Rewatching the Star Trek movies! The Undiscovered Country (1991) is about the future, and yet it’s also the (mostly) final go-around for the original crew. It’s all a whodunit with cloaked ships, intense mind melds, and you-know-what for knees.

Here’s what happens: When the Klingon Star Empire loses its main energy production facility in an unprecedented accident, peace talks between the Klingons and the Federation are under way. Then there’s an assassination attempt on the Klingon ambassador and Kirk is blamed for it. While Kirk and Bones are shipped off to a Klingon prison planet, Spock and the rest of the crew seeks the real killer.

Captains Courageous: Kirk does not want this assignment, and he’s angry at Spock for vouching on his behalf. He’s mistrustful and arrogant in the face of the Klingons. But when the chips are down, Kirk steps up and does the right thing. He fights to maintain the fragile new peace with the Klingons, despite his personal feelings towards them.

Ol’ Pointy Ears: Spock gives a speech about finality, and this being his last mission aboard the Enterprise. He wants his protégé Valeris to take his place. When she’s revealed as one of the conspirators behind the murder, he reacts with outrage. He later questions his choices as his own arrogance. Kirk’s response: “Everybody’s human.” Spock’s arc across these six movies has been about accepting his non-logical human half. His doubting himself, and then his memorable final line, show us what that acceptance looks like.

Welcome aboard: There are tons of great character actors playing both Klingons and conspirators throughout the movie. My personal favorite is the Klingon judge, whose face is barely seen but whose gravelly voice is awesome. This character has no name, although I see some fans have taken to calling him “the Magistrate.” That’s too bad, because I’d hoped the judge could have shown up in some ST novel or comic.

Continuity café: Okay, why do the Klingons have bright pink blood? We all know the real reason is so the movie can maintain its PG-13 rating. Within the fiction, though, there have been several attempts to explain why the blood is pink in this movie and dark red throughout the rest of the franchise. It’s either because these are different types of Klingons, or because the blood changes depending on the Klingons’ environment.

What you leave behind: This is a great movie. First the first time since The Motion Picture, we have a fully staffed Enterprise, and we have the crew right in the center of the Federation vs. Klingon conflict, rather than off on their own. This gives the plot some big, big stakes, and it feels like what we think Trek should feel like.

Next: The generation gap.

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