Why The Undiscovered Country Is Actually Star Trek's Best Series Finale 

I think the Peter Pan quote was a great way to end the run. It's the perfect lead-in to that shot of the Enterprise "riding off into the sunset" while calling back to a story about eternal youth. Kirk struggled with middle age and desk duty in the Wrath of Khan. Now he's allowed to end his adventure on his own terms, with a blend of acceptance and nostalgia. There is no fan service to beat us over the head with call backs and references. Merely a subtle hint of the youthful, adventurous spirit that still resides within him as he flies of into retirement is enough for the audience to understand his emotional state.

"I can't believe I kissed you!" "Must have been your lifelong ambition!" I mean...

Undiscovered Country has long been my favourite Star Trek movie. Also, pretty sure Kirk is a veteran of the Klingon war, which would've happened when he was a much younger officer. Plus all the times they tangled throughout the original series. David's death either pushed him over the edge or is just a convenient excuse for already lingering hatreds.

The finale of Voyager has one redeeming moment for me after Kim proposes his insane plan to Paris: Kim “Where’s your sense of adventure?” Paris “I left it in that nebula and I’m NOT going back for it!” Gives me a good laugh every time.

I was 12 when Star Trek VI came out. I had just started attending a new school, and was in this period where I didn't have many friends. I had never been a popular kid at my old school, and that trend continued at my new school. I remember waiting in line for the premier of STVI with my parents at the local shopping center. I saw a couple of other kids from my school there, and I worked up the nerve to go say hi. That was how I found my people in my new school. One of them became my best friend, and still is today. We even had a Star Trek podcast once upon a time. I loved STVI, and still do. Next to TWoK it's my favourite Trek movie, and the two often trade spots depending on my mood any given day.

Damn straight Uhura's saved the day. And the galaxy. And the future of the Federation. RIP Nichelle.

Colonel Worf was the right way to do fanservice. He made sense, and you didn't actually need to know anything to see what was going on. On top of that, he was his own character, not simply, "hey, look, it's Worf's grandfather." The new creative team needs to take notes.

I rewatched TOS, TAS and the TOS movies earlier this year, and I teared up a bit during Kirks final log entry at the end of Star Trek VI. It was an amazing capstone, and I loved it.

Let's not forget the really iconic credits with the main cast signatures... It really was a perfect send off despite the Scooby Doo ending. Nothing wrong with a little camp in a trek movie.

It always bugged me that this movie was the one and only instance where Klingons had Pepto Bismol flowing through their veins. I wish Star Trek kept that canon. Aside from helping the film avoid an “R" rating, it was an important tidbit for the deleted “Scooby Doo" twist at the end.

I know people get weird about Spock quoting Sherlock Holmes as "an ancestor of mine," but the actual person who wrote that was Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who very well could be an ancestor of Amanda Grayson. Or maybe Sherlock Holmes is a real person in Trek and Data is playing fan fiction with the life of an actual dude. Or maybe "is Sherlock Holmes a real person?" is a weird question to ask when the guy that says it is half-alien.

The Undiscovered Country was the first Star Trek film I saw in the cinema. I was recovering from surgery, running a fever, and supposed to be in bed taking it easy, but no way was I going to miss this movie I'd been waiting for. It's hard to convey to younger people just what it felt like for the Cold War to finally be ending and to have that mirrored up on the big screen.

“Second star to the right, and straight on till morning” was the perfect last line.

This movie is, in fact, really good overall! Sulu is more badass in this one movie than most Captains manage in an entire season!

ST VI not only brought closure to TOS for me, but it also brought closure to the Cold War in a way. I was born the year TOS was canceled so my first memories were of it in syndication while at the same time the Cold War hung over our way of life. I came to see that the Klingons were the interpretation of the Soviets and it was nice to see a futuristic society that still clung to hope. When I graduated high school I joined the Navy and was immersed in that Cold War mindset for a time, until one day the Berlin wall fell and while on deployment to the Mediterranean our president met with Soviet Premier Gorbachev and glasnost came to be. I recall there being a sense of accomplishment and when I went home ST VI came out soon afterward. As a child I was always made aware of how TOS was topical for the 1960s and much like that, ST VI brought the TOS era to a close in a similarly topical way.

