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Captain's Log

Star Trek Diaries

Date of This Publication
Earth Date: Aug 02, 2024
Stardate: -298412.56

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Reviews written by Mesut Yılmaz
The Original Series 1966 Logo The Animated Series 1973 Logo The Next Generation 1987 Logo Deep Space Nine 1993 Logo Voyager 1995 Logo Enterprise 2001 Logo Discovery 2017 Logo Short Treks 2018 Logo Picard 2020 Logo Lower Decks 2020 Logo Prodigy 2021 Logo Strange New Worlds 2022 Logo

Captain’s Log - Star Trek Diaries

Hi There 🖖

I’m Mesut, I’m a Trekkie, inspired by Gene Roddenberry’s wisdom and art. In this sub-blog, I’m trying to share my thoughts on episodes of the Star Trek spinoffs.

I believe each Star Trek instance worth thinking on it. Not all of the episodes are equal, so I’m applying 3-pillar scoring for episodes for ranking them and learning more from them.

Last thing, let’s remember what was Star Trek from its original series creator Gene Roddenberry;

“Star Trek was an attempt to say that humanity will reach maturity and wisdom on the day that it begins not just to tolerate, but take a special delight in differences in ideas and differences in life forms. If we cannot learn to actually enjoy those small differences, to take a positive delight in those small differences between our own kind, here on this planet, then we do not deserve to go out into space and meet the diversity that is almost certainly out there.”

— Gene Roddenberry

Live Long and Prosper🖖

Gene Roddenberry beside a model of Enterprise NCC 1701 ship


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Open Source: This blog is an open-sourced blog. Feel free to fork / clone it to build your own Star-Trek themed blog.

GitHub Link License: GPL v3


My re-watch progress

I watched the whole spinoffs of Star Trek (except some of the modern! replications) and I enjoyed a lot. I decided to re-watch (and assimilate*) Star Trek from scratch and took notes.

Spinoff Air Date Reviewed / Total Episodes Best - Average - Minimum Scores
The Original Series Logo The Original Series (1966) 12 / 80
15.0% Reviewed
21.0 - 46.4 - 80.0
The Next Generation Logo The Next Generation (1987) 1 / 178
0.6% Reviewed
16.8 - 16.8 - 16.8
Enterprise Logo Enterprise (2001) 6 / 98
6.1% Reviewed
27.0 - 58.4 - 85.7
Discovery Logo Discovery (2017) 10 / 65
15.4% Reviewed
6.4 - 22.0 - 51.2
Overall 29 / 924
0.0% Reviewed
6.4 - 39.4 - 85.7

*see: Borg

Score Board

As I’m rewatching the Star Trek series from scratch again, the reviews are following my arbitrary re-watch order. But this table below is sortable with each column. Feel free to modify it.

Here is the score board of my evaluation for each episodes.

General Scores

Spinoff Air Date Reviewed / Total Episodes Best - Average - Minimum Scores
The Original Series Logo The Original Series (1966) 12 / 80
15.0% Reviewed
21.0 - 46.4 - 80.0
The Next Generation Logo The Next Generation (1987) 1 / 178
0.6% Reviewed
16.8 - 16.8 - 16.8
Enterprise Logo Enterprise (2001) 6 / 98
6.1% Reviewed
27.0 - 58.4 - 85.7
Discovery Logo Discovery (2017) 10 / 65
15.4% Reviewed
6.4 - 22.0 - 51.2
Overall 29 / 924
0.0% Reviewed
6.4 - 39.4 - 85.7

Best Episodes under Categories

Best of Episode Name Score
Overall Best Enterprise Logo ENT-0101 Broken Bow, Part 1 85.74 / 100
Star Trek Values (5 / 5) The Original Series Logo TOS-0214 Bread and Circuses 80.00 / 100
Inspiration (5 / 5) The Original Series Logo TOS-0124 Space Seed 68.00 / 100
Story Development (5 / 5) The Original Series Logo TOS-0214 Bread and Circuses 80.00 / 100

Episodes, Scored

Spinoff Episode Code Name Overall Score
Enterprise Logo ENT-0101 Broken Bow, Part 1 85.74 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Enterprise Logo ENT-0102 Broken Bow, Part 2 85.74 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Original Series Logo TOS-0214 Bread and Circuses 80.00 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Enterprise Logo ENT-0113 Dear Doctor 76.95 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆
The Original Series Logo TOS-0124 Space Seed 68.00 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆
The Original Series Logo TOS-0310 For the World Is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky 61.41 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆
The Original Series Logo TOS-0220 A Piece of the Action 57.80 ⭐️⭐️⭐️☆☆
Discovery Logo DIS-0506 Whistlespeak 51.20 ⭐️⭐️⭐️☆☆
The Original Series Logo TOS-0224 The Ultimate Computer 51.00 ⭐️⭐️⭐️☆☆
The Original Series Logo TOS-0120 The Alternative Factor 48.96 ⭐️⭐️⭐️☆☆
Enterprise Logo ENT-0122 Vox Sola 47.42 ⭐️⭐️⭐️☆☆
The Original Series Logo TOS-0001 The Cage (Pilot Episode) 36.00 ⭐️⭐️☆☆☆
The Original Series Logo TOS-0202 Metamorphosis 34.30 ⭐️⭐️☆☆☆
The Original Series Logo TOS-0319 The Cloud Minders 33.75 ⭐️⭐️☆☆☆
The Original Series Logo TOS-0212 I, Mudd 33.60 ⭐️⭐️☆☆☆
Discovery Logo DIS-0507 Erigah 32.40 ⭐️⭐️☆☆☆
The Original Series Logo TOS-0113 The Galileo Seven 30.60 ⭐️⭐️☆☆☆
Discovery Logo DIS-0504 Face the Strange 28.80 ⭐️⭐️☆☆☆
Enterprise Logo ENT-0116 Shuttlepod One 27.46 ⭐️⭐️☆☆☆
Enterprise Logo ENT-0119 Acquisition 27.00 ⭐️⭐️☆☆☆
Discovery Logo DIS-0510 "Life, Itself" & General Evaluation of Discovery Season 5 21.60 ⭐️⭐️☆☆☆
Discovery Logo DIS-0501 Red Directive 21.60 ⭐️⭐️☆☆☆
The Original Series Logo TOS-0117 Shore Leave 21.00 ⭐️⭐️☆☆☆
Discovery Logo DIS-0503 Jinaal 19.20 ⭐️☆☆☆☆
Discovery Logo DIS-0509 Lagrange Point 18.00 ⭐️☆☆☆☆
The Next Generation Logo TNG-0121 The Arsenal of Freedom 16.80 ⭐️☆☆☆☆
Discovery Logo DIS-0508 Labyrinths 11.25 ⭐️☆☆☆☆
Discovery Logo DIS-0505 Mirrors 9.60 ⭐️☆☆☆☆
Discovery Logo DIS-0502 Under the Twin Moons 6.40 ⭐️☆☆☆☆

