Star Trek Just Dropped The Ultimate Tribute To A Beloved TOS Cast Member, But There's One Problem`

Warning: contains spoilers for "Love's First Bloom," appearing in Star Trek Celebrations.

Star Trek just dropped the ultimate tribute to a beloved Original Series cast member, but it also points to a huge problem with the franchise. In 2009, Star Trek went all-in on a massive reboot, albeit one that still managed to respect the massive lore that came before it. Released in 2009, and directed by JJ Abrams, Star Trek helped revolutionize the franchise, setting a tone that would continue for a decade.

The movie took some bold risks with the mythos. Paramount executives wanted a return to the days of Kirk and Spock, but they also knew it needed to look dynamic for modern audiences. Screenwriters Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci were challenged to scrape the barnacles off of Star Trek continuity. To do so, they created a parallel timeline, created by an attack on the USS Kelvin in 2233, roughly thirty years before The Original Series took place. This attack created a divergence point, and all subsequent Kelvin movies and tie-in media took place in this timeline.

Paramount would make two more films set in the Kelvin Timeline: 2013’s Star Trek Into Darkness and Star Trek Beyond, released on the occasion of the franchise’s 50th anniversary in 2016. After a decade of trying to get another Kelvin movie off the ground, Paramount officially pulled the plug on it last year, to the disappointment of fans. Now, some of the Kelvin crewmembers appear in a new story, but it serves as a bittersweet reminder of Paramount’s failures.

Star Trek Shows How Sulu Met His Husband, and It Is the Ultimate "Meet Cute"

Sulu and Ben Bond Over Their Love of Plants

In the story “Love’s First Bloom”, written by Jarrett Melendez and drawn by Kiku Hughes and appearing in Star Trek Celebrations, fans learn how Sulu met his husband, who was briefly glimpsed in Star Trek Beyond. Shortly before the film’s release, the creatives behind it confirmed Sulu was gay in the Kelvin Timeline, as a tribute to actor George Takei, who originated the role in The Original Series.

The story is cute and sweet, and features callbacks to bits of Star Trek lore. Sulu and Doctor McCoy are on an away mission, and are joined by Benjamin Jung, a specialist in botany. Sulu is immediately smitten with Ben, but tries to play it off. As the mission continues, the chemistry between Ben and Sulu becomes apparent, much to Doctor McCoy’s amusement. As “Love’s First Bloom” concludes, Sulu tells McCoy he will “marry” Ben.

Paramount Failed Star Trek's Kelvin Timeline In a Major Way

The Kelvin Timeline Could Have Taken Star Trek To New Places

Seeing the Kelvin incarnations of Enterprise crewmembers again was a treat for fans, but the story also is a testament to how badly Paramount bungled the series. 2009’s Star Trek gave creators a golden opportunity to tell new types of stories that were visually appealing and not encumbered by years of lore and continuity. The first movie took advantage of this, destroying both Romulus and Vulcan. It felt shots were being fired, and the fandom took notice.

Yet the next Kelvin movie, Into Darkness, was merely a retread of The Wrath of Khan, seemingly indicating Paramount was “playing it safe,” by bringing in classic villains such as Khan. The iconoclastic approach of Star Trek gave way to something more mainstream, and also uninspired. The next film, Star Trek Beyond, did tell an original story, but the Kelvin timeline’s momentum had been forever disrupted by the subpar and derivative Into Darkness.

That is not to say Paramount totally dropped the ball on the Kelvin Timeline. Interestingly enough, it would be IDW that showed the potential in the series. Shortly before Into Darkness, the publisher released the first of its adjective-less Star Trek titles. The book, developed in coordination with the filmmakers, retold classic episodes using the likenesses of the Kelvin crew. These remakes were peppered with original stories, which became the book’s specialty by the end of its run. It and its successor, Boldly Go, were the best examples of what the Kelvin Timeline could do.

Fans Will Never See Star Trek's Kelvin Timeline Again

“Love’s First Bloom” is simultaneously a sweet love story, but also a sobering reminder of how badly Paramount failed the Kelvin crew. The revelation that Kelvin Sulu had a husband in Star Trek Beyond was one such example of Paramount moving the characters in new directions, yet the studio never gave the timeline the chance to breathe and develop as it should have.

Unfortunately, as noted earlier, Star Trek’s Kelvin Timeline has come to an end, and comics and novels are going to be the best fans can hope for moving forward, but even plans for those are seemingly non-existent. While the Kelvin Timeline was not perfect, there was vast potential that was never tapped, and every so often the franchise reminds fans of that fact.

Star Trek Celebrations is on sale now from IDW Publishing!