering mystery.

Zora’s POV in “Calypso”

“Face The Strange” didn’t see Burnham and Rayner jump anywhere near that far—just to the year 3218, 30 years or so into the characters’ futures. In this dark future, the Breen had obtained the Progenitors’ technology from Moll and L’ak and used it to launch a devastating attack on the Federation. Burnham and the rest of Discovery’s crew had been dead for decades, and Zora was again the ship’s lone occupant, with a penchant for the music of Doris Day.

Zora’s musical taste and familiar shots of her “Zora Vision” POV suggest an attempt to resolve the remaining mystery linking the Short Treks episode to Discovery . One big clue is that “Face the Strange” was written by Sean Cochran, who co-wrote “Calypso” with Picard co-creator Michael Chabon. So if we accept that the callbacks to “Calypso” were deliberate, what can they mean?

Zora’s POV in “Face the Strange”

Let’s take a look at three potential possibilities…

THEORY 1: “Calypso” is part of the same alternate future

The first and most obvious explanation is that “Calypso” is a continuation of the possible future shown in “Face the Strange.” The Discovery’s crew are killed by the Breen, who succeed in conquering the Federation. Zora is then left on the deserted ship for the next 1,000 years (which would place it around the 43rd Century), whiling away the centuries listening to Doris Day and watching musicals—in particular, the Fred Astaire/Audrey Hepburn classic Funny Face —until she encounters the character of Craft (Aldis Hodge).

Zora’s musical tastes, the abandoned ship, and the “Zora vision” scenes would definitely suggest “Calypso” as a continuation of this particular future. Since Burnham and the Discovery crew are fighting to find the Progenitors’ technology before Moll and L’ak  (and likely to succeed), this would mean that future would cease to exist, and “Calypso” is an intriguing never-to-be alternate future, similar to the outcome of episodes like Voyager’s  “Timeless” or  Next Generation’s  “All Good Things.”

There are however some inconsistencies between the two futures.

Firstly, the version of Discovery seen in “Calypso” is the 23rd-century version, prior to its 32nd-century refit. Most notably, the ship clearly has the original NCC-1031 designation, missing the ‘A’ that was added in the refit. Of course, the obvious, real-world reason is that “Calypso” was made between seasons 1 and 2 of Discovery , before the show’s jump to the future and redesign of the ship. This doesn’t make sense in-universe, but Short Treks has some other canon hiccups, so trying to explain away the missing “A” designation may be asking too much. The ship seen in “Face the Strange” is also in worse condition, but it’s likely Zora had Dots available that could repair the ship.

The Discovery in “Calypso” – No bloody A, B, C or D

Another inconsistency is that in “Calypso,” Zora tells Craft “the crew is away at present,” and says she has orders to maintain her current position, which doesn’t match with the events shown in “Face the Strange,” where she clearly stated that the crew had died. However, we don’t know what 1,000 years of isolation may have had on Zora. As a sentient life form, it’s possible by the time of “Calypso” she’s been experiencing some kind of AI senility or has repressed the traumatic memories of the crew’s demise. It’s also possible that she incurred some damage over the centuries, making her misremember the events.

In “Calypso,” Craft states he’s a soldier fighting the “V’draysh,” which is a bastardization of “Federation,” according to Michael Chabon. This doesn’t make sense if the Federation was defeated 1,000 years earlier; would the name still be in use? The name “V’draysh” was used once in the third season of Discovery, where it indeed related to the Federation.

Federation HQ destroyed in “Face the Strange”

While it’s possible that “Calypso” is a continuation of the alternate timeline established in “Face the Strange,” there are enough inconsistencies that we should consider some alternative scenarios.

THEORY 2: “Calypso” is Zora’s dream

One new piece of information we find out about Zora in “Face the Strange” is that she dreams. Her first line to Burnham is “Captain, is that you? Or is this another dream?” Although we’ve no idea when this started, it seems the years of isolation coupled with Zora’s continued development have led to her having dreams. Obviously, this isn’t unprecedented in Trek. Data eventually evolved to the stage where he could dream, so it follows that Zora can too.

