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Star Trek Into Darkness - Full Cast & Crew

72 Metascore
2 hr 10 mins
Drama, Action & Adventure, Science Fiction
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The crew of the Enterprise discovers that Starfleet is in ruins after they are summoned home, and they venture into a war zone to find the powerful villain responsible for the devastation.

Executive Producer

Co-producer, visual effects producer, visual effects exec. producer, cinematographer, production company, assistant editor, art director, supervising art director, set decorator, costumes supervisor, sound mixer, sound effects, supervising sound editor, special effects supervisor, special effects, visual effects supervisor, visual effects, visual effects editor, first assistant director, production designer, unit production manager, post production supervisor, production coordinator, production supervisor, second assistant director, fights choreographer, supervising animator, choreographer, creature design, re-recording mixer, first assistant editor, department head hair, department head makeup, second unit director.

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Backdrops 33
Posters 120
Featurettes 5
Content Issues 4

Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)

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Captain James T. Kirk

Commander Spock

Leuitenant Nyota Uhura

Dr. Leonard 'Bones' McCoy

Lieutenant Commander Montgomery 'Scotty' Scott

Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu

John Harrison / Khan

Ensign Pavel Chekov

Admiral Christopher Pike

Admiral Alexander Marcus

Dr. Carol Marcus

Ambassador Spock

Thomas Harewood

Rima Harewood

Ensign Brackett

Lieutenant Chapin

Ensign Froman

Navigation Officer Darwin

Science Officer 0718

Lead Nibiran

Captain Abbot

Lucille Harewood

U.S.S. Enterprise Shuttle Ensign

Torpedo Security

Uniformed Mercenary

U.S.S. Vengeance Officer

U.S.S. Vengeance Bridge Officer

U.S.S. Vengeance Ensign

Starfleet Admiral

Transport Officer

U.S.S. Enterprise Bridge Crew

U.S.S. Enterprise Security

U.S.S. Enterprise Nurse

Shuttle Pilot

U.S.S. Enterprise Red Shirt

U.S.S. Enterprise Crew

San Francisco Woman

San Francisco Bar Patron

U.S.S. Vengeance Security

San Francisco Resident

Nibiru Child

Starfleet Ceremonial Guard

Starfleet Memorial Admiral

Additional Voices (voice)

NYU Nurse (uncredited)

Ensign Spyke (uncredited)

U.S.S. Enterprise Security (uncredited)

Bar Patron (uncredited)

Starfleet Admiral (uncredited)

Andrea Carter

Art Department Coordinator

Christine Youngstrom

Andrew Murdock

Art Direction

Harry E. Otto

Kasra Farahani

Lauren E. Polizzi

Michael E. Goldman

Natasha Gerasimova

Assistant Art Director

Stephen Christensen

Chris Snyder

Construction Coordinator

Scott Chambliss

Production Design

Andrew M. Siegel

Property Master

Karen Manthey

Set Decoration

Randall D. Wilkins

Set Designer

Ramsey Avery

Supervising Art Director

Colin Anderson

Camera Operator

Dale Myrand

John Skotchdopole

Philippe Carr-Forster

Director of Photography

Bruce McCleery

Second Unit Director of Photography

Andrew Rowlands

Steadicam Operator

Jaimie Trueblood

Still Photographer

Costume & Makeup

Assistant Costume Designer

Deborah Rutherford

Assistant Makeup Artist

Michael Kaplan

Costume Design

James W. Tyson

Costume Supervisor

Mary L. Mastro

Hair Department Head

Michele Payne

Hairstylist

Sheryl Blum

Janine Rath-Thompson

Key Hair Stylist

Don Rutherford

Makeup Artist

Jeanne Van Phue

Karen Iverson

Vera Steimberg

David LeRoy Anderson

Makeup Department Head

Anthony Almaraz

Set Costumer

Jason M. Moore

Lisa A. Doyle

Myron Baker

Veronica Lorenz

Special Effects Makeup Artist

Daniel Pearson

CG Supervisor

Enrico Damm

Robert Weaver

Brian N. Bentley

Compositors

Adam Watkins

Digital Effects Supervisor

Cassandra McCormick

Stunt Double

Eugene Collier

Brian Avery

Caryn Mower

Dane Farwell

Doug Coleman

Jennifer Caputo

Jessica Harbeck

Krista Bell

Kurt D. Lott

Mark De Alessandro

Shauna Duggins

Tanoai Reed

Peewee Piemonte

Utility Stunts

James Clyne

Visual Effects Art Director

Yanick Dusseault

Alisa Simonds

Visual Effects Editor

Brian David Miller

Lorelei David

J.J. Abrams

Dawn Gilliam

Script Supervisor

Second Assistant Director

Andy Kaplan

Digital Intermediate

Juan Ignacio Cabrera

Mary Jo Markey

Maryann Brandon

Julian Smirke

First Assistant Editor

Rita DaSilva

John McGonegle

Electrician

Alyssa Weisberg

April Webster

Dana Goldberg

Executive Producer

David Ellison

Jeffrey Chernov

Paul Schwake

Alex Kurtzman

Damon Lindelof

Roberto Orci

Stuart McCowan

Cheryl Nardi

Dialogue Editor

Steve Slanec

Ronni Brown

Sean England

Andrea Datzman

Music Coordinator

Music Editor

Ramiro Belgardt

Michael Giacchino

Original Music Composer

Sound Designer

Dustin Cawood

Sound Effects Editor

Malcolm Fife

Pascal Garneau

Peter J. Devlin

Sound Mixer

Andy Nelson

Sound Re-Recording Mixer

Danielle Dupre

Sound Recordist

Matthew Wood

Supervising Sound Editor

Visual Effects

Bastian Wartenberg

Berter Orpak

Brandon Fayette

Florian Friedmann

Jenn Emberly

Animation Supervisor

Paul Kavanagh

Sebastian Butenberg

Neville Page

Creature Design

Burt Dalton

Special Effects Supervisor

Sean MacKenzie

Stereoscopic Supervisor

Dale Taylor

Visual Effects Producer

Luke O'Byrne

Richard Ivan Mann

Stuart McAra

Ben Grossmann

Visual Effects Supervisor

Kevin Baillie

Patrick Tubach

Roger Guyett

Gene Roddenberry

Original Series Creator

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Film Review: ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’

J.J. Abrams sets his filmmaking to 'stun' with a sequel in every respect equal or even superior to its splendid 2009 predecessor

By Scott Foundas

Scott Foundas

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J.J. Abrams sets his filmmaking to “stun” for “ Star Trek Into Darkness,” a sequel in every respect equal or even superior to its splendid 2009 predecessor, which lovingly and cleverly rebooted Gene Roddenberry ’s long-running space opera following the black hole of 2002’s “Star Trek Nemesis.” Markedly grander in scale, although never at the expense of its richly human (and half-human) characters, “Into Darkness” may not boldly go where no “Trek” adventure has gone before, but getting there is such a well-crafted, immensely pleasurable ride that it would be positively Vulcan to nitpick. Global box office cume should easily warp past the prior pic’s $385 million for this sturdy Paramount tentpole, which opens overseas May 9 before beaming down Stateside one week later.

Abrams, whose last pic was the lyrical “E.T.”/“Close Encounters” homage “Super 8,” here tips his hat to the “Indiana Jones” series, opening with a thrilling setpiece that finds Kirk ( Chris Pine ) and Bones (the sly, loose-limbed Karl Urban ) on the run from a tribe of very angry natives on the planet Nibiru. The natives, decked out in head-to-toe clay body paint, shimmer like human ceramics as they chase the Starfleet officers through a crimson forest, the lush colors of returning d.p. Dan Mindel all but searing the screen. Meanwhile, Spock ( Zachary Quinto ) toils away nearby, attempting to insert a high-tech ice cube into the raging volcano that threatens to destroy Nibiru and its inhabitants — a dangerous mission that quickly goes awry, building to a classic “Trek” standoff between stubborn Vulcan logic and impulsive human emotion.

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The Enterprise crew has scarcely recovered from that one when, back on Earth, a terror bombing lays waste to a top-secret Starfleet intelligence facility and brings to the fore a new galactic baddie: a rogue Starfleet officer named John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch) who claims credit for the attack and, after an equally brazen follow-up, hightails it deep into Klingon-controlled space. The hawkish Adm. Marcus ( Peter Weller ) dispatches the Enterprise in hot pursuit, with this familiar-sounding objective: Shoot first, ask questions later, and avoid starting a war with the locals. Welcome to “Star Trek Into Zero Dark Thirty.”

Only, this John Harrison is a slippery sort who, when given the chance, claims not to be the villain at all, but rather a pawn in someone else’s deadlier scheme. And for much of its running time, “ Star Trek Into Darkness ” makes a good guessing game out of whether this mysterious stranger with the glacial glare and bones seemingly made of steel is friend, foe or — like the “old Spock” of Abrams’ first “Trek” — a little bit of history repeating. It hardly matters, because whatever Cumberbatch is playing, he’s wonderful to watch, infusing the movie with the kind of exotic grandeur Eric Bana’s wan Romulan henchman (arguably the weakest link in the 2009 film) largely lacked. Also making her maiden “Trek” voyage is the lovely Alice Eve as an ambitious science officer who lies her way on to the Enterprise deck and makes goo-goo eyes with the good Captain. She is not, it turns out, the ship’s only stowaway.

Having previously established an alternate “Trek” timeline in which all the events of prior series and movies still happened, but aren’t necessarily doomed to recur, Abrams and returning writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman (now joined by “Lost” co-creator Damon Lindelof) here take that idea and run with it, invoking prior “Trek” lore when it suits them, freely branching off into new directions when it doesn’t. (Hell, there’s even some trouble with a tribble.) It’s a tricky business, balancing reverence with reinvention, but like the young Kirk, Abrams seems altogether more comfortable in the captain’s chair this time — not just in the large-scale action scenes, but particularly in the quieter ones, where you can sense his real investment in these characters and his confident touch with actors.

SEE ALSO: ‘Star Trek’ Premieres in London (Photos)

The film builds particularly well on the burgeoning Kirk-Spock friendship, with Pine showing reserves of vulnerability and doubt beneath his cocksure exterior, while Quinto adds gravitas to Spock’s eternal inner conflict — and his deepening romance with Lt. Uhura ( Zoe Saldana ). But make no mistake: The action, when it comes, is superbly executed, whether it’s giant vessels making mincemeat of one another, or the simpler excitements of old-fashioned hand-to-hand combat and foot chases through crowded promenades.

The best, even-numbered films in the original “Trek” film franchise were shaped by the guiding intelligence of writer-director Nicholas Meyer , who laced the Starfleet jargon with high-toned literary references and a gently self-mocking sense of humor. Abrams, too, manages to keep the mood buoyant even when the fate of the universe is hanging in the balance, more than earning his tears when he finally decides to milk them. But if Meyer’s primary references were Shakespeare, Dickens and Conan Doyle, Abrams’ are Spielberg, John Hughes and Cameron Crowe. In defiance of the self-congratulatory snark that has become de rigueur in Hollywood franchise fare, he brings a shimmering pop romanticism to “Trek’s” stalwart ideals of friendship, heroism and self-sacrifice. There’s something bold about that, indeed.

“Into Darkness” is a beautifully modulated and sustained piece of work across the board, with visual effects that seamlessly meld live-action and computer-animated elements, given further texture by old-fashioned celluloid lensing (with 65mm Imax used for key action scenes). Post-production 3D conversion by Stereo D ranks among the best of its kind. The Enterprise has rarely looked sleeker than it does on production designer Scott Chambliss ‘ sets. Adding the cherry to the top of this cinematic sundae, composer Michael Giacchino ‘s soaring score once again revives Alexander Courage’s immortal Trek theme for the closing credits.

Movie Stills:

Benedict Cumberbatch in "Star Trek Into Darkness."

Paramount Pictures

Reviewed at AMC Loews 34th Street, May 2, 2013. MPAA Rating: PG-13. Running time: 132 MIN.

Production: A Paramount release presented with Skydance Productions of a Bad Robot production. Produced by J.J. Abrams, Bryan Burk, Damon Lindelof, Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci. Executive producers, Jeffrey Chernov, David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, Paul Schwake. Co-producers, Tommy Gormley, Tommy Harper, Ben Rosenblatt, Michelle Rejwan.
Crew: Directed by J.J. Abrams. Screenplay, Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, Damon Lindelof, based on “Star Trek” created by Gene Roddenberry. Camera (Deluxe color, Panavision widescreen/35mm/Imax, 3D), Dan Mindel; editors, Maryann Brandon, Mary Jo Markey; music, Michael Giacchino; production designer, Scott Chambliss; supervising art director, Ramsey Avery; art directors, Kasra Farahani, Michael E. Goldman, Andrew E.W. Murdock, Harry E. Otto, Lauren Polizzi; set decorator, Karen Manthey; costume designer, Michael Kaplan; sound (Dolby Atmos/Datasat), Peter J. Devlin; sound designer, Ben Burtt; supervising sound editors, Burtt, Matthew Wood; re-recording mixers, Will Files, James Bolt; visual effects supervisor, Roger Guyett; ILM visual effects co-supervisor, Patrick Tubach; ILM visual effects producer, Luke O’Byrne; visual effects, Industrial Light & Magic, Pixomondo, Kelvin Optical, Atomic Fiction; stunt coordinator, John Stoneham Jr.; assistant director, Tommy Gormley; second unit director, Guyett; second unit camera, Bruce McCleery; casting, April Webster, Alyssa Weisberg.
With: John Cho, Benedict Cumberbatch, Alice Eve, Bruce Greenwood, Simon Pegg, Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, Peter Weller, Anton Yelchin, Leonard Nimoy.

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Star Trek Into Darkness

Where to watch.

Watch Star Trek Into Darkness with a subscription on Paramount+, Apple TV+, rent on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV, or buy on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV.

What to Know

Visually spectacular and suitably action packed, Star Trek Into Darkness is a rock-solid installment in the venerable sci-fi franchise, even if it's not as fresh as its predecessor.

Audience Reviews

Cast & crew.

J.J. Abrams

Capt. James T. Kirk

Zachary Quinto

Dr. Leonard McCoy

Zoe Saldana

Nyota Uhura

Anton Yelchin

Pavel Chekov

Movie Clips

More like this, movie news & guides, this movie is featured in the following articles., critics reviews.

Star Trek Into Darkness Cast: A 10 Year Retrospective

February 11, 2024
Entertainment

Revisiting the Star Trek Into Darkness Cast After a Decade

As the warp engines of time thrust us into the future, we find ourselves a decade removed from the release of the “Star Trek Into Darkness.” In 2013, the film was hailed as a high-octane continuation of the storied franchise, snagging the title of the highest-grossing entry at the time. Not only was it a tip of the hat to Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy in its tonal ambitions, but Into Darkness stirred a mix of critical applause and a backlash that has since simmered into a more appreciative understanding of its nuances. But folks, what’s a starship without its valiant crew? Let’s beam into the lives of the star trek into darkness cast and see where their voyages have taken them since the days they warped across our screens.

Charting the Careers of the Starship Enterprise Crew

The bridge of the USS Enterprise was a stage for acting talents that have since soared to stratospheric heights. Chris Pine, our dashing James T. Kirk, has captained more than just the Enterprise, steering through roles that range from comedic to deeply dramatic, while Zachary Quinto’s Spock has continued to meld logic with emotion in an impressive array of performances on both stage and screen.

Zoe Saldana, the embodiment of the fierce and sharp-tongued Uhura, has further cemented her status as a sci-fi icon, dancing through the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Gamora and returning to Pandora in the “Avatar” sequels. Karl Urban, who won our hearts as the irascibly lovable Dr. Leonard ‘Bones’ McCoy, has since donned the mantle of Judge Dredd and has been dealing out rough justice in Amazon’s hit series The Boys .

