Merrick here...

This really should've been posted yesterday, but I had limited Net connectivity & couldn't make it happen in time.

If you've watched more than about five minutes of History Channel in the last few days, you’ve undoubtedly seen the ads & incessant bugs for the network's STAR TREK: BEYOND THE FINAL FRONTIER special.

This title confounds me, because if one goes "beyond The Final Frontier" - doesn't that imply the "Final" Frontier actually isn't all that final, and therefore the phrase "final frontier" becomes inaccurate?

I am, of course, kidding...sort of.

Anyways, this special is a bit of an oddity. It's 1) part chronicle of the recent Christie's auction of STAR TREK memorabilia (how the items were selected and catalogued, etc.); 2) part history of the franchise (including recollections from the likes of George Takei, Nichelle Nichols, Avery Brooks, Patrick Stewart, Marina Sirtis, Jonathan Frakes, Kate Mulgrew, Armin Shimerman, production designer Herman Zimmerman, make-up guy Michael Westmore, and a slew of producers from various series - including the original series); 3) part tribute to fandom; and 4) part shameless propaganda piece (reminding us why we love TREK, promising us that more TREK is on the way, etc.)

For a Geek like me, there are some real gems here, not the least of which is Rick Berman explaining why he thinks it’s good that STAR TREK is taking a rest at the moment (the irony of this is limitless). Other favorite moments include footage from within the auction, where someone buys Captain Picard’s flute from “The Inner Light” for $40,000ish (we hear maniacal laughter, hard cut to a giggling Patrick Stewart, who charmingly says “It doesn’t play - it’s not a real flute”)…the always smug Brannon Braga (it’s difficult to fully encapsulate his distasteful attitude in this special – see for yourself)…and a lengthy look at the Paramount warehouses where TREK coolness is stored (remember the final shot of RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK?)

Fans closely familiar with the mythos aren’t likely to learn anything new here (in fact, key points in TREK’s development are either glossed over, or left out completely), and the piece’s genuineness is ultimately overshadowed by its overtly propagandistic purposes – but it’s interesting none the less. Watching folks break open gargantuan wooden cases in the warehouse to reveal Deep Space Nine “hero” model, the battle damaged Reliant from WRATH OF KHAN is enough to send shivers up the spine of almost anyone who’s ever seen an episode of the show, and seeing what became of obscure items like the blue uniform tops from “Where No Man Has Gone Before” is pretty cool - even if it is a bit abstract.

This aired last night, but will be repeated this weekend. CLICK HERE to find out when it’s on. It’s a fun (although often too cutesy) “geek out” if nothing else, that does evoke a nice sense of nostalgia despite its imperfections.

I was disappointed that the “movie” Enterprise only sold for $250,000 (it’s always been my favorite of the Enterprise configurations) while the far less sexy Enterprise D sold for $500,000.

???

[[[e-mail Merrick]]]