After more than 40 years that included five long-running TV series (even an animated version) and a string of movies, the writers of the latest Star Trek blockbuster in theaters decided to move to a new universe–one that has created fresh opportunities for stories and the chance to modernize and update the franchise. In the movie last summer Kirk, Spock and the rest of the gang were back. But a critical change–a time-jumping, revenge-seeking madman who caused the death of Kirk’s father and then destroyed the planet Vulcan–shattered the well-trod timeline of events that longtime fans have come to know so well.
Many Star Trek fans, old and new, like the new, parallel universe, which is intriguingly darker and gives beloved characters and the too-good-to-be-interesting Starfleet a helpful kick-start for future movies. One thing that struck me, however, was how similar the two universes actually were, aside from the cataclysms that brought forth the new timeline. They had the same starring roles (albeit with new, younger actors) and revolved around the same key worlds, the same Federation of Planets, and so on.
