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Episode
096
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
The last flight of the original crew is full of deep topics and high adventure. The Klingon Empire is collapsing. Some want to let it, though it falls to Captain Kirk of all people to make sure the empire survives. But forces are working against peace between the Klingons and the Federation on both sides. Mystery! Court drama! A prison break! And best of all – a WORKING Enterprise. We are putting Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country in the Mission Log.
Cast photo as seen on the cover of the Official Fan Club Magazine and the Graphic Novel Cover
Official cast photo as seen in the Fan Club Magazine and the Graphic Novel Cover
Cassette Soundtrack
I like that this farewell of the original crew also gave a nod and tribute, not just to Kirk’s son David, but to the actor Merritt Butrick who had died just two years earlier.
Behind the scenes pic
John Champion – In regards to your comments about the cast “aging” and really looking older in this film – keep in mind two things. 1) Even though it’s been only 12 years since “The Motion Picture” ( Dec 79) and this movie ( Dec 91)- in term of the timeline – the events in “TMP” “happened” a mere 2 years after “All Out Yesterdays” in TOS – in 2272, and “STVI:TUC” takes place late in 2293 – almost 22 years after “TMP.” That film it is said – was the start of another 5-year mission.
2) Director Nicholas Meyer
set the events of Star Trek II in 2285 – because he wanted the on screen characters to more closely match the actors true ages – and he wanted to show them as a middle-aged crew ( giving Kirk glasses, etc). It’s why we got the line “there’s a man out there I haven’t seen in over 15 years trying to Kill me…” Personally that why I think the crew looks older here – because of the director wanting it to be that way.
This was easily one of best produced teaser trailer of the series:
Behind the scenes pics @ TrekCore. com.
http://www.trekcore.com/specials/rarephotos_se_tuc.html
Regarding those clocks all over the bridge: Continuity NIGHTMARE.
Nice cover art for the 50th Anniversary Blu-ray re-issue release…..
I’ve seen a lot of comments from people unhappy about this artwork (and the similar look for the TNG movie set). I don’t think it’s bad, but I wonder what the inspiration was for this style.
WOW – rare when anyone stumps me, cause I did not know that, and I do not know.
Just as you mentioned in the podcast, I got a little teary-eyed at the end of the movie. I really liked that they ended on a movie like this that had all the elements of a great episode of Star Trek, why not end with what we all fell in love with them for. Sad to see the end of the original crew (you know, in total) but I’m soooo happy to finally get to TNG!!
Close Ken, but no cigar. Ali McGraw, not Jane Fonda, in “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner”.
Interesting article / comments from the film’s director 25 years later.
..http://www.ign.com/articles/2016/11/30/star-trek-vi-director-nicholas-meyer-on-his-regrets-about-the-film https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/9d1f2f907cc3a3efcba87e1e90506a3d9c2639087c52583d4f17ec4042b768f6.jpg
Good interview – Nick is always insightful talking about his own work.
Eternal props to Gene Roddenberry, but I think it’s okay for ST:VI to posit that, while humanity within the Federation has overcome prejudice, they’re not immune to relapse by simply resting on those laurels, particularly with a sustained dangerous enemy from outside the Federation. Even if we achieve Roddenberry’s ideals, I don’t think that means that from that moment on, the Federation’s racial egalitarianism would just “be there” on autopilot without any need for conscious maintenance or new challenges, at least with respect to external threats. I agree the racism was depicted as being too acceptable amongst the non-Kirk crew, but in this movie I loved the fact that I was SO inspired by Gorkon, and was looking to Gorkon to teach US something we thought ourselves too culturally perfect to ever forget. Gorkon was already where Kirk needed to be, and he remained so even on his death bed after two Starfleet folks had just shot him.
