Top Ten Picard Speeches

Thirty years of TNG, and the debates about who the better captain was continue. Despite all of that, it is difficult to argue that while Kirk could drop kick with the best of them, Picard was most devastating with his words. There have been many great speeches that Jean-Luc delivered over the seven seasons and four feature films, and we all have our favourites. Some of them are motivational, some of them cut the soul deep, some are humorous, and some consist of him not saying much at all. One thing is certain, when Captain Jean-Luc Picard speaks, people listen. Here are my Top 10 Picard Speeches. Let me know if you think I over-looked any in the comment section.

10. Ensigns of Command – “Pursuant to Paragraph 1 290, I hereby formally request third party arbitration of our dispute… Furthermore, pursuant to Sub-section D-31 I name the Grizzelas to arbitrate…Unfortunately, they are currently in their hibernation cycle. However, they will awaken in six months, at which time we can get this matter settled. Now, do you want to wait? Or give me my three weeks?”

When the Enterprise is ordered to deal with the Sheliak, a particularily arrogant and troublesome species, Picard gets cut off in mid-sentence several times. As his frustration levels increase he is trying to get every possible advantage to help him save the lives of fifteen thousand colonists. Finally, he comes across an article in the treaty that the Sheliak have with the Federation. The Sheliak, ever bound by their rules and protocols, are bested at their own game by Picard, who wastes no energy in masking his satisfaction. In today’s terms, Picard owns the Sheliak in a big way. When he is the one that cuts them off mid-sentence, we all applaud.  

9. Yesterday’s Enterprise – Attention all hands. As you know, we could outrun the Klingon vessels. But we must protect the Enterprise C until she enters the temporal rift. And we must succeed! Let’s make sure that history never forgets…the name…Enterprise”

How would Picard handle a no-win scenario? Probably something like this. I have heard the end of this quoted often in pop culture, and for good reason. It is iconic, direct, and forceful. Who among us would not gladly follow Picard to our certain doom against insurmountable odds when he gives us this final order. It doesn’t matter that this is an alternate timeline, for no matter what universe you are in, Picard emotes strength when he speaks.

8. All Good Things – “I know you have your doubts about me…about each other…about the ship. All I can say is that although we have only been together for a short time, I know that you are the finest crew in the fleet and I would trust each of you with my life. So, I am asking you for a leap of faith…and to trust me”

In the series finale, Picard finds himself leaping through time between the perceived past, present, and future. In the past, he chooses not to reveal what he knows and has to appeal to them in taking the ship into danger. He motivates them with an appeal to faith, which further shows how great a leader Picard is. It is quite the speech given to a crew on their first (and potentially last) mission, and is fitting for the ending of a series that is one of the most enduring shows of all time.

Sorry, I couldn't find a video of this speech

7. Skin of Evil – “You say you are true evil? I will tell you what true evil is. It is to submit to you. It is when we surrender our freedom, our dignity, instead of defying you.”

Picard has just lost his trusted security chief, Tasha Yar, to the literal embodiment of evil. His away team and crew have been terrorized by the entity known as Armus. So, in order to defeat Armus and secure the safety of the remaining crew on the planet, Picard goes head-to-head with the living oil slick. In order to do so, he must enrage the creature. Not the safest course of action, but Picard is up to the task. As Armus brags about how bad he is, Picard calmly begins to taunt him. The beginning of the end is when he tells Armus what true evil really is, which is submitting to him. We each have our own moments when we face our own Armus, and Picard’s talk here is perfect for motivating us to make our stand as bravely as we can.

6. The Offspring – “There are times, sir, when men of good conscience cannot blindly follow orders. You acknowledge their sentience, but ignore their personal liberties and freedom. Order a man to turn his child over to the state? Not while I’m his captain.”

Data has created an offspring. A Starfleet admiral wants the new android to come with him so Starfleet can oversee its training. Data rightfully objects and the admiral orders Data to comply. Picard has been strongly advocating for the rights of Data and Lal the entire episode, and when the admiral gives the order, Picard quietly instructs Data to stand his ground. Showing how awesome he can be, Picard calmly and measuredly states that good men cannot blindly follow orders that circumvent the rights of sentient beings. It is a great quote delivered calmly, where others (myself included), would have shouted. 