Reviewed Episodes in This Document

The Original Series (Aired First in: 1966) The Next Generation (Aired First in: 1987) Enterprise (Aired First in: 2001) Discovery (Aired First in: 2017)

The Original Series Reviews

First Air Year: 1966
Reviewed Episodes: 12

TOS-0214 Bread and Circuses

 · May 13, 2024 · Stardate: -298633.87 · Mesut Yılmaz
Image Credits: IMDB 🖖
The Original Series-1966 Season:02 Episode:14

Overall Score:       80.00 / 100
Star Trek Values:    5.00 / 5
Inspiring:           4.00 / 5
Story Development:   5.00 / 5

View Episode (Imbd)

I’m very proud and satisfied at the end of the story. Let’s start steadily to explain;

During the opening scene, player’s frozen situation was an example of limited technological production capabilities at the time of the 60s. Limited but delightful in a way… And it’s nice to consult to present-future ideas, I mean taking a recording from today’s world as a fiction scene, for a cheaper production.

Gene Roddenberry’s rich references on Rome Imperium is fascinating to follow, like this one. The hypothesis was a continued version of Rome Imperium during the 20th century, in another world-like planet.

I smiled a lot while learning more of the institutionalization of slavery, such as supplying pension to slaves. :)

At the end, we see two interesting things;

  1. The captive captain, first citizen, risks his life to saving the Enterprise team, and he has defended the “Prime Directive”. Even by complying to their brutal traditions.
  2. In the planet, “Words of the Sun” belief becomes replaced by the belief of Christ. As showed in Ben Hur movie, collapse of the Rome and martyrdom of the Christ intersects, and Enterprise team had chance to witness the occurrence in real-time.

There are still some poor points like how the first citizen, former captain, couldn’t develop a plan like Kirk did? Still, it depends on how the spaceships reaches to the points. When a ship is crashed on a planet, the captain might not be as resourceful and forethoughtful.

When we build our own starships, we shouldn’t send the ships alone. We might schedule a follow-up mission to visit and validate the first ship’s findings. :)

From 60s to futures, Star Trek says a lot…


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TOS-0212 I, Mudd

 · May 22, 2024 · Stardate: -298609.28 · Mesut Yılmaz
Image Credits: IMDB 🖖
The Original Series-1966 Season:02 Episode:12

Overall Score:       33.60 / 100
Star Trek Values:    3.00 / 5
Inspiring:           3.50 / 5
Story Development:   4.00 / 5

View Episode (Imbd)

I totally enjoy McCoy’s senses and amusing persona.

The episode starts with McCoy’s feeling about Norman, he was behaving strange and was not visiting the Doctor’s office for checks. Spock replies; “He’s probably terrified of your beads and rattles.” This is certainly an amusing and human reply!

Story Development

A Humanoid species in the Andromeda Galaxy has created Android helpers for themselves. Androids call these species as Makers. Makers has some outposts in some of the planets rather than their own.

A supernova of their sun has caused the species to extinct. And some of the Androids survived, placed in other planets. One of the Androids (Norman) has transformed a planet into a planet of Androids. And he created Androidic life. Norman is the coordinator of other Androids.

Androids wear a necklace functioning as an error-correcting unit, like Watchdog Timers. And Norman controls the central unit of coordination.

Harry Mudd, has escaped from one of the Federation’s jail and developed a plan to catch a starship with the help of Androids. Norman executes a plan to bring the Enterprise crew to the planet Mudd. Enterprise crew analyses the androids weak and strong spots and develop a plan to malfunction their error-correcting units from central place.

The enterprise crew plays a theatrical scene to illustrate illogical moments and break the causality loop and put the central unit into infinite loop.

Some Points

Some Thoughts


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TOS-0001 The Cage (Pilot Episode)

 · June 6, 2024 · Stardate: -298568.3 · Mesut Yılmaz
Image Credits: IMDB 🖖
The Original Series-1966 Season:00 Episode:01

Overall Score:       36.00 / 100
Star Trek Values:    3.00 / 5
Inspiring:           5.00 / 5
Story Development:   3.00 / 5

View Episode (Imbd)

This is the pilot episode, where Roddenberry convinced the channel to broadcast Star Trek, and he received feedbacks. So we see some things changed after the pilot.

The crew, was on a mission when they receive some signals from Rigel 7 to rescue the human group. And altered their path for emergency, landed to the planet, and caught on a trap. Captain is being held by Talosians, which their civilization has been destroyed by nuclear wars. Remaining few individuals started a life of underground and used their ancestors’ technology of illusion creating. These mentally evolved Talosians, are capturing different species and build a kind of zoo.

