Vic

Ensign Sonya Gomez and Geordi La Forge seemed primed for a romance when Star Trek: The Next Generation fans first saw them together in the episodes “Q Who?” – which aired 29 years ago today -- and “Samaritan Snare,” but those ended up being the only two hours in which the Gomez character appeared. That was a shame, as guest star Lycia Naff shared terrific chemistry with LeVar Burton and such an arc would have benefited Geordi’s evolution. Still, the work remains a highlight on Naff’s resume, which also includes such shows as St. Elsewhere, Fame, Law & Order and Ghost Whisperer, plus the films The Clan of the Cave Bear, Lethal Weapon, the cult favorite Biker Chicks in Zombietown, and the original Total Recall, in which she played the three-breasted character, Mary. Naff, who left acting to pursue a career as a journalist, is set to appear at Star Trek Las Vegas this summer. She talked about all of the above and more during a recent interview with StarTrek.com…

What are you up to these days?
I'm living a slower-paced life, riding motorcycles, practicing Kundalini yoga and running my non-profit charity, "Drive-By Do-Gooders."

Still a journalist?

I'm still an active undercover investigative reporter; however, I surfaced with my byline when I exclusively broke the Bill Cosby rape scandal in 2014.

Are you open to acting again or are you done with it?
I dipped my toe back into the waters and found it asking more than I was getting back. So, for now, unless someone offers me a part or audition, I'm retired from the bright lights and broad stage.

Were you a Trek fan around the time of TNG?
I am now.

How did you land the role of Gomez in “Q Who?”?

It was as typical casting call with a bunch of girls looking just like me. I was last on the list. I was nervous but excited. I remember repeating to myself something that my acting teacher said: "The longer they make me wait, the better I'm gonna be." So, I kept chanting that in my head as I waited for hours to be called, but I knew I'd given it my very best.

What interested you most about the part?
I was thrilled to be a small part of the legacy. Funny though, when I got to the set on the first day, the writers had changed my character name of Ensign Sonya Guzman, a nice Jewish girl, to Ensign Gomez, a nice Hispanic girl. Nice to know I have good acting "range."

How did you enjoy working with the cast, particularly building a bond with LeVar Burton and bumping into Patrick Stewart?

Once I entered the Paramount lot at an early 5:00 a.m., I was so excited. It was like a dream come true. After I went through the hair/makeup and wardrobe process, a P.A. said that LeVar wanted to meet me in his trailer. I could barely breathe. I'd seen everything he'd ever done. He is one of my heroes. His trailer didn't disappoint. He'd decorated the place in a very spiritual, New Age way, with soft curtains, lots of pillows and incense, soft lighting. I felt like I was entering an ashram. Then, we started talking. I was blown away by how generous an actor he is. We rehearsed our scenes without LeVar wearing his character's wraparound glasses, so there was lots of eye contact and connection. We'd gotten the scenes down pat. When we went to shoot, I'd forgotten LeVar would have the sunglasses on, so I'm glad we rehearsed our acting "connection" prior to sort of losing it when I could no longer see his deep, emotion-filled and loving eyes. And working with Sir Patrick was easy. I was so in awe of his reputation and body of work that my shaky hands that caused me to spill hot chocolate all over the captain of the Enterprise were real. Didn't have to stretch for that one. Luckily, it was written into the scene. My real nerves paid off. Not often that happens in life or TV.

What do you recall of "Samaritan Snare"?

The set was fantastic. The engineering room created looked so futuristic, complicated and overwhelming. When directed to start touching buttons on a wall panel and act like I knew what I was doing as an ensign in engineering, it was hilarious because though the set looked real and complicated, it was just a flat panel, lit up from the back, that didn't work at all. Buttons didn't even fake press down, etc.

Gomez seemed primed to be a recurring character and a love interest for Geordi, but it ended up being just the two episodes. What happened?

I was told that Gomez was going to evolve into Geordi's love interest, but the dialogue and the way I was directed to play the part was more comic relief than love interest. When it came time to possibly renew me as a recurring role in the next season, I was told that producers thought Gomez was too funny to be the type of love interest that would cause Geordi to get a possibly fatal operation to see me. That was the endgame. Geordi was to fall so deeply in love with me that he'd risk his life to have eye surgery in order to see me. Apparently, the character of Gomez was written comically and didn't match what they really wanted in the end. I was super-bummed when I got the news.

Please share the story about you cutting your hair…
After I shot the two episodes and was told that I was NOT coming back next season, I told the producers “Thank you for the opportunity” and that I was planning to cut my hair length by a few inches, which I did. Little did I know that a few weeks later, the producers wanted me back for a re-shoot of the hallway scene. At that point, they saw my hair didn't match earlier shots and we had to scramble to add extensions to match the previous length. I'm surprised anyone knows that. If I was told to not cut my hair, I never would have, but I'd been completely wrapped from the part with no hope of returning.

How aware are you that Gomez carried on in the Trek novels and eventually became a captain?

I learned about how amazing the character's legacy was and had only wished that I'd been given a chance to portray the role in the way they wanted. But they wrote her funny, so that's how I was directed. A fellow actor in a play I was starring in told me of Gomez' illustrious future in the books.

Where does Trek fit in your career. Would you say you're better known for Trek or Total Recall or Chopper Chicks in Zombietown?

It's a tie between Trek and Total Recall. No one knows about Chopper Chicks. It was a terrible film.

Once a part of Trek, always a part of the Trek family. What does that mean to you?
It means that fans stay committed, so I better stay committed. Fine by me.

How eager are you to get to Star Trek Las Vegas this summer, meet the fans, pose for pics?

I can't wait for Vegas. August can't come soon enough. I look exactly the same, so the fans won't be disappointed. OK, not "exactly" the same! I'm at least the same height.

