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.

Review – Star Trek Beyond

Last night my wife and I went to see “Star Trek: Beyond” on opening night. We enjoyed the movie, even beyond our high expectations. While I will save a more in depth review for later (I don’t want to spoil it for those who have not yet had a chance to see it), I thought I would give you my initial thoughts on how the latest of the Kelvin Timeline movies.

It is three years into their five-year mission, and Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise arrive at the wonderful space station Yorktown. Both Kirk and Spock begin to contemplate a future away from the ship, when a mysterious alien arrives asking for help. The Enterprise is sent on a rescue mission and quickly find themselves being the ones in need of a rescue. Before too long the ship is attacked and the crew scattered across a strange planet. Their enemy is Krall, a mysterious and violent man who is determined to push back against the Federation. With the help of a new ally, Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Scotty, Sulu, Chekov, and Uhura are pushed to their limits in saving not only themselves but the future of the Federation.

The movie is a roller coaster ride of action. It keeps you engaged and eager for more throughout the whole movie. The pacing of the movie is not perfect but is better than most movies. The dialogue is clever and fits the characters well. Everybody gets a good dose of screen time. Naturally the focus is on Kirk and Spock, but Scotty and Chekov get a bit more attention than they usually have in the reboot franchise. While it is true that the storyline is a bit formulaic and can be a bit predictable, it is still a story that shows elements of thought and planning with a few surprises here and there. Yes, there are moments when, contrary to Scotty’s classic plea, the Laws of Physics are changed. Guess what people? It’s a movie. It helps to allow yourself to ignore these things from time to time. Oh, and if there is nothing else that critics of the first two movies have to rejoice over, the lens flare effects are gone. And there was much rejoicing.

Most importantly, the movie introduces us to a wonderful villain. While not on the level of Khan (I should add, Wrath of Khan, not Into Darkness Khan), he is right up there as the best villain of the Kelvin Timeline series. Krall is intensely portrayed by one of today’s most talked about actors Idris Elba. Krall is evil, but as we learn was not always this way. To develop his character more would have required either more time or a second movie, but he did well for the time that he had. Most importantly, as in all things Trek, Krall provides the movie with some much needed social commentary. Krall is convinced that the Federation concepts of unity among different cultures is weakness, while our heroes beg to differ. In a time where the United States is choosing their next president and one of the main candidates claims that the cooperation between the US and its allies has contributed to a weakening of US influence, I found this attitude of Krall’s to be quite timely. My one critique of this theme is that it does not become fully resolved. I hope this does not give too much away, but the unity of the different cultures in the Federation does not defeat Krull or prove his ideology wrong. Instead, the resolution of this ideological conflict is forgotten.

This movie also has a healthy and appropriate dose of tribute to the past. While the previous film was heavily criticized for trying too hard to retell familiar stories, this one finds the right balance that would help the movie appeal to both the diehard and the newer fans. Events such as the Xindi War (from Star Trek: Enterprise) and the Romulan War are referenced as having an impact of the events of this story. Also, the movie pays a loving tribute to the previous Star Trek crew and the actors who first brought these iconic characters to life. Near the end of the movie there is a special scene that brought tears to my eyes as Shatner, Nimoy, Kelley, Doohan, Takei, Koenig, and Nichols are given a special tip of the hat. For me, it was especially touching as we no longer have some of these wonderful people with us. Most recently, we lost Leonard Nimoy. His absence is specifically touched on as the movie is dedicated to his memory. When the characters discuss Ambassador Spock (and, by proxy, Leonard Nimoy), the actors are no longer acting. Their reactions are genuine, heartfelt, and true.

Sadly, another dedication for this movie brought about a certain sense of loss and sorrow. In June we lost Anton Yelchin, the actor who brought such energy and enthusiasm to the character of Pavel Chekov. He was killed in a freak and tragic accident. In recent interviews producer J. J. Abrams has stated that he would go ahead with the fourth movie but without the recasting of the character of Pavel Chekov. What will this mean for the character has yet to be decided, but there was a sense of finality when the last dedication “For Anton” came across the screen. Rest in peace, Anton. Say hi to the rest of the gang for us.

