Updates

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November

This week's episode "Masquerade" keeps up the fast pace of Prodigy. It excels when it reveals Dal's origin but then falls back into clichéd themes of the series.

The latest Prodigy episode "Crossroads" comes with a great deal of action, but the story about the crew's run of misfortune when trying to contact Starfleet is unconvincing.

There are five new commercially available lamps in Star Trek (thanks to several people on Twitter), some new considerations on the Tellarites and additions related to "All the World's a Stage" in The Evolution of the Starfleet Medical Emblem. I have also updated the Links page.

Here is my review of PRO: "All the World's a Stage". As lame as the idea of yet another totally self-referential Trek episode is, as funny is it how the "Enderprizians" are modeled on classic TOS aliens - or on fans?

Several alien starships appeared in the first season of Strange New Worlds. I have added them to the database of Discoverse Alien Ship Classes.

Read my review of the latest Prodigy episode "Let Sleeping Borg Lie". The mission on the Borg cube is entertaining and strengthens character relationships. But as a Borg episode, it should have been more impactful.

 

October

Enjoy the updated and extended Observations in TNG: "Captain's Holiday", with many new findings by Jörg.

I have also updated a couple of articles with new facts and screen caps from PRO: "Asylum".

Here is my review of Prodigy's mid-season premiere "Asylum" that follows up on the exciting events in "A Moral Star" without slowing down in any fashion.

I have also supplemented several pages with new facts from LOW: "The Stars at Night".

LOW: "The Stars at Night" is an exciting season finale, but not among the very best episodes of Lower Decks. I am quite content how it ties together the dangling threads. The action scenes are great. But as already in the preceding episode, the character dynamics could have been stronger. Read my full review.

The Federation starships from Strange New Worlds are in the database now, for which I have extended the existing page on Discoverse Federation Ship Classes.

The latest Lower Decks episode "Trusted Sources" merely does its job to set up the season finale, at the cost of ignoring or reverting character developments. I hope the finale will be the end that justifies the means.

Lower Decks is the Star Trek series that took the longest time to come up with a time travel story, and it is just a holographic one in "Crisis Point 2: Paradoxus". Anyway, here is a new page on Time Travel in Star Trek: Lower Decks (LOW).

I have also updated several other articles with new facts from the holodeck adventure: Other Romulan Logos, The Evolution of the Federation Emblem, Locating Starfleet Buildings in San Francisco, Redresses of the Batris, Redresses of the Orbital Office Complex.

Here is my review of "Crisis Point 2: Paradoxus", a fun journey, not only through the movies but also through the fandom, that comes with a good deal of character development.

Paramount releases a dark and depressing trailer for Picard season 3, which doesn't get me excited. I'm more positive about the upcoming new episodes of Prodigy and even about Discovery.

My review of "A Mathematically Perfect Redemption". It may not be a second "wej Duj", an episode that everybody loves, but I applaud the new approach to tell this story.

I am also reworking the Starship Database. I include HD caps of ships wherever available, fix display issues, add new facts where necessary and shorten digressive comments. Current progress: about 60% done.

 

September

Here is my review of LOW: "Hear All, Trust Nothing". Just as expected, the DS9-related episode is very entertaining, although the B-plot is somewhat misplaced.

Major update of the Starship Database, as I have added the missing vessels from Picard season 2 on the pages Starfleet Ship Classes A-K, Starfleet Ship Classes L-Z, Other Starfleet Ship Classes, Federation Shuttlecraft, Earth Ship Classes and Borg Ship Classes.

Read my review of LOW: "Reflections". I think the series just delivered one of its best episodes so far.

Continuing the Voyager season 5 retro reviews with "Thirty Days" and "Counterpoint".

I will gradually add all starships from recently completed seasons to the database, starting with the Confederation Timeline Ships from Picard season 2.

Here is my review of LOW: "Room for Growth". The story is rather simple compared to most other Lower Decks episodes but not less enjoyable.

"Mining the Mind's Mines" is the weakest outing of Lower Decks season 3 so far. Although I like the character development, the story feels incoherent and some of the humor does not work for me.