For details about Star Trek Las Vegas and to purchase tickets, go to creationent.com.
 
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"Frame of Mind" wowed Star Trek: The Next Generation fans when it debuted on May 3, 1993 -- or 25 years ago today. Yes, by year six, TNG had really found its groove and was delivering strong episode after strong episode, but this episode was also arguably Jonathan Frakes’ finest hour as Riker. He delivered a stunning dramatic performance as Number One, who’s playing a mentally ill patient/prisoner in a play called “Frame of Mind” when he starts to find himself shifting back and forth between different realities, bleeding temple and all.
A few interesting facts to keep in mind about “Frame of Mind”:

Back to TNG

James L. Conway directed “Frame of Mind.” Though he ultimately many directed episodes of TNG, DS9, Voyager and Enterprise, he'd not helmed a TNG episode since the first-season entry, “The Neutral Zone.”

Pure Desperation

Brannon Braga, who wrote the teleplay, was desperate for stories when came up with the idea for the episode. The bare bones idea he built upon was “What if Riker wakes up in an insane asylum?”

Prine Time

Guest star Andrew Prine, who played Suna, returned to the Trek fold to appear Legate Turrel in the DS9 episode “Life Support.” Prine, now in his early 80s, remained a busy character actor, turning up most recently in the 2015 family drama Beyond the Farthest Star.

Looking Back

Conway has fond memories of “Frame of Mind,” telling StarTrek.com that “It was a great script because most of it, as we learned at the end, was in Jonathan Frakes’ imagination. He had this wonderful scene at the beginning where he went on for about a page and a half. It was just one shot where we started tight on him and then pulled back to reveal that he was sitting in this room surrounded by all these people staring at him.”

Two of Four

Jaya was the second of the four roles that Susanna Thompson embodied on Star Trek. Prior to Jaya, she portrayed the Romulan scientist Veral in the TNG episode “The Next Phase.” Post-Jaya, Thompson memorably guest starred as the Trill scientist Lenara Kahn in the DS9 episode “Rejoined,” and perhaps even more memorably assumed the role of the Borg Queen in the Voyager episodes "Dark Frontier," "Unimatrix Zero” and "Unimatrix Zero, Part II." Her most recent credits include Arrow, on which she recurred as Oliver Queen’s mother, Moira, NCIS and Timeless.

Paging Dr. Syrus

David Selburg, who played Dr. Syrus, had previously guest starred on TNG, appearing as Whalen in “The Big Goodbye” back in season one. He later played Toscat in the Voyager pilot “Caretaker” and a Vulcan captain in the Enterprise hour “Carbon Creek.” Enterprise was one of his last TV credits, as he only appeared thereafter in one episode each of CSI and American Dreams before retiring from the business.
 
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It was 30 years last week that the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode “When the Bough Breaks” premiered. February 15, 1988. To put that in perspective, the four-year-old twins – Jessica and Vanessa Bova -- who shared the role of Alexandra, the youngest of the children kidnapped from the Enterprise, are now 34 years old with kids of their own. To mark the anniversary of the first-season episode, StarTrek.com invited the Bova sisters to interview each other about their Trek experience, what it’s like all these years later to still have Trek in their lives, and what they’re each up to now. Here’s what they had to say:
Vanessa: How did we land our Star Trek role?
Jessica: We went on an audition and got a call back. Our agent at the time was Harry Gold. I remember my mom telling me we got this part and the name was Alexandria, which I, being a four-year-old, had never heard that name before. I thought it was pretty cool and exotic, and it was very, very exciting.

Jessica: Vanessa, what do you remember most vividly about the experience?

Vanessa: Funny enough, one of the things I remember most was the costume that we wore because it was like papier Mache. It was a beautiful color and I remember the makeup artist doing just a little bit of foundation on my nose and the smell of it. I had a very close relationship with Wil Wheaton and Patrick Stewart, and I loved to have them carry me around the set. It was also really nice filming with somebody that we were close to, even though it had been such a short time.

Vanessa: And you?
Jessica: I can remember the smell of the set. The acting studio that I’m in now, it has that same smell. Sets all have the same smell. I can't, it's almost like a woody smell. It's fabulous. I remember there was a donut guy in the morning. We’d get there before it was even light outside. Everybody was so nice and I guess we were pretty funny kids. And we had a really, really good time.
Vanessa: There's something else I remember… the little white stuffed animal they gave to us…
Jessica: Oh yeah.

Vanessa: ... To carry around while filming, and we carried it on and off set as well. The last scene, when I go to give Captain Picard a hug and tell him ‘Thank you,’ I stuff the stuffed animal on his back. I wasn't supposed to do that and everyone starting laughing -- and they actually kept it in the scene. So, that was something else that stuck with me.
Jessica: I remember they kept making you do that take because you would place your head down and you kept turning it the wrong way...
Vanessa: They wanted me to face the camera when I hugged Patrick Stewart and, for some reason, I kept facing the other way. I mean, I was four.
Jessica: No, you did great.

Jessica: Vanessa, how did you like working with Brenda Strong (who played Rashella, the Aldean kindnapper)

Vanessa: Brenda was amazing. She was so kind and sweet and-
Jessica: Everybody really was.
Vanessa: Everybody was, but she was especially drawn to us and mostly to you, Jessica, because you did most of your scenes with her…
Jessica: I did.
Vanessa: I remember watching Desperate Housewives and seeing Brenda, and I was so excited for her because when we knew her, she was just another actress trying to make a name for herself. Boy, did she.
Vanessa: And you?
Jessica: I remember her being kind. There was a scene where she had to hold me and calm me down, and she really made you feel like that was actually happening. She was just so soothing and kind. When I see her now on little things here or there, and especially Desperate Housewives, we have a lot of family that was really into that show, and you almost feel like a sense of pride. It’s that, “Oh, you know, no big deal, that was just my mom.”

