The devious part is Star Wars fans will think "it's a trap" on the down, which makes the best franchise Trek. Very good troll!

When I started my current job, my boss and one of the older guys there asked me "star trek or star wars" after I mentioned liking sci fi (they preferred the different franchises respectively and were looking for a tiebreaker for their banter or something I guess). Got a laugh out of them by replying with "stargate".

I also love Star Twraerks

This crossword sucks, none of the other answers make any sense if you write in stargate.

Star Twerk

Ah, yes, Star Tark

They did something similar with “tomorrows headline” either “bush wins” or “gore wins”

Ah the star trek wars or was it the star wars trek

I think there’s a mistake with 71 down - you need to add a few spaces and change it to “FAAAAAAAAAAAAAAKE”.

So ... does this mean there are other Sci-Fi franchises known as ....

• STAR TRES
• STAR TRRS
• STAR TARK
• STAR WARK
• STAR WAES
• STAR WREK

because according to the clues given and probable answers, these are all correct .... and if you argue between two scifi franchises ... the answers never give as to which of the two they are.

Forcing the Trekkies write in an Admiral Ackbar quote makes this extra funny.

They (NYT) also did a similar one on election day in November 1999, where the answer could be both GWBUSH and ALGORE with the hint "The next president of the United States". Their crossword puzzle person/team is pretty clever.

Edit: I might have misremembered after a quick kagi search. This seems the one I had in mind: https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/2zqn4o/til_that_the_new_york_times_published_a_crossword/

Something about this just tickles my brain right

No love for Stargate

Is there a blank version somewhere?

Star Trek or Star Wars?

Yes.

Star Twerks

Real fans acknowledge that both franchises have merit, and only poke good-natured fun at the other. Losers get seriously mad about it.

But what about Star Taes?

Star Twe(a/r)ks