Simon Pegg, the warp core of humor as Scotty, hasn’t just been tinkering with engines but has been scripting and starring in a smorgasbord of genres. John Cho’s Sulu unsheathed his fencing sword to tackle diverse roles, including a critically acclaimed lead in “Searching.” And young Anton Yelchin, our Chekov, showed the brightest of futures, a talent unyieldingly brilliant, though tragically he left our world too soon.

The impact of “Star Trek Into Darkness” on their careers can’t be overstated. Not only did it amplify their visibility across our quadrant, but it also established them as versatile individuals capable of navigating the complex cosmos of Hollywood.

Benedict Cumberbatch: From Villain to Versatile Luminary

Now, let’s talk about the man who brought a terrifying depth to the role of Khan, Benedict Cumberbatch. Post-“Star Trek Into Darkness,” this actor has leaped, Sherlock-like, deducing his way through dramatic mazes and earning his stripes as a versatile luminary in the industry. Whether voicing the ominous Smaug in the Hobbit series, bending reality as Doctor Strange, or earning accolades for his performance in “The Imitation Game,” Cumberbatch has shown that he can jump from villain to virtuoso without missing a beat.

In a performance so magnetic it could rival the pull of a neutron star, Cumberbatch’s subsequent career choices reflect an actor in continuous pursuit of challenging and complex roles . As the ensemble of the cast Of Spiderhead not only did he showcase extraordinary range, but also his capacity to stir up audiences with deeply thought-provoking narratives.

Behind the Scenes: The Filmmakers and Crew Ten Years Later

While the star trek into darkness cast dazzled us on-screen, the creators behind the camera have since ventured into new galaxies of storytelling. J.J. Abrams , the helmsman of the Enterprise for this voyage, has juggled his time between franchises as massive as Star Wars and projects as original as “Lovecraft Country.”

The writing trio – Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, and Damon Lindelof – have explored vast and varied landscapes. Orci and Kurtzman have carved their own destiny, working on the likes of “Transformers” and “The Mummy,” while Lindelof dove into the enigmatic depths of “The Leftovers” and “Watchmen,” further influencing the industry with their distinctive storytelling styles. Their trajectories mark a notable shift in contemporary sci-fi narratives , leaving imprints that resonate across both screen and script.

The Legacy of the Star Trek Into Darkness Cast in Popular Culture

Over ten years, the influence of the star trek into darkness cast on popular culture has been as visible as the Starfleet insignia on a cadet’s uniform. They have woven themselves into the fabric of our movie-going experience with elegance comparable to fine threads of an officer’s uniform. Their portrayal of iconic characters resonates with affinity across fans and critics alike, persisting unabated by the passage of time.

The Unsung Heroes: Supporting Cast and Cameo Performances

Behind the stalwarts of the Starship Enterprise, bolstering ranks were the likes of Peter Weller , embodying Admiral Marcus with a conviction to rival any starship captain. Meanwhile, Alice Eve as Dr. Carol Marcus, provided a performance as memorable as the film’s dazzling special effects. Both actors, within and beyond the Trek universe, continued to explore and expand their professional horizons – from heavyweight cameos to lead roles in television and film, their careers showcase the power a Star Trek stint holds in propelling talent forward.

Star Trek Into Darkness Cast: From the Big Screen to New Frontiers

The passage of time has seen many of the star trek into darkness cast members boldly go from the silver screen to other creative arenas. With the resonance of their voices filling animated worlds, their presence on television rivaling the twinkle of celestial bodies , and their forays onto the stage earning acclaims as resounding as photon torpedo blasts, these actors have shown an admirable diversity. Their talents have been instrumental in special projects , be it voice acting or the daily press Obituaries we’ve had to bid farewell to.

Tragedy and Tribute: Remembering Anton Yelchin

No retrospective of this nature could navigate around the void left by the dearly missed Anton Yelchin . His tragic and untimely death cast a pall over the Star Trek community, but his posthumous works have since illuminated the silver screen. His artistic contributions, reflective of an undying angular momentum formula propelling his legacy forward, have inspired audiences to look beyond the stars and into the human essence of the characters he portrayed.

The Cultural Ripple Effect of Star Trek Into Darkness

Surveying the expansive universe of “Star Trek,” Into Darkness rides the waves of its cultural tide with pride. Its casting choices and character developments are echoed in subsequent movies and series, navigated by the angular momentum formula and the actors’ shifting narratives against the backdrop of the Kelvin timeline. While some may have questioned its fidelity to the source material, its influences are as undeniable as they are intricately woven into the fabric of “Star Trek” lore .

Star Trek Into Darkness Cast: Activism, Writing, and Directing Ventures

When the cameras stopped rolling, the star trek into darkness cast didn’t retreat from the limelight. Instead, they channeled their influence into activism, championed causes with the passion of Elon Musk , and delved into writing and directing ventures with the scientific clarity of Neil deGrasse Tyson . Venturing into areas like environmentalism and social justice, some of the cast have embodied the ideals of Starfleet even without their uniforms.

The Critical Reception and Fandom Perspectives Today

The ebb and flow of critical reception over the past decade has been like watching the shifting patterns of a gas giant’s atmosphere — complex and mesmerizing. While Into Darkness has had its fair share of critiques, today’s perspectives have softened, revealing a maturation in the fandom akin to a fine Romulan ale. The reinterpretation of characters , the arguments within the conventions about its significance, and the discussions resembling Joe Walsh’s Twitter debates highlight its secure, if somewhat contentious, position within the franchise’s canon.

Where No Cast Has Gone Before: The Future for the Starfleet Ensemble

As we set our course to the stars, wondering about the future trajectories of the main cast members , we can anticipate with excitement. Rumors of their return to the Enterprise buzz like chatter aboard a space station, but even devoid of Starfleet insignia, their careers are hurtling towards innovative roles and creative horizons yet uncharted. Will they return to the world of “Star Trek”? Only time and the great expanse of space can tell.

The Enduring Bond of the Star Trek Into Darkness Cast

Ten years later, the bond of the star trek into darkness cast endures, their camaraderie echoing the special ops lioness in tenacity and strength. Their collective journey through conventions, interviews, and social media showcases a kinship as resilient as a starship’s hull . As they collaborate on new projects, their shared experience aboard the Enterprise remains a touchstone of their bond.

Conclusion: A Continuum of Influence – The Lasting Impact of the Star Trek Into Darkness Cast

In closing, our continuum of influence is as vast as the universe that the “Star Trek Into Darkness” cast explored. They have navigated the tribulations of fame, the unknowns of an actor’s journey, and have left an indelible mark on both the “Star Trek” franchise and the entertainment industry at large. There’s no denying the lasting imprint they have made on our hearts and the legacy they gifted to the annals of science fiction. As we salute the ensemble and look forward to their next decade of warp-speed adventures, we stand in appreciation for their contribution to a universe that continually inspires us to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no one has gone before .

A Look Back at the Star Trek Into Darkness Cast

Can you believe it’s been a whole decade since “Star Trek Into Darkness” beamed into our lives? That’s right, ten years have zoomed by faster than warp speed, and we’re here to take a stroll down memory lane. So, strap in as we unpack some fun trivia and little-known facts about the stellar cast that brought this epic space adventure to life.

Chris Pine: The Captain’s Shoes

First up, Chris Pine, who stepped into the iconic role of Captain James T. Kirk. But did you know our dashing captain had a thing for comfy footwear between takes? Rumor has it, Pine would ditch the standard Starfleet boots for something a bit more down-to-earth, akin to walking shoes men would prefer for a stroll. It just goes to show, even the leader of the USS Enterprise needs to give his feet a break now and then!

Zachary Quinto: Vulcans and Tweets

Next on our list is Zachary Quinto, whose portrayal of Spock, the half-Vulcan science officer, was nothing short of logical. Off the set, Quinto was quite active on social media, sharing behind-the-scenes glimpses that trekkies loved. Imagine Spock engaging in the art of tweeting – now that would have been a sight! Speaking of tweets, if you’re looking to dive deeper into the social media universe, make sure to check out Joe Walsh twitter for some real-world insights.

Benedict Cumberbatch: A Villain with a Secret

Benedict Cumberbatch brought a chilling performance as the villainous Khan. Off-camera, though, Benedict was anything but menacing. In fact, he’d often crack jokes and keep the mood light. There was one secret he managed to keep under wraps for most of the filming – he had the strength of a bodybuilder! Okay, that might be a stretch, but imagine Khan with a physique like Shaun Clarida . Now that’s an intimidating thought!

Zoe Saldana: From Starfleet to Barbie

Zoe Saldana, starring as the fierce Lieutenant Uhura, was a force to be reckoned with. But did you know that once the cameras stopped rolling, she’d slip into something a bit more comfortable and trendy? Imagine Uhura swapping her Starfleet uniform for some stylish Barbie Crocs – the ultimate blend of comfort and sass after a long day on the bridge!

The Final Frontier of Fun Facts

Well, there you have it, folks! A quirky look back at the Star Trek Into Darkness cast that’s sure to make you grin. It’s been a fun journey with trivia that’s as out-of-this-world as the film itself. Here’s to another ten years of enjoying this sci-fi masterpiece, with a cast that truly made it unforgettable. Engage!

Why is it called Star Trek Into Darkness?

– Alright, so ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’ isn’t just a random title; it’s a nod to Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy. Bingo! That pointed reference to “darkness” hints at a sequel that’s a touch gloomier than its breezier predecessor. Talk about a mood swing, huh?

Was Star Trek Into Darkness a success?

– Oh, you betcha ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’ made some noise at the box office! Despite some Trekkies giving it the cold shoulder, this flick shot to the top, becoming the highest-grossing film in the franchise as of April 14, 2023. Talk about raking in the dough!

Is Star Trek Into Darkness a prequel?

– Nope, ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’ isn’t playing the prequel game; it’s a full-throttle sequel, taking flight after the events of ‘Star Trek 2009’. Imagine ‘The Wrath of Khan’ throwing a party and then ‘Into Darkness’ crashes with its own twist—same bash, new crashers.

Is Star Trek Into Darkness a remake of Wrath of Khan?

– Okay, so ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’ isn’t a carbon copy of ‘Wrath of Khan,’ but let’s call a spade a spade—it’s a much more in-your-face redo. It’s like they played musical chairs with Kirk and Spock’s roles, and mixed in a bit of the original “Space Seed” with a dash of Kelvin timeline zest.

What was the banned Star Trek episode?

– The “banned” Star Trek episode you’re digging for is ‘Patterns of Force’ from The Original Series (TOS). It’s the one where they dipped their toes into the murky waters of Nazism allegory—kinda touchy, right?

Why did people not like Star Trek Into Darkness?

– Let’s dish—some fans thought ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’ was a miss because it borrowed too heavily from ‘Wrath of Khan’ without the same oomph. And let’s not forget the secrecy around Khan’s character; for some, it was like waiting for a supernova and getting a sparkler.

What was Star Trek biggest flop?

– If we’re talking about a faceplant, ‘Star Trek: The Motion Picture’ had critics and fans scratching their heads back in the day. Call it slow, call it dull—it just didn’t hit warp speed when it came to razzle-dazzle.

How old is Kirk in Star Trek Into Darkness?

– James T. Kirk? In ‘Into Darkness,’ he’s not exactly a spring chicken, but still south of a mid-life crisis. Think early 30s—enough experience to command the Enterprise, but young enough to throw some punches.

Which Star Trek was the most successful?

– Size them up, and ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’ takes the gold for raking in the cash, at least ’til April 14, 2023. For a series that’s boldly gone everywhere, that’s saying something, right?

What happened to James T Kirk?

– James T. Kirk had quite the ride, huh? Well, in ‘Generations’ he met his maker by getting up close and personal with an energy ribbon, of all things. Talk about an out-of-this-world exit!

How does Kirk survive into darkness?

– Kirk cheats the reaper in ‘Into Darkness’ thanks to Khan’s super-blood. Sounds like sci-fi mumbo-jumbo, but hey, it did the trick, giving him a second wind when he was knocking on death’s door.

Why are there two spocks in Star Trek Into Darkness?

– So about the two Spocks—no, it’s not a glitch in the Matrix. With timelines twisting like a pretzel, we’ve got our original pointy-eared friend making cameos, while the reboot younger Spock’s navigating the Kelvin timeline. Double trouble!

Does Spock live after Wrath of Khan?

– After ‘Wrath of Khan,’ it looked like Spock was ready to beam up to the big starship in the sky, but hold your horses—’Star Trek III: The Search for Spock’ flipped the script. Spoiler alert: Vulcan death grip, not so permanent!

What happened to the two red shirts in Star Trek Into Darkness?

– The two red shirts in ‘Into Darkness’? Well, in true Trek fashion, they weren’t signing up for a long-term gig. Let’s just say their future was as bright as a black hole.

Who was originally cast as Khan in Star Trek Into Darkness?

– Bet you didn’t know this one—Benicio del Toro was eyed for the role of Khan. But that fell through faster than warp drive, and Benedict Cumberbatch stepped in. Cumber who? Swap the badge for a Sherlock hat, and it’ll click.

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Entertainment
Movie Review

‘Star Trek Into Darkness’ review: boldly going back to the future

J.j. abrams' latest keeps looking back when it could be forging ahead.

By Bryan Bishop on May 14, 2013 06:58 pm 114 Comments

In 2009 J.J. Abrams reimagined Star Trek , turning Gene Roddenberry’s near-utopian vision into a high-octane summer action ride. Rather than simply creating a prequel, however, Abrams opted to fork the Trek universe with a bit of time travel trickery and some heavy lifting from Leonard Nimoy. The result was a massive hit that set the stage for a new series of adventures unencumbered by more than 45 years of canon.

Now comes Star Trek Into Darkness — but instead of taking advantage of that fresh start, the movie goes in the opposite direction. Leaning on its predecessors to an even greater degree than the 2009 reboot, it’s a film that that can be taken in wildly different ways depending on what the viewer brings to the table. If you loved the 2009 film, you’ll see more of the same wall-to-wall enjoyable summer action. If you have a strong attachment to earlier Trek films, however, you may walk out of the theater very angry.

Darkness opens exactly as you’d hope — with the crew of the Enterprise in the midst of a massive action sequence trying to save a doomed planet. They manage to save the day, of course, because that’s what happens in Trek — but Chris Pine’s headstrong James T. Kirk finds himself quickly reprimanded for violating Starfleet protocol and is stripped of his command. A devastating terrorist bombing on a research facility quickly changes the calculus, however, and after a follow-up assault Kirk is back in command. His mission? Hunt down the fugitive responsible: Benedict Cumberbatch’s John Harrison.

There’s been an intentional veil of mystery around Cumberbatch’s character since the actor was first cast, the popular theory being that he’s actually Khan Noonien Singh, an original series villain who also headlined Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan . Harrison’s twists and turns aren’t something I’m going to address here either way — that’s what our spoiler discussion thread is for — but the actor delivers a quietly menacing performance that is perfectly modulated for Darkness . Fans of Sherlock know how watchable Cumberbatch can be, and his cold detachment works better here than the bombast of Eric Bana’s Nero did the first time around. We’re never quite sure if we can take him at his word, even later in the film, and it makes watching him toy with Kirk and Spock (Zachary Quinto) that much more entertaining.

Visually the film is glorious, with director of photography Dan Mindel and production designer Scott Chambliss returning for a second round. The Apple Store look of the Enterprise’s bridge contrasts with the primary colors of the costumes, and Harrison’s all-black ensemble frames him as the classic Western villain. Futuristic San Francisco is a particular standout: part familiar terrain, part utopian dream. The film was partially shot in IMAX — certain scenes go full-screen, a stylistic choice that Christopher Nolan used in The Dark Knight — and was post-converted to 3D. Together the combination makes for a fully immersive ride, drawing the viewer in rather than pushing them away. (And yes, the lens flares pop as their own 3D elements.)

The same high-production sheen transfers to the action sequences. For the most part, this is a tight summer movie spectacle executed efficiently and effortlessly. From some particularly brutal fist fights to the ship-to-ship battles, the film hits every note just right. It’s clear that Abrams is growing into an even more confident action director, and Into Darkness offers some of the best examples of visual dynamism that we’ve seen this year.