5. First Contact (movie) – “I will not sacrifice the Enterprise. We’ve made too many compromises already. Too many retreats. They invade our space, and we fall back. They assimilate entire worlds, and we fall back. Not again! The line must be drawn here…THIS far, NO further! And I will make the pay for what they’ve done.”

First Contact is arguably the strongest of the TNG movies. One of the many reasons for this is in a powerful scene with Lily Sloan. While she is trying to convince him to destroy the ship to stop the Borg, he loses his temper and smashes a display case with models of all the ships named Enterprise in it. He then delivers a dark and ominous soliloquy about how the Borg have advanced every time the Federation has compromised. He steadily builds how he will no longer fall back in his goal to destroy the Borg threat, once and for all. Picard delivers it with a strength that, even though we know he is wrong, we cannot help but feel inspired to go along. Thankfully Lily is not as easily swayed, and convinces Picard to change his mind, but you cannot deny the power in this speech. It became iconic in Trek lore, to the point where Quark gives the Ferengi version of it in the final season of DS9.

4. Ménage a Troi – “My love is a fever, longing still for that which longer nurseth the disease, in faith I do not love thee with mine eyes for the in thee a thousand errors see; but ‘tis my heart that loves what they despise, who in despite of view, are pleased to dote. Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?” (and then much more fun).

I always have a soft spot in my heart for when the speeches are humorous in their delivery. In this fun episode, Lwaxana, Deanna, and Riker are captured by a Ferengi named Togg, who has fallen in love with Lwaxana. Riker and Deanna are returned to the Enterprise when the Ferengi ship is located after Lwaxana agrees to remain with Togg. She has a few tricks up her sleeve, still, and she plays it when Picard addresses her on the view screen. She insinuates that Picard is a former lover who is insanely jealous. At first, Picard stumbles along, unconvincingly stammering out his love for her. After a few moments, however, he seems to find just the hook he needs to pull off the con, and embraces his inner Shakespeare. He launches into a finely dramatic, aggressive, and thoroughly entertaining monologue about his love for the lovely Lwaxana, ending with a delectable bluff that rivals Kirk’s in “The Corbomite Maneuver”. His deadpan countdown, interjected with flourishing literary quotes, made me marvel at how the rest of the crew didn’t applaud when he was done. It worked, and Togg beamed Lwaxana back into Picard’s arms. 

3. The Drumhead – “With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censured…the first thought forbidden…the first freedom denied – chains us all irrevocably” (Picard, quoting Judge Aaron Satie)

In a great episode called “The Drumhead”, Picard watches as Admiral Nora Satie goes on a bit of a witch hunt to find traitors on the Enterprise. She eventually trains her sights on Picard and calls him to testify on her tribunal. As she questions his loyalty, our good Captain gives an inspirational speech about the importance of protecting people’s freedoms of speech and thought that he had learned from the admiral’s father. His words are so simple and calmly delivered, yet they evoke a rage within the Admiral that exposes her insanity and true motivations, instantly destroying her credibility. What I love about this speech is that it shows how keeping your cool can be more powerful than trying to out shout your opponents.

2. Measure of a Man – “You see he’s met two of your three criteria for sentience; so what if he meets the third, consciousness, in even the smallest degree? What is he then? I don’t know, do you?

This scene from a great second season episode has Picard trying to defend Data’s rights as a sentient life form. Riker, who was forced to act as counsel to go against Data’s wishes, has just delivered a powerful argument that greatly put Data’s future in jeopardy. Picard must now deliver something even more powerful. He begins by dissecting the irrelevance in Riker’s excellent arguments, and then calls Bruce Maddox to the stand as a hostile witness. Picard then expertly breaking down the misconceptions that Maddox, and others like him, have towards Data and other forms of artificially intelligent life forms. By the time he is done, he delivers one of the most devastating courtroom summations in Star Trek history. In just a few short minutes, he lays out the foundation for what will become essential law making that will protect the rights of any like Data. This will go on to not only affect Data in the future, but it will also extend into Star Trek: Voyager with the EMH. It is powerful, moving, and timeless. 