Star Trek: Beyond is a fitting film to help us celebrate 50 years of Star Trek. It has amazing visuals, exciting action, and great relationships. Whereas the other movies featuring the original cast had the benefit of pre-established characters to allow more in-depth story development, “Beyond” does well in giving us a good story. Some meaningful characters are introduced, and some familiar characters are further developed. While not the strongest of Star Trek films, it is a worthy entry into the franchise. It goes beyond the expectations of this Trekkie.

Episode Review - Move Along Home (Deep Space Nine, Season 1)

Episode – Move Along Home (Deep Space Nine Season 1)

For those who are new to my episode reviews, you can find the post where I establish my point criteria here.

Episode Overview – The crew of Deep Space Nine welcome a delegation of a newly discovered species, the Wadi, from the Gamma Quadrant. Much to Sisko’s surprise, the guests of honor head straight to Quark’s where they soon begin to play a game that has Sisko and his officers facing stakes that appear to be higher than anyone expected.

Episode Score – 4/10. I found this episode to be fun, yet not very meaningful. The idea of Sisko and his team fighting for their lives in an elaborate maze of puzzles and obstacles is intriguing yet unoriginal. As is typical, the four crew members have to each use their own skill sets to overcome the different levels. Colm Meaney was filming a movie when this episode was filmed, so Chief O’Brien is absent. Replacing the role of the character is Lt. George Primmin, played by James Lashly, and marks the second and final appearance of the character. I liked Primmin, and wished he would have returned a few more times. This being a first season episode, I found that some of the actors were still trying to find their groove with their characters, most notably Alexander Siddig as Bashir. Quark and Odo get some great moments as they try to save the senior officers. What is most telling about this episode is the ending, and it is still debated by fans. Largely, the ending falls flat for many fans. I thought the idea of the whole story being just a game and that the crew were never in any real mortal danger to be unique and original, yet it didn’t quite work for me. It took a potentially great show and made it a bit ho-hum.

Relevance – 1 point. The only thing of true relevance is the mention of the name of one of Quark’s regular waiters, Broik, who will appear in several episodes over the whole seven-year run of the series.

Continuity – 2 points. Trek universe continuity – 1 point. Nothing seemed to be out of place in the Trek universe, especially how greedy Ferengi can be. Character continuity – 1 point. Nobody is acting out of character. Story continuity – 0 points. There really isn’t anything that contributes to story continuity, one way or another.

Character Development – 1 point. Quark shows a bit of affection towards the senior staff as he believes he is playing for their lives. Other than that, nothing really moves any particular character along.

Social Commentary – 1 point. The social commentary in this episode is a stretch for me to make. We can argue that gaming can be dangerous, or we can say that games are simple games and not to be taken too seriously. As I am writing this review, the game Pokemon Go is beginning to sweep the world and is becoming a huge phenomenon, so the message that can be taken from this episode might have a little more meaning than before (told you I was stretching).

Cool Factor – 0 points. While this is a silly, light-hearted episode, I can’t really say there is anything cool about it.

Rank – Ensign (9 points). Not a great episode, and if you are only wanting to watch key, important episodes then this is one to skip. I do have a fond memory connected to this episode. Shortly after it first aired my friends and I attended a Trek Convention in Edmonton (the guest was Nana Visitor). We entered a sound-alike contest which we won with variations of the “Allamaraine” rhyme based on various characters. The only one I can remember off hand was me doing Odo: “Allamaraine, I hate Quark; Allamaraine, he’s a dork. Allamaraine, he thinks I’m not there; Allamaraine, I’m actually the chair”. A silly skit for a silly episode.

If you would like to read other reviews from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, please click the following link.

If you would like to read an episode review from any of the Trek series, click the following link to get to the series catalog. If the episode you want reviewed has not been done yet, then feel free to request it in the comments and I will see what I can do.

Episode Review - Tsunkatse (Voyager, Season 6)

For those who are new to my episode reviews, you can find the post where I establish my point criteria here.

Episode Overview – (Star Trek: Voyager: Season 6) While on some much needed shore leave, members of the Voyager crew discover “tsunkatse”, a sort of mixed-martial arts combat sport. Meanwhile, Seven of Nine and Tuvok are captured by the producer of the games, who forces Seven to fight in his arena. The crew must then attempt a rescue as Seven finds herself in a fight to the death.