Way back in my college science-fiction films class, I did a paper comparing and contrasting Meyer's ST II and VI. There are a lot of thematic similarities (insert "It's like poetry; it rhymes" joke here). Both deal with the crew coping with growing older in a changing galaxy, and coming out the other side with a renewed sense of youth. (In II, Kirk explicitly states, "I feel young," and in VI, he quotes Peter Pan, the boy who never grew up.) One thing that fits with some of what you talked about - and maybe I've been reading too much into this for the 30 years since I wrote that paper - is that if you add an "E" to the end of the primary antagonist's name, the crew spends the movie learning how to overcome the fear and obstacles that are put in their way by change. I don't know if that was intentional in the writing of the movie or just a happy accident, but it struck me all those years ago and has stayed with me.

Hey, the Starfleet laundry division cameos in this one.... LoL

The thing that I like most about Undiscovered Country is that it explains how the peace is achieved which was alluded to all the way back in the original series episode that established the Klingon neutral zone(because of the Organians) and the pilot of next-gen which had debuted four years earlier( with a junior officer on the bridge who was a Klingon). So it would not only connects first series to the new series but it also was eluded to years before

So important to let the original cast set up Klingons-as-allies on screen! This was the first Trek movie I saw in the theaters, a friend's birthday. I must have been 9 or 10. I don't think I was sophisticated enough to even follow the plot very well, but it was still a satisfying watch, all us little nerds were buzzing about Chang's final moment walking out of the theater. My favorite Trek film, for sure.

Undiscovered Country is my low key favorite film in the series. Wrath of Khan is certainly a favorite and objectively amazing, but the dark tone and music of Undiscovered Country made it amazing. I always felt like this was the most adult Star Trek film, then and now. Ah! And I'm so glad you mentioned the score. The overture during the credits for this film is *incredible* and one of my favorite pieces of film music. It's so different from previous scores, and yet fits the film perfectly. Again, similar to James Horner creating an entirely original theme and score for WoK. Excellent stuff.

Kirk: I can't believe I kissed you! Martia (still looking like Kirk): Must have been your lifelong ambition!

You brought back some good memories here! I played hooky the day Star Trek VI premiered. It was my freshman year of high school. My older brother took me to the theater for the first showing of the day. And the line around the building was truly a sight to see! This was an event film in the best way. And, when I got back to school the next day, I was berated by my math teacher for taking a sick day … just to see Star Trek VI. But it was worth it. ;-)

The Undiscovered Country was the last bow on stage for most of the old original crew in the world of Star Trek. One last adventure with the old generation with a bittersweet taste, since all good things do come to an end. For several movies and episodes the crew of the classic Enterprise have stood with us. The ending of this movie was a good farewell to the old crew.

This was always my favorite Trek movie. It has everything in it that made Star Trek great. I think it holds up as well today as it did then.

I think The Undiscovered Country was my first experience with Star Trek, besides the 2009 JJ Abrams movie (and a few assorted TNG episodes I would watch at my Grandmother's house when we'd go up for Christmas) so it holds a pretty special place in my heart. A little later on, my dad and I wpuld always sit down every Friday or Saturday night to watch some Star Trek TOS on MeTV. I love your breakdown of these ST episodes They're funny, well put together, and just generally fun to watch.

Klingon law apparently doesn't have a problem with conflict of interest...If the guy prosecuting you also arrested you for the crime, there's probably a liiiiittle bias there.

I have three films tied for best Trek movie, and this is one of them. It's superb.

Star Trek Generations pulled double duty, ruining the endings for TOS and TNG.

