The premiere of the new Star Trek audio drama, Khan, has just launched and is off to a gripping start, exploring one of Trek’s greatest villains!
In the annals of memorable Star Trek villains, one always stands tall: Khan Noonien Singh. Played by Ricardo Montalban, Khan was introduced in The Original Series episode “Space Seed” and in just one episode, he became a legendary figure. This one-time genetically engineered dictator wasn’t so much evil as driven to be the best and nearly succeeded before being defeated. Even then, he took the loss in stride and looked forward to establishing a new world on Ceti Alpha Five.
Fifteen years later, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan gave us a Khan who’s now a twisted psychopath obsessed with destroying Kirk, blaming him for marooning Khan on a planet about to be ravaged and the death of his wife. This is a frantic figure going to any lengths to seek his revenge.
While Khan met his end then, his legacy lives on for many Trek fans. That includes a novel trilogy and a comic book series that both examined the same question: Just what transformed Khan from noble warrior to madman?
That question is answered in Khan, a new nine-episode audio drama whose first episode premiered online this week. And the premiere sets the tone for a gripping “lost story” in the Trek universe.
Was Khan sent to die?
The pilot episode “Paradise” sets up the tale with a unique framing device. It takes place in 2296, three years after Kirk’s “death” in the opening scene of Star Trek: Generations. Historian Rosaline Lear (Sonya Cassidy) is pushing for permission to travel to Ceti Alpha V to retrieve audio logs that an anonymous source told her were left behind by Marla McGivers (Wrenn Schmidt), the historian who fell for Khan and followed him to Ceti Alpha V.
Lear is taking the controversial stance that Kirk knew Ceti Alpha VI was unstable and likely to explode and deliberately left Khan to die. This obviously upsets Captain Hikaru Sulu (George Takei), who agrees only to clear Kirk’s name. Lear finds the first logs with Ensign Tuvok (Tim Russ) and begins unpacking what happened on Ceti Alpha V.
The first time we hear Khan (Naveen Andrews of Lost fame), he’s an older man, snapping about the loss of a young charge and how “Milton was a fool” for the “rule in hell rather than serve in heaven" line.” It’s a sign of what’s to come as we flash back to 2267 and Khan’s first day on the world.
Andrews is a brilliant choice for Khan. Just as with Chris Pine as Kirk or Ethan Peck as Spock, he wisely doesn’t try to perfectly imitate Montalban but gives the character his own unique air. This is a calm and composed Khan who can inspire his followers with words rather than brutality, who defends a young “half-breed” and easily puts down a planned mutiny. He still possesses the danger of Khan and the tension on how he might suddenly snap at any minute to be as captivating as he is on-screen.
Schmidt is just as great, giving Marla more depth as she realizes what she’s gotten into. She’s an outcast among the Augments as she tries to solve their fertility issues, only to wonder if Khan wants her for breeding purposes. Their face-off at the end of the episode is exciting to listen to, the obvious passion between them even as Khan intones, “Love never built an empire.”
The audio effects are fantastic to let you imagine the lush planet and the workers on their duties. It packs a lot in while setting up things from a possible rebellion against Khan to why Lear is so intent on whitewashing his history. And, of course, there’s still the upcoming disaster that changes his paradise into Hell.
For any fan of Khan, this is a must-listen and hopefully paves the way for more Trek audio adventures that capture a wonderful part of the show’s history.