intro song star trek enterprise

Star Trek: Enterprise Theme Song Lyrics

Where My Heart Will Take Me

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" Where My Heart Will Take Me " is the main title song of Star Trek: Enterprise played over the opening title sequence . Originally titled " Faith of the Heart ", it was written by Diane Warren and originally performed by Rod Stewart for the 1998 movie Patch Adams .

At the conclusion of ENT Season 1 , Brannon Braga acknowledged fan feedback on the theme song ("some love it, some hate it... [but] it's staying.") " I think the song is cheesy, but I like cheesy things. We wanted a sentimental theme song with just the right lyrics that obliquely capture the spirit of human exploration. I feel the song nails it. " ( Star Trek: The Magazine Volume 3, Issue 2 , p. 11)

In In Conversation: Rick Berman and Brannon Braga , a bonus feature available on ENT Season 1 Blu-ray , Rick Berman described himself as having been "grilled over the coals" for the theme song. He stated that he could not blame Braga for that one. He continued that all of the previous series and films had big sweeping orchestral scores with one major theme and that he thought it would be cool if they were doing something new and different to find a song to put over an opening credit that would show a history of flight and even before. He interviewed a number of songwriters before discovering Diane Warren and felt the song fit perfectly into what the show was about and what it meant. He described the decision to remix the song in the third season as being Paramount 's decision, but the ultimate result being a "bust."

1 Song history
2.1 Full length version
2.2 Star Trek: Enterprise version
3 Other versions
5 External link

Song history [ ]

The version for Enterprise was performed by Russell Watson . It remains the only Star Trek theme song besides Star Trek: The Original Series that is not completely an instrumental, orchestral piece, the only theme to have sung lyrics, and is the only theme that is not a composition original to the franchise.

"Where My Heart Will Take Me" was played for the crew of the space shuttle Discovery as their morning wake-up call on 2 August 2005. [1] The song was also used as a wake-up call for the crew of the Endeavour during STS-118 on 9 August 2007. [2] The song was used again for the STS-125 Hubble Telescope repair crew on board Space Shuttle Atlantis on 24 May 2009. [3] In December 2014, Russell Watson recorded a special version of the song to help wake the New Horizons space probe from hibernation prior to the craft performing the first flyby of Pluto. [4]

Three versions of the theme were recorded: one for the entire full length song and two for the opening credits of Enterprise , with a revised arrangement being introduced in Season 3:

Full length version file info
Season 1 & 2 version file info
Season 3 & 4 version file info

Full length version [ ]

It's been a long road , getting from there to here. It's been a long time , but my time is finally near. And I can feel a change in the wind right now. Nothing's in my way. And they're not gonna hold me down no more. No they're not gonna hold me down. Cause I've got faith of the heart . I'm going where my heart will take me. I've got faith to believe. I can do anything. I've got strength of the soul . No one's gonna bend or break me. I can reach any star . I've got faith. I've got faith, faith of the heart. It's been a long night, trying to find my way. Been through the darkness. Now I'll finally have my day. And I will see my dream come alive at last. I will touch the sky. And they're not gonna hold me down no more. No they're not gonna change my mind. Cause I've got faith of the heart. I'm going where my heart will take me. I've got faith to believe. I can do anything. I've got strength of the soul. No one's gonna bend or break me. I can reach any star. I've got faith. Faith of the heart. I've known the wind so cold, and seen the darkest days. But now the winds I feel are only winds of change. I've been through the fire and I've been through the rain. But I'll be fine. Cause I've got faith of the heart. I'm going where my heart will take me. I've got faith to believe. I can do anything. I've got strength of the soul. No one's gonna bend or break me. I can reach any star. I've got faith. I've got faith of the heart. I'm going where my heart will take me. I've got strength of the soul, and no one's gonna bend or break me. I can reach any star. I've got faith. I've got faith, faith of the heart. It's been a long road.

Star Trek: Enterprise version [ ]

It's been a long road, getting from there to here. It's been a long time, but my time is finally near. And I will see my dream come alive at last. I will touch the sky. And they're not gonna hold me down no more, no they're not gonna change my mind. Cause I've got faith of the heart. I'm going where my heart will take me. I've got faith to believe. I can do anything. I've got strength of the soul. And no one's gonna bend or break me. I can reach any star. I've got faith. I've got faith, faith of the heart.

Other versions [ ]

During previews for Enterprise on UPN , the song " Wherever You Will Go ", performed by the musical group The Calling , was played instead of the regular theme song.

A unique one-off instrumental version of the song "Where My Heart Will Take Me" plays over the closing credits of " Broken Bow ".