I loved VI as a kid because General Chang was an excellent villain, Sulu was awesome as Captain, and the final battle is so fun to watch. The political scenes were there and I understood they were important (mainly setting up where characters would be in the plot later), but the action stuff was fun! As an adult, I watch it more FOR those scenes that I skimmed over so much as a wee lad because, like II, it shows the age of our heroes and showcases how imperfect they all are BUT that they work to overcome those imperfections, those little flaws that grow to destroy who we are if we don’t nip them in the bud, to uphold not only the tenants of the Federation that they serve but to be BETTER people than the caricatures they would become in these difficult times. I grew up with the Klingons as the enemy. I then saw how people can choose to change and grow and try to make the “Undiscovered Country” of the future better for those that come after. It really showed me the optimism of Star Trek - no, the world is not perfect. We aren’t perfect. But we can TRY to be better. We can work together to BE better. No matter how many General Changs or Admiral Cartwrights there may be to hold us back, we have the ability, nay the responsibility, to overcome those biases and help those who need it, to look past borders and cultures to see those who aren’t “us” as people that deserve the same respect and care we do. Nicholas Meyer and Leonard Nimoy truly crafted not only a classic piece of cinema worthy of saving, but absolutely the best send off and finale to a crew we could’ve asked for

Finally an episode of Trek Actually I can watch without spoilers 😊

My personal headcanon is that Romulan Ambassador Nanclus and, more broadly, the Romulan Empire (Tal Shiar) were the originators/instigators of the conspiracy to prevent peace talks in the first place. Nanclus has almost nothing to do in the film except delivering a cryptic line and getting arrested at the end, but his inclusion is a perfect nod toward the type of Romulan behavior depicted in TNG (the Redemption two-parter came out the same year as ST VI) and later in Enterprise's fourth season. I mean, Romulans do seem to default to "let's execute a secret plot to divide our enemies and keep them from uniting against us" (only to have said plot fail spectacularly), and through that lens Star Trek VI could easily be viewed as just another attempt. What are your thoughts?

Thinking about what a pivotal role he played, I now kind of want to know how Gorkon is viewed by TNG-era Klingons, like how he's taught in their schools.

I cannot think of a better finale than the undiscovered country.

It was a great end. I remember when TOS moved to a new time slot and canned. Never to be seen until reruns .

The credits with the casts signatures are also just beautiful.

This was my first Star Trek film I saw in the cinema at 9 years old. My Grandma took me to see it . It was amazing! I don't remember even blinking much .

I don't have to watch this video to *know* that the premise is true. But of course, that makes me want to watch it all the more.

Undiscovered Country is a masterpiece. I don’t mind Easter eggs, but I feel like they should be a reward for the long term watchers, fleeting references that a new viewer wouldn’t feel disconnected from.

Steve, have you considered pitching a Star Trek curriculum to UMD?

The way this movie honours the TOS cast and what Star Trek stands for better, in my mind, makes it the best Trek film. As it's smartly written enough to give enough context to the characters' motivation within it (like reminding us of David's death) I also, oddly enough, use it often as the on-ramp to get friends into Star Trek. Thank you for your solid, well thought-out and passionate essay.

Steve, I would have been content with you just giving us the movie's plot and paralleling it to the Cold War. It's all stuff known (and comfortable) to those of us who have been watching Trek since TOS aired on NBC. But then, in the second half, when you relate to us that *this* is how you close a series, by abjuring fan service and instead providing us a truly new story that makes great use of beloved characters, well, this was something I had never really thought about (even though your opinion of fan service is hardly something unfamiliar to viewers of your videos). I have loved ST:6 since it came out, and now I have an intellectual framework to explain to people who Klingon to one lesser movie or another as their favorite, that even if they can't agree that this is the best ST movie, it is the best finale in the franchise. Great video, sir.

I mean Star Trek VI was directed by Nick Meyer, so you knew right away that it was gonna be good!

That was an amazing video!! Love your perspective!!

Fondness for this movie grew over time. I remember seeing this with my buddies in the theater when it premiered. They were so fat at this point we dubbed this movie, "The Undiscovered Country Chicken".

I was 6 in 91. Even kids could feel the shifts in the air.

When Star Trek 6 came out i was 13 and on a ship from Calais to Dover. Back in the day those rides took longer that today, the ship had a cinema on board and my friend and I were excited to see, that they showed Star Trek 6. So I have this very special and dear memory of my young days, watching Star Trek on a real ship.

McCoy's line "What is it with you!" Will always be my absolute favorite

Instant thumbs up for talking about my favorite Star Trek movie. Wrath of Khan is great, don't crucify me.. I just like this better.

Christopher Plummer as General Chang and Kim Katrall as Valeris were amazing. Also agree about the score and the plot. Was a treat then and still stands up today. One of the few Star Trek films I've watched multiple times.

