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Transcript of TCM Issue 11
Is taking
Welcome to the eleventh issue of TCM,
Special Thanks:
Contributors:
Alex Matthews and Richard Miles
Interviewees:
Barbara Clifford; Gina Devettori; Jacques Freydont; Aaron Leddick; David O’Neill; JT Tepnapa and Beau Williams.
Production Companies:
Hidden Frontier Productions; Intrepid Productions; Farragut Films; Neo FX.
Trekkie Central Staff:
Writers:
Heather Ashleigh; Jennifer Cole; Gerri Donaldson; Josh Edelglass; Beo Fraser; Danny Lavery; Gustavo Leao; Alex Matthews; Richard Miles; Eugenia
Stoypra; Michael Struck; Sean-Paul Teeling; Tim Vining and John Whiting.
Head Writers:
Gerri Donaldson; Alex Matthews; Richard Miles and Eugenia Stoypra.
Graphics Artist and Front Cover:
Richard Miles
Creative Consultants:
Michael Hudson and Rick Pike.
Assistant Editors:
Heather Ashleigh and Alex Matthews
Editor: Richard Miles
Trekkie Central Magazine and Supplemental is produced for fans by fans. This is a free to download and view online magazine, from which no profit is made in anyway. If you see this magazine on
sale anywhere please do not purchase it as this will jeopardise feature issue of this magazine. If you do find it on sale please inform us immediately by emailing us at
[email protected] and marking the inbox as fraudulent magazine in the subject box. Many Thanks
Welcome to the eleventh issue of Trekkie Central Magazine,
Featured in this issue we have three reviews of all Star Trek Odyssey, Helena Chronicles and Federation
One episodes by Alex Matthews.
Also we have numerous interviews with the stars of the shows.
We have interviews with Barbara Clifford; Gina Devettori; Jacques Freydont; Aaron Leddick; David O’Neill;
JT Tepnapa and Beau Williams.
Also back this issue is the news section that will bring you up to date with all the latest happenings in the
Trek fan film universe.
Finally I have two pieces of exciting news for you, firstly Trekkie Central Magazine now has its own
domain name, you can now reach our website by simply typing in trekkiecentralmagazine.com
and secondly we also now have our own email address, so if you have any suggestions, comments or
queries you can now contact us at [email protected]
We all hope you enjoy the magazine
Live Long and Prosper
Richard
Editor
Inquisition 7
Captains Table 8
Captains Log 47
Coming Soon 48
Beau Williams Interview 13
David O’Neill Interview 15
Star Trek Odyssey Review
By Alex Matthews 17
Barbara Clifford Interview 25
Gina Devettori
Interview 27
Star Trek The Helena
Chronicles Review
By Alex Matthews 29
JT Tepnapa Interview 35
Aaron Leddick Interview 37
Jacques Freydont Interview 39
Star Trek Federation One Review
By Alex Matthews 41
1. What is your name? Andrew George Matthew Gregory Foster
2. What was the last book you read? Spanish For Dummies
3. Is the glass half full or half empty? Its fullness has been diminished towards a half-empty
state
4. What is your favourite colour? Green
5. Sci-Fi or Chick Flicks? Sci-fi
6. Picard or Kirk and why? Picard (a man of passion and exploration) as opposed to Kirk (a
bit too bold and horny for my liking)
7. What question have you always wanted to be asked? “Your place or mine”
8. When was the last time you were star struck? 1977
9. Who was it that made you star struck? [Standing in front of] the entire original cast of
“Star Trek” [for the first time]
10. What is the natural colour of water? The only colour I see is the colour of the container
as water is clear
11. Family Guy or The Simpsons? The Simpsons
12. Quark or Odo? Quark, he’s usually good at getting what he wants/needs
13. The original Enterprise or The Enterprise D? Enterprise-D (its so spacious!)
14. Football or Baseball? Football
15. Who would you most like to meet and why? John Williams, for direction in writing
music for the screen and television
THIS ISSUE WE PUT HIDDEN FRONTIER’S ANDREW FOSTER
UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT IN ‘INQISITION’.
7
8
The second episode of Hidden Frontiers Star Trek Federation One has been released.
This episode follows on from Unity and further develops the characters and the storyline.
To download this episode visit the Hidden Frontier website at www.hiddenfrontier.com
The season finale of Star Trek Odyssey has been released.
The story looks at a one of the client citizens of the Archein Empire and
the lengths they will go to, to secure the favour of their masters.
To download this episode visit the Hidden Frontier website at
www.hiddenfrontier.com
The season finale of Star Trek Helena
Chronicles has been released.
This episode follows on from the second
episode and has some exciting twists.
To download this episode visit the Hidden
Frontier website at
www.hiddenfrontier.com
9
Farragut Films have released
the first of their ‘Crew Logs’
episodes.
A Rock and a Hard Place sees
Captain Carter go on an away
mission with an old flame.
To download this episode go
to the Starship Farragut
website at
www.starshipfarragut.com
The second ‘Crew Log’ has
been filmed and aired to a
private audience and is due
to be released soon.
STAR TREK PHASE 2 HAVE RELEASED BLOOD AND FIRE PART 1
The people behind Star Trek Phase 2 have recently released the much anticipated Blood
and Fire. The episode written by David Gerrold brings back Kirk’s nephew Peter Kirk and
his homosexual relationship.
To view this episode online visit their website at www.startrekphase2.com
Star Trek have made the following announcement about recent cast amendments.
Star Trek: Phase II announces that J.G. Hertzler has been cast in the role of former
tutor K'Sia for the upcoming episode "Kitumba." "Kitumba" is based on the story
treatment developed by Star Trek producer/director/writer John Meredyth Lucas for
the unrealized Star Trek: Phase II series in the late 1970's. The Klingon-centric
episode will be a closer look at the Klingon Empire during the original series era.
Although the original story treatment calls for a uniquely different government and
history for Klingons, Cawley says that particular attention will be paid to keeping the
Klingon back-story in line with what we have come to know in subsequent Trek
installments.
Hertzler is best known to Star Trek fans for his role as a Klingon warrior, General, and
ultimately Chancellor Martok on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, as well as his
appearances a Star Trek conventions with friend Robert O'Reilly, who played Klingon
Chancellor Gowron on DS9. Hertzler was originally to appear as Harry Mudd in the
Star Trek: Phase II (New Voyages) episode, "The Sky Above, The Mudd Below." "That
episode has been put on the back-burner for now," commented Senior Executive
Producer James Cawley when asked about Hertzler's casting, "but, when this role
came up, I immediately thought of J.G. and decided to give him a call - he got back
with me and confirmed his availability," concluded Cawley. "Kitumba" is set to go
before the cameras this June.
10
LOST FRONTIER CANCELLED
Darker Projects Audio series Star Trek
Lost Frontier has been cancelled due to
cut backs.
News that has been taken from the
Darker Projects forums has Eric Busby
stating that Lost Frontier has run its
course and been cancelled.
This is sad news indeed.
EXCELSIOR EPISODE RELEASED
The audio series Starship Excelsior have
released a new episode.
The episode entitled ‘The Investigation’
is available to download at their
website
http://www.starshipexcelsior.com/epis
epis.php
‘After attending a formal party in her honour, Jessica Kingsley reflects
on the reason why she was assigned as the Federation Ambassador to
Tahn'Los. She remembers her initial visit to the planet and the first time
she met several key members of the planetary government, and the
difficult situation they faced.’
Star Trek Diplomatic Relations have recently released a new episode.
The episode entitled ‘Agrement’ follows on from their first episode.
To download this episode visit their website at
http://www.startrekdiplomaticrelations.com/ep_s01e02.htm
HIDDEN FRONTIER ANNOUNCE NEW AUDIO SERIES
Hidden Frontier Productions have announced a new audio series. Henglaar
MD will focus on Doctor Henglaar from Hidden Frontier with his niece in a
supporting role.
The pilot episode will focus on Henglaar coming to terms with his loss of
Elbrey in the finale of Hidden Frontier as well as introduce us to his new job.
11
Region Five & RadCon February 13, 2009 at 5pm to February 15, 2009 at 12pm – Best Western Pasco Inn & Suites
TREK VALENTINE'S SOCIAL AND VIDEO MIXER! February 14, 2009 at 3pm – RIPLEY GRIER STUDIOS, NEW YORK CITY
Farpoint February 15, 2009 at 6pm to February 17, 2009 at 6pm – Crowne Plaza Hotel, Timonium MD
Australian Star Trek fan club - Star Trek Monopoly series February 22, 2009 at 1pm – SA Writer's Centre
Australian Star Trek fan club - 1st meeting for 2009 February 22, 2009 from 3pm to 7pm – South Australian Writers Centre
Australian Star Trek fan club open day 2009 February 22, 2009 at 3:30pm – South Australian Writer's Centre
CoastCon XXXII March 20, 2009 at 12pm to March 22, 2009 at 4:30pm – Mississippi Gulf Coast Coliseum
Leap Back 2009 - Quantum Leap convention featuring Scott Bakula March 27, 2009 at 12pm to March 29, 2009 at 8pm – Beverly Garland Holiday Inn
Venom Wars 6 April 17, 2009 to April 19, 2009 – Choudrant, Louisiana
Starfest April 17, 2009 at 12pm – Denver Marriott DTC
The conventions page makes its return this issue. We
have listed below February, March and Aprils issues
that we know of.
Next issue we will have a more comprehensive list.
To have your convention included above please feel
free to contact us at the following email address:
Please remember to include all your details.
HERE TCM TALKS WITH
BEAU WILLIAMS ABOUT
HIS EXPERIENCES
DURING THE FIRST
SEASON OF THE
HELENA CHRONICLES.
TCM: How do you see Artim as a person?
BW: I would put Artim in the “Golden Boy”
category. Always doing what he feels is
right and just. He is very loyal to his
friends both on Odyssey and Helena, and
it is those friendships that drive his
decision to go against Starfleet.
TCM: What inspires him?
BW: Artim is inspired by the stars. He is
an explorer at heart and he loves his job. I
also like to think that the memory of his
old mentor, Naros, inspires him as well.
All that Naros knew and was, I think Artim
really wants to become and understand.
TCM: How you see their relationships with
others?
BW: Artim can be a bit awkward when it
comes to talking to the ladies. I like to
think he has had his good share of
experience, yet still is a little intimidated.
Artim is a nice guy and generally isn’t out
to get anything from them ;) As for
friends, as I stated he is very loyal to those
he is close to. Artim has made many
friends on Helena, yet I don’t think he
wants to get to know Rockney, he’s weird.
TCM: What do you bring to your performance to make Artim come to life?
BW: I bring a good positive attitude every time I get on set. Artim is
generally a positive guy, and I think by myself being excited and positive to
be there, it will come out in the character.
TCM: What are your thoughts on the various ongoing storylines?
BW: I love Odyssey. I think the story is as epic as the tale it is based on. I
love the characters, and the acting that is given by its cast. Though, I
cannot comment on federation one, I have yet to watch it � I really like
Helena as well. I think it is a wonderful counterpart to Odyssey and though
I might be a little biased, I really dig the whole renegade storyline, and
especially Artim’s part in it.
TCM: What do you do to prepare for a scene?
BW: Well I receive the script and read through it. Then I go back to my lines
and try to figure out why Artim is saying or doing whatever it is he is doing.
I usually come up with a couple different motivations for the scenes and try
to work it out in different angles. I then pick which one I like most. After
that, I talk to my director to figure his/her interpretation of the scene. I
enjoy working with the directors, and often our interpretations match up
pretty well.