Jessica: Vanessa, when was the last time you saw the episode, and what’s it like to see yourself frozen in time…

Vanessa: ... As a four-year-old?     The last time I saw the episode was a month ago. It's on Netflix, so every once in a while, a friend will come over and say, “Hey, can we watch the episode of Star Trek with you in it?” I'm like, “Sure.” Or, whenever I'm watching TV and I scroll through the guide and I see Star Trek is playing, I always click on it to see what season it is, if it's our episode, and a lot of the times, our episode will pop up, which is really cool.

Vanessa: Jessica?
Jessica: Well, they play reruns every day, weekdays, so I will always look to see if it's our season. It's very, very interesting to see us as little girls. I always imagine that our kids, when they're old enough, they will look like that, so…
Vanessa: And watch our show. Whenever I see the episode, it makes me happy because it was a really, really fun experience that I’ll always remember.
Jessica: And, we were cute. Our kids are not old enough to have watched it yet. I mean, your little boy is only one.
Vanessa: Eleven months.
Jessica: Well, he'll be one this month, so we’ve not had them watch mom yet, but our other family members get quite a big kick out of it.
Vanessa: For sure.

Jessica: How hard is it to believe that February 15th was 30 years since the episode debuted?

Vanessa: It’s actually really hard to believe because it doesn't seem that long ago. Because I have such vivid memories of it, it seems like it was only yesterday, but it’s pretty cool and amazing that that was 30 years ago. So much has happened since then, and we're still talking about it today.
Jessica: I don't think it seems like 30 years ago, either. I thought we were older, honestly, when we filmed that episode. We would’ve been four. I thought we were six.

Jessica: Let’s tell everyone what we did after Star Trek and what we’re doing now…

Vanessa: We both did a lot of commercials. A lot of acting stuff, theater…
Jessica: A couple of PSAs. I went to acting school. Vanessa went to music school.
Vanessa: I studied music in college and trained in opera for 10 years. Then, I started working with several different bands.
Jessica: We both went to high school, eventually, and then to college. I studied psychology, but I never gave up on my acting. Sometimes you put things on the back burner. We both got married, started families. I'm currently back in acting school. I like it very much.
Vanessa: I'm still singing. I'm working with a band right now…
Jessica: And, we did a commercial, as twins, a Geico commercial. I think it only aired on the east coast. It had to have been four years ago now. It seems like yesterday. So, that was the last thing we did together.
Vanessa: That was fun.
Jessica: We do plan to start submitting twin things again.
Vanessa: Redheaded twins, I guess, are not really very common.
Jessica: We both live in the L.A. area, in Pasadena.

Vanessa: Jessica, what does it mean to be even a small part of something so iconic and long-lasting as Star Trek?

Jessica: I didn't realize that we were popular until Facebook became a thing and I’d get messages from people saying, “I don't mean to bother you, but I'm such a fan. Are you the little girl from Star Trek?” And, it would never bother me…
Vanessa: I’d get the same thing. Maybe several times a year, people would contact me on Facebook and say, “Are you Vanessa Bova, Jessica Bova's twin? Were you the one on Star Trek? I love your episode. My kids watch your episode.” It's just, it's really, really interesting.
Jessica: I try to answer all of them. We recently were contacted about going to a Star Trek convention later this year and we're going to be at the Hollywood Show in April. I don't know why we haven't been doing that the whole time. Star Trek fans are so cool. The whole experience was so cool.
Vanessa: Oh, yeah. People will send me photos of themselves at conventions with our trading card and say, “Can I have your autograph? Can you send it to me?”
Jessica: I actually don't know which one of us is on the card. When I watch the episode, the only way I can tell, “OK, this is me or this is Vanessa” in scenes is that I’ll remember a bit of having to film scenes. But not every scene do I know. Our mom just sent a picture of us on set so that we could share it with StarTrek.com. I had to say, “Well, wait a minute, which one…”
Vanessa: Which one is which? We really are identical. We even talk very, very similarly and yet, watching the episode, it's hard to remember which one is which because we also filmed a lot of scenes where we’d each do half and the other person would do the other half. But it's an honor to be a part of something like Star Trek, especially because now it's so well-known and a bigger and bigger thing.
Jessica: It's very encouraging. I can say that I have friends as far away as Germany that have contacted me because they recognize me from Star Trek. One guy, he's my good friend now. We talk at least once a month. We became friends because he contacted me on Facebook. He's around our age, a super-cool guy, big Trekkie, and it was he that made me realize how popular it was and that we’re pretty loved in the community. It feels great.
Vanessa: It's funny because when I mention to people that’ve known me for a while or people I just meet that we were on Star Trek, they'll ask what episode and I'll say it, and they'll say, “Oh, my gosh, that was you?” I didn't realize that it was such a community of people and such an important thing that people actually remembered the episode we were in. It's like they already know us because they've been watching us for years. Very, very cool.


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Take a browse through the ever-expanding Urban Dictionary and you will find the phrase "Riker’s Beard." As a Star Trek fan, and perhaps one who, ironically, is celebrating No Beard Day today, you will no doubt be familiar with the term, and here’s how the dictionary describes it:

"Euphemism for a moment in time (typically in pop culture) where something or someone that was lackluster and/or underachieving suddenly and surprisingly became much better and exciting. Taken from Star Trek: The Next Generation, which many fans considered wanting until Commander Riker grew a beard at the start of Season Two, after which the show was solid and well-received for the rest of its run."