Beautifully said, had a tear in my eye towards the end

Bravo. One of your best. You keep getting better at this. This is an outstanding examination of just why VI is so good. Maybe the best on this platform, and we have seen a lot.

Your breakdowns on these more than once have touched nerve enough for me to get misty-eyed. Thanks for the always interesting & entertaining essays on Trek and life.

ST:VI has always been my #1, and that's knowing the minuses - the scene with Uhura and the translations - I was so disappointed by that -and I think Ms Nicols said herself that she was very disappointed with it as well. I was very pleased to see that they 'rectified' that in the JJ Trek where Uhura - even as a cadet - knew 'all' the various Klingon dialects... Also, Chekov being the Keystone Cops in some scenes. But even with these 'character deficiencies', this was such a lovely movie that implied without - as you said - directly referencing - all good things about the 'mythos' of Star Trek: TOS

(I'm Kris Bluth; posting under my wife's account). I'd personally put VI just under IV as my favorite Trek film ever. I remember seeing it with a girl I was dating and I don't know if we had stumbled onto a screening booked by hardcore Trekkies or what, but I've probably never been in an audience that had been so into a film as this one. They laughed, they cried, they applauded uproariously more than once, and they just made what would have been a great time ever better. Nostalgia aside, though, the movie just works. It's a clever premise that really moves all of Trek forward, the mystery is intriguing, the character moments are earned and feel natural, the humor feels organic and isn't at the expense of anybody, the thrilling parts are actually thrilling, and yeah, if they wanted the TOS crew to go out on a high, they couldn't have done better.

Awesome movie. I was 18 yrs old, and in the U.S. NAVY,CULINARY SPECIALIST SCHOOL SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA. I unexpectedly saw a preview of ST6 in the lounge of our barracks. I went to the movies opening day. At the end of ST6 when the Excelsior and the Enterprise both fired on the Bird of Prey, the audience started to CLAP AND WHISTLE LIKE WE JUST ALL HIT THE. LOTTERY. IT WAS A MOMENTOUS OCCASION!!!! GOD BLESS 1991.

Your message in this video is immensely essential and relevant in today’s world. I can’t believe it took me this long to get to this video and I’m so glad I did. This last movie with the original cast is a hopefully a reality slap to all of us that if we (the ones with intelligence and common sense) don’t pull together…. We are headed into a very dark place. I just hope it’s not too late 🖖

The end of ST:2, WOK was very instructive here. Spock's death was portrayed through the unspoken subtext of their entire relationship, emoted and acted with few, incredibly evoactive words. Mirrored on many, many levels in their conversation about how they have outlived their usefulness.

As always: Thanks for your insights. I really enjoyed this video.

ooooh question, where did you get the Pride Trek shirt?

Great post! Totally agree. All things said, the TOS characters are still the ones that give me that warm tingly feeling . . . Honestly, there is a part of me that would really like to see the DS9 crew get another chance at bat . . . BUT my reason immediately kicks in and foot stomps that sentimentality. Some things are best left alone.

Thanks Steve. Well done!

It’s interesting to me how the final TOS movie covering the creation of peace with the Klingons was super timely with 91, but also something set up already by the existence of said peace on TNG. So it created a bridge between the eras narratively, and was already an event established to have occurred in some form.

It still frustrates me every time when Uhura points out the equipment they have for charting gaseous anomalies. The opening of the movie is on the Excelsior, where _they_ are on a mission specifically to chart gaseous anomalies. The Enterprise wasn't on any mission before this current one, and has no reason to have that equipment on board. I've never seen it verified, but my gut says that in a previous draft, Excelsior found the cloaked ship, and together they defeated it with the Enterprise, but Shatner just couldn't handle not being the one who delivered the revealing blow, and so it was re-written to what we see on screen, despite it making no sense.

So well said. Indeed. Thank you for translating our feelings into coherent thoughts. Who knows, perhaps a future producer, show runner, or director is already subscribed, and taking notes.... Best Regards.

Star Trek VI is the best Star Trek movie of TOS era. Great film, great story, great music (theme is absolutely stunning during the opening). Thank you for this video

i love the line spock makes about "having faith" to valeris, that not everything can be logically reasoned to a machiavellian end

Without a doubt, my favorite Star Trek movie… Such a great script and story, and with the best crew, best Enterprise, just the best….

