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The Sprawling History Of Star Trek's Ro Laren Gets A Little Complicated

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In the fifth season of "Star Trek: The Next Generation, " the showrunners introduced a new regular character named Ensign Ro Laren. Ro (an excellent Michelle Forbes) was a Bajoran, a species whose planet has been militarily occupied by the wicked Cardassians for generations. Bajorans had long since turned to rebellious terrorism to fight back. Since neither world was a member of the Federation, no Starfleet vessels interfered. When the Enterprise was assigned to find a Bajoran terrorist named Orta (Jeffrey Hayegna), Ensign Ro was assigned to assist. 

Immediately, Ro was a fascinating character. She belonged to Starfleet but hated authority, often defying Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) and expressing open annoyance with his orders. She possessed a great deal of agency, upsetting the traditional Starfleet chain of command. She also was, it is eventually revealed, on a secret mission from an admiral above Picard's head. In a mannered, propriety-driven world like "Star Trek," a willful free agent stands as a challenge to everyone's most basic ideals. Ro Laren points out that Starfleet isn't always a rosy, functional organization, and that immoral war acts can still happen with Starfleet in the world. The relationship between Ro and Picard is one of the more fascinating in the series. 

At the end of her debut episode — called, fittingly enough, "Ensign Ro" (October 7, 1991) — she was able to provide aid to Orta and his team of terrorists, knowing that Starfleet was being used as a pawn in a larger game. The Cardassians, it seems, needed help in tracking down someone they defined as a war criminal and kind of hoodwinked Starfleet into helping. Ro went out of bounds on several occasions but ultimately learned to trust Picard. That didn't mean, however, that they liked each other. 

The best characters on "Star Trek" are those with clearly delineated principles. If they have a definite moral stance, then they will always have something to be passionate about, something to fight for. It doesn't matter if the character's principles match the audience's — Quark on "Deep Space Nine," for instance, is soulfully devoted to money and wealth — it merely matters that we understand what they want in any given scene. 

Ro Laren is devoted to justice. She is unafraid to speak her mind and lets everyone know when she's pissed off (which is often). When she grants someone else her trust, you know it was well-earned. Picard learns to trust her and she begrudgingly accepts Picard as her commanding officer. In return, she is allowed to wear her earring while on duty. Chained earrings are a religious symbol in Bajoran society. Michael Piller, the character's creator, claimed in a magazine interview to have loved writing for Ro, stating that he liked someone who doesn't get along with others well. 

In the episode "Disaster" (October 21, 1991), Ro found herself trapped on the bridge with only Counselor Troi (Marina Sirtis) as her commanding officer. Troi was unable to rein in Ro's anger, and the situation gave both characters a chance to test the limits of command. Most of Ro's episodes were crisis episodes, and she was often depicted in dangerous, unusual situations. In "Conundrum," her memory was erased along with the rest of the crew, and she and Riker ( Jonathan Frakes ) had a brief affair. In "Rascals," she was transformed into a child. Ro and Guinan (Whoopi Goldberg) developed a strangely warm relationship. 

But Ro would never find comfort with Starfleet.

The perfection of Starfleet

Ro's final episode of "Next Generation" was "Preemptive Strike" (May 16, 1994). In that episode, the newly promoted Lieutenant Ro returns to the Enterprise after going through Starfleet tactical training back on Earth. Ro is assigned a dangerous mission: She must infiltrate a group of Federation separatists called the Maquis . The Cardassians, in exchange for ending their violent occupation of multiple worlds (including Bajor), were given a number of Federation colonies. The Federation colonists were ordered to move, but many of them resented the exchange and the fact that the Federation gave concessions to a wicked species like the Cardassians. The Maquis were formed as a rebellion force, fighting to keep their homes, despite Federation orders. They were enemies to the Federation and to Cardassia. 

In infiltrating the Maquis, Ro found that they really had been given a raw deal. She steals medical supplies from the Enterprise and gives them to the Maquis leader, Macias (John Franklyn-Robbins). Picard has been ordered to flush out the Maquis and bring them to heel. The Maquis, meanwhile, have intel on a Cardassian weapon they aim to stop. Because of the diplomatic fineries of the Federation, none of these three sides are communicating. Ro feels she has no choice: She has to betray Picard and help the Maquis. Her last act on the series is to reveal the Enterprise's plans to the Maquis, allowing them to escape. She holds a phaser on Riker and asks that he convey an apology back to Picard. Picard, upon hearing about Ro's betrayal, is heartbroken.

