Summary
It doesn’t bother me when modernStar Trekstrays from previously established canon. With its nearly sixty-year history,Star Trekhas a vast and complicated canonical timeline that began in 1966 withStar Trek: The Original Series. Since then, numerous sequels and prequels have continued to build upon what began inTOS.Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner), Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy), and the USS Enterprise crew explored the stars, andI was captivated by their journey, not by the facts and figures of their various voyages.
AlthoughStar Trek’svarious prequels and sequels try to uphold what has already been established, sticking too closely to canon can limit storytelling potential.When I watchStar Trek,I want to fall in love with compelling characters and embark on fantastical adventures;I don’t really care when exactly the United Federation of Planets first encountered the Borg or when Kirk learned aboutSpock’s Vulcan fiancée. That’s not to say that modernStar Trekshould intentionally contradict canon, but it’s okay if it has to move some dates around or change an alien’s appearance in service of a good story.
As prequels,Star Trek: Enterprise, Star Trek: Discovery,andStar Trek: Strange New Worldshave already muddied the waters regarding canon.
How To Watch All Star Trek TV Shows In Timeline Order
The Star Trek TV franchise has existed for 57 years and consists of 12 shows (and counting). Here’s how to watch them all in timeline order.
Modern Star Trek Should Focus On Telling Good Stories, Not Strictly Upholding Canon
Besides, some of the plotlines that are considered canon are… not great.
With such an extensive history composed of numerous television shows and films, it’s nearly impossible for any official canon to remain completely consistent, especially considering how many different people contribute toStar Trek. I thinkStar Trek: Strange New Worldshas done a particularly good job upholding the important elements of canon, while still focusing on telling good stories.I’m glad the Gorn no longer look like humans in bulky costumes, for example, and it doesn’t bother me thatSpock learned of the Gornbefore he was technically “supposed” to.
I don’t thinkStar Trekneeds to explain and perfectly connect every single plotline.
With time travel and multiple universes, almost anything could be made to fit into canon, butI don’t thinkStar Trekneeds to go out of its way to make everything fit.Star Trek: Discovery, for example, ended with aconnection to aStar Trek: Short Treksepisode entitled “Calypso,” and while it’s nice for a story to come full circle, that connection felt largely unnecessary. I would have been perfectly content with the implication that “Calypso” happened in another universe, or even simply with thatShort Trekremaining a mystery. The universe is full of mysteries, after all, and I don’t thinkStar Trekneeds to explain and perfectly connect every single plotline.
Star Trek: TOS Was Not Trying To Build A Consistent Canon Anyway
Establishing a franchise canon was not common in the 1960s.
Having an official canon for a franchise likeStar Trekis a relatively new phenomenon. When Gene Roddenberry and his team were makingStar Trek: The Original Seriesin the 1960s, they didn’t have a show bible like modern television shows do.When a writer decided to give Captain Kirk a brother only to kill him off in the same episode, for example, they had no idea that someone would be telling stories aboutLt. Sam Kirk (Dan Jeannotte)decades later.If they had, they might have let him live.TOSwas not even consistent within its own continuity, making it impossible to uphold every established piece of information.
While I always appreciate when shows likeDiscoveryorStrange New Worldscall back toStar Trek’shistory, I also don’t mind when they veer away from it.I don’t want Sam Kirk to be killed by weird flying parasites just because “Operation — Annihilate!” says he has to be.If the writers ofStrange New Worldsfind ways to make this plot point (or any other element of canon) part of a compelling story, then so be it. But I hope futureStar Trekprojects find a balance between sticking to canon and telling great stories. I mean, would anyone really be that upset if we all just pretended “Spock’s Brain” never happened?
Star Trek: The Original Series
Cast
Star Trek follows the U.S.S. Enterprise on its five-year mission to explore the galaxy, led by Captain James T. Kirk and First Officer Mr. Spock. The crew confronts a variety of challenges, including Klingons, Romulans, and genetic supermen, as they search for new life and civilizations.
Star Trek: Discovery
Star Trek: Discovery is an entry in the legendary Sci-Fi franchise, set ten years before the original Star Trek series events. The show centers around Commander Michael Burnham, assigned to the USS Discovery, where the crew attempts to prevent a Klingon war while traveling through the vast reaches of space.