In the LD : " No Small Parts " episode, Captain William T. Riker was seen quoting the lyrics to Deanna Troi aboard the USS Titan .

External link [ ]

" Where My Heart Will Take Me " at Wikipedia

Why Star Trek: Enterprise Had THAT Terrible Theme Song

"Where My Heart Will Take Me," the opening theme to Star Trek: Enterprise, had reason to be scorned. Over time, however, its reputation has improved.

Among Star Trek: Enterprise ’s more contentious quirks was its opening theme song: a reworked version of Rod Stewart’s “Faith of the Heart” entitled “Where My Heart Will Take Me.” It’s very much a product of its time, and in the ensuing years has become something of a guilty pleasure among the Star Trek faithful. It’s the kind of infectious earworm that takes days to get rid of, and it’s definitely an anomaly among Star Trek themes. Fans at the time did not take it well.

Before Enterprise , Star Trek shows stuck resolutely to classic orchestral themes. That started with Alexander Courage’s iconic introduction to the original Star Trek , and was emulated by The Next Generation, Deep Space 9 and Voyager. Star Trek: The Next Generation appropriated Jerry Goldsmith’s theme from Star Trek: The Motion Picture, which is telling: all of them aimed for an operatic sound indicative of epic theatrical films. When Enterprise began, the producers wanted to break from that tradition in a big way.

RELATED: Star Trek's Longest Running Series, Revealed

It Was Supposed to Help Enterprise Bridge Our Present with Trek’s Future

Enterprise was posited as a prequel to the original series: detailing the early days of humanity’s exploration of the stars, and the eventual formation of the Federation. Producer Brannon Braga told Starlog magazine that he felt the era had more unexplored dramatic potential than something closer to the original series, and that the characters would respond to challenges differently than the characters in other Trek series had. The song was intended as part of that principle: a firm break from what Trek had become, but also a link between the present day and the bright future the franchise promised.

That, however, could have found better expression elsewhere. The song adopted a soft-rock power ballad format, presumably in order to reach as wide an audience demographic as possible. But the supposedly inspiring lyrics fell flat against Enterprise’s impressive visual title montage of real-life heroes like Amelia Earhart and Gus Grissom. And while the orchestral scores from earlier Trek shows felt evergreen, this one dated itself almost as soon as it had dropped.

RELATED: Star Trek: The Next Generation - Why the Beloved Series Ended

The Song Itself Had a Difficult Background

The choice of song was strange too. Rather than commissioning their own, the producers simply reskinned the Stewart song with new lyrics, giving it the air of a cheap knock-off. Stewart himself – a notorious womanizer – left his second wife less than a month before the song hit the charts, rendering its heartfelt tone disingenuous from the start. A few hastily added lyrics weren’t going to change that. Furthermore, Stewart wrote it for Patch Adams , the infamous Robin Williams tearjerker reviled for its excess sentimentalism.

In short, it felt very corporate: assembled for reasons that had little to do with Star Trek and presented as a change of pace that went badly off the mark. Trekkies responded as Trekkies sometimes do: with anger, rejection and organized demands to replace the song with something else. Enterprise stuck with it, however, and kept it as part of the opening credits for the whole of its run.

The song has since attained a kind of scruffy charm among the Trek faithful, and an apt companion to Enterprise, which similarly took some time for parts of the Star Trek community to warm to. Today the two are intertwined, and the high quality of the show itself lends the comparatively clunky theme song an affection it might otherwise merit. It even earned a playful dig on Star Trek: Lower Decks -- as sure a sign as ever that Trekkies are ready to forgive if not forget.

KEEP READING: Why Star Trek: Enterprise's Series Finale Is So Hated by Fans

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Faith Of The Heart by Rod Stewart

Songfacts®:

This song was written by accomplished American songwriter Diane Warren. It was originally recorded by Stewart for the 1998 Robin Williams movie Patch Adams , where it fit with the theme of believing in yourself.
In 2001, the song was re-recorded by British opera singer Russell Watson under the title "Where My Heart Will Take Me," to be used as the theme song for Enterprise , the fifth TV series in the Star Trek franchise and a prequel to the original series. Like many other aspects of the Enterprise series, the choice of this song as the theme music became a point of controversy among longtime Star Trek devotees. In 2003, Watson's version was remixed to coincide with the show's rebranding as Star Trek: Enterprise . Ironically, this livelier mix of the theme song came as the plot of the series itself took a darker turn.
Watson performed a slightly edited version of the song during the opening ceremony of the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, UK. >> Suggestion credit : Joshua - Twin Cities, MN, for all above
More songs from Rod Stewart
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Lyrics to Faith Of The Heart
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Comments: 1

Diane from Walnut Grove, Al I am looking for both Sheet Music and CD for the song: "Faith of the Heart" by Rod Stewart. I would love to find a dependable/honest/reasonable site to purchase this song with Sheet Music and CD Can anyone help me??????