13
TCM: Compared to the direction your character took in Hidden Frontier, how
would you like to see them change and evolve of the course of this series?
BW: I was unhappy with Artim’s role in HF. He didn’t seem to grow that much,
and I didn’t feel that any of his appearances really displayed any challenging
scenes. I believe this is due to the fact that he was a guest character rather
than one of the names in the opening credits. I was overjoyed to get the call
for Helena because I think that this time Artim will prove his worth many times
over. I mean after seven years as an ensign now he has been promoted. And
his character is showing signs of attitude and backbone.
TCM: If you weren't playing Artim, which Helena character would you like to
portray?
BW: Hmmm… I really can’t see any other actor in the place of the current ones.
They do such a splendid job; I can’t imagine myself in the role instead of them.
TCM: Do you focus just on your series, or do you keep updated with the story-
lines in your series' sister shows?
BW: Seems to me this question should have been before question #5 O.O
Hehe, I keep up with Odyssey. I need to go watch some Federation One.
TCM: How does this character differ from your other recognised character,
Daagad, of Odyssey?
BW: The characters are very different. My character on Odyssey is very
militaristic. He enjoys doing the bidding of his general, and will even kill with a
smile. Artim while in a militarily structured organization, is not so serious and
enjoys the company of his comrades.
TCM: Do you enjoy playing one character over the other?
BW: I enjoy being able to do the dirty work of my superiors, and doing it well.
That makes my Archein very fun to play. Artim has his own, “yes sir” charm. I
couldn’t say I like one more than the other, but I do enjoy getting in the
Archein makeup, I can barely recognize myself, and it is awesome.
TCM: How did you get involved with Hidden Frontier?
BW: Through a casting magazine called “Back Stage West”. An add was in it for
someone meeting my description, and I answered the call at age 13. This was
for the original series featuring the Angeles. I really enjoyed working with
Areakt, and I suppose they liked me well enough to call me back later for HF. I
don’t get to do much acting as of late, but I still and will always answer the call
to come be a part of any Areakt production.
TCM: What is your own experience with 'canon' Star Trek?
BW: When I was growing up I would watch TNG not really knowing what it was.
When I was a little older I got really into it with Voyager. I would never call
myself a trekkie, but I do enjoy Star Trek very much and Voyager will always be
close to my heart.~
14
DAVID O’NEILL TALKS
DIRECTLY WITH TCM
ABOUT HIS NEW
CHARACTER SELEK AND
WHAT HE HOPES FOR THE
FUTURE
TCM: How do you see Selek as a
person?
DO: Right now, we know little of Selek as
a Vulcan, however I would like him to be
a more unconventional one. That he’s
been around humans so long that he lets
slip in some emotion.
TCM: What inspires him?
DO: Oddly, I think he has faith that the
humans he works with are more logical
than his fellow Vulcans think.
TCM: How you see their relationships
with others?
DO: Actually, I think he has a very usual
relationship with all his fellow officers,
and respects McCabe very much.
TCM: What do you bring to your
performance to make Selek come to
life?
DO: I think I bring a history of Star Trek
with me, my years of following the
shows, reading the books. Plus, I’m a
person who likes the odd, the
unconventional; enjoying satire and non-
sequitur jokes. And I kinda, think you'll
see that in my performance.
TCM: What are your thoughts on the various ongoing storylines?
DO: I love the serialized storytelling, and how clever Rob and the writes have
been to connect everything together. And even though Hidden Frontier’s last
three seasons were more serialized than the previous four, the writers were
able to tie many things together. With Odyssey, The Helena Chronicles,
Federation One, Orphans of War and Operation Beta Shield all these
storylines are connected from the start. And for someone who loved DS9, I
appreciate the effort to keep all the shows connected.
TCM: What do you do to prepare for a scene?
DO: Tough question, as I’ve never trained to be one. However, I approach it
by reviewing my fellow actors, especially Sharon and JayTee. When I work
them, I try to read their performances and try to use what I see in my roles as
Vito on Odyssey and Selek on Federation One.
TCM: How would you like Selek to change and evolve over the course of the
series?
DO: As I mentioned earlier, I think Selek is more different than other Vulcans
and would like to see him become that way as the show progresses. Plus, I
would like to see him actually doing something, instead of sitting in a chair.
15
TCM: If you weren't playing Selek, which Federation-One character
would you like to portray?
DO: Kaart, as he is one the most complex characters on the show. There
are certain depths to Kaart we’ve yet to see, but he’s one character that
I find is very interesting. He’s dark and you’re never really sure where
his alliances lay.
TCM: What draws you to this character?
DO: I think what draws me to Selek is his understanding of human
dynamics. And I sort of want to play him that way, less Vulcan you
know?
TCM: Do you focus just on your series, or do you keep updated with the
story-lines in your series' sister shows?
DO: As one the producers and directors of the show, I have to keep an
eye on all these shows. So I have intimate knowledge of all the shows
and their story-lines.
TCM: You are primarily known for being involved in production and
direction – why the change to in front of the camera?
DO: Selek was a role that Rob thought I should play. And after reading
the script, I thought it was big enough to put me in front of the camera,
but small enough for me to continue my behind the scenes work.
TCM: Do you enjoy playing one field over the other?
DO: I enjoy directing a lot, almost to point where I’ve gotten gone
through a few text books on the craft of it. I’ve also considered taking an
acting class so I can understand them better when I direct.
TCM: How did you get involved with Hidden Frontier?
DO: Like most, I stumbled upon it after reading an article about in
Variety in 2005. In February 2006, HF had its first convention, I went to
it, and then went (with others) who were invited back to watch filming
begin on the seventh season of the show. Since I lived close by, I kept
coming back to each shoot and, as they say, the rest is history.
TCM: What is your own experience with 'canon' Star Trek?
DO: I’m not sure I understand the question, BUT when it comes to
canon of Star Trek, I’m not much of a stickler. That being said, if you
make obvious blunders (much like what Enterprise did week in and
week out) and take a blasé attitude about it, then I take issue with it. To
me, it was fairly obvious that Enterprise was a series set in parallel
timeline, ala Back to the Future II way, and had the creative team and
Paramount decided to admit that, maybe the show would’ve lasted
longer and maybe the fans would’ve not taken such issues with way it
did violate canon. Now, years later, the new Star Trek film is taking the
parallel timeline more serious. And while some will say that is sloppy
writing, I find it interesting, and something that needed to be done to
save a dying franchise. ~
16
HERE ALEX MATTHEWS TAKES
A LOOK BACK AT THE FIRST
SEASON OF HIDDEN
FRONTIERS PRODUCTION
STAR TREK ODYSSEY.
As the first spin-off show of the
successful Hidden Frontier web-series,
Star Trek: Odyssey has its fair share of
pros and cons, before it even began. It
had seven years of back history to
start with, which included a plethora
of characters it could use in it's
launching pad of a pilot episode,
“Iliad”, but it also had to meet the
expectations of the fans that have
been following it's predecessor.
When promotion began on the series,
heavy emphasis was placed on the
fact that Ro Nevin, one of the junior
characters in Hidden Frontier who was
the focus of a series-spanning arc
concerning his emotional
development and acceptance of self,
was going to be the driving force for
the new show. It would be set on a
brand-new starship, and only scant
details about the rest of the cast were
released, which did not include
anything about their characters. This
was released much closer to the airing
date, when the website released
production stills from the filming of
the pilot. All four of the main actors
that were announced were known to
HF fans from various roles they had
portrayed during the run of the series,
so instead of bringing in completely
fresh faces, viewers would have an
idea of what those actors could bring
to their new roles.
As time grew towards the release date of “Iliad”, more images and teasers were
released, detailing just who the announced actors would be playing, as well as
more details about the show. One important detail released that caused quite a
bit of speculation was that the captain and first officer of the Odyssey, the
starship that acts as the show's name sake, would not be main cast characters,
and did not appear on the opening title credits that were released as a teaser.
The trailer, launched at around the same time as the credits, showed that Ro
would be acting in some kind of command role during a fierce battle, and that a
new threat, the Archeins, were attacking Romulan forces via an artificial
wormhole. All this lead to a great amount of rumours and general speculation
before the first episode was finally released. This was followed by a blitz of
promotional images, that cemented that a Romulan officer (played by Michelle
Laurent) called T'Lorra, would be serving in some kind of capacity on the Odyssey,
as well as introducing the missing senior officers, Captain T'Lek, Commander
Steven Conner, and a Bolian Chief Engineer. They also showed that Julia
Morizawa (known for portraying Lt. S'Tal) would be playing Lieutenant Maya
Stadi, the sister of the previous conn officer aboard Voyager, as well as Matthew
Montgomery (who portrayed Captain Nej'ta) as Dr. Owen Vaughan, and Tim
Foutch (who portrayed Pelas) as Ensign Josh Gillen. But there were still many
unanswered questions that only watching “Iliad” would answer...
17
Episode 1x01: Iliad
...and answer them it did.
“Iliad” not only reintroduces us to several familiar faces, such
as Ro Nevin, his husband Corey Aster, and their sector
commander, Admiral Knapp, but also allows us to meet several
new characters, all of whom would come to play vital roles
throughout the episode. The Archein are identified as a
powerful alien race that reside in the Andromeda Galaxy, who
are facing some kind of threat that is slowly causing their
home territory to undergo gravitational collapse. In order to
survive, they are using wormhole technology to explore and
colonise the neighbouring Milky Way. But their leader is
unaware that her daughter, ruling in her proxy, is aggressively
taking Romulan space, instead of the agreed uninhabited star
systems.
The Romulans, unable to deal with the sheer mass and power
of the invading Archein fleet, and their control over a
wormhole, reluctantly turn to the Federation for help, who
after investigating the wormhole for themselves, devise a plan.
Using the surviving hyperdimensional technology from the
tetrahedrons that had once been the mystery of the Briar
Patch, they will equip two ships with experimental quantum
slipstream technology. The Starfleet ship, the Allegiance-class
USS Odyssey, will accompany General Korg commanding the
Negh'var-class vessel IKS R'Kagh, on a mission to destroy the
Archein's wormhole generator. Ro and Aster, as experts on
slipstream and the tetrahedrons, are assigned as mission
specialists to the Odyssey and R'Kagh respectively, which ruins
their honeymoon plans. The Odyssey is also equipped with a
Romulan cloaking device in order to fulfil the mission
parameters, and assigned a Romulan observer,
SubCommander T'Lorra, to operate it.
The journey to Andromeda takes two weeks via
slipstream, and T'Lorra and Ro soon clash over the
command structure aboard ship, since her rank is
technically superior to his, but she is assigned to report
to him. But their differences must soon be put aside
when the mission goes awry – during their attempt to
sabotage the generator, their bomb is prematurely
destroyed and the R'Kagh is discovered. The Klingon ship
loses its slipstream capability, and is forced to flee
through the active wormhole back to Romulan space,
where it is caught in between a massive fight between
Allied and Archein forces. Just before the ship is
destroyed, Aster is caught in the explosion of a console,
as General Korg orders an evacuation.
The Odyssey sacfrices its own slipstream core to
successfully destroy the generator, trapping themselves
in Andromeda among the angered Archein, and to
complicate matters further, both the Captain and
Executive Officer are killed during the battle, alongside a
large number of the crew. Ro is left as the highest
ranking officer, alongside security chief Lieutenant Maya
Stadi, and is forced to take command of the ship, and
manages to get them to safety. During their escape, they
see for themselves the gravitational anomalies that are
ripping through Andromeda, and use them to hide from
their attackers until T'Lorra repairs the cloaking device.