Despite all the flourish in its execution, a distinct lack of stakes undercuts the adrenaline rush of Into Darkness . The film briefly touches on terrorism and how it changes people, but it uses those themes as broad framing devices rather than as an opportunity to add real heft. Several sequences fall victim to videogame syndrome; one was so shameless I kept waiting for a power-up notification to appear on Kirk’s heads-up display.

The result is a movie where nobody ever truly feels in jeopardy — and as a consequence Into Darkness never earns the payoffs it’s reaching for. When Kirk is deprived of his command early on, it feels like a perfunctory first-act speed bump, not a true obstacle to overcome. Unlike the 2009 film, which took care to give each crew member their own story and moment to shine, Into Darkness glosses over characters in the midst of battles and explosions. It begins to feel like the film is counting on the goodwill and familiarity audiences have with Bones, Uhura, Scotty, and Sulu to fill in the gaps.

Which brings us to The Scene. Again, I’m not going to go into spoilers, but there is a pivotal sequence in Star Trek Into Darkness that had the potential to be a gutsy, powerful moment that could have truly surprised audiences. Instead, the filmmakers opted for a carbon copy of a seminal moment of Star Trek lore. And I’m not exaggerating when I say carbon copy; there are specific lines of dialogue, beats, and visual moments recreated verbatim.

Taken simply as a tongue-in-cheek nod — quite common in Abrams’ Trek universe — it’s great. But because it’s also one of the film’s most important moments, it’s hard to escape the feeling that Abrams is using the callback to lend Into Darkness a gravitas it simply doesn’t create on its own. If you know the original scene they’re aping, it feels like a sneering cheat. If you don’t, it’s just another event that happens — one the audience knows will have zero repercussions.

While it’s just one moment amongst many, The Scene exemplifies the larger problem with Into Darkness . Rather than striving for surprising reversals and story beats, it’s far too focused on being clever — and while the occasional nudge-nudge wink-wink is fun, that only goes so far. Rebooting the series gave audiences the opportunity to care about old characters in a new way, but the film fails to advance that project. It wouldn’t be so frustrating if the creative team behind the movie wasn’t capable of such incredible work. Abrams’ early television work trafficked almost entirely on character and emotional dynamics; it’s that same touch that gave Super 8 such sparkle and oomph. The fact that it’s missing here is just a wasted opportunity.

In terms of sheer spectacle, there’s no denying that Star Trek Into Darkness delivers. For all the build-up, hype, and hope leading up to the film, it’s just a shame there isn’t a whole lot more.

Star Trek Into Darkness is currently playing internationally. It opens in the US in IMAX theaters the night of May 15th. To discuss the film, spoilers and all, join our discussion in the forums !

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Published Dec 24, 2012

A Look At 2013 -- Star Trek Into Darkness

So, what’s the single most-exciting Star Trek offering on the way in 2013? Chances are you’re with us in thinking that it’ll be Star Trek Into Darkness , which will beam into theaters on May 17. Just to put it all in one place, here’s what can be revealed so far. J.J. Abrams is back in the director’s chair and the Star Trek (2009) core cast is back, too: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, John Cho, Bruce Greenwood, Simon Pegg, Anton Yelchin. Newcomers include Benedict Cumberbatch (as a character identified as John Harrison), Alice Eve (as Dr. Carol Marcus) and Peter Weller.Here’s the plot synopsis, direct from Paramount Pictures: “In Summer 2013, pioneering director J.J. Abrams will deliver an explosive action thriller that takes Star Trek Into Darkness . When the crew of the Enterprise is called back home, they find an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization has detonated the fleet and everything it stands for, leaving our world in a state of crisis. With a personal score to settle, Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one man weapon of mass destruction. As our heroes are propelled into an epic chess game of life and death, love will be challenged, friendships will be torn apart, and sacrifices must be made for the only family Kirk has left: his crew.”Meanwhile, fans have been treated to several images:

Image: Empire Magazine

Further, fans can currently catch the first nine minutes of Star Trek Into Darkness when they attend IMAX 3D screenings of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey . And there’s been an announcement trailer and also a teaser trailer.

Announcement Trailer:

Teaser Trailer

Keep an eye on StarTrek.com in 2013, as we intensify our coverage of Star Trek Into Darkness .

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5 Things You Might Not Know About ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’

Drew taylor.

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This week, one of the most hotly anticipated (and deliberately mysterious) movies of the summer movie season boldly goes into theaters nationwide. “ Star Trek Into Darkness ” is director J.J. Abrams ‘ follow-up to the ridiculously entertaining 2009 “ Star Trek ” reboot, which introduced audiences to a younger, sexier Enterprise crew and turned the occasionally lifeless original series into a zippy space opera. The first film was the best kind of surprise — Abrams only had a single feature under his belt (the somewhat disappointing “ Mission: Impossible III “) and had yet to solidify his magic-loving geek-cred persona into an identifiable, Steven Spielberg -like brand. “Star Trek Into Darkness” is less of an unknown quantity in that respect, but Abrams and his confederates have tried, tirelessly, to keep the movie shrouded in mystery, offering all sorts of red herrings and deliberate attempts at obscuring plot details from being delivered prematurely. (Read our spoiler-free review here ) Still, there are some things we can tell you about this new “Star Trek” experience. And so, without further ado, we will deliver five things you might not know about “Star Trek Into Darkness.” Because in space, no one will hear you nerd out.

1. Benedict Cumberbatch Came Very Close To Not Playing The Mysterious Bad Guy Most of the speculation surrounding “Star Trek Into Darkness” centers on Benedict Cumberbatch ‘s mysterious bad guy John Harrison, who has somewhat preternatural abilities and a wild flop of hair that seems to become more unhinged the angrier he becomes. Cumberbatch will also be the thing that most people talk about walking out of “Star Trek Into Darkness” –- he’s that good. Cumberbatch’s Harrison is the kind of rich, commanding, star-making performance that comes all too infrequently (especially in a jumbo-sized studio blockbuster). But what’s interesting is how close Cumberbatch came to not getting the role at all.

Abrams’ first choice for the villain was actually Benicio del Toro , who came incredibly close to claiming the role before negotiations with Paramount over money stalled and ultimately faltered. (This is when rumors of the villain being the infamous baddie from “ Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan ,” initially appeared, mostly because Ricard Montalban , a Mexican actor, immortalized the Khan character in both the original series and big screen sequel.) When del Toro passed, Edgar Ramirez , star of “ Carlos ,” quickly became the frontrunner ( Jordi Molla from “ Bad Boys II ” and Demian Bichir from “ A Better Life ” were also considered). When Cumberbatch was finally decided on, it threw people off for only a moment, instead of Khan most assumed he would be playing another canonical character – Gary Mitchell, who in one of the show’s earliest episodes was revealed to be an old chum of Kirk’s who gains godlike powers after coming across something called the “Galactic Barrier.” This was further stoked by comments that “Star Trek Into Darkness” costar Karl Urban made about Cumberbatch being an “exemplary” Gary Mitchell. Even days after the film had opened overseas Cumberbatch was playing coy on David Letterman ‘s show, suggesting that the true nature of his character (and his familiarity with the ‘Trek’ audience) would be revealed throughout the course of the movie. We’d like to see del Toro stonewall with such utter efficiency.

2. J.J. Abrams Didn’t Want It To Be In 3D Because He Loves Whip Pans So Much “Star Trek Into Darkness” looks fucking amazing in IMAX 3D. There’s a moment at the beginning where we literally ducked and things like the warp drive sequences stun with an additional layer of you-are-there dimensionality. But the movie wasn’t shot in 3D and, even a few months before shooting began, Abrams was outspoken in his disinterest in 3D. Hilariously, a lot of this had to do with his love of rapid-fire whip pans — a noticeable stylistic flourish in the first film and tempered (if not altogether removed) from the sequel. In early 2011, about a week after Cumberbatch had been cast (if we’re getting all ‘Trek’-y about the canonical timeline), Abrams told Vulture that he wasn’t really all that into 3D. “I have nothing against 3-D in theory. But I’ve also never run to the movies because something’s in 3D,” the director said. Abrams then went on to describe a major hurdle: “I’m a big fan of whip pans, which is very hard to do in 3D.” Still, a movie intended for 3D and later robbed of it does have some inherent value to him: “You know, when I was in New York fifteen years ago, and I sort of had the flu, I remember turning the TV on. There were these kids in a very dark, kind of muddy movie that was on a local channel, talking about making out. Then you cut to them walking in the forest, and somebody had a paddle-ball, and they were doing it right to the camera. It was like this weird, experimental Fellini movie. I was like, ‘What the fuck is this movie?’ And it was ‘ Friday the 13th Part 3 ‘ in 3-D — without sex, violence, or 3D! It was genius.” Sadly, no one will get the same surreal experience watching “Star Trek Into Darkness” in 2D, even with the unnecessary paddle-ball sequence.

3. The Movie Was Almost Two Movies One of the more welcome aspects of these new “Star Trek” movies is that they are wholly stand-alone affairs; if you’re a diehard or a newcomer, you can slip into the franchise with a comparable level of ease. This wasn’t always the case, however. Way back at San Diego Comic Con 2009, writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman (who would eventually be joined by “ Prometheus ” scribe Damon Lindelof and, to some unspecified degree, Abrams himself) mentioned that the next ‘Trek’ outing could span two movies, with the first sequel ending on a cliffhanger that was immediately resolved in the following film. (Again, speculation pointed towards a “Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan”-type narrative. At the end of that film, Spock is killed and, in the subsequent movie, “ Star Trek III: The Search for Spock ,” he is revived, with much of the narrative of the previous film carried over directly – including the mysterious Genesis Device doodad that all the bad guys want so desperately.) The “ Kill Bill ” approach was stoked further with a conversation with i09 during that same Comic Con, in which Orci said: “Nothing was decided… [They said to us] ‘We thought maybe you could do that as like 2 and 3.'” Of course, this idea was probably one of a thousand that was batted around and ultimately discarded — it would be another 18 months before plans for the sequel even solidified in any kind of real way, with filming not starting until January 2012. In space-terms, that’s longer than light-years.

4. A Number Of Discarded Notions From The Original Wound Up Here When Abrams came aboard the original “Star Trek” reboot, there were a whole galaxy’s worth of ideas that he wanted to cram into the movie that ended up not making it in. Thankfully, that’s what “Star Trek Into Darkness” is for, acting as a kind of dumping ground for ideas developed but not utilized. One of the things that so fascinated Abrams about the ‘Trek’ property as a whole was the idea of the “Prime Directive” – something in ‘Star Trek’ lore that forbids the crew of the Enterprise from interacting with primitive civilizations. Abrams couldn’t fit it into the more focused first film, so he made it the breathless prologue for the new movie. (Abrams got to also explore the consequences following what happens when you fuck up the Prime Directive.) Another facet of the original film that found its way ‘Into Darkness’ was the inclusion of Carol Marcus , a character that in “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan” is revealed to be the mother of Kirk’s son (she’s a scientist that developed the aforementioned, highly sought-after Genesis device). In the original Orci/Kurtzman script, a young Kirk falls in love with Carol Marcus. Marcus appears in the new movie (played by the lovely Alice Eve ), but in an entirely different capacity too good to spoil here. And for those of you with the bursting-at-the-seams “Star Trek” Blu-ray, you know that a huge part of the original film that was shot but left on the cutting room floor was the Klingons! The famous ‘Trek’ baddies actually held Eric Bana ‘s evil Romulan Nero prisoner (Abrams favorite Victor Garber played a Klingon interrogator even). Famously, these scenes were cut for time and featured completely masked Klingons, which would have left the audience guessing as to which “style” of Klingon the new series would employ – the Klingons from the original series with their smooth foreheads or the more iconic, ridged-forehead Klingons from follow-up series “ Star Trek: The Next Generation .” Thankfully, “Star Trek Into Darkness” answers this question. But we’re not spilling.

5. Abrams Now Considers Him A True “Star Trek” Fan Many members of the ‘Star Trek’ faithful were unhappy with director Abrams when he expressed indifference towards the original franchise. This is something that Abrams has gone to grain pains to rectify (after all, he still wants all of the nerds who lashed out against him to show up to “Star Trek Into Darkness” this weekend), recently describing the situation to The Guardian as: “Here’s the thing: it definitely put some fans off… I think they think it’s me saying, ‘I’m better than you.’ But I’m not saying that at all. I am saying that I do not think I was as smart and sophisticated as my friends who loved the show. So I didn’t get it, it doesn’t mean I’m judging anyone.” And he has since changed his tune: “I have come to love it working on it, but it would be disingenuous of me to say I was a ‘Trek’ fan.” (Orci and Lindelof were the requisite fanboys on the team.) In an admittedly hilarious interview with “ The Daily Show ” host/’Trek’ super-fan Jon Stewart this week, after Stewart mentioned Abrams’ involvement in “ Star Wars ” and gushed “I’m not even going to go to these conventions anymore, I’m just going to sit on your lap,” Abrams reiterated his new-found commitment to the ‘Trek’ universe. “I fell in love with it – getting to understand the characters, the archetypes, the dynamics, made me appreciate it,” Abrams said. Stewart then tried to get Abrams to cast him in “Star Wars.” It remains to be seen if that will be the case.

There are other things, of course, that you don’t know about “Star Trek Into Darkness” that we’re not keen on spoiling. As the movie finally opens around the world and the people behind the film are able to talk more freely about specific plot points and characters, even more will be revealed about the latest adventure of the crew of the Enterprise. It’s honestly hard to dig stuff up when everyone involved in the movie has taken an unshakable vow of silence (which, come to think of it, was another part of Bana’s Nero character from the original ‘Trek’ that was abandoned). We’ll also have our rundown of the film early next week, which should pick apart some of the aspects of the film that have been untouched here. Until then: live long and prosper.

Star Trek Into Darkness: how it was made, by the people who made it

You know how it went: in 2009 JJ Abrams – creator of Lost, director of Mission: Impossible 3 – exhumed the rotting corpse of Star Trek , not only bringing a dying franchise back to life but making it cool. He achieved this without giving it a radical spin, without going dark and gritty, as is the way these days. He just made it really, really good, rescuing Star Trek from sweaty convention halls, making its niche universe universal.

A key factor was his non-allegiance to Star Trek . He wasn't a fan, thus went to work purely as a storyteller, without having to deal with any emotional baggage or nostalgic attachment. It paid off – the film took $385m at the box office and gave the galactic horn to fans and non-fans alike. But the shock of the new is so 2009, and with this week's sequel, Abrams was not dealing with a reboot but just another Star Trek film. Once again he assembled his crew, blockbuster brainiacs who are constantly in high demand. The good news is that, once again, the film delivers; it's as beautiful as it is breathtaking. We spoke to some of the key players to discuss how they did it.

'The band's getting back together'

Neville Page (creature designer) I got the call from the producers saying, "The band's getting back together." I was so excited. JJ puts together such a great team that it's a family reunion like few other films I've ever had. For that alone you just knew it was gonna be a great experience.

Scott Chambliss (production designer) Since the first film all of us had done different projects, and we all came back with this tremendous appreciation for JJ and collaborating with each other. The first Trek was an experience; it was tough, we had no idea how it was gonna turn out. So it was amazing that we came back with this spirit of, "I just wanna hug you and kiss you and work with you for the rest of my life, I'm so happy to be back!"

NP When I read the script I was so thrilled, because it was all the things the first one had, with the volume turned up to 11.

SC It definitely had a different tone. It had the potential for exciting environmental contrasts and really different story and action beats like the first one did, but new ones; new worlds to define and play off of each other.

'We didn't want to mess with the Enterprise'

Dan Mindel (director of photography) The Enterprise's look and feel has been established, and we didn't want to mess with it. The primary colours in the Enterprise, the uniforms, the healthy look of the actors: it's important. JJ said to me early on that Star Trek was all about positivity and people finding the best in bad situations. He's very driven by that, and we tried to keep that in the movie.

