Star Trek: Short Treks DVD Review
“Star Trek: Short Treks” boldly goes where Star Trek hasn’t gone before.
Having existed on TV and film, Star Trek enters a new format with short films dubbed “Short Treks.” In this DVD release, 9 of the 10 shorts (that were first released on CBS All Access) have been collected together. I say 9 of 10 because “Children of Mars” is strangely absent. If I had to guess, I would imagine it will be on the forthcoming “Picard” season 1 home video release as it ties directly into that series. At any rate, let me break down each short without spoiling too much.
“Short Treks” kicks off with a lighthearted and fun little adventure titled “Runaway.” This one involves Tilly and a stowaway. For those that have seen “Star Trek Discovery” season 2, you will notice how this short ties into the end of that season.
“Calypso” is perhaps the strangest short as I don’t really get how it plays into continuity (yet anyway). It revolves around an empty Discovery ship and its now sentient computer Zora. The ship intercepts an escape pod carrying a man named Craft. The short largely deals with the dynamic between the 2. It’s an appealing man and machine story, but again, it feels like a strange one off for the time being.
“The Brightest Star” is my personal favorite short as it deals with Saru’s past on his homeworld. Not only is this short chock full of characterization, bu it also gets a payoff in season 2 of “Star Trek: Discovery” as well.
The Escape Artist- For those who want more of Harry Mudd (and who doesn’t?), you certainly get a lot of him in the clever “The Escape Artist.” That’s all I’m going to say!
“Q&A” is another character centric short in which Spock and Number One bond on a broken turbolift. Given that we will see more of these characters soon in their own spin-off, this short certainly has more weight to it now.
“The Trouble With Edward” is a whimsical story involving a dopey science officer and tribbles. While there are some inventive ideas, it doesn’t really fit the universe and feels more like an Adult Swim show or something in that vein.
“Ask Not” finds a Cadet having to make a big decision involving Captain Pike. The less said about this one the more satisfactory it is.
Lastly, there are two animated shorts. The first “Ephraim And Dot” revolves around a pregnant tardigrade mother and the USS Enterprise centric. Despite being, well, cartoony, it’s a charming little story that playfully ties into TOS continuity.
“The Girl Who Made The Stars” involves Michael Burnham’s father telling a young Michael a story about an African girl and an alien. It’s a slight story, but it does have an emotional impact.
Video/Audio:
Presentation: 16:9. How does it look? The picture quality is top notch for a standard def release, but it should be noted this title is also available on Blu-ray.
Audio Track: Dolby Digital 5.1. How does it sound? The sound FX, score, and dialogue are as sharp as can be in this 5.1 track.
Extras:
* “The Making Of Short Treks”- A general 4 ½ minute featurette on the concept of “Short Treks.”
* Each of the 9 shorts have their own featurettes that feature interviews, clips, and discussions about the episode and its production.
* Commentary on “Runaway” by executive producer Alex Kurtzman and writer Jenny Lumet
* Commentary on “Ask Not” by Anson Mount who plays Christopher Pike (who is finally getting to star in his own spin-off series!).
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