As they head off to make repairs, and the dawning
realisation of their being stuck millions of light years
from home sinks in, Ro appoints T'Lorra as his XO, and
makes Gillen acting Chief Engineer. Stadi and Ro discuss
just how much they can trust T'Lorra, but Ro knows they
have little choice, as it may be a long time before any
rescue, if at all, comes for them.
“Iliad” serves its purpose, launching the new series with
a fair mix of character development, intrigue and action.
The viewer is left uncertain as to the fate of Corey Aster,
a plot thread that would be developed by the soon-to-
be-released sister show, The Helena Chronicles. We are
given a good grounding in all the new characters,
especially the 'villains' the Archein, who are already
fleshed out beyond simply being 'the bad guys'. The fact
that Seram, daughter the ruler of Archein society, is
misleading her mother over the fact that they are
invading the territory of another, against her express
wishes, is highlighted very early, as is her adversarial
relationship with General Morrigu, commander of the
military. Her relationship with her servant Caecus is also
explored very early, and the apparent disapproval
Morrigu has for it, and how it seems to goes beyond the
simple caste difference. All these characters are shown
to be multi layered in their first appearance, and shows
the quality of both the writing as well as the acting.
The actors also attack their roles with relish, be it Sharon
Savene making Seram come across as barely
18
sane, Michelle having T'Lorra quickly take
the position of Head Bitch, while Julia
shows that being a telepath can be funny
and annoying at the same time. Matthew
shows us that despite being a Starfleet
officer, Dr. Vaughan may have more to
him than meets the eye, while Tim is
delightful as the nervous Ensign Gillen,
who like Ro, is thrust into a position of
authority with no preparation.
The idea behind the series is a
reinvention of both the Voyager series,
as well as a futuristic take on the Greek
tale of “The Iliad”, which details the
journey King Odysseus had to undertake
to get home after the final battle of Troy.
The script contains various references,
such as the type of deep-space probe
used by Starfleet to gain intel being
christened the Iliad.
There is however some drawbacks, and
that comes with the fact that it is a spin-
off. Although a new viewer could sit
down and enjoy this, they may find it
slightly confusing when some of the plot
links back to the Hidden Frontier series.
Unless the viewer is familiar with the
later plotlines of the mother series, they
may not understand the references to
hyperdimensional physics and the
tetrahedrons, which are crucial to explain
how it is that the slipstream technology
was stabilised for continued use. The
brief appearance of Commander Robin
Lefler, used mainly for comedic effect, as
she is interrupting Ro and Aster's plan for
a last minute assignation, would fall flat
on its face with people not really familiar
with her relationship with the two
characters. The whole relationship
between the two is also
underappreciated by new fans – they
would not realise the tragedy of their
separation so soon after they finally got
together.
Episode 1x02: The Wine Dark Sea
One of the main points of contention with Star Trek: Voyager was the massive
use of the cosmic 'reset switch', such as when the ship suffers massive damage in
one episode, but is patched up in perfect working order for the following week.
“The Wine Dark Sea” makes a point of addressing this, as the Odyssey, with its
reserves of antimatter running low after their initial sojourn to Andromeda,
desperately tries to replenish itself as well as cope with the large amount of
damage they have sustained during their continuing skirmishes with Archein
cruisers. Despite Stadi's recommendation, Ro follows T'Lorra's suggestion to raid
a nearby Archein supply station, but the mission goes awry almost straight away
when the away team trips an alarm, and activates planetary defences. The
resulting security measures nearly destroy the Odyssey before she jumps to
warp, but not before one of the away team members, a junior engineer, is
mortally wounded, resulting in a tough ethical dilemma for Ro, and forcing him to
once again step up to his new role as starship commander. Working together
with his senior officers, left with little choice due to their antimatter situation, Ro
devises a plan that turns the planetary defences against the newly arrived
Archein battle group, allowing the Odyssey to grab the much needed antimatter,
and once again use their cloaking device to evade their attackers. With their
situation improving, Ro finally begins to accept his new role on the ship, by taking
his place both in the ready room, as well as in the captain's chair.
19
Episode 2 not only had to deliver on the follow-up of the action packed premiere, but also had to introduce a new actor
in the role of Ro Nevin. Bobby Rice, who played the character from season 6 of Hidden Frontier, stepped down to focus
on other pursuits, and Brandon McConnell stepped into some very large shoes... and proved his ability straight away with
this storyline that involves tough decisions that could make or break Ro's captaincy. The acting captain not only must deal
with the failing systems of the ship, continuous Archein attacks and his own doubts, but also the petty bickering that
carries on between T'Lorra and Stadi, two very strong and stubborn women who are more alike than they would care to
admit. Brandon definitely brings his own unique energy to the role, and the raw emotion and conflict Ro is feeling come
across easily to the viewer, especially in the last few seconds of the opening teaser, when a fellow Bajoran officer is
mortally wounded. This haunts him throughout the episode, until he is forced to admit defeat, and that the young
lieutenant is beyond saving. Both Michelle and Julia bring a zest and enjoyment to their roles, especially to the fractious
relationship their characters have, while Matt Montgomery brings an natural empathy to his role as Vaughan, as well as a
steel edge when making sure everyone knows just whose Sickbay it is. Tim Foutch is a delight to watch as the nervous
and overwhelmed Josh Gillen, trying his hardest to keep the ship going despite the overwhelming damage and crew
losses they sustained. However, it seems strange that given they have no experience at all with Archein technology,
Gillen is able to reprogram the weapons to target their own forces – wouldn't this be more complex than simply turning
them off? Is this supposed to be an indication of his expertise as a theoretical engineer?
Another aspect that Odyssey continues to explore is the personality of the Archein characters we have met. Morrigu is
shown to be a skilled commander, and develops a grudging respect for the Odyssey crew, after they escape him again,
while Seram, who in “Iliad” came across as merely power hungry, now shows that her hunger existed alongside a certain
degree of madness. The episode lays key elements that would later be explored throughout the series, such as her
relationship with Caecus, and how many find their dalliances to their distaste.
20
Episode 1x03: The Lotus Eaters Following up on the fact that Odyssey is
being hunted by the Archein, “The Lotus
Eaters” starts off with the starship
narrowly escaping from another skirmish
with superior forces, with Ro disregarding
T'Lorra's advice to take more aggressive
tactics and destroying their enemy. When
Stadi picks up a distress call, it seems to
prove T'Lorra's point, until the Betazoid
reveals it is a Starfleet signal! Quickly
changing course to intercept, they find a
vessel caught in one of the gravitic
anomalies that are plaguing Andromeda,
and unable to use transporters, take a
shuttle. The delight at detecting a friendly
face is soon squashed when they realise
the vessel is not Starfleet, but rather
crewed by Kelvans, who have assumed
humanoid form. The two scientists, Achlys
and Panos, have been studying the
singularity zones, which have badly
damaged their ship, necessitating a rescue.
But when the shuttle heads off, it is caught
in the explosion and forced to make a
crash landing on the nearby planet. The
two Kelvan admit they use Starfleet
encryption codes, sent back from a scout
mission centuries ago, to evade Archein
detection, as they are at war with the
Empire.
Finding an ally seems a good turn-out, until
it is revealed that somewhere on the
planet, is an Omega molecule, which
causes both the shuttle systems and the
systems on the orbiting Odyssey, to lock
up. Ro and his away team find out that
Omega is what powers Kelvan technology,
despite their attempts to shield it from
detection, and the only way to get the
systems back online is to take out the
Omega core. This is met with resistance
from some of the Kelvan forces, who wish
to use Omega as a last-ditch weapon
against the Archein, until it is discovered
that it is the use of those weapons that
have created the growing problem of the
singularity zones. Achlys sacrifices herself
to destroy an approaching Archein attack
squad to give Odyssey and her people time
to evacuate and make it away, detonating
the last Omega core, which greatly
expands the forming zone, and destroys
the planet as well.
When Odyssey was announced, and the details of the ship's mission to
Andromeda were released with its initial trailer, many classic Trek fans
immediately made the connection to the TOS episode “By Any Other Name”,
which introduced the Kelvans as one of the inhabitants of the distant sister
galaxy of the Milky Way. The Lotus Eaters delivers on that idea, by showing us
just what the Kelvans that reside in Andromeda have continued to do since
sending out their scouts – they have been at war with Archeina, and lost...
badly. They are scattered, no longer having a world to truly call their own,
having to stay on the move, and to add insult to injury, thanks to a bio-weapon,
have been trapped in a constrictive humanoid form. Discovering that their
attempts to enact revenge on their attackers is what has lead to the slow
collapse of the space they live in seems to be the final nail in the coffin for this
species.
The environmental allegory of the story is clear, and handled well without being
to heavy-fisted in its message, with enough of a sci-fi twist to make it subtle.
But seeing the Kelvans reduced to such a ragtag bunch is rather disappointing,
considering they were powerful enough in their premiere episode to
immobilise the Enterprise crew, transform the majority into small blocks, and
refit the vessel to pierce the outer Galactic Barrier. The group of Kelvans
encountered also seemed to have become used to the emotions that their new
forms granted, which suggests they had been trapped this way for quite some
time. It seems, though, they may not be totally helpless, if they are still
harnessing Omega as a power source, which for the Odyssey crew, is the Holy
Grail, since it would allow them a way to get home, if harnessed properly.
The mystery surrounding Caecus and Seram continues to deepen as well, as
Caecus discovers a friend of his has been executed for crimes against the
Majan, and when he looks into it, he is arrested as well. Seram shows the depth
of her descent into madness when she casually stabs and tortures her supposed
beloved, before healing the wound, as punishment for his disobedience – just
what was he close to finding out?
21
Episode 1x04: Vile Gods
“Vile Gods” continues the Kelvan story arc started in the previous
episode, by delving more into the Kelvan political situation, and
addressing the allies and enemies the Odyssey crew made, when Ro is
captured by Tybis, the military leader of the Kelvans and sentenced to
death for his actions in destroying their Omega source. While Stadi is
forced to concede T'Lorra as the next in the chain of command, Ro must
deal with his own personal demons that Tybis tries to exploit, as well as
visions he receives seemingly sent by the Prophets. T'Lorra gains an ally
in Melantko, the civilian leader of the Kelvans, who agrees to stay the
execution while the Odyssey helps in attacking Archein targets, as long as
no escape attempts are made. But Stadi soon helps her release that
Tybis cannot be trusted, and together, they use Odyssey to avoid
escalating the body count, while T'Lorra herself keeps Tybis busy as
Vaughan volunteers to infiltrate the Kelvan ship and rescue Ro. He
arrives just in time to resuscitate the Bajoran after a murder attempt by
a vengeful Kelvan politician, and together they also manage to secure
T'Lorra's safety after she completes her own mission, leaving Tybis for
dead. Although they have lost the support of their only ally so far,
despite the wishes of the civilian leaders, T'Lorra, Stadi and Ro's working
relationship moves further away from being so adversarial and more
cooperative. But Ro is haunted by the cryptic warning he seemed to
receive
from his vision experience, telling him that we
will soon 'loose one'.