The opposite to jumping the shark, Riker’s Beard is nothing but positive, a description of the moment when something average becomes something far better. Not that Jonathan Frakes and his onscreen alter ego Commander William Riker weren’t already great, but that first appearance of the Riker beard in the opening episode of “The Child” in season two was the start of a relationship that would continue for almost 30 years (Star Trek: Insurrection saw the beard take a trip to Risa for a few days, not that Troi was complaining).
The decision to grow the beard was all Frakes'. Tired of shaving, he opted to arrive at rehearsals unshaven and luckily for the actor, the urban dictionary and the rest of the known universe, Gene Roddenberry liked the facial fuzz as well. Speaking at a convention last year, Frakes recalled the moment when Roddenberry made clear his opinion on the beard. “I love the beard. It’s nautical. We’ll keep the beard, we’ll trim it down and shape it. It’ll be decorative.” It took five episodes of tweaking, shaping, shaving, trimming and sticking on hair when too much had been shaved away before the producers were finally happy with the beard's structural integrity.
So, a stylistic choice by the actor, fueled by a desire to not shave every morning created something that coincided with TNG stepping out of the shadow of its illustrious predecessor and becoming very much its own entity. Frakes himself was very clear which version of Riker he preferred:

"Bearded, without a doubt. I’m so proud that Riker’s beard is in the Urban Dictionary, defined as the opposite of jumping the shark. So, I’d have to go with the beard. And I’ve always liked the beard."
As the writer’s strike-stricken second season continued to develop, so the character of Riker grew with it. Will began to evolve from a sharply focused, career-driven first officer into the nurturing, team player full of wise words and encouragement that would eventually take command of the U.S.S. Titan in the final moments of Star Trek: Nemesis 15 years later.

To do the beard justice, perhaps we should highlight a trio of great beard moments. Of course, we can’t forget the bubble bath scene in Insurrection, when the Riker/Troi relationship blossoms once again, and Troi’s unforgettable reaction to kissing her bearded beau.
“Yuck!”
“Yuck?”
“I never kissed you with a beard before!”
“I kiss you and you say, yuck?”
The Federation's fateful encounter with the Borg during the events of “The Best of Both Worlds” saw the beard tested to its very limits as its owner pushed the boundaries of his temporary command by making decisions we believe a beardless Riker would have blanched at.

And who can forget the season-six episode “The Quality of Life.” as a trio of bearded Starfleet officers – Worf, Riker and Geordi La Forge (actor LeVar Burton, bearded for the one and only time on TNG due to his own real-life nuptials) – play poker with Dr. Crusher, announcing that she’s suspicious of men who wear beards because they might be hiding something.
"Hide? Don't be ridiculous, Doctor. The beard is an ancient and proud tradition."

And there you have it, a proud and ancient tradition brought to the Star Trek galaxy by an actor who very wisely decided that shaving was no longer for him. Here’s to Jonathan Frakes, William T. Riker and most importantly Riker's Beard.
 
Mark Newbold has been an avid Trek fan since the 1970's, when TOS was shown on UK TV, but it was the original cast movie series and TNG era that sealed the deal. Mark is a writer for Star Trek The Official Magazine, is editor-in-Chief of Star Trek: The Neutral Zone and was a stage host at Destination Star Trek Germany in 2018. At heart, he's a Niner. Follow him on Twitter.
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When most people think of Corbin Bernsen, they conjure memories of L.A. Law and the Major League movies, or perhaps The Dentist and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, or quite possibly Psych and American Gods. Somewhere along the way – OK, in 1990, to be precise – he stepped into the Star Trek universe oh-so-briefly. The actor, at the zenith of his fame on L.A. Law, made an uncredited cameo appearance as the all-knowing, all-seeing Q2 in the third-season Star Trek: The Next Generation episode, “Deja Q.” StarTrek.com has long wanted to chat with Bernsen, and we finally got our chance last week when the amiable actor jumped on the phone to discuss his TNG experience in advance of next month’s Star Trek Las Vegas event, where he’ll participate in a panel, sign autographs and do photo ops. Here’s what he had to say…
Nearly 30 years ago, you filmed your TNG episode. How well did you know Star Trek in general at the time?

I basically grew up on Twilight Zone, which really easily moved into Star Trek for me, and, to some degree, Star Wars. So, I watched The Original Series, like everybody else in the world watched that. I knew it was new and different, but I was a little less connected to it. It's a bit like I love baseball, but I don't know all the teams and all the players.
How did your TNG role happen?
They came to me. It was out of the blue. I’d maybe put it out there I’d be interested. Everybody wanted to be on Star Trek or Seinfeld or on our show (L.A. Law). I’d still love to be a part of the Star Wars world, on some level, but I’ve gotten to do so much, including Trek and Seinfeld. I’m in the Trek (fiction and reference) books. And I’ve done things that surprised me. I even did a Baywatch! So, I’ve had this wonderful career and gotten to do so much. And there’s still more to do, I hope.
Did the producers, to help you prepare, give you previous Q-related scripts or episodes to watch?

A few episodes. I could get there more quickly as the character by watching episodes. A Q is this omnipotent thing in the universe, and this guy had power over the Q that the fans knew, John de Lancie’s character. That’s basically what I needed to know.
How did you like working on the show, and acting opposite de Lancie?
Let’s start with the costume. You put that on and it was just not forgiving at all, in any shape or form. You saw… every protrusion in the pants and everywhere else, any protrusion. If you have a little bit of stuff going on around the waist, anywhere, it shows. I was very thankful I got to wear a suit for eight years, a tailored suit, on L.A. Law. But once we got past that (on TNG), then we got down to the work. John is wonderful, as everybody knows. You've got to find a way to think, “Well, he's Q and I'm in control of him, so how do I outdo his smart ideas?” We had a good time. I tell people I love doing what I do, love the craft of acting, love the history of it, but we also can have fun. Obviously, that was something we had a lot of fun with, John and me.
How satisfied were you with the finished episode?

