GUEST BLOG: Making the "Redemption" Blu-ray a Reality

Star Trek: The Next Generation: Redemption will be available July 30 on Blu-ray from CBS Home Entertainment and Paramount Home Media Distribution. To celebrate its imminent release, StarTrek.com invited Roger Lay, the producer and director of special features for the various Star Trek Blu-ray projects, to share his personal thoughts about “Redemption” and to detail some of the Blu-ray’s value-added materials. Lay responded with the following guest blog:

The story arc for the Klingon civil war is one of my favorite TNG tales and I'm extremely excited that the most important chapter in this epic story will now be available on Blu-ray as a feature-length presentation. Not only is “Redemption” great storytelling, but “Part I” was also a big milestone for TNG since it was the 100th produced episode of the series.During the earlier seasons of the show producers always stayed away from continuing story threads or multi-episode arcs. As fans will learn in the Blu-ray special features, Ronald D. Moore -- the writer who most successfully explored and developed Klingon culture in modern-era Trek --  had set the stage for a Klingon civil war storyline when he  wrote season three's “Sins of the Father.” Producers stayed away from revisiting earlier stories since, as a syndicated show, TNG episodes had to stand on their own.

Still, Moore knew that at some point the opportunity would come along to revisit that storyline, since Worf's honor would eventually have to be restored. Ron went on to further explore Klingon myths and culture during his post-TNG stint on DS9, but it all started with this terrific story arc.

Since the restoration process is now a really well-oiled machine and the team at CBS Digital continues to outdo themselves with every new release, fans can expect a stunning theatrical quality presentation of this beloved tale. In order to make this release an even more rewarding experience, we've put together an all- new documentary which complements the feature length docs we've been producing for the complete season sets. This one, titled "Survive and Succeed: An Empire at War," is meant to not only be an exploration into this landmark episode, but it’s also our love letter to the Klingons. You'll hear about every aspect of production -- from composer Ron Jones' approach to writing Klingon music to Dan Curry and Dennis "Danger" Madalone on crafting the weapons and combat styles for this great warrior race.Since our goal with these documentaries has been to take a scholarly approach to the production of the series, we felt this disc offered a great opportunity to explore the popularity of the Klingons and how the importance of this fan favorite race has inspired writers, producers and actors to develop a fully realized culture.  Also, some of the actors responsible for TNG's most memorable Klingon characters, among them Michael Dorn (Worf), Robert O'Reilly (Gowron), and Gwynyth Walsh (B'Etor) discuss their philosophies, techniques and approaches to playing characters that are larger than life, Shakespearean in quality and ultimately incredibly memorable. And Denise Crosby shares her memories on her return to the show in this episode.

I'm also really happy with the commentary track for this episode. Ron Moore goes into great detail about the evolution of the storyline. He even tracked down all the earlier versions of the script and re-read them prior to recording the commentary. I really have to applaud him for his level of commitment to helping us make all these releases even more meaningful with his firsthand perspective when it comes to the creation of these episodes. I find it fascinating and extremely satisfying when a commentary track provides candid insights into the realities of film and television production, rather than just having the participants offer their reaction or opinion on how the film or episode turned out. So I'm glad to say that this commentary track features one of the most visionary television writers in the genre offering an incredibly honest look at the process of crafting a story that has now become a classic.If you're a Klingon fan, you can't miss this release. We think it not only offers the best presentation of one of the greatest Klingon stories ever written, but also a very detailed exploration of the Klingon mythology from both a philosophical perspective and also a production perspective. “Redemption” on Blu-ray truly shows why the Klingons have become the most iconic species in the Star Trek universe.

Star Trek: The Next Generation – Redemption will cost $28.28 in the U.S. and $32.00 in Canada. Click HERE to pre-order from Amazon.com.