It is the guest actors that help to make this
episode, as we learn more about the political
structure, or rather lack of, amongst the Kelvan
people, who despite having a civilian leader,
have given almost all control over to their
surviving Militia. Tybis, a play on the Odysseus
enemy of the Cyclops character, complete with a
patch over one of his eyes, is a proud
commander, but a warrior, who connects with
T'Lorra's inner soldier. This allows Michelle to
play a slightly softer side of her Romulan
character, as she explores the idea of a romantic
dalliance with the Kelvan. But this begs the
question – just what do aliens trapped in a
humanoid form know of that kind of physical act,
and why would know about it, if their forms are
simple shells, not the actual deal? We see that
the Kelvans have indeed adapted well to their
new form, mastering Archein control interfaces
and such – but this seems a ploy to avoid
constructing a new set that would be more
appropriate to the Kelvans natural, multi-
tentacled form. Oh, and don't even get me
started on the visible 'skull-and-crossbones' we
see on the hull of the captured Archein warship
Brandon again shows the more emotional side of
Ro as he undergoes a series of visions seemingly
sent by the Prophets to test and warn him of
what is coming. The anguish at seeing the image
of his beloved husband, the horror of realising he
may be losing someone vital to the Odyssey
crew, and the shock of realising he may be in the
presence of his Gods, all come across as real and
heartfelt. But despite that, the scene sits ill with
me – this is the first time the Prophets have ever
come to Ro, and considering his upbringing, his
sister's own failed relationship with the
Prophets, and his natural leanings as a scientist,
the idea of a religious experience seems a little
too much for this character. Add to that the fact
that only Sisko ever received spontaneous visions
like is seen here, whereas others needed to
consult the Orbs to receive visions.
Many people have commented on the fact that
there seems to be more to Vaughan then meets
the eye, given how easily he has seemed to
connect with T'Lorra in previous episodes, and
this episode capitalises on that, when he
infiltrates and rescues Ro – but it does seem
somewhat easy, simply dressing in civilian attire,
and walking straight onto a Kelvan shuttle – no
questions asked.
22
Episode 1x05: Keepers of the Wind The season finale of Odyssey introduces a new
Andromedan race, the Alosians, a race who after
a brief misunderstanding when the Odyssey
attempts to salvage the wreck of one of their
ancient starships, offer their hospitality and the
use of their nearby shipyard. But the seeming
altruism gives way to a darker motive when they
are rendered helpless when the Alosians take
control of ship systems, and reluctantly inform
them they are now prisoners in preparation for
the arrival of Majan Seram and her armada. The
crew are taken prisoner and isolated, except for
Vaughan, who manages to evade capture, and
place himself in position to fight back when the
Archein take over the bridge. Vaughan's actions
have consequences though, when Seram orders
one of the crew killed in retribution for his
disobedience. Meanwhile, Morrigu interrogates
T'Lorra, taunting her with his seeming victory, but
when ordered by Seram to kill her, does not do
so, managing to circumvent the order and make it
appear he is doing his Majan a favour in the
process. When being escorted to Seram to
provide command codes, Ro and Stadi manage to
escape custody, and attempt the secure a way of
the station. It seems the Archein have the upper
hand until Vaughan reveals to the stunned
Archein invaders that Seram has a family member
aboard the Odyssey, and the Alosians, incapable
of lying, confirm that Caecus, her servant and
sexual plaything, is her son! Their leader Liendo,
believing the turn of events is the work of his
Gods, allies with the Odyssey crew, and holds the
Majan hostage, allowing them time to retrieve
T'Lorra from Morrigu's ship. He also buys them
time to make their escape, even though this
means that when the Majan is released, she will
surely destroy the Alosian shipyard – which she
does, as well as leaving a severely wounded and
blinded Caecus behind on the Odyssey. Heading
away from the coming carnage, Odyssey sets off,
having again lost another ally, but having gained
both a list of all Alosian worlds and colonies, as
well as a detailed map of Kelvan space, showing
the location of active Omega modules – a valuable
piece of information. But T'Lorra tempers the
senior staff's delight with her words of caution,
before she visits Caecus and offers him a deal –
act as a guide for them, and prevent the
unnecessary deaths of countless innocent
Archeins they would have to deal with in order to
return home.
The first season finishes with several bangs, and quite a few shouts of
stunned horror, with the revelation that Seram is Caecus's mother,
something that was hinted back in episode 2, when his mother was
referred to as having “lost herself” after the death of her husband – so
consumed with grief, she saw her son as a substitute for her lost love,
especially given their physical resemblance (as evidence by Morrigu's
portrait). This is an interesting twist on the Oedipus story, where the
son falls in love and marries his own mother, unaware of her identity,
whereas Seram was fully cognizant of this fact, and was aware of the
indecency of it, since she tries to deny it when questioned. Taking the
twist even further, Seram viciously blinds Caecus, whereas according
to the Greek tale, Oedipus blinded himself, and his mother/wife killed
herself – will losing her son to the truth cause Seram to descend
further into madness, and loose what little sanity she still retained, as
a similie of death of self?
Seeing Ro on the verge of a nervous breakdown when he realises he
has failed gives Brandon a moment to cut loose and simply allow his
character to give into the tidal wave of emotion he has been swept up
in since he assumed the role. The same for Stadi, who feeling the same
sense of failure of duty, beats herself up viciously, especially
considering her telepathic abilities allowed her to feel she could trust
the very people that betrayed them. However I was slightly
disappointed by the sudden abortive announcement that she could
only project to Ro because she has some degree of feelings for him –
as a devote kick-ass Stadi supporter, I certainly hope they don't inflict
the security chief with a case of 'captain crush'. Again, it was nice to
see Vaughan assume a more action oriented role, as he single
23
handedly holds of the Archein attempts to take Odyssey for
themselves, despite it conflicting with his training as a doctor,
when his actions result in the death of a crewmate. However, I did
feel that scene itself was grossly underused – back in “Vile Gods”,
the Prophets told Ro he 'will lose one', and the faces of his senior
staff flashed before him, yet the casualty of the Archein invasion
was an science officer whose name wasn't revealed until the end
credits. It could be that the Prophets warning is more far reaching,
but it seems like a cheap way of making the viewer wonder just
who might be up for their final cut. Saying that though, Tim Foutch
was simply breathtaking to watch as Gillen, whose every scene was
alongside the science officer, deals with the death of his friend,
especially the empty looks on his face as he is forced to sit beside
the body. His conversation with Ro in Engineering shows the depth
of how much this shook up the young engineer, so perhaps this is
what the Prophets meant – the loss of Gillen's innocence to such a
brutal display of callousness.
For its first season, Star Trek: Odyssey did not
pack any punches, capitalising on its spin-off
nature, and introducing a swift moving arc of
stories that not only present action and
adventure, but also delve both into the main
characters as well as the supporting cast of
aliens that they encounter. It could have very
easily fallen on its face many a time, with a
sudden change in lead actor, as well as the
simple fact that fans of the Hidden Frontier
series may not have found the story line evoking
enough for their time.
Rob Caves takes the centuries old tale of
Odysseus and breathes new life into it, taking
advantage of the plethora of ideas that Greek
mythology presents, and reinvents them or
takes inspiration from them to present the tale
in the format of science fiction. Each episode
title of the first season takes its inspiration from
the original 'Iliad', expanding on that idea, and
adding in other mythological elements, such as
the Cyclops, Scylla and Charybdis or the titular
Lotus Eaters.
He is not the first to do this idea, and it can be
argued that Odyssey is not that original, as it
does expand on the idea that Voyager initially
started off with. But Caves has said that he
wants Odyssey to correct the mistakes he
believed Voyager made, and therefore he is
giving viewers something that little bit different.
Although many of the questions raised in this
opening season have been answered, more have
been raised – will the revelation about Seram
and Caecus affect her standing as regent of the
Empire? Has the Prophets prediction come to
pass, or should Ro still be prepared to lose
someone close to him? Just what does Stadi feel
for Ro, and how much will his experience on the
shipyards affect Gillen in the long run? Just what
has Vaughan done in the past and will it have
any effect in the present? What was that
strange signal Stadi kept detecting onboard
ship?
All will be answered... in the fullness of time.~
24
TCM TALKS TO BARBARA
CLIFFORD ABOUT LIFE
DURING THE FIRST SEASON
OF STAR TREK FEDERATION
ONE.
TCM: How do you see Margaret as a
person?
BC: Margaret is a person that wants to
help change the universe into a better
place. She wants the American dream for
everyone. She wants tomorrow to be
better than today and hopes that she can
help accomplish this.
TCM: What inspires her?
BC: She is doing something to help.
TCM: How you see her relationships with
others?
BC: She’s everyone’s mom.
TCM: What do you bring to your
performance to make Margaret come to
life?
BC: Honesty. I try to keep my performance
as honest and real as possible.
TCM: What are your thoughts on the
various ongoing storylines?
BC: There are so many, it’s hard to keep
them straight.
TCM: What do you do to prepare for a
scene?
BC: I memorize my lines then figure out
what is happening in the scene and what I
need to do to get the desired outcome. I
try to be as real as possible.
TCM: How would you like Margaret to change and evolve over the course
of the series?
BC: I’d like to see her take on more challenges, be more involved.
TCM: If you weren't playing Margaret, which Federation-One character
would you like to portray?
BC: The President!
TCM: What draws you to this character?
BC: Her sense of fairness, even though she is a politician she tries to be
honest & wants those around her to be honest also.
TCM: Do you focus just on your series, or do you keep updated with the
story-lines in your series' sister shows?
BC: Unfortunately at the moment my personal life is keeping me very busy
so I am concentrating on Fed One only.
25
TCM: How does this character differ from previous ones you have portrayed?
BC: Margaret is a politician, I’ve never played a politician before. And since I’m not a big fan of politics it’s harder
for me to relate to her.
TCM: Do you enjoy playing one character over the other?
BC: I love acting but I think I would like playing a crazy, over-the-top person probably because I don’t normally get
cast as a crazy person.
TCM: How did you get involved with Hidden Frontier?
BC: I sent my photo and resume for a part in a student film at Loyola. I was called for an audition and after
finishing the scene, I said “is this Star Trek?, it reads like something from Star Trek.” About a month later, I was
called and offered a part. I thought it was a onetime deal, I had no idea it was going to be an internet series and
would become what it is today. I’m so glad I was offered a part with this wonderful group.
TCM: What is your own experience with 'canon' Star Trek?
BC: I was a fan of the original series. Loved Spock. I’ve gone to some of the conventions so I was able to see
William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, and Majel Roddenberry. Majel was very sweet, I had a lovely conversation with
her on an escalader at one of the conventions.~
26
GINA DEVETTORI TALKS TO TCM
ABOUT THE CHARACTER OF LT.
DIAS AND HER FIRST YEAR ON THE
U.S.S HELENA.
TCM: How do you see Dais as a person?
GD: Dais is strong and fragile at the same
time. Her strength covers her weakness of
not belonging and not fitting in.
Putting up a front that she doesn't care hides
the fact that she really does care. If she
showed her true feelings, this would put her
in a vulnerable place and I don't believe she
is ready or evolved enough as a person to
show this to herself let alone to open this
aspect of herself to other people. She isn't
ready to see what is inside her and only
really knows how to mask her true emotions.
She has so many layers covering up who she
really is that she will have to peel back
many aspects of herself and I don't believe
she would be able to handle what is
underneath her environmentally & self-made
facade she has created as a barrier for
herself. It would take a lot of soul searching
for her to even be able to go back to a time
where she felt included and loved. However,
I believe she is finding a place on the Helena
that is slightly starting to chip away at her
ideas of what it is to be a member of a
community instead of just a single entity.
TCM: What inspires her?
GD: Dais is inspired by what she doesn't
know. She is very interested in what makes
people do the things they do.
What it is, that invisible force that resides in
us all that compels people to act or not act in
ways that we can control and cannot control.
TCM: How you see her relationships with others?