Picard had felt he was "reaching" Ro, turning her into a good Starfleet officer. Ro, meanwhile, hated being "tamed." She was going to follow her principles.

Ro's return

Many Trekkies love Ro Laren, and it's easy to see why. She is the clearest sign that even the most stringently composed utopias will still have malcontents. The Federation is not perfect, as it is ill-equipped to deal with citizens who refuse to toe the company line. Starfleet stands for a pretty noble ethic, but it also is so beholden to formalism and the chain of command that it becomes stymied. Ro is a woman of action who would rather seek solutions than permission, and ethics rather than meaningless notions of loyalty. Picard felt betrayed, but the audience understands everything Ro did. 

The character returned in an episode of "Star Trek: Picard" called "Imposters" (March 16, 2023). The last Picard had seen of Ro was when she betrayed him and ran off with the Maquis. He was startled, then, to see her back in a Starfleet uniform 40 years later, bearing the rank of Commander, and in charge of a Federation security force. The first conversation Picard had with Ro upon being reunited was bitter, angry, hurt. Picard saw Ro as one of his great failures, as he was unable to "snap her into shape." Ro, true to her character, shoots back that Picard didn't bother really understanding her. She no longer has to explain herself to him. "Picard" was best when it pointed out Picard's character flaws, and his inability to "reach" all of his officers was one of them. 

In "Imposters," Ro ended up sacrificing her life so that Picard could flee a Byzantine Changeling conspiracy and save the day. Ro, however principled, wouldn't necessarily do that, though. In my headcanon, she somehow escaped destruction and continued to fight the good fight on whatever front was most deserving. 

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The History of STAR TREK: PICARD’s Ro Laren

In the fifth episode of Star Trek: Picard’s final season , we were reintroduced, and then said goodbye to, a character from The Next Generation ( TNG ) that many fans thought we’d never see again. The episode saw the return of Michelle Forbes as Ro Laren, the Bajoran officer last seen in the seventh season TNG episode “Preemptive Strike. ” The relationship between Ro and Captain Picard ended on a sour note in that episode. For nearly 30 years, fans didn’t think we’d get any closure to that relationship. But we finally have, and we also said goodbye to the character for good. Here’s the history of Ro Laren, perhaps the Enterprise -D’s most controversial crew member.

Ro Laren: Star Trek’s First Bajoran

The Next Generation introduced Ro Laren in the fifth season episode titled “Ensign Ro.” After the death of Denise Crosby’s character of Tasha Yar at the end of season one, the only female leads on the show, Dr. Crusher, Counselor Troi, and Guinan, were in caregiver positions. All were empathetic shoulders for the crew to cry on. The show lacked a woman who was more action prone, and who was maybe a little rougher around the edges. The producers created Ro to fulfill that purpose. She appeared as a recurring character throughout TNG seasons five and six and made one final appearance in the show’s seventh season.

Ro was important for several reasons. She was the first Bajoran introduced in the franchise, establishing that race. From her, we learned that Bajorans were a spiritual people, who wore one earring as a religious symbol. We also learned that the Bajoran family name came first, and the individual name came second. Which is why she was properly addressed as “Ensign Ro,” not “Ensign Laren.” We also learned of the long history of persecution of the Bajoran people by the Cardassians. All of these things would later form the core backstory for the Bajoran people in Deep Space Nine . In fact, they intended Ro Laren to be a main character in that series, but Michelle Forbes turned down the offer. Instead, the Bajoran character of Major Kira Nerys was created to replace her.

Ensign Ro’s Tragic Backstory

Ro Laren was born on the planet Bajor, which at the time was under occupation by the Cardassian Union . The Cardassians had strip-mined the planet, forcing the inhabitants into slave labor. Ro Laren’s parents moved the family from one refugee camp to another. When she was seven years old, Cardassians forced her to watch as they tortured her father to death. She felt shame in being Bajoran, and ran away from her home and her heritage. She eventually went to Starfleet Academy—but her career in Starfleet was fraught with problems from the start.

While serving on the U.S.S. Wellington , a willful Ro Laren disobeyed a direct order on an away mission. Eight crew members died as a result. Starfleet court-martialed Ro for this act, and sent her to the stockade. A Starfleet admiral released her from prison and reinstated her, now reduced to the rank of ensign. He assigned her, much to Captain Picard’s protest, to the Enterprise -D . Supposedly, they reinstated her to help track down a Bajoran terrorist, something they needed the Enterprise to do.

