Star Trek Continues (TV Series) To Boldly Go: Part II (2017) User Reviews

How can this be better than Discovery and the movies combined?

[TAEMO · 10/10 · 14 November 2017]

There will be no spoilers just an assessment; This is better than the commercial shows. Of course Discovery and the Kelvin-Films have superior production values, but since when were perfect effects and sets important? Ever since the Star Wars Prequels we know that plot matters and not effects.

That is not supposed to mean the acting, the effects and the sets are bad, they are pretty outstanding, so good that you forget after a couple of minutes that you are "just" watching a fan-film.

Star Trek Continues has something far more important than a grand budget, this has actual characters, an actual story and above all, makes us invest emotionally and pays off big time in the end. You watch this, you will care for our triumvirate in the end even more, you will understand their future actions and decisions. And isn't that what a story is all about; we the audience care for the characters in it.

It is sad that fan films are no more, at least not in the current format. This show has been a treat from the beginning and this episode is clearly the peak of fan films. I doubt it will be surpassed any time soon.

Full Circle part II

[XweAponX · 10/10 · 26 November 2017]

I don't agree that this is better than all of the Feature Films and Discovery combined. They are all different, with varying levels of production value.

That is not to say that the production value of STC lacks anything. It does NOT.

Discovery is the first trek show that is not produced by Paramount, CBS now does it. They don't use the same people that had worked on Trek since TOS, like the Films and TNG/DS9/Voyager and Enterprise. Those people however, worked on STC, some of them. Which is why "Continues" has that LOOK that we have been used to for all these years. And, not being a network show but a Fan production, they recreated the Original Series, even using the Original Shuttlecraft prop, and whatever other sets and props they could borrow from their new owners, as well as using Wand Communicators, new Phaser props, re-created uniforms.

This 2nd of a Two-Parter begs the question, how to attack a Constitution Class Starship being run by Elevated Espers?

Not with just two ships. But, something that has been known to me since I ever read "The Making of Star Trek" in the 60's, and other books about the show, is that Gene intended that 1) There was a Holodeck on the ship (it would have been used in Season 4), and 2) The Saucer would separate in emergencies (Also planned, but never done in TOS).

So utilizing "unknown fact about the TOS Enterprise Number 2", Kirk is able to perform a 3-Pronged attack against the "Kongo", the Ship the Espers stole.

But it is a bittersweet victory, as it costs Kirk way more than it ever has before.

As The Ravaged and Wrecked Enterprise slides into Spacedock, the same Spacedock it left to go see V'Ger, changes are coming for the Captain and his Crew. Including a familiar uniform change. And we get to meet Admiral Nogura, who on his desk has models of the Pheonix, the NX- 01, the Kelvin, the DISCOVERY, and the Refit Enterprise from TMP.

It has been Swell, guys! Thank you so much, Vic, Todd, Michelle, Kipleigh, and all of the cast and crew, and every person who made this happen. We now have The Original Series told in Full Circle from The Cage to The Motion Picture.

Note: I Agree with "wchmara", that the Espers had abilities more God-like rather than Illusion-like. But they also controlled energy as we see 'Smith" do in the Kongo Engine Room. But I think they would use Illusion if not in close proximity.

Note 2: I just want to add that Kipleigh went over and above her call of duty in this one, my elevated Kudos for a very good job - far away from being a "ghost" on Enterprise.

Incredible Series!

[winstonsmith_84 · 9/10 · 28 July 2022]

Wow, this was just a perfectly made series in so many ways it's hard to imagine it was an indie non-profit production! This shows how dedicated this crew was to putting that final touch on the original series which was so badly needed. The attention to detail was incredible here. Fantastically made sets, expert effects, the sound and music all just perfect. But what really stood out were the stories and the actors portraying the roles. I had watched some of these episodes years back, and after several years couldn't remember if they were the actual original series (TOS) or this new "continues" series. That's how good the episodes are.

Incredible. Anyways, the final episode is a true work of art and it really puts a much needed final touch on the series as a whole.

I really have no idea how they managed to pull this off. But however they did it, I thank the entire crew for their hard work and amazing storytelling. Awesome concept and execution. Well done!

