Television Review: Beyond the Farthest Star (Star Trek: The Animated Series, S1X01, 1973)

Beyond the Farthest Star (S01E01)

Airdate: September 8th 1973

Written by: Samuel Peeples
Directed by: Hal Sutherland

Running Time: 22 minutes

In the annals of Star Trek history, there exists a period when fans, often referred to as "trekkies," found themselves in a predicament where they had to make do with what was available. Traumatised by the abrupt and somewhat inglorious conclusion of their beloved The Original Series (TOS), they were left with a void that needed filling. More than half a century ago, exactly seven years after the premiere of The Man Trap, the inaugural episode of TOS, fans were presented with Beyond the Farthest Star, the premiere of Star Trek: The Animated Series (TAS). This new incarnation, while not the sequel they had hoped for, was a beacon of continuity in a time of uncertainty.

For many Generation X viewers, including the author of this review, Star Trek: The Animated Series was the inaugural introduction to the Star Trek universe. This animated series, ostensibly aimed at a younger audience, brought with it a mix of benefits and limitations. The most glaring limitation was the reduced running time of each episode, which was cut in half compared to TOS. Additionally, the series was produced by Filmation, a company renowned for its children-oriented animated shows and notorious for its cost-cutting production methods. This resulted in animation that was often stilted, mechanical, and static, looking dated even in the early 1970s and appearing completely antiquated by today's standards. However, this very limitation allowed Star Trek to depict spectacular imagery that the live-action series, constrained by studio sets and special effects, could not achieve. It also enabled the inclusion of clearly non-humanoid crew members, such as the tripedal Arex and the cat-like communication officer M'Ress, who would have been challenging to portray realistically through human actors or puppetry in a live-action show.

One of Gene Roddenberry's most astute decisions was to reunite the most popular cast members from the original series—William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, and DeForest Kelley—to voice their iconic characters: Kirk, Spock, and McCoy, respectively. During pre-production, Nimoy insisted that Nichelle Nichols, James Doohan, and George Takei receive the same treatment, and Roddenberry acquiesced, bringing back the characters of Uhura, Scottie, and Sulu. Roddenberry's wife, Majel Barrett, voiced Nurse Chapel, while Doohan and Barrett also lent their voices to Arex and M'Ress, respectively, as well as numerous other side characters. This ensemble cast helped to maintain the continuity and familiarity that fans had come to love.

The most noticeable difference between TAS and TOS occurs right from the start. Beyond the Farthest Star dispenses with the cold open that characterised TOS episodes and jumps straight into the opening titles. These titles feature a new soundtrack, with a theme composed by Ray Ellis that is somewhat reminiscent of Alexander Courage's iconic TOS theme but is distinctively more "hip" and aligned with the musical sensibilities of the 1970s.

The plot of Beyond the Farthest Star, set around 2269 or 2270 AD, begins with the USS Enterprise encountering a colossal and seemingly abandoned alien ship that has been orbiting a dead star for 300 million years. Kirk, Spock, McCoy, and Scottie beam down to the derelict vessel and discover that it was a pod ship belonging to an insectoid race. They find a message from the crew, who had been attacked by a malevolent magnetic entity. Before succumbing, the crew marooned their ship to prevent the entity from attacking anyone else. Upon returning to the USS Enterprise, Kirk and his team realise that the entity has stowed away with them and infiltrated the ship's computers. Spock, maintaining control of navigation, steers the ship back towards the star, making the entity believe to be a suicidal manoeuvre and tricking it into abandoning Enterprise. However, Kirk uses this opportunity to execute a slingshot manoeuvre, leaving the alien entity marooned once again.

The episode, like all in Season 1, was directed by animation veteran Hal Sutherland. The script was penned by Samuel R. Peeples, a friend of Roddenberry who had worked on the successful TOS pilot episode Where No Man Has Gone Before. Once the audience acclimatises to the changes and limitations of TAS, Beyond the Farthest Star proves to be a more than decent piece of Star Trek. The spirit of TOS is still present, with a focus on mystery, adventure, and action, but without the romantic and melodramatic entanglements that sometimes characterised the live-action series. The plot makes sense, portraying space as a fascinating yet dangerous place, and Kirk relies on his intellect rather than brute force to extricate the Enterprise from trouble. The final words of the alien entity, "So lonely," even impart a touch of emotional resonance to the episode.

The episode also introduces a personal force field that serves as a transparent spacesuit for the characters—a detail introduced to save on animation costs. This innovation allowed for more dynamic and visually interesting scenes without the need for cumbersome costumes or props.

Compared to the classic episodes of TOS, particularly those from Seasons 1 and 2, Beyond the Farthest Star may seem like a step down. However, for hardcore "trekkies," it served as a necessary interim measure, establishing a show that, despite falling into relative obscurity, paved the way for the feature films, The Next Generation, and the Golden Age of Star Trek. In retrospect, TAS can be seen as a bridge between the original series and the expansive Star Trek universe that followed, providing a continuity that fans could cling to during a time of uncertainty. It may not have been the sequel they had hoped for, but it was a beacon of hope in a time when the future of Star Trek was far from certain.

RATING: 6/10 (++)

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