Michael Kaplan (costume designer) In the original TV show they would get beamed up, travel, do everything in those uniforms. In this film there are a lot of high-powered meetings with Kirk and officers, and I wanted to add a level of sophistication, where – like any military service uniform – there would be different parts. So they now have dress uniforms, and shuttle suits, which they travel in.

Mary L Mastro (hair department head) Because it's set in the future, I wanted to give it a little futuristic twist. You can't have a futuristic movie and have period hair, it can be distracting. If you look at old westerns, they have hairstyles from the period they were shooting. JJ's very particular about that sort of thing.

MK The wetsuits the crew wear at one point were really difficult to make. I wanted all custom colours, but we looked and they just didn't exist, so we ended up dyeing them, and through a lot of trial and error we found dyes that would work. Zoe Saldana looked pretty stunning in her red wetsuit, JJ's favourite costume. It was a big success putting her in a red wetsuit.

Jack White (food stylist) We did drinks for a bar scene that light up and glow. We used a lot of nice reds, and one black drink. Propmaster Andy Siegel and his crew found some floating light bulbs that glow then go off and come back on again. You drop them in the glass and the glass lights up. A fun thing we found was an ice cube ball, a round ice cube that fits perfectly into the cocktail glass. They're found in traditional Japanese restaurants, a good-luck thing they serve with desserts.

'We built a piece of the red planet in California'

SC Everybody wanted to do some blissful tropical island planet, but nobody wanted it to look like a standard blissful tropical environment we're familiar with here on Earth, because that doesn't feel like you're going any place special, it just feels like vacation. So I thought, "Well, we don't want it to be green." I constantly go to Hawaii, and one of the things I love there is lipstick bamboo. Portions of the trunks are this beautiful magenta. I took a photograph of timber bamboo, a beautiful jungle of it, and played with it in Photoshop and turned it really deep ruby red, and it was beautiful. I thought, "My God, if we put that with the turquoise water of Fiji and then pure white sand, what does that feel like?" That's when the ball started rolling.

DM JJ loves to use as much real set and world as possible. We built a piece of the red planet, including the volcano, outside in Marina del Rey [in California]. We shot it all at night so we could control the lights and manipulate it so that the steam that we were making would block out the sun and give us a lot of texture. All the sparks and fire is real.

MK Spock's suit is to protect him from the heat of the volcano. I'd never seen a space suit in copper, and I think copper's very beautiful. I went for the look more than the correct reasoning. Copper is probably the worst material to use when you're trying to protect yourself against heat. There needed to be ventilation in the helmet so that it didn't fog up, so that Zachary Quinto wasn't perspiring. It's a little bit scary because you have to be screwed into it, and if an actor's claustrophobic he could really start to panic, so I think you have to keep your mind away from those thoughts.

NP The Nibirans are an indigenous culture of people, and the thing that really drove it was the find of a particular guy to play our main Nibiran. His physical state is so interesting and unique that it allowed us to do very little makeup work to create a really unique creature.

MK We tried lots of different things to come up with the right feeling for the natives, and in the end it was draped and dyed fabric. We wanted something that was not too sophisticated, so that it would be very recognisable as a primitive race. The planet is all red, so I chose saffron gold, because it pops out.

'Some actors dwant to be action stars on't want to put in the work. Benedict was the opposite'

Zachary Quinto and Chris Pine in a film still from Star Trek Into Darkness

MLM Benedict Cumberbatch was one of the last to be cast. He's our bad guy, and we wanted him to have dark hair, the opposite of our blond Captain Kirk. The day he flew in, JJ called a meeting with the creators involved in what he was going to look like and he walks into the room with super-short blond hair. My mouth dropped open, like, "Oh, great." We had two weeks before we started shooting, so we had to darken and lengthen his hair. I think they changed the schedule a little to give us more time. There was so much for him to work out for his character; having the look helped him to figure that out.

Martin De Boer (Cumberbatch's stunt double) I trained one-on-one with him. We did basic martial arts training, showing him how to punch, how to move. He's very receptive to learning. I've had actors who want to be an action star but don't want to put in the work, and he was the opposite, he said, "I want to train as much as I can." He was very committed. Besides working with us, he was working with his personal trainer five, six days a week; he really got in shape.

MK For the most part he wears civilian clothes, and I wanted him to be pretty dapper. He wears a number of very long, elegant coats. It's nice, even in the distance, to be able to recognise a character right away. He's pretty high fashion-looking.

MDB I had to train him in the movements we'd come up with, to make sure we were compatible. Everyone moves differently, so we have to translate those moves, maybe change them so he can get comfortable. A lot of stunt performers make the mistake of trying to put the fight on to the actors, but you want them to make the fight their own. His character is very strong and powerful so he wanted to have more static and powerful movements. That strength changes the rules of the martial arts we use. You don't have to do five punches, you just have to use a couple of moves and he takes out the guy already.

MLM Alice Eve plays Carol Marcus, who was in a previous Star Trek. Alice doesn't look anything like the person who originally played that role, but we wanted to give her a sensibility that was similar, yet not have it be that period.

MK Last time, Zoe needed to wear underwear, and this time it was Alice Eve's turn. You know, it's a rather large male fanbase, and JJ wanted to appeal to that.

'I tried to make the Klingons sexy: an ugly-beautiful group of men'

NP Of all the characters in Star Trek lore, the fanbase for Klingons is ginormous. Not even fanbase: a culture of people that live, breathe, eat and conduct themselves as Klingons for real. With that in mind, that design had to be dealt with with a great deal of consciousness. Otherwise, JJ gets serious bad press because he's "destroyed" the Klingons. As much as we wanna bring something fresh to the table, we also want to make sure that it is respectful to the culture. I studied Klingon quite a bit, and spoke to a lot of people, the Klingon people at Comic-Con , people who role-play that world. There was this one treatment, a piercing element that the Klingons have, and few would recognise it, but those who are serious fans will catch it.

MK The helmets address a lot of the features the Klingons have without having to show them. You kind of know they're Klingons because they have those foreheads … even when they're wearing their helmets you can tell.

NP One thing I tried to do with the Klingons, which was a tough one, is make them sexy: a beautiful-ugly group of men. I think we got it. Not that the previous actors were ugly, but it was a very conscious choice of who we cast, a very conscious sculpting of the Klingon form to make them look sexy. In a way.

MLM The Klingon costumes have very high collars, but the hair helps to distinguish between one from another. I took human and synthetic hair and made it into dreadlocks, matted, all different textures. Because they were so laden with costumes and helmets and makeup, I just attached it to the back of their helmets, it's more of an adornment. There was no way we were going to put wigs on them, it was already hotter than Hades on the set.

MDB Benedict wanted to do a lot of stunts himself, but there are some liabilities and risks the studio will not allow. If something happens to him we're all screwed. That's why I'd be on the wire, not him. There's a big fight on Kronos where his character is fighting Klingons. There was a lot of jumping involved, he's flying through the air, and we couldn't do that with him. JJ likes to shoot in one take. We'd start the sequence with the wirework and go straight into a whole fight, which makes it more challenging; we can't do one move, cut and pick up again. We jump off a bridge, up about 30ft, fly through the air, land, go immediately into fighting with weapons, knife-throwing, cutting each other open, then we cut. It's not just one person's timing, it's a team, and everyone has to be exactly in tune with the camera moves, movements, reactions. And that is challenging. The result is that it looks cool.

SC Kronos has quite a classical influence. The quadrant of the city where the action takes place is sort of an interpretation of the Roman Colosseum, the warrens below the Colosseum floor.

'On the last day I though: this might actually be a good movie'

SC On the last day we were shooting, and I've never had this experience before, I was thinking, "Wow, this might actually be a good movie." I've never in my entire career felt that way at the end of a project.

MK It's so great to work on a JJ film. The crews go to great lengths that they wouldn't necessarily for another director.

DM I'm incredibly proud and happy to do this kind of work and work with JJ, because he's a phenomenal force. His vision is incredible, and it's a gift to be able to translate it to film.

Star Trek Into Darkness is out in the UK now

Benedict Cumberbatch
Star Trek Into Darkness

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Star Trek Into Darkness – Full Cast and Characters

In 2013, J. J. Abrams released the science fiction action movie Star Trek Into Darkness, which was written by Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, and Damon Lindelof. It is the second movie in a newly rebooted series and the sequel to the 2009 film Star Trek. It is the 12th installment in the Star Trek franchise. Chris Pine returns as Captain James T. Kirk, and Zachary Quinto, Simon Pegg, Karl Urban, Zoe Saldana, John Cho, Anton Yelchin, Bruce Greenwood, and Leonard Nimoy also appear in cameo appearances in this sequel. In this article, let’s get to know more about the full cast of the Star Trek Into Darkness movie in detail.

Star Cast of ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’ Movie:

Leading cast of star trek into darkness:.

Chris Pine as Captain James T. Kirk
Zachary Quinto as Commander Spock
Benedict Cumberbatch as Khan Noonien Singh
Zoe Saldana as Lieutenant Nyota Uhura

Supporting Cast of Star Trek Into Darkness:

Karl Urban as Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy.
Simon Pegg as Lieutenant Commander Montgomery “Scotty” Scott.
John Cho as Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu.
Anton Yelchin as Ensign Pavel Chekov.

Cast Details of Star Trek Into Darkness:

1. chris pine as captain james t. kirk.

A commanding officer, and former first officer of the starship Enterprise.

A human Starfleet officer from the 23rd century, James Tiberius “Jim” Kirk . He helped defeat and kill Nero, a Romulan who was out to destroy the whole United Federation of Planets, while still a Starfleet cadet. He was consequently promoted directly to the position of captain and given command of the service’s flagship, the USS Enterprise. Chris Pine (Christopher Whitelaw Pine) (born August 26, 1980) is an American actor. Pyne made his feature film debut as Lord Deveraux in Princess His Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (2004). His roles include James T. Kirk in the Star Trek reboot film series (2009 onwards), Jack Ryan in Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (2014), Steve Trevor in Wonder Woman (2017) and Wonder Woman 1984 (2020), Alexander Murry in Best Hour (2016), Dr. A Wrinkle in Time (2018).

2. Zachary Quinto as Commander Spock

Spock – whose full name was generally thought to be unpronounceable to humans – was a Human-Vulcan hybrid who served in Starfleet in the 23rd century . As an instructor at Starfleet Academy, he programmed scenarios for Kobayashi Maru. Beginning in 2258, he served as co-pilot on the USS Enterprise under Christopher Pike and his successor, James T. Kirk. Zachary John Quint (born June 2, 1977) is an American actor and film producer. He is best known for his role as Spock in the films Star Trek (2009) and its sequels Star Trek Into Darkness (2013) and Star Trek Beyond (2016), and Sylar has starred in the sci-fi drama Series “Heroes” (2006–2010)). ), Charlie Manx of the AMC series NOS4A2, and Dr. Oliver Thredson of American Horror Story: Asylum were nominated for Emmy Awards.

3. Benedict Cumberbatch as Khan Noonien Singh

The most well-known genetically modified human augmentation during the Eugenics Wars period on Earth in the late 20th century was Khan Noonien Singh (or just Khan) . Khan and his type were put into cryogenic sleep because many Augments were genocidal tyrants who oppressed and murdered people in the name of order. Benedict Timothy Carlton Cumberbatch CBE (born 19 July 1976) is an English actor. Known for his screen and stage work, he has won numerous awards, including a BAFTA Television Award, Primetime for his Emmy Award, Lawrence for his Olivier Award, two Academy Awards, and two for his BAFTA Film Awards. doing. Nominated for 4 Golden Globe Awards. In 2014 Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people alive, and in 2015 he was honored at Buckingham Palace for his contributions to the performing arts and charity.

4. Zoe Saldana as Lieutenant Nyota Uhura

Lieutenant Nyota Uhura was a Starfleet communications officer serving in the 23rd century. As requested by Captain Christopher Pike, Uhura relieved Hawkins, the chief communications officer of the USS Enterprise, shortly before the destruction of Vulcan. She served under Captain Pike, acting captain Spock, and then her classmate at Starfleet Academy, Captain James T. Kirk. Zoe Yadira Saldaña-Perego (born June 19, 1978) is an American actress. After performing with the theater group Faces she appeared in two 1999 episodes of Law & Order. Her film career began a year later with Center Stage (2000) in which she portrayed a ballet dancer.

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Less a classic " Star Trek " adventure than a " Star Trek "-flavored action flick, shot in the frenzied, handheld, cut-cut-cut style that’s become Hollywood’s norm, director J.J. Abrams’ latest could have been titled "The Bourne Federation."

The plot pits the Enterprise crew against an intergalactic terrorist named John Harrison ( Benedict Cumberbatch , giving his honeyed baritone a workout), who’s waging war on the Federation for mysterious personal reasons. There’s a joke, an argument, a chase, a spaceship battle, or a brutal close-quarters firefight every five minutes, but all the action is intimately tied to character. The major players, particularly Chris Pine’s James T. Kirk and Zachary Quinto ’s Mr. Spock, are as finely shaded as the incarnations played by William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy . This new voyage of the starship Enterprise is brash, confident, and often brutally violent, and features the most lived-in production design I’ve seen in a Hollywood sci-fi blockbuster since " Minority Report ."

Why, then, is the film ultimately disappointing? I suspect it’s the pop culture echo chamber effect: Abrams and his screenwriters ( Robert Orci , Alex Kurtzman and Damon Lindelof ) are so obsessed with acknowledging and then futzing around with what we already know about Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Uhura, Scotty and company that the movie doesn’t breathe. "Star Trek Into Darkness" is peppered with nods to past films and episodes: Kirk’s impetuous decision-making and horndog sexual proclivities; Spock’s denial of his half-humanness; Dr. McCoy’s cranky witticisms; Scotty’s protestations of what he and the ship “canna” do; references to tribbles and neutral zones and the Harry Mudd incident. The central plotline refers to one of Trek’s most celebrated storylines — a callback that alternately seems to honor the original, then turn it on its head, then honor it again. The final act includes an homage to one of the most famous scenes in the entire Trek canon — but this, too, is an inversion, or appears to be, until the script springs another whiplash reversal.

The story starts with a " Raiders of the Lost Ark "-like action sequence: Kirk, Spock and the gang are embroiled in a secret mission on a red jungle planet filled with superstitious tribespeople whose lives are threatened by a volcanic eruption. The correct thing to do is leave Mr. Spock behind, because going back to rescue him would violate the Federation’s Prime Directive against messing with the natural development of primitive cultures. It’s in this opening sequence, for better or worse, that the movie establishes a vexing narrative pattern: The characters have urgently necessary arguments about the morally, ethically, and procedurally correct thing to do in a crisis, then one character (usually Kirk) makes a unilateral, straight-from-the-gut decision that worsens everything; and yet somehow at the end he’s rewarded, or at least not seriously punished.

We’re given to understand that it’s always a good thing to prize personal friendship and loyalty above the concerns of one’s crew, ship, federation or species. Sometimes the reward is quite deliberate — as in the end scene, which finds Kirk being celebrated as a hero after making what looked to me like a series of catastrophic rookie mistakes that ended dozens of lives. Other times it’s as if the cosmos itself is rewarding or at least protecting Kirk, as when he loses command of the Enterprise for his behavior on the primitive planet, then gets it back thanks to another sudden plot twist. A good alternate title for this movie would be the name of one of Steven Soderbergh ’s great books about filmmaking: "Getting Away With It: Or, the Further Adventures of the Luckiest Bastard You Ever Saw." The Federation itself seems to have plenty in common with Kirk: Both the opening mission and a subsequent intergalactic act of aggression are presented as having grave consequences if they fail, then the film just sort of writes them off with a shrug, as if to say, “Well, that’s all in the past, and as long as it doesn’t happen again, no harm, no foul.” (Has anyone in the Federation actually honored the Prime Directive?)