Episode Score – 6/10. This was a fairly routine episode. The story is a rehash of the typical “forcing a character to fight against their will”. It is not poorly done, but when you compare it to a similar DS9 two-episode story (“In Purgatory’s Shadow” and “By Inferno’s Light”), it is very superficial. So while this is a good episode, it does not give us anything special beyond a reason for then-WWF (now WWE) fans to watch the Rock in his first acting role.

Relevance – 2 points. The Hirogen have been used before, and the Hirogen character played by veteran Trek actor J G Hertzler adds another dimension to this species. The species responsible for tsunkatse (the Norcadians) show up again in the form of Mezoti, one of the child drones taken aboard by Voyager in the next episode, “Collective”.

Continuity – 2 points. Story continuity, check. Nothing contradicts anything. The fact that in the next episode we see Mezoti, a Norcadian, makes sense since we are still in the same region of space. Character continuity, check. Everyone acts within established parameters. Seven and Tuvok go on a survey mission for their shore leave, everyone thinks they’re nuts, etc. Universe continuity... hold on there. The Hirogen acts the way we would expect him to act, and I would add that this character, while unnamed, definitely adds depth to this alien race. Where I have an issue is that in the audience, there are several aliens who are background aliens in Deep Space Nine. Have to ding them for that.

Character Development – 1 point. Yet another Seven of Nine episode, but this does not do a whole lot to develop her character. She shows allegiance to her crewmate and continues to butt heads with B’Elanna. Beyond this we learn that many members of the crew enjoy a good old fashioned MMA fight. That’s it for character development.

Social Commentary – 1 point. The best I can figure is that this episode makes reference to mankind’s fascination with combat sports. Since the times of the Coliseum in Ancient Rome, we have loved blood sport entertainment. This theme is only lightly touched upon. While professional wrestling is all theatrics, we do have MMA organizations such as UFC, and boxing is still a major attraction, yet rarely is a person’s life threatened. Any commentary on the legitimacy of such combat sports is buried in the vessel of the plot to make a Seven of Nine focused story.

Cool Factor – 2 points. The guest stars make up the cool factors for this episode. If you are a professional wrestling fan, you appreciated the Rock as the intimidating Pendari Champion. This was the first acting job for Dwayne Johnson (although to any WWE/WWF fan he basically was the Rock in prosthetics, right down to the Rock Bottom finisher and the raised eyebrow). This was also a deliberate cross-pollination of UPN products, as in addition to Voyager they were also aired WWF Smackdown. I am giving the second cool factor point to having J G Hertzler and Jeffrey Combs making their first Voyager appearance after having established popular secondary characters in DS9. This is also the first time that the two actors appear in the same scenes on a Trek episode. Combs plays Penk, the Norcadian producer of the sport (and Combs’ fifth Trek character), while Hertzler plays the unnamed Hirogen veteran (also his fifth character).

Rank – Lieutenant (14 points). This is a fun episode. Nothing too serious, nothing too revealing. A good mid-level quality episode with some cool features. Wrestling fans will likely get a little more out of it, but it has some good moments for all.

Anton Yelchin - An Open Letter to All Star Trek Fans

Sad, tragic news in the Star Trek universe. Beloved actor, Anton Yelchin, who is best known to Trekkers as Pavel Chekov in the reboot movie series, died after a freak car accident over the weekend. He was 27 years old. Far too young to be gone.

I will admit that I do not watch a lot of movies these days. I have two young children, a full time job, and several interests that all compete for my time. I sadly only knew Mr. Yelchin's work through the Star Trek movies. When the reboot movie was announced, many fans were wondering if the new actors would be able to adequately handle such iconic characters that are so well known in pop culture. I will say that as Chekov, Yelchin had the energy and enthusiasm that Walter Koenig brought to the role. He nailed it. I truly enjoyed the work that he did in the two movies, and I am looking forward to the third, albeit now with a twang of bitter-sweetness that is to be expected knowing that you are watching one of his final performances.

Now, I will not do a tribute to Anton in this post. As I said, my knowledge of his work is quite limited, so I will simply say that of what I saw of his work, I enjoyed. Instead, I wish to address this as an open letter to what I believe (and hope) is a small portion of Star Trek fans, and hopefully will help all fans of Anton Yelchin's work find some healing. This might seem like a lecture from your dad, and so be it. Sometimes we need to hear these things, no matter how old we are.

