Star Trek: Nemesis (2002) | Sci-Fi Saturdays

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Duality and deceit are the watchwords of the day.

Star Trek: Nemesis closes the books on ten Star Trek films over 23 years. It continues the themes of The Next Generation, exploring humanity and self worth, while interjecting some fun action moments into the film. Unfortunately, the franchise feels like it has run out of dilithium by this point, ending on a modest note.

First Impressions

The trailer for the last of the original Star Trek films appears to show a character that is a clone of Jean-Luc Picard, including a morph between the two characters. It also features a lot of action, some Roumlans, space battles, and yet another Enterprise getting destroyed. Just who or what is the Nemesis talked about in the title? Engage.

Presented below is the trailer for the film.

The Fiction of The Film

A Remen faction attacks and kills the Romulan Senate. Elsewhere, Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) offers a toast at the wedding of his first officer, William Riker (Jonathan Frakes) and his ship’s counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis). After the festivities, the crew of the USS Enterprise-E is on its way to Betazed for a similar celebration when they pick up the reading of a positronic signature from the Kolarin system, and divert to investigate. This signal indicates that there is evidence of another android like Mr. Data (Brent Spiner).

Picard leads the away mission, flying down to the planet’s surface in the new Argo shuttle with Data and Worf (Michael Dorn). They drive around in an experimental land-rover, at “unsafe velocities,” discovering six parts to another android. After gathering the last part, the crew is attacked by raiders for an unknown reason, but they manage to escape. Back onboard the Enterprise, Geordi LaForge (LeVar Burton) assists in rebuilding the humanoid robot. It appears identical to Data, although less articulate and intelligent, and introduces itself as B-4.

Picard receives an order from Admiral Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) that he has been requested to the Romulan homeworld of Romulus. Upon arrival they are met by a giant Reman warship, the Scimitar, and the new Praetor, Shinzon (Tom Hardy). He appears to be human, but has allied himself with the Reman subjugates of the Empire. Shinzon quickly infers to Picard that he is a clone of the Captain himself, offering a knife with his blood as proof. Doctor Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden) confirms that Shinzon’s blood and DNA is a match with Picard’s.

Data has Geordi help download his memories into B-4 in hopes that it will help his “brother” function better. B-4 accesses data from the computers, but appears unaffected by the transference. Meanwhile, Picard meets with Shinzon to find out more about his plan. The Reman/clone claims to want peace with the Federation, but soon realizes that he intends to destroy it instead. Shinzon used B-4 as a mole to infiltrate the Federation computer network. Picard and Data are held on the Scimitar while it hunts the Enterprise, using its cloaking device and superior weaponry to nearly decimate another Enterprise.

After a prolonged space battle, in which the Enterprise is aided by Romulan Commander Donatra (Dina Meyer), Picard cripples the Scimitar by smashing the Enterprise into its bridge. The Reman Viceroy (Ron Perlman) beams over to the Enterprise to fight Riker, but ends up dying. Shinzon, dying from the same medical miracles that created him as Picard’s doppelganger, arms a weapon that will use thalaron radiation to kill everyone on the Federation ship. Picard’s plan is to distract Shinzon and deactivate the weapon, which will sacrifice his life.

Data uses a small one-time transporter tag to beam Picard back to the Enterprise, as he sacrifices his life instead, destroying the thalaron generator seconds before it can fire. Later, Picard raises a glass of wine with the rest of the bridge crew, to absent friends. Riker leaves with Troi for his new command, which will take him into the Neutral Zone for peace talks with the Romulans. Picard tries to talk to B-4 about his brother Data, but the android appears to not understand. That is, until he starts humming a song that Data sang at Riker and Troi’s wedding, indicating that something of Data may still be in the android.

“If there is one ideal that the federation holds most dear, it is that all men, all races, can be united. What better example? A starfleet captain standing in the Romulan senate.” – Jean-Luc Picard

History in the Making

Star Trek: Nemesis signifies the end of the Star Trek revival series of films, which began in 1979 with Star Trek: The Motion Picture. This includes ten total films, over twenty-three years, and feature the cast of the both the Original Series and The Next Generation. It also signaled the end of the current adventures in the future Star Trek universe begun in 1987 with Star Trek: The Next Generation. After running for seven seasons the cast of The Next Generation graduated to the world of the films with Star Trek Generations. Over the following four years they would make two more sequels, First Contact in 1996 and Insurrection in 1998 before returning with Nemesis in 2002. Meanwhile, the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993-99), and Star Trek: Voyager (1995-2001) continued the modern adventures of various characters over a hundred years after the events of The Original Series. By the time Nemesis debuted, these other shows had ended their runs, and the prequel series Star Trek: Enterprise was almost midway through its run. It would be the last Star Trek show until 2017s Star Trek: Discovery. Fortunately, new films would show up prior to that in 2009, 2013 and 2016.

The final film in this original Star Trek timeline was directed by a newcomer to the franchise, Stuart Baird. Like David Carson (Generations) before him, he didn’t have a lot of directing experience on films. Baird was primarily an editor but had directed the modest action films Executive Decision, and the sequel to The Fugitive, US Marshals. However, unlike Carson, Baird knew little to nothing about the Star Trek franchise. While Carson didn’t have much film experience, his television experience was extensive, having directed a handful of Star Trek episodes between 1987 and 1994. The director for the middle two Next Generation films was Jonathan Frakes, who successfully parlayed his work as an actor on the series into its director, much like Leonard Nimoy. Baird supposedly had trouble remembering, or even knowing, who the characters in the film were, and approached it as a much more action-oriented sci-fi film, rather than the next in a long line of films in the Trek universe.