I remember seeing this at the cinema as a 6 year old. But I remember coming away thinking "if only the tension had been repeatedly cut by someone making a dead-pan sarcastic comment or a teenager exclaiming 'OMG it can fire while cloaks, f**king awesome'". Ahem ^^

God I love this movie. I genuinely think it ties with Voyage Home for best Trek film. Voyage Home is funny. Undiscovered Country is BRILLIANT. It's intelligent, insightful, relies heavily on character relationships without being fanservicey, gives us an ending for the Original Series that feels fulfilling. It's everything a Trek movie should be.

Damn, well done! I agree with all of your points. Superb analysis.

This is probably my favourite Star Trek movie. One of my favourite bits in it is a subtle piece of acting by Nichele. She has a look of disgust on her face after ending the call to the Klingon border patrol. On its own it's a fine in character bit, but knowing the background of the production adds another layer in that she HATED the scene. She thought it was out of character for her, the COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER, to not already be fluent in Klingon, and that look is her showing her real feelings about the scene.

One other aspect of Star Trek VI is the completion of Kirk's character arc. It started in Star Trek II when Kirk's son is introduced and is killed at the hands of Klingons in Star Trek III and Kirk is hunted in Star Trek V. And it is brought to a close when Kirk recognizes his prejudice, comes to terms with it. For me the themes of reconciliation, personal development, the idea that people can come to terms with their weaknesses and shortcomings and change for the better are what Star Trek is all about.

Fantastic review of Star Trek VI and I completely agree with everything you said . In an age of endless nostalgia and reboots , it shines as a magnificent gem from a bygone era . A fitting conclusion to TOS and the best final chapter of any Trek thus far. I own one small piece of it ; one of the Klingon mining rifles , possibly held by Kirk and McCoy while they are imprisoned on rura penthe . It came from the collection of Greg Jein ; who made props for the film. It’s a good example of how well this film was made ; it appears on screen for less than a minute, yet it’s immaculate in its design, absolutely believable to be a relic from a Klingon prison. This entire film was crafted in such a fashion , from everyone involved . That is why it has and always will stand the test of time as a historic piece of cinema.

Great video. I've always liked Star Trek, but have never been a huge fan; but I love your videos breaking things down and shedding new light on old episodes. I need to go rewatch DS9 because of you. Who has that much time? Screw you man. 😉

Great episode, so many things explained that I never would have thought of or read into. I loved all the shows no matter how they are liked or disliked.

I'm so glad to finally hear you gush about my favorite Star Trek film.

Even to this day, this film was/is my favorite Star Trek movie and was indeed the best ending for the original cast. It has a lot of heart, drama, mystery, humor, action, and conflict. Also, really enjoyed seeing the growth in Kirk’s character arc.

I thought the fight between Kirk and Martia shape-shifting into Kirk was reminiscent of the episode _Whom Gods Destroy_ (even the name "Martia" is similar to Marta).

I remember seeing ST:VI in the theaters (I saw all but ST2 in the theater) and thought it was more like a big budget episode than a movie but it was the perfect ending for the Original Crew. Later I watched it again and realized this movie was shot during the time DS9 was in full swing, the Next Gen was still shooting the end of the series and beginning the production of Generations, effectively putting to bed the old crew while sending the Next Gen crew into the movie realm.A very interesting time in Trek history

"If there is to be a Brave New World, our generation is going to have the hardest time living in it." was incredibly prescient. The problem is a lot of the people who were just coming into positions of power when that brave new world arrived are still clinging to power, refusing to learn and adapt, and trying to bring back the "good old days". The "good old days" were never as good as advertised and only seen as good when viewed through rose-tinted glasses. And the same is true of fandom, not just this fandom but any fandom. Quite a lot of fans are the same as those clinging to power hoping to bring back the good old days. They want more of the familiar, the comfortable. They cheer when a work goes all-in on nostalgia pandering, delivering them - as Fry would put it - the same thing they've seen a thousand times before. Not only did ST:PIC S3 pull everyone out of retirement so that they could go do the same things they were doing 30 years ago, it cribbed the finale from both the rebooted Battlestar Galactica and from Return of the Jedi. I wonder how many of those cheering the RotJ style dive into the Death Star-sized Borg Cube were sneering at The Force Awakens for having yet another Death Star Trench Run.