An Unlikely Bond with Captain Picard

However, the truth was that the Admiral wanted her to broker a secret deal with the Bajoran terrorists, against the Prime Directive. She informed Captain Picard of the plans of this corrupt Admiral , gaining his trust. He requested she stay on board the Enterprise , and he would help her make up for past mistakes, and get her Starfleet career back on track. After many missions together, she began to view Picard as a mentor and father figure. She also developed bonds with fellow crew members like Geordi La Forge, and the ship’s bartender, Guinan. Ro and Guinan grew even closer when a transporter mishap turned them both into kids. She eventually made the rank of lieutenant again.

Sadly, the bond between Ro and Picard shattered when Picard gave her a special assignment. They ordered her to go undercover as a member of the Maquis, a rebel group made of different alien species. They fought against the Cardassians, who they felt were occupying their homeworlds. But Ro Laren, mostly due to her childhood trauma, sympathized with the Maquis. Instead of infiltrating them to take them down, she wound up joining them. Picard saw this as a deep betrayal, and the two never saw each other again. Many believed she died when the Dominion wiped out the Maquis ‘ infrastructure during their war on the Alpha Quadrant.

What Happened to Ro After The Next Generation ?

As we learned in episode five of Star Trek: Picard , however, not only did Ro Laren not die, she actually rejoined Starfleet. This shocked Picard. Although we’re not sure how a former admiral of his stature didn’t know this fact already. After years with the Maquis, Ro turned herself in to Starfleet. They court-martialed her and she went to prison again. Given her history with terrorist groups, upon release from jail, they recruited her into Starfleet Intelligence. After an intense rehabilitation program, she worked her way up the Starfleet ladder again. She was the one who recognized a conspiracy growing within Starfleet, and subcontracted Worf and Raffi into a larger investigation.

Ro shared her feelings about the compromised Federation with Picard. However, before that, the two finally had a confrontation aboard the Titan , where they aired out their feelings of betrayal and disappointment with each other in an emotional scene—one 29 years in the making. But before Ro was killed by Changeling terrorists in an effort to frame Picard and Riker, she and Jean-Luc came to an understanding, and admitted their mutual respect for one another. She also gave Picard her Bajoran earring, which contained all her investigation into the infiltration of Starfleet.

When Ro Laren died, she left to join the Prophets, knowing that Picard had regained his respect for her after so many years. It was a sad, yet poignant ending for one of Star Trek’s most unforgettable recurring characters.

Featured Image: Paramount+

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Star Trek: Picard 's latest Next Generation cameo was all about 'doing a paranoia thriller'

"I so desperately wanted to see the conclusion to that relationship," says showrunner Terry Matalas of Jean-Luc Picard and the latest surprise guest.

Warning: This article contains spoilers from Star Trek: Picard season 3, episode 5.

Patrick Stewart 's Jean-Luc is touring his greatest hits in the third and final season of Star Trek: Picard by bringing back a bevy of familiar faces from The Next Generation . The reunions keep coming in episode 5, titled "Imposters," which sees a character showrunner Terry Matalas says he really wanted for his story arc.

Actress Michelle Forbes returns as Ro Laren, a Bajoran member of Starfleet who served on the U.S.S Enterprise-D. Trekkies last saw her in season 7 of Star Trek: The Next Generation in 1994. The character now arrives on Picard to question Jean-Luc and Riker ( Jonathan Frakes ) about the Titan's activities, but similar to her past story arcs, there's a secret, more pressing reason why she's really there.

"There was nothing I wanted to do more than bring Ro Laren back," Matalas tells EW. "It felt like such a hanging chad from Next Generation . That episode to me is very special. It's the idea of doing a paranoia thriller."

Ro made her first appearance on The Next Generation in 1991 in the episode "Ensign Ro," and her colorful background includes a conviction for disobeying orders and getting eight crewmen killed. She was first stationed on the U.S.S. Enterprise on a secret mission to make a deal with a suspected Bajoran terrorist, but her principles in the matter are what gained her respect from Picard.

The last time Picard saw her — at least on screen — was in season 7 when she was sent to infiltrate a resistance group known as the Maquis and ended up defecting. A lot has seemingly happened to Ro off screen since that time. To use Picard's own words, "How the hell is Ro Laren back in Starfleet?!" It turns out she was once again rehabilitated and brought up through Starfleet Intelligence.

She beams aboard the U.S.S Titan in Picard season 3 with two armed security guards from the U.S.S Intrepid as Jean-Luc and Riker face potential treason charges. Once both Picard and Ro break the ice and confirm neither of them are Changelings, she reveals her true purpose for being there is because Starfleet has been infiltrated at the highest level by Changelings.