Trekkies have become an interesting bunch of fans. I would argue that Trekkies were the first superfans, helping turn this low ratings science fiction show into one of the most successful, recognizable, and influential franchises of all time. That does not mean that we are all the same. As the Trek universe grew and expanded, definite camps became established. We have the die-hard Originals, who claim that nothing in Star Trek would be possible without Kirk, Spock, and company. The Next Geners took Trek to a level of popularity that has yet to be duplicated. The Niners like to stand a little to the side, where many of the black sheep of families stand, raising their arms in triumph as they call DS9 the most interesting and diverse of the series. The Voyagers rally behind Janeway and her journey home from the Delta quadrant, and we even have the Enterprisers who stand with the prequel series and chastise the rest of us for not being fully behind their beloved series. We have fans of the reboot movies, and fans of the animated series, and of course, plenty of us mingle within all camps because we love all things Trek. 

We do disagree in our large, fan-based family. I remember the shock I felt at my first convention when fans actually booed the character of Wesley Crusher. There are heated debates over key issues, such as who is the best captain, whether Star Trek II, IV, or First Contact was the best movie of all time (feel free to throw in the 2009 Trek if you like), best series, best episode, worst series, worst movie, etc. We talk about the flaws in each other's favourites, and find joy in the good-natured discussion. I have my favourites and my lists of things I find cringe-worthy (I'm looking at you, Edo!), but I remember the one thing that binds us all: IDIC. Yes, Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combination. There is room in all of Star Trek for all kinds of fans. In my opinion, true fans are the ones that respect this. True, we can disagree from things that are trivial (which movie was worse, 1 or 5) to much more socially relevant topics (petitioning for a gay captain on the new Trek series). At the end of the day, the true fans find themselves willing to agree to disagree and treat each other to a round of Romulan Ale afterwards. 

So it was very disappointing to me to see people who I can only describe as pseudo-fans that were celebrating the death of this talented, young actor, Anton Yelchin. I am confident that these malcontents are a very small, yet obnoxiously loud minority of fans, but I would like to address their utter lack of civility and respect. I am perfectly fine when a fan does not like the new Trek movies. I get it! A reboot will never please all the die-hard fans. And the JJ Abrams films are definitely far from perfect. Yes, for some, his vision was too different from what they were accustomed to, and that will earn a backlash, but let us think this through for a moment. To take a dislike for a film, no matter how intense, and turn it into a sub-human trollish glee over the death of a young man is not becoming of a person, let alone a fan of a franchise that promotes the betterment of the human species. It is so very wrong for people to herald this as "the death of JJ Abram's Star Trek" as if it is a blessing of some sort. As I sift through the Twitter feeds, the Facebook posts, and the Instagram messages, I can tell that there is a lot of grief over the accidental passing of a young star. I feel for the family of this young man. I feel for the fans of this talented actor. I feel for Walter Koenig who now has the dubious distinction of being the only original Star Trek actor to outlive his reboot counterpart. I feel bad because this young man had his life snuffed out because of an accident. 

So when I read that people are celebrating his death, my blood gets boiling. I see life as being something special, almost sacred. If I did not enjoy Mr. Abram's vision of my beloved Star Trek, I have a simple solution: I don't watch it! I will choose to spend my money on things that are more worth my time. How pathetic my life must be if I feel the need to vent on social media my disgust of a movie to the point where I will rejoice over the accidental death of a 27 year old actor? Let's forget that his cast mates are hurting, that his family is hurting, that his fans are hurting, that good people who value basic life are hurting. Let's forget the idea that without this film series you seem to loath so much, Star Trek's 50th anniversary may be little more than a footnote with little chance of having a new TV series on the horizon. Let's focus on what you who celebrate Yelchin's death claim is something you love. You apparently love Star Trek. You love a TV show that spawned many sequels, films, novels, comics, games, etc. You treat the passing of this young man as a triumph over some sort of heinous crime against humanity. You raise your entitled fists in the air and claim victory against the Big Bad Reboot franchise as if somehow the gods of sci-fi have personally dealt a blow on your behalf. You personify everything that people have made fun of Trekkies for during the whole half a century that we have existed: socially awkward dweebs who have no true sense of reality. This attitude spits on the graves of Gene Roddenberry, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, Majel Barret, Michael Piller, and every other talented person who contributed to this wonderful franchise that you claim to love. You embarrass yourselves with this childishness. To quote William Shatner, "Get a life!". 

