Pilgrim of Eternity facts for kids

Pilgrim of Eternity is a special episode of Star Trek that was made by fans! It came out in 2013 and was the very first part of a new online show called Star Trek Continues. This episode continues a story from an old Star Trek episode called "Who Mourns for Adonais?".

Meet the Crew and Guest Stars

This episode features a talented group of actors who bring the classic Star Trek characters to life.

Main Crew Members

• Vic Mignogna plays Captain James T. Kirk, the brave leader of the starship Enterprise.
• Todd Haberkorn plays Mr. Spock, the logical science officer.
• Larry Nemecek plays Dr. McCoy, the ship's doctor.
• Grant Imahara plays Mr. Sulu, the helmsman. Grant was also known from the TV show MythBusters.
• Chris Doohan plays Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott. Chris is the son of James Doohan, who played Scott in the original Star Trek show.
• Wyatt Lenhart plays Ensign Chekhov.
• Kim Stinger plays Lieutenant Uhura, the communications officer.

Special Guest Appearances

• Michael Forest returns as Apollo, playing the same character he played in the original Star Trek episode.
• Michele Specht plays Dr. Elise McKennah.
• Marina Sirtis provides the voice of the Computer. Marina was also an actress in Star Trek: The Next Generation.

What Happens in the Story?

The U.S.S. Enterprise crew is investigating strange energy drains. They find a mysterious alien object that starts taking power from their ship. To save themselves, they destroy the object. But just before it's destroyed, Mr. Spock detects two life forms on it.

Apollo's Return

Suddenly, two beings appear on the ship's bridge. One of them is Apollo, an alien who was known as a Greek god on Earth long ago. The crew had met him a few years earlier, but now he looks much older. Apollo explains that he was exposed to the energy from the destroyed object, which he calls the "Realm." This Realm was built by his people to live forever, but it broke down and killed everyone else of his kind.

Apollo's Changing Desires

Apollo says he no longer wants people to worship him. After a short time in the sickbay, he starts to want people to admire him again, especially for his singing and storytelling. Captain Kirk notices Apollo's strange behavior and demands to talk to him. Apollo then uses his mind powers to try and make Kirk and others worship him.

New Dangers for the Crew

Meanwhile, the broken pieces of the Realm are still causing trouble. A crew member dies while trying to remove debris from the Enterprise hull with Mr. Sulu. The crew must figure out how to deal with Apollo and the remaining dangers from the Realm.

How the Episode Was Made

The people who made "Pilgrim of Eternity" wanted it to look and feel just like the original Star Trek series.

Creating the Look and Feel

• The team used film industry professionals to help make the episode.
• They carefully copied the sets, how the scenes were filmed (cinematography), the costumes, and even the way the actors performed and told the story.
• They even added dramatic pauses, just like the original show used before commercial breaks.
• They mostly used the original Star Trek music and the famous opening theme song.
• The episode was filmed in a 4:3 aspect ratio, which is the old TV screen shape, to match the original series.

Aging Apollo

Actor Michael Forest, who played Apollo, was in his 80s when they filmed. The story was written so that Apollo had aged artificially. This explained why he looked older, even though the crew had only met him a few years before in the Star Trek timeline.

Sharing the Episode

"Pilgrim of Eternity" was first shown to the public at the Phoenix Comicon comic book convention on May 26, 2013. On the same day, it was also released online for everyone to watch on different streaming websites.

Continuing the Adventure

To make more episodes of Star Trek Continues, the creators raised money through a Kickstarter campaign. They successfully reached their goal of $100,000. A second episode was already being made in October 2013.

Images for kids

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  Director, co-writer and co-producer Vic Mignogna, who portrayed Captain Kirk in "Pilgrim"