Outstanding

[StuOz · 17 April 2021]

The final episode of Star Trek Continues.

The later sections of this hour are some of the most memorable images in Trek history. You are in for a true epic here! Granted, there is the odd moment that is too modern for the 1960s show but I am willing to forget all that and just go along with this grand ending.

I have been told from the star of the show himself that originally 13 episodes were planned for Continues but this had to be shortened to eleven due to CBS (the current owners of Trek) getting all worked up over copyright laws.

So no more STC. However, I predict that these Youtube episodes will get more and more viewings over the decades and, just like the old 1966 series, will turn into something bigger down the track.

What a payoff

[Jeffsteele1 · 10/10 · 19 March 2022]

So for this to be my first IMDB review, that must say a lot. If you love Trek, if you know where Star Trek The Motion Picture picks up and TOS left off, then how could it be better than this? Congratulations and thank you to the cast and crew, a fan made series for fans, and I loved every second of the entire series. Moments in this episode brought tears to my eyes - some for the lore of Star Trek and some for the characters you created in this series. I look forward to my rewatch!

The Federation and Romulans...pals?!

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 11 November 2019]

This is the final episode in an excellent fan series, "Star Trek Continues". It continues the adventures of the original Enterprise with new actors playing the various characters. Fortunately, they perfectly recreated the Enterprise and the look and costumes were spot on and quite impressive.

In the last episode, a group of Espers (folks with super high ESP ratings) have tricked Kirk into doing their evil bidding. Now as the second episode begins, they are at the edge of galactic space...and are facing a determined group of nasties bent on evil. Can the crew manage to possibly overcome a group of god-like beings or is the Enterprise destined for oblivion?

Something unique to "Star Trek: The Next Generation" is also used in this episode. The Enterprise splits into two ships....just like the later Enterprise did on occasion. Purists might say 'they never could do this in the original'...but I say that they never mentioned it at all, so why not?!

While this is a very good episode, I actually preferred the first part of the show. This is because the Enterprise and Romulan ship had beaten the Espers early in the episode....but Spock made an uncharacteristic (and foolish) choice when in command of one section of the Enterprise....so uncharacteristic that it really made no sense. I hate it when characters act or react in ways that violate the very essence of who they are. Enjoyable...but flawed. And, it did end well...leaving off about where "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" began.

A Fitting End

[wchmara · 9/10 · 19 November 2017]

I have to agree with the sentiments made by other people online that these two episodes were written beautifully and acted masterfully. It brings the Enterprise crew full circle back to the events of the second pilot episode and mixed in elements from the third season's "The Enterprise Incident." The music, special effects, pacing, EVERYTHING is just perfect, especially given that it was made by fans out of sheer love for the show and wanted to give it a grand finale.

Is it without sin, though? Well, not exactly.

Vic Mignogna and Robert Sawyer seem to have conflated what Gary Mitchell became after encountering the barrier at the edge of the Galaxy with the Talosians of the first unsold pilot. To put it simply, Mitchell became a god. He could create things out of thin air and also destroy them with the same mental effort. The Talosians were the ones who dealt with illusions. The espers of these two episodes should have had the power to get around without transporters, and even create their own starships. They would not have been playing around with illusions. But that would have made them a much more difficult enemy to defeat, if not impossible, and we can't have that.

The character of Smith in the original episode was famous for only two things. Kirk mistakenly called her Jones. And she was holding Gary Mitchell's hand when the ship crashed into the barrier. In this finale, however, she is a much more heroic figure, not allowing this newfound power to go to her head, and, in fact, using it to protect her shipmates even at the cost of her own life. McKennah's death, in comparison, was more tragic than heroic. She accomplished nothing and died in a transporter malfunction. I was never comfortable with the scene in Star Trek II where Kirk and Saavik were conversing while in the process of beaming, but this sort of thing has become standard in Star Trek ever since. That's one thing. The other is that this scene is too reminiscent of something that was done in Star Trek Phase II/New Voyages, specifically the episode entitled "World Enough and Time." Sulu's daughter is in a similar predicament. But watch the actor playing Spock in this scene. He first raises his hand in the live long and prosper gesture, then realizes how inappropriate that is and consciously closes the gap between his fingers. Yes, they had to get rid of McKennah because she is a nonentity in the Star Trek films. But making her the specific reason why Spock was purging his emotions on Vulcan still contradicts what Roddenberry wrote in the novelization of the first movie. Other contradictions include: McCoy parting with Kirk amicably in this episode when in the novel it was stated that McCoy strongly advised Kirk against taking this promotion, and when Kirk ignored this advice, McCoy washed his hands of him. And Kirk told his chosen successor, Will Decker, that he envied him and he hoped to find a way to command a starship again. But here, he is envying the whole crowd that he is speaking to.