There is also a comment on the Picard season 3 trailer, and particularly on the USS Titan-A.

Catching up to Strange New Worlds: Here are the full reviews of all season 1 episodes.

Poll: Rate the first season of Strange New Worlds.

In LOW: "The Least Dangerous Game", the series goes where season 1 has gone before and solely draws on story recipes that we already know. But it does comparably well within these narrow confines.

 

August

Many additions and almost 30 new pictures in the article with Observations in TNG: "Allegiance".

Season 3 of Lower Decks sets off with an episode that is full of trivia and funny situations but that also raises expectations it does not fulfill in the end. Read my review of LOW: "Grounded".

We have compiled everything about The Fleet in PIC: "The Star Gazer" and "Farewell" in a comprehensive new article: ship movements, identification of all individual ships, fleet statistics, pictures and information on the new classes.

I conclude my reviews of DIS season 4 with "Coming Home".

I have also done some maintenance and added HD screen caps to our article on Picard's Shakespeare Books.

Lots of additions to the article with Observations in TNG: "Sins of the Father".

I have to speed up my Discovery season 4 reviews because Lower Decks season 3 is coming up. And if time allows, I will go through SNW season 1 as well. So here are my thoughts on DIS: "Species Ten-C".

Love is the message and the message is love. Here is my review of DIS: "Rosetta". Finally some progress in the storyline, at least on the emotional side.

Here is my review of DIS: "The Galactic Barrier". The storyline is dragged out for little benefit, although one of the plot threads is unexpectedly touching.

Here is our update to the Observations in TNG: "The Offspring", with new findings and over 40 new images.

Read my review of DIS: "Rubicon". The cat-and-mouse game initially makes up for some of the mistakes of "All In" but then regresses to typical Discovery storytelling: unwarranted worship of you-know-who, unprofessional disputes, mistakes for which nobody assumes responsibility, little progress regarding the mystery at hand.

Remembering Nichelle Nichols - a gallery with a screen cap from each episode and movie in which Nichelle Nichols appeared as Uhura.

I have fixed several small errors such as spellings and references in the database of substances and particles and added many screen caps. Furthermore, all screen caps in the article on Variations of the TNG Desktop Monitor are HD now (where available).

 

July

She was, and will always be, an inspiration. Nichelle Nichols passed away on 30 July 2022, at the age of 89.

Continuing the DIS season 4 reviews with "All In". The episode squanders the momentum gained in "...But to Connect", to turn the struggle for the future of the galaxy literally into a gamble.

The third story of Travis Anderson's new SID Rebirth series: Tidal Forces.

It's been a while, but I will continue to revise and extend my reviews of Voyager episodes because I sometimes need a break from new Trek. Today: "Infinite Regress" and "Nothing Human". New DIS reviews will follow shortly, and I'm working on SNW as well.

Added new reconstructions of junior officers' quarters (Kim, Paris, Ballard) on Voyager by BobyE and revised orthographic views of the reimagined Enterprise (DIS and SNW) by Dávid Metlesits.

Yet another updated and expanded article: Observations in TNG: "Yesterday's Enterprise". Check out Jörg's Twitter account, where he is posting still more new observations.

The next Discovery season 4 review: DIS: "...But to Connect". It looks like this episode was generally well received. But it had too many buzzwords, too much emotionality and too little professionalism of the characters for a great episode in my view.

New article: Time Travel in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (SNW), more precisely in "A Quality of Mercy" so far.

The article about Picard's Shakespeare Books now includes references from PIC: "The Star Gazer", where we can see all of the various books from TNG in some fashion. Also, see how the runabout aft compartment was turned into USS Prometheus interiors for DS9: "Second Sight".

Continuing my Discovery season 4 reviews with DIS: "Stormy Weather". The story does not move along and becomes obnoxious when seemingly everyone's and everything's feelings get offended.

Also, there are new facts from PIC and SNW and many new pictures in the article on 21st Century Earth History.

And here is the updated and extended article with Observations in TNG: "A Matter of Perspective".

