So, providing there are no major setbacks, the next Star Trek feature film will be airing next may. Considering all that is known about the story and setting, I’m seriously beginning to wonder whether this film will try to “reset” the Star Trek franchise. Ever since “Enterprise” was cancelled after only four seasons, marking the beginning of an indefinite Star Trek TV hiatus, I’ve been wondering about what will become of our beloved Trek. Enterprise already broke away from many of the classic (some would say out-dated) Star Trek formulae which was quite refreshing, but somehow it didn’t really work too well. It seemed that the writers were trying too hard to flesh out the history of the Star Trek universe - adding major events, people, and even species that had, of course, never been mentioned before. By doing so they managed to alienate many hardcore fans - including myself.

As opposed to every other Star Trek series, which all took place more or less sequentially, Enterprise was set in the “past” (relatively speaking). The original Star Trek series and the first six feature films (with Kirk, Spock and the gang) were set in the late 23rd century. The Next Generation, Deep Space 9, Voyager and films 7 through 10 (with 7 being a kind of transition) were set in the mid to late 24th century. So it really came as a surprise when Enterprise was announced to be set in the 22nd century - a time which had been discussed in many episodes of Trek until that point. Trekkies such as myself already had a pretty good idea about what was supposed to happen in that time period. Still, the possibilities were there. I had expected them to go into detail about some known but minor species (such as the Breen), revisit events that had been mentioned in other series etc… being a true Star Trek fanboy, I looked forward to those moments of “Oh my god! That was mentioned in TNG episode 207! Awesome!!!”. Instead, we were bombarded with new species left , right and center. The Earth was threatened with destruction for an entire season by an incredibly powerful species that somehow never showed up before. Oh and, in one of those rare episodes that managed to acknowledge known events of the Star Trek universe, the Borg were encountered a good 200 years too early. Sure, I was disappointed when the series was cancelled, but somehow I knew it was for the best.

Now, we have Star Trek XI on the horizon. Yet another episode in the Star Trek saga that will attempt to rewrite (or at least add to) the known history of Trek. I find that my expectations are low. Although I hate to admit it, I truly believe that Star Trek has been chewed over and spat out so many times that it’s starting to go a bit stale. The Star Trek universe is simply too sterile for modern television. Just look at Battlestar Galactica - flawed personas, emotional tragedies, uncertain allegiances, main characters dying, and epic space battles inbetween… anything could happen. That’s part of what makes it interesting. Star Trek, on the other hand, has always been pretty much the opposite. Forehead alien of the week, nameless red-shirts dying to punctuate a dangerous situation, predictable characters with flawless personalities… it’s not just getting old - its been decomposing since back in the fucking 90s. The creators of Star Trek XI are painting on a pretty bleak canvas, so unless they decide to redefine Trek as we know it, this picture will most likely look pretty grey.

So, how could the Star Trek universe be resurrected to new glory? Simple: fuck it up real good. I don’t mean by retcon… I mean something like a new series set after the events of Star Trek X. Maybe even at the start of the 25th century. The situation after Nemesis is pretty good to mess around with. The entire galaxy appears to be safe, with all major enemies of the Federation either having become tentative allies or no longer posing a significant threat. What better setting to turn completely pear-shaped? If there ever is a new Star Trek series, I hope it’s set at that time, and I hope it comes with a healthy amount of grit to get people interested again. The mirror universe was always a refreshing source of variety, so why not throw that into the mix, like some kind of cross-over series?

I don’t know why, but I had always imagined that Caprica would suck. Somehow I just didn’t think anything in the BSG universe could live up to the reimagined series. Since having watched this trailer, I think otherwise…