Clearly, the first episode delivers a message from a mentally evolved but destroyed-by-nuclear civilization. We didn’t have the opportunities to feel the values of the federation here. At the closing scenes of the episode, Talosians saw Captain Pike and First Officer’s action to self-destroy themselves by overloading the weapons. And by fetching data from starship’s computer, they became convinced that, humans can behave in this way rather than to be captive or caged.

So, humanity’s willing to be free, saved themselves from the captivity of highly intelligent traps, In a way.

Talosians also summarizes their approach on illusions, by describing the situation of the women at the end;

She has illusion, you have the reality. May you find your way as pleasant.

I guess, this is both a point to the story to be told in the following episodes, and a point to understand their perspective; they’re escaping from the situation like a defense strategy. Because civilizations might not find power to fight against the streams, and they need to gather power. But still, their ways can form habits which will prevent them to proceed. So they seem caught by their habits, like a flywheel.

Some of the observations on what didn’t continue after the pilot;


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TOS-0120 The Alternative Factor

 · June 18, 2024 · Stardate: -298535.51 · Mesut Yılmaz
Image Credits: IMDB 🖖
The Original Series-1966 Season:01 Episode:20

Overall Score:       48.96 / 100
Star Trek Values:    3.00 / 5
Inspiring:           4.25 / 5
Story Development:   4.80 / 5

View Episode (Imbd)

Wow, that’s a fascinating story!

The Story, Briefly

Lazarus, a time-traveler from an extinct humanoid civilization, has lost mental stability and uses his power (primarily a time-ship powered by dilithium) to kill his version in a parallel (opposite) universe. His jumps cause the universe to blink, which means wraps in the continuum, the waves of non-existence happening universe-wide. So a real threat to all universe.

The beginning of the story remind me of “the Great Burn” (in Discovery), where all the spaceship’s dilithium caused an explosion because of an effect in space.

Thoughts

“One mad person is enough to destroy civilization”, was the first sentence, come to me. His civilization developed a unique technology for time travel. And I guess they mostly used for good intentions. But, until one person used it to develop a solution by his understanding. In reality, he was trying to save the universe. But his method was not consistent and logical enough.

It’s shocking to imagine that how one might destroy civilizations, universe and existence. But didn’t we see some examples? Like Nazis; smaller when compared to threatening the universe, but still massively-devastating for human societies in the world.

So, with the technology, the ability to turn into a mass-destroyer is not an unrealistic fiction.

Worth thinking on it, and worth taking precautions.

I also remember that, the possibility of a bigger solar flare might affect our electric and electronic infrastructure, like this news. We’re living in a fragile existence. It seems like our inventions might not be powerful enough to resist into flares, natural effects, etc. And, what if it’s valid for our Physical existence? What about the atomic bonds?

Imagining threats is not necessarily make us scary or conservative to novelties; it can encourage us to discover more and deeper.

#LLAP 🖖


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TOS-0117 Shore Leave

 · June 18, 2024 · Stardate: -298535.51 · Mesut Yılmaz
Image Credits: IMDB 🖖
The Original Series-1966 Season:01 Episode:17

Overall Score:       21.00 / 100
Star Trek Values:    2.50 / 5
Inspiring:           3.00 / 5
Story Development:   3.50 / 5

View Episode (Imbd)

Enterprise crew discovers a planet suitable for having a shore leave. But like all the encounters by the crew, this one became an adventure of discovery.

The planet is surrounded by a technology of hologram (like appeared in TNG) or illusion (like in the episode of Cage) which is unknown to us; the Keeper of the planet didn’t share that information. Even he said, “you’re not ready to understand us”, which might be a litmus test to evaluate species like testing pre-warp societies.

Like Captain Kirk is tired at the beginning, the producer might be tired after 16 episodes. We don’t know. But at least this is one of the inspiration points of holodeck technology, which will be discovered later.

I don’t want to dig the clues more, because the episode seem like an amusement-focused one, and the details, except the mandatory ones for the story development, has been cut.

One takeaway: Greatest the mind, simplest the games.


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TOS-0224 The Ultimate Computer

 · June 22, 2024 · Stardate: -298524.59 · Mesut Yılmaz
Image Credits: IMDB 🖖
The Original Series-1966 Season:02 Episode:24

Overall Score:       51.00 / 100
Star Trek Values:    4.25 / 5
Inspiring:           4.00 / 5
Story Development:   3.75 / 5

View Episode (Imbd)

While we’re talking the success of LLMs, and how to regulate AI nowadays, it’s fascinating to review a perspective from the past.

The Story, Briefly

Dr. Daystrom developed a computer system, M5, which is capable of managing ship functions with fewer crew. And Enterprise has been ordered to test M5 in some navigation, orbiting and drill operations. M5 system develops precautions to preserve its existence, even its actions conflicts with its purpose of existence; save humanity and allow them to discover further.

Thoughts

The story reminded me of the 17th or 18th century scientists, they were trying to perform shows to gather interest and build a fame. Likewise, in the history, skilled people were serving their works to ruler class to be funded for their work. So science has always been related with presenting the work.

Luckily, our modern society has some mechanism to get some loads from scientists, but still it’s important to tell a story. So, there are some potential in science marketing roles in this century. To see this opportunity from another perspective, we can take a look at Philosophy of Science (PoS) studies; it’s impossible to deny that a huge portion of PoS study is a kind of sociology research.

I guess in the future, all the scientific studies will have a marketing and compliance team. Accordingly, when we reach to future Daystrom technology, it won’t be a show of single scientist. And our developments in simulations, digital twins, etc would allow us to foresee the vulnerabilities of the tools and technologies we develop. So real world differences would be a real surprise; which would be a kind of unrealistic surprise like an unnatural phenomenon.

So Gene Roddenberry didn’t see the full vision and possibilities here, but he warned us based on a significant risk, with a poor development of story.