1. The First Duty – The first duty of every Starfleet officer is to the truth, whether it’s scientific truth, or historical truth, or personal truth! It is the guiding principle on which Starfleet is based, and if you can’t find it within yourself to stand up and tell the truth about what happened, you don’t deserve to wear that uniform.”

A lot of these quotes seem to involve Picard giving someone else a real tongue lashing on an important topic. In this case, in what I believe is the best of the best, Picard target is none other than his protégé, Wesley Crusher. In the episode “The First Duty”, Wesley is involved in a shuttle accident that killed a member of his squadron. He, along with the other students, colluded to cover up the truth to avoid any negative consequences. When Picard learns the truth, he confronts Wesley. He begins with recounting how impressed he has been with the young man until this moment, then delivers a passionate speech on the importance of the first duty of every Starfleet officer being the truth. With a final ultimatum of come forward with the truth or he will, Picard dismisses Cadet Crusher with forceful vocal authority. This is one of the most defining moments in not Wesley’s but Picard’s development, and it is perfectly executed by Patrick Stewart. 

And, in case you didn't have enough Picard, here's one more video.

My Top Ten Favourite Deep Space Nine Episodes

Deep Space Nine was a Trek series like no other. Some of the differences were obvious. It was set on an alien space station and not on a starship. It had a combined Federation and Bajoran crew. Other differences became apparent over time. Not everyone got along all the time. The themes became darker and more complex. Good guys weren’t always good, and bad guys weren’t always bad. As the third live-action series in the franchise, it had big boots to fill from its two Enterprising predecessors, and despite the smaller fan base I would have to say that DS9 lived up to the Trek name. It created memorable and complex characters, delivered great moments, added depth to pre-existing characters, and told some great stories. Unlike the Original and the Next Generation, some of these stories were told in multi-episode arcs, beyond the “Part I/II” formula used in the past. There are so many great episodes in this series that it is hard for me to narrow it down to my ten all-time favourite episodes, but here is what I was able to come up with.

Oh, and while it should go without saying, but spoiler alerts for these episodes.

10. Crossover – I think DS9 interacted the most with the Original series, with TNG a close second. Whether it was those furry little tribbles or one final ride for a trio of famed Klingon warriors, DS9 knew how to pay tribute to its roots. For me one of the most important and significant nods was the episode “Crossover”. Kira and Bashir find themselves in the Mirror universe that we were first introduced to in the original series second season episode “Mirror, Mirror”. Taking place nearly a century after Kirk and his crew convinced a bearded Spock to begin the revolution against the tyrannical Terran Empire, Kira and Bashir find that things are quite different. Humans are largely enslaved, the Klingons and Cardassians have formed a brutal alliance, and familiar faces are not who they used to be. Seeing the different crew members in a different light is quite entertaining, with a sadistic Odo quoting the Rules of Obedience, a compassionate Quark trying to smuggle Terran slaves off of the station, a timid tinker in O’Brien, a brash and crude Benjamin Sisko, and a seductive Intendant Kira who is as malicious as our Kira is courageous. This episode establishes a starting point for several future episodes that further explores this alternate universe, but “Crossover” is a fun and delightful introduction.

Mirror, Mirror

9. Rocks and Shoals – The beginning of Season 6 was quite exciting as the Starfleet crew members (plus Garak) find themselves away from the station fighting the Dominion War, while Kira, Odo, Jake, and Quark adapt to life on the station under Dominion control. While each episode has great moments and stories being told, I feel that “Rocks and Shoals” does the best at storytelling in the early stages of the Dominion War. Sisko and his crew find themselves stranded on a distant planet where a Dominion warship has also crashed, pitting Sisko and his crew against the cunning Keevan. This Vorta has a particular problem as his supply of ketrecel white is almost depleted, which would lead his Jem’Hadar soldiers into becoming deranged uncontrollable killers who would then kill all they find. Sisko has to come to terms with doing what he must to protect is crew and trying to avoid slaughtering his adversaries in an unfair fight. Meanwhile, Kira starts to grapple with the realization that she has become complacent and comfortable in her new situations, and receives a severe wake-up call from a prominent vedek to restart a resistance movement. This episode does a fantastic job and building on characters and making some great points while giving us suspense, action, and even some humor (O’Brien ripping his pants).

