Star Trek New Voyages: “Come What May” – Episode 4×00

Star Trek New Voyages: “Come What May” – Episode 4×00

This is the pilot episode for Star Trek: Phase II, released January 14, 2004. The series was then titled Star Trek: New Voyages. The producers consider this to be a “test of concept” episode, not good enough to be an official part of the series.

Plot: Summoned from space dock to respond to a distress call, the Enterprise encounters and then beams aboard a strange being made of pulsating green energy, accompanied by its (apparently) human female companion, Onabi. Onabi is mischievous, and has the power to give crewmembers visions of their past or future selves. After these alien visitor are thrown in the brig, the ship encounters a giant, strangely familiar-looking pyramid-shaped vessel, bent on wreaking havoc.

Thoughts: Well, well, well. Overall, I’m extremely impressed. It seems almost a shame to put on a critical hat and review what is obviously a well-meaning labor of fan love, and an extremely impressive effort at that. I think this episode is good enough, however, to critique, so that’s what I’m going to do. I hope the producers take this as the compliment it is intended to be.

First, if you’re wondering why Captain Kirk has an amazing slicked-back pompadour, it’s because he is being played by James Cawley, executive producer and instigator of the series. Cawley happens to be a world-class Elvis impersonator, and funded this project using proceeds from his Elvis impersonation career (oh yes: James Cawley performing as Elvis at the Great Escape). That’s not your imagination–the King is the Captain (should they have remade “The Conscience of the King?”).

This pilot episode has a tendency to place fan service ahead of dramatic needs of story. It features cameos by Eddie Paskey and John Winston (ubiquitous TOS background players in the “roles” of Mr. Leslie and Lt. Kyle). This tickles the fanbone without advancing the story needs of the episode. Similar things can be said of the detours into flashbacks from “Mirror, Mirror,” the scenes with the former Yeoman Rand, and the Orion Slave Girl dance straight from TOS’ own unaired pilot, “The Cage.” Which was pretty sexy.

Meanwhile, not enough attention is paid to character details and plot. A curious lack of etiquette and protocol is applied when the alien visitors beam aboard the ship. Kirk throws them in the brig without asking them basic questions like “How are you? What are your intentions? Would you like a glass of water?” Maybe this oversight came from the author trying to conceal the lack of any strong reason why the parties would not be able to easily communicate and get along.

Onabi seems to be some kind of Q-continuum entity, who, I guess, was testing the Enterprise for reasons known only to her. There are too many unanswered questions, however. What’s up with companion who’s a green energy ball? Was the Borg Triangle just an illusion she created? If not, what was its agenda, and how was it defeated?

I was amused by Spock asking the entity how it knew his secret plans, saying “How did you come by this knowledge?” “I’m a glowing green sentient talking energy ball, you nitwit, ask a better question.”

But–everyone is obviously having fun, and I had fun too. I am inclined to cut this episode a lot of slack. The characters wear great boots. The details, set dressing, and visual effects are very impressive. The actor who plays Spock isn’t too bad. The costumes are not well-tailored by television standards (and some of the actors may lack television physiques), but they are still cool—even the variants they show off during the dream sequences. Maybe they could have reproduced less of the sexist, leering attitude towards women that sometimes characterized TOS. Since the producers have disowned this episode, however, perhaps we can chalk that up as something they intend to fix in later installments.

I have just enough awareness of what it takes to make a television show to know how difficult it is to pull something like this off. I say congratulations. Despite STP2’s own assessment, I rate this as “corny, but too good to skip.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUbEzLaDyjM&index=2&list=PL5h4ur_aSq8N5yx46vUjnNbsaQ74kcBLV