I mean poor means it’s not perfect.

Last thing, the poem mentioned by Captain Kirk was awesome;

Sea-Fever
BY JOHN MASEFIELDI must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by;
And the wheel’s kick and the wind’s song and the white sail’s shaking,
And a grey mist on the sea’s face, and a grey dawn breaking.I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull’s way and the whale’s way where the wind’s like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick’s over.


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TOS-0310 For the World Is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky

 · June 23, 2024 · Stardate: -298521.85 · Mesut Yılmaz
Image Credits: IMDB 🖖
The Original Series-1966 Season:03 Episode:10

Overall Score:       61.41 / 100
Star Trek Values:    4.25 / 5
Inspiring:           4.25 / 5
Story Development:   4.25 / 5

View Episode (Imbd)

The Story, Briefly

Enterprise crew notices that an asteroid was in their course. They investigate the asteroid, they found out it’s a generation ship, built 10 thousands years ago, and designed to bring Fabrini’s to a new planet, suitable to live. But Fabrinis doesn’t recognize the reality of their ship, they think it’s a planet environment.

The ship has an error, which will bring Fabrinis to a crash with a planet. The crew tries to correct the error, without compromising prime directive. During the trials, only Priestess became aware of the reality, and allowed the team to correct the error.

At the end, ancient cures of the Fabrinis, saved the McCoy’s life, which is threatened by an illness with no treatment known so far.

Thoughts


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TOS-0220 A Piece of the Action

 · June 23, 2024 · Stardate: -298521.85 · Mesut Yılmaz
Image Credits: IMDB 🖖
The Original Series-1966 Season:02 Episode:20

Overall Score:       57.80 / 100
Star Trek Values:    4.25 / 5
Inspiring:           4.00 / 5
Story Development:   4.25 / 5

View Episode (Imbd)

A piece of action, an amusing episode, and a rigid reference to the future of the Star Trek.

The Story, Briefly

100 years ago, a federation ship named “Horizon”, leaves traces of Human history to Iotian world. During the century, Iotians developed a mafia-based society. Iotians sends a support request through radio signals, it takes decades to reach to federation. Upon the arrival of the message, the Enterprise crew goes to the planet.

Bosses from different territories tries to convince Captain Kirk to provide heaters (phaser) to gain dominance over other territories. They don’t have anything in return, which makes them to play games for Kirk, then Kirk continues to play and at the end he won the game with 40% share from their profits. Captain Kirk, notices the Federation and make them to visit Sigma Iotia 2, every year.

The idiom of “a piece of the action” means “a part of the profits or advantages that come from an activity”, which becomes the reality of Iotian world, where individuals are trying to get some little actions / benefits.

In the future, Iotia continues to reserve Kirk’s share, and it is used for the budget of a council like a think-tank; in the mission of building a more civilized form of government.

And, at the end of the episode, McCoy forget his communicator in the planet. (Which will lead Iotians to reverse engineer it and develop themselves in computing, cryptology.)

Thoughts


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TOS-0124 Space Seed

 · June 26, 2024 · Stardate: -298513.66 · Mesut Yılmaz
Image Credits: IMDB 🖖
The Original Series-1966 Season:01 Episode:24

Overall Score:       68.00 / 100
Star Trek Values:    4.00 / 5
Inspiring:           5.00 / 5
Story Development:   4.25 / 5

View Episode (Imbd)

Ahhh, Kirkkk!

The episode is one of the breathtaking one, so I won’t describe the story here. It’s one of the should-watch episodes; the episode of first encounter with Khan Noonien Singh.

I’m criticizing that, how a captain can drop the accusations from a group of people who claim their superiority and took command of the enterprise. Or how can a captain can open the specifications of his ship to another man out of Starfleet command. This is certainly not the times of precautions, and Kirk is the first example of so many violations. :)

Still, let’s see some points;

We might expect more dialogues between Kirk and Singh. And it would be great if we see that Singh sees some weak spots in his perspective, without beating an idea, we cannot beat someone, even we can create enemies. So dialogues are crucial to have an effect on people.

If the story development had a similar approach, the captain’s action to leave Singh’s crew to a planet would be more meaningful.

Some less crucial things;

The original Poem from poets.org, and a split version (meaning and sentences are preserved same, just spitted the text) by ChatGPT is below.

Actually, Khan declares his motives. By mentioning the poem, He says he’s playing the demon in a way, he won’t serve in a life which he believes hell-like, instead he might create and lead another hell. So I’m not yet a captain but my judgement tell that leaving them on their own would be a solution!

s this the Region, this the Soil, the Clime,
Said then the lost Arch-Angel, this the seat
That we must change for Heav’n, this mournful gloom
For that celestial light?

Be it so, since he
Who now is Sovran can dispose and bid
What shall be right: fardest from him is best
Whom reason hath equald, force hath made supream
Above his equals.

Farewel happy Fields
Where Joy for ever dwells: Hail horrours, hail
Infernal world, and thou profoundest Hell
Receive thy new Possessor: One who brings
A mind not to be chang’d by Place or Time.

The mind is its own place, and in it self
Can make a Heav’n of Hell, a Hell of Heav’n.
What matter where, if I be still the same,
And what I should be, all but less then he
Whom Thunder hath made greater?

Here at least
We shall be free; th’ Almighty hath not built
Here for his envy, will not drive us hence:
Here we may reign secure, and in my choyce
To reign is worth ambition though in Hell:
Better to reign in Hell, then serve in Heav’n.

But wherefore let we then our faithful friends,
Th’ associates and copartners of our loss
Lye thus astonisht on th’ oblivious Pool,
And call them not to share with us their part
In this unhappy Mansion, or once more
With rallied Arms to try what may be yet
Regaind in Heav’n, or what more lost in Hell?