Looking for shelter among the rocks and shoals

8. The Jem’Hadar – The second season finale gives us a major (but not final) reveal of the Dominion and its power by introducing us to its lethal infantry soldiers, the Jem’Hadar. What starts out as a fun camping trip with Jake, Nog, Commander Sisko, and Quark turns out to be far more than anyone bargained for. Amidst this backdrop we have some great moments, such as when Quark schools Sisko on his prejudices. Most of all, we see how brutal the Jem’Hadar can be when they are able to destroy a Galaxy-class starship with a suicide run. This is how you introduce an enemy to a series in spectacular fashion.

The fearsome Jem'Hadar

7. The Siege of AR-558 – More than any other episode in Star Trek history, this show shows us the brutality of war like never before. Sure, we have witnessed some great battles before this, but here we see a raw, almost unadulterated depiction of how vicious things can be in the trenches. Set on the planet AR-558, Sisko and some of his crew find themselves stranded with a severely diminished Starfleet garrison expecting to hold their ground against a superior force. We see the crew pushed to their limits, and even Quark gets his moment of heroism (though some would say it was just a survival instinct). There is also loss in this episode. Mostly of secondary one-time only characters, but our own Ensign Nog is horribly injured and loses one of his legs. I sometimes call this episode “Saving Ensign Nog” due to how intense the fighting is. The final battle is not meant to thrill or excite us. Instead, it is gritty, harrowing, and dark. This does not glorify war by any means. Instead, like the afore eluded to “Saving Private Ryan”, it shows us how bad war can be and makes us grateful that we are merely spectators and not participants.

Quark makes a stand

6. Duet – I would argue that no character grew more than Kira Nerys during the seven seasons. While any show’s first season is bound to have a lot of bumps in the road, DS9’s gave us this gem called “Duet”. When confronted with a Cardassian war criminal, Kira is more than happy to have him arrested with the intent of prosecution. The performances by Nana Visitor and Harris Yulin drive this emotionally charged story with brilliance and passion. As Kira grows to doubt her own justifiable hatred against the Cardassians, we begin to realize that in true Trek fashion, things are not as black and white as they seem. We wonder if the Cardassian is the former file clerk, Marritza, or the infamous Butcher of Gallitep, Darhe’el. As Kira digs deeper questions if she is dealing with an unrepentant war criminal or a remorseful man who weeps over the crimes of his people. The biggest moment of the episode comes with its final one. While escorting the Cardassian to a ship to be returned to Cardassia, a Bajoran civilian stabs him from behind. As Kira holds the dying Cardassian in her arms, she demands of the Bajoran: “Why?” The Bajoran, full of hatred and animosity responds “He was Cardassian. That is reason enough.” Kira, with tears and self-realization, tells him “No, it’s not.” This was the episode from the first season that cemented to me how special Deep Space Nine was going to be.

Kira confronting a professed war criminal

5. Only a Paper Moon – While “The Siege of AR-558” deals with the brutality of war, “Only a Paper Moon” takes it to the next level by focusing on the after effects of war. Nog, prosthetic leg and all, returns to the station to complete his recuperation. He eventually finds solace in the holosuite at Vic Fontaine’s hotel and casino. In an unlikely pairing, Ferengi Ensign and holographic crooner begin to fill the voids in each other’s lives while exploring the issue of PTSD. So many times we would see our characters in Star Trek suffer devastating loses and traumatic events, only to be back in full form the following week for their next adventure. Not so here. Finally, we see the consequences of our experiences, and get a glimpse as to how long the road to recovery can be. To make it even more impressive, Nog and Vic, while at the center of the plot, are not the main cast members. This just showcased how strong DS9’s secondary characters could be.