For the rest of the fans, the true fans of Roddenberry's creation, I give you a comforting hug. When so many talented artists have contributed to 50 years of something that has left a deep, positive mark on our culture, there will be many that we look back fondly on and shed a small tear for their passing. Anton Yelchin is the newest name on that list. We will remember him with fondness as we watch Chekhov's antics on the big screen one last time. We will heave a sigh of regret when we see his dedication (not announced, but I would be shocked if JJ didn't fit it in somehow). We will talk about him at the conventions and in chat rooms. And then we will move on. That is what we do. When Gene passed, we moved on. When Michael Piller passed, we moved on. As the actors who have played Sarek, McCoy, Scotty, Spock, Rand, Chapel, Mudd, Dathon, Boothby, Pike, and so many others have passed away, we move on. As we note the passing of composers, designers, and makeup artists that have passed away, we move on. We remember their work with fondness, knowing that through their contributions in Trek they have achieved a small degree of immortality. 

To Anton Yelchin, I say thank you. Thank you for breathing life into a beloved character, for sharing your talents with the world, and for being a part of something great.

Fatherhood in Star Trek

It’s June, and Father’s Day quickly approaches. Ever since I can remember being an adult, I had wanted to be a father. The best example I had growing up was my own father, who while not perfect, was perfect for me. As a child, I also watched a lot of television, and as I look back, I realized that there were not a whole lot of great father examples on TV. Sure there was Cliff Huxable on the Cosby Show, but recent allegations and revelations have tarnished that memory. TV dads were often buffoons, numbskulls, lazy, or neglectful. Those that were dutiful towards their family were often nerdy or awkward. The good TV fathers were few and far between. For every Charles Ingals there were at least a half dozen Al Bundys and Homer Simpsons. I hoped to find the good role models on the TV set.

Star Trek, of course, is my go to show (hence the blog). Again, it was difficult at times to see fathers. On the original series, we see the strained relationship between Spock and his father Sarek. In the Next Generation, we see glimpses of devoted fathers on the Enterprise, but usually as background characters. TNG established that families would be exploring the final frontier together, but the main male characters were mostly childless. Worf had his son, Alexander, but was unaware of his existence until K’Ehleyr sprung him on us. While Worf did his best as a single parent, Alexander was not a central part of the show. Data had an episode where he became a father, and as touching as the episode was, it was only one. We met some of the crews’ fathers, but again there were flaws. Worf’s adoptive father was a bit overwhelming, Data’s was doting but tragically dies, Wesley’s was only seen in a vision (also being deceased), and Riker’s relationship with his dear old dad was strained at best. Even later shows were low on father figures. Voyager had Tom Paris as both a father and a son. His relationship with his father was challenging, and he was only a father for a few moments on the last episode (unless the count the time that he and Janeway became lizards, but let’s just forget that one). Enterprise, as far as I could tell, had no fathers.

Deep Space Nine included the greatest variety of fathers, and it was this show that allowed me to see fatherhood on many levels. Yes, there were some stereotypes. Rom was a bumbling but well-intentioned father to Nog. Dukat was the complicated father who did not always know how to treat his half-Bajoran, hald-Cardassian daughter, but ultimately loved her. Bashir’s father was willing to do anything for his son Jules, ranging from the illegal to the accountable. Kira was haunted by her past with her father, while Odo had a tense relationship by the closest person he had to a father. We even had the more traditional working father in a stable relationship with Miles O’Brien. I loved the scenes with him and his family, from rushing home for dinner to bringing his baby to work, it was nice to see a regular, everyday dad. O’Brien reminded me more of my father in this regards than any other Trek dad.

Of course, there is Captain Benjamin Sisko. While many people celebrated the fact that he was the first lead in a Trek series that was a person of color, I thought it was more exciting that he was the first captain to be an involved father. His relationship with his son, Jake, was one of the best facets to his character. It was no surprise that the relationship between the actors that played Ben and Jake was as close as father and son could be, because their chemistry as characters was true and realistic. This is not to say that their relationship was perfect, but it was very typical of many father-son relationships. They did a lot of things together, like camping, fishing, and solar sailing. They shared common interests in baseball and cooking. Both had to grow as time progressed. Jake made decisions that Ben didn’t like, starting with not going into Starfleet. Ben had to learn to let Jake make those decisions. When Jake decides to remain on the station when the Dominion take it over, Ben is furious but admits that Jake is a man who is capable of making his own decisions. Jake had difficulties with his father being a Bajoran holy figure, mostly because he was worried that he would lose his father after having lost his mother at a young age. The tables were turned in the episode “The Reckoning” when it was Jake that was at risk of dying due to the Bajoran religion.  