Your videos are always so good.

I know I watched Star Trek 6 as a kid because I have vage memories of it. But I haven't seen it for a long time. Star Trek 4 was my favorite of the older movies. You have inspired me to go back and re-watch all of the TOS movies. Thanks for the shout-out!!!

I was 11 years old when i saw this in Theaters. What great me memories. That final battle was amazing

I like you and your take on things and your presentation and your thoughtfulness... I understand comments help out RU-vidrs, so there you go.

Nice job Steve. This movie did what I thought was impossible to suplant Wrath of Khan as my new ST movie favorite. Well done.

My favorite movie, thanks for covering it!

This is why I still love yah Steve. You keep doing you. Wish others would be the same.

This was my favorite Star Trek movie. I liked the signatures at the end before the closing credits. Thanks for the video.

I find Star Trek VI to be the most watchable of the original 6 movies. II & IV are great but if I just want to see some ST movie, VI is the I watch. Thx for a great video.

Just found your videos. Fabulous!

I just read an article where Patrick Stewart was quoted as saying he wants to do one more TNG cast movie.

well said, and this is not debatable. The TOS movies never tried to rehash their greatest hits, instead they told new stories about this crew and developed the characters in interesting ways.

Such a fantastic movie. I mean, it really is. Also, showing the Khitomer Accords showing the alignment of the Klingons and the Federation. The antagonists of the movie working together PROVING that what they didn't want to happen, would be easily accomplished. The movie's ending setting up the Romulans as the puppetmasters they are during TNG. I don't think many people remember that initially in TOS the Romulans were considered somewhat inferior, and that the Romulan Birds of Prey of the TOS era were barely capable of Warp 1 after their societal collapse after the Vulcan imperial era of which they are a remnant. It's so wonderful. Also, General Chang is such a worthy final adversary for Kirk. He's not a nemesis, I would always argue that Kahn is Kirk's nemesis since they are so very alike in many ways, but he's a perfect final adversary. He's calculating, a warrior-poet in the classic / Joint Chiefs sense of the term, and a tactical genius.

This movie is just a huge moment of growth for Kirk. It shows that he wasn't just "Torn shirt macho" Kirk, but someone who can actually realize that a long held belief is wrong, and he can at least start to move in a healthier direction.

I still maintain to this day, that after Chang said "I AM AS CONSTANT AS THE NORTH STAR!" McCoy replied with "I'd give real money if SHE'D shut up."

I grew up in the TNG era and my parents were never much into Trek, so I never was exposed to TOS much. I have a hard time getting into it, even today, and generally just appreciate it from afar. But I will say that out of all the TOS movies, ST6 is definitely my favorite of them all and one I'll rewatch again and again.

You nailed it in this breakdown. My favorite as well. Christopher Plummer as Chang is still my favorite 2nd favorite villain in all of Trek for his phenomenal portrayal.

Interesting nugget… Go back to the opening shot of Excelsior when Sulu is making an entry into the captain’s log. “After 3 years I’ve concluded my first assignment as master of this vessel, cataloging gaseous planetary anomalies on the Beta quadrant”. That wasn’t put there for no reason. Sulu and Excelsior were supposed to come in and save the day with the exhaust pipe seeking torpedo but Shatner wasn’t having it because Kirk don’t need no saving, especially not by Sulu. So instead Uhura pulls it out of her ass that Enterprise, which was previously in Space Dock with no real mission on hand and no real crew ready to go, was also carrying equipment to catalog gaseous anomalies as if that’s Starfleets main purpose out in the stars, to catalog gaseous anomalies.

Steve, you've come a long way from 2016. You look healthier and your videos are much better. Glad to see it.

Couldn't agree with you more. Good insights, including an interesting spin on the fact that 4 composers scored the 6 movies. You might like to consider an advanced grammatical point: at 3 minutes and a bit before 22, you say "one of the events which IS often cited..." and "one of the things that MAKES the story of STVI so powerful", but those should be plural to describe and limit the events/things.