Nog and Vic going over the numbers

4. Hard Time – Poor Chief O’Brien. It seems like every season there was one episode where our favourite non-commissioned officer gets treated to some form of abuse or torture. In this episode, Miles is forced to experience a lifetime of incarceration in mere minutes, and has to deal with the after effects of a life he only lived in his mind. While we watch Miles relive those days and see him fall deeper into depression, we cannot help but feel the utmost sympathy for him. It is a clever way of exploring trauma (hmmm, this seems to be a reoccurring theme for this list) that digs into the emotional psyche of the human mind. Colm Meaney has always been a terrific actor, and this episode is one that showcases his talents extremely well.

O'Brien doing some Hard Time

3.Far Beyond the Stars – This is Star Trek and science fiction at its finest. A compelling story, superb acting by the entire cast, and the chance to see the actors in completely different roles (and often out of makeup) all come together to create this masterpiece. As Ben Sisko finds himself in the life of writer Benny Russell, we explore racism in the early 19^th century America and question reality. I think Sisko undergoes more personal growth in this episode than almost any other. Avery Brooks does a nearly flawless job of both acting and directing and the end result is one of the most special episodes we have ever seen.

The dreamer, or the dream?

2. Trials and Tribbleations – In 1996 Star Trek was celebrating its 30th anniversary. With two Trek series on the air (DS9 and Voyager), each show had a special episode dedicated to this momentous occasion. Deep Space Nine took a popular and classic episode, “The Trouble with Tribbles”, and turned it into one of the sweetest tributes. Using technology to place the Sisko and his crew within the actual TV episode, we were able to see our favourite characters from two generations interact in a way that was fun and exciting. By bringing in Charlie Brill to reprise his role of Arne Darvin they were able to add fun and continuity. In addition to that, we had several questions answered (some of them tongue-in-cheek) that had been debated for decades. We learn a bit as to why the Klingons in the Original Series were different (as Worf said, it is a private matter), the fate of the tribbles (I would love to hear the songs from the Great Tribble Hunt), and even why those tribbles kept falling out of the grain bin onto Kirk long after the bin was opened. Fans of both Kirk’s and Sisko’s respective shows can’t get enough from this show’s love letter to its roots.

The meeting of two legendary captain

Before I get to the #1 episode on my list, I have to give a shout out in the form of Honorable Mentions to the many great episodes that did not make the list. This was a very difficult list for me to compile as there are so many great episodes to choose from. As each of the following episodes fell to the cuts, I couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret. So, leading up to my favourite Deep Space Nine episode, have a quick look through these excellent episodes and enjoy the fond memories.

Little Green Men

Honorable Mentions (in no particular order)

·         Emissary

·         Badda Bing Badda Bang

·         In the Pale Moonlight

·         Way of the Warrior

·         Take Me Out to the Holosuite

·         Facets

·         Who Mourns for Morn

·         Little Green Men

·         What You Leave Behind

Way of the Warrior

1. The Visitor – I have to admit that this is my favourite episode of television, not just of Star Trek. When I first watched it I was enthralled by the love story between father and son. So often we see parents make the ultimate sacrifices for their children, but here we see the roles reversed. After losing his father, Jake dedicates his entire life to saving him. In addition to seeing an alternate future (complete with the more elderly Dax and Bashir and Captain Nog), we see a beautiful story of the power of familial love. While Ben, who keeps jumping in and out of Jake’s life, wants Jake to live his life to the fullest, Jake just wants his dad back. Add to that powerful performances by Avery Brooks, Cirroc Lofton, and Tony Todd (who plays the older Jake Sisko), and you have the near perfect episode which is my all-time favourite.

Father and son

 If you are curious as to which episodes of the Next Generation I love the most, check out its list here.

Top 10 Star Trek Movie Villains - Part 2

In my last post I talked about numbers 10-6 of the top Star Trek movie villains. If you want to check it out, just read Part 1. If you want a quick recap, they were:

10. Sybok
9. Khan (Into Darkness)
8. Shinzon
7. Nero
6. Soran

Now, let's take a look at the Top 5, starting with...