Underlining this relationship was the sad fact that Ben was raising his son alone. Being a single working parent is difficult, let alone when the parent is not only a commander of a space station but a religious icon to an alien species. In spite of this the Siskos were close. Their shared loss of wife and mother bound them together. This can be best seen in the episode “The Visitor” where Jake proves the extent he is willing to go to save his father, not just for Ben’s sake but for Jake as well. This episode allows us to glimpse into the future, and it is delightful to see Ben pressuring his now adult son about giving him grandchildren. We continually see how important the relationship between these two is, to the point where Jake is willing to sacrifice his own life to restore what the relationship that once was. Jake did this not just to save his father, but to give his younger self the chance to continue growing up with his father.

Throughout the seven seasons of Deep Space Nine, Ben and Jake represented what many may consider to be an idealistic, or perhaps realistic, father-son relationship. They share frustrations with each other, involve themselves in each other’s lives, and become one of the best relationships on the show. It wasn’t overbearing, but it was present. So, with this Father’s Day approaching, I give a tip of the hat to Ben Sisko, one of television’s greatest, and definitely underappreciated, fathers.

Episode Review - The High Ground (Star Trek: The Next Generation, Season 3)

Episode Overview – The Enterprise is called to provide assistance to the planet Rutia IV, where the government is heavily threatened by internal terrorism. The terrorists have begun using a new form of experimental transporter technology with deadly consequences. Soon, Dr. Crusher is kidnapped and becomes personally involved.

Episode Score – 6/10. The episode is solid but not revolutionary (pardon the pun). Its main message: terrorism is bad. Not very revelatory. Many of the writers and producers of the show were not fans of it. I do think that it is a good vehicle to give Dr. Crusher’s character a bit of depth.

Relevance – 0 points. This story is a stand-alone episode that really does not connect much to other episodes. It is worthwhile to watch it, but if you are streamlining your episode viewing to only watching key episodes, then this one is likely not to make the final cut.

Continuity – 3 points. Character continuity scores a point as everyone does what they are expected to do. This ranges from the continued personal attachment between Picard and Beverly to Worf always managing to go down first in a fire fight. Universe continuity gets a check from me as it is typical for the Federation to provide medical aid while attempting to stay out of an internal conflict. Storyline continuity scores a point as nothing that happens goes against what has been previously established.

Character Development – 2 points. As far as character development goes, this is a big time Dr. Crusher episode. I have always liked how Beverly has a true caregiver’s heart, and she easily makes connections with the people around her. This is tested as she forms a bond with her captors, especially Finn, the terrorist leader. Picard, Wes, and Riker also get some good moments, but this is pretty much a Beverly Crusher episode. 

Social Commentary – 2 points. I am writing this review in 2016, over 25 years after this episode first aired. I also am writing this on the day that 50 people were killed in Orlando Florida, in what is believed to have been done by a domestic terrorist. At the time of its original airing, Ireland and the UK would not allow the episode to be shown due to IRA terrorism and how the episode could be interpreted as being sympathetic to terrorist activities. I wonder how this episode would be received today by people watching it for the first time. With radical terrorist groups getting a lot of media attention today, the concept of using terrorism to achieve political change is very relevant, as is the notion of humanizing the terrorists. What I am not sure is as relevant is the idea that terrorism should be glorified, as some may claim happens to an extent in this episode. While I am not wanting to use the case of Finn and his followers as an analogy to such horrific groups such as ISIS, I do think we can learn some valuable lessons from this episode as we try to reach out to those who feel disenfranchised in our society.

Cool Factor – 1 point. I think the dimensional shift inverters are pretty cool, and it would have been nice to see something more come from this.

Rank – Lieutenant (14 points). Overall an average episode. I like how Beverly gets the spotlight and a chance to shine. Gates McFadden shows some good acting chops here. Like many early TNG episodes, this one is pretty much self-contained. For those that are only wanting to watch what are considered essential episodes, I would recommend it only for the die-hard Doctor Crusher fans.