Warning: contains spoilers for Star Trek: Deviations: Threads of Destiny!
After 59 years, Star Trek is revisiting a classic episode from The Original Series, changing some details. Throughout its 60-year run, Star Trek has created many unforgettable episodes, and this update to a beloved Original Series story maintains the heart of what made it special.
Often considered a classic, the Star Trek episode “City on the Edge of Forever” originally aired during the show’s first season. It’s based on a story by renowned science fiction author Harlan Ellison and follows Kirk and Spock as they travel back in time. Their mission? To stop an altered timeline caused by Doctor McCoy, who, while under the influence of drugs, inadvertently saves the life of an ordinary social worker.
The mission started simply enough, but became complicated when Captain Kirk fell in love with Edith Keeler, a local social worker. The episode reaches a powerful conclusion where Kirk is forced to watch Edith die, a necessary sacrifice to protect the timeline and guarantee the future of his crew and their world.
“City on the Edge of Forever” Just Got an Awesome Update
Star Trek: Deviations: Threads of Destiny Is Also a Tribute to Nichelle Nichols
This new version of a classic Star Trek episode, Deviations: Threads of Destiny, keeps the basic premise: the Enterprise investigates strange disturbances in time and discovers a deserted planet with a time portal. However, from that point on, the story takes a different path.
Instead of featuring Kirk, Spock, and McCoy as the central figures, writer Stephanie Williams and artist Gregory Maldonado have made Uhura the main character in their story. While the original Star Trek episode sent Kirk and his crew to 1930s America, Threads of Destiny sends Uhura back to the Civil Rights era, where she encounters Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
The story of Williams and Maldonado honors the Civil Rights activism of Nichelle Nichols, the original actress who played Uhura. Nichols famously met Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. while filming the original Star Trek series. She was considering leaving the show, but Dr. King persuaded her to continue, and this issue features a direct encounter between Uhura and Dr. King.
Threads of Destiny Charts a New Course for the Guardian of Forever
Star Trek Has Retconned the Guardian of Forever Once Before
Besides those already mentioned, Threads of Destiny and “City on the Edge of Forever” differ in how time travel happens. In “City…”, the crew uses a swirling, donut-shaped portal called the Guardian of Forever. But in Threads of Destiny, they travel through glass mirrors watched over by a somewhat timid man who identifies himself as “the Keeper of Time.”
This isn’t the first time Star Trek has altered the Guardian of Forever. In season three of Star Trek: Discovery, Michael Burnham encountered the Guardian, and it appeared as an elderly man. The character known as the Keeper of Time, featured in Threads of Destiny, is a nod to this previous change to the Guardian’s form.
Threads of Destiny Was a Key Story for Both Uhura and the Guardian of Forever
Uhura’s Meeting With Doctor Martin Luther King Reenergzied Her
Both “City on the Edge of Forever” and Threads of Destiny powerfully affect viewers emotionally. As we’ve seen, Kirk was forced to watch the woman he loved, Edith Keeler, die. Her death was particularly tragic because she was a passionate advocate for peace, and had she lived, her efforts could have prevented the US from entering World War II – potentially allowing the Nazis to develop atomic weapons and win the war.
Kirk faced an impossible situation that tested his convictions, while Uhura dealt with a different, but equally powerful, challenge. Having grown up on a future Earth free of racism, she was deeply shaken by encountering it firsthand after traveling back to the 1960s.
While Kirk was deeply shaken by what he experienced, Uhura appears to return from her journey with an even stronger determination to create a better future. Both Kirk and Uhura witnessed the hardships of 20th-century Earth, but Uhura also had the opportunity to see positive figures like Dr. King, which seemed to inspire her.
Threads of Destiny Is a Successful Star Trek Retcon
Threads of Destiny’s Creative Team Honors “City on the Edge of Forever”
Star Trek: Deviations: Threads of Destiny demonstrates how to effectively revise established storylines. Instead of simply repeating elements from the classic episode “City on the Edge of Forever,” Threads of Destiny respectfully expands upon it. The original “City on the Edge…” remains a standout, and writers Williams and Maldonado have created a fitting and excellent homage to this beloved Original Series installment.
Star Trek: Deviations: Threads of Destiny Is On Sale Now from IDW Publishing!
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2026-02-26 18:24