Yes, the film’s stumblebum plotting comes from a desire to give the audience what it wants: Kirk in command, flying by the seat of his tight pants; Spock learning it’s OK to acknowledge and act on his emotions, and that there’s more to life than following rules; etc. But surely there were more elegant ways to get us there! Abrams makes the 23rd century look like a place of actions and consequences, in which humans and other creatures might actually live, think and feel, in a world in which a fall of more than ten feet could break a leg, lava can melt flesh, and people who are dead stay dead. But he also tells stories in which various practices, rules and laws, including Starfleet tactical procedures, the Prime Directive, and gravity, have no narrative weight. Too much of "Star Trek Into Darkness" has what I call a “playground storytelling” sensibility: “Lie down, you’re dead. Never mind, you’re alive again — now fight!” This narrative flailing-about isn’t merely amateurish, it’s at odds with the gritty production design and pseudo-documentary camerawork and references to 9/11 and the War on Terror. It takes a great artist to be both serious and silly. Abrams, for all his enthusiasm, ain’t it.

For all its sloppiness and blind spots and fanboy pirouettes, though, "Star Trek Into Darkness" is still an involving film with more heart than most summer blockbusters. Abrams’ roots in TV ( Felicity , Alias , Lost ) seem to have made him attentive to the dynamics of groups, and to the repeated phrases and gestures that bond viewers to characters. Pine’s beefy frat-boy Kirk is appealing, especially when he’s being called on the carpet; Pine has several strong scenes opposite Cumberbatch’s Harrison and Bruce Greenwood ’s mentor-father figure, Capt. Pike, in which Pine is overmatched as both character and actor but uses the imbalance to enhance the scene. Sometimes you see terror in Kirk’s eyes as he blusters; his vulnerability makes you root for him even though his “I gotta be me!” philosophy destroys careers and ends lives.

Quinto’s Spock is equal to, but different than, Leonard Nimoy’s incarnation, and it’s a relief to see that Abrams has made the destruction of Vulcan in the first film a key component of the character’s psychology. As Spock explains to communications officer Uhura ( Zoe Saldana ), his main squeeze, it’s not that he can’t feel any emotion, it’s that he’s decided he’s better off not feeling it: this Spock is a Holocaust survivor who has adopted numbness as a survival strategy. Uhura, Simon Pegg ’s Scotty, John Cho ’s Sulu, Anton Yelchin ’s Chekov, and Karl Urban ’s “Bones” McCoy have their moments, too; they behave like plausibly real people even when the script is asking them to do and say things that common sense tells us is horse manure, and their presences lend the film a dignity it doesn’t earn.

* Edited 6/22/18 to remove a reference to a "forthcoming" detailed blog post on the film that the reviewer ended up not writing.

Matt Zoller Seitz

Matt Zoller Seitz is the Editor at Large of RogerEbert.com, TV critic for New York Magazine and Vulture.com, and a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in criticism.

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Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)

Rated PG-13

129 minutes

Chris Pine as James T. Kirk

Benedict Cumberbatch as John Harrison

Zachary Quinto as Spock

Simon Pegg as Scotty

Zoe Saldana as Nyota Uhura

J.J. Abrams
Alex Kurtzman
Damon Lindelof
Roberto Orci

Original Music Composer

Michael Giacchino

Cinematography

Daniel Mindel
April Webster

Production Design

Scott Chambliss
Gene Roddenberry

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Screen Rant

Kurtwood smith's 4 star trek roles explained.

Kurtwood Smith is best known for RoboCop and That '70s Show, but the actor also played four different Star Trek characters between 1991 and 2020.

Best known for his roles in RoboCop and That '70s Show , Kurtwood Smith has played four different characters in Star Trek movies and TV shows. Smith's breakthrough movie role was Clarence Boddicker opposite Star Trek into Darkness ' Peter Weller as Alex Murphy/RoboCop in Paul Verhoeven's brutal sci-fi satire. After RoboCop , Kurtwood Smith went on to star in an eclectic collection of movies from Rambo III to Dead Poet's Society . In tandem with his movie career, Kurtwood Smith made many guest appearances on popular shows such as The X-Files , 3rd Rock from the Sun , and two Star Trek TV shows .

In 1998, Kurtwood Smith was cast as Red Forman in That '70s Show , starring in 200 episodes of the nostalgic sitcom. One of Kurtwood Smith's That '70s Show co-stars was Don Stark, who is best known to Star Trek fans as the actor who played Nicky the Nose in 1996's Star Trek: First Contact . Kurtwood Smith starred in another of the best Star Trek movies , Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country , after working with the movie's director, Nicholas Meyer on the espionage thriller, Company Business . Kurtwood Smith's casting in Star Trek 6 began a connection between the actor and the franchise that continued into the 2020s.

12 Star Trek Actors Who Appeared On The X-Files

Federation president in star trek vi: the undiscovered country.

Kurtwood Smith's first Star Trek role was as the Federation President in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country . The Federation President's species was given as Efrosian in some publicity materials for Star Trek 6 , but was never confirmed on-screen . With his cranial ridges, long white hair and whiskery beard, Kurtwood Smith cuts quite a figure as the head of the United Federation of Planets. Smith discussed his role as the Federation President in The Official Star Trek: Voyager Magazine issue 18 , way back in 1998:

"It wasn't really an acting role. I had to achieve a quick sense of presence and then be shot at. I also had that scene in the office with all the boys [....] I was pleased to be a part of it. "

The President was targeted for assassination as part of Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country 's vast Khitomer conspiracy to derail peace talks with the Klingon Empire. Thankfully, the crews of the USS Enterprise and USS Excelsior discover the truth about the conspiracy in time to stop the attempt on the President's life. Captain Montgomery Scott (James Doohan) killed the assassin, restoring order to the peace conference. It may have been a small role for Kurtwood Smith, but despite his lack of screentime, the President who oversaw the Klingon peace process is a hugely important character in Star Trek 's fictional history .

The small black glasses the Federation President wears during the rescue operation scene in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country were supposed to denote that the character was blind, but the fact was never mentioned in dialog.

Thrax in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Season 5, Episode 8, "Things Past"

Kurtwood Smith played Thrax, the Cardassian predecessor of Constable Odo (Rene Auberjonois) from when Deep Space Nine was Terok Nor . Thrax appears in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 5, episode 8, "Things Past", in which a freak runabout accident created a telepathic link between Odo, Captain Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks), Lt. Commander Jadzia Dax (Terry Farrell) and Elim Garak (Andrew Robinson). The link takes them back to a dark moment from Odo's past, during which Thrax ordered the execution of three innocent Bajorans who had been accused of attempting to murder Gul Dukat (Marc Alaimo).

"Things Past" was the second time that Kurtwood Smith had worked with Rene Auberjonois on Star Trek , after they shared a scene together as the Federation President and Colonel West in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country .

At the end of "Things Past", it was revealed that it wasn't Thrax who ordered the execution, but Odo. Kurtwood Smith was, therefore, playing quite a complicated character in the episode. Thrax was essentially an amalgam of the original Cardassian security officer, and Odo's own guilt. In a 2017 interview with the official Star Trek website , Kurtwood Smith reflected on the duality of his Star Trek: Deep Space Nine role, saying:

"[Thrax] was a character within a character, and he was also a mirror of Rene's character from a different time. I loved the depth of it. I always liked the size of the characters on Star Trek . It reminds me of when I used to do a lot of Shakespeare, back when I was first coming up. It has that feel about it, you know, because you've got all this stuff on, and you're dealing with enhanced language. They’re just very fun, complicated characters."

10 Star Trek Actors Who Appeared In Shakespeare

Annorax in star trek: voyager, season 4, episodes 8 & 9, "year of hell".

Annorax is Kurtwood Smith's biggest Star Trek role to date, appearing in the epic Star Trek: Voyager two-parter, "Year of Hell". Annorax was a temporal scientist who had built a devastating weapon that could remove elements from the space-time continuum. Using his weapon, Annorax set about restoring the glory of the Krenim Imperium, which had been devastated by a war with the Rilnar. Star Trek: Voyager 's Krenim villains were so powerful that, in multiple alternate timelines, they destroyed Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) and the majority of the USS Voyager crew.

To prepare for the role of Annorax, Kurtwood Smith watched Star Trek: Voyager episodes to see what was expected of the show's guest performers.

Annorax was a tyrant, but he was also a tragic figure, as his temporal weapon had accidentally destroyed a Krenim colony, killing his wife. However, having nothing left drove Annorax to more and more extreme measures as he struggled to reorganize the flow of history in his favor. It's a compelling performance from Kurtwood Smith and his scenes with his former Zoot Suit co-star Robert Beltran as Commander Chakotay are some of the standout moments from the Star Trek: Voyager two-parter . Kurtwood Smith discussed how Thrax in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine influenced his portrayal of Thrax in The Official Star Trek: Voyager Magazine , saying that:

" I guess the producers liked what I did on Deep Space Nine , and asked me to come back, which was fine with me. [...] Because Thrax was actually in the imagination of another character […] he wasn't quite as interesting to play as Annorax. He didn't have nearly as much to do. "

Imperium Magistrate Clar in Star Trek: Lower Decks, Season 1, Episode 8, "Veritas"

Imperium Magistrate Clar was a much lighter Star Trek role for Kurtwood Smith, as the character featured in the animated comedy series Star Trek: Lower Decks . In "Veritas", the Lower Deckers are seemingly put on trial by Imperium Magistrate Clar as he interrogates them about the USS Cerritos' senior staff. However, Clar isn't putting the crew of the USS Cerritos on trial, he's instead honoring them according to his planet's traditions . However, Jack Quaid's Boimler and his fellow Lower Deckers torpedo the whole ceremony by misunderstanding Clar's line of questioning, which is designed to show them all as infallible heroes.

The design of the alien courtroom is reminiscent of the Klingon court in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country , a nod to Kurtwood Smith's first Star Trek appearance.

While it's a voice performance, Kurtwood Smith is clearly having fun in the role of Imperium Magistrate Clar, perhaps delighting in sending up his previous villain roles. Just as Annorax in Star Trek: Voyager was Kurtwood Smith's last Star Trek role before That '70s Show , Clar was his last role before That '90s Show . Hopefully, Kurtwood Smith can return to Star Trek once That '90s Show season 2 drops on Netflix later in the year.

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country is streaming on Max.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

*Availability in US

Not available

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, also known as DS9, is the fourth series in the long-running Sci-Fi franchise, Star Trek. DS9 was created by Rick Berman and Michael Piller, and stars Avery Brooks, René Auberjonois, Terry Farrell, and Cirroc Lofton. This particular series follows a group of individuals in a space station near a planet called Bajor.

Star Trek Voyager

The fifth entry in the Star Trek franchise, Star Trek: Voyager, is a sci-fi series that sees the crew of the USS Voyager on a long journey back to their home after finding themselves stranded at the far ends of the Milky Way Galaxy. Led by Captain Kathryn Janeway, the series follows the crew as they embark through truly uncharted areas of space, with new species, friends, foes, and mysteries to solve as they wrestle with the politics of a crew in a situation they've never faced before.

Star Trek Lower Decks

The animated comedy series Star Trek: Lower Decks follows the support crew on one of Starfleet’s least significant ships, the U.S.S. Cerritos, in 2380. Ensigns Mariner (Tawny Newsome), Boimler (Jack Quaid), Rutherford (Eugene Cordero), and Tendi (Noël Wells) have to keep up with their duties and their social lives often. At the same time, the ship is being rocked by a multitude of sci-fi anomalies.

Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)

Benedict cumberbatch: khan.

Photos (20)
Quotes (18)

Photos

Benedict Cumberbatch in Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)

Quotes

James T. Kirk : Why is there a man in that torpedo?

Khan : There are men and women in all those torpedoes, Captain. I put them there.

James T. Kirk : Who the hell are you?

Khan : A remnant of a time long past. Genetically engineered to be superior so as to lead others to peace in a world at war. But we were condemned as criminals, forced into exile. For centuries we slept, hoping when we awoke things would be different. But as a result of the destruction of Vulcan your Starfleet begun to aggressively search distant quadrants of space. My ship was found adrift. I alone was revived.

James T. Kirk : I looked up John Harrison. Until a year ago he didn't exist.

Khan : John Harrison was a fiction created the moment I was awoken by your Admiral Marcus to help him advance his cause, a smokescreen to conceal my true identity. My name is... KHAN.

James T. Kirk : I watched you open fire in a room full of unarmed Starfleet officers. You killed them in cold blood.

Khan : Marcus took my crew from me!

James T. Kirk : You are a murderer!

Khan : He used my friends to control me. I tried to smuggle them to safety by concealing them in the very weapons I have designed. But I was discovered. I had no choice but to escape alone. And when I did, I had every reason to suspect that Marcus had killed every single one of the people I hold most dear. So I responded in kind. My crew is my family, Kirk. Is there anything you would not do for your family?

Khan : I'm going to make this very simple for you.

Spock : Captain!

Khan : Your crew for my crew.

Spock : You betrayed us.

Khan : Oh, you are smart, Mr. Spock.

James T. Kirk : Spock, don't...

[Khan knocks him down]

Khan : Mr. Spock, give me my crew.

Spock : What will you do when you get them?

Khan : Continue the work we were doing before we were banished.

Spock : Which as I understand it involves the mass-genocide of any being you find to be less than superior.

Khan : Shall I destroy you, Mr. Spock? Or will you give me what I want?

Spock : We have no transporter capabilities.

Khan : Fortunately, mine are perfectly functioning. Drop your shields.

Spock : If I do so I have no guarantee that you will not destroy the Enterprise.

Khan : Well, let's play this out logically then, Mr. Spock. Firstly, I will kill your captain to demonstrate my resolve, then if yours holds I will have no choice but to kill you and your entire crew.

Spock : If you destroy our ship, you will also destroy your own people.

Khan : Your crew requires oxygen to survive, mine does not. I will target your life support systems located behind the aft nacelle. And after every single person aboard your ship suffocates, I will walk over your cold corpses to recover my people. Now, shall we begin?

Spock : ...Lower shields.

Khan : A wise choice, Mr. Spock. I see all 72 torpedoes are still in their tubes. If they're not mine, Commander, I will know it.

Spock : Vulcans do not lie. The torpedoes are yours.

Khan : Thank you, Mr. Spock.

Spock : I have fulfilled your terms. Now fulfill mine.

Khan : Well Kirk, it seems apt to return you to your crew. After all, no ship should go down without her captain.

James T. Kirk : Why would a Starfleet admiral ask a 300-year-old frozen man for help?

Khan : Because I am better.

James T. Kirk : At what?

Khan : Everything. Alexander Marcus needed to respond to an uncivilized threat in a civilized time, and for that, he needed a warrior's mind - my mind - to design weapons and warships.

Spock : You are suggesting the Admiral violated every regulation he vowed to uphold, simply because he wanted to exploit your intellect...

Khan : He wanted to exploit my savagery! Intellect alone is useless in a fight, Mr. Spock. You, you can't even break a rule - how can you be expected to break bone? Marcus used me to design weapons. I helped him realize his vision of a militarized Starfleet. He sent you to use those weapons, to fire my torpedoes on an unsuspecting planet, and then he purposely crippled your ship in enemy space, leading to one inevitable outcome: the Klingons would come searching for whoever was responsible, and you would have no chance of escape. Marcus would finally have the war he talked about, the war he always wanted.

Khan : [to Marcus] You should have let me sleep!

[crushes his skull]

[from trailer]

Khan : Mr. Spock. The mind of the Enterprise. The fearless genius who ensures a calm force of intelligence guides their every mission. But look deeper and you will see an outsider who does not belong, a man of two worlds. This tears him apart, the constant battle between what he thinks and what he feels. What does he do? Does he follow his head, embracing logic and the path of reason? Or does he follow his heart, knowing the emotions he cannot control may destroy him? I will help him decide...

James T. Kirk : Let me explain what's happening here: you are a criminal! I watched you murder innocent men and women! I was authorized to *end* you! And the only reason why you are still alive is because I am allowing it. So *shut your mouth*!

Khan : Captain, are you going to punch me again, over and over, until your arm weakens... clearly you want to. So tell me, why did you allow me to live?

James T. Kirk : We all make mistakes.