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TOS-0113 The Galileo Seven

 · June 26, 2024 · Stardate: -298513.66 · Mesut Yılmaz
Image Credits: IMDB 🖖
The Original Series-1966 Season:01 Episode:13

Overall Score:       30.60 / 100
Star Trek Values:    4.25 / 5
Inspiring:           3.00 / 5
Story Development:   3.00 / 5

View Episode (Imbd)

The Story, Briefly

While Enterprise is on the way of delivering medicine to a planet, supervised by a high commissioner. Captain has some time to study a space phenomenon. Because of the ionization levels, it’s impossible to use sensors, so the captain sends an away team with Shuttle Galileo Seven. Away team had some troubles and manage out to land in a class M planet, by losing some of the fuels. All the things happened is not known by Enterprise, because of the blocked communications from ionization.

The high commissioner urges Kirk to deliver the medicines and cease searching. While Kirk is trying to manage this stress source, Spock is also trying to keep the team focused despite the stressing situation.

Thoughts

PS: I’m trying to watch TOS with original effects, not with remastered CGI version. I first watched CGI version, while rewatching original effects tastes different.

In summary, I’m angry with the crew and I appreciate Spock’s wisdom again. He didn’t have any motive to prove himself, my man! He knows that it would be a futile effort to try convincing or, in other words, educating them!

Spock, Live Long and Prosper! 🖖


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TOS-0319 The Cloud Minders

 · July 3, 2024 · Stardate: -298494.53 · Mesut Yılmaz
Image Credits: IMDB 🖖
The Original Series-1966 Season:03 Episode:19

Overall Score:       33.75 / 100
Star Trek Values:    3.00 / 5
Inspiring:           3.75 / 5
Story Development:   3.75 / 5

View Episode (Imbd)

Enterprise visits Ardana planet to get Zenite material for an emergency need.

The governor is not able to collect the required amount because of the rebellion. Kirk discovers that, the ones who collect the mineral, are subjected to a gas during gathering mineral, makes them act emotionally with lack of logical motives. And there is an apartheid situation seen in Ardana despite their artful, civilized appearance.

Even, in this planet, people have buildings in clouds, by using antigravity technology. Reminds us of the Tower of Babel.

Not so much to consider, despite the blindness and stubbornness of the humanity. Skilled to live in cloud but still has some cast system, separated, out of logic.

+ Spock’s compliment to the daughter of the governor was fascinating. :)


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TOS-0202 Metamorphosis

 · July 3, 2024 · Stardate: -298494.53 · Mesut Yılmaz
Image Credits: IMDB 🖖
The Original Series-1966 Season:02 Episode:02

Overall Score:       34.30 / 100
Star Trek Values:    3.50 / 5
Inspiring:           3.50 / 5
Story Development:   3.50 / 5

View Episode (Imbd)

Zefram Cochrane was not dead, at the date of Enterprise’s encounter with this phenomenon.

An electric-based life-form saves Cochrane and keeps him in an immortal state. As Cochrane started to feel lonely, the life-form finds Enterprise’s shuttle during their march to the rendezvous point with the ship.

By putting a mirror to the life-form, Enterprise team shows that, keeping Cochrane immortal is not a helpful motive at all.

Luckily, life-form is a wise one and develops an understanding.

Not so much to consider.


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The Next Generation Reviews

First Air Year: 1987
Reviewed Episodes: 1

TNG-0121 The Arsenal of Freedom

 · May 14, 2024 · Stardate: -298631.14 · Mesut Yılmaz
Image Credits: IMDB 🖖
The Next Generation-1987 Season:01 Episode:21

Overall Score:       16.80 / 100
Star Trek Values:    3.00 / 5
Inspiring:           2.00 / 5
Story Development:   3.50 / 5

View Episode (Imbd)

I think TOS is more about the discovery, TNG is more about leadership. Captain Picard did an interesting choice by making Geordi the acting captain, while there are superiors available. In this case, we’re both seeing an increased importance of Geordi, and having a chance to observe the development of leadership skills.

Enterprise crew discovers a planet with no person living but with active transmission. They found out, an autonomous weapon-dealer AI system is the source of activity and the reason of no living person.

I remember the regulatory processes I deal with in the products I managed. The regulatory landscape in the world has two different paradigms; Laissez-faire and “Throttle Innovation” in the sake of safety.

Weaponry is certainly an area of safety, but our approaches and holy worlds of personal rights, man-made constitutional laws, sometimes restricts us on thinking logically. So in that case, “the arsenal of freedom” is likely to happen in our world. So it seems not like a far-distant fiction.

In some of the real near-history examples, some powers of hidden governments stocked lots of weaponry to facilitate a way of government-led civil resistance force when required. Lots of the occasions has ended with the empowerment of the evil forces and the weaponry served not to defend but to destruct.

Yes, some items are not making sense in the episode but, the message makes sense at least. It’s not far to our current understanding.


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Enterprise Reviews

First Air Year: 2001
Reviewed Episodes: 6

ENT-0102 Broken Bow, Part 2

 · June 27, 2024 · Stardate: -298510.92 · Mesut Yılmaz
Image Credits: IMDB 🖖
Enterprise-2001 Season:01 Episode:02

Overall Score:       85.74 / 100
Star Trek Values:    4.75 / 5
Inspiring:           4.75 / 5
Story Development:   4.75 / 5

View Episode (Imbd)

Please review ENT-0101 review, which is the previous part of this episode.


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ENT-0101 Broken Bow, Part 1

 · June 27, 2024 · Stardate: -298510.92 · Mesut Yılmaz
Image Credits: IMDB 🖖
Enterprise-2001 Season:01 Episode:01

Overall Score:       85.74 / 100
Star Trek Values:    4.75 / 5
Inspiring:           4.75 / 5
Story Development:   4.75 / 5

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Wow, really a fascinating entrance to a spinoff. It utilizes the story of the Federation and uses it wisely. Built on top of the TNG’s production abilities, empowered CGIs, and lots of firsts;

Captain Jon Archer’s personal story is also inspiring, Cochrane and his father built the engine. And we see the saying of “boldly go where no man has gone before” for the first time.