GD: Dais is highly intelligent and knows what to say to get her way with
brute strength to back up her words. She respects Faisal (in her own way)
and has her own ideas about everyone else on the ship.
TCM: What do you bring to your performance to make Dais come to life?
GD: Well, I bring Gina :) I am who I am and that is who I bring. Not sure
how else to answer this one.
TCM: What are your thoughts on the various ongoing storylines?
GD: Brian is a genius writer and his scripts are desirable to work with.
27
TCM: What do you do to prepare for a scene?
GD: For Helena (everyone I work on seems to be a
little different) I read over the entire script, then I
read my part several times. I see what is going on
and where I have been coming from and where I
am going. I actually use Ivanna Chubbuck's ideas
along with Amy Lyndon's technique and there you
have it. I ask a lot of questions when I get on set so
I know what is going on in each scene if I haven't
figured it fully out on my own.
TCM: How would you like Dais to change and
evolve over the course of the series?
GD: I think Dais wants to be more open but needs a
reason to do so. I actually know Dais is in able
hands with the creators so I will leave that up to
them!
TCM: If you weren't playing Dais, which Odyssey
character would you like to portray?
GD: I wouldn't want to play someone elses'
character. I would want something new created.
TCM: What draws you to this character?
GD: I enjoy the storyline, script, the people I work
with when I am on set, everything about it.
TCM: Do you focus just on your series, or do you
keep updated with the story-lines in your series'
sister shows?
GD: I have been focused on the Helena :)
TCM: How did you get involved with Hidden
Frontier?
GD: They had an audition post on one of the acting
websites and I sent in my info!
TCM: What is your own experience with 'canon'
Star Trek?
GD: My sister watched the Star Trek series when
we were little and if I remember correctly, she
thought that Patrick Stewart was hot :)~
28
HERE ALEX MATTHEWS TAKES A
LOOK BACK AT THE FIRST
SEASON OF THE SISTER SERIES
TO STAR TREK ODYSSEY, STAR
TREK THE HELENA CHRONICLES.
Several months after the general announcement
of Star Trek: Odyssey, rumours started to fly
around the Hidden Frontier forums boards about
a sister series, which would pick up the story of
the former Briar Patch. Eventually the new spin-
off, The Helena Chronicles, was confirmed,
focusing on the Starship Helena, one of the
support ships during the last years of HF's run.
She would be under the command of Theresa
Faisel, who has served as the XO under her
former commander, HF regular Tolian Naros,
and her supporting staff would include former
HF regular Jorian Dao, as well as former
recurring character Artim Ibanya, alongside new
and original characters. It was also announced
that JT Tepnapa, known for his portrayal of
Corey Aster, would also be in this new show, but
it wasn’t clear as to what role he would be
playing. Given the ambiguous nature of Aster's
fate at the end of “Iliad”, it was not clear if he
would return as Aster, or like co-star Adam
Browne's role in Odyssey, play a new role,
especially since no promotion pictures of him
were released. It wasn’t until production
pictures were released that we discovered he
would be playing Aster once again.
One plot point was made clear as the show
neared its premiere – this would not simply be a
spin-off, but a true sister series to Odyssey,
following the effects that the Archein invasion
had on the Alpha Quadrant, and how the loss of
the Odyssey affected those left behind. One of
the more well known promotional angles the
show had was an image of the Renaissance-class
starship, with a skull-and-crossbones
superimposed over it, along with the tag “How
far would you go for your friends?” suggesting
that perhaps the crews efforts to help their
stranded comrades would go beyond
'acceptable' limits...
29
Episode 1x01: Sanctuary Lost
The premiere episode of the series is vastly different from that of her companion
series, Odyssey, since the necessary back story was already established in “Iliad” -
instead we get straight into the consequences of the Archein attack, which has
decimated Romulan forces. The Helena, though, has spent the last six months
pursuing a different goal – searching for Corey Aster, who was amongst those
unaccounted for during the evacuation of the Klingon vessel he had been
stationed on. Having finally recovered him from Romulan 'care', he is slowly set
on the path of recovery, both physically and mentally, although the latter may
take much longer then the former. Convinced his husband is somehow still alive
in Andromeda, he is unable to be swayed to any other line of thought, but his
friends worry for his sanity is pushed aside when the Helena is diverted to a
scientific station, Sanctuary Outpost. Essentially a nature preserve for the
botanical lifeforms indigenous to the Patch, the facility is designed to provide
them with the necessary conditions to allow to survive with the dispersal of the
Patch gases. However the technology that enables this can also be harnessed as a
weapon, so Helena is sent to secure the station, which has been out of contact.
Finding the station damaged, and with the remains of bodies, the investigation
reveals a shocking discovery into not one but two species of space born lifeforms,
one that was drawn to the energy type produced by the station, while the other
is drawn to the lifeforms themselves. Helena finds itself in the middle of a battle
of the food chain, and is forced to destroy the predator before it can wreck havoc
throughout the former Patch area. Evidence also arises that this predator may
not be the 'top dog', but rather just one rung of the chain, and that other, nastier
creatures may be laying in wait though-out the sector.
The fight with the predator also has another unexpected effect, when Aster is
knocked unconscious, and experiences a vision of his husband, which leaves a
physical remnant in the form of a scar on his hand, which he becomes convinced
is a sign of Ro's existence, as well as a clue to his whereabouts.
The plotline of this episode harkens back
to the days of TNG, where the Enterprise
crew encountered several space-born
entities, something that Hidden Frontier
never addressed during its seven-year
run. The idea that the dissolution of the
Patch gases had this kind of unforeseen
side effect is a stroke of genius on writer
Brian Matthew's part, as it links to the
idea of how certain animals on Earth are
losing their own feeding habitats to the
continued growth of the human race. The
CGI used to bring both the 'minnows' and
'squid' to reality are amazing, and do the
script justice without looking at all
cheesy, except for the end moment when
the squid is destroyed by a photon
torpedo, and real goo goes flying
everywhere – in my opinion, that was a
bit too comedic as all it lacked was a shot
of it splattering over the Helena's hull...
Speaking of comedic, despite the
seriousness of Aster's seeming loss, it
seems that there are at times
inappropriate character moments, such
as Chief Engineer Rockney's obsessive
affection for his ship, and CMO Dr. Ness's
habit of self-experimentation – it pulls
away from the moments of genuine
emotional trauma. This is the first time
we have seen the crew of the Helena
explored, aside from the characters of
Faisel and Dao, and it seems that they
are just walking eccentricities.
Another note is the sheer amount of
technobabble this episode has, which is
not normally something I would complain
about, but in this case, many a viewer
may get lost in the various moments that
deal with scientific minutia. When the
crew realise just what they are up
against, I felt lost and did not understand
the significance of what we had just been
shown until it was spelt out.
30
Episode 1x02: Obsessions
Following on from the events of “Sanctuary
Lost”, this episode addresses just how
distanced Aster has become from his
friends, due to his unwavering belief that
not only Nevin is still alive, but of his vision
and the resulting scar. Unfortunately, his
determination to prove himself correct
leads to him taking unnecessary risks with
his own safety, leading to Dr. Ness
recommending the young man is put under
psychiatric care. But talks with both his
friends, and his newly appointed counsellor,
Lieutenant Heta'an, does nothing to
convince him of the error of his ways – in
fact, it is his friends who become more
convinced of the veracity of his claims. Of
course, having a counsellor who may be
aligned with Section 31 may prove to be
detrimental to Aster's mental health as it is.
When Jorian and the visiting Robin Lefler
manage to find tangible proof that the
pattern of the scar corresponds to an
Andromedan constellation, they are not
only able to bring Faisel into their
confidence, but Admiral Knapp as well, who
authorises the release of Omega-related
technical data. But their efforts to using
Omega bring them into contact with
Caelano, a merchant-pirate, when they
need to secure a thalaron generator in
order to properly power the device. Security
Chief Dias agrees to act as a diversion when
the payment Caelano specifies is declared
too dangerous for her to have, and the
Helena crew, the majority of them unaware
their commanding officers are working
strictly off-the-books, quickly manage to
anger the merchant-pirate. Her revenge
results in the arrest of Admiral Knapp when
his role in the scheme is uncovered, and
Admiral Rand orders the Helena to
surrender, an order Faisel refuses to obey,
ultimately turning her unknowing crew into
fugitives.
It is with this episode we finally begin to get to the crux of the idea behind
Helena Chronicles – just how far will Faisal and Dao go to help Aster
reunite with his lost love, Penelope to Ro's Odysseus. The doubts that his
friends have for the veracity of his visions are understandable, since Dao is
naturally scientifically minded and Faisal hasn't known him as long as
others, so to see Lefler as his only ally makes perfect sense. It is nice to
see the two characters being friends again, instead of banging heads as
they did during the early days of Season Seven of HF, and she is perfect to
bridge the gap between whatever psychic ability it is Aster has, and Dao's
analytical thinking.
The character of Caelano is refreshingly 'evil' for lack of a better word,
someone who will do what she wants when she wants, and those who
dare cross her are risking much, as the Helena crew discover when she not
only spills the beans to Starfleet Command on what they are planning, but
also revealing Jorian's secret nature as a illegally joined Trill.
But I am disappointed in how this story is panning out. As much as I can
understand both Faisal and Dao's desire to help their friend, they have
forgotten the first rule of a commander – to watch out for the people
under their command. Their actions have not only condemned them and
their careers, but also those who serve under them. Rand made it clear
she held the entire crew in contempt, and Faisal's pitiful attempt to
maintain a degree of secrecy by 'clearing the bridge' was laughable – if
that doesn't get the attention of her crew as to the illegal nature of the
mission, then the crew deserves to be punished.
31
Episode 1x03: The Letter Of The Law
Starfleet versus Starfleet: that is the main angle of the season finale of Helena
Chronicles, as Faisel and her small group of collaborators, intent on securing
the means to test their new Omega-powered drive and embark on a rescue
effort to Andromeda, while maintaining their distance from the task-force
that has been sent after them. The Legacy, under the command of Captain
Joseph Johns, is forced to relinquish command of the fleet to Captain
Benjamin Maxwell of the USS Phoenix, something he is not happy with, given
the man's rather 'colourful' past. Meanwhile, Helena visits a Ferengi mining
facility to procure an ore they need for the Omega reactor, but find
themselves sold out to their old foe Caelano, although they manage to slip
away from her clutches once again. In fact, everything seems to be going in
the Helena's favour, even when Ness and Rockney begin to put the pieces
together and realise they are not being told everything, and that the mission
may not be on the up and up. But their good luck gives way dramatically to
tragic consequences when the shuttle testing their Omega-core self
destructs, killing Lefler, and destroying subspace across almost an entire
sector, as the shockwave pushes the Helena to who-knows-where...
Bringing in the pariah that is Benjamin Maxwell was an inspired idea by series
writer Brian Matthews, as well as placing him alongside long time HF
supporting character Joseph John, reintroduced as the commander of the USS
Legacy in the previous episode. We also get to see more the original design of
the Legacy-class vessel in this episode, after its introduction in the previous
episode, as it serves alongside the now totally refit Starship Phoenix.
Maxwell's Nebula-class explorer seems to have been converted into a
dreadnought, with a rollbar added onto the sensor pod, alongside extra
torpedo banks, as well as phaser cannons mounted near the bridge, akin to
the original Galaxy-III design. Tom Bulmer brings new life to a character we
haven’t heard from since his original episode in Season Three TNG, and it was
nice to see he hadn't lost his edge, although one scene did have a production
blooper. The Son'a facility's work prevents warp travel unless they power
down – so how had Maxwell's task force gotten so close to them beforehand
– 3 light-years on impulse is quite a LONG trip. Still, I look forward to seeing
what Maxwell may bring to the 2nd
season, alongside his new counsellor
Heta'an, whose true loyalty to Section 31 means she is under orders to
preserve Omega.