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The Story Behind The Star Trek Franchise's Most Controversial Theme Song

It's hard to imagine there are many Trekkies in the world who are immensely fond of Russell Watson's rendition of "Where My Heart Will Take Me," the theme song to "Star Trek: Enterprise." Imagine if Rod Stewart were straining to produce a particularly stubborn bowel movement, and you can hear the gravelly strains of Mr. Watson's vocals. The insipid lyrics wax elegiac about the progress we've made "getting from there to here," and how the singer's "time is finally near." No one can hold back the song's narrator as he has "faith of the heart." Nothing's gonna bend or break him. The effect of the song is more or less equivalent to a black-bordered inspirational poster hung on a corporate office wall next to a cubicle. You have strength of the soul.

One might be able to see why the makers of "Star Trek: Enterprise" wanted a pop song, with lyrics, to lead into their new 2001 TV series. The previous "Star Trek" shows all began with bold, orchestral themes that evoke the excitement and exhilaration of jetting off into the cosmos. "Enterprise" was to be the fourth new "Trek" series in 14 years, and would be the first to run by itself since the debut of "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" in 1993. The series wanted to set itself apart, and a pop song seemed like the way to go.

In the helpful oral history book "The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years: From The Next Generation to J. J. Abrams," edited by Mark A. Altman and Edward Gross, the shows creators, writers, and directors all talked about the theme song and what led to their (dubious) decision to include Russell "The Voice" Watson's dulcet groans into official "Star Trek" canon.

It's been a long road...

I didn't mention Rod Stewart above by accident. "Where Will Heart Will Take Me" actually began its life as a 1998 Stewart song called "Faith of the Heart," written by serially Oscar-nominated songwriter Dianne Warren. It was initially penned for Tom Shadyac's execrable, treacle-smeared Hollywood biopic "Patch Adams," and the song's ultra-sentimental tone perfectly matches the corniness of the movie itself. "Faith of the Heart" hit #20 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary charts, and peaked at #4 in Canada. A 1999 cover by Christian/Country artist Susan Ashton made it as far as #51 on the Hot Country Songs chart.

Russell Watson began his singing career as a mere lad and began winning radio singing contests in his 20s. In 1999, he sang "God Save the Queen" at the rugby Challenge Cup Final at Wembley Stadium, and England really took notice. Two years later, Watson released his first album, "The Voice" (not related to the TV game show of the same name) and it was a massive success; "The Voice" is the first album to hold the #1 spot on both the U.S. and U.K. classical charts at the same time. Watson, lacking in the "stuffy" pretensions of modern opera and willing to sing pop songs, gained the nickname of "The People's Tenor." He was also called, rather theatrically, "The Voice," after that first album. In short, he was hot s*** in 2001.

Brannon Braga and Rick Berman, the creators of "Star Trek: Enterprise," likely knew all about Watson and his cresting popularity. The two wanted a pop song — mostly at Berman's insistence — but, as it turns out, not that pop song. Braga remembers what he wanted to use, and how awful he thought "Where My Heart Will Take Me" was.

Getting from there to here...

Braga originally wanted a temp track they were using to become the actual "Enterprise" theme song. He was a big U2 fan, it seems. He was not, however, a fan of Russell Watson. Braga said:

"Rick and I felt that a song would set the slightly more contemporary feeling we were going after with Enterprise. For the longest time, we had a temporary song we cut the main titles to, U2's 'Beautiful Day.' If we had used that—or could have afforded it-that would have been a great song. Those main titles with U2 are amazing. It's hip and cool, whereas the song we ended up with is awful. I'm a big fan of Diane Warren, she's a great songwriter, but this particular song and the way it was sung was tacky."

For the record, "Beautiful Day" doesn't really have the "bold" qualities of classic "Star Trek" orchestral openings, but it is a sight better than what we got. Braga continued:

"I still cringe when I hear it and, by the way, I think the song had a lot to do with people's adverse reaction to the show. If you look at the main titles themselves, it's a really cool sequence. But the song is awful, just awful."

If it was that awful, why was it selected as the theme song for "Enterprise"? Berman revealed that it was the culmination of ideas that all seemed great at the time, but that ultimately combined very poorly. Opening montage, lyrics about progress, talented songwriter, hot pop singer. It seemed like all the pieces were correct, and everything was on track to be great. They could reach any star.

It's been a long time...

