Zaminhon

Story: Lolani

Written By:  Huston Huddleston and Paul Bianchi

Series: Star Trek Continues

Year: 2014

This is the episode that sold me on this fan series.  It isn't a sequel or full of fan service, it doesn't rely entirely on using references to tell it's tale. It is an entirely original tale, told in exactly the kind of way TOS would have told it, even if it's subject matter isn't quite the kind of material that they could have gotten away with in the 1960s. 

The story is about sex trafficking and uses the established Orions as a means to tell that story. It has depth and meaning, and it is a story that is sadly all too relevant in our society.  I was very impressed with the execution of this tale, as it could have easily lost a bit of edge and thus demeaned the suject matter, and it also could've have been so dark it would stop feeling like Trek.  I genuinely don't know how they pulled it off.

While I rather love this episode, and I continually rank it high among this series' efforts, I do have some issues with it.  The flashback scenes on a Tellarite ship don't mesh visually with either TOS or just this show's look. Why they chose a look for those scenes that doesn't fit in is kind of odd, but it took me out of it for a second.  The other issue I have is with the inclusion of some random New Zealand navigator who has a few lines or scenes. I guess he was the baby Boba Fett from the awful prequels, and was probably just a friend from conventions...but the character is introduced early in the episode, gives us a bit of his backstory...and some random dude giving us his backstory might be something we see in the classic show if he plays a role in the plot, but he doesn't really.  There is even a role for a random crewman who attempts to help the Orion slave girl, and it is some other random dude.  So it just feels like he is thrown in as a favor, and it doesn't feel like he was worth his chirpy introduction, especially as we never see him again.

But beyond that this episode is great. It's got a morality play, with Classic Trek visuals...and even manages to get Lou Ferigno in green make-up! It's both fun and a great premise, with a solid execution. 

NEXT TIME: In Every Revolution...