5. Krall (Star Trek: Beyond) – Ah, now we are striking some gold! In Star Trek: Beyond we are introduced to the demonic looking Krall, played with ferocious intensity by Idris Elba. Formerly the Starfleet Captain Balthazar Edison, Krall uses alien technology he discovered on the planet Altamid to prolong his life and to formulate a plan to destroy the Federation. It does not take long for Krall to destroy the Enterprise and imprison much of her crew while he strikes out at starbase Yorktown. Krall demonstrates a villain with a cause and a blood-thirsty attitude that has been lacking in many of Trek’s villains that appear lower on this list. He has a plan, and it is huge. Some have said he could be Trek’s poster child for PTSD that afflicts too many of our veterans. His actions are brutal and terrifying, and he has the face to match. His use of the alien technology mutates him into a demonic looking warlord, giving us a nice little surprise when we learn his origins. More than Nero, more than Kelvin-Khan, Krall gives Kirk and company a genuine fight. If it hadn’t been for that blasted Beastie Boys song, he might have destroyed the starbase and everyone on it. My only complaint with him is that he spent much of the movie arguing that the diversity in the Federation was its greatest weakness, and yet when Kirk finally defeated him, there was nothing in his downfall that proved his theory wrong. He was bested by a better warrior and tactician, but there was no indication that the diversity he so despised was not the weakness he claimed it to be. Still, as far as villains that have actually destroyed the Enterprise, he was the most fearsome and effective in all the Kelvin Timeline films.

4. Chang (Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country) – How can you tell that your Klingon opponent is tougher than most? When he has his eye patch bolted to his skull. The talented Christopher Plummer gave us one of the most unique looking Klingons to serve as main adversary in the final voyage of the original crew. On the eve of peace between the Klingon Empire and the Federation, there were those who wanted to tear those plans asunder. The tension between these two super powers was easily compared to the Cold War between the USA and the USSR at the time, and as in the real world there were the old dogs on both sides who had difficulty letting go of past mistrusts, so too in Star Trek. Chang was the epitome of this. He orchestrated the assassination of his own Chancellor, collaborated with the enemy to sabotage the peace talks, and with his state-of-the-art bird of prey (that just so happened to have the ability to fire when cloaked) almost destroyed the Enterprise and her crew. His love for Shakespeare (in the original Klingon, of course) added a witty dimension to his character, and he delivered his lines with delectable emotion. We suspected from the trailers that he was up to no good, but we didn’t need to be surprised in the reveal of his part to enjoy the destruction he brought to the story. He was the ideal foil to Kirk, and his defeat at the end was satisfying.

3. The Borg (Star Trek: First Contact) – if ever there was an enemy from one of the TV series that was made for the movies, it would be the Borg. In First Contact, they are back with a vengeance. A single cube decimates another Federation armada, but is soon stopped by Picard and his crew of the new Enterprise E. That it is far from the end, however. Unlike before, the Borg had an extra trick up their collective cybernetic sleeves. A smaller sphere vessel escapes the cube’s destruction and goes back in time, assimilating Earth of the past. Picard follows and destroys the sphere, but not before the Borg beam aboard the Enterprise and starts to assimilate the ship. During this, we are introduced to the Borg Queen, played with delicious mastery by Alice Krige. She is the collective. Upon capturing Data begins to seduce him to her side, promising him the gift of merging his synthetic with the humanity he has always desired. The Borg, as shown many times in the Next Generation, always seemed to be so very close to beating the Federation. In arguably the strongest of the TNG films, the Borg are just as relentless as we had come to expect, but the addition of the Queen added to the stakes like never before. Her introduction was one of the best effects in the franchise, and her individuality added a great layer of complexity to the most feared enemy. Their goal was simple: assimilate humanity. They again came so close to succeeding. If only she hadn’t underestimated the will and loyalty of Data, she just might have done it.

