Screen Rant

Ashley Byrd-Author

Ashley Byrd

Author

June, 2024
Ashley has earned a BA in English and Gender Studies and an MA in English and Creative Writing.
Star Trek, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds
  • 54
    articles
  • 31
    Features
  • 4
    Lists
  • 9
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About Ashley Byrd

Ashley Byrd is a writer for Screen Rant's Star Trek Features. She currently lives in her hometown in the Florida panhandle, where she's attending classes for her last year of graduate school. When she isn't writing, Ashley likes to read sci-fi books, play video games, and hang out with her four rescue dogs.

Industry Focus

Ashley has been an avid Star Trek fan for 20 years. One of her earliest memories is learning the Vulcan salute from her grandfather, who had every episode of Star Trek: The Original Series recorded on VHS and rolled the TV cart into the dining room every night to watch it during dinner. She grew up watching Star Trek: The Next Generation, but Star Trek (2009) was her reintroduction to the franchise as a teenager, reigniting her ion for all things Star Trek.

Favorite Media

Ashley's favorite Star Trek shows are The Next Generation and Strange New Worlds, which she rewatches frequently in anticipation of season 3. J.J. Abrams' reboot films also hold a special place in her heart, as they inspired her to pursue writing academically and professionally. 

Latest

Nicholas Cage, Chris Pine as Captain Kirk & James McAvoy
If Star Trek 4 Happens, These 2 A-List Hollywood Actors Could Realistically Appear

Star Trek 4 is still stuck in development hell, but the addition of these two Hollywood A-listers could give the production a boost.

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Kevin Uxbridge (John Anderson) and Q (John de Lancie) in Star Trek: The Next Generation.
One Star Trek: The Next Generation Species Was Too Powerful To Ever Bring Back

Star Trek can’t revisit this Godlike species from Star Trek: The Next Generation’s one-off episode because they’re too mysteriously powerful.

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Saru (Doug Jones) in Star Trek: Discovery and Spock (Leonard Nimoy) in Star Trek: The Original Series.
Star Trek: Discovery's Spock Replacement Reversed The Vulcans' Most Iconic Trait

Star Trek: Discovery connects to The Original Series by mirroring Spock’s traits in another character, who becomes the “Spock” of Discovery.

Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Lieutenant Nyota Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.
This Is Why Star Trek Will Forever Be My Perfect Comfort Show

Star Trek will always be my perfect comfort show because it offers a diverse universe of watching experiences without becoming predictable or boring.

Spock (Ethan Peck) in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and Dr. Roger Korby (Michael Strong) and Christine Chapel (Majel Barrett) in Star Trek: The Original Series.
This Controversial Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Romance Actually Makes Perfect Sense

The controversial pairing in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds isn’t as random as it seems – it’s actually a canon Star Trek romance from the 1960s.

Captain Christopher Pike (Jeffrey Hunter) with his horse Tango in Star Trek: The Original Series and Captain Pike (Anson Mount) with a glass of wine in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.
A Strange New Worlds Detail You Probably Missed Honors Star Trek's Original Captain Pike

There’s a detail hidden in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds that alludes to Captain Pike’s past, and it’s so small you might’ve missed it.

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Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds along with Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and Phillipa Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh) in Star Trek: Discovery.
Star Trek's Prequel Movie Is Pulling The Same Trick For The 4th Time

Star Trek announced an unnamed prequel movie, and the project will highlight the franchise’s 4th attempt to pull the same trick in the last 25 years.

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Lt. Kayla Detmer (Emily Coutts) in Star Trek: Discovery.
I Forgot Star Trek: Discovery’s Detmer Was There Since The Beginning

Lt. Detmer didn’t play a huge role in Star Trek: Discovery’s final season, so it was sadly easy for me to forget she’d been there since the beginning.

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Lieutenant Tuvok (Tim Russ) and Commander Janice Rand (Grace Lee Whitney) in Star Trek: Voyager,
Janice Rand’s Star Trek Comeback Was The Best Part Of Voyager’s Flashback Episode

Star Trek: Voyager celebrated Star Trek’s 30th anniversary with season 3’s “Flashback,” an episode that gave Janice Rand an iconic comeback.

Captain Kirk (Chris Pine) in Star Trek: Beyond and Spock (Leonard Nimoy) and the whale in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.
Star Trek Beyond Broke An Enterprise Movie Tradition, But Leonard Nimoy Got There First

By destroying the Enterprise, Star Trek: Beyond highlights a break in Star Trek tradition originally utilized by Leonard Nimoy’s 1986 whale movie.

Zoe Saldana as Nyota Uhura and Chris Pine as Captain Kirk in Star Trek (2009).
Star Trek 4's Long Delay Is A Direct Result Of J.J. Abrams' Biggest 2009 Reboot Change

Before JJ Abrams' Kelvin timeline films, Star Trek's movies had always been based on established narratives developed by the franchise’s TV shows.

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Anson Mount as Captain Pike in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and as Cullen in Hell on Wheels.
Anson Mount's Breakout Show Is Perfect To Watch While Waiting For Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3

Anson Mount’s breakout role could give fans of Captain Pike something different to watch before Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 in 2025.

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Commander Riker (Jonathan Frakes) screaming and a redshirt engineer covered in blood in Star Trek: The Next Generation,
This Scary The Next Generation Episode Is Exactly What Modern Star Trek Needs More Of

Star Trek could benefit from more horror elements like the ones in Commander Riker’s scary Star Trek: The Next Generation episode.

Chris Pine as Kirk and Zachary Quinto as Spock in Star Trek Beyond with the Enterprise in the background.
The Star Trek Movie Now On Netflix is The Best Movie To Watch After Star Trek Day 2024

Star Trek Day was all about recognizing what makes Star Trek so special to so many people, and Star Trek: Beyond is the perfect way to celebrate.

Chris Pine as Captain Jim Kirk in Star Trek (2009). Beside him is an image of the Nokia technology in the 1965 Corvette Stingray a young Jim Kirk (Jimmy Bennett) uses at the beginning of the film.
Star Trek: The Real Reason Nokia Still Exists In The 23rd Century

Nokia’s puzzling cameo in Star Trek (2009) contradicts the franchise’s post-capitalist society, but there’s a real behind-the-scenes reason for it.

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