The episode has;

I also like the atmosphere built in these spinoffs (TNG and ENT); it’s calming, catching attention, and details are well-studied. It’s difficult to spot weak story development. During the years, Star Trek has gained more resources and had more influence, so these are the top productions, which followed with worse productions. I can also count SNW spinoff too.

SNW and ENT seems based on the nostalgia and builds the backstory we first learned in TOS series. In this occasion, TNG is the exceptional series, which is not based on a nostalgia and caught the success. I’m sure it’s Roddenberry effect.

I like Rick Berman, he’s my post-Roddenberry producer.


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ENT-0119 Acquisition

 · June 28, 2024 · Stardate: -298508.19 · Mesut Yılmaz
Image Credits: IMDB 🖖
Enterprise-2001 Season:01 Episode:19

Overall Score:       27.00 / 100
Star Trek Values:    3.00 / 5
Inspiring:           3.00 / 5
Story Development:   3.75 / 5

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An amusing first contact with Ferengis.

A group of thieves is trying to steal goods from Enterprise by putting the crew to sleep.


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ENT-0113 Dear Doctor

 · July 2, 2024 · Stardate: -298497.26 · Mesut Yılmaz
Image Credits: IMDB 🖖
Enterprise-2001 Season:01 Episode:13

Overall Score:       76.95 / 100
Star Trek Values:    4.50 / 5
Inspiring:           4.75 / 5
Story Development:   4.50 / 5

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What an episode, I’m still thinking about the dilemma…

The Enterprise team faces a great deal of saving Valakians from their deadly illness. Valakians share their home planet with another Humanoid species, “Menk”. It seems like they’re enslaving or petting them, but after leaving the human-centric perspective, it seems acceptable.

Dr. Phlox asks a principal question about preventing the evolution, because Menk are in the path of gaining skills and mental empowerment, so curing Valakians will prevent Menk’s evolution. Also, Menk are immune to the illness. So there are no prime directives here, but captain chooses to not play God.

Would you cure a pre-warp society?

Still, one thing made me think about the episode, in human evolution, Homo sapiens and Neanderthals are not strictly separated, people carry some Neanderthal genomes today. So in the examples of multiple humanoid species, it’s not a pattern to see only one exist, a mix is likely to happen.I don’t know, but this might be a point to consider in the future. I’m still thinking about it.It’s best to see Star Trek episodes bring dilemmas and force us to leave human-centric perspective!


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ENT-0122 Vox Sola

 · July 8, 2024 · Stardate: -298480.87 · Mesut Yılmaz
Image Credits: IMDB 🖖
Enterprise-2001 Season:01 Episode:22

Overall Score:       47.42 / 100
Star Trek Values:    3.90 / 5
Inspiring:           4.00 / 5
Story Development:   3.80 / 5

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First contact trials attempt with Kreetassans is mainly based on understanding their language. Hoshi attempts their language, and her failure to decode has ended when Kreetassans get offended on humans’ way of eating. During the contact, another life-form contacts Enterprise and tries to form symbiotic bonding with the crew.

Some points;

I just want to see that, whenever an alien contact became the topic, in most of the science-fiction examples, the military took the first action. Even in this episode. T’Pol say that, communication is preferable, but it would require time to decode its language, so while competing with the clock, T’Pol’s reflexes are not so much non-essential, probably each of us would do the same thing. But still, uncovering ways of communication yields.


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ENT-0116 Shuttlepod One

 · July 30, 2024 · Stardate: -298420.76 · Mesut Yılmaz
Image Credits: IMDB 🖖
Enterprise-2001 Season:01 Episode:16

Overall Score:       27.46 / 100
Star Trek Values:    3.25 / 5
Inspiring:           3.25 / 5
Story Development:   3.25 / 5

View Episode (Imbd)

A nice filler episode. Again, happening in a shuttle. In Star Trek, shuttle-themed episodes has an interesting reality. In the most resourceful place of starships, it’s difficult to see challenging scenes while shuttles are vulnerable. So, shuttle-episodes are generally performing well on small story developments.

We saw cold-British Malcolm’s internal world where he finally founds a place of belonging. And Tucker’s reactions towards him.


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Discovery Reviews

First Air Year: 2017
Reviewed Episodes: 10

DIS-0501 Red Directive

 · May 9, 2024 · Stardate: -298644.8 · Mesut Yılmaz
Image Credits: IMDB 🖖
Discovery-2017 Season:05 Episode:01

Overall Score:       21.60 / 100
Star Trek Values:    3.00 / 5
Inspiring:           3.00 / 5
Story Development:   3.00 / 5

View Episode (Imbd)

An interesting start to the season with references to progenitors.

https://www.startrek.com/en-un/news/brief-history-of-the-progenitors

And lots of poor points;

  1. Kovich has more authority than admiral; it’s quite difficult to understand, in the history of Starfleet, there were admirals who can keep the classified missions. So that means, Kovich is having a quite opposing situation where none of the admirals can be trusted like any before. But at the end of the episode, Kovich can disclose the purpose or at least the intention easily to Captain Michael. Both contrary to the power hierarchy in Starfleet and a well-designed story development.

Yes, captains might own the purpose better than their superiors, but if they’ve been informed well than superiors, that means superiors are suspected persons. So I see this is a conflicted point made while trying to make the episode interesting.

  1. I don’t know what’s happening with Western producers. They’re misusing green-screens all wrong. In the most action-full moments, characters are able to talk easily; the only difficulty is their hearing because of the noise level.