2. Kruge (Star Trek III: The Search for Spock) – OK, for the #5 entry I claimed Krall was the best villain to have destroyed the Enterprise, but what about Kruge? Simple, Kirk destroyed the ship, not Kruge, but it was the only way Kirk could win. That is what made this Klingon such a threat. Kruge was masterfully portrayed by Christopher Lloyd with relish and calmness. He was an intriguing foe for Kirk. First, he felt completely justified in his actions. He saw Kirk and the Genesis device as a legitimate threat to the Klingon Empire. So he went about to acquire all information he could. He was able to tie up loose ends, even if it meant personal sacrifice (RIP Valkris). He would quickly and severely deal with incompetence on his ship. Remember the poor gunner who was vaporized after his “lucky shot” destroyed the USS Grissom? In later generations, we learned that such is often the way on Klingon warships, but Kruge did it first. He also cared. He cared about his dog…lizard…uh, whatever that was. He cared about his crew, as he demonstrated when Kirk tricked most of them onto the Enterprise just as is it was about to self-destruct. He cared about the glory of the Empire. I suspect that is he had somehow survived and lived long enough to see peace made between the Klingons and the Federation, he would not have changed much and likely would have fit in well with the likes of Gowron and Martok. He caused the death of Kirk’s son, showing strength in his resolve. Up until the end, Kruge fought for the Empire. While his actions were brutal and calculated, his motives were understandable. He was much more complex than many gave him credit for.

1. Khan Singh (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan) – Ah, Khan. With all due respect to the supremely talented Benedict Cumberbatch, nobody does the genetically enhanced superman like the delightful Ricardo Montalban. It is true that Khan had the benefit of already having a back story to establish his wickedness (see the first season episode Space Seed), but it took nothing away from how wonderful an adversary he was. He committed horrible crimes of murder and mayhem, torture and treason, all in the name of vengeance. Long before Picard was compared to a certain peg-legged whale hunter, Khan personified the trait of revenge. He was clever, devious, charismatic, and ruthless. Where Kruge and Chang did what they did out of loyalty towards their empire, and the Borg out of a goal to achieve ultimate perfection, Khan did what he did out of a personal thirst for revenge. Where Nero, Shinzon, and Krall had similar motives, it was Khan that took it to the personal level. The others had an out-of-control rage that boiled over on numerous occasions, Khan was mostly in full control of the situation. His intelligence and self-discipline allowed him to bring Kirk to the brink of defeat. Even as he breathed his last, he felt that he had, at the very least, taken his hated foe with him. Had it not been for Spock’s ultimate sacrifice, Khan would have succeeded. He was a villain with nothing to live for but revenge, and he almost had it. And not once did he ever face Kirk in the same room. His mere presence on the view screen was enough to elicit fear in those who had faced him before. There are many reasons why Wrath of Khan is considered to be the best Trek film of all time, and Khan would definitely be a huge factor in making that case.

So, there they are. How did your favorite movie bad guy fare? Any surprises? Leave a comment.

Top Ten Most Annoying and/or Useless Aliens in Star Trek

Star Trek introduced us to a wide variety of aliens in the galaxy. Some are fearsome, others are allies, while some provide us with some good laughs. Still, in every galaxy not every species can be seen a good use of space. Here are my picks for the aliens that I really don’t think added a whole lot to the Trek universe and would have been happier if they had never graced my TV screen.

10. The Catullans (Original Series) – From the episode “The Way to Eden” we are introduced to a Catullan, the son of an ambassador, and one of a band of intergalactic hippies. This is their only introduction, so to be fair we do not know for certain that this one wayward son is a true representative of his entire race, but on the offside chance that he is, his is a planet I have no wish to ever visit. Call me “Herbert” if you must. Because they only have the one character representing them, I placed them much lower on the list, but if the whole planet is full of cringe-worthy hippies, then they would shoot right on up (or down, as it may be) this list.

9. Dopterians (Deep Space 9) – These guys are close relatives to the Ferengi, which means Betazoids can’t read them. They were often used in civilian roles and as petty criminals, such as smugglers, thieves, and the like. Not much to them to make them stand out. It was almost as if they were used whenever they needed an unscrupulous character but for some reason the writers didn’t want to have a Ferengi.

8. The Aldeans (Next Generation) – This group of people are so enlightened that they cut off all ties with the rest of the galaxy. Talk about your elitist snobs. They went so far to achieve their perfect isolation that they cloaked their entire planet. Unfortunately, this eventually made the race sterile, to the point where they kidnapped Wes Crusher and a handful of other children to help repopulate their species. This made me scratch my head a little when I first saw it, because even as a teenager I realized that they needed more than a single-digit number of children to repopulate a species. So much for being a highly advanced and intelligent species.

