3 reasons to unify the Star Trek film and television series

Alex Kurtzman wants to see the Star Trek television series and films share the same continuity again, these are three reasons why that’s a good idea.

Star Trek has never just been a television property. Star Trek has never just been a film property. This is a series that has lived in both realms for years. For years the films and television series shared the same continuity. From the original Star Trek series into Star Trek: The Motion Picture, to The Next Generation and into Generations. The franchise has always found a way to live in both worlds.

Then in 2009 that changed. After Star Trek: Enterprise went off the air, people were curious as to what would happen next with the franchise. Enter, Star Trek 2009, a brand new take on the adventures of James T. Kirk, Spock, and the rest of the crew of the Enterprise. Just set in a different universe, free from continuity.

For the most part, those next three films were enough to satisfy fans. Though, fans were wanting more, less bombastic J.J. Abrams movie stuff, and more good, old-fashioned Star Trek stories. It’d be a long time before fans could get the latter. Eventually, the series came back and were set back in the main Star Trek timeline. Fans rejoiced, more or less, and after three shows, with a fourth and fifth in production, the conversation has swung back to the film franchise.

Make the fourth film in the universe Abrams created or go back to basics and make a long-formed version of a Star Trek episode, just with a bigger budget? Both ideas have merit but let’s look at why the film and television series should return to the same continuity.