ST: Phase II dives headfirst into Klingon politics in' Kitumba'

Although Star Trek doesn't have a huge history of canceled TV or film projects, there are a few worth noting. Star Trek: Phase II is one of them. Originally developed in the 1970s as a continuation of Classic Trek, the series' pilot was ultimately transformed into the feature film Star Trek: The Motion Picture in 1979.

The present incarnation of Phase II (formally New Voyages) isn't on TV, but instead is a long-running web series, one of the first mainstream fan productions to hit the cyberwaves. Starring James Cawley as Kirk and produced by the Cawley Entertainment Company, Phase II has since turned into one of the most highly-regarded fan productions on the web.

What does the aborted Phase II TV project have to do with all this? One of the Cawley's goals is to produce scripts written for the aborted series. Two such episodes have already been released, in addition to five original stories and three vignettes (all of which can be downloaded here).

Phase II's most recent episode is 'Kitumba', a Klingon-centric show originally written by John Meredyth Lucas. Had it been produced in the '70's, 'Kitumba' would have established a very different culture for our favorite galactic warriors than what was later created for TNG.

'Kitumba' takes us to the heart of the Klingon Empire where Kirk and the Enterprise must convince the Empire's new, teenage ruler to stop a war with the Federation. The conflict could lead to mutual destruction for both sides, but is it the Emperor's war to stop?

This latest installment from Phase II does a nice job of bridging the gap between Original Series Klingons and their Next Generation counterparts. Not only does the show neatly tie up lose ends and unanswered questions, but also gives us a peek at Klingon politics and society in the 23rd century (something TOS was never able to do). 'Kitumba's many (subtle) tie-ins and references to other episodes also help it to fit almost seamlessly into established cannon.

As always, the production values and overall quality are very high. The CG effects shots (and there are quite a few of them) are top-notch and the acting, for the most part, very respectable. The show really does resemble a professionally-produced TV episode, clearly going to great lengths to get all the details right.

For those James Cawley fans out there, you may be sad to learn that this is his final appearance as Captain Kirk before turning the reigns over to actor Brian Gross. After playing the part for over 10 years, Cawley has decided to focus on the production aspects of the project, leaving the center seat to a new Kirk.

In a second notable change, Phase II will soon be transitioning to a refit version of the Enterprise, a stepping stone, transitory design to what was finally shown in The Motion Picture (see the vignette 'Going Boldly'). The redesigned ship was originally a facet of the '70s Phase II, and has been retained with virtually no changes. The interiors of the ship, however, will remain the same.

I have no way of knowing how close to the original story this episode turned out, but 'Kitumba' is a solid episode in its own right and definitely worth checking out. The show can currently be viewed on YouTube or downloaded via the Phase II site.

Phase II's next regular episode, 'The Holiest Thing', will premiere on February 14th.