Berman remembers the process well. He said:

"This is another example of my being stubborn, right or wrong. I thought it would be nice to have a theme song. Nobody had ever done it before. I knew that I wanted the animation at the opening instead of just being the flying-through-space stuff that had existed on all the other 'Star Trek' shows. But I wanted it to be sort of a compilation of the science and the people that led up to the space flight. Our visual effects people put together an amazing visual montage. Then we went to a very famous, contemporary composer named Diane Warren, who's written huge hits."

So far, so good. For the record, the opening montage is wonderful. It begins with footage of the first sailing ships on Earth in long-ago times, and quickly walks the audience through the history of navigation. There is a three-masted sailing vessel, a modern ship, a space shuttle. At some point, the montage passes from real-world ships into the fictional crafts of "Star Trek." It ends with the title vessel, warping into adventure.

Berman recalls Warren:

"...[W]ent through a whole bunch of songs and we came up with this tune that she had written. The lyrics seemed perfect. Then she got all excited, there was a British singer named Russell Watson and he was a very hot performer — kind of semi-operatic and pop performer — and he agreed to sing it. It basically spoke to exactly what we were looking for a dream of going out into the unknown and the whole idea of bringing one's heart to what matters. We recorded the song and put it to the animation and everybody thought it was terrific. And the audience hated it."

But my time is finally near...

Indeed. The semi-operatic sound of "Where My Heart Will Take Me" was hated pretty much unilaterally. The idea of opening a "Star Trek" show with a pop song wasn't a bad idea in itself, necessarily, but audiences made it quite clear that Watson's wailings weren't wanted. Eventually, at the start of the show's third season, the song was remixed to add more electric guitars and drums, hoping to trick audiences into thinking it was more upbeat. Watson's vocals, perhaps unfortunately, remained. Berman liked the remix. No one else did. He said:

"In the second or third year, the network said to us, 'Can you rewrite the song and could you make the song hipper?' We left the vocal on, but we did a completely different instrumental with a lot more electric guitars and things to make it a little more rock 'n' roll. I don't know if anybody was truly satisfied with that. I, for one, can tell you that I thought it was a great opening and I'm not alone in that. I don't think I'm in the majority, but I'm not alone."

Many of the other producers and writers on "Enterprise" were fine with moving away from a Jerry Goldsmith or Alexander Courage-penned orchestral overture, but none of them liked "Where My Heart Will Take Me." Writer Mike Sussman liked the shake-up, but not "kind of shaking it up in many of the wrong ways. Let's say all the wrong ways." Producer Antoinette Stella recalled that everyone was "shocked" when they heard the song at the series' first screening. "Everybody talked about it after we saw the pilot," she said. "Sometimes you try to be different and they work ... and sometimes they don't."

I will see my dreams come alive at night...

Chris Black, one of the staff writers on "Enterprise" noted that the song was perhaps terrible, but that it was ultimately perfect for the tone of the show. It was about aspiring and touching the furthest star, etc. etc. There were worse things in the world that one should reserve their hate for. Black said:

"If you listen to the lyrics of that song, they're appropriate. Are the lyrics cheesy? Absolutely. But is it saying something about the characters of the Star Trek universe that I think is appropriate? Absolutely. I don't hate it or love it. Everybody hates it. I don't hate it. I hate Nazis. I don't hate the theme song from 'Enterprise.'"

The editor of Film Score Monthly, Lukas Kendall, noted that "Where My Heart Will Take Me" has aged like fine milk. It was derided in 2001 and still has no fans 22 years later. He asked:

"Is there anybody who likes that song? The choice was ridiculed at the time and comes across no better today. I would not be opposed to the use of a song in principle, but it was the wrong one-a Diane Warren power ballad from 'Patch Adams?' Really? Even the producers seemed to hedge when they had the backing track redone for season three, but they had too much invested to dump it entirely."

In the pages of /Film, it was previously written that modern pop music always feels a little out of place in "Star Trek." The franchise takes place in a post-capitalist society. Adding recognizable commercial pop into the proceedings adds an unavoidable corporate element to Trek. Kendall noted the clash between Trek's typically classical bent and its own need for an insufferable power ballad.

I will touch the sky

Kendall continued:

"The producers broke one of their own rules: 'Star Trek' has become pop culture, but there is no pop culture within 'Star Trek,' because it punctures the reality. They tried rebranding with a mainstream radio song instead of another 'space theme for nerds,' so to speak — the desperate attempt to reach a bigger audience — but it was cheesy and lame."

