GIFT GUIDE: ‘Star Trek’ shows beam onto DVD, Blu-ray
Photo: Star Trek: Picard stars Jeri Ryan and Patrick Stewart. Photo courtesy of Aaron Epstein / CBS ©2019 CBS Interactive, Inc. All Rights Reserved / Provided by press site with permission.
The Star Trek universe has kicked into high gear with more shows than one can keep track of, which is a good thing for Trekkies and Trekkers (this reviewer counts himself among this illustrious group). Now, for the holiday season, CBS and Paramount have put out a few choice selections of the rebooted franchise on DVD and Blu-ray, ready to beam down onto a sci-fi fan’s gift list. Recent releases include season four of Star Trek: Discovery, season two of Star Trek: Picard and season two of Star Trek: Lower Decks.
One’s favorite amongst these Trek offerings is usually difficult to decipher because they can be wildly different in tone and reach (there’s also Star Trek: Prodigy and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds to choose from). For nostalgia buffs, Picard is a highlight, featuring Patrick Stewart once again as Jean-Luc Picard. In the second installment of episodes, there are some new faces and some beloved characters from Star Trek: The Next Generation, most prominent being John de Lancie’s Q. The new DVD set comes with more than 90 minutes of exclusive special features, including featurettes, a gag reel and deleted scenes.
Star Trek: Discovery is perhaps the series for those who love epic, season-to-season character arcs. The storytelling can be wobbly at times, but the characterizations are pitch-perfect. Audiences should give this series, which is arguably the heart of the Trek comeback, a chance. Sonequa Martin-Green plays — spoiler alert — Captain Michael Burnham on the show, and she’s joined by a variety of stellar actors, including Mary Wiseman, Doug Jones, Anthony Rapp, David Ajala, Blu del Barrio and Tig Notaro, among others. The DVD set bills a rather precise 104 minutes of special features, including a “Captain’s Log” feature and commentary track.
Star Trek: Lower Decks is an adult-leaning animated series that feels like a slightly tamer version of Rick & Morty. This one can take some time to appreciate, but by the end of season one, all hands are on deck. Season two keeps up the energy and features some nostalgic Trek appearances, including Jonathan Frakes and Robert Duncan McNeill — but this time in animated form. The Blu-ray set features audio commentaries and a “Lower Decktionary,” which just sounds like fun.
For years, Trekkers and Trekkies complained about the dearth of Trek on TV after the cancellation of Star Trek: Enterprise. Now, there’s almost too much Trek to watch, but ultimately in this binge-worthy world, that’s a solid position to be in — and, yes, thank you to Alex Kurtzman, the man behind this resurgence. Choose one or two shows, go slow and get to know the characters, journey from episode to episode, and fall in love again with Star Trek, the best TV franchise of all time. One day audiences will look back at these years as a necessary renaissance of Gene Roddenberry’s beloved creation.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Star Trek: Picard, Star Trek: Lower Decks and Star Trek: Discovery are now available on DVD and Blu-ray from CBS and Paramount.