Could the events of “Calypso” be Zora dreaming of some company after years of isolation? It’s certainly a possibility, and dream logic is a good way of explaining away the inconsistencies, such as the USS Discovery’s appearance and the whereabouts of the crew. “Calypso” was an atypical, sometimes surreal Star Trek story, and having it be a dream does make a degree of sense, with Zora its unreliable narrator.

Zora wonders if she is dreaming in “Face the Strange”

There could also be a clue in the music Zora’s listening to in “Face the Strange.” “Que Sera Sera” is a song about a girl asking her mother about the future and what will happen to her. Is this a hint that the Zora we see past this point is her guessing about her future?

One major argument against the dream theory is that “Calypso” isn’t Zora’s story, it’s Craft’s. It starts with him and follows his time on Discovery and his odd love story with Zora. The story is told from his viewpoint. The only time this switches to Zora’s point of view is at the very end when Craft leaves Discovery and the camera remains behind, revealing Zora has named his shuttlecraft “Funny Face” and then returning to the bridge where Zora is again playing the movie. Although possible, the majority of dreams are in the first person. It would be unusual to dream a story from someone else’s viewpoint where you’re a secondary character. Then again, Zora isn’t human. Who knows what AIs dream of. Electric sheep maybe?

Craft says goodbye to Zora in “Calypso”

THEORY 3: “Calypso” is still in the future and episodes aren’t linked

It’s also possible that beyond the aforementioned links, the timelines from “Calypso” and “Face the Strange” are not directly linked. Zora’s musical tastes and use of her “Zora Vision” POV is something that will evolve regardless and so the future seen in “Calypso” is still to come. To completely tie it into the canon, some explanation could be made for why the ship had to be de-retrofitted before being abandoned for the best part of 1,000 years. The Discovery team didn’t know season 5 would be their last, so tying up the “Calypso” loose end and directly linking to Discovery’s final fate probably wasn’t a part of the plan.

The Discovery crew faces their future at the end of “Face the Strange”

Whatever will be, will be

There is a nice poetry to the “dream” theory, so that is our preferred way to look at it. The most likely explanation is that we’re not supposed to know. “Calypso” is an intriguing (and, to be honest, beautifully told) look at the Discovery’s possible future. While it’s been hinted at in Discovery , the Short Treks episode probably works best as a fun “what if.” The sequence in “Face the Strange,” besides serving as a warning to Burnham and Rayner of the price of failure in their mission, also offered Sean Cochran and the show’s producers a fun tip of the hat to “Calypso” as well as offering an enigmatic hint as to its connection to Discovery .

From Short Treks “Calypso”

But what do you have to say? Let us know in the comments below

Keep up with the latest about the Star Trek Universe at TrekMovie.com .

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definitely on the “Dream Team”, it’s the only one that makes sense

Is it just me or was there some exciting plan to jump forward where the Federation was so gone what was left had gone wrong and only the Discovery reunited with the crew could rekindle it, then they chickened out all “there is no way we can do a Trek show without mommy Starfleet Command there to help!!”

I definitely sense a tension along those lines. The beginning of s3 certainly seemed to point in that direction. They could’ve been Robin Hoods.

You’ve nailed the particular item about TREK that has frustrated me endlessly since the mid-80s. I never felt it had to be adventures set within Starfleet. After they went rogue in TSFS, I thought the crew should live out their golden years on the BoP/Bounty, and that the money production saved on matte shots and other earthcentric filler like spacedock could be put into showing some actual strange new worlds. Would also allow more time for the supporting cast and for a genuine ‘band of bros and sis’ feel among them. (and frankly, Starfleet didn’t deserve them after all the political paranoia evinced post-Genesis … suddenly this evolved future civilization is coming off contemporary, feeling more shadowy-Watergate than I could see as remotely credible.)