Loved it! Great! Wonderful, wonderful. There's this photograph flying around of me with a sort of silly look on my face and my arms are up, and it seems to be the photograph everybody uses of my appearance. It’s a screengrab, I think. It's always second to a GQ cover that I did, and if you find that GQ cover, you'll see a very similar picture to the photo that's out there of me as Q2.
You went uncredited. Why did you choose to do that?

I did, and I don’t know why. I don’t remember. I did silly things sometimes. I guess I feel like that's their family. Sometimes, as a guest star or doing a cameo, I feel like I'm at somebody else's party, and I don't want to take any credit for it. Back in the day, during L.A. Law, I didn’t want my Star on Hollywood Boulevard. “No, no, I'm just not ready for it. I'm not ready.” Some people deserve a star. I guess it’s good. I'm all about the work and the rest… the fame, glory, credits, the Star on Hollywood Boulevard, they're all great and it's part of it, but my big kick is just getting out there and doing it, being on set, working with actors.
Does it amaze you to be talking now about a Trek cameo you did nearly 30 years ago?
Well, I’m going to get sort of Star Trek-y about it. It's this massive universe out there, and once we touch one another, get one bit of contact, you are inextricably connected to one another. I think it shows the power of connectivity, of reaching out and, might I say, to sound a bit altruistic, you have got a power we all possess, a power for change, a power for improving humanity. The fact that you can do one episode and be… People will say, “Well, it's because you're on TV, man!” There is that. It’s like Howard Beale in Network. Of course, there’s that, but it's more than that. We assume in life that differences are only made of these massive sweeping movements, but the fact is one person can touch a life. One person holding hands with the next gets the chain going. And to your point, 30 years later, that chain is relevant to this conversation. Star Trek, uncredited, two hours on the Paramount lot, it shows the power of our capacity for connectivity if we choose to take it.
We just saw you on American Gods as Vulcan and also on Billions. IMDB lists 10 other projects. Do you come up for air?

(Laughs). A lot of those are small films, bit and pieces I’m doing for friends, a day here, a day there. I saw one of them on there, and it was an indie I did four years ago that hasn’t opened yet. The bigger project I'm working on is Marvel's The Punisher, for Netflix. I'm doing season two of that. I've done three episodes and will be doing another. Like with all things, I’m just hanging, waiting to find out the dates. That's been fantastic. But, in general, this is a time where I'm picking and choosing smaller projects that are of interest to me, and they're not big one-month, two-month, three-month commitments.
You'll be at Star Trek Las Vegas later this month. How ready are you for that?
I think I might have gone to one convention as a fan, but I wasn’t an invited guest. I do some Comic-Cons and, invariably, because of the nature of them, a lot of people, even with that one episode, know everything about Q2. I imagine that knowledge will be even greater in Vegas. So, I’m super-excited.
 
Star Trek Las Vegas will be held August 1-5 at the Rio Suites Hotel. Go to www.creationent.com for additional details and to purchase tickets.
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Heather Langenkamp, best-known to fans for her role as Nancy Thompson in A  Nightmare on Elm Street, has a small role in next year’s Star Trek into Darkness.
 
During an interview regarding her new documentary, I Am Nancy, the actress admitted that she will be seen in the Star Trek sequel. “Well, I had the opportunity to play a small part in Star Trek, so I’m looking forward to that,” she said.
 
Langenkamp kept mum on just what her role in the movie was, as per usual in the world of Abrams Trek. “I can’t tell you anything about that, but that was a thrill for me,” she said.
 
Could a hint regarding Langenkamp’s role come from her husband’s work though? “My husband and I worked on the makeup effects for Star Trek,” she said. “He designed some of them, so that’s the thing we’re looking forward to most.
 
 
 
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And that’s a wrap. Destination Star Trek Birmingham came to a close Sunday evening, concluding a massively successful weekend that saw more than 20,000 fans have the experience of a lifetime immersing themselves in everything Star Trek. The StarTrek.com team spread across the floor, capturing everything we could from morning to night, and we’re pleased to share one more set of highlights from the event.

Dorn and Farrell

Terry Farrell and Michael Dorn spent the better part of their time on stage bantering and playing off each other like an old married couple, often interrupting each other’s sentences and making each other laugh.

Dorn smiled when he was asked if his inner Worf ever came out in real life. “There was a time I had a meeting with an IRS guy,” he explained. “I told him that if he didn’t give me the deductions I wanted I would... kill him... where he stands. I thought it was funny. I don’t think he did. No, actually, I like what Worf believes in, but I don’t think I used things he thought or did in my life.”

Farrell recounted that she and Dorn knew each other before he joined the cast of DS9, adding that it helped quickly establish the Dax-Worf relationship. “I was really excited that Michael was coming on the show,” she said. “We were already friends. I remember thinking, ‘I hope we get to work together’ (laughs). The trust that you have when you work with a friend, it’s honest. You know they’ll forgive you if you’re having a bad day. And that carried over to Dax and Worf once they became lovers.”
“Star Trek: The Original Series was my Trek,” Farrell said later. “Kirk was my captain. Spock... it was f—ing Spock! Now I’m married to his son. It’s so weird!”

Meet the Admiral

Admiral Cornwell went through the wringer in season one of Discovery, from near-death experiences to the betrayal of her friend. A fan asked Jayne Brook how that all affected the admiral and how it will carry over into season two. “At the end of season one, boy, she really, really went through a lot, almost dying several times,” the actress replied. “Now, she’s hopeful because she’s hit rock bottom. And there was that light of hope, with Michael’s idea of how to get us out of the situation. I knew season-two questions would come up, and I asked what I could say. They said, ‘You are allowed to say you are in season two. ‘ So, I am I season two.”

