Star Trek has a huge presence at San Diego Comic-Con this year, and beyond sharing what upcoming Trek shows will be available with a Paramount+ subscription or elsewhere, they have some very cool exhibits. In fact, I was shocked to unexpectedly see some priceless relics of The Next Generation at the intergalactic friendship exhibit with Doctor Who, and I got a little emotional seeing them!
As a massive Star Trek fan, I may be a little over-reactionary regarding specific things related to the franchise. This is especially true regarding The Next Generation, which served as my entry point to it all. As such, I teared up when we were looking at the original Captain's chair, and it may be a highlight of my entire time at the convention.
The Original Captain's Chair From The Next Generation Is On Display For Free
I made my way into the quaint space, which, as mentioned, is a celebration of both the Doctor Who and Star Trek franchises. After walking through the many costumes of the various Doctors and Starfleet legends, I legitimately stopped in my tracks when I saw the beige seat in the corner. My first instinct was to go up and sit on it, which explains why there's a sign deliberately telling you not to sit on it. For those who aren't at SDCC and able to see the chair in person for themselves, behold:
Was really moved and might’ve shed a tear that I had a chance to see the original Captain’s Chair from #StarTrek TNG absolutely free! pic.twitter.com/cZWfGHh9PCJuly 25, 2024
A woman next to me told her partner she felt like it was rather underwhelming, and I felt some anger for a brief moment. This is history, lady! Patrick Stewart rested the back of his bald head on that leather headrest and led the USS Enterprise-D on scores of missions! To be able to see such an iconic piece of franchise history absolutely free was incredible, and a tantamount statement to how much Star Trek loves its fans.
We Almost Lost The Chance To See This Priceless Piece Of Star Trek Furniture
Let's not forget that a few months ago, this exact same Captain's chair was about to be sold at auction. It would've been sold to the highest bidder, and then it would've been on that person to decide what they'd do with it. As TrekCore reported, Paramount stepped in and returned it back to CBS Studios. The plan was to display it publicly, and here we are at San Diego Comic-Con, seeing it in all its glory.
Did Star Wars feature its costumes from The Acolyte on the main floor? Absolutely, and it made me want to rewatch it because I feel like the show channels Star Trek well. This wasn't that, however. If Star Wars had put Luke's original lightsaber from The Empire Strikes Back up unprotected, with a sign that says "Do not touch," that's the equivalent in my mind. Do you know where that is? It's in the Ripley's in Hollywood, and you have to pay $25 to get in.
Geordi's Visor And Data's Sherlock Props Were There Too!
I also was thrilled to find Geordi's visor and Data's Sherlock Holmes props on display too. Those were behind glass, and it's a good thing too because I wouldn't be able to resist putting on all three at the same time an acting out my own WTF TNG moment on the spot. Honestly, I was surprised by how well-kept they looked after all this time. Take a look:
Also couldn’t resist posting Data’s props from his Sherlock phase, Geordi’s visor, and the coolest #DoctorWho and #StarTrek art you’ll ever see pic.twitter.com/UMzdpTl7TEJuly 25, 2024
Once again, this was an entirely free event available to visit outside of the convention! And let's not forget it was all part of a collaborative effort with Doctor Who, which I don't think fans understand the "mavity" of how cool that is. Franchises with competing corporate parent companies don't do things like this often in 2024, but more should.
The point I'm making is that even though we've lost Star Trek: Discovery and will soon lose Lower Decks this year and not get a live-action spinoff, there's still a lot of good happening in the franchise. I'm sure we'll all be feeling different come Saturday when we see what is in store at Hall H and learn more about Strange New Worlds Season 3 and the movie Section 31. Maybe seeing the Captain's chair has me in my feelings, but I think the fun in this new era has only just begun.
CinemaBlend is at San Diego Comic-Con and ready to report all the latest and greatest things happening with Star Trek and other big franchises making announcements.
