January 13, 2021 (updated on October 15, 2023)

When fan films were given guidelines, it changed the fate of several Star Trek productions.

New Voyages/Phase II put a halt to their production and the sets became a tour, at the time of the guidelines, a couple of episodes were being put together or being planned out and that included “Torment of Destiny”.

Fans were looking forward to this episode as it had guest starred Richard Hatch in the follow up to the episode Star Trek episode “For the World Is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky” that was released in 1968.

There are rough copies online for the fan film, there is this one and this one.

There are special effects missing, sound levels are not quite right, and it appears that some reshoots were in order so viewers cannot possibly expect a top-of-the-line episode from the rough copy.

The incomplete status is interesting because it shown people just how much work had gone into an episode of one of the top Star Trek fan productions of the time.

You will see the USS Lexington in action with the Enterprise, the USS Lexington was previously involved in the M-5 war games that saw the USS Excalibur lose its entire crew in the episode “The Ultimate Computer”.

You can see a great performance by Richard Hatch, it is sad that the guidelines and other issues as mentioned before came during his turn on New Voyages/Phase II but we still got the trailer that shows some of his fine work as intended.

If it had the opportunity to be completed, it would have been a fine episode as it has that original Star Trek feel to it which is standard for New Voyages/Phase II

The guidelines are unpopular to some, but they had to happen, we did lose some fine fan productions because of it but the amateur age had passed, and the age of professionalism and personal gain was in vogue, and it had to stop.

Rating: 3 out of 5 (only because its incomplete).