The key bit that informs my take on TREK comes from David Gerrold when he talked about how good drama revolves around ‘Kirk has a decision to make’ and not ‘Kirk is in danger.’ The original series buttressed that by often having the ship out on the rim where he couldn’t rely on timely responses from the hierarchy and had to make hard calls on his own. What better way to take that further than to have them on the Bounty, getting into situations and making ethical choices that DON’T have to cowtow to a distant and possibly unreliable bureaucracy?

I also though DS9 (which I really really like, far above any other followup to TOS), should have turned a corner with Sisko supporting the Maquis, not hunting them down like Starfleet’s pit bull. But again, that would have put them outside the auspices of ‘mommy Starfleet’ as you say.

I don’t know if I’d have stuck with DSC in s3 even if they had upheld this ANDROMEDA-style take on things, just because TPTB didn’t have the golden-platinum crutch of Anson Mount to keep the show going in spite of the bad writing. But I’d have probably at least considered watching it, just to see how they dealt with things.

I think that is the problem with Trek now… e instant communication and thousands of starships to back you up, and the adventures of your single starship on the frontier just don’t seem to matter as much. In TOS, Kirk makes the wrong decision and it’s intergalactic war and millions of lives on the line. In TNG the best episodes is where Picard is compromised by the Borg and they get to take over or destroy the starfleet. DS9 rectifies this by letting Sisko basically command the entire fleet (though it sure looks silly when space combat is lines of thousands of ships just running into thousands of other ships). I feel someone in Discovery was trying to fix the problem of being “out there” again (probably whoever put color into the big E bridge) and then got overruled (along with boring down of the big E bridge). Calypso basically hinted they would be left out there alone in some primitive starship. The fate of the entire Federation depending on their ability to rebuild alliances, rebuild ideals. You could explain the lack of far off magical tech by the fall. Instead they chickened out, I don’t know why, but it’s condemned Discovery to rather the rather bland where they literally have to have the Federation fall apart AGAIN to fix it. Anyone play Star Control 2? They need to make that into a TV show lol

kmart — I LOVE what you wrote here regarding the events post ST3:TSFS and really everything you said here. VERY insightful!

Thanks. As you come across my postings here, you’ll see I’m very big on exploring ‘treks not taken,’ including what they could have done with an Enterprise-B limited series.

Michael Chabon was the worst choice to write any Star Trek story. “Calypso” don’t fit in any possible way to canon.

Calypso was a great episode of Trek, and fairly beloved based on reviews at the time. Sorry it wasn’t for you!

“Calypso” is one of Star Trek’s best episodes, and it was written before later seasons of Discovery made it not fit canon.

Yeah, he’s terrible lol look at Picard Season 1? Embarrassingly bad.

He wrote the two best episodes of SHORT TREKS, “Calypso” and “Q&A.” He also did a great job with PICARD season one.

The first season of Picard was fantastic up until the two-part finale when it was (somehow) simultaneously drawn out and rushed. It felt like the original plan was for Picard to fully and truly die, but then either Stewart decided he wanted to continue with playing Picard, or TPTB intervened, but that was by far the biggest misstep in season 1.

Unfortunately, while season 1 was lauded by critics, it was mostly derided by fans. As such, subsequent seasons largely ignored some of the more intriguing idea introduced in season 1 – exploring the state of the Romulans post supernova (is the empire completely gone, are they trying to rebuild, etc.); exploring a bit more of the Zhat Vash (i.e. did it survive after the events of the finale) – but not too much more; what’s the general state of the Federation as it appears to have entered a bit of an isolationist state; and what’s up with the scary AI things as seen in the premonition and briefly in the season finale.

Alas, I highly doubt any of those ideas will be explored at this point.

Why does it need to fit into canon? It’s 1,000 years in the future.

Canon is overrated. Calypso was a lovely story and exactly what Trek should be doing.