Many years later, the makers of "Star Trek: Lower Decks" got to affectionally (?) take a swipe at "Where My Heart Will Take Me." William Riker (Jonathan Frakes), while serving as captain on board the U.S.S. Titan, liked to while away his free time interacting with the "Enterprise" characters on the ship's holodeck. This was a reference to the final episode of "Enterprise," wherein Riker did that very thing. As he returned to the bridge after one of his holographic sojourns, he idly commented that he loved visiting the past and that "it's been a long road, getting from there to here." Trekkies instantly recognized Dianne Warren's opening lyric.

It's worth noting that all the "Star Trek" shows to follow "Enterprise" went enthusiastically back to the "space theme for nerds" model, providing each series with a unique orchestral score. The third season of "Stra Trek: Picard" even repurposed Jerry Goldsmith's theme for "Star Trek: First Contact" wholesale.

Fun trivia: in what might have been a fit whimsical irony, "Where My Heart Will Take Me" was used as the wake-up alarm for mission specialist Richard Mastracchio on the Space Shuttle Endeavour in 2007.

Hearts were broken. Lessons were learned. "Star Trek" will never again have The Voice.

Screen Rant

Enterprise almost had a u2 theme song (& why it didn't).

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U2's hit single "Beautiful Day" was the original choice to serve as the theme song to Star Trek: Enterprise , but the Russell Watson power ballad "Where My Heart Will Take Me" eventually won out. By 2001, franchise fatigue was setting in for Star Trek . There had consistently been a Star Trek television series on the air since 1987. The film series hadn't stopped to take a breath since Star Trek: The Motion Picture debuted in 1979, and demand for more films featuring the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation was clearly winding down. Despite the writing on the wall, the United Paramount Network (UPN) still wanted an immediate follow-up series to Star Trek: Voyager .

Longtime Star Trek Executive Producer Rick Berman realized the franchise needed an overhaul for the 21st century, and the eventual result was Enterprise . A prequel series set a century before the events of Star Trek: The Original Series , Enterprise followed the adventures of Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula) and the NX-01 Enterprise, humanity's first vessel capable of prolonged interstellar travel. In an effort to refresh the franchise, Enterprise eschewed many common Star Trek trappings; notably, the words " Star Trek " did not initially appear in the show's title until season 3. But Enterprise 's most controversial move was its theme song.

Related: Enterprise Pitched A Spock & T’Pol Team-Up Before Strange New Worlds

How Enterprise Almost Had A U2 Theme Song

The decision was made early on in the development of Enterprise that the show would not feature a traditional orchestral intro theme, but rather a pop song, similar to most UPN shows at the time. A popular choice with the show's production staff was U2's monster 2000 hit "Beautiful Day." The song was even used as a temp track as the show's opening credits were being developed. U2's "Beautiful Day" had a strong and vocal proponent in future Star Trek: Picard showrunner Terry Matalas, who was a production assistant on Enterprise .

However, there was a somewhat predictable problem with using "Beautiful Day." U2 were, by many measures, the biggest band in the world in 2001, and licensing their songs for use in movies and television was notoriously expensive. Producer Rick Berman eventually realized using the song was not financially feasible and began looking for other options. The show's producers eventually chose Russell Watson's "Where My Heart Will Take Me," a reworking of a Rod Stewart song called "Faith Of The Heart."

Why Enterprise's Theme Song Was Controversial

The reaction to "Where My Heart Will Take Me" was, quite frankly, vicious. The cheesy power ballad was lambasted by critics and audiences alike, with fans organizing a campaign to have the song replaced. Lifelong Star Trek fan Simon Pegg, who played Montgomery Scott in the Kelvin timeline films and co-wrote Star Trek Beyond , has admitted he's never seen a full episode of Enterprise because he hates the theme song so much.

Much like Enterprise itself, opinions on "Where My Heart Will Take Me" have softened over the years. It's not exactly beloved, but it's now acknowledged as a good-faith effort to try something new. That said, it's hard not to wonder what could have been for Star Trek: Enterprise had it been soundtracked by a classic rock anthem like "Beautiful Day."

More: Enterprise Almost Featured A Weekly Musical Act

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Who sang the Enterprise theme ...

Question: Who sang the Enterprise theme song, "Faith of the Heart"? It wasn't Rod Stewart, but could it have been Scott Bakula, aka Captain Jonathan Archer?Answer: It could've been, I suppose. But it wasn't. "Faith of the Heart," written by Diane Warren and originally performed by Rod Stewart for the Patch Adams soundtrack, was sung by rising U.K. opera star Russell Watson during the show's opening credits. Watson comes from humble beginnings, initially earning a living as a bolt fitter in Manchester and practicing his singing on the side. From there, "The People's Tenor" (I love that name — a tenor for the rest of us) has come into his own as a best-selling singer and was even named a Goodwill Ambassador to the United Nations. Now, if only one could say the same for the song itself, which creat

Question: Who sang the Enterprise theme song, "Faith of the Heart"? It wasn't Rod Stewart , but could it have been Scott Bakula , aka Captain Jonathan Archer?