Khan : I surrendered to you because, despite your attempt to convince me otherwise, you seem to have a conscience, Mr. Kirk. If you did not, then it would be impossible for me to convince you of the truth. 23174611. Coordinates not far from Earth. If you want to know why I did what I did, go and take a look.

James T. Kirk : Give me one reason why I should listen to you.

Khan : I can give you 72. And they're on board your ship, Captain. They have been, all along.

Khan : You think you world is safe? It is an illusion. A comforting lie told to protect you. Enjoy these final moments of peace. For I have returned to have my vengeance. So, shall we begin?

Khan : [to Carol] If you think you are safe at warp, you're wrong.

Khan : My crew is my family, Kirk. Is there anything you would not do for your family?

Khan : You are a pawn, Kirk. You can't even guarantee the safety of your own crew. Now, shall we begin?

Khan : I can save her.

Thomas Harewood : What did you say?

Khan : Your daughter. I can save her.

Thomas Harewood : Who are you?

Khan : You need to find the manual override to open that airlock.

Scotty : Are you crazy? Whoever you are.

James T. Kirk : Just listen to him, Scotty. It's gonna be all right.

Scotty : It is not gonna be all right. You want me to open an airlock into space, whereupon I will freeze, die and explode!

Khan : Your commanders have committed a crime I cannot forgive. None of you are safe. Have I got your attention now?

Khan : Darkness is coming.

James T. Kirk : Tell me everything you know about that ship.

Khan : Dreadnought class. Two times the size, three times the speed. Advanced weaponry. Modified for a minimal crew. Unlike most Federation vessels, it's built solely for combat.

James T. Kirk : I will do everything I can to make you answer for what you did. But right now I need your help.

Khan : Set destination: Starfleet Headquarters!

Khan : Ignore me and you will get everyone on this ship killed.

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Khan Noonien Singh (alternate reality)

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Khan Noonien Singh (or simply Khan ) was the most prominent of the genetically-engineered Human Augments of the late- 20th century Eugenics Wars period on Earth . Many Augments were genocidal tyrants who conquered and killed in the name of order, with Khan and his kind being frozen in cryogenic sleep.

In the 23rd century , Khan was revived by Admiral Alexander Marcus to design weapons and ships to prepare for war against the Klingon Empire . He was given a new identity, that of John Harrison , an English Starfleet commander . Khan, however, rebelled, and after believing his crew had been killed, he began a one-man campaign against Starfleet. His crew of augments remained frozen and Khan struggled to save them during his campaign. After gaining his revenge on Admiral Marcus, he was later stopped by the crew of the USS Enterprise and returned to cryogenic sleep with his crew.

1.1 20th century origins
1.2 21st century temporal changes
1.3 23rd century return
2 Memorable quotes
3.1 Background information
3.2 Apocrypha
3.3 Reception
3.4 External link

Biography [ ]

20th century origins [ ].

One of the few historic pictures of Khan from the 1990s

Records of the period, including Khan's origins, are vague. Khan was born, or created in 1959 . ( Star Trek Into Darkness ) He was the product of a selective breeding or genetic engineering program called Project Khan , based on the eugenic philosophy that held improving the capabilities of a man improved the entire Human race. Augments produced by the program possessed physical strength and analytical capabilities considerably superior to ordinary Humans, and were created from a variety of Earth's ethnic groups. Khan's background was suspected by McGivers to be Sikh , from the northern region of India . ( PIC : " Farewell "; TOS : " Space Seed ")

Khan lived up to the axiom coined by one of his creators, "superior ability breeds superior ambition". By 1993 , a wave of the genetic "supermen," including Khan, had simultaneously assumed control of more than forty of Earth's nations. From 1992 to 1996 , Khan was absolute ruler of more than one-quarter of Earth's population, including regions of Asia and the Middle East . Considered "the best of tyrants "; Khan's reign was considered the most benevolent. His regime was free of much of the problems that plagued Earth history of that era – as Khan was never known for engaging in massacres, genocide or wars of aggression. However, the citizens of his regime enjoyed little freedom. Khan had little, if any, respect for individual liberty, which was also a key issue for Earth history. As such, personal initiative and financial investment were low, and scientific progress suffered as a result.

Khan aboard the Botany Bay

In the mid- 1990s , the Augment tyrants began warring among themselves. Other nations joined in, to force them from power , in a series of struggles that became known as the Eugenics Wars . Eventually, most of the tyrants were defeated and their territory recaptured, but up to ninety "supermen" were never accounted for.

Khan escaped the wars and their consequences along with eighty-four followers, who swore to live and die at his command. He saw his best option in a risky, self-imposed exile. In 1996 , he took control of a DY-100-class interplanetary sleeper ship he christened SS Botany Bay , named for the site of the Australian penal colony . Set on a course outbound from the solar system but with no apparent destination in mind, Khan and his people remained in suspended animation for Botany Bay 's centuries-long sublight journey. ( TOS : " Space Seed "; Star Trek Into Darkness )

21st century temporal changes [ ]

Khan as a child in 2022

Due to the changes caused in the timeline as a result of various Temporal Wars , the original events concerning the rise of Singh were pushed back, and events reinserted themselves at a later date in the timeline. According to Romulan temporal agent Sera , in a revised 2022 timeline, " And all this was supposed to happen back in 1992, and I've been trapped here for 30 years trying to get my shot at [Khan]. "

The Khan of this era lived in Toronto , Ontario , Canada , at the Noonien-Singh Institute for Cultural Advancement .

As a child in the revised timeline, he witnessed La'an Noonien-Singh shoot and wound Sera, his would-be assassin . La'an entered Khan's room and found her infamous ancestor cowering behind his bed. When Khan asked if she was going to kill him, she looked at the gun and sat it on the desk next to the bed. La'an assured him that she would not hurt him, as she proceeded to wipe Romulan blood from his face. Curious, La'an asked if he was alone, or if there were others like him. Khan gestured to a photograph on the wall of himself and six other children. He then asked if she was going to take him away. La'an told him that it may not make sense to him, then or maybe ever, but he was where he needed to be. She walked to the entrance of the room, activated the temporal transporter device in front of Khan, and returned to her own time period.

Khan’s legacy in the altered timeline was a history of torture, genocide, and his descendants.

In an alternate timeline , which was created from the revised timeline, Sera successfully assassinated Khan by blowing up a nearby fusion reactor (also destroying Toronto ) after a Federation Department of Temporal Investigations agent was shot and failed to protect Khan. As a result, a dark future for Humanity emerged in which Earth was nearly uninhabitable, Starfleet and Federation never formed, and the Romulan Star Empire was the dominant force of the region.

This timeline was averted after Khan's descendant, La'an, encountered the temporal agent aboard the USS Enterprise who directed her to return to the past, and with the help of James Kirk , from the, now, alternate timeline. The two time traveled to the past and La'an stopped Khan's assassination and restored the timeline to as she knew it. ( SNW : " Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow ")

23rd century return [ ]

Khan's false ID "John Harrison"

Following the destruction of Vulcan in 2258 , Admiral Alexander Marcus of Section 31 initiated a program to militarize Starfleet and began searching the galaxy for weapons to be used in the war with the Klingon Empire that he now believed was inevitable. Soon after, he discovered the SS Botany Bay adrift.

Despite knowing Khan's history, Marcus decided to bring him out of cryogenic suspension, believing his savagery and superior intellect would be prime assets to his cause. Having his voice and physical appearance heavily altered, Khan was reawakened and recruited under the identity of Section 31 agent, "John Harrison". Marcus forced Khan into working with him by threatening to kill his fellow Augments, and set him to work designing weapons and ships for Starfleet, including the Dreadnought -class USS Vengeance .

Disgruntled, Khan tried to smuggle his crew away in advanced long-range torpedoes but was discovered and forced to flee alone. Believing Marcus had killed his crew, he coerced Section 31 agent Thomas Harewood into betraying Starfleet by offering a blood transfusion for Harewood's terminally-ill daughter . Harewood agreed, and Khan replaced his Starfleet Academy ring with a bomb .

After his daughter was cured with a vial of Khan's blood and its regenerative platelets , Harewood went to work at his office in the Kelvin Memorial Archive in London , where he dropped the false Starfleet ring into a glass of water, igniting the bomb and destroying the facility. In the midst of the chaos, Khan used the opportunity to inspect a salvaged terminal to gain the confiscated formula for transwarp beaming .

Harrison piloting Jumpship 208

Before he set off the explosion, Harewood sent Marcus a message, explaining he had been threatened by Khan. Knowing that Marcus would call an emergency meeting in the light of the bombing, Khan rigged a combat efficient jumpship with a portable transwarp beaming device and headed to the Daystrom Conference Room . As the conference was underway, Khan appeared and laid waste to the conference, killing Admiral Pike , Captain Abbott and many other high ranking Starfleet officers. James T. Kirk disabled the jumpship , but Khan beamed himself away before it crashed. He arrived in the one place Starfleet could not go: Qo'noS , the Klingon homeworld.

"John Harrison" reveals himself on Qo'noS

Undeterred, Kirk was granted permission by Marcus to travel to Qo'noS and fire 72 experimental photon torpedoes on Khan's location. However, at the behest of his crew, Kirk chose to defy his orders and opted to arrest Khan instead. While Kirk led an away team with Spock , Uhura , and Hendorff , acting captain Sulu transmitted a message to Khan, warning him to surrender or be destroyed by the newly designed shipboard torpedoes.

Suspecting the newly designed torpedoes were the very torpedoes he smuggled his crew into, Khan sought out the away team to confirm. Khan found Kirk, Spock, and Uhura being attacked by a Klingon patrol and single-handedly killed dozens of Klingons . Confronting the landing party , Khan asked how many torpedoes the USS Enterprise had on board. Spock informed him of the count, which corresponded exactly to the number of his former crew members which were still in stasis. Khan then surrendered to the landing party. Kirk, angry that his mentor's murderer had saved them, punched Khan repeatedly but was unable to render him unconscious.

Khan in custody

From the brig , Leonard McCoy took a blood sample to analyze the secret behind Khan's superhuman strength and abilities and injected it into a dead tribble . Khan refused to answer Kirk's questions; he instead gave him coordinates to the spacedock near Jupiter where the Vengeance was constructed, and suggested he open one of the experimental torpedoes.

Kirk gave the coordinates for the absent Montgomery Scott to investigate, while McCoy and Marcus's daughter Carol opened up a torpedo and discovered a cryogenically frozen man within and realized that he was 300 years old. Khan finally explained who he was to Kirk, and revealed that the torpedoes contained his fellow surviving Augments as part of a cover-up.

Marcus appeared in the Vengeance and demanded Kirk hand over Khan. Kirk refused, and the Enterprise warped back to Earth with the intent of putting Khan on trial, which would certainly expose Marcus in the conspiracy. As Khan predicted, Vengeance caught up in subspace and fired on the Enterprise as it arrived outside Earth.

Kirk and Khan team up

Marcus beamed his daughter over to the Vengeance and prepared to destroy the Enterprise but Scott, who had snuck aboard the Vengeance at its spacedock, deactivated its weapons. Kirk and Khan donned thruster suits to fly over and commandeer the Vengeance .

Meanwhile, Spock consulted his older counterpart from another timeline regarding whether he ever encountered Khan Noonien Singh : the old Spock responded he had, that he was dangerous, and that it had required a great sacrifice to stop him. Kirk had also grown suspicious of Khan and advised Scott to stun him after they had taken over the bridge of the Vengeance .

When they arrived on the bridge, Scott stunned Khan while Kirk admonished Marcus for compromising the Federation. However, Scott's phaser stun only temporarily subdued Khan, who quickly recovered and flung himself at Scott and Kirk, overpowered them, then stomping upon Carol's leg. Khan then used his bare hands to crush Marcus's skull, extracting revenge on his once tormentor.

Khan then sat in the command chair and ordered Spock to hand over the torpedoes or he would kill Kirk and resume bombarding the Enterprise . Spock obliged, and Khan beamed Kirk, Scott and Carol back into the Enterprise 's brig, but reneged on the deal. Spock, having predicted Khan's betrayal, had ordered McCoy to remove the stasis pods and detonated the torpedoes after they were beamed over, crippling the Vengeance before she could destroy the Enterprise . Khan cried out in anguish at the apparent loss of his crew.

Khan sets the Vengeance on a course with the heart of Starfleet

The damage sustained caused both ships to be drawn by Earth's gravitational pull. To prevent the ship crashing into western North America, Kirk sacrificed himself reactivating the ship's warp core . Khan, on the other hand, directed the Vengeance on a crash course for Starfleet Headquarters , though the computer could not guarantee that Khan would make it.

The Vengeance slammed into the old prison on Alcatraz Island, careened across San Francisco Bay , and then plowed into several buildings, demolishing several skyscrapers. When the Vengeance crashed into the city, Khan leapt off the bridge and posed as a shocked survivor. Spock beamed down to execute Khan and avenge Kirk's death, pursuing him onto automated flying barges. In the Enterprise 's medbay , McCoy had just examined Kirk's body when the dead tribble on his desk came back to life.

Khan in stasis following his defeat

The fight took the two combatants on to two automated barges. Spock had the advantage of creativity, and extensive knowledge of martial arts, but Khan had the superior advantages of superhuman strength, speed, thought and durability. Spock attempted to subdue Khan with a nerve pinch but Khan managed to overcome the pain.

As Khan attempted to use his bare hands to crush Spock's skull, Spock managed to counter it with a mind meld . Near the end of the melee, with Spock again in Khan's cranial crushing lock, Uhura beamed down and fired several stun shots to distract Khan. Spock tore a piece of metal from the barge and broke Khan's arm. Spock started repeatedly pummeling Khan, coming very close to killing him, Fortunately, Uhura revealed Khan's blood could save Kirk, and Spock just knocked him out.

After his blood was used to revive Kirk, Khan was placed back in suspended animation with his crew from the Botany Bay . ( Star Trek Into Darkness )

The geneticist Arik Soong believed Augments like Khan could be created without exhibiting his more vicious, psychopathic or megalomaniacal instincts. Soong's "children", created from Augment embryos stolen in 2134 , failed to live up to the hopes of their "father". Soong believed Khan and the Botany Bay to be nothing more than a myth, although his "children" believed differently. ( ENT : " Borderland ", " The Augments ")

Memorable quotes [ ]

" I can save her. " " What did you say? " " Your daughter, I can save her. "

" Captain, are you going to punch me again, over and over, until your arm weakens? Clearly you want to. "

" John Harrison was a fiction created the moment I was awoken by your Admiral Marcus to help him advance his cause. A smoke screen to conceal my true identity. My name… is Khan . "

" Why would a Starfleet Admiral ask a three-hundred year-old frozen man for help? " " Because I am better. " " At what? " " Everything. "

" Alexander Marcus needed to respond to an uncivilized threat in a civilized time, and for that, he needed a warrior's mind – my mind – to design weapons and warships. " " You are suggesting the Admiral violated every regulation he vowed to uphold, simply because he wanted to exploit your intellect. " " He wanted to exploit my savagery! Intellect alone is useless in a fight, Mr. Spock. You, you can't even break a rule; how can you be expected to break bone? "

" My crew… is my family, Kirk. Is there anything you would not do… for your family?"

" You… You should have let me sleep! "

Appendices [ ]

Background information [ ].

Bringing back Khan Noonien Singh was discussed before the release of Star Trek ; on the film's audio commentary , it is stated the filmmakers considered having a shot of the SS Botany Bay after the credits, but opted out in case they decided not to use the character. Director J.J. Abrams said, " It'll be fun to hear what Alex and Bob are thinking about Khan. The fun of this timeline is arguing that different stories, with the same characters, could be equally if not more compelling than what's been told before […] Certain people are destined to cross paths and come together, and Khan is out there… even if he doesn't have the same issues. " [1]

Co-writer Damon Lindelof said the jumping-off point for the sequel's story was deciding whether Khan would be the villain, and he, Kurtzman and Orci weighed the pros and cons of using the character. [2] Abrams commented that, in comparison to Nero from Star Trek , the writers wanted "a much more nuanced and complex villain" for Into Darkness . ( Cinefex , No. 134, p. 72) Due to the massive popularity of how Khan had been represented before, however, "there was a good year of debate," explained Alex Kurtzman, over whether to include Khan in the upcoming movie. With a laugh, Orci phrased this issue, " To Khan or not to Khan. " Kurtzman observed, " The choice to play in that sandbox is really complicated because when a character was as beloved as Khan, you really have to have a reason to do it. " [3] During the debate, Lindelof wanted to use Khan, while Orci was against this option.

