Prime Video’s upcoming sci-fi series based on a best-selling book series could be the most Star Trek TV show that isn’t an actual part of the franchise.
The phrase “to boldly go where no man has gone before” feels like a “welcome home” for Trekkies everywhere, myself included. It takes me back to sitting on the couch with my dad on the weekend, watching reruns of Star Trek: The Original Series (TOS). Luckily, the franchise has only continued to grow, capturing that essence over and over again.
Few science fiction TV shows have come even close to capturing the spirit of Star Trek, including one actual Star Trek show (*cough* Starfleet Academy *cough*). However, an upcoming TV show from the creators of The Expanse will share significant similarities with the beloved sci-fi franchise, especially Star Trek: The Original Series.
The Captive’s War Has More In Common With Star Trek Than The Expanse
The Captive’s War is frequently compared to The Expanse because they are written by the same author. However, The Mercy of Gods and Livesuit, the first novel and novella in The Captive’s War book series, are much more similar to Star Trek than to The Expanse.
The most obvious parallel is that The Captive’s War includes a wide range of aliens, some more primitive and others more advanced. This diversity in sentient beings is integral to every Star Trek show and movie. In contrast, The Expanse doesn’t really feature aliens, except for the Ring Entities. It mostly focuses on human politics.
Additionally, the Carryx Empire is extremely similar to Star Trek’s Terran Empire from the Mirror Universe. The Carryx and Terrans both see themselves as the master race. They’re imperialist, nationalistic, and fascist. Like the Terrans, the Carryx are always trying to expand, and they enslave the races of the planets that they dominate.
The Carryx have over dozens of species that are subservient to them in The Mercy of Gods, with eight of them being onscreen. They see the species as disposable and only keep them around when they can benefit the empire. Similarly, the Terrans dominated at least the Vulcans, Andorians, and Tellarites. They use those species as tools, and murdering them is encouraged.
On top of that, both Star Trek and The Captive’s War are slower-paced with a more cerebral tone. Star Trek includes many stories about humans being enslaved by aliens, similar to The Captive’s War. The two series also emphasize logic and science as the ideal methods for problem-solving.
Additionally, Star Trek’s defining feature is hope and the betterment of humanity. The Mercy of Gods is, admittedly, extremely dark. However, there is still this undercurrent of hope that the enslaved aliens can rise up against their oppressors and make things better. Because of all these elements, The Captive’s War could be extremely similar to the original Star Trek.
The Captive’s War Is Taking A Much Bigger Risk Than The Expanse
The Expanse was a relatively safe bet for Prime Video. Firstly, they already had the cast assembled and the story started because the show ran on SyFy for two seasons. They also knew there was a passionate fan base who wanted the show back on the air. Plus, they didn’t have as many risky technical effects since the show was relatively grounded and sans aliens.
However, Prime Video won’t have any of those safety nets when creating The Captive’s War. The show does have Ty Franck and Daniel Abraham on board and a solid showrunner/writer and director in Naren Shankar and Breck Eisner. However, the rest is all risks.
The creative team on The Captive’s War has to cast the entire show from scratch, which means they will face scrutiny from fans if their casting isn’t exactly right. They will be responsible for starting the show off with a bang. Those first few episodes can be the make-or-break for a series.
The Captive’s War will have to work harder to convince people to watch the show. Of course, the book series has fans who may be interested in seeing the story on the screen. However, that’s not necessarily the same guarantee as The Expanse, which had both book fans and TV show fans. The Captive’s War will need to invest in a good marketing campaign.
Finally, The Captive’s War will most likely require a much higher budget than The Expanse. They have to create an entire alien empire, along with all the different alien species. They’re not humanoid species, either. They look like arthropods, jellyfish, clicking orbs, and dog–sized crabs, to name a few.
Ultimately, The Captive’s War might require a much bigger risk, but if done right, it could become the next Star Trek: The Original Series.
- Created by
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Gene Roddenberry
- First Episode Air Date
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September 8, 1966
- Cast
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William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, George Takei, Nichelle Nichols, Deforest Kelley, James Doohan, Walter Koenig, Jonathan Frakes, Patrick Stewart, Michael Dorn, Marina Sirtis, Gates McFadden, Brent Spiner, LeVar Burton, Wil Wheaton, Avery Brooks, Nana Visitor, Rene Auberjonois, Alexander Siddig, Cirroc Lofton, Armin Shimerman, Colm Meaney, Terry Farrell, Kate Mulgrew, Robert Beltran, Roxann Dawson, Jeri Ryan, Robert Duncan McNeill, Robert Picardo, Ethan Phillips, Garrett Wang, Jolene Blalock, Connor Trinneer, Dominic Keating, Scott Bakula, Linda Park, John Billingsley, Anthony Montgomery, Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Simon Pegg, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, John Cho, Chris Hemsworth, Benedict Cumberbatch, Anton Yelchin, Idris Elba, Sonequa Martin-Green, Mary Wiseman, Doug Jones, Anthony Rapp, Wilson Cruz, Oyin Oladejo, Emily Coutts, Jess Bush, Christina Chong, Anson Mount, Ethan Peck, Rebecca Romijn, Michelle Yeoh
- TV Show(s)
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Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek: The Animated Series, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Enterprise, Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Short Treks, Star Trek: Picard, Star Trek Lower Decks, Star Trek: Prodigy, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy
This story originally appeared on Screenrant
