Star Trek Continues: The episode guide, ratings and all 11 full episodes

If you’re binging the Star Trek universe or merely hankering for some Original Series-type science-fiction, Star Trek Guide strongly recommends that you make the episodes of Continues part of your viewing. This truly professional-level fan production is not only 11 quality stories in the ST fan, STC wraps up many plotlines the TOS and its general lack of continuity (hey, it was 1960s network TV), ties in the prequel series Enterprise, bridges TOS nicely into Star Trek: The Motion Picture, and retroactively foreshadows certain elements of the Next Generation era.

1. Pilgrim of Eternity – In a sequel to “Who Mourns for Adonais?”, the mighty Apollo returns to the Enterprise and wreaks some serious havoc while taking a little time to philosophize about mortality. ***

2. Lolani – The Orion Slave Girls finally get more flashed out (so to speak) as characters when the title character is inspired to lead her peers to emancipation. ****

3. Fairest of Them All – And speaking of emancipation, check out this continuation of TOS’ “Mirror, Mirror” in which mirror-universe Spock begins the quadrant-wide revolt against the oppressive human overlords. Quite possibly the finest mirror universe episode of them all, really. ****

4. The White Iris – Head trip for Kirk, as he madly hallucinates old flames met on previous missions: Rayna, Miramanee and Joan Collins – i mean, Edith Keeler. (What, only three?) In a guest-starring role, Colin Baker demonstrates the acting chops that helped get Doctor Who taken off the air for 16 years. ***

5. Divided we Stand – Head trip (and time travel of a sort) for Kirk and McCoy: An on-board accident knocks the two buddies into unconsciouness, whereupon they mutually dream their way through an incident in the American Civil War. ***

6. Come Not Between the Dragons – The Enterprise invaded by a mysterious alien on the run from forces powerful enough to be capable of destroying the ship in classic TOS fashion. ***

7. Embracing the Winds – The overriding theme of emancipation continues, as Starfleet inner workings and a mysterious near-conspiracy are merely window dressing to retcon a bit of TOS continuity that doesn’t sit well with modern sensibility. To wit: Why the lack of female starship captains in the supposedly enlightened TOS era? ****

8. Still Treads the Shadow – Ready for some insane time paradox/head trip stuff? In something of a TNG-influenced episode, “Still Treads” has the Enterprise coming across the starship Defiant (!), possibly have journeyed into a parallel universe, whereupon a single occupant – an aged James T. Kirk himself – is cryogenically frozen. ****

9. What Ships are For – Some great character interplay in the cold open leads to a surreal plot involving an isolated, nigh-xenophobic colony inhabiting an asteroid whereupon no color exists – and John de Lancie is a mere mortal community leader. Traditional Star Trek themes, an excellent twist and the arresting black-and-white look make this one episode of STC that the TOS producers certainly wished they’d had the special effects to make an episode like this. ****

10-11. To Boldly Go, parts 1 & 2 – The Enterprise crew revisits the scene of "Where No Man Has Gone Before", where one crew member must make the proverbial ultimate sadrifice. To Boldly Go tightly wraps us the remaiing plot threads from both TOS and Continues and sets the table nicely for the crew’s reunion in The Motion Picture. What a way for STC to go out – with everyone wanting more...*****