I have very little confidence they’ll resolve this storyline between short treks & season 5. They would have explicitly made it apparent they were connecting to that short trek in that episode & not be so nuanced.

I’m imagining the extra shooting they did to make it a “fitting series finale” is along the lines of Poochie from the Simpsons…I have to go now, my planet needs me. [poochie died in space during his trip home].

I hope they never clearly explain it and leave a sense of mystery. “Calypso” was so lovely, partially because it wasn’t concerned with overly pat canon connections.

To this day I always wondered how this story came around? It seems weird it would be a coincidence Chabon set this story so far in the future a season before it happened on the show itself. But then you have to wonder if he was told directly the plan then what were the parameters? How far could he go with it? Did they always know it was something they would have to deal with and had a plan or was it all after the fact?

I would love if someone just talked about the short and how it came about? Maybe we get it after the show ends.

My guess is that Chabon et al. wanted to create a wild future possible story line for Discovery that was outside any continuity restraints or existing plans they had. Maybe Calypso served as a pilot for where Discovery eventually went with its future jump, even if the details were ultimately quite different.

As you note, maybe Chabon will someday do a commentary track on the story and reveal its origin. He was quite communicative about his work on Trek while he was doing it.

There’s also still the open question, who upgraded the probe that Pike and Tyler fought with

Wasn’t it just Control in the future?

I’m squarely in the camp that I just don’t care to see it explained in any way. Whatever plan Chabon had to tie in this flash forward was dropped a long time ago, and it will be nothing more than a shoehorn explanation, at best.. with no story payoff. Just let it be, and make up your own head canon if you want to.

Yep. I still wish Enterprise hadn’t felt it necessary to explain the Klingon foreheads.

I generally find a lot of these genre “and that’s why x has y” explanations pretty thin. I don’t need to see how Indiana Jones got his scar, how Nick Fury lost an eye or how McCoy got his nickname.

There’s something to be said about leaving some things to the imagination.

Small point to respond to but just gotta say – I actually kind of like the Enterprise explanation for the ridges. I just don’t think they needed to bend over backwards to explain it away. A simple dialogue exchange in a random episode would have been enough.

I loved Calypso and I am VERY OK with it having been Zora’s dream, or in-universe really happening in that alternate future with a few inconsistencies. I have a feeling (no idea) that this is all we will get regarding Calypso and I’m OK with that — not everything needs to be explained.

Calypso was one of the most beautiful, artful pieces of Trek ever made. I almost wish it had been expanded into some kind of standalone feature-length piece.

Agreed, it was beautiful!

Based on what happened in Season 2, Calypso was seemed to be a red herring for the crew abandoning the Discovery with the Sphere data, which allowed it to gain sentience. It was a possible future that was averted when they took the Discovery into the far future.

It was a lovely episode, but it really didn’t fit into continuity, both before and now.

For me, it makes more sense that “Calypso” be in the same time-line as season 2 if the Red Angel had not changed time by jumping into the 32nd century. No jump, no refit.

I was wondering what they’d do, as two of the other three first season Short Treks did, indeed, tie in.

But I always saw the thousand year reference, together with “V’draysh” being used in Season Three, as pointing to an abandoned option for Season Three- they jump forward, the crew temporarily abandons the ship, the Federation has gone bad (or is seen as having done so), Calypso happens, the crew returns, and we pick up from there.

There is a possibility that Zora de-evolved the ship during repairs as she became more senile after 100s of years of isolation and being alone. We’ve seen the DOTS repair and repaint many times. Maybe, with Zora’s confused directions, they repaired the ship to its earlier version. You’ve gotta love Star Trek! There are always possibilities.

Yeah the DOTs and programable matter means Zora could have refit Disco back to the earlier form as she got sentimental in her old age and Isolation. I just view it as, yes, it was an extension of the “bad future” seen in this episode.

I remember enjoying this short when it came out. It would probably be cool to leave it as-is, not explain anything at all. A mystery piece.