HF productions is no stranger to the idea of
killing a character off, having killed not one
but two of its major characters in its series
finale, but personally I was completely
underwhelmed by the death of Robin
Lefler. It has such potential, since she was
not just a regular for the entire run of HF,
but also a proper canon character they
took and modelled into the loyal friend to
Aster and brilliant engineer she became. I
was let in on the secret that was the plan
to have Robin die in this episode several
months ago, so I could prepare a fitting
tribute video for the character at the
request of Rob Caves, so perhaps this is
why I feel that way. I feel her death would
have been more poignant if she had gone
out with more of a 'sacrificing for the
greater good' death, instead of being
simple collateral damage to a failed
experiment – it made her death
meaningless, and Robin deserved better.
Of course, this may just be the point, as it
will surely haunt Faisal, and could very well
lead to Aster's fragile psyche taking an
even worse blow.
Speaking of Faisal, I again question her
command decisions, even before it cost
Robin Lefler her life and sent the Helena
off to who-knows-where. The majority of
her crew have no idea what they are
involved in, although I am happy (so to
speak) that Artim is now in the loop – as a
former Excelsior officer, he has a vested
interest in the safety of the Odyssey
himself. Seeing Rockney stand by his
captain, even if he doesn't know the full
details was a surprise, considering his only
loyalty thus far has been to the Helena
herself. But Ness obviously has his doubts,
and is growing more suspicious of the
actions of his captain, despite the loss of
Rockney as an ally, and is adamant all this
work is detrimental to the welfare of Aster.
Melodee Spevack is a delight to watch as
Caelano, as she pursues the Helena, but
her scenes did seem somewhat
superfluous in the end, and despite the
threat she could have presented, she has
no involvement in the final tragedy, which
would have shown Faisal just what crossing
her has cost her. Instead, she is merely a
footnote in the story, but I hope to see her
again in Season Two.
32
With the heavy production schedule HF Productions undertakes, filming not one but three separate series, and this has the
effect of limiting the amount of episode per series they produce. The Helena Chronicles is designed to not just compliment
Odyssey, but also flesh out new characters and follow the development of older ones, but at only 3 episodes length, it
more deserves the designation of 'mini-series'. In fact, considering that “Sanctuary Lost” does not contribute much to the
overall arch of the Helena going rogue, aside from an initial introduction of the characters, it could very well have all been
condensed into a “Operation: Beta Shield” type movie, that could have been explored by a series afterwards. Alternately,
the series had been longer, we could have spent more time getting to know the newer characters, seeing them forge closer
bonds that Faisal's decision would weaken. We could also have explored the idea that Section 31 is interested in what
Helena was trying to achieve, and how Heta'an, who secretly wants Omega for her superiors, could have manipulated Aster
into the path he chose.
All these questions and doubts aside, I look forward to Season 2, as it does have a lot of new loose end to tie of, as the hunt
for the Helena intensifies and the crew deal with the ramifications of what their captain has lead them into. Does the loose
of Robin somehow tie into the vision the Prophets sent Ro in Odyssey, and how will Corey deal with the fact that he killed
his beloved friend? Will Ness and Rockney continue to stand by and do nothing after the disastrous Omega test, and what
will that do to the morale and support of the remaining collaborators? Just how far will Faisal and Dao continue to go now
they really have nothing left to lose?~
33
JT TEPNAPA TALKS DIRECTLY TO
TCM ABOUT HOW HIS
CHARACTER COREY ASTER HAS
DEVELOPED SINCE THE END OF
STAR TREK HIDDEN FRONTIER.
TCM: How do you see Aster as a person?
JT: I see Corey as an incurable romantic
that once he has his heart set on
someone it’s hard to let the person go. In
the course of 8 years, Corey has only had
a few relationships. But his true love was
always Ro Nevin. Like all Starfleet
officers, he’s a workaholic, a
perfectionist, and he doesn’t like to take
no for an answer.
TCM: What inspires him?
JT: People and technology inspire Aster. I
think that’s why he went into Starfleet to
begin with. Part of it was to escape his
past, but an even stronger part was to
reach out to people. He is an orphan and
the only family he has is his fellow
officers. Together they are able to be on
the cutting edge of technology and
create new things for the betterment of
humankind. I saw humankind, as in
humanoid, because I think Aster
probably gets along better with alien
races than his own.
TCM: What do you bring to your performance to make Aster come to life?
JT: Aster contains the extremes of my personality. I look up to Aster. He’s
extremely intelligent. He knows how to make a successful relationships and
he’s career motivated. I try to tap into pieces of my own personality to make
Aster more real. I’m happy to say that in the 8 years I’ve been portraying this
character, I’m coming closer to his success. Although Aster will always be
several steps ahead of me; he’s the enlightened J.T.
TCM: What are your thoughts on the various ongoing storylines?
JT: I love the new storyline. Aster’s perfect world is being challenged. He’s lost
the love of his life. He is losing his career. And now with recent events from
the episode “Letter of the Law”, he may lose his mind for a time. So maybe
Aster isn’t so perfect after all. It’s nice to see the shift in his storyline.
TCM: What do you do to prepare for a scene?
JT: To be honest, not much. I like to write out my lines on paper several times.
I also act out my lines a bit with my husband, Adam Browne. I’ve been playing
this character for years, so he doesn’t need a lot of prep time. In the beginning
I wrote out a backstory to Corey, I traced his origins and I obsessed on
everything he would say. But I’ve grown comfortable with him. I don’t need to
work as hard as I might if I were to take on a new character.
35
TCM: Compared to the direction your character took in Hidden Frontier, how would you
like to see them change and evolve of the course of this series?
JT: Well, I pretty much know how my character will evolve. I don’t want to give
anything away. Let me just say it’s all new territory. And I’m happy to go there. At this
point, I’m just enjoying the rollercoaster!
TCM: If you weren't playing Aster, which Helena or Odyssey character would you like to
portray?
JT: I would love to play a villain! I’ve been asking to play one for years, but I think
people are so use to my Corey, they can’t see me as evil. I can be evil! Seriously! I could
totally do it. Some of my best friends think I’m a total jerk at time!
TCM: What drew you to this character?
JT: Frankly, It’s because Aster is gay. Although it shouldn’t matter in the 24th
century, it
does matter in the 21st
century. He has been the single most controversial character on
Hidden Frontier. Aster has always been gay. He never questioned his sexuality. I felt he
represents many gay sci-fi fans out there that just wanted to be part of the fandom. I
think he adds a special voice to Star Trek. I have received heartfelt fan mail from gay
fans around the world expressing their joy at finally seeing characters representing
them. People have even been able to come out of the closet because of watching our
characters come out and express their love. That’s just awesome! It’s sometimes a bit
overwhelming that a webseries can make such large impact on someone’s life.
TCM: Do you focus just on your series, or do you keep updated with the story-lines in
your series' sister shows?
JT: I really consider it one show in several parts. They exist together. Besides, my
“movie husband” is the other storyline! I better pay attention. I consider myself the
“Penelope” to Ro’s Odyssey.
TCM: How did you get involved with Hidden Frontier?
JT: Before there was even a Hidden Frontier, I did a pilot episode called “Q in the Dark”
with the Star Trek fan club, USS Angeles. Rob was branching out and finding actors to
fill out supplemental roles. I think it was even that far back he had in mind for Corey
Aster to be a gay character. Years later Rob took that episode and recut it into a second
season of Hidden Frontier called “In Memory Of”.
TCM: What is your own experience with 'canon' Star Trek?
JT: I grew up on Star Trek. My mom was a huge Star Trek fan. Her favorite characters
were Spock and Sulu. So I was a natural sci-fi fan. I’ve loved all the incarnations of Star
Trek. My favorite being Voyager and the last season of Enterprise finally got some good
storylines.
TCM: What other projects do you have going on?
JT: Right now I’m doing double duty, not only am I playing Corey Aster on Star Trek
Helena Chronicles, but also once a year I head to the east coast to play Lt. Cmdr Sulu on
Star Trek Phase 2. Outside of Trek, I write and direct my own gay movies. My latest
project is a gay fantasy piece. It’s a bit like Twilight Zone meets A Christmas Carol. You
can check it out at judaskissmovie.com~
36
HERE TCM TALKS TO AARON
LEDDICK ABOUT HIS YEAR AS TAM
ENSI IN STAR TREK FEDERATION
ONE.
TCM: How do you see Tam as a person?
AL: I am still in a growing stage with him,
trying to flush out this individual. He is
certainly an observer. With the empathy
abilities comes a lifetime of studying,
watching others handle themselves. I think
Tam has a quiet confidence that is just
beginning to take shape.
TCM: What inspires him?
AL: Accomplishment. Solving problems.
Being press secretary, Tam runs into many
“sticky” situations that require quick strong
choices. His job is to make the right choices
as quickly as possible, so there can’t be too
much hesitation. The press meeting in
episode 1 was a situation Tam would have
nightmares about. Thrown out to the wolves
(the press) with little information to present,
and certainly no substance to back up what
he has to say. The ultimate humiliation
comes when the president steps in. That
stings because he desires to do a great job,
and that was far from it.
TCM: How you see their relationships with
others?
AL: I think Tam is friendly with everyone on a
surface and professional level, but at this
point I don’t think he hangs out too much
with the co-workers outside of the job. I
don’t know that others think about him too
much. Good or bad. I feel like Tam’s time is
coming.
TCM: What do you bring to your performance to make Tam come to life?
AL: There’s the old saying that you’re stuck with the character, but the
character is also stuck with you. I lead with a boyish charm, so
incorporating that with Ensi is just going to happen naturally. Since I’m
playing Tam, I see him as the new young guy coming into the fold. If an
older actor were playing this part, it would be a different story. In order
to bring this character to life, I look for opportunities to portray the
struggle between stepping up to accomplish the job at hand and the
insecurity that comes with being new and a little uncertain of one’s place.
TCM: What are your thoughts on the various ongoing storylines?
AL: Obviously, I’m curious to see where things go with Ensi. I’m waiting
for Kaart and McCabe to actually get in a fist-fight. That would be
exciting! Vindenpawl has had a rough go of things as president. I can’t
imagine how difficult that job would be in real life. I think at some point
she is going to fail, give up, or be removed. I’m sure you guys have that
one covered, but I expect some major shake ups to occur in the near
future. Maybe Ensi will be president! Ha! Just kidding. I like how
storylines connect among the different shows, and I am anxious to see
that occur with the Fed. 1 crew popping up elsewhere.
37
TCM: What do you do to prepare for a scene?
AL: It starts with memorizing the lines. That’s somewhat
important. Next, I try to get as much information about the
scene, the characters, and where the story is going from
there. Then I play with the scene, searching for alternative
choices that will make my performance more alive and real
for me. If I can find a certain level of truth in what I’m doing,
then I think it has a good shot of coming across to the
audience.
TCM: How would you like Tam to change and evolve over the
course of the series?
AL: As I’ve discussed earlier, I would like to see the more
confident side begin to take over. It’s happened a little in
episode 2, but there is plenty of room for growth. I want Tam
to be more of a leader down the line. Perhaps there’s also a
lady in his future…
TCM: If you weren't playing Tam, which Federation-One
character would you like to portray?