7. The Overlookers (Voyager) – Take the Teletubbies and cross them with bitter potatoes, and you get the Overlookers. Based on how much time some of them spend watching other crews, you could say that this crossing included couch potatoes. They were the Delta Quadrant’s Peeping Toms, spying on passing ships to determine if it was worth it to raid them. Their Hierarchy definitely was a bit OCD on the whole Risk vs Benefit scale. Try as I did, I just could not take these guys seriously, especially considering more impressive alien species that Voyager encountered.

6. Son’a (Star Trek: Insurrection) – The Ba’ku were a highly advanced species of human-looking aliens that gave up their technology to live a simpler life on a planet that basically granted them immortality. At one point, a group of their youth decided to rebel from their parents and kick themselves out of the proverbial Garden of Eden. From them the Son’a were born. They quickly learned that not living forever sucked, so they built their civilization on acquiring riches, slaves, and facelifts (or, more accurately, face stretches). They then conspired with a grumpy old Starfleet Admiral to overtake their home world in exchange for the Fountain of Youth. These guys were supposed to be the Big Bad villains of the movie, and they ended up looking more like spoiled whiners who wanted to be sitting at the adult table again. In all the movies, the Son’a were arguably the most disappointing villain (and yes, I am putting the Whale probe in The Voyage Home ahead of them).

5. The Wadi (Deep Space 9) – From the episode “Move Along Home” these were the first official invited visitors from the Gamma Quadrant. They arrive at Deep Space Nine and immediately…head to Quarks to gamble. After they catch Quark cheating them, they force him to play a game where Sisko and three of his officers are the game pieces. They subject them to poisonous gas, falling off of cliffs, lights that make you disappear, and the ever stuck-in-your-head rhyme song “Allamaraine”. When it was all said and done, it is revealed that Sisko and his crew were never in any real danger, because it was “only a game”. With all that technological power, I guess I expected more than being avid gamers. I bet they’d be awesome at Pokemon Go.

4. Ornithoids (Original Series) – Korob and Sylvia had a lot of potential. They could use magic, create castles, turn into giant scary cats, and turn the Enterprise crew into mindless automatons. While appearing in human form they seemed powerful. Then, at the end of the episode, they are shown in their true form. Having the shape, size, and features of puppets made out of dryer lint. I get that the surprise of seeing these powerful beings as somewhat less than impressive in their true form, but did the producers have to go with the lowest budget creations imaginable?

3. Kazon (Voyager) – The Kazon were intended to be the primary villains for the Janeway and her crew for at least the first few seasons. I could never really wrap my head around them. They looked like some hybrid of a Klingon and a seriously bad case of dreadlocks. The writers tried to infuse some depth into their culture, but after a while the Kazon became a bit boring. To see the crew of Voyager tangle with them for the better part of two seasons took away some of the reality of their journey (I mean, either the Kazon region of space is enormous or Tom couldn’t get the ship much past impulse speed). They only became a threat when Seska betrayed the crew and joined up with them. Of all of Voyager’s adversaries, the Kazon hit very low on the list, if not rock bottom.

2. The Pakleds (Next Generation) – “We look for things. We are not smart.” How a species like the Pakleds ever evolved to become space-faring boggles my mind. Their IQ levels are so low that I think my four year old daughter could best them in a battle of wits. We are introduced to them in “The Samaratin’s Snare” where they take Geordi hostage to acquire technology that will help them “go”. Afterwards we only see them in the background, but they are probably looking for things that will make them strong or smart. Obviously not the brightest bulbs in the galaxy, I am thankful they only had dialogue in the one episode.

1. The Edo (Next Generation) – Taking the term “pleasure planet” to the extreme, these guys personify hedonism. I can only wince when I try to imagine the STDs that must be running rampant in a civilization where people wear barely enough clothing to not enrage the censors and will make out with whatever person they come across. I just did not see how this could have possibly been seen as a great creation by the powers that be. So happy they brought in Risa as the exotic vacation of choice.