I agree, Calypso was an intriguing and beautifully told story.

If it’s all Zora’s dream—and the writers don’t bother to clue us in to that, a la Data getting a whole episode where it is made very clear that he is experimenting with dreaming—that’s super lazy writing . I’ll come back to this.

I could be fine with ‘What if?’ Trek stories that show us events in an unexplained, divergent timeline. I will point to Marvel’s animated What If? show as proof of the viability of this storytelling approach for a modern, expansive, TV & film franchise.

I have just one, big problem: the entirety of Star Trek as a franchise, to date.

Let me explain. No, there is too much. Let me sum up.

Star Trek TV and movies haven’t historically done pure ‘What If?’ storytelling. In fact, Trek writers across the decades have worked hard to preserve the coherence of the ‘Prime’ timeline and any offshoots or variations we see.

Starting with Mirror, Mirror and all the way through Discovery’s adventures in the mirror universe, Trek TV writers have bent over backwards to help us understand what we were seeing, whenever we saw a divergent timeline.

For all the many time travel stories (and all of Janeway’s headaches caused by temporal paradoxes), the writers have always tried to connect the dots for us.

Even the Kelvin-verse movies spent precious screen time showing how that alternate timeline diverged from Trek ‘Prime.’ We got a passing-of-the-torch scene with two Spocks (Nimoy and Quinto) and so forth, to really make sure we understood.

This is important because as the audience, we want to enjoy time with these characters we love. When an incoherent storyline distracts us from going on the adventure with these beloved characters, we get frustrated. The plot can be twisty and momentarily confusing, but it ultimately exists to provide opportunities for Kirk, Sisko, Burnham, et al to face challenges, be heroic, and grow—not make us go, “well I’ve seen the whole show, and it just doesn’t make any sense.”

The so-called ‘beta canon’ of books, comics, fan-made productions, etc. is another animal, of course. There, anything goes. And it has to be this way because after so many hundreds of TV episodes and so many movies, it gets really hard for writers to keep it all connected. I think a fair argument could be made that there is now way too much canon to keep tying everything together perfectly and tell exciting, new stories with familiar characters. That’s fine for books and comics and whatnot. There you have the freedom to take our familiar characters and play with them in a new sandbox if you want to.

But the TV and movie writers have always given us exposition—and a fair amount of technobabble—at least attempting to preserve a unified chronology of the Star Trek universe. They didn’t alway succeed 100%, but we’ve never seen them just throw in the towel on trying to make it all make sense.

If Calypso ends up being an unexplained ‘What if?’ it would be a first for ‘alpha canon’ Trek, I think.

I don’t hate the idea of Star Trek doing this, but could the writers / producers maybe give us a heads-up that they’re going this way? Or do it with some consistency instead of a one-off Short Trek that leaves fans wondering and theorizing?

Back to Marvel’s What If? series—there at least you have The Watcher giving you some intro voiceover explaining what’s going on. You see Timmy, audiences like mystery and surprise, but also really appreciate it when you make things understandable .

My conclusion: in the context of Star Trek, this is just lazy writing and/or a willful disregard for the unwritten rules of logical storytelling that Trek has established with its fan base for decades. It seems especially lazy or careless since Face The Strange bothers to hint at some answers, but doesn’t actually give us any that make sense.

Granted, we still have a few Disco episodes to go. They might surprise us by revisiting this whole debacle and clearing things up, Trek-style. They’d have to jump through some hoops to reconcile the discrepancies, but we’ve seen plenty of crazy stories. It’s sci-fi, anything can happen. It was a chroniton explosion. Q’s son did it. Whatever.

Somehow, I doubt these writers care . Discovery has always been a show that prioritized ham-fisted emotionalism over logical storytelling. I think that will be its legacy. Prove me wrong, Discovery writers! Time is running out, and as far as I know there’s no alternative timeline in which you will get a season six to be entertaining and coherent.