"The only way to be sure that the person that you're talking to is actually the person you hope they are is by getting through a catharsis of trauma of the past of this relationship, [which] to me felt like it could be really good television," Matalas says. "That was Ro and Picard, and I so desperately wanted to see the conclusion to that relationship."

Closure comes just in time. The episode concludes with the death of Ro, who realizes too late that her own detail has been infiltrated by Changelings who plant a bomb on her shuttle. She's at least able to leave behind her Bajoran earring containing all her files on the Changelings before crashing her shuttle into the Intrepid.

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Let’s Talk About That ‘Next Generation’ Cameo in ‘Star Trek: Picard’ No One Saw Coming

Picard and Riker are shocked when this blast from the past returns in Episode 5 of the Paramount+ series

The third and final season of Paramount+’s “Star Trek: Picard” reunites the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise D for one final journey.

So far, audiences have seen Picard (Patrick Stewart) reunite with his former Enterprise first officer Will Riker (Jonathan Frakes) and former ship’s doctor and surprise baby mama Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden). Riker’s wife and former ship’s counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis) also made a brief holographic appearance. Separately, ex-security chief Worf (Michael Dorn) has been working on a clandestine mission for Starfleet intelligence.

While we’ve yet to see Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton) and Data (Brent Spiner) in the new series, they’ve appeared in promotional materials.

Thursday’s episode of “Picard” features an appearance by another popular “Next Generation” character who hasn’t been included in any promos. Who is it?

Read on to find out, but warning — major spoilers ahead.

Which “Next Generation” Character Makes An Unexpected Guest Appearance?

In the fifth episode of “Star Trek: Picard,” Captain Liam Shaw (Todd Stashwick) tells Starfleet is on its way to question Picard and Riker for stealing a shuttle to rescue Crusher.

Turns out the officer sent to question Picard and Riker is Commander Ro Laren. The last time viewers saw Ro Laren was in “Star Trek: The Next Generation” Season 7 episode “Preemptive Strike,” which aired in 1994. She is played by actress Michelle Forbes.

Headstrong and rebellious, Ro Laren was a marked departure from other Starfleet officers who blindly followed orders.

Who is Ro Laren?

Ro Laren is a Bajoran Starfleet officer. Her first appearance was in the “Next Generation” Season 4 episode “Ensign Ro.”

Ro’s past precedes her. When she was aboard the U.S.S. Wellington, she disobeyed orders, resulting in the deaths of eight crewmen. She was court-martialed and jailed. She was later reinstated and brought to the Enterprise upon Admiral Kennelly’s request, despite concerns from his crew.

Riker meets her when she comes aboard the Enterprise, and tells her to remove her Bajoran earring — a symbol of faith — as it violates the Starfleet uniform code.

When they first meet, Picard calls her “Ensign Laren” but she reminds him that Bajoran surnames come first. From henceforth she is called “Ensign Ro.” It’s revealed that Kennelly brought Ro on the mission to make a secret deal with a suspected Bajoran terrorist Orta. But when she discovers Orta is innocent, Ro reveals the deal to Picard.

Picard is impressed by Ro’s principles. Despite her rebelliousness, he feels she possesses the qualities to be a fine Starfleet officer, and invites her to stay aboard. He also allows her to wear her Bajoran earring.

What ‘Next Generation’ Episodes Does Ro Laren Appear in?

Ro became a recurring character on “The Next Generation” appearing in the following episodes:

• “Ensign Ro”
• “Power Play”
• “Cause and Effect”
• “The Next Phase”

Despite her recurring status, she held a major role in many of the episodes, notably “Ensign Ro,” “Power Play” and “The Next Phase.” She was also featured as a member of the bridge crew, usually sitting at the conn.

She returns as a lieutenant in the Season 7 episode “Preemptive Strike,” where she is sent to infiltrate the Maquis, a resistance group that fought the Cardassians — the alien species that annexed her homeworld of Bajor. She ends up sympathizing with the Maquis and defect. Before she leaves, she tells Riker to tell Picard she is sorry for betraying his trust.

What Is Ro Laren Doing on “Picard”?

Sometime after her defection, Ro turned herself in, was court-marshaled, jailed again, rehabilitated and reinstated with the rank of commander in Starfleet Intelligence. She arrives on the Titan via shuttlecraft with two armed security guards.