Cornwell is the top-ranking character that Brook has portrayed in her career so far. “I try to bring the humanity to every role I play,” she told the crowd. “And the (Discovery) writers have written to that. But with her rank, the stakes are highest of any character I’ve played."

Ryan Express

Jeri Ryan admitted to the audience that she was reluctant to sign on for Star Trek: Voyager as Seven of Nine. “Star Trek was notorious for its actors being pigeonholed,” she commented. “But it worked out. A month after Voyager ended, I was on a David E. Kelley show, The Practice. I’ve gotten lucky. I’ve done lots of fun things since then and I was able to have this amazing character, too. I’ve been very blessed.”

Ryan unleashed her trademark hearty laugh when a fan wondered if she ever had an interest in performing more of her own stunts, either on Voyager or any other show or movie. “Hell, no,” she said emphatically. “Hell, no. That’s what they are paid and trained to do. Hell no. Knock yourself out, stunt people!”

TNG Three

Gates McFadden, Michael Dorn and Marina Sirtis joined forces for an entertaining panel that touched on everything from the TNG cast’s enduring friendships to their thoughts about Discovery, and everything in between.

Early on, Sirtis addressed a policy that’s becoming fairly standard at conventions. “The reason we ask you not to shoot video is so that we can be honest with you and say things and not get in trouble for them,” Sirtis explained. “So, please don’t film us. Otherwise you’re going to get the same old, patented lies. We want it to be just you with us.”

Dorn was the first to reply when a fan asked about the actors being directed by their costars back in their TNG days. “LeVar was very strict as a director,” Dorn said. “Jonathan was great. He was always fun. Patrick, he turned on us because he was Mr. Actor, and ‘We’re not going to have smoke on set!’ As a director, he smoked the place up. It was ' A Fistful of Datas.’ It was a cramped space, a saloon. And all you heard was Patrick shouting, ‘More smoke! More smoke!’ Gates had a moment in the devolving thing. Maybe I was annoying. She wanted me as a devolving being to get into... moss. She said, ‘OK, Michael. Ready? Feel the moss.’”

“I like Discovery,” McFadden said. “I think it has a great vibe to it.” Later, she talked more broadly about the franchise. “What I like about Star Trek is that it teaches you to think. It doesn’t tell you how to think.”

DS9 Reunited

Thanks to DST Birmingham offering the world premiere screening of What We Left Behind, much of the cast and crew of DS9 and the documentary were on hand. And they all gathered together on stage for a pretty epic panel and photo op. Those on hand: Max Grodenchik, Nicole de Boer, Aron Eisenberg, Alexander Siddig, Terry Farrell, Chase Masterson, Nana Visitor, Jeffrey Combs, Ira Steven Behr, Andrew Robinson, Rene Auberjonois, Armin Shimerman, Casey Biggs, Vaughn Armstrong, Steve Rankin, Cirroc Lofton and Michael Dorn.

“I’ve only seen two (DS9) episodes,” Behr noted to the surprise of many, “since 1999.”

Biggs voiced his appreciation for What We Left Behind. “It made me very, very proud to be a part of this family,” he said. “It made me proud to be a part of these people’s lives. It showed how important this series was... is, to so many people.”
A fan wanted to hear more about Farrell’s love scene with Avery Brooks in her guise as Mirror Dax, and also about why no one seemed to remember it within the episode. But she could barely hear the question, prompting her to ask, “What about sex with Sisko?

Shimerman recounted that Iggy Pop didn’t exactly come to set of “ The Magnificent Ferengi” eager to play a Vorta. “Mr. Pop was terrified to be acting on our show,” he said. “Fortunately, we all owe a great deal of applause to Cecily Adams for calming Iggy Pop down.”
Several members of the cast voiced the opinion that DS9 still doesn’t receive the respect they feel it deserves. Their comments, one by one, drew applause from the crowd, which wowed Masterson, who summed it up perfectly by acknowledging: “You guys get it.”

As the panel concluded, Shimerman took the mic to wish his wife, and DS9 guest star, Kitty Swink, a happy birthday. Also set to celebrate his birthday... Behr (whose big day is Tuesday). A cake with candles was rolled out on stage, and Shimerman led everyone in attendance in singing “Happy Birthday” to Swink and Behr.

The Klingons

Mary Chieffo and Kenneth Mitchell — L’Rell And Kol on Discovery — paired up for a session that proved yet again that these two actors, and especially Chieffo, truly appreciate the history and culture of Trek’s Klingons. But the conversation covered all sorts of interesting ground, eliciting both lots of laughter (both Chieffo and Mitchell) and more than a few tears (all Chieffo, all happy tears).

“When people talk to me about L’Rell, they’re talking about my work,” Chieffo said. “It’s not about my looks as a woman. As my first first real foray into the business, I am so grateful for that.”

Playing a Klingon has carried over to Mitchell’s real life. “Now, when my children are naughty, I get the bat'leth out,” he joked. “And then they are no longer naughty.”
What kind of shoes does Mitchell wear? “Kenneth Kols,” Mitchell joked to big laughs.

Photo Ops

All day long, at the various sets and booths, fans enjoyed photo shoots with family and friends and, of course, with the events stars, several of whom were in costume as their familiar characters.

Fans had the opportunity to take the equivalent of a Discovery class photo.

Birmingham... 2019

Right after the closing ceremony, it was announced that Destination Star Trek will return to Birmingham in 2019. And the first confirmed guest is... George Takei. Mark your calendars now: October 25-27. Tickets are on sale at www.DestinationStarTrek.com.
Check out of highlights features from Day One and Day Two of Destination Star Trek Birmingham.