Answer: It could've been, I suppose. But it wasn't.

"Faith of the Heart," written by Diane Warren and originally performed by Rod Stewart for the Patch Adams soundtrack, was sung by rising U.K. opera star Russell Watson during the show's opening credits. Watson comes from humble beginnings, initially earning a living as a bolt fitter in Manchester and practicing his singing on the side. From there, "The People's Tenor" (I love that name a tenor for the rest of us) has come into his own as a best-selling singer and was even named a Goodwill Ambassador to the United Nations.

Now, if only one could say the same for the song itself, which created quite a storm in the Trek community. It's tough to find a fan who's ambivalent about it. (Admittedly, it's tough to find a Trek fan who's ambivalent about anything .) Those who hated the song started petition drives to get it dumped, while those who championed it screamed just as loudly to have it left alone.

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The episode deepens the mystery surrounding Ruby and the Doctor, sparking engaging fan theories.
Ncuti Gatwa embodies the Doctor's haunted heroism, setting up thrilling confrontations with Maestro.

How do you make a Beatles episode of Doctor Who without using any Beatles music? Well, showrunner Russell T. Davies has figured it out. Since licensing any Beatles songs for the series would run up the budget, Davies has crafted an episode in which a wicked god from another realm is stealing away the music we've known and loved for decades. In "The Devil's Chord," Jinkx Monsoon makes her Doctor Who debut , and it is every bit as glorious as I'd hoped. Monsoon's Maestro expands on the lore laid out in the third 60th-anniversary special last Christmas and inspires new theories regarding both Ruby's ( Millie Gibson ) and the Doctor's ( Ncuti Gatwa ) backstories.

On top of that, this episode also introduces more clues about Ruby's birth and the Mystery Lady that keeps following the Doctor around. While the original songs in "The Devil's Chord" aren't exactly anything to write home about, given the plot, the episode is enhanced by Murray Gold 's phenomenal score. The beloved Who composer delivers some of his best work in this one and even makes a blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo in the episode's big finale musical number.

The show follows the adventures of a Time Lord “The Doctor” who is able to regenerate, and the Doctor’s human friends. The Doctor and companion’s journey through time and space in the TARDIS – a time-traveling ship shaped like a police box – saving the universe with a combination of wit, bravery, and kindness.

What's Going on in "The Devil's Chord"?

"The Devil's Chord" opens in an undisclosed location in 1925, with an elderly man teaching a young boy how to play the piano. When he teaches the boy (aptly named Harbinger) a secret chord — no, not the one that David played to please the Lord — he accidentally summons a nonbinary trickster god named Maestro. Crawling out of the piano like a queer campy version of the girl from The Ring, Maestro enters the scene with equal parts over-the-top humor and pure malicious intent. Laying it on thick with the elderly pianist, Maestro steals every bit of music right out of his heart , leaving nothing but a shell behind. Monsoon then gets to join the very elite ranks of folks who've gotten to play in the theme song, and while it's no Peter Capaldi on a guitar riff, it still brought a grin to my face. The series also gets a little meta again as it appears that Ruby has also just played the theme on the TARDIS jukebox.

Back in the present day, Ruby has been given free rein to choose their next destination, offering a nice switch up from recent memory in which it's almost always the Doctor (or better yet the TARDIS) picking where they take their companions. Despite some mild embarrassment, she confesses that she'd like to see the Beatles recording their first album — personally, I'd pick Chappell Roan, but the Beatles are good too. Ruby needn't worry, because the Doctor's absolutely thrilled to take her there, openly wondering why he'd never picked this destination before. The two don some fabulously retro garb and head out onto Abbey Road in 1963.

Unfortunately for Ruby and the Doctor, upon sneaking into the recording booth, they watch the Beatles record one of the worst songs ever put to music. Gatwa and Gibson really lean into the humor of the moment as the slow dawning horror of what they're witnessing plays out across their faces. Double-checking that it's not just the Beatles, they also pop in to hear an absolute flop from Cilla Black and a frankly dreadful orchestral version of "Three Blind Mice." Recouping in the cafeteria, the Doctor realizes that someone's been tampering with history . Before he and Ruby go to interrogate the Beatles, we get another glimpse of the Mystery Woman, now serving tea at EMI Recording Studios. While her true identity is far from revealed, she makes a quip about Margaret Lockwood in The Wicked Lady and, once again, the Doctor never sees her face.

