REVIEW: ‘Star Trek: Short Treks,’ now available on DVD and Blu-ray

Photo: Doug Jones stars as Saru, and Hannah Spear stars as Siranna in the CBS All Access series Star Trek: Short Treks. Photo courtesy of Michael Gibson / CBS © 2018 CBS Interactive. All Rights Reserved. Provided by official site with permission.

The Star Trek renaissance overseen by Alex Kurtzman has been prolific these past few years. There’s the main flagship, Star Trek: Discovery, which is currently airing episodes from its third season on CBS All Access. Then there was the celebrated return of Patrick Stewart in Star Trek: Picard earlier this year, plus an animated series called Star Trek: Lower Decks.

Sprinkled amidst all this new sci-fi were 10 episodes of an anthology series known as Star Trek: Short Treks, which features characters and storylines from Star Trek: Discovery. These little morsels are tasty sides to the main narrative on Discovery, and a few of them actually prove pivotal to understanding larger themes and plot points. They run on average 15 minutes, and the new DVD and Blu-ray set features nine of the 10 episodes of the series (no word yet on whether more Short Treks are coming).

The first episode, called “Runaway,” centers on everyone’s favorite ensign, Sylvia Tilly (Mary Wiseman), as she deals with an unexpected and uninvited guest on the Discovery. This young woman, nicknamed Po (Yadira Guevara-Prip), is actually about to be coronated the queen back on her home planet, but she has beamed aboard the Starfleet ship for a sugar fix and some conversation. Tilly, at first, is scared and unsettled by Po’s presence, especially when she trashes the mess hall, but eventually they form a bond and mutual understanding. This short episode actually proves crucial to understanding a plot point in season two of Star Trek: Discovery. And, truth be told, when watching season two without first watching this Short Trek, Po’s presence was a real head-scratcher. So it might be a good idea for Trekkies to sprinkle some of these Short Treks in between their viewing of Discovery episodes.

“Calypso” doesn’t tie into Discovery quite so intimately, but it stands as one of the best offerings on the Short Treks DVD/Blu-ray set. Aldis Hodge plays a character named Craft, who lands on the Discovery many years after the events of the main series. In this mysterious future, the ship seems to be decommissioned and a virtual ghost town, and Craft only has Discovery’s internal computer, nicknamed Zora, to talk with and keep him company. This is a meaningful and moving two-hander that features a few beautiful moments and even a dance sequence.

One more Short Trek to detail, and that’s episode #3, an important segment to better understand the character of Saru (Doug Jones). This is the episode that many fans had been hoping for; it’s centered on Saru’s early life on the planet Kaminar. His sister, Siranna (Hannah Spear), is featured in the show, and she should be well known to Discovery fans. But the new addition is Saru’s father, Aradar (Robert Verlaque). “The Brightest Star” episode shows not only what life was like on Kaminar but also how Saru was able to break from his father, connect with Starfleet and begin his journey toward a leadership position.

Short Treks is a welcome addition to the growing Star Trek universe. These stories provide context to the greater arcs on Star Trek: Discovery, and one can see great potential for the future because there are numerous ways to connect the characters and plots across the entirety of the Trek franchise.

By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com

Star Trek: Short Treks is now available on DVD and Blu-ray. Click here for more information.