Riker and Picard are shocked to discover she was back in Starfleet after her betrayal.

Ro coldly interrogates Picard. He notes she no longer wears her Bajoran earring. She only cares to know about the Changeling who has infiltrated the Titan.

They eventually enter the holodeck, where they each profess how badly they hurt each other. Realizing that neither could possibly be a Changeling, Ro reveals her true mission. She tells Picard that Changelings have compromised Starfleet and reveals she has two trusted operatives working on gathering more intelligence. Her investigation points to something happening on Frontier Day, but she has yet to connect the dots.

Ro and Picard leave the holodeck and she is rejoined by her security detail. They board the shuttle to return to the Intrepid, but her guards plant a bomb and beam off. Ro, realizing the Intrepid has been compromised by Changelings, only has seconds to act. She sets a collision course for the Intrepid and crashes her shuttle into it, disabling it and giving the Titan a chance to escape. Before she dies, Picard tells her he finally sees her and asks for her forgiveness.

After they flee, Riker and Picard examine Ro’s parting gift — her Bajoran earring. It contains all of her files on the Changelings and connects them with her trusted operatives, who turn out to be Worf and Raffi.

What Is Ro Laren’s Legacy?

Ro was like a daughter to Picard. Now that she’s gone, he may be extra protective of his newly discovered son, Jack Crusher.

Ro also serves to reconnect Picard with Worf and Raffi, as well as merge the plotlines of the stolen weapons tech from Daystrom and the Changelings.

“Star Trek: Picard” streams every Thursday on Paramount+

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Why discovery’s season 4 bridge crew was missing in episode 5.

The usual familiar faces were missing from Star Trek: Discovery's bridge. Here are the in-universe and real-world reasons for the substitutions.

Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Discovery Season 4, Episode 5 - "The Examples".

The USS Discovery's bridge crew are Star Trek: Discovery fan-favorite characters but here's why they were missing from season 4, episode 5, "The Examples." This week's Star Trek: Discovery took huge strides in uncovering the truth behind the Dark Matter Anomaly threatening the United Federation of Planets. One of the Federation's top scientists, Ruon Tarka (Shawn Doyle), came aboard the Discovery and built a working model of the DMA that could have destroyed the starship. However, most of Star Trek: Discovery' s familiar bridge crew missed out on all of the action.

As Star Trek: Discovery continued into seasons 3 and 4, the members of the bridge crew finally emerged from background players to more fully-fleshed-out characters. Kayla Detmer (Emily Coutts) is the USS Discovery's hotshot pilot who had trouble coping with their one-way trip to the 32nd century. Joann Owosekun (Oyin Oladejo) is Detmer's best friend and the ship's operations officer. Gen Rhys (Patrick Kwok-Choon) is the Discovery's tactical officer while Ronald Bryce (Ronnie Rowe, Jr.) is the ship's communications officer. Star Trek: Discovery  season 4 promoted all four of the bridge crew to Lt. Commander after expanding their roles in season 3. But despite being vital to the operation of Discovery's bridge and trusted implicitly by Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and First Officer Saru (Doug Jones), Detmer, Owosekun, and Bryce were conspicuously absent from Star Trek: Discovery for the first time.

Related: Star Trek: Discovery's First Officer Repeats The Show's Captain Problem

The in-universe reason for Star Trek: Discovery 's missing bridge crew is that Captain Burnham mandated that everyone aboard must get time off for their mental and emotional health. All of Discovery's crew are traumatized by their one-way time travel to 920 years into the future as well as the back-to-back ordeals of solving The Burn and now facing the Dark Matter Anomaly, so Captain Burnham makes sure everyone gets ample time off or even shore leave. Dr. Hugh Culber (Wilson Cruz) now serves as Ship's Counselor and meets with every crewmember to assess how they're coping with life in the 32nd century. In addition, Lt. Commander Bryce sometimes serves away from the USS Discovery and is replaced by a new Comm officer, Lt. Christopher (Orville Cummings), who appears in "The Examples."

The real-world reason for Star Trek: Discovery' s missing bridge crew is that season 4 was produced under strict COVID-19 protocols. To help keep the actors and crew safe, they are rotated off-set, which necessitates new actors and characters taking their spots on the bridge crew in some episodes. Burnham's rule of making Discovery's crew take time off is a clever way to explain why there are sometimes different officers on the bridge. In "The Examples," the USS Discovery had a different, unnamed pilot at the Conn subbing for Detmer while an unnamed Shlerm, which is a race first seen in Star Trek Beyond , sat in Owosekun's chair at Ops.

