This episode will require a bit of backstory and that can be found by simply rewatching The Tholian Web.  This is a sequel of sorts.  It could be said that series like Doctor Who and Star Trek often cater to the fans to the detriment of new viewers, but let’s not lose sight of something: this is a fan production whose target audience is always going to be the fans!  So having to see the original episode is not a bad thing and for those who forgot the episode, the writing fills in the necessary gaps. 

While exploring a system on the verge of destruction by black hole, the Enterprise picks up the sounds of a heartbeat.  Triangulating the sound, they observe a starship. Zooming into the hull, they identify that the Defiant is back and it’s one occupant is James T. Kirk… aged over 60 years.

This episode is more of a thought experiment in my book.  Whereas last week we looked at an episode that gave us food for thought about our real world, this does a different sort of speculating about those woulda, coulda, shoulda moments in life.  In this case, when Kirk boarded the derelict Defiant back in The Tholian Web, his crew failed to rescue him, leaving him on board the ghost ship, stuck in interstitial space for decades.  He talks about how he was abandoned and, even more traumatically, how he had to bring each member of the crew to the transporter room to beam them out; giving them the “burial at sea” that the crew deserves.  Meanwhile, the ships computer has become sentient: it’s called Tiberius, effectively giving us a story about 3 Kirks.  

Along for the ride is the lovely Rekha Sharma (Battlestar Galactica, Star Trek Discovery) playing an old love interest of Jim’s, Ari Samara.  Her presence serves more to bring known talent into the series, in my eyes, as it does little to add backstory to Kirk’s life.  Jim has had more romantic interests than I’ve had lunches and to a certain extent that cheapens the love interest.  This is another one that was clearly very dear to him but who went her own way because Kirk is the captain of a starship and doesn’t settle down easily.  

One of the most successful moments of the episode however is when aged Jim shows up and sees his crew “so young”.  He gives Spock a hug and the moment between the two shows the depth of their friendship.  For a little laugh during a tense moment, however, current Kirk then sees aged Kirk and says, “I don’t expect a hug!”  

If there’s a thorn in the side with this story, it comes down to our favorite thorn bush: McCoy.  While talking about the AI, he refers to it as an “evil twin” to which Spock says it’s not an accurate description.  Leave it to McCoy to get all riled insisting that anything that is without emotion and understanding is evil; the implication laid out heavily McCoy’s brand of prejudice.  (His tirade even starts with the standard, “you green blooded…”)  I had hoped we were done with seeing McCoy through those eyes, now that Dr. McKenna has come aboard.  Alas, no… 

There’s some great use of music from the classic series here, and Kirk even gets a moment to talk a computer into submission.  Bravo!  Star Trek just wouldn’t be Star Trek if Kirk couldn’t drive a power-mad computer to submission!  But overall, this just didn’t have the power that the previous episode did.  It’s still not to be missed, but it’s just a plain adventure, while I’ve come to realize the ones that I really love are that ones that make us think. ML