Another one of Jörg's old articles has been significantly extended: Observations in TNG: "Déjà Q".

Here is the second story of Travis Anderson's SID Rebirth: Second Chances.

 

June

Several more Commercially Available Chairs in Star Trek and Commercially Available Lighting in Star Trek could be identified with help from our dear friend Eno.

The articles on The Continuities of Star Trek, The Visual Continuity of Star Trek and Discoverse Continuity Problems are up to date now with examples from Strange New Worlds. Also watch out for more SNW-related updates in other articles.

I continue my reviews of Discovery's season 4 with DIS: "The Examples". This episode comes with classic Trek vibes as they are rare in the series and is arguably the best one of the season.

The Rebirth is the first story of Travis Anderson's SID Rebirth. The SID team awakens in a new reality, in which everything is familiar yet not quite the same.

Here is my review of DIS: "All Is Possible". This episode consists of two plot threads, and the good one about the diplomatic negotiations cannot make up for the many weaknesses of the shuttle crash scenario.

Travis Anderson launches a new series of stories named SID Rebirth, which begins with the transition to another universe. Read the message from the author and see the updated personnel and vessel profiles. The first story will be posted shortly.

Many small updates today, such as the addition of facts from PIC season 2 to the timeline. Also, there are some new side views in the starship database and diagrams in the starship gallery, such as of Discovery Federation ships and Delta Quadrant ships.

Finally, there is a brief assessment of Strange New Worlds after watching the first five episodes.

Added the new designs from season 4 to the database of Discovery Future Alien Ship Classes.

 

May

Continuing my reviews of Discovery's season 4 with DIS: "Choose to Live". In spite of a bumpy start and some odd character choices, an almost self-contained classic sci-fi story unfolds that increasingly pleases me.

This was quite an effort! Here is the exhaustive write-up about Time Travel in Star Trek: Picard, specifically about the story arc that spans the whole second season of the series. Comments are appreciated!

New pictures in the galleries of Star Trek Discovery Characters and Star Trek Picard Characters, now up to date with selected publicity shots from the latest seasons.

The Federation starships from Discovery season 4 are in the starship database now.

And here is my review of DIS: "Anomaly". Right after a promising start of season 4, this episode is disappointing. There is a lot of action and a lot of talking, but somehow nothing of note happens.

Besides adding facts from PIC season 2 to many articles, I will catch up on Discovery. Here is my review of the season 4 premiere, "Kobayashi Maru".

I have compiled another list: All Star Trek Series Opening Credits Ranked, ordered by how much I like them and how well I think they represent the series.

Also: Rate Star Trek Picard season 2 in a new poll.

I wouldn't have expected it, but the finale PIC: "Farewell" effectively saves the season with its emotional impact, although the time travel and the numerous coincidences still don't make much sense.

As the premiere of Strange New Worlds is only two days away, international fans are locked out - as usual. But even though I may be able to watch the show "unofficially", I don't intend to join the rat race. There will be no reviews of SNW at EAS any time soon. I will wait until I have an opinion whether the series lives up the hype about it. In the meantime, feel free to submit guest reviews. The SNW season 1 comments are open too.

After posting the review of the Picard 2 season finale "Farewell", I will catch up on Discovery.

It's time to update the next one of Jörg's old articles, this time Observations in TNG: "The High Ground", including over 40 new images.

 

April

Here is my review of PIC: "Hide and Seek". This season captivates me less with every week that I watch. And unless a miracle happens in the finale, it will not make sense either.

I have added lots of new stuff to the old article about Observations in TNG: "The Hunted", including over 30 new images. You can follow Jörg on Twitter to stay updated on this and many more topics.

PIC: "Mercy" is another rather disappointing episode in my view. Just two weeks before the finale, there are further gratuitous complications and only vague hints about how the mess could make some sense.

Two new reviews by Daniel Tessier: the TOS movie era novel Living Memory by Christopher L. Bennett and the audio drama No Man's Land about Seven and Raffi by Kirsten Beyer and Mike Johnson.

