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Star Trek is in a bit of a corner. The films may go on for one more, but a Star Trek 11 with a Next Generation cast is seeming more and more unlikely. Deep Space Nine will end this year, and Voyager will end in 2001.
The movie franchise may continue, although movies with the crews of Deep Space Nine or Voyager are unlikely as they have never been that popular, at least not in the sense of The Next Generation popularity; illustrated by the fact that Voyager plummeted to its lowest rating figure ever late last year. So the movie franchise may be at a bit of a dead end. The classic Trek crew very doubtfully makes a comeback: it is not even possible with so many of the original cast being in ill health.
GOODBYE STAR TREK?
Whatever happens, Star Trek will continue without doubt. It may need a rest, because the movies are in a corner, and the series are coming to an end. Some crew have said they will not work on a new series as creatively they are. Michael Piller, co-creator of Deep Space 9 and Voyager, and Jeri Taylor, co-creator of Voyager, have now both left the Trek franchise to go their own ways, so the last remaining creator/producer, the long-time Star Trek boss Rick Berman finds himself without some of his closest and most important staff. That is why Star Trek finds itself stuck in many areas.
Considering the popularity of the Star Trek myth, it will not take very long until we hear again from the famous starship and it's crew, who boldly goes where no man has gone before.
Personal Opinion
I like the series very much because Roddenberry portrays a possible future: he always insisted in the stories on following scientific principles. The employed technics are predicted inventions, e. g. the hypospray, a syringe without a needle - medicine is injected with high pressure.
Errand of Mercy (first Klingon appearance)
Kirk and Spock attempt to persuade the council of neutral Organia to join the Federation. While they negotiate, the nefarious Klingons invade and enslave the planet's sheeplike citizens. The Organians help Kirk and Spock disguise them as civilians, only to hand them over to the Klingons! The Enterprise and the Klingon ship poise to engage in an all-out battle!
Trouble with Tribbles
When the U.S.S. Enterprise receives a top priority order to protect a shipment of quadrotriticale grain on Space Station K-7, Kirk is irritated to be guarding a shipment of "wheat." But the shipment is meant for famine-struck Sherman's Planet, and Klingon's are taking shore leave on the Space Station. Adding to Kirk's irritation is Federation Undersecretary for Agriculture, Nilz Barris and his pesty assistant, Arne Darvin who inform Kirk that Starfleet Command is afraid the Klingon's may try to steal the grain.
Another problem arises when space trader, Cyrano Jones, gives Uhura a purring ball of fluff known as a Tribble. Charmed by the creature, Uhura takes it back to the U.S.S. Enterprise. However, as McCoy soon learns, Tribbles are born pregnant and the more they eat... and they eat constantly... the more they multiply. Soon the starship is overrun by the furry creatures.
Kirk soon finds that the bins that were once full of the precious quadrotriticale are now full of dead Tribbles. The grain has been poisoned by a Klingon agent disguised as the Undersecretary's assistant. He is exposed when Kirk discovers that Tribbles do not like Klingon's (and vice versa) and squeak whenever they are in near proximity. The Klingons leave the space station and Scotty rids the U.S.S. Enterprise of the Tribbles by beaming them aboard the departing Klingon ship where, as he tells Kirk, "...they'll be no tribble at all."
A Private Little War
The U.S.S. Enterprise is sent to the planet Neural to gather vegetation samples, were years ago, Kirk had headed a planetary survey and became friends with one of the planet's leader, Tyree. Looking forward to renewing that acquaintance, Kirk is shocked when Spock is shot by natives using flintlock rifles - a technology they should not have possessed for many more years.
Kirk manages to get Spock back on board the U.S.S. Enterprise, then seeks out Tyree on the surface. During his search, Kirk is attacked by a mugatu, a dangerous indigenous animal. Kirk is taken into Tyree's care and cured of his wounds by Tyree's, Kanutu witch doctor wife, Nona.
Kirk learns from Tyree that the villagers have been supplied with the flintlocks by the Klingons. Nona schemes to make her husband a great leader and to force him to fight back against the villagers - something Tyree has refused to do. Kirk will not launch an offensive for the hill people, but offers to equal the odds and offers Tyree his own flintlocks. Tyree refuses. Nona plays on the bond she created with Kirk during his healing and steals his phaser. Wishing to demonstrate the superior power of this new weapon, Nona appears before the villagers. However, before she can use the phaser, the villagers kill her.
Deep in grief, Tyree finally finds, vengeance, reason enough to fight back and accepts Kirk's offer of the flintlocks. Knowing the Federation will have to match the Klingons offer for offer to keep the balance of power, Kirk and McCoy leave the planet to its unhappy fate.
Day of the Dove
A U.S.S. Enterprise landing party beams to a human-colonized planet in answer to a distress call. A Klingon ship, apparently damaged, is detected and a group of Klingons accuse Kirk of having damaged their ship. Kang, their leader, claims the U.S.S. Enterprise as a prize and Kirk beams the Klingons on board, reluctantly. However, Spock is warned by Kirk and quickly takes the Klingons prisoner. Both ships seem to have received the same, false, distress call.
A malevolent entity has entered into the U.S.S. Enterprise computer and excites both sides to aggressive behavior. It forces the ship out of control, rushing toward the galactic rim, while isolating a number of Klingons and U.S.S. Enterprise crew, heightening their sense of paranoia and violence turning them against each other. Phasers become swords and the battle begins.
Spock finally realizes that the entity feeds off hatred and emotional excitation and has acted as a catalyst to provoke combat, keeping the numbers on both sides even. Kirk is able, in the end, to make a common-cause truce with the Klingons and they drive the creature out of the ship with their laughter.
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