Genre-fication

As discussed over the past several years worth of articles here at Sci-Fi Saturdays, the Star Trek franchise is about as sci-fi as sci-fi gets. The series has its share of common elements from the genre that help define it; and most of those things make an appearance here. From the starships with their cloaking devices, photon torpedoes and phasers, to the humanoid androids, numerous alien species, and other assorted technology, Star Trek continues to expand their universe with Nemesis. But does it go far enough?

The best films of the series have created bigger than life stories with plenty of action and adventure while still leaving time to explore the human condition. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan or Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home are two of the best examples. Nemesis however feels a little more stifled. Its villain, Shinzon, is a wannabe Khan Noonien Singh, who’s personal, and single-minded, battle with Picard becomes his downfall. The spaceships have a battle in a nebula, or some other gaseous space-anomaly, again borrowing from one of Trek’s better moments. For even a few moments, as evidenced in my discussion of the trailer above, it felt like yet another Enterprise would meet its end as well. The script and direction could have been suited to raising the stakes for the crew, without putting them in the same peril they’ve been in numerous times before.

Much of the fallout from this film would not be addressed for another 18 years, until season 1 of Star Trek: Picard, a series that eventually ended up reuniting the cast members in the final season. Including Data, who might not be as destroyed as is to be believed here, yet the B-4 plotline does not resolve as expected. It’s disappointing when a well-loved and popular franchise fails to make a graceful exit. It seemed apparent, at least from the finished film, that those involved believed that this was to be their last film. There’s more of a finality to the end, than just the demise of a beloved character. Luckily, in time, reunions come to those who wait.

Societal Commentary

What Nemesis does relatively well, and what all good Star Trek has done, is address the nature of humanity. Its long standing theme, specifically in The Next Generation, is Lt. Commander Data’s search to become more human. That continues to be explored in this film as audiences are introduced to yet another of his creator’s projects, a previous model known as B-4. Data expresses to others how similar he and B-4 are, at least in their physical appearance. However, Data also expresses that they are not identical. He makes note to Picard that even if their neural pathways were identical (their capacity for memory), the android would not be him. The road that each has traveled is markedly different. Data aspire’s to be a better being than he is, while B-4 does not.

This supports and amplifies the main duology between Picard and Shinzon. The Reman is an identical clone of Picard, right down to a childhood hearing problem. He was to be rapidly aged at some point and then substituted for the Captain, allowing an alien mole to infiltrate Starfleet. But, regime’s change, as did their plans, and Shinzon was sent away to the dilithium mines to be forgotten. His hard life shaped him in ways that never affected Jean-Luc. The two men are identical genetically, but the lives they have led define two entirely different beings. Yet Shinzon still aspires to his his birthright. His idea is that he gets to be the one and only Jean-Luc Picard.

Shinzon’s belief becomes twisted due to his original purpose having been denied to him. He no longer believes that he can reach his potential while Picard exists. “My life is meaningless as long as you’re still alive,” he tells the Captain. As if two identical beings cannot co-exist. Shinzon’s fallacy is as much one of upbringing as his biology. Picard knows himself, and knows how the younger version of him would think in certain situations. He counsels Shinzon that it is not too late to turn back, but the clone stands firm that there is only room for one of them to exist at a time. Shinzon’s biggest failing is letting others define him. Rather than understanding that he is a unique individual, regardless of what his paternity says. He is consumed by what he has been told he was created for. His lack of imagination makes him no match for the aged Captain Picard in this case.

The Science in The Fiction

As I’ve pointed out in several other recent articles, elements of clones and cloning permeated science-fiction films of this era. The 6th Day, Replicant, and Attack of the Clones all dealt with genetic duplication in various ways. Some of them approached the science in a more fantastical way where characters can be created (often duplicated) in a very short timeframe. While some dealt with it in a more “realistic” way. Nemesis may have the most realistic approach to the cloning of them all. Shinzon was born and raised from a child, no different from that of any other human. There is mention that an accelerant was to be used on him at some point–when the plan went into the next phase–but since he was not administered that, it began to lead to his deterioration.

The elements of cloning here raise additional questions about the human psychology of nature versus nurture. As with Replicant, which wondered if a cloned version of a killer would have the same predilections for destruction as his counterpart, the same is true here for Picard and Shinzon. The two characters share an identical DNA template, but were raised in two vastly different environments. Picard, with his childhood tragedies, was able to become a successful Starfleet officer and eventually lead the flagship of the Federation. Shinzon, who was bred for espionage, was diverted from his chosen purpose and forced into slave labor. His adulthood was based on pain, pressure, and his desire to achieve his potential, rather than camaraderie and friendship. It may be a little overt, but their upbringing shows the malleability of humans. Picard also tries to make the point with Shinzon that his life can be redefined at any moment. But the Reman is firmly rooted in the past, unable to see another future.

The Final Frontier

Long-time fans of Star Trek were probably happy to see the film begin with the marriage of Riker and Troi. Their storyline, explored in the seven year series, had them having dated prior to the events of the 1987 pilot, “Encounter at Farpoint.” The relationship had mellowed over the run of the show, and was ignited somewhat during the previous film, Insurrection. Their storyline would continue in season 3 of Star Trek: Picard, which finds Riker still in command of the Titan after all these years.

As probably sensed by many fans, the Star Trek franchise was really running out of steam by this point. After the high point of First Contact, Nemesis was a better film than Insurrection in some ways, but not in others. Both had their pluses and minuses, but at least Nemesis provided a little more action and adventure, than the more cerebral Insurrection. Star Trek, even at its worst, can still offer strong stories and morality plays for audiences. It’s best remembered as boldly going where no one has gone before. Sometimes, it travels the same roads, but with different outcomes. May the crew of the Enterprise live long, and prosper.

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