Without Music, Humanity Turns Sour on 'Doctor Who'

While interrogating Paul McCartney and John Lennon , Ruby and the Doctor try to impress upon the musical legends how essential their art is , but they insist that singing simply doesn't make any sense. In fact, being a musician is actually embarrassing. Pressing a little further, the Doctor and Ruby can see that buried deep down, Lennon and McCartney still long for the life they're supposed to have. Frankly, without music I am pretty sure I would go insane – and that's exactly what will happen to the whole of humanity if Maestro has their way.

Up on the roof of the building, Ruby is treated to some more Doctor lore as she learns about his granddaughter Susan living over in Shoreditch. Another glimpse into the tragedy of the Doctor reveals that he doesn't know whether Susan survived the genocide of the Time Lords. Never one to dwell on his past for too long, the Doctor promptly has a piano brought up and implores Ruby to call upon her musical talents to see if she can bring some light back into the world. Playing an original piece that she wrote for her heartbroken lesbian bestie Trudy, Ruby manages to capture the attention — and the hearts — of many a bystander. However, as the music reaches a crescendo, it's cut short by the arrival of a creature that strikes a chord of pure fear in the Doctor.

Laughing in an all-too-familiar arpeggio, Maestro climbs out of the piano again, and that's all the Doctor needs to realize that Maestro and the Toymaker are cut from the same cloth. Eagle-eyed viewers might remember that "The Giggle" also opened with unusual happenings in the year 1925 . Visibly terrified, the Doctor and Ruby book it to the basement and attempt to hide from Maestro and their tuning fork by using the sonic to mute the world around them. No, there's nothing wrong with your TV, the Doctor really has put the whole episode on mute. The disconcerting sequence goes on for longer than one might expect before Maestro breaks the spell, and Ruby and the Doctor get a brief reprieve as they disappear to steal "Clair De Lune" out of some poor little old lady's heart.

Catching Ruby up on what she missed in "The Giggle," the Doctor explains that the last time he encountered one of these creatures it literally "tore his soul in half." He also tells her that he can't go through that again, possibly indicating that the controversial bi-generation in the 60th-anniversary special was just a one-time dea l. As terrified as the Doctor is, Ruby refuses to believe that music is just gone, mostly because she can still remember it herself. It seems like the two of them have been traveling together for a few months since the previous episode , because when they hop back in the TARDIS for a devastating peek at what the future will look like if they don't defeat Maestro, we learn that it's now June or July in Ruby's Earth timeline. Somberly, the Doctor shows Ruby a dark and ashen version of 2024 where her own family likely doesn't even exist. While the previous episode was all adventure and chaos, "The Devil's Chord" gives Ruby a closer look at the tragedy of the Doctor and the burden he carries for the sake of humanity. It's really clear that Ncuti Gatwa has done his homework, it's very easy to see the haunted history of Doctors past in his eyes in moments like this.

'Doctor Who' Hits a High Note With Its Newest Villain

Their heartbreaking detour is interrupted by Maestro in a new Adele-inspired ensemble as they hop into the future with little more than a snap of their fingers. Reveling in a little bit of exposition and more than a few music puns, Maestro explains that the Toymaker is their father before laying out their ultimate plan to eliminate music from the whole of creation. Ushered in by a "genius" back in 1925, Maestro incidentally gives the Doctor the key to their destruction: the right chord could send them back to their own realm. Maestro isn't worried, though, confident that the Doctor is no genius, and armed with the right tune to strike even more fear into his heart. Whovians familiar with Davies' first Doctor Who era will recognize the discordant notes of the Master Suite from the Master's attempt to destroy humanity as Harold Saxon. While Davies has said that the Master is parked for now, I can't help but wonder if that was a clever bit of misdirection.

Back in 1963, the Doctor attempts to mathematically calculate the perfect tune to send Maestro packing, but the trickster is still one step ahead of the Time Lord. Wrapping Ruby in their twisted sheet music, Maestro is determined to crush the Doctor once and for all by tearing the music right out of his bubbly companion. Monsoon kills it throughout this entire episode, but she truly reaches a fever pitch as Maestro revels in the height of their power, absolutely chewing on every line of dialogue she has. Unbeknownst to both the Doctor and Maestro, however, Ruby seems to be something that neither of them can explain . Ruby can't be so easily defeated, as "Carol of the Bells" hidden in the depths of her soul sends Maestro into a tailspin.