Here is my review of PIC: "Monsters". Patrick Stewart and James Callis deliver strong performances. The walk through Picard's mind may be revealing but it is also clichéd and further sidetracks the mission. Everything else is just unremarkable.

Hit & Run Tactics is a short story by Travis Anderson. Now employed by both Bajoran Militia and the Dominion, Ro and Macen lead their teams against several successive targets. Each one fast and brutal. No prisoners or witnesses will be left alive or taken today.

There are many additions to Jörg's old article with Observations in TNG: "The Defector", including about 20 new images.

My review of PIC: "Two of One" is unusually timely, perhaps because the episode is not overly complex. My issues with this season's storyline persist and there are new ones. Overall, however, I really like how "Two of One" handles the characters and creates some memorable moments.

Here is my review of PIC: "Fly Me to the Moon". The episode provides the right amount of story progress to satisfy our curiosity while keeping up the suspense. It introduces surprising new characters, but these are so contrived that the whole season is dangerously close to becoming absurd.

 

March

The Prophets in the series The Cause is the latest story by Travis Anderson. The Prophets complied with the Sisko's request to halt the Dominion advance but now they want to understand why. In the buildup to that, it is finally revealed where the Prophets went while the Cardassians occupied Bajor.

Here is a new ranking: 10 Starfleet Engineers Ranked by how much I value their work ethos and their accomplishments.

The latest episode of Star Trek Picard comes with interesting revelations and decent action. But there are aspects of the story that irk me, and I'm not talking of time travel paradoxes. Read my review of PIC: "Watcher".

Picard and his crew leave the desolate "Confederation" behind and arrive in the much funner 21st century. Read my review of PIC: "Assimilation".

Trigger warning: My review of PIC: "Penance" is a rant. The alternate reality scenario is less creative, less realistic and less tasteful than I could ever have imagined. But not everything about the episode is bad, so it is overall just a big disappointment and not a total disaster in my view.

Many additions to Jörg's article with Observations in TNG: "The Vengeance Factor". With about 40 new pictures, this one is now among the longest articles of the series.

There are small updates related to PIC: "The Star Gazer" in a about a dozen articles and counting, most of which are related to emblems and flags, such as in The Emblem of Starfleet Command. To find small changes on pages, check out my update comments, view the column of Pages with Any Recent Changes or follow the "update" signs.

The second season of Star Trek Picard begins with an episode that brings back old friends, foes and other acquaintances from classic Trek. Read my extensive review of PIC: "The Star Gazer".

New story by Travis Anderson: The Cause - Jem'Hadar. After the Dominion allied itself with Cardassia, the Jem'Hadar purged the DMZ of the resurgent Maquis settlers. But, as in most purges, there were un-enslaved survivors. And working with the Bajoran Militia, Ro and Macen will make certain that the Dominion will forever regret that fact.

Guest reviews and comments are open on Picard season 2. My own review of "The Star Gazer" will follow in a couple of days.

 

February

Continuing the series of listings: All Starfleet Uniforms Ranked. Visitors can comment and post their personal ranking. First-time commenters require moderator approval.

Catching up with Prodigy again. Here is my combined review of the mid-season finale "A Moral Star I/II".

Find my considerations about Time Travel in Star Trek: Prodigy in a new article, up to date as of "Time Amok". It took me some time and a couple of rewatches to figure out who or what actually traveled through time in this unexpectedly complex episode!

Here are my rather brief reviews of two more Star Trek: Prodigy episodes: "First Con-tact" and "Time Amok".

 

January

You can find several updates by Jörg in the article with Observations in TNG: "The Price".

See many additions by Jörg to the old article with Observations in TNG: "The Enemy".

I have also begun to include information from Discovery season 4 and from Prodigy season 1 to articles at EAS.

Here is my review of last week's Star Trek: Prodigy crossover adventure, "Kobayashi".

Happy New Year 2022! Stay safe and healthy!

On an administrative note, comments on this site by new users or by guests now require moderator approval, at least temporarily. Regular commenters may already be on the whitelist, and I will add anyone else after one approved post.

 

Go to Past Updates 2021