The filmmakers found a compromise by developing a story that would not entail Khan, and then determining if he could be "reverse engineered" into it. [4] Stated Kurtzman, " If we could take that [tale] and then incorporate Khan into the mix in a way that felt reverent and appropriate for that story, we would do it. Without that standard, we wouldn't […] We all loved the 'Space Seed' back story, the idea that he was a man who loved his crew as his family – that was the understandable and relatable agenda. And then we built outward from there. " [5] Eventually, Orci felt " the details became too juicy to avoid. Genetic super man from a time that understood war and savagery, etc. Once we had a basic structure that did not necessarily necessitate him, we were able to tailor the script itself to details and inspirations that he brought. " [6] Lindelof added the story-line avoided " The audience [knowing] something the bridge crew did not, which was 'Whatever you do, don’t wake that dude up.' So we didn't want to put the bridge crew behind the audience in terms of what they knew about Trek . " [7]

Khan's undercover name was inspired by his name in an early draft of the script for " Space Seed ", John Ericssen. Orci said, " We shot the movie using the name Ericsenn [sic] but decided it would give it away[,] so we cheated the name Harrison into everyone's mouth! " [8] According to John Eaves , the character's production code-name was April , another character Orci said he had considered as a villain. [9] [10] Once they chose to bring Khan into their film, the screenwriters were not necessarily eager to additionally incorporate a moment when the character's name is shouted in anger, as happens in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan , because they considered it vital that such a reaction be a natural and realistic one. [11]

Khan was portrayed by Benedict Cumberbatch . Before he was cast, Abrams approached Benicio del Toro for the role. [12] There were some complaints, particuarly from the Sikh community, over casting a white actor for a role of a Indian Sikh. [13] [14] [15] Orci said they shied away from casting an Asian actor as Khan because " it became uncomfortable for me to support demonizing anyone of color, particularly any one of middle eastern descent or anyone evoking that. One of the points of the movie is that we must be careful about the villain within US, not some other race. " He also stated the "true essence" of Khan's character was "that he was a genetically engineered superman," "not where he was from or the color of his skin." [16] In response to a question asking whether Khan's appearance was "cosmetically altered to avoid detection," Orci said that the theory was an "interesting idea. Could be." [17] Also, in answer to a question about Khan's change in features, Orci stated, " Uhm… one of his abilities is that he is a shape shifter? " [18]

Cumberbatch commented the role was "daunting because of the legacy involved and the amount of speculation about [Khan] possibly being the villain." ( Empire issue 289, p. 23) Lindelof said of writing for Cumberbatch that " when you can get [a] monologue to come out of [his] mouth, does the 'writing' even matter? I mean, seriously, I made that guy say 'Milk, milk lemonade, and this is where the fudge is made' and it scared the living shit out of me. " [19]

Cumberbatch was cast two weeks before filming. Mary L. Mastro , head of the film's hair department, wanted Khan to have black hair to contrast with the blond Kirk. She recalled, " JJ called a meeting with the creators involved in what he was going to look like and [Cumberbatch] walks into the room with super-short blond hair. My mouth dropped open, like, 'Oh, great.' " The schedule was altered slightly to give more time to determine Cumberbatch's appearance in the film. [20] The filmmakers considered giving Cumberbatch a shoulder-length wig, but Abrams felt he looked better without it. ( Star Trek Into Darkness iTunes enhanced commentary) Costume Designer Michael Kaplan wanted Khan to be "dapper," giving him " a number of very long, elegant coats. It's nice, even in the distance, to be able to recognise a character right away. He's pretty high fashion-looking. "

Cumberbatch trained one-to-one with his stunt double, Martin De Boer , learning basic martial arts. De Boer described Cumberbatch as "'very receptive to learning. I've had actors who want to be an action star but don't want to put in the work, and he was the opposite, he said, "'I want to train as much as I can.' He was very committed. Besides working with us, he was working with his personal trainer five, six days a week; he really got in shape." De Boer said that, because of Khan's strength, Cumberbatch "wanted to have more static and powerful movements. That strength changes the rules of the martial arts we use. You don't have to do five punches, you just have to use a couple of moves and he takes out the guy already." [21]

Bad Robot Productions went to great lengths to hide Khan's identity, even screening the space jump scene to the press with life sign readouts displayed as "Harrison" and Spock's lines referring to Khan overdubbed to refer to Harrison. Bryan Burk defended the strategy, stating, " Even if you don't even know who Khan is, you know that you're watching a film where for forty-five minutes or an hour of the movie you are ahead of the characters. So you're just kind of waiting for them to catch up with what you already know, that he is not who he says he is. " [22] Cumberbatch said the secrecy was fine for him, though Alice Eve did tease him, saying, " The lies, Benedict, the lies! " Recalling times when he had sneaked into screenings to see the audience's reaction to Khan revealing himself, Cumberbatch remarked that "to have that moment – that's worth any amount of subterfuge or holding back on reveals." ( Empire issue 289, p. 23)

The creative staff were ultimately very pleased with how Khan is depicted in Into Darkness . " Ultimately, I think we felt that we found a reason and a way to do it that was all of the things we needed it to be, and yet really different, " voiced Kurtzman. "I think the mistake that we could have made, that we didn't want to make, was to do a version of what Ricardo Montalban had done so brilliantly, and then fall short of that […] There are things about Khan that are very familiar, and there are things that are entirely different, and that's exactly what we wanted to do. " [23]

However, Abrams voiced regret over keeping Khan's identity a secret. " The truth is I think it probably would have been smarter just to say upfront 'This is who it is.' It was only trying to preserve the fun of it, and it might have given more time to acclimate and accept that's what the thing was, " he said. He added that hiding Khan's presence was mandated by the studio, who did not want to alienate non- Star Trek fans with the impression they had to learn about who Khan was to enjoy the film. Abrams agreed with that notion but " wonder[ed] if it would have seemed a little bit less like an attempt at deception if we had just come out with it. " [24] Responding to Burk's comment that it might have hurt the film if the audience knew Harrison was Khan before Kirk did, Abrams added "the truth is it probably wouldn't have made much of a difference in that regard." [25]

When asked if Cumberbatch could reprise the role, Lindelof replied, " To answer that question would be to determine whether or not he actually survives this movie, but if he survives this movie, we would be incredibly stupid to not use him again. " [26] As to whether Khan's blood could disrupt dramatic tension in the next film, Orci said they "figured there are so many horrible ways to die in space that no medicine could save you from that we would be okay." [27]

In the Star Trek Encyclopedia (4th ed., vol. 1, p. 411), the authors considered it possible that the red matter -created black hole caused differences in the past from the Prime Timeline. On page 414 of volume 1, this is the information on the Khan of " Space Seed " and Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan :

Brilliant, charismatic, and extremely aggressive, Khan was a genetically engineered human who attempted to gain control of the entire planet Earth in the 1990s during the Eugenics Wars. From 1992 to 1996, Khan was absolute ruler of more than a quarter of Earth, from South Asia through the Middle East. He was the last of the tyrants to be overthrown. Khan escaped in 1996 aboard the sleeper ship S.S. Botany Bay .

On the following page, this is the information on the Khan of Star Trek: Into Darkness:

In the Kelvin Timeline, Khan Noonien Singh was the brilliant, ruthless leader of a group of genetically engineered humans, or Augments, who nearly conquered Earth during the 20th-century Eugenics Wars. Khan attempted to commit genocide of those whom he deemed inferior, that is, most of Earth's population. Khan and his people were condemned as criminals, placed into cryogenic sleep in cryo tubes , and exiled aboard a ship sent into space.

Apocrypha [ ]

Cumberbatch also portrayed Khan/Harrison in three "Disruptions" videos to promote the film, in which he analyzes Kirk, Spock, and Uhura's weaknesses and declares he will threaten them. [28]

According to his biography on the Star Trek movie app, "John Harrison" was born in 2228 in Dover , Great Britain , Earth to Richard and Sara Harrison. Harrison was one of nine survivors of the attack on the colony on Tarsus IV in 2246 , and both of his parents were killed in the attack. He graduated from the London School of Economics in 2250 .

After graduating, he was appointed associate researcher, Starfleet Data Archive (London), East Annex in 2255. He was tasked with collection, organization and analysis of declassified data received from Starfleet-commissioned starships and from Federation member states.

The 2013 virtual collectible card battle game Star Trek: Rivals uses two cards showing Khan: #105, titled Commander J. Harrison, and card #111, titled Human Augment Khan.

Khan, undergoing reconstructive surgery

The comic book series Star Trek: Khan begins after Khan's capture and him being brought to trial before the Federation Court and establishing his history subsequent to the divergence of the timeline but prior to his encounter with the Enterprise . The Section 31 starship USS Vanguard discovered the Botany Bay drifting in space and take custody of Khan. Quickly using their databanks to determine his identity prior to awakening him, Admiral Marcus orders that Khan's face and voice be reconstructed from their Indian origins to a more northern European origin and has his memory blocked with the intent of convincing Khan that he is John Harrison, a Starfleet researcher in London's Kelvin Memorial Archive who lost his memories in an accident during a failed mission to Qo'noS.

He is given the task of helping advise Section 31 on possible enhancements to Starfleet weapon, shield and propulsion technology (which is to be incorporated aboard the USS Vengeance ) as well as taking on a mission to destroy Praxis with the help of a portable transporter he designed and built. The mission is a success (explaining the destroyed moon seen in orbit of the Klingon homeworld in the film), but in the process, Khan rediscovers his memories of his true identity.

Discovering that his crew is being held in the London facility and forging transmissions from Marcus, Khan is able to load his crew into the long-range torpedoes with the intent of stealing a starship with them aboard, but before departing, Khan invades Marcus' home and demanded to know the truth before planning to kill him. The admiral, planning for Khan's rediscovery, has him targeted by a jumpship outside the window, forcing Khan to flee. His plan, now circumvented, forces him to coerce Thomas Harewood into destroying the London facility and set the events of the film into motion.

Star Trek: Khan also establishes that he was originally an ordinary Indian boy named Noonien Singh and was an orphan living in an impoverished New Delhi slum. In 1972, he was captured, along with other impoverished children, and taken to a research facility to be a test subject for genetic engineering experiments. In August 1985, as a young man, he escaped from the research facility, along with the other genetically engineered test subjects, and began a rebellion. He later gives himself the title of "Khan", out of admiration for historical Mongol conqueror Genghis Khan , naming himself "Khan Noonien Singh".

By the end of series however, doubt is cast about how much of the events depicted in Khan's backstory is in fact truthful. Given the fact that his backstory is mostly only conveyed through what Khan tells the Court, Kirk points out that it is entirely within Khan's best interests to paint an overall sympathetic story of himself rather than simply disclosing a factual retelling of his actual past. Khan was then placed back into stasis, with Kirk noting that despite everything, Khan had managed to get exactly what he wanted.

In the second issue of the Star Trek: Ongoing story arc The Khitomer Conflict , it was established that Khan and the other Augments were stored at a top-secret facility on an asteroid , with the location of the facility highly classified to the point that even Kirk himself didn't know where they were held.

Khan's female counterpart

Like the rest of the characters in the parallel universe of Parallel Lives, Part 1 and Part 2 , he has a female counterpart ( β ).

Khan as a Red Lantern

Khan returned in the comic crossover mini-series Star Trek - Green Lantern: Stranger Worlds , where he serves as one of the primary antagonists. In 2262 , the Red Lantern Atrocitus needed to find a source of rage to recharge his Power Ring and his journey lead to him to discover the asteroid facility where Khan and the other Augments were locked away. He then broke into the facility and begun freeing them, including Khan. However, Khan overpowered the alien and knocked him out while also taking possession of his ring. Before he could slay his foe, he was confronted by Green Lanterns Kilowog , Guy Gardner and John Stewart . After Gardner revealed that the ring was loyal only to Atrocitus, Khan crushed the alien with his foot and he became the ring's new bearer, using his rage to easily defeat his new foes. After explaining his new appearance to his troops, Khan led his men to seize control of the USS Bryant where he once again encountered Kirk and Spock. Though Hal Jordan tried to fight Khan, the Augment managed to best him as well, but his boasting left him open to an attack from the other Lanterns and a photon torpedo barrage from the Enterprise . Defeated, Khan used his ring to recharge the Bryant and make his escape. Making his way to Qo'noS, Khan overthrew Orange Lantern Larfleeze and bargained with the Klingon High Council to aid him in attaining the power of the planet Oa and use it to conquer the Federation. Using his ring to supercharge the Klingon warships, Khan followed Kirk to Oa, only for the captain to be chosen by a Green Lantern Power Ring before the Augment could slay his foe. As the fighting intensified, the Augments were all defeated, depriving Khan of his power. Though he attempted to goad Kirk into slaying him, Kirk stuck to his morals and simply knocked Khan out and returned him to prison while Khan's ring was seized by the Enterprise crew for study.

Reception [ ]

Entertainment Weekly saw parallels between the new Khan and figures such as Osama Bin Laden or Saddam Hussein , as both men were allied with the US before turning on them. [29] Simon Pegg commented " Iraq had nothing proven to do with 9/11 , and yet Bush used that as an excuse to start a war with those people. You can always see the Klingons as like Iraq and John Harrison the proxy for Osama bin Laden. " [30]

Lindelof further acknowledged the terrorism parallels in an interview with StarTrek.com , as Khan's 72 torpedoes reminded them of the notion of 72 virgins in paradise. Lindelof responded " Of course it is a coincidence, because that is a number taken from canon. It was pointed out to us at the scripting phase – the 72 virgins – and that actually gave us pause, because we didn't want people drawing that comparison… but there it is. " [31]

The New Yorker also saw parallels between the debate to execute or arrest Khan with that of the issue of targeted killing . [32]

External link [ ]

Khan Noonien Singh (Kelvin timeline) at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works

Star Trek’s J.J. Abrams Advised Chris Pine to Be ‘Less Shatner’ While Portraying James T. Kirk

Chris Pine reflects on playing James T. Kirk in the latest Star Trek movies, and the actor acknowledges those wonderful "Shatnerisms."

J.J. Abrams advised Chris Pine to embody "less Shatner" when portraying James T. Kirk in the big-screen reboot of Star Trek.
Pine starred as Captain Kirk in all three reboot films; he says the franchise feels "cursed."
A new Star Trek movie is part of Paramount's "intent," according to Roddenberry Entertainment's C.O.O.

“Less Shatner.” Those two little words encompassed the advice filmmaker J.J. Abrams had for Chris Pine when the two collaborated on the big-screen reboot of the Star Trek franchise, which began in 2009. Pine was tasked with picking up the enormous mantle of the iconic character, James T. Kirk, who was portrayed brilliantly by William Shatner from 1966 until 1994. Pine said in an interview during his appearance on the Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me podcast:

“I think the biggest correction that J.J. [Abrams] ever had for me was ‘less Shatner.’ Because it’s so deliciously fun. I mean, anything from how he sits in the chair to how he does a double take. There are many… the Shatnerisms are long and deep, and they’re beautiful. They’re beautifully crafted.”

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Pine starred as James T. Kirk in all three of the reboot films, which began with Star Trek (2009) and was followed up by the sequels Star Trek Into Darkness and Star Trek Beyond . Abrams directed the first two movies, but he turned the director’s chair over to Justin Lin for the third installment. And nearly eight years have passed since Star Trek Beyond , and Star Trek 4 has still yet to warp speed into movie theaters.