The art of acting has been defeated by the misused of computer technology. If there was no green-screen method used, players and decoration team would like to reflect the situations better with scene and acting.


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DIS-0502 Under the Twin Moons

 · May 12, 2024 · Stardate: -298636.61 · Mesut Yılmaz
Image Credits: IMDB 🖖
Discovery-2017 Season:05 Episode:02

Overall Score:       6.40 / 100
Star Trek Values:    2.00 / 5
Inspiring:           2.00 / 5
Story Development:   2.00 / 5

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We’re approaching to the prize of the interplanetary puzzle journey…

The episode has started with a classical and cliché poem-puzzle journey. The team is visiting planets to gather parts of a kind of cryptex key. The planets are given with the verses written. Uhhh! I don’t know how I can finish this season.

There is something to appreciate. At the end of the episode, we see that Captain Rayner has been asked for what he did on the planet while risking the lives of people in the sake of the mission. As expected, as a civilian organization, the Federation wouldn’t put the priority of the mission ahead of the lives of the people. Because Star Trek was always an “and” century instead of “or” century, where federation achieve two conflicting things at the same time, by approaching with a different perspective.

After the inquiry, Rayner has been asked to retire early.

After a while, Captain Michael has interested in Rayner. This interest seems like a pre-mature interest. Star Trek captains are generally staying in the thin line of crazy vs wise separation. And sometimes they seem irresponsible for their actions, as widely seen in the example of Captain Kirk in the TOS series. But in the Rayner’s case, even he’s a mission-achiever persona, this decision has developed faster than expected. So, it’s Michael’s bet or an example of poor story development.

I think, we’ll see some interesting developments in the following episodes. Because surprises and unexpected won’t happen as sole-surprises in the fiction.


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DIS-0504 Face the Strange

 · May 13, 2024 · Stardate: -298633.87 · Mesut Yılmaz
Image Credits: IMDB 🖖
Discovery-2017 Season:05 Episode:04

Overall Score:       28.80 / 100
Star Trek Values:    3.00 / 5
Inspiring:           4.00 / 5
Story Development:   3.00 / 5

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Wow, with this episode where producers gained a momentum to keep the interest during season.

Like the previous episode, this episode utilizes a double-sided examples with metaphorically and materially tells us a story.

As a result of “time-travel-looper-bug” Discovery stucks in a time travel loop. Btw, technology should have been so developed, even for a black-market item with this power, it’s availability is amazing; I mean an example of poor story development. Also how Discovery’s sensors coulnd’t picked up that bug when crew has beamed up? If crew won’t come up with a explanation later, this could be the poor development of the season. Because this bug is really fatal and disastrous weapon. It’s a rare chance to be aware of the bug inside the ship, so this makes the crime evident and major.

The second implies of this travel is facing up with person’s past;

While Michael has faced up with her previous version, her past, Rayner also has faced up with their approaches to crew. Michael has convinced her prvious self with knowing herself and envisioning hersel. Rayner has convinced the crew not with his analysis for them and how they see their potentials, but they convinced with their personal stories. As a continued message from previous episode, the notion of “creating a connection with the crew” has been reused here.


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DIS-0503 Jinaal

 · May 13, 2024 · Stardate: -298633.87 · Mesut Yılmaz
Image Credits: IMDB 🖖
Discovery-2017 Season:05 Episode:03

Overall Score:       19.20 / 100
Star Trek Values:    4.00 / 5
Inspiring:           2.00 / 5
Story Development:   3.00 / 5

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Jinaal is one of the gatekeeper of Progenitor’s tech. Jinaal is testing the crew to assess whether federation is worth of that technology.

Some cheap judgements are made.

But the inter-personal stories in the episode, makes it interesting. Rayner’s approach on keeping the distance with crew become the focus point of the episode.

The episode ends with Gray’s speech;

The life of a symbiont is a journey that spans centuries. Each host it passes through changes it, and it changes each in return. The lesson this teaches us is that every life is a journey. A series of changes. We must work to understand that we encounter on our journey. We must choose to connect. Not just with others… but also, with ourselves. Sometimes we fail. Sometimes we succeed. Either way, we must keep tryin. Because we have to. Because we’re all looking for meaning in our lives. And in the end, the connections we make will lead us there.

It’s both makes sense to hear these words from a Trill; which means words are making sense to us with 2-senses together.

At least this is Star Trek.


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DIS-0505 Mirrors

 · May 14, 2024 · Stardate: -298631.14 · Mesut Yılmaz
Image Credits: IMDB 🖖
Discovery-2017 Season:05 Episode:05

Overall Score:       9.60 / 100
Star Trek Values:    2.00 / 5
Inspiring:           2.00 / 5
Story Development:   3.00 / 5

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Alternate-universes become an interesting topic to further evaluate and visit repeatedly. Previous Federation practices were keeping a distance from temporal and inter-universe journeys.

I wonder, previously Star Trek was more on imagining alternate realities of others, but now, it’s more on alternate realities of the character. Did Star Trek became more on personal journeys than discovering others, or is it touching to the intertwined nature of both?

In this episode, we learn L’ak’s story and its potential power to provide a conflict with Breen. At the end, it might not matter whether Federation have or not to have the Progenitor’s technology, it’ll probably end with an initiation of diplomatic touches with Breen. With the contribution of Lak, and while witnessing L’ak’s personal story to turn into a hero.

Let’s see, did I foresee the producer’s plans correctly.


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DIS-0507 Erigah

 · May 16, 2024 · Stardate: -298625.68 · Mesut Yılmaz
Image Credits: IMDB 🖖
Discovery-2017 Season:05 Episode:07

Overall Score:       32.40 / 100
Star Trek Values:    3.00 / 5
Inspiring:           3.00 / 5
Story Development:   4.50 / 5

View Episode (Imbd)

We’re learning more about the Breen society and getting some clarity. L’ak has gained an importance as a key to the throne for his uncle. But he seems to be dead at the end of the episode. Also we learn the details of Breen - Kellerun invade history. And we can see how (ex-Captain) First Officer Rayner has been affected.