Rather than simply focusing on just The Big Three, it would have been so nice if Vic and Robert had come up with something interesting for each of the rest of the regulars to look forward to after coming home from their five-year mission. This was a blown opportunity.

Kirk's final log entry foreshadows the one he will make at the end of The Undiscovered Country. Which is nice. I can even accept the nods to STTMP, even though had this been an actual closer episode made in the seventies, I doubt the producers would have had that kind of foresight to set up a future in motion pictures for the show. Vic had the benefit of hindsight and took advantage of it to make a smooth transition to the film era. But the models in Nogura's office were a tribute to other Treks that were notorious retconners of the franchise's established history. There was Cochrane's prototype warp ship from First Contact. The NX-01 from Enterprise. The Kelvin from the 2009 film. And even the Discovery from the worst offender of the lot. The scene, itself, is an homage to a similar one in Into Darkness. Was it really necessary to acknowledge these derivative works made by people who opened disdained the fans who insisted that Star Trek be held to a higher standard of quality than the rest of the junk out there purporting to be science-fiction? No. Vic decided to show more class than them by doing this.

In the end, is this how classic Star Trek would have ended if it was a five-year success? Who knows? But it does bring an excellent capper to the Mignonaverse, at least. Who can ask for more than that?

What a fantastic show

[mattmcg-23881 · 10/10 · 22 May 2022]

If only the new "official" series had this quality of writing and attention to character development. I LOVED these 11 episodes. Only wish there were more. SPOILER - when McKenna is caught in the transporter and Kirk and Spock say goodbyes - there are few "real" treks that have conjured that level of emotion and feeling. Kudos to this cast and crew. Only wish there were more. Disco and SNW tale notice - it's about the characters, their relationships - not the action sequences and WOKE philosophy. More like these please.

A Senior Trekker writes......................

[celineduchain · 5/10 · 13 February 2022]

This episode wraps up the series and brings the Enterprise's five year mission to a close with Kirk donning an Admiral's uniform, Spock heading off to Vulcan to complete the Kolinahr and the Doctor quitting Star Fleet to be reunited with his daughter. It's all cleverly constructed to give everyone enough screen time while keeping the story rolling on to a satisfying conclusion. Without disclosing too much, I can admit that there are some moments that had me reaching for a handkerchief and I found myself viewing some of the behind-the-scenes footage to join in with the cast farewells.

Many of the people involved with these productions are professional voice actors and a considerable amount of donated funding was invested to help achieve the polish of the finished product. However, it is also plain that, for most people involved, it was a labour of love to which they gave up a great deal of their free time and creativity. I'm sure that legions of Trekkers worldwide will continue to be grateful to them for many years to come.

Following a legal case by the studio, effectively shutting down all fan-made productions, these full-length episodes were hastily concluded in 2017. The creator, Vic Mignogna, subsequently became embroiled in a series of personal law-suits concerning his behaviour towards female cast-mates. Claims and counter claims abounded and, as of 2022, no effective conclusion has yet been reached.

WHATEVER THE REAL NARRATIVE BEHIND THEIR FALL FROM GRACE, THIS PARTICULAR GROUP OF STORIES REPRESENTS SOME OF THE BEST STAR TREK FICTION EVER BROUGHT TO LIFE.

In true Roddenberry fashion, the "message" episodes covered such subjects as: inter-cultural marriage, child abuse, human (or alien) trafficking and the promotion of women to positions of high office. Actually Senior Trekker thinks that last one was a dud but does this really seem like the oeuvre of a man who disrespects women? Best watch for yourself.

Live Long and Prosper.