AL: McCabe! Not just because he’s the lead.
TCM: What draws you to this character?
AL: He gets to do all the fun stuff like confront the other
characters. He’s a fighter and he’s passionate. It’s hard not
to be drawn to that. He’s a lot of things Ensi (and Aaron)
desire to be.
TCM: Do you focus just on your series, or do you keep
updated with the story-lines in your series' sister shows?
AL: I enjoy checking in on what my good friend Sharon Savene
is doing over at Helena Chronicles.
TCM: How did you get involved with Hidden Frontier?
AL: I’ve been friends with Sharon for several years now, and
she asked if I wanted to be a part of this web series. I replied
with a very excited yes. It’s been a blast too. I can’t wait to
work on more and new projects with Rob and the crew.
TCM: What is your own experience with 'canon' Star Trek?
AL: Before all this, I had seen the original movie and
“Generations” with Patrick Stewart. I probably had seen
about five episodes of the entire thing. When I was told my
character was a betazoid, I had to look up what that even
meant. I am learning more and more about this world,
universe rather, and it is fascinating. I am still a Star Trek
newbie, but that just means I have plenty of room to grow.~
38
JACQUES FREYDONT TALKS TO
TCM ABOUT HIS CHARACTER
KARRT FROM STAR TREK
FEDERATION ONE.
TCM: How do you see Kaart as person?
JF: Kaart has a fruitful mind and a
flexible conscience, both in full service
of what he thinks is right. Work is all he
knows. He has never explored his own
emotions, and considers introspection
navel gazing.
TCM: What inspires him?
JF: He is dedicated to Vindenpawl above
all else, and would die for her. He loves
her brilliance, her diplomatic and
strategic skills.
TCM: How you see their relationships
with others?
JF: He is not interested in or talented at
personal relations. People have duties,
and he is most interested in how they
perform those duties and how the
behaviors of others impact his goal:
maintaining Vindenpawl’s pre-
eminence.
TCM: What do you bring to your
performance to make Kaart come to
life?
JF: In my previous life, I was a cooperate
executive, never a CEO, always a
number 2, behind the scenes advisor to
my bosses. I understand Kaart’s view of
his purpose in the world and his
unflagging commitment to service that
purpose.
TCM: What are your thoughts on the various ongoing storylines?
JF: I like the McCabe-Onshul team and I hope full romance blooms. I see no
reason to explore “the pod explosion”. What’s done is done, let’s move on.
Long live the new president!
TCM: What do you do to prepare for a scene?
JF: I use emotional memory. I think back to my own days as a person w/ power
over the lives of others, and remember how I felt as I manipulated employees,
bosses, vendors and the university leaders.
TCM: How would you like Kaart to change and evolve over the course of the
series?
JF: I would like to gain more power, use it for the good of the Federation. He
will be willing to do the moral dirty work that might not be pretty to watch, but
which the Federation needs. He is on the side of good, but will fight dirty to
defend that good. I hope that Star Fleet will come to appreciate his worth even
if they always dislike his person and his bad breath.
39
TCM: If you weren't playing Kaart, which Federation-
One character would you like to portray?
JF: I don’t know of another character in particular, but I
would like to play a Cardassian. I like that they are at
once sensitive and unscrupulous.
TCM: What draws you to this character?
JF: Again, the similarity w/ my own position in the
working world: I think he is competent, selfless and
intelligent. I love his moral ambiguity.
TCM: Do you focus just on your series, or do you keep
updated with the story-lines in your series' sister
shows?
JF: I have watched some of the other shows, but I’m
very busy with theater this year and have not given
them the time they deserve. I will.
TCM: How did you get involved with Hidden Frontier?
JF: Audition off a breakout from Now Casting.
TCM: What is your own experience with 'canon' Star
Trek?
JF: I have watched the show since the beginning, many
times for the original. I kept up through the 2nd
season
of Enterprise, and then drifted away. Like many Star
Trek actors, I also do a lot of Shakespeare. Both worlds
are based on honor and duty. I think life is based on
these ideals too, but we don’t notice in today’s world.
Loving and knowing Shakespeare and Star Trek helped
me get through life with those ancient virtues as my
load stars.~
40
HERE ALEX MATTHEWS
LOOKS BACK AT THE FIRST
SEASON OF STAR TREK
FEDERATION ONE.
Shortly after Operation: Beta Shield was
announced, it was followed up by the news
that this HF/Intrepid feature-length
crossover would also act as a stepping stone
for another HF Productions spin-off, called
“Federation-One”. It would star several HF
alumni, including Wayne Webb continuing
his well received portrayal of Lt.
Commander Matt McCabe, chief of security
of Excelsior, as well as Rebecca Wood, who
would bring back one of her more
underdeveloped characters, President
Vindenpawl of Vreijheid.
Speculation soon started on just what the
focus of the show would be, since it
involved a politician as a major character,
and how McCabe would deal with his
disdain for her. There was also the cryptic
title, which lead to several fans commenting
on the likeness to “Air Force One”, the call
sign assigned to planes carrying the
President of the United States.
When O:BS premiered, it soon set the scene
for what the series would be about,
following Vindenpawl on her own personal
journey as acting-President of the United
Federation of Planets, onboard the
presidential transport, the Diplomat-class
Federation-One. McCabe, having been
assigned as Head of Presidential Security,
carries with him not only the desire to
discover who assassinated Vindenpawl's
predecessor, but also his intense
dissatisfaction that someone like her now
runs the Federation. Vindenpawl and
McCabe's past history and their antagonistic
relationship promises to bring something
different that the other series lack –
consistent interaction between a hero and a
villain, as they try to work out each others
agenda.
Episode 1x01: Unity
Picking up only a short time from the end of O:BS, Federation-One
rendezvous’ with Excelsior, as Commodore Shelby continues leading the
allied task-force in Romulan Space. Vindenpawl receives a situation briefing
in person, cutting out the middle man, much to Shelby's surprise, and any
time McCabe wished to spend with his former CO is curtailed by Kaart,
Vindenpawl's chief of staff.
Put in charge of an independent investigation into the death of President
Se'Fron, McCabe is assigned a young Vreijheidian woman, Mara Onshul, as
an assistant to the investigation, and is initially distrustful, believing her to be
Vreijheid Security. But Mara, formally assigned as a Science Intern, soon wins
him over, especially when she agrees that Kaart has bad breath.
Unfortunately, McCabe's first task for her is to act as a decoy onboard the
new diplomatic module, so the sensors read a Vreijheidian female onboard,
while Vindenpawl beams down to Romulus to meet Praetor Yeshva.
The meeting, to propose a joint effort in constructing and manning a
starbase inside Romulan space, in order to shorten supply lines for the fleet,
goes in Vindenpawl's favour, as she sweet-talks her recently promoted
Romulan counterpart, but Yeshva does not agree completely, leaving the
topic open for now.
41
Focusing on the investigation, Mara and McCabe look over several sensor logs that
were conveniently not confiscated by Starfleet Intelligence, and find evidence that
may suggest sabotage but nothing concrete. They also argue about their opposing
views regarding Vindenpawl, with McCabe not willing to give her any leeway,
whereas Mara supports her, having seen the good she believes she has done to
Vreijheid. Leaving her more fresh eyes to look over the data, McCabe visits the ship's
lounge, and meets Tam Ensi, the Presidential Press Secretary. The two men bond
over a mutual dislike of Kaart, but McCabe is soon called away by a message from
Shelby. She contacts him ostensibly to recommend boosting the ship's long range
sensors, while Excelsior undergo a diagnostic, but also mentions focusing them on
the local asteroid belt, which peaks the security chief's interest.
Unofficially taking a shuttle, he and Mara run a scan on the area, and discover
something emitting a signal, but after beaming it aboard, they are detained by the
arrival of the Avenger-class USS Vigilant. Thankfully, Mara is able to not only bluff
their way out of trouble, but also secrete the data core of the device somewhere safe
and smuggle it back aboard Federation-One. McCabe receives a slight verbal
reprimand for going behind everyone's back, but the fact that the data-core shows
Se'Fron's module was infected by a Romulan adaptive virus shows he WAS
assassinated. However, McCabe doubts the Romulans themselves would be
responsible, although Kaart contests they may do so as a show of force, given the
previous Section 31 presence on Romulus. Unfortunately, McCabe is not allowed to
continue with his own analysis, since the data-core is the rightful property of
Starfleet Intelligence. Once the meeting is dismissed though, Vindenpawl and Kaart
share a sense of worry on this new discovery.
A meeting with Admiral Selek, the Commander-in-Chief of Starfleet, not only informs
McCabe that the virus is of Tal Shiar lineage, but also provides him with an idea, in
order to get more information. Piggy-backing a transmission through Starbase 395's
comm array, McCabe calls Korg, ad asks for the former general's help. Korg, although
cautious in his advice, sends McCabe details on a Tal Shair agent who may be able to
help, and promises to call if any new information comes his way. Mara, however, is
angry at being pulled into the thickening plot, and refuses to go any further, even
though McCabe argues she is already involved. Their argument is halted when
McCabe is alerted to an unscheduled press conference which is starting very soon. He
angrily interrupts a meeting between Vindenpawl and her Secretary for the Exterior,
Margaret McGowan, neither of who know anything about the conference. They race
down to the Press Deck, and as Tam begins to address the crowd with the
information Kaart has provided, Vindenpawl quickly interrupts, taking control of the
conference, and saving face. She also manages to give McCabe another two days to
follow up on his leads, so he heads out to a meeting with Decius, the informant Korg
provided. The agent explains that although the Tal Shiar did not assassinate Se'Fron,
they were involved, as they traded their adaptive virus for weapons to fight the
Archein, although he doesn't tell McCabe just who the arms dealer was, leaving that
for the security chief to figure out for himself. He also leaves a parting gift – a flask of
Romulan ale, with a datachip inside!
Vindenpawl, however, is not impressed in the slightest, even though the datachip
shows the Orion Syndicate was the arms dealer. But she has more important matters
to tend to, with the arrival of Praetor Yeshva. Here, Vindenpawl shows she is not to
be trifled with, and strikes a deal with the Praetor, using the fact that they traded
weapons to force her hand. Handing over a list of Tal Shair operatives whose covers
have been blown, unknown to their superiors, Vindenpawl suggests allowing those
named to be blamed for the death of Se'Fron, acting renegade from their
government, in order to close the investigation, and save Romulus' political face. But
Vindenpawl also demands a concession for joining in with the lie – granting
permission for the supply starbase to be constructed. With no other choice, Yeshva
acquiesces, allowing Vindenpawl to push her own agenda a little further.
42
Episode 2: “Institutions” Mara and McCabe share a rather intimate
moment as he helps her refine her phaser
skills, but the mood is ruined when she
reveals that, with the investigation into
Se'Fron's death closed, her assignment has
been terminated, and she will be leaving
Federation-One within a few days. They both
try to make light of it, but after she leaves,
McCabe's mind is obviously not on his own
phaser practise.
Vindenpawl is in a meeting with Kaart,
McGowan and Ensi regarding the Son'a and
the reformation of the borders, but the topic
soon turns to the imminent “State of the
Federation” address. Her speechwriter, a
bumbling sycophant on the verge of puppy-
love with the President, promises to deliver a
speech that will get everyone's attention.
Before dismissing the meeting, another
matter is raised, which unnerves everyone –
there is a leak in the Presidential office, who
passed information that has allowed one of
Vindenpawl's political rivals to criticise a plan
of action she has yet to propose.