This is where the episode gets particularly ripe for theories, as Maestro frantically mutters to themselves about the night of Ruby's birth. They mention "the oldest one" being present, insisting that "he can't have been there," ignoring the Doctor's questions for clarification. While it doesn't explain why Maestro wouldn't put two-and-two together, is it possible that "the oldest one" is actually the Doctor? With his true origins still a mystery, Davies could be setting up the reveal that the Doctor is also part of this Pantheon of trickster gods after introducing the God of Play and the God of Music. Remember the mystery lady mentioning Margaret Lockwood in The Wicked Lady ? The premise of that 1945 film sees Lockwood's character impersonating a famed highway robber until she's brought face to face with the person she's impersonating. Is the mystery woman bopping around time and space impersonating the Doctor? Is she his mother? Is she the one who waits?

Before Doctor Who reveals the answer to any of those questions, however, the Doctor gets back to the task at hand, challenging Maestro to a music battle. After a tense piano vs. violin back and forth, the Doctor gives up on finding the mathematically perfect tune and instead draws on all the love and loss he's ever experienced. Monsoon relishes the near-death experience, taking each note as a direct wound, screaming in agony and on-beat. The Doctor isn't a musical genius — don't tell his Twelfth self — but the Beatles are. Finding the mostly played chord, they unwittingly finish off Maestro with the perfect note . They're banished back into the piano, signing off with the cryptic promise that the one who waits is almost here.

Despite lacking typical tunes for such a song-based episode, Doctor Who caps "The Devil's Chord" with its big musical number: "There's Always a Twist at the End." Filled with references, and quite likely a clue or two given its title, the song goes on for so long that it becomes suspicious, before looping back around to become pure camp fun. We can't know if this moment will come back in the future, with Davies it's always worth looking for clues in every episode — especially with that sneaky shot of Harbinger lurking in a doorway. Part of what makes him one of the most beloved showrunners for Doctor Who is that he always knows how the season is going to end before he starts writing the first episode, weaving hints and clues throughout the episodes. It's why things like the Bad Wolf arc and the warnings of "something on Donna's back" are so iconic. With the pitch of the monster in the previous episode designed to make the listener afraid, and Maestro's desire to send the whole universe cascading into aeolian tones, sound may be what links this season together .

Doctor Who introduces a terrific new villain, the Beatles, and some twisted new lore in "The Devil's Chord."

Jinkx Monsoon makes an incredible villain on par with the Toymaker and Missy.
The season's mystery gets more interesting as the groundwork is rolled out for fan theories.
Ncuti Gatwa perfectly captures the haunted heroism of the Doctor.
Linking the Toymaker and Maestro sets up an interesting Pantheon of foes for the Doctor.
It would've been nice if the show could've splurged on just one Beatles song for the Beatles episode.

New episodes of Doctor Who will air on Disney+ every Friday at 7 PM ET.

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Chris Pine Was Surprised by New ‘Star Trek 4’ Writer Hire Because ‘I Thought There Was Already a Script…I Was Wrong or They Decided to Pivot’

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Chris Pine was taken by surprise when news hit that Steve Yockey, creator of the Max series “The Flight Attendant,” had signed on to write the script for “ Star Trek 4.” Why? “I thought there was already a script,” the actor recently told Business Insider during an interview on his “Poolman” press tour.

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“I honestly don’t know,” Pine told Business Insider when asked about “Star Trek 4” updates. “There was something in the news of a new writer coming on board. I thought there was already a script, but I guess I was wrong, or they decided to pivot. As it’s always been with ‘Trek,’ I just wait and see.”

Steve Yockey is the latest screenwriter to get a chance to pen the script for “Star Trek 4.” Attempts over the years to get the sequel off the ground have included an R-rated idea from none other then Quentin Tarantino. Another version of the project was to be directed by Matt Shakman (“WandaVision”) and written by Lindsey Beer (“Sierra Burgess Is a Loser”) and Geneva Robertson-Dworet (“Captain Marvel”). Shakman left the project to direct Marvel’s “The Fantastic Four” instead, and it fell apart soon afterwards.

In his Business Insider interview , Pine also said that it wasn’t until the third movie that he finally felt comfortable on set playing Kirk. The character was made famous by William Shatner.

“It’s interesting. Karl Urban decided to go head first into McCoy because Karl loved ‘Star Trek,'” Pine said. “With Spock, you have to do Spock-like things, plus Zach [Quinto] kind of looked like Leonard [Nimoy]. And then Kirk is a tricky one. You are the lead of the band of characters, so you don’t want to occupy too much space. It’s fine if they are doing a thing, but you don’t want to. And J.J. [Abrams] never asked me to do a thing, though I did do little nods to Shatner because it was fun.”

“But I would say I felt most in his shoes in the third movie. By that point, I think I mellowed into it and didn’t feel like I was trying too hard,” Pine added.

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