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Which Trek tech would you most want to have? That's the question StarTrek.com posed for our latest weekly poll. Fans could choose from Food Replicator, Holodeck, Phaser, Transporter, Tricorder and Universal Translator. More than 10,000 of you voted, and here are the results:

Transporter (35%)
 

Holodeck (32%)
 

Food Replicator (21%)


Universal Translator (6%)


Tricorder (3%, 357 votes)


Phaser (3%, 288 votes)
 
Be sure to vote in this week's poll...
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CBS All Access, in advance of Star Trek: Discovery's second-season premiere on January 17, 2019, has just unveiled an official trailer and key art, and they've also revealed that season two will be extended to 14 episodes, from the previously announced 13.

Discovery's sophomore season finds the crew of the U.S.S. Discovery -- after answering a distress signal from the U.S.S. Enterprise -- joining forces with Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) on a new mission to investigate seven mysterious red signals and the appearance of an unknown being called the Red Angel. While the crew must work together to unravel their meaning and origin, Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) is forced to face her past with the return of her estranged brother, Spock (Ethan Peck).

Season two of Star Trek: Discovery will premiere on Thursday, Jan. 17, 2019 at 8:30 PM, ET/5:30 PM, PT exclusively on CBS All Access in the United States and will also be distributed concurrently by CBS Studios International on Netflix in 188 countries and in Canada on Bell Media’s Space channel and OTT service CraveTV. The series is produced by CBS Television Studios, Secret Hideout and Roddenberry Entertainment.
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Star Trek: Discovery news of major proportions came at warp speed during today’s Discovery panel in Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con… with a season-two sneak peek and details about Star Trek: Short Treks rocking the house. On hand from Discovery were cast members Sonequa Martin-Green, Doug Jones, Shazad Latif, Mary Wiseman, Anthony Rapp, Wilson Cruz, Mary Chieffo and Anson Mount, as well as executive producers Alex Kurtzman and Heather Kadin, along with panel moderator and season two guest star, Tig Notaro.
First, fans were treated to a sneak peek at the show’s upcoming second season, with footage introduced by series co-creator and executive producer Alex Kurtzman, who directed the season-two premiere.






Kurtzman also announced Star Trek: Short Treks, which will run on CBS All Access. The four Short Treks episodes will roll out monthly beginning this fall, and will be standalone stories, each running approximately 10-15 minutes. Each short will be an opportunity for deeper storytelling and the exploration of key characters and themes which fit into Discovery and the expanding Star Trek universe.
Rainn Wilson will return to play Harry Mudd in a short he will also direct, and Aldis Hodge will star in another as Craft, a man who finds himself the only human on board a deserted ship. Additional episodes will include a deep dive into Saru’s (Doug Jones) backstory as the first Kelpien to join Starfleet, and Tilly’s (Mary Wiseman) journey aboard the U.S.S. Discovery and her friendship with an unlikely partner.
“There is no shortage of compelling stories to tell in the Star Trek universe that inspire, entertain, and either challenge our preconceived ideas or affirm long held beliefs, and we are excited to broaden the universe already with Short Treks,” said Kurtzman. “Each episode will deliver closed-ended stories while revealing clues about what’s to come on in future Star Trek: Discovery episodes. They’ll also introduce audiences to new characters who may inhabit the larger world of Star Trek.”
Star Trek: Discovery's first season is available on CBS All Access in the U.S. and Space Channel in Canada. It's available on Netflix in the rest of the world.



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Production is under way now on season two of Star Trek: Discovery, with series executive producer and co-creator Alex Kurtzman directing the season premiere. A new video has been released that features behind-the-scenes footage and sneak peeks at the U.S.S. Enterprise uniforms.

Click HERE to watch the Space Channel video in Canada.
Click HERE to watch the Netflix video elsewhere around the world. 
Star Trek: Discovery's first season is available on CBS All Access in the U.S. and Space Channel in Canada. It's available on Netflix in the rest of the world.



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Ladies and gentlemen, we present, for your viewing and listening pleasure, the Audi Orchestra, as they perform the original Star Trek theme. Now, this is no ordinary orchestra. It features musicians, including a horn player and harpist, joined by an Audi R8 V10 Plus, SQ5 and TT RS, in bringing the tune to life. The spot is timed to the Emmy Awards broadcast, which will air Sunday on CBS, and celebrates the fact that in 1967, Star Trek: The Original Series was nominated for Outstanding Drama.
Check it out:

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Spoiler Alert! (If you haven't seen episode #4 of Star Trek: Discovery, “The Butcher’s Knife Cares Not for the Lamb’s Cry”)
Last Time on Discovery…

The aggressive, deadly Tardigrade, now aboard the U.S.S. Discovery is now the object of Captain Lorca’s borderline obsession, as he sees in it a way to defeat the enemy.

Commander Landry soon learned the hard way just how powerful and lethal the “Ripper” really is and what “makes it so good at killing Klingons.”

“Discovery is no longer a science vessel,” Lorca warned. “It’s a warship.” He demands that Stamets and Burnham find a way to weaponize the Ripper.

The battle is on, with the U.S.S. Discovery and her crew on red alert as they engage a pair of Klingon Birds-of-Prey in a firefight. Or is it? It’s actually only an exercise, a simulation, and one that’s not gone well. “We’ll do better next time, sir,” Landry promises, prompting Lorca to reply, “It would be hard to do worse.”

The Klingon intrigue continues apace, with Voq starved but still the Torchbearer and still determined to make T’Kuvma proud. Kol arrives, initially kneeling to Voq and noting that the Klingons need Voq back in the fight, as his ship possesses the cloaking technology that can crush Starfleet. Voq, however, needs a dilithium process. Meanwhile, L’Rell stands front and center amidst the intrigue. Whose side is she really on? We also learned that Voq and L’Rell ate Captain Georgiou, with Voq having smiled as he picked the meat from her smooth skull.

