Star Trek movie rewatch! We’ve established a new timeline with a new Kirk and Spock, so where do we go now? We go… into darkness.

Here’s what happens: Starfleet is ready to demote Kirk for being too reckless, but then he’s called back to action when a rogue scientist goes on the run with a plot that endangers the entire Federation. But not everything is as it seems, and darkness is brewing deep within Starfleet.

The young captain: At its heart, this movie is about Kirk willing to violate the rules to do the right thing, while Spock sticks to rules no matter what – even at the cost of his own life. When the threat is revealed as not just one rogue scientist but a conspiracy among Starfleet, Kirk and Spock’s stances on following orders are put to the test.

Lil’ pointy ears: Don’t forget that Spock is in a relationship with Uhura in this timeline, and his hardline logic puts a strain on their relationship in this one. There’s a great scene aboard the shuttlecraft when Spock describes the ways in which he does care about life and death – and about her.

Ol’ pointy ears: Leonard Nimoy is back again, maintaining continuity with the original Trek timeline. There’s little mention as to how things are going with him rebuilding Vulcan society.

Welcome aboard: A big part of the movie’s marketing was keeping it secret just which character Benedict Cumberbatch is playing. The reveal was met by fandom with a big shrug. Cumberbatch is quite good in this, and I wish he were playing an original character rather than a nostalgia throwback.

The movie’s inciting incident has Kirk violating the Prime Directive to save Spock, allowing the primitive Nibrian aliens to see the Enterprise. It’s never been revealed what became of the Nibrians after this. Did they go into space earlier than expected? Did they not evolve because of this? We’ll likely never know. (Side note: the wiki informs me that the Nibrians’ makeup was designed and overseen by Nightmare on Elm Street’s own Heather Langenkamp. Awesome!)

Continuity café: What has the crew been up to since the last movie? The IDW comic series fills in the gaps, by doing new versions of classic episodes set in this timeline. Then, starting with the seventh issue, the series started telling stories about this new crew, following up on the destruction of Vulcan and the conflict with the Romulans.

What you leave behind: A lot of fans dislike how this movie deals with conspiracies, terrorist attacks, and suicide bombings in what is supposed to be the utopian Trek future. But remember that Vulcan was destroyed in the last movie, so this is an Earth and Federation without the Vulcans’ influence. But beyond that, the movie is just overly serious with its heady post-9/11 theming. I like that the movie is ambitious, but I wish it were more fun.

Next: From beyond.

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