I also thought the mind meld scene was so powerful. Catrall’s performance was shocking and devastating. So, too, was Nimoy’s emotional mirroring at the end. It made the meld seem so real, how Spock had to directly share in the trauma of his own perpetration…. “She does not know,” he says with a breaking voice and trembling jaw. The meld becomes even more troubling when one considers how deeply hurt Spock was personally by her betrayal. Valeris was his pupil, his Vulcan ‘padawan’ of sorts, his pride & joy at the academy. I wonder if Spock would have said as you suggested (“I’m sorry Captain I can’t do this,”) if it had been anyone other than Valeris, who had freshly ripped his heart out down in Sickbay.
Well said, Chris – thanks for that.
Thank you for undertaking this project with such time, effort & sincerity! I’m so glad to have found this new (well, new to me) treasure trove of content, along with the user commentaries that you trigger. I have the guys at Trekyards to sate my pure ship & ‘treknology’ fix, but now to have the story & character discussions being thoughtfully & lovingly (and sometimes hilariously) set down episode-by episode in one place is awesome. I’m excited by all the catching up I have to do, and how much is yet to come. And so cool you included all of TAS. “Jim, the Capellan power-cat!”
Well, thank you sincerely for that. Yep, there are a lot of great shows out there for tech, ships and all that cool stuff. We kind of found our niche, and we’re glad that sparks so much discussion. Thanks for hanging out with us every week!
@MLhostJohn:disqus Mission Log Fans can read more about the making of Star Trek VI & Harve’s Original Pitch here –
@ The Trek Files: http://trek-toha.blogspot.com/2016/08/the-last-hurrah-behind-scenes.html
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/479b7418d690c153a1b87ff94ea5274d37bf87515d3d4ffb3d6e3e263c5beeb4.jpg
Hmmmmm…. not agreeing with the podcasters’ thesis that this movie takes a step back …stating mass racism in Starfleet… taking a step back in Klingon-Starfleet relations because there was a little end-scene in ST:V of Klingons hanging out in the observation lounge.
None of these statements are valid. Just because Kirk begrudgingly allows *the rogue attacking Klingon crew* from ST:V on-board for some post-Sybok drinks … that doesn’t demonstrate a “comfortable relationship with Klingons”.
Hosting a formal “heads of state” dinner on the Enterprise in ST:6 is waaaay different scenario.
And the crew members in ST:6 talking about Klingon stench… remember those were insiders of the conspiracy. Those crew weren’t reflective of the citizens of the Federation.
And the old classic Enterprise crew in ST:6’s bias against Klingons as a race… well…. no wonder. As told in these movies and in TOS… the Klingons have been nothing but hostile, murderous, etc. What would your feeling be after 25 years of that B.S.
The Klingon abassador in ST:4 shouts “There shall be no peace as long as Kirk lives”
The Klingons in ST:3 murder Kirk’s son.
Calling Kirk and Starfleet racist against Klingons is like calling Americans racist against Nazis.
At this point, they’re all ready to retire. So understandably Kirk et al are like… “you know what?… F the F-ing Klingons already… I just wanna go home and read a book”
I just rewatched this film after not seeing it for a few years, and I’m stunned at how stupid the script makes Scotty, Uhura, and Chekov. Why didn’t U. and C. come up with informing Starfleet that all backup systems were offline on their own? Chekov acted like a cadet by not knowing the use of an unauthorized phaser would set off an alarm (being reminded about it by Valeris is akin to her speaking down to a child). And while the scene with Uhura trying to speak Klingon is funny, I didn’t like how they needed the books to translate the INCOMING message (certainly the translator has some sort of caller ID when transmitting) or how C, U, and S not recognizing the laughter. It’s an insult to their characters.
Home Video re-release trivia : For some unknown reason –
the Wrong Enterprise ( 1701-B ) from Star Trek VII – Generations –
is shown on the back of the Re-release DVD…. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/ba4f28a9b70426ba2c1e5fb5cbb38f0aae53a9592cd1b8182ed8ce873544ee47.jpg
DVD AD https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/fd095e48cc7a8e3c2de145df8b9d4a1fd297fab80b149fba726725011fbd3cb6.jpg