Chris Pine Believes the Star Trek Franchise Is 'Cursed'

While J.J Abrams’ 2009 reboot certainly isn’t the best of the Star Trek films, both critics and audiences alike enjoyed the U.S.S. Enterprise’s encounter with the rogue Romulan Nero (Eric Bana), which featured the return of Leonard Nimoy as the original Mr. Spock. Abrams’ new vision of the sci-fi phenomenon also made $385.7 million worldwide (per Box Office Mojo ). So, a sequel was inevitable. And in the summer of 2013, Kirk and crew faced off against Khan (Benedict Cumberbatch) in Star Trek Into Darkness .

Star Trek Into Darkness made even more money ($467.4 million) than Star Trek (2009) did globally, but 2016’s Star Trek Beyond didn’t fare as well as its predecessors ($343.5 million), and the reboot series has been in limbo ever since. Co-star Zoe Saldaña (Lt. Uhura) still has hope that Star Trek 4 will come to fruition. But when it comes to the Star Trek franchise, Pine “feels like it’s cursed,” according to an interview he did with Esquire in 2023.

Star Trek 4: Plot, Cast, Release Date, and Everything Else We Know

In March of this year, the C.O.O./President of Development for Roddenberry Entertainment, Trevor Roth, said “there is a plan” for a new Star Trek movie. Roth elaborated on the possibility in the same interview conducted at the SXSW film festival:

“I am not able to say much, but I can say that it is Paramount's intent to figure out the Star Trek side of movies and what's going on there. There's every intent of a new movie coming out in the very near future. There's a lot of secrecy around what's going to happen there. But there is a plan getting into place. And we're very excited to see it return to the big screen.”

Most recently, Pine wrote and directed his first feature film, Poolman. Pine also stars alongside Danny DeVito in the comedic mystery, which opens exclusively in theaters on May 10. And fans can watch the Poolman trailer right now.

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Commander Rayner (Callum Keith Rennie) isn’t thrilled by this prospect, pointing out before she leaves that it’s too dangerous a mission for a captain to undertake. But Burnham disagrees that this is enough of a reason to stop her; it’s a nice reminder that this is a show and a character that originated in the time of James T. Kirk, a time when captains didn’t stay behind in the face of danger.

But it’s not only that, there’s something else going on. Burnham gives Rayner permission to be blunt, quoting a classic work on Rayner’s native Kellerun , The Ballad of Krull , asking him to “serve it without a crumb of ossekat .” (As far as made-up Star Trek idioms go, that’s a pretty good one.)

It’s also the beginning of a sudden and relentless onslaught of references to Rayner’s culture, but more on that later. What’s Rayner’s problem? He’s uncomfortable with the prospect of being left in command of a ship and crew that aren’t “his.” Welcome to being second in command, buddy.

Book and Burnham take off, heading into the wormhole and finding it to be an inhospitable place. They quickly drop out of communication range with Discovery , there’s ship debris everywhere, including the wreckage of Moll and L’ak’s ship…. and what’s that, the ISS Enterprise ?!

(A side note before we get too excited about that: what is the deal with all the empty space in the new shuttlecraft set, introduced in last season’s “All Is Possible”? The two pilot seats looked like they were crammed into the corner of a huge unfurnished room.)

Okay, Enterprise time. Burnham and Book rightly surmise that this is where Moll and L’ak must have escaped to and beam to the ship, which of course turns out to be a redress of the Strange New Worlds standing sets. A quick scan identifies that no one else is aboard — though the clue, which Moll and L’ak have found, does also have a lifesign, hmm — and that Moll and L’ak are holed up in sickbay. Burnham takes a few moments to ponder her visit to the Mirror Universe back in Season 1 and wonder what the alternate version of her half-brother Spock might have been like (bearded, for one).

And aside from some brief storytelling about Mirror Saru’s role as a rebel leader, that’s about it for the Terran Empire of it all. Star Trek: Discovery has spent plenty of time in and around the Mirror Universe already, and I personally don’t think they need to revisit it again. But introducing the ISS Enterprise — the ship that started it all with The Original Series ’ “Mirror, Mirror” — and then not doing anything momentous with it? Strange decision, and one that makes it ultimately feel more like this was a way for the show to get to reuse a set on the cheap than it does a materially significant addition to the episode.

In fact, in some ways it’s actually a detriment to the episode. If the action had been set on any other ship it would have been fine, but being on the ISS Enterprise I kept expecting something — like seeing Paul Wesley as Mirror Kirk slinking around, or finding Anson Mount camping it up as Mirror Pike in a personal log. If they’d set the action on a generic derelict ship, what we got wouldn’t have seemed like a let down. As it is though, I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop… and it simply never did.

Maybe in a subsequent episode, it’ll turn out that there’s an advantage in having an entire functional starship composed of atoms from another universe at Starfleet’s disposal — or to have a convenient collection of Constitution -class sets available for that Starfleet Academy show to borrow once in a while — but until that happens (if it even does) the use of the ISS Enterprise just seems like a name drop and a “We have to set the action somewhere , why not here?” instead of a significant use of the setting and the huge amount of lore and history that comes with it.

It’s like setting something aboard the Titanic without ever mentioning any icebergs.

As Burnham and Book make their way down to sickbay they do find evidence that the ship was being used in a way that seemed unusually gentle for a Terran Empire vessel: signs that children and families were aboard at one time, and that they were the kind of people sentimental enough to have keepsakes and favorite stuffed animals. But again, nothing about this seems like it needs the Mirror Universe connection. Ships of people trying to escape adversity are already a Star Trek staple.

Burnham and Book find Moll (Eve Harlow) and L’ak (Elias Toufexis) in sickbay, and after a valiant but ultimately unsuccessful attempt at getting them to surrender, everyone starts shooting. Moll and L’ak have a Breen blood bounty — an erigah — on their heads and surrender is simply not an option. During the firefight a lockdown is triggered, forcefields coming down that split the group into pairs: Burnham and L’ak stuck in sickbay, while Book and Moll able to go back to the bridge to try and reset sickbay.

Pairing off also gives Book the opportunity to continue his efforts to connect with Moll, and I have to say, I don’t think I’m a fan. Setting aside the portion of this that’s purely a strategic attempt to forge a connection with someone who is very to keen to kill him, my first reaction to the way Book talks to Moll about her father (and his mentor) was distaste.

I don’t think Book meant it this way, but the way he’s written in these scenes feels unpleasantly close to the “Well, he was a great guy to me , I never saw him do anything bad” response that’s sometimes made to accusations of misconduct. A person can be wonderful to some people in their life and terrible to others; both experiences are true for the people who received them, but they’re not mutually exclusive.

Book is preternaturally empathetic, and yet he doesn’t seem to see how continually assuring Moll that her father loved her is an act that’s both unwanted and actively painful for Moll to hear. I understand that Book is just trying to bring a sliver of comfort to Moll – but in the process he’s dismissing her own experiences of her father and his place in her life. Unless Moll asks him for this, it’s really none of Book’s business.

I suspect they’re setting up Moll’s character for a nice, cathartic arc where she comes to terms with her life, forgives her father, releases her past, whatever. And when that happens in real life that’s great — but it doesn’t always, and that’s okay too. If Moll never sees in her father the man Book saw in his mentor, it’s not a character failing. Discovery is really hammering home the theme of confronting one’s past in order to take control of one’s present and future, and I think it would be valuable if they included an example of a character learning to do the latter… without having to be okay with the former.

And to return to a question I posed in my review of “Under the Twin Moons,” I know Book is isolated and excruciatingly lonely after the destruction of Kweijan and his split with Michael, but the weight he’s placed on his relationship with Moll as “the closest thing he has to family” seems like he’s setting himself up for disappointment. Maybe I’m just a cynic, but this does not feel like a hopeful storyline to me. Not everyone wants to be family, and right now it doesn’t seem like Moll’s been given much of a choice in the matter — despite her frequent and very powerful explanations of why she’s not interested.

Clearly frustrated with Book’s topic of conversation and desperate to return to L’ak, Moll makes a reckless decision to brute-force a solution and overload some circuits. It works, and the forcefields in sickbay come down, but it also sends the Enterprise onto an unstoppable collision course with the too-small-to-pass-through and also going-to-be-closing-forever-soon wormhole. They’ve got eight minutes to figure this out.

Meanwhile aboard Discovery , we see Rayner’s struggles to interact with the crew. This thread could have gone so many different ways, Rayner seeming “too good” for a temporary command, him seeing this as his chance to do things “better” than Burnham or show how it’s “really done,” but instead the show takes the much more subtle and satisfying route: Rayner is deeply respectful of the captaincy, as a rank and a role, and really doesn’t want to step on Burnham’s authority.

He’s more than willing to disagree with her on command decisions , but he doesn’t question her command . And more personally, he doesn’t want his gruffness and lack of experience with this crew to cause problems. He’s trying, in his own Rayner way, and more importantly he’s succeeding — and, as we see as he shepherds the crew through figuring out how to communicate with and then rescue Book and Burnham, the crew does their part and meets him halfway.

Rayner is learning that he needs to tone down his temperament just enough that he doesn’t come across as an actual asshole to this crew, and the crew is learning that his gruffness isn’t a sign of disrespect but simply a desire to cut to the chase and get to direct, actionable information with a minimum of fluff. There are shades of Nimoy’s Spock or Voyager -era Seven of Nine here, but couched within a distinctly different temperament, and it’s fascinating to watch. I’d love to have seen him interacting with the crew of the Antares , where he presumably felt more comfortable.

The interpersonal stuff with Rayner and the crew is great; where Rayner’s thread feels distractingly like a box being checked is the explosion of “Rayner is a Kellerun!” being shouted from the bulkheads. I could practically hear the writers yelping out a panicked “Oh crap, we forgot to say what kind of alien Rayner is!”

Again, Discovery is back to its old self with the clunky, heavy-handed, and oddly paced character work. Rayner goes from having zero cultural touchstones to having about five in the span of the 15-20 minutes of screentime that his story gets this week. They’re good touchstones, don’t get me wrong — I’m skeptical of Kellerun citrus mash, I have to be honest, but I’d give it a try; not so sure about boiling a cake though — they’re just very present .

As with Rayner’s alienness, the frequent flashbacks throughout the episode to Moll and L’ak’s meeting and courtship feel like a “We forgot to explain this and now we’re trying to reference it!” correction. The content of the flashbacks is fine, there’s a lot of interesting Breen worldbuilding for a species that’s been mysterious from the start — and watching Moll and L’ak’s relationship grow from one of mutual convenience to one of true love is genuinely moving. But the way it’s woven into an episode that, again, feels like it’s composed of bits and pieces of storyline, makes it hard to shake the sense that I was watching a To Do list get checked off.

By the time the season is over it might be clear that there was simply no extra room to give a full episode over to Moll and L’ak’s meeting, or maybe an episode without any of the main cast wasn’t something they were willing or contractually able to do, but I would have loved if these flashbacks were pulled out and expanded into a full-length episode of their own. Some of the worldbuilding felt hasty to the point of hindering the emotional beats — at times I wondered if I’d forgotten a whole bunch of Breen lore and at others I was just trying to keep up with what was going on.

For example, my confusion about L’ak’s comment about having two faces, which Moll seemed to completely understand — “Duh, everyone knows the Breen have two faces” — was a distraction in the middle of an otherwise nice and significant moment. This is later clarified as the translucent face and the solid face, but again I was distracted from fully appreciating an interesting bit of Breen culture because I was busy applying what I’d just learned back to the previous scene.

The quickly (and maybe not totally clearly articulated notion) that Breen deliberately restrict themselves to their translucent form for reasons that are entirely to do with avoiding any perception of weakness is a potent if hasty bit of social commentary, and as I said I nearly didn’t catch it.

Whether holding the translucent form requires the armor for protection or the armor necessitates the translucent form — it seems like it would be more comfortable wearing that helmet all the time if you were the texture and consistency of lime jello — this is surely a metaphor for the increasingly rigid, isolating, and emotionally and sometimes physically unhealthy things men in certain circles feel they must do to be appropriately masculine. Seeing L’ak free himself from that rigidity is powerful.

With the forcefields in sickbay down, Burnham and L’ak immediately spring into action: Burnham trying to get the artifact from L’ak and L’ak simply trying to get away. They fight, and Burnham impressively proves she can hold her own against a Breen. When L’ak accidentally falls on his own blade, Burnham grabs the clue and speeds to the bridge where she manages to get a message to Rayner through some tractor beam trickery. The message? Another reference to that classic of Kellerun literature that gives Rayner the info he needs. Hey, did you know Rayner was a Kellerun?

The ISS Enterprise makes it through the wormhole, Moll and L’ak zip away in an escape pod, and it’s time to wrap things up. We head to Red’s for a quick but significant moment between Tilly (Mary Wiseman) and Culber (Wilson Cruz), as Tilly offers advice and an ear to a Culber who’s going through a quiet existential – maybe also spiritual? – crisis.

OBSERVATION LOUNGE

In addition to the dedication plaques on the bridge, the ISS Enterprise has an additional plaque in its transporter room — one which, despite recounting the heroism of rebel action hero Mirror Saru, still states “Long Live the Empire.”
The transporter room plaque is marked with “Stardate 32336.6,” which is about 9 years before the events of “Encounter at Farpoint.”
The plaque describes the fate of Mirror Spock, who was killed after instituting the reforms which later led to the fall of the Terran Empire (as described in DS9’s “Crossover”).

The full text of the ISS Enterprise transporter room plaque:

The new High Chancellor presented hope and justice as if they were natural to our world. His words, “The light of hope shines through even the darkest of nights” became our rallying cry. He spoke of reform, and changed many of us. But some saw this as weakness. They killed him, and we sought help from an unlikely ally: A Kelpien slave turned rebel leader. He spoke of visitors from another world… a near perfect mirror cast our darkness into light. With his aid we secured the Enterprise and stayed behind to continue his work. We bear scars from our escape, but our hope remains. May it carry us into a pristine, peaceful, and just future.

Not counting L’ak’s previous appearances this season, this episode marks the first time we have seen the Breen in live action since their involvement in the Dominion War in Deep Space Nine. (The species has appeared in Star Trek: Lower Decks three times.)
The 32nd century Breen wear updated encounter suits clearly based on the designs introduced in Deep Space Nine ; their digital speech is extremely faithful to the incomprehensible noises Breen soldiers have spoken in past appearances.
Given the fact that Moll appears to be just fine in the environment of the Breen ship, I guess Weyoun was right when he said the Breen homeworld was “quite comfortable” in “The Changing Face of Evil.”
When L’ak is stabbed he gently oozes some green goo — but as we learned in “In Purgatory’s Shadow,” Breen do not have traditional humanoid blood.

During his time in command of Discovery , Rayner never sits in the captain’s chair.
This episode closes with a dedication plaque that reads “In loving memory of our friend, Allan ‘Red’ Marceta”. Marceta was, I presume, the namesake for Discovery’s bar.
Someone aboard Discovery keeps a Cardassian vole as a pet. Going by Tilly’s reaction, and what we know from Deep Space Nine , this is not a good thing.
Linus (David Benjamin Tomlinson) plays a mean piano.
Owosekun and Detmer get the off-screen cherry assignment of flying the ISS Enterprise back to Federation Headquarters, alone. I’m thinking that’s going to inspire some fanfic…

We don’t learn what this week’s clue is, though we know there’s a blue vial tucked away inside it, but we do learn that the crew of the ISS Enterprise did indeed make it to our universe. The scientist responsible for hiding this particular clue there was one of them, a Dr. Cho, who eventually made it all the way to branch admiral.

They strove for something positive and succeeded against all odds. Hopefully Discovery will be able to do the same as they continue their pursuit of Moll, L’ak, and the Progenitors.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 returns with “Whistlespeak” on Thursday, May 2.

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Reviewed at AMC Loews 34th Street, May 2, 2013. MPAA Rating: PG-13. Running time: 132 MIN.

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Where No Cast Has Gone Before: The Future for the Starfleet Ensemble

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Conclusion: A Continuum of Influence – The Lasting Impact of the Star Trek Into Darkness Cast

A Look Back at the Star Trek Into Darkness Cast

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