Meanwhile, Captain Burnham, Lt. Commander Rhys, and Book (David Ajala) were all on Away missions while Captain Saru spent much of "The Examples" in Engineering with Dr. Tarka, Commander Paul Stamets (Anthony Rapp), and Commander Jett Reno (Tig Notaro), which contributed to the Discovery's bridge feeling bare of the usual familiar faces for most of the episode. In addition, Lt. Sylvia Tilly (Mary Wiseman) left the Discovery to teach at Starfleet Academy, and she was replaced on the bridge by Lt. Linus (David Tomlinson). However, Lt. Commander Nilsson (Sara Mitich) was at her usual post manning spore drive operations, so she gave a bit more stability to the bridge in Star Trek: Discovery season 4, episode 5.

Next: Star Trek: Discovery's Major Exit Creates A Season 4 Crew Problem

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Long-lost first model of the USS Enterprise from ‘Star Trek’ boldly goes home after twisting voyage

DALLAS (AP) — The first model of the USS Enterprise — used in the opening credits of the original “Star Trek” television series — has boldly gone back home, returning to creator Gene Roddenberry’s son decades after it went missing.

The model’s disappearance sometime in the 1970s had become the subject of lore, so it caused a stir when it popped up on eBay last fall. The sellers quickly took it down, and then contacted Dallas-based Heritage Auctions to authenticate it. Last weekend, the auction house facilitated the model’s return.

Eugene “Rod” Roddenberry, CEO of Roddenberry Entertainment, said he’s thrilled to have the model that had graced the desk of his father, who died in 1991 at age 70.

“This is not going home to adorn my shelves,” Roddenberry said. “This is going to get restored and we’re working on ways to get it out so the public can see it and my hope is that it will land in a museum somewhere.”

Heritage’s executive vice president, Joe Maddalena, said the auction house was contacted by people who said they’d discovered it a storage unit, and when it was brought into their Beverly Hills office, he and a colleague “instantly knew that it was the real thing.”

They reached out to Roddenberry, who said he appreciates that everyone involved agreed returning the model was the right thing to do. He wouldn’t go into details on the agreement reached but said “I felt it important to reward that and show appreciation for that.”

Maddalena said the model vanished in the 1970s after Gene Roddenberry loaned it to makers of “Star Trek: The Motion Picture,” which was released in 1979.

“No one knew what happened to it,” Rod Roddenberry said.

The 3-foot (0.91-meter) model of the USS Enterprise was used in the show’s original pilot episode as well as the opening credits of the resulting TV series, and was the prototype for the 11-foot (3-meter) version featured in the series’ episodes. The larger model is on display at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum.

The original “Star Trek” television series, which aired in the late 1960s, kicked off an ever-expanding multiverse of cultural phenomena, with TV and movie spinoffs and conventions where a fanbase of zealous and devoted Trekkies can’t get enough of memorabilia.

This USS Enterprise model would easily sell for more than $1 million at auction, but really “it’s priceless,” Maddalena said.

“It could sell for any amount and I wouldn’t be surprised because of what it is,” he said. “It is truly a cultural icon.”

Roddenberry, who was just a young boy when the model went missing, said he has spotty memories of it, “almost a deja vu.” He said it wasn’t something he’d thought much about until people began contacting him after it appeared on eBay.

“I don’t think I really, fully comprehended at first that this was the first Enterprise ever created,” he said.

He said he has no idea if there was something nefarious behind the disappearance all those decades ago or if it was just mistakenly lost, but it would be interesting to find out more about what happened.

“This piece is incredibly important and it has its own story and this would be a great piece of the story,” Roddenberry said.

Thankfully, he said, the discovery has cleared up one rumor: That it was destroyed because as a young boy, he’d thrown it into a pool.

“Finally I’m vindicated after all these years,” he said with a laugh.

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Mike Howden

• View history

Mike Howden ( 4 July 1932 – 4 October 2010 ; age 78) was the actor who played Lt. Rowe in the Star Trek: The Original Series second season episode " I, Mudd ". He also appeared as a Romulan Guard in the third season episode " The Enterprise Incident ".

Howden filmed his scene for "I, Mudd" on Monday 14 August 1967 , and his scene for "The Enterprise Incident" on Monday 24 June 1968 , both at Desilu Stage 9 .

He had a Northeastern accent, which resulted in him asking Kirk if he had "clearance to be in this area r " aboard the Romulan ship.

External link [ ]

• Mike Howden at the Internet Movie Database