FEATURE
( hanging out with your friends, not the family) and after Spock Prime’ s passing. Of course, Spock Kelvin does debate ditching Starfl eet to help out the New Vulcan colony. After all, who’ s going to dissuade the survivor of an extinction-level event from helping his kinfolk? The return of George Kirk, though, bodes for an increased focus on the time travel / parallel world angle, as well as a Jim Kirk-oriented tale. The next entry could, nonetheless, explore the remnants of Vulcan as more than an emotional red herring. The plight of his scattered people could also be a powerful motivational factor for a survivor guilt-riddled Spock. Perhaps, he discovers a way to head back in time to stop the destruction of his home world. A miscalculation or hiccup in the process could lead them back to the beginning of the timeline and Kirk’ s father. A little more fan-service about Vulcan could lead the series full circle, or leave it open for the next round of Kelvin-based fi lms. On the other hand, saving Vulcan would also mean erasing over half a decade of nuTrek history and a lot of great quips. MORE BONES AND SPOCK BANTER After two previous entries, the characters’ suits have been tailored for their new wearers. Doug Jung and Simon Pegg are also to be commended for their characterization in Star Trek Beyond. Their script refi ned the team and its dynamic( especially Spock, Bones, Kirk, Chekov, and newcomer Jaylah( played by Sofi a Boutella)). During Beyond, though, Karl Urban and Zach Quinto’ s dialogue sparkled most when Leonard“ Bones” McCoy and Spock“ Spock” butted heads. Jung and Pegg’ s fandom was on full display during the scenes where Bones aids an injured Spock. Quinto and Urban’ s performances were nuanced, both owning their versions of the beloved characters and paying respect to their dearly departed fore-bearers( DeForest Kelley and Leonard Nimoy, respectively). Despite the surplus of talented actors working on Kelvin Trek, the fourth entry would be foolish to resign their rapport to the background. Even if the next fi lm winds up as a James T. Kirk story fi rst and foremost, the Spock-Bones connection is a great way to season the poignancy of a Kirk family reunion with some scathing repartee. However, the next fi lm’ s writers need to remember that the Bones and Spock dynamic is not a gimmick. It should never be overused and must service the plot in order to maintain its charm and effi cacy. A PROPER FAREWELL FOR ENSIGN CHEKOV Before Star Trek Beyond even launched, the production was tinged with tragedy by the deaths of Leonard Nimoy and Anton Yelchin. Nimoy passed before production began, while Yelchin lost his life after the fi lm had wrapped. Thankfully, the producers already stated that Pavel Chekov won’ t be recast. At the same time, it’ s only fi tting the character’ s absence is acknowledged in the follow up fi lm. Much like Prime Spock’ s death was integrated into Beyond – when Spock Kelvin was handed a datapad bearing news of his alternate self’ s passing – Chekov also deserves an in-fi lm send off. The producers certainly could determine a different destiny for the young ensign, such as an early departure from Starfl eet or a disappearance during a mission. However, the most appropriate course of action would be to record his loss in the line of duty. If so, Chekov deserves to be honored with a full Starfl eet funeral much like Spock’ s in Wrath of Khan. It would be a fi tting tribute to a young actor on the rise and the character he’ d recreated in his own image. THE RETURN OF JAYLAH When a character leaves a franchise due to tragic circumstances, they can never be truly replaced. However, Chekov’ s departure from the Enterprise does leave an empty chair on the bridge. Rather than fi lling it with a nameless ensign, it might be appropriate to honor Chekov’ s memory with a character he shared some of his fi nal on-screen moments with: Jaylah. Technically, the breakout alien from Beyond wouldn’ t graduate Starfl eet Academy until well after the Enterprise’ s fi ve year mission was over( three years down at the time of the fi lm, and the Academy is a four-year school, generally speaking). At the same time, special circumstances such as war( see Ensign Nog on Deep Space Nine) or a training mission gone awry( see Wrath of Khan) have caused spontaneous movie- and TV-based promotions and crew changes. Her presence would add another strong female and alien character to the mostly human male cast. Boutella’ s character also brings a relatable quality as well as a slightly-tempered-by-Starfl eet wildcard element. An innovative thinker and fi erce warrior, her presence on the Enterprise would benefi t the ship and the fourth fi lm in numerous ways. BOLDLY GOING BEYOND BEYOND Star Trek Beyond showed a lot of promise both within the context of the franchise and the summer blockbuster world. Still more noteworthy for its action set pieces than its mental muscle, it proved that the Kelvin timeline hadn’ t weeded out Trek’ s philosophical edge entirely. If the rumors are true and the fourth rebooted Star Trek fi lm is the series fi nale, the next fi lm should go out with a bang and a brain. With Chris Hemsworth reprising his George Kirk role, it would be too easy for Paramount to bill the next outing as Thor in space. As entertaining as that fi lm would be, the father-son connection and possible time travel angle give Star Trek 4 the potential to be a heady, emotionally rewarding cinematic event. Whether or not Paramount plans to continue its Kelvin timeline, a clever turn for its fourth entry would go a long way towards energizing old school fans and keeping casual audiences engaged as well. Beyond ought to prove that popcorn tastes best with a sprinkling of smarts. As the rebooted franchise is learning, as long as it keeps the classic series’ philosophy at heart, it can maintain its frenetic pace without feeling like an intelligence kudgel( the best fi lms aren’ t). A two hour spectacle fi lled empty calories may sustain Star Trek for a few years, but it won’ t keep fans or general viewers interest forever.
24 | BOOM