McCabe is offered a First Officer position
onboard one of the ship's in the defence fleet
by Commodore Shelby, but he is hesitant to
accept it, even though Shelby reminds him
that with the Romulans claiming
responsibility for Se'Fron's assassination, he
has no reason to stay. McCabe's
dissatisfaction with his assignment is
increased even more when Vindenpawl
assigns him to identify the information leak.
He has no interest in the politics, until she
makes it clear that it goes hand in hand with
heading her security.
Federation-One arrives at the newly
constructed Unity Station, but McCabe is
busy with interviews of possible suspects for
the information leak, starting with Broddik
the speechwriter, whose opinion of
Vindenpawl is diametrically opposed to
McCabe's. Finishing the interview up, he
manages to catch Mara just before she
disembarks, and gives her a going away
present, but asks her not to open until she is
secured on her way home. Mara herself has
just finished arguing with her betrothed over
subspace, who reminds her of the sacrifices
he has made for their relationship, and
expects her to place their marriage first.
During a press conference held by Ensi, it comes to light that Vindenpawl's
rival has not been invited to an important official function, and Ensi bears
the brunt of Kaart's anger at this basic slip-up. Ensi defends himself,
pointing out that he was one of several not invited, and the press are the
ones making the situation appear worse than it is. He recommends a
calmer plan, not to antagonise the situation further, but begin damage
control. Their meeting is interrupted by McCabe, and once Ensi leaves, he
reveals he has figured out that Kaart leaked the information, but because
of a loophole, can get away with it. Kaart even admits it was Vindenpawl's
idea, as it helped flush out her rival, and show he intends to run in any
special election that will be held to bring in a voted for president, instead
of a pro-tempa one like Vindenpawl.
In a briefing, Tam offers to resign, but Vindenpawl won’t hear of it, since it
was just a party, and she applauds and approves his suggestion to offer the
rival the position of Secretary of Education, since it was her education
policies he was attacking. However, at the ceremony, where Vindenpawl
will deliver her Address, Kaart informs her that not only has the rival
refused the offer, but he is holding a press conference straight after her
speech. Vindenpawl mentions a story, about the futility of protesting at
something more powerful then oneself, referring to her rival as just one
man, whereas they represent something bigger then themselves.
Even though the investigation has been taken out of his hands and closed,
McCabe follows a lead that introduces him to Lt. Gwen Miller, an engineer
assigned to Unity Station. Having noticed that several Romulan ships have
arrived with heavy machinery, he crosschecks logs with the lieutenant's
activity. It soon shows that the deflector has been reconfigured to harness
gravitons in a way it was not designed for. Contacting Mara, who has
discovered it was a phaser McCabe gave her as a going away present,
McCabe uses her as a sounding board, as he pokes holes in the theory that
rogue Tal Shiar agents assassinated Se'Fron. He then gets a call from
Shelby, who is returning a request from him, and after a little flattery, asks
her for a favour only a Commodore can grant.
43
Arriving at Earth, Vindenpawl continues to deal with the fallout from her rival's actions, but there is a silver lining to her
troubles, as she confirms McCabe's reassignment of the ship. He is being sent back to Earth for 'further training and review',
and both of them take enjoyment and being rid of the other. However, unknown to Vindenpawl, this is just a cover arranged
by Shelby to allow him to move more freely to track a connection he has figured out. He has realised that by tracking the
purchase of the subspace weapons the Empire has purchase, he might also find those who sold the adaptive program used
to trigger the destruction of Se'Fron's transport. There, he can track who really arranged Se'Fron's death, since he believes it
was not the rogue Tal Shiar operatives. He is surprised though, when Mara unexpectedly arrives, and insists on
accompanying him, even if it means going straight to the site of the sale – Hell's Gate.
My first thought watching both episodes was that it was enjoyable to see Rebecca Wood and Wayne Webb playing against
each other as Vindenpawl and McCabe, their mutual animosity only glimpsed at by the end of O:BS. The two light up the
screen when they share it, and have a good chemistry, as does Webb and Heather Ashleigh, formerly Silan of Hidden
Frontier, and now Mara Onshul. It is also nice to see storylines that are outside of the Odyssey/Helena arc, and the
continuing life of characters outside that storyline, and how life in the Federation continues forward.
We also meet several other new characters, such as Margaret McGowan, portrayed wonderfully by HF alumni Barbara
Clifford, returning for the first time since her previous character, Counsellor Elbrey, died in the HF finale. Tam Ensi, the Press
Secretary is brought to life by Aaron Leddick, who brings a boyish charm to the role, giving McCabe to joke around with,
while also standing up for himself, as demonstrated by not being intimidated by Kaart. Jacques Freydont was introduced
during O:BS as Vindenpawl's chief of security, who is now her Chief of Staff, and brings a delightfully more villainous
character, who can play “bad cop” to Vindenpawl's “good cop”. Finally, the cast is rounded up by Admiral Selek, played by
David O'Neill, who is usually behind the camera instead of being a lead in front. The Commander-in-Chief of Starfleet, David
brings a coolness to the character, which is important for any Vulcan, but he evokes memories of early TOS Spock, with his
dry wit.
We also meet some other supporting characters, such as Speechwriter Broddik, who I hope to see more of again, not
because I liked him, but because I didn't. I thought he was annoying, sycophantic and an excellent comedy moment,
especially with some of the praise he gives Vindenpawl and the way she responds.
44
The plot carries on from where O:BS left off, as McCabe deals with
being in the lion's den, as he works to figure out how Se'Fron was killed,
and by whom, as he also must contend with Vindenpawl's affect on the
Federation. We also get to see how skilled Vindenpawl is in the political
game or outmanoeuvring and one-upmanship, as she is explored
further then she got the chance in her two appearance in Hidden
Frontier.
However, I find that calling this a “season” is far too generous, since it
only consists of 2 episodes, even shorter than the Helena Chronicles
first season. This doesn't really even constitute a mini-series, and I
wonder why it couldn't have been done as a feature length follow up to
O:BS. Considering the sheer amount of time that passed in the
premiere of Odyssey, having a little caption that says “One Month
Later” does not seem too much of a idea, to segment the two together.
Speaking of time, we again have no idea how much time has passed
since the end of 1x01, and the beginning of 1x02, but is must be a
couple of months, since Unity Station is up and running, a feat
Vindenpawl claimed would take about that amount of time in 1x01.
There is also the risk inherently involved in the manner the show exists.
It seems that Vindenpawl seems to run the Federation from Federation-
One, because we have not seen her set foot in her office in Paris – even
at the end of O:BS, instead of taking delight in that office, she is
flouncing around her transport ship. Surely having a President on a
vessel, without any significant escort until the latter half of
“Institutions” is a grossly negligent risk considering her predecessor was
killed aboard a smaller version. Starships are inherently dangerous
places, compared to the security of Earth, so why would they not keep
her planet-bound, especially since as a former planetary ruler, she is
used to that kind of life. Not only that, but it seems a large portion of
the Cabinet also travel with her, as well as the head of Starfleet – all
that is left is for someone to paint a bullseye on the hull.
Although I was able to follow the storyline, it did feel at times,
especially in “Institutions”, that it went off on unneeded tangents, like
the introduction of Gwen Miller. She seemed not only far too familiar
with a superior officer she has just met, but it seemed the information
the scene delivered could have been done in a simpler fashion, such as
McCabe reading a report aloud, or brainstorming with Mara.
Speaking of Mara, the plot attempts to flesh her out a little bit,
introducing a fiancé and a strained relationship, and forcing her to
choose between her betrothal or a friendship with McCabe.
Unfortunately, I found it difficult to care, since we have only seen them
just meet, and now she is telling him how much she has learned from
him, and going on a dangerous unofficial mission with him. Also, on a
costuming note, they changed the hairstyle of the character, with one
scene in “Unity” switching from a natural dyed look to a wig, before
switching back again (due to filming out of sequence), before keeping
the wig for “Institutions”. I felt the wig looked too fake and it ruined the
otherwise natural look of the Vreijheidian make-up.
With the second “season” comprising mostly of audios, I hope, as I said
with Helena Chronicles, that perhaps we will be given glimpses into the
past, filling in the gaps between the two episodes, so we understand
just how close Mara and McCabe grew, and spend some more time
with the other less established characters. Given the fact that Mara was
a steadfast supporter of someone McCabe despises, it should be
explored.~
45
Star Trek Hidden Frontier has set a benchmark for a lot of Star Trek Fan Films that have followed, however
when Hidden Frontier Productions announced that they themselves were going to launch a spin-off from
Hidden Frontier, they took that benchmark and blew clear out of the water.
Star Trek Odyssey, Star Trek The Helena Chronicles and Star Trek Federation One are a huge step up from what
this group of people were producing in Hidden Frontier. With their own original theme tunes and stories they
are well and truly close to what Paramount produce and put out when they do Star Trek well.
Star Trek Odyssey took the lead in this trinity of series when the Starship Odyssey boldly went to the
Andromeda Galaxy to stave off an Archein Invasion of Romulan Space. This series has taken the well known
character of Ro Nevin and developed him way beyond the confused young man we saw in parts of Hidden
Frontier, they have then complimented that character with a whole host of new characters, in the form of
T’Lorra the Romulan, Stadi the Security Chief, Gillian the very unsure of himself Engineer and the mysterious
Doctor Vaughan. Over the course of five episodes Star Trek Odyssey has developed into a nice series that has
me hooked as to what is going to happen and this is credit to the actors and writers of the series.
Star Trek The Helena Chronicles is the second series and is a companion to Odyssey. This is probably my least
liked of all three series and most of that is because of some of the characters and not the storyline. I love Dias
and Ness, they are a new way of dealing with aliens in Star Trek and both show a lot of ability to be developed
as characters and I am looking forward to seeing where they are going to go. However I find Rockney really
annoying and at times over the top, the way he talks to the ship and even has mood lighting is almost always
pointless to the storyline and to be honest just plain stupid. As a series I like Helena and will follow it to the
series end because the characters that have got my attention I care enough about to go back and actually find
out what they are doing.
Star Trek Federation One is my favourite series out the lot and the third to come from Hidden Frontier. When
this was announced after the announcement of Operation Beta Shield I got really excited, because I am a bit of
a politic buff. Also the idea of seeing what happens in Federation Politics really interests me. I think it has
always been the one thing that I feel Paramount Trek could have dealt with a bit more and I am glad Rob and co
did. Add to that a great mix of characters from McCabe and his assistant Onshul through to Vindenpawl and
Kaart they all seem to have depth that can lack in some series. I am following this one with enthusiasm and
cannot wait to see what the outcome is.
Over all I love Hidden Frontier Productions efforts into the Star Trek universe, mainly cause it is the era I grew
up with and also the storylines are great. With that in mind I am really looking forward to seeing what more can
be produced by them in the future.
So without further ado I would like to thank the many people behind all series that come from Hidden Frontier
Productions and long may this continue.
Richard
47
ISSUE 12 OF TCM FEATURES THE NEW SERIES STAR TREK PHOENIX
FEATURING INTERVIEWS WITH ALL MAIN CAST MEMBERS AND AN
ARTICLE ABOUT THE SHOW BY EXCUTIVE PRODUCER LEO ROBERTS.
COMING SOON FOR DOWNLOAD AND VIEWING ONLINE.
ISSUE 6 OF TCM SUPPLEMENTAL TAKES A LOOK AT STAR
TREK COMMANDERS PAST A PRESENT.
FEATURING ARTICLES BY ALEX MATTHEWS AND RICHARD
MILES
COMING SOON FOR DOWNLOAD AND VIEWING ONLINE.