Fans of Star Trek got a huge dose of awesomeness for the franchise’s First Contact Day. The date of April 5 holds special meaning to not just fans but the in-canon universe as well. In Star Trek lore, it’s the day that humanity achieved warp flight, signaling to passing Vulcans that humanity was ready for first contact with an alien race.
For the franchise, it may just become a day to announce all sorts of things for the franchise. This year, the series released a slew of things for fans to sink their teeth into. Fans got three teases, a first look at the return of a franchise icon, a new convention, and more.
So what did fans get this year?
Star Trek: Prodigy reveals animated Kathryn Janeway
As already mentioned on the site, the first look at Kathryn Janeway was announced for Star Trek: Prodigy. The series will see franchise legend Kate Mulgrew return as Janeway for the series, which apparently is set sometime after the events of Voyager but before a series like Picard.
Mulgrew returns to Star Trek for the first time since 2002’s Nemesis, in which she had a minor cameo role, being shown as the rank of Admiral.
Picard’s second season brings back John de Lancie as Q
Also mentioned on the site as well was the Picard season two teaser which is bringing back John de Lancie as Q. de Lancie already returned to the series with the animated series Star Trek: Lower Decks. This will be the first time de Lancie has reprised a live-action version of Q since Voyager ended in the early 2000s.
Lower Decks Season 2 Teaser
Next up is a teaser for the second season of Star Trek: Lower Decks. The series teaser really doesn’t show too much for fans though it does hint at trouble for some of the crew, as well as potentially Cardassians?
The series was not well received initially and was one of the more polarizing properties that ViacomCBS had put out there. The comparisons to Rick & Morty weren’t favorable and the expectations that it would have some of its sophisticated humor were thrown out the window after the pilot ended.
For some reason, despite its terrible reviews and divisiveness among the fanbase, the series has been picked up for an additional third season. The second season will consist of 10 episodes, just like the first season, and will premiere this summer on Aug 12, 2021.
Right now the Star Trek canon is filled up, so eventually, some of these shows are going to need to be ended to make room for the other ideas that Alex Kurtzman and company have been throwing around. The folks at ViacomCBS only want so many Star Trek shows on at once and it sounds like they’re currently all filled up.
Star Trek: Discovery Season 4 Teaser
The first season of Star Trek: Discovery saw a lot of fans split over the premise, the characters, and just about every decision that was made. The show tried to follow in the footsteps of the Kelvin Timeline but it was set in the Prime Timeline. So instead of it being set in the universe where Chris Pine as James Kirk, it was instead set in the timeline where William Shatner was James Kirk. This led to much strife.
Then season two brought in Spock, Number One, and Christopher Pike. The additions of them to the cast helped improve fan perception and even led to the upcoming spinoff; Strange New Worlds. Season three was even more well-received, at least at first, and saw the Discovery and her crew get sent to the distant future to deal with an event known as the Burn.
Now, season four is coming at the end of 2021 and will see the crew deal with their new reality, and try to rebuild the Federation as they go.
The fourth season will focus on a space anomaly that is so destructive that it could destroy the Federation and its planets with ease.
Woman in Motion Trailer
Next is the trailer for the documentary “Woman in Motion.” The documentary focuses on Nichelle Nichols and how she got involved with NASA after the end of the first Star Trek series. It follows her efforts to try and open the door for others to get involved in the space program. The trailer features Nichols talking about her involvement with NASA and her desire to change the status quo.
It also features several members of NASA at the time and legendary astrophysicist, planetary scientist, author, and science communicator Neil deGrasse Tyson as well.
The documentary was apparently shot in 2019, and was released this past February, and is available now online. From our very own article on the movie;
"The director of the documentary, Todd Thompson said that Nichols helped create the brighter future we’re living in by saying that space exploration is for everyone and called Woman in Motion “a great American story with incredible global impact.”"
The film is a great example of the impact that Nichols and Star Trek as a whole had on not just popular culture but on civil rights. Trek has always been a series that pushed ideas and was unafraid to challenge social norms.
So it’s no surprise that Nichols had the impact she did.
New Star Trek Convention
In conjunction with ReedPop, one of the largest pop culture event producers, a new Star Trek convention is coming in 2022. ReedPop and ViacomCBS Consumer Products are partnering up for Star Trek: Mission Chicago, an event produced in conjunction and will be available for fans to participate starting on April 8 and running through April 10 of 2022. The three-day “immersive” experience will take place at the McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago.
As of right now, there are no details announced for the event but one can expect that cast and crew members old and new alike will be on hand to take part in autograph signings, Q&A’s, panels, and more. After all, it is being held in conjunction with ViacomCBS, the parent company of Star Trek.
Below is the official press release on the convention.
"ReedPop and ViacomCBS Consumer Products Unite to Produce STAR TREK: MISSION CHICAGO in Spring 2022 ReedPop to Beam into the Windy City for Star Trek: Mission Chicago on April 8 -10, 2022 NORWALK, CT – April 5, 2021 – ReedPop, the world’s leading producer of pop culture events, announced today that they are joining forces with ViacomCBS Consumer Products as the official convention partner for the Star Trek franchise. The partnership will kick off in 2022 with an all-new event that will serve as the ultimate destination for fans of the iconic franchise – Star Trek: Mission Chicago. Produced in partnership with ViacomCBS Consumer Products, Star Trek: Mission Chicago is a three-day immersive experience that will take place at Chicago’s McCormick Place Convention Center from April 8 – 10, 2022. Star Trek: Mission Chicago will feature celebrity guests, interactive exhibits, exclusive merchandise, photo opportunities, costume exhibits, autograph sessions, gameplay and other special surprises all set within the ever-evolving and expansive Star Trek Universe. Mission Chicago will give fans the opportunity to boldly explore the past, present and future of the franchise, while embracing the ideals of a diverse and inclusive future that remains at the center of Gene Roddenberry’s beloved creation. Following the inaugural event in Chicago, future Star Trek: Missions will travel to a new city each year, offering thousands of fans around the country the opportunity to convene with fellow Star Trek lovers and celebrate the iconic franchise. “The Star Trek franchise has one of the most passionate and spirited fan bases out there, and we at ReedPop are excited to welcome them and ViacomCBS Consumer Products into our family,” said Lance Fensterman, Global President of ReedPop. “Together we plan to give the fans an incredible experience to remember and I speak for all of us at ReedPop when I say that we can’t wait to experience the energy that Star Trek fans will bring to Chicago next April.” Veronica Hart, executive vice president, global franchise management, ViacomCBS Consumer Products added, “As the Star Trek franchise continues to grow and evolve, so too is our convention business evolving. We are excited to partner with ReedPop as our official Star Trek convention partner to take this next step in creating an event that will introduce the Trek experience to loyal and new fans alike each year.”"