Not surprisingly, there’s still plenty of tension between Lt. Saru and Michael Burnham. Saru still doesn’t trust Burnham, and why should he? And she proves him right yet again when she makes small talk with Saru in attempt to gauge his fear level in the presence of the Ripper. Take note in the photo of Burnham’s uniform. As the ship’s computer noted: “Rank… none.”

Lt. Stamets hates what’s going on around him. A man of science, he’s forced to work for a man of war (Lorca) and with a mutineer (Burnham). Yet, successfully determining how the Discovery can make a long jump without losing navigational stability – and using the Ripper to do so – might save countless lives, starting with the souls on Corvan II. The Ripper is his so-called supercomputer. In other Stamets-related developments, we met Dr. Hugh Culber, who has been revealed to be his partner.

The Ripper is indeed the answer to saving the day, and those on Corvan II, but at what price to Lorca’s soul, Landry’s life, Stamets’ scientific integrity (and his nose), and to Burnham’s sense of right and wrong? And what of the Tardigrade, which shrieks and shudders in pain with each torturous trip to the reaction cube?


Next on Discovery…

In the new episode called "Choose Your Pain," Lorca unexpectedly finds himself in the company of a prisoner of war, Starfleet Lieutenant Ash Tyler (Shazad Latif), and a notorious intergalactic criminal, Harry Mudd (Rainn Wilson).

Meanwhile, Burnham voices her concerns about the repercussions of the spore drive.
This picture of Lorca must be from a scene set before what we see in the “Choose Your Pain” trailer, which depicts him being tortured in a style that suggests A Clockwork Orange meets TNG's “Chain of Command.”

Not surprisingly, Lt. Saru and Burnham are still at odds.

Wilson Cruz makes his second appearance as Dr. Culber.


Worth Noting…

Lifelong Star Trek fan Rainn Wilson makes his Discovery debut as Harry Mudd. “He's mischievous and deadly at the same time,” Wilson told StarTrek.com a few months ago. “And that's a fun balance to watch.”
“Choose Your Pain” marks the first Discovery episode directed by Lee Rose. A stage actor turned screenwriter turned director, she counts among her many previous credits Weeds, The Glades, True Blood, Lost Girl, Haven Zoo, Grimm, Riverdale and Dynasty.


Star Trek: Discovery streams Sunday nights on CBS All Access in the U.S. and Space Channel in Canada. The series streams on Mondays on Netflix in the rest of the world.



 
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Star Trek: Discovery has been renewed for a second season, it was announced today by CBS All Access.
“In just six episodes, Star Trek: Discovery has driven subscriber growth, critical acclaim and huge global fan interest for the first premium version of this great franchise,” said Marc DeBevoise, President and Chief Operating Officer, CBS Interactive, referring to the fact that Discovery set new CBS All Access records for subscriber sign-ups in a single day, week and month. “This series has a remarkable creative team and cast who have demonstrated their ability to carry on the Star Trek legacy. We are extremely proud of what they’ve accomplished and are thrilled to be bringing fans a second season of this tremendous series.”
The first six episodes are currently available. As previously announced, Discovery will air in two chapters. The final episode of chapter one will debut on Sunday, November 12, and the second chapter, featuring the remaining six episodes, will return in January 2018.
Star Trek: Discovery streams Sunday nights on CBS All Access in the U.S. and Space Channel in Canada. The series streams on Mondays on Netflix in the rest of the world.



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Let there be Rainn! Emmy Award-nominated actor Rainn Wilson has joined the cast of Star Trek: Discovery and he will play -- are you ready? -- Harry Mudd. Mudd, the charismatic conman and intergalactic criminal first introduced on Star Trek: The Original Series, is one of Trek's most-popular characters.




Wilson is best known for his role as Dwight Schrute on The Office. His other television, film and stage credits include Galaxy Quest, House of 1000 Corpses, Six Feet Under, Juno, Titus Andronicus and the Broadway production of The Tempest (with Patrick Stewart). He's also written two books, SoulPancake: Chew on Life's Big Questions and The Bassoon King.  
Star Trek: Discovery will be available in countries around the world.



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Eddie Paskey appeared in nearly 60 episodes of Star Trek: The Original Series, most of them as Lt. Leslie, but he only ever earned screen credit twice... for "The Alternative Factor" and "This Side of Paradise." So, why do we bring this up now? That's because "The Alternative Factor" debuted on March 30, 1967... or 50 years ago today.
Rather than toast "The Alternative Factor," we're going to tip our cap to Paskey. Did you know that he:
 

Only ever spoke in "The Naked Time" and "The Conscience of the King."
 

He was glimpsed sporting gold, blue and, yes, red shirts over the course of his time on TOS. 
 

Served as William Shatner's stand-in and turned up briefly as a Starbase 11 medical care assistant in "The Menagerie, Part 1."
 

Can thank Shatner for the character name Lt. Leslie. According to Paskey's official site, "This was a result of his friendship with William Shatner. During a scene in which Eddie was at the helm, Bill felt that he should have a name since he was to issue a command to Eddie. Thus, he became 'Mr. Leslie,' named after Shatner's oldest daughter, Leslie."
 

Drove the truck that claimed the life of Edith Keeler in "The City on the Edge of Forever."
 

Appeared as Connors in "Mudd's Women."
 

Died in "Obsession" and seemingly came back to life in the next episode.
 

Played one of Bela's baddies in "A Piece of the Action."
 

Hand-doubled James Doohan in several episodes.


Retired from acting during season three of TOS. "He had been having cluster headaches that were further aggravated by the set lighting," it's explained on Paskey's site. "In a scene in which he received a 'Spock pinch' and was thrown against a railing, he felt his back go out. At this point, Eddie knew he could no longer handle the job's activities."
 

Remains a popular guest at Star Trek conventions around the globe.
 
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