By considering the Breen threat, Federation has previously encountered with massive threats; Klingons > Romulans > Borg > Breen

The most powerful one was certainly the Borg. Only Borgs didn’t get allied with the Federation, because they were not a specie or nation but assimilated ones. Still, Federation has had an influence on them to earn Drones (assimilated Borg individuals) their freedom.

So, how can a captain shouldn’t be resourceful and willing to ally and initiate diplomacy?

Also, I’ve noticed something during the episode;

For quick reference, stardate and earth-date can be converted roughly like below;
Stardate = (EarthYear - 2323) * 1000


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DIS-0506 Whistlespeak

 · May 16, 2024 · Stardate: -298625.68 · Mesut Yılmaz
Image Credits: IMDB 🖖
Discovery-2017 Season:05 Episode:06

Overall Score:       51.20 / 100
Star Trek Values:    4.00 / 5
Inspiring:           4.00 / 5
Story Development:   4.00 / 5

View Episode (Imbd)

Wow! Now we’re talking about the new season. Finally they catch the sprit.

Discovery crew visits a pre-warp society’s planet for the next tip of the key of Progenitor’s tech.

The folks has a whistle-language for communicating from far distances. After 2300s, whistle-language might seem ancient, but today it’s still continuing.

This society even has some figures; Mother Compeer is looking for water like Ishmael’s mother’s Hagar. And this makes this episode similar to some TOS episode which takes analogies from Rome Imperium. This topic has raised my mood and I feel, this season has started to make sense.

At the beginning of the episode, Michael mentions this society’s 3-gender norm (which we didn’t see, and we understand it’s not a biological one), and closes the episode with her saying to the priest (who saw the Federation technology);

Beliefs can evolve. Denying that can cause almost as much chaos as the worst storm.

When prime-directive is risked by revealing identities of the Federation or its tech, captains chose a way to describe the situation to the reasonable character from that planet. Their caring approach to that individuals beliefs are worth appreciation.

I didn’t think this season would inspire me in a way, but it did. I’m expecting more episodes like this.


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DIS-0508 Labyrinths

 · May 17, 2024 · Stardate: -298622.95 · Mesut Yılmaz
Image Credits: IMDB 🖖
Discovery-2017 Season:05 Episode:08

Overall Score:       11.25 / 100
Star Trek Values:    2.50 / 5
Inspiring:           3.75 / 5
Story Development:   1.50 / 5

View Episode (Imbd)

The next clue to the Progenitor’s tech, is stored in the Eternal Gallery and Archive, a place similar to Game of Throne’s Citadel. They’re keeping a distance to all the conflict between species/worlds, and just serve the purposes of gatekeeping the knowledge. Fascinating!

I’m just tired of the notion “good people can admit their regrets”. They use this notion frequently to prove that, Federation is the group of trustworthy people and can manage out knowing the Progenitor’s technology. The purpose is okay, but the way always points to the same cliché. So we learned the regrets of Michael.

I think we can transparently see Michael. So after making a person transparent enough, how can we dig more? Even if they wanted to consult the same cliché, they might choose Rayner or Lt. Gen Rhys, or maybe another cadet. Yes, captains are primary actors, but we also bored from captain’s life and repeating the same.

And in the end, Moll has gained the command as a result of the stupid actions of Primarch Ruhn. I always put a distance to the idea of immediate transfer of power like this. Why suddenly commanders act stupid? In the movies, it might be acceptable because of the short time, but in a series, it should make sense why the captain act stupid, at least with flashbacks. We’re talking about the most powerful militant species in the world, who destroyed Federation cities easily. So the greatness of the actor, doesn’t make with stupid mistakes.

Note: I assumed that Hy’Rell was Klingon, but as I learned, she was Efrosian.


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DIS-0509 Lagrange Point

 · May 23, 2024 · Stardate: -298606.55 · Mesut Yılmaz
Image Credits: IMDB 🖖
Discovery-2017 Season:05 Episode:09

Overall Score:       18.00 / 100
Star Trek Values:    3.00 / 5
Inspiring:           2.50 / 5
Story Development:   3.00 / 5

View Episode (Imbd)

Story Development

Progenitors’ Technology is staying at the Lagrange point of two giant.

Breens and Discovery team reaches to the point at the same time. Breen gets the container which stores the technology.

Discovery deploys a plan to retrieve it.

An episode of salt-action. I couldn’t find so much to think about it, I feel blank.


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DIS-0510 "Life, Itself" & General Evaluation of Discovery Season 5

 · May 31, 2024 · Stardate: -298584.69 · Mesut Yılmaz
Image Credits: IMDB 🖖
Discovery-2017 Season:05 Episode:10

Overall Score:       21.60 / 100
Star Trek Values:    3.00 / 5
Inspiring:           3.00 / 5
Story Development:   3.00 / 5

View Episode (Imbd)

Evaluation of Episodes

Episode Score Which Episode
Average Episodes 22.0 / 100 -
Best 51.2 / 100 Whistlespeak DIS-0506
Worst 6.4 / 100 Under the Twin Moons DIS-0502

This season has been built on the clues of Progenitors from TNG spinoff. If this season would be a substory in TNG, it would be worth of 2–3 episodes. I didn’t like this season by some points.

Cons

It seems like this is the last season of Discovery, and they’ve prepared some clues for the upcoming Section 31 spinoff. We might see some characters from Discovery too. But I’m not so sure, whether Trekkies has liked or not the current Discovery’s line of development. If S31, would share a similar trajectory, they might lose the way of Star Trek. It’s not surprising to